Dave Caolo

Managing Editor

For six years, Dave worked as the IT Director of a Mac-friendly, residential school in rural Massachusetts and has been writing for the Web professionally since 2001. Today, Dave is an editor at TUAW where he's blogged since 2004. He's also the author of two books from FT Press: Using Your iPad as a Business Productivity Tool and Using Your iPhone as a Business Productivity Tool. Dave believes that technology has the power to improve our life at its most important moments, and explores that conviction every day. A native of Scranton, Pa (Yes, just like on The Office), Dave moved to Cape Cod, Ma in 1994. When he's not writing, Dave can be found kayaking, rooting for the Boston Red Sox and spending time with his wife, two kids and Boston Terrier, Batgirl.

Articles by Dave Caolo

Yo iPhone app hacked
Yo, the pointless app that lets you message the word "Yo" to your contacts (and nothing else) has been hacked by a college student and his two roommates. The trio has been able to acquire any Yo user's phone number and spam them with multiple messages, though they opted not to abuse the latter discovery. Yo has confirmed the hack and promised a fix. Meanwhile, a Vine video has appeared showing the app playing Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" instead of its typical notification sound, and a post on Instagram supposedly shows an unauthorized message being pushed through the service. So it turns out an app that was built in eight hours and has access to personal information can be hacked. At least it's free.
Susan Kare discusses icon design
Iconographer and graphic designer Susan Kare is a graphic designer and was a member of the original Macintosh team. Susan created -- if you'll forgive me -- some of the most iconic images in the history of personal computing, including the "Happy Mac," its companion the Sad Mac, the original Macintosh trash can and so much more, including the original Macintosh typeface. Susan recently gave a talk at the eighth e.g. Conference, and shared some of her history. There's a lot to love for Apple fans, including the story of her five-minute interview with Andy Hertzfeld, which ended with him asking Susan when she could start, as well as the birth of the symbol on the Command Key. Unlike some others, that icon is still in use at Apple. My favorite bit is her explanation for the Sad Mac and Bomb icons (above). "I designed them they way I did," she says, "because I was told they would never be seen by anyone." Well, not quite. It's a fantastic talk with lots of Apple history and thoughtful design, and definitely worth your time to watch.
Apple helps T-Mobile Test Drive program
T-Mobile is launching a new initiative to introduce shoppers to its network with help from Apple, in the form of a free iPhone 5s. Called "Test Drive," the promotion is targeted at customers of rival US carriers who are considering switching. After signing up, participants will receive a free, no-strings-attached iPhone 5s with unlimited data, text and calls from T-Mobile (as long as the phone is used within the US). When the trial ends, users can keep the phone and sign up for a plan, or simply send it back and that's that. Back when I was a car salesman (true story), we called this "The Puppy Dog Close." Who doesn't want to keep a cute little puppy after bringing it home? Especially when that puppy is gold and features Touch ID. Don't be late, however. Those who miss their drop-off date will be charged US$700.00, plus tax.
Apple drops price of Apple TV in Europe and other news for June 18, 2014
This afternoon we've got one gadget that keeps the kids fit, one that encourages them to sit and play games and finally, a price drop for the Apple TV. Onward! X-Doria introduces wireless activity and sleep tracker for kids. This is the first product of its type that we've seen directed at kids. This wearable sleep tracker is designed for young ones aged 5 - 13, and designs activity targets to keep them moving. The X-Doria looks like a fun, customizable way to keep kids active and motivated. Apple drops Apple TV price in much of Europe. Been holding out on Apple set top box? Now's your chance, Europe. The company has lowered the device's price from £20 to £79 in the UK, and from €10 to €99 in continental countries. Wikipad announces Gamevice controller for iPad mini. Well, look at this thing! Wikipad has announced an iOS game controller made specifically for the iPad mini. The add-on features forward-facing controls in the form of dual analog sticks, a D-pad and four face buttons. There are additional triggers underneath. Wikipad hopes to ship the Gamevice controller "later this year." Sign up to receive updates.
Apple settles ebooks price-fixing claim and other news for June 17, 2014
We've got three top stories for you this morning. Apple settles its eBook price-fixing claim out of court, new kids camps are set for Apple Stores this summer and FiftyThree teases a new goodie for Pencil owners. Let's get to it. Apple has settled the eBook price-fixing claim out of court. The details have not been made public, but Attorney Steve Berman, representing the plaintiffs, believed Apple should pay $840 million. Apple announces filmmaking, iBooks Author camps for kids. I'd love to send my kids to one of these camps. Apple has announced that it will host filmmaking and iBooks Author camps for kids ages 8 to 12 in Apple Stores this summer. The 90-minute classes will run for three days. Sessions begin in mid-July and wrap up in August. FiftyThree will add natural 'Pencil' stylus to 'Paper' with iOS 8. FiftyThree has given us another reason to get excited for iOS 8. A new Surface Pressure feature will let those using the FiftyThree Pencil (US$49.99) to angle the tip and the eraser to produce broader strokes.
Apple to replace European iPhone chargers
Apple has launched an exchange program for 5W European USB Power Adapters that were sold between October, 2009 and September, 2012. The affected adapter is Model A1300. Apple illustrates exactly how to identify it here. Apple has determined that this model may overhead and become a safety risk. Those with affected adapters are encouraged to make an appointment at a local Apple Store or authorized retailer. Those who can't get to a store may contact Apple directly. All A1300 adapters manufactured during the identified time period will be replaced free of charge.
Apple SVP of Retail attends Omotesando Apple Store opening
A beautiful new Apple Store opened in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday and the company's new senior vice president of retail Dame Angela Ahrendts was in attendance. Apple announced that the former Burberry CEO would join its team last October, and as far as we've seen, this was her first public appearance in her new role. Macotakara.com has several photos of the event, including two shots of Ahrendts with some shoppers. There's also a guy wearing a huge cardboard apple on his head. Make of that what you will.
Apple video shows off Tokyo Apple Store and more news for June 12, 2014
Apple has posted a nice, quick video promoting Tokyo's newest Apple Store. As ifoAppleStore points out, this video is unique in that it's the first to show a retail store being set up. Employees are show assembling the displays and filling the shelves with product. Rovio launches Angry Birds RPG "Angry Birds Epic." Just when you though the birds and pigs were fading from memory, they're back in an "epic" RPG. It features battles, weapon upgrades, treasure...all the stuff you'd expect from an RPG. Starbucks to roll out 100,000 wireless smartphone chargers. The company has teamed up with Duracell to install Powermats at locations across the country. The program has begun in select San Francisco and Boston locations, and those involved expect to expand significantly over the next year or so. Of course, you'll need a compatible case to use the charging stations. Apple expands European App store curation. Specifically, the productivity, photo & video, sport, music, lifestyle, health and travel categories now feature selections gathered by Apple's App Store editors.
Launch Center Pro 2.3 supports iBeacons, Geofences and more
Launch Center Pro has matured into a useful and very capable utility for iPhone. When I looked at it in 2011, its main functions were launching apps and performing actions. Subsequent releases have built upon that functionality, adding features like URL schemes and x-callback-url Support. Today, version 2.3 adds support for iBeacons and geofences, plus it has a channel on IFTTT, GIF sharing from Giphy and barcode/QR scanning. Let's take a look at Launch Center Pro 2.3 Creating an action that makes use of a geofence or iBeacon is easy. Tap the compose button in the upper right-hand corner, then tap the "+" to make a new action. You can fill in a name and other information as you like, and then tap Location Triggers and finally "+". Two options appear: Geofence and iBeacon. Select either and enter the relevant information. When setting up a geofence, there's a map built right in that lets you find the target location and adjust the size of the geofence around it. I love geofence tech and having it as a part of an app as powerful as Launch Center Pro is fantastic. Working with iBeacons is just as easy. Just give the beacon a name and UUID (other information is optional) and you're all set. I'm already dreaming up how I can take advantage of this at Fenway Park in Boston. Tweeting a GIF is fun and simple. You can create a list of your favorite GIF categories (like rage or featured, for example) and quickly find one you're interested in. The app then takes you right to Tweetbot (it'll prompt you to install Tweetbot if you haven't), composes a new tweet and paste the link right in. Anyone who has searched Giphy knows what a time saver this routine is. Of course you can share that perfect GIF via IM, email and more. Bar code scanning had me stumped at first, but it's perfect for finding something on Amazon. Let's say you're at the mall and the perfect Acme Widget is on sale for US$29.99. Just scan the code and find it on Amazon to compare prices. Easy! My favorite apps are those that are useful. Apps that actually make life easier. Wasn't that the promise of personal computing in 1984? Launch Center Pro makes it come true.
Apps, social sharing and other news for June 10, 2014
Today in the news bin we've got a beautiful new Apple Store, changes to Apple's App Store review policies and a cool new feature for Amazon's Kindle app for iOS. Apple has begun rejecting some apps that reward social sharing. TechCrunch reports that Apple has rejected apps that incentivize sharing on Facebook or watching videos. Think of Candy Crush, for example, and how Facebook sharing has played such a significant role in its success. The updated Amazon app syncs Kindle text with audio books. I love this idea. Now I can listen to a book for a while as I drive around, and then pick up the story on the Kindle app at home. Note that this feature is currently restricted to about 45,000 book/recording matches. A new Tokyo Apple Store has been unveiled. Construction workers have removed the barrier that was previously hiding the new Omotesando (Tokyo) Apple Store. ifoAppleStore has some great photos and video of the gorgeous location. As of now, there's no grand opening date.
Mac 101: How to disable that annoying volume noise
Apple's OS X has one little feature that makes me nuts. When you adjust the volume with the keyboard or Menu Bar slider, it makes a little "pip" sound as the volume increases or decreases. On one hand, it's a nice confirmation that you've successfully made a change; on the other hand, it's an annoying little pip. Fortunately, there are two ways to silence it. First, hold down the Shift key when adjusting the volume via the keyboard. Your other option is to have at it in System Preferences. Launch and click Sound, and then Sound Effects. Next, de-select "Play feedback when volume is changed." No more pip! Pro tip: once you've made that change in System Preferences, the Shift key trick works differently. Hold Shift while adjusting volume to hear the pip.
Mac 101: quickly change volume input, output
Many Mac users have several input and output devices for sound. For example, I have a mic, external speakers and a set of headphones connected to my MacBook Pro pretty much all the time. I also use Soundflower for capturing audio from my Mac. I can make any one of them active via the sound System Preference. Or, I could use this trick, which is much faster. Just Option-click on the volume icon in the Menu Bar and presto! A list of available input and output devices appears. Just click the one you want and you're all set. Nice and fast.
An iPhone-ready ceiling fan and more news for June 5, 2014
What's in the news this morning? A cool fan with a rude name, good news for Pebble owners and Apple's apparent misuse of a product name. Let's get to it. Big Ass Fans has introduced a ceiling fan that can be controlled with your iPhone. The Haiku with SenseME is smart enough to know when a room is occupied and turn itself on or off accordingly. Additionally, it learns your "comfort preferences" and responds to temperature and humidity conditions in its environment. The companion iPhone app lets you create schedules and fiddle with various controls. Now I need to figure out how to convince my wife -- our family's CFO -- that I need one of these. The Pebble smart watch firmware, iOS app have been updated. Good news, Pebble owners. Pebble firmware 2.2 is available, and the iOS app has been updated as well. The updated app now uses iBeacon to know when the watch and the phone are close by each other. Other changes include a music progress bar and additional button functions. Australian company claims Apple stole the name "HealthKit." An Australian company called...wait for it..."HealthKit" lets users track their health and fitness online. Sound familiar? HealthKit co-founder Alison Hardacre thinks so, and she's not happy about it. "We won't let them trample over our product. Someone needs to be fired for this. We have a business with the same name and a similar product, if they had done a quick Google search they would have seen that. It's not fair."
Junglecat iPhone controller and other news for June 4, 2014
We're halfway through the week and you know what that means. Here's the Apple news you need to know this morning. Razer has announced the Junglecat game controller for iPhone 5 and 5s. The slide-out case, available in white or black (sorry, no gold), adds a D-pad and four buttons. A companion app lets you customize its functions. It seems OS X Yosemite's version of Safari will truncate URLs to the domain level. The current build at least. I dislike this behavior in mobile Safari and will be bummed if it's a part of the release version of Safari. Here's hoping we get a setting to disable it. Apple updates MFi program to allow Lightning headphones. The MFi program gives developers the tools to make Apple-certified hardware for use with its devices. This latest update will let headphone manufacturers use a device's Lightning port, as opposed to the headphone jack. Here's a first: iOS apps are the most popular way to watch TV online. A report conducted by Adobe revealed that iOS apps hold a 43% market share of online TV viewing, versus the 36% that browsers hold. Goodness knows I use my iPad as a TV all the time.
Apple addresses virtual currency and other news for June 3, 2014
In our first post-WWDC news roundup, we have stories about iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite! Who would have guessed? Specifically, getting into (and out of) a beta and virtual currencies. Onward. 1. Apple has clarified its stance on virtual currencies in apps. The newly updated App Store Review Guidelines reveals that Apple is willing to approve apps that deal with virtual currency, within limits: "Purchasing and Currencies 11.17 Apps may facilitate transmission of approved virtual currencies provided that they do so in compliance with all state and federal laws for the territories in which the app functions." This is one of the first times the company has officially recognized virtual currencies. 2. How to sign up for Apple's OS X Yosemite beta program. Eager to try out the beta of Apple's forthcoming Mac OS? You needn't be a developer anymore. This year, the rest of us can apply to the program, and Mac Observer outlines how. 3. Downgrade back to iOS 7 from iOS 8 beta. Here's the problem: many eager iPhone users will install iOS 8 on their devices, not to get a jump start on development, but just to see what it's like. Those who use their main iPhone for this purpose may soon regret it. Fortunately, Ars has posted a tutorial on getting back to iOS 7.
Samsonite buys Speck for $85 million
It must be acquisitions week. Longtime luggage manufacturer Samsonite has acquired Speck for a cool US$85 mil. Speck makes protective cases for a variety of portable devices, including iPhone, iPad, MacBook and several Android devices. Samsonite Americas president Tom Korbas explained the move: "The acquisition offers Samsonite the opportunity to participate in the large and growing smartphone-case market, which in the U.S. alone is estimated to be worth $2.3 billion, as well as in the tablet-case market, where Speck is also a leader." It seems like a complimentary acquisition for a company that's been protecting travelers' belongings for years. Good luck to all involved.
NTT DOCOMO to get iPad Air, mini and more news for May 28, 2014
The iPad is in the news twice this morning, plus an app update from the BBC. Finally! Japanese carrier NTT DOCOMO is scheduled to get the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini on June 10, according to a press release from Apple. As of June 2, customers can pre-register for an iPad Air or a Retina iPad mini via DOCOMO's website. The BBC has released a major update to its iPlayer app for iOS. The company surprised a few folks when it made its latest iPlayer update available for Windows phones first. Now it's finally available in the iOS flavour (Android, too). I do wish it'd be available here in the States, but I suspect that'd require slashing through a jungle of red tape. Apple has released education pricing for the iPad Air and Retina iPad mini (Google translation). The Air and Retina mini, typically US$499 and $399 respectively are selling for $469 and $379 to qualified education customers.
Ransomware worries? Turn off Find My Mac/Find My iPhone
Note: Here's how to enable 2-step authentication for your Apple ID. It's been a rough day Down Under; several iOS and Mac users have found their devices held "ransom" by a hacker leveraging Apple's Find My iPhone and Find My Mac services. Australia's The Age reports information acquired by recent security breaches, combined with the human tendency to reuse security credentials across services, may have led to the lockouts. The normally-helpful (or at least benign) Find My X services can indeed be used for ill, as Wired's Mat Honan learned last year to his regret. It's noteworthy that iPhone users who have a passcode in place should be able to recover access, as long as the passcode was created outside of setting up Find My iPhone. In this post, I'll explain how to disable Find My iPhone/iPad and Find My Mac, as well as how to create a passcode on your iOS device. First, let's disable those services. Note that you must know your iCloud account information to turn off either of the Find My X services -- that's the point, really, as a thief presumably would not know your password and wouldn't be able to unlock or reinstall your purloined device with FMx turned on. Disable Find My iPhone/iPad This is quite easy to do. Just follow these steps: Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap iCloud. Scroll to the bottom of the list, and move the slider labeled "Find my iPhone" to the Off position. You'll need to authenticate with your iCloud password. That's it. On the Mac, the process is just as simple. Disable Find My Mac Launch System Preferences. Click iCloud. A new pane appears. Scroll to the bottom of the list on the right. De-select Find My Mac. (If you aren't using it, best to uncheck Back to my Mac as well -- if your iCloud password was compromised then BTMM could also be a security risk.) Again, you'll need to authenticate with your iCloud password. Create an iOS passcode Just to be sure that you can unlock your device locally if you do re-enable Find My iPhone, it's a good idea to set a passcode. (If you have an iPhone 5s and you enabled the Touch ID feature, iOS forced you to create a passcode, so you're all set.) These screenshots are for iOS 7, but the iOS 6 process is similar. Open the Settings app. Scroll down to Passcode. If you've never created a passcode before, toggle Turn Passcode On. You'll be prompted for a short (4-digit) numeric "simple passcode" or a longer/complex alphanumeric passcode. Pro tip: Even if your employer or educational institution requires a complex passcode via MDM, you can still access the "quick entry" numeric keypad for your passcode... just create an all-numbers passcode of the minimum length or longer, and you won't have to peck out the unlock code on the full keyboard.) Once your passcode is enabled and verified, you can set the timeouts for passcode access, which apps can be accessed from the lock screen, and more. In general, Apple's recovery/security services like Find My iPhone are a very good thing, and beneficial to have up and running -- as long as you observe reasonable password hygiene with your iCloud credentials, which are the "keys to the kingdom" for iOS app purchases, iTunes music, your iCloud email and iWork online documents... well, you get the idea. But turning off Find My iPhone is a reasonable temporary measure if you're concerned about this kind of hack attack, or worse things that could happen with a compromised iCloud password. Michael Rose contributed to this post.
Happy Memorial Day from TUAW
It's Memorial Day in the USA, and the TUAW crew is taking time to honor the men and women of our military and spend time with family. Posting will be light today, but we'll be back in full swing tomorrow. Enjoy your day. It's almost summer!
8 GB iPhone 5c sells in India for 33,500 rupees
Last March, Apple released an 8 GB iPhone 5c in China, Australia and select other European markets as an "... affordable option for markets where LTE is becoming more established." Today, the company has made the same unit available in India for 33,500 rupees, or approximately US$572 as of this writing. To kickstart the iPhone's introduction, customers will receive a free case for a limited time. During Apple's Q2 2014 financial conference call, CEO Tim Cook noted that iPhone sales in India had more than doubled. This should allow even more customers in that market to experience the Apple ecosystem.

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