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Apple's Support app expands to 20 more countries
The latest update for the Apple Support app -- the company's free, standalone tool designed to help users solve a range of service issues -- is now available, delivering a range of hotfixes and more. The most notable feature is the extension of support to over 20 new countries and regions. It also improves the app's overall accessibility with the addition of language assistance for Czech, Danish Finnish, Hungarian, Indonesian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese and Russian.
Apple's YouTube videos can help with dad's inane iOS questions
If spending a Saturday morning at an Apple store with a family member is your idea of Hell, then playing tech support for your relatives while you're home for the holidays is probably a lengthy stretch of the road to perdition. Well, Apple Support remembered YouTube exists and has uploaded a series of videos answering simple questions like how to send and save GIFs on an iPhone, how to update iOS, change the wallpaper and how to mute or leave a group conversation, among others.
Apple opens a Twitter account to answer your tech problems
Sometimes it's infuriatingly difficult to get a Genius Bar appointment at your local Apple store. So if your Mac is on the fritz and you've got an important meeting to attend, what are your options? Ask a friend, or dive into some forums? How about asking for help on Twitter? If that last one appeals to you, good news -- Apple has set up an account today to facilitate just this sort of Q&A. Why it's taken so long to create is anyone's guess, but it's here now, so feel free to bombard @AppleSupport the next time everything randomly disappears from your iCloud account.
2013 Macbook Air update fixes flickering screen and WiFi, available now
If you've been experiencing unstable WiFi as well as flickers while Photoshopping on your new mid-year MacBook Air, Apple's got you covered. The tech giant reports that the patch addresses the aforementioned issues cropping up in "rare instances," as well as a bug that causes audio levels to jump around during video playback. The software update -- 1.0, if you're interested in the details -- is available from Apple Support in the links below.
Are Retina MacBooks displaying screen issues?
If a 56-page discussion thread on the Apple Support forums is any indication, there appears to be a problem with some MacBook Pros with Retina displays. The Retina displays with the issues show image retention and burn-in; others do not. TUAW reader Joe K. sent us a note about the issue, which appears to be happening to MBPs with displays manufactured by LG; other displays made by Samsung don't have the problem with image retention and burn-in, are brighter, and seem to display colors with more accuracy. To determine the make of the Retina display installed in your MacBook Pro, Joe supplied a helpful terminal command: ioreg -lw0 | grep \"EDID\" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r | strings -6 It's basically the same command seen on OSXDaily to check for LG screens on MacBook Airs, which will also tell you how you know if you have a Samsung or LG display. If your display code begins with "LP," it's an LG display. Mike Rose has verified that with his LG panel he sees faint ghosting of Finder windows when he goes into a PowerPoint slideshow with a gray background. Those who own a MacBook Pro with Retina display and see this problem as described in the thread should contact their local Apple Store or AppleCare for resolution.
Apple adds 'Answers from the community' to product web pages
Apple has added a new "Answers from the community" section to its product pages on the Apple Store. Something similar to this called "Questions and answers" has been around for awhile for accessories sold on the Apple site, but it's now been expanded to Apple's marquee Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod products. The purpose of "Answers from the community" is right in the name. Visitors to the online Apple Store can submit questions about a product, such as "Will all the iPhone 4 accessories work with the 4S?" Anyone with an Apple ID can sign in and answer. Apple asks that users keep answers short and to the point; the compose page even has a simple graphical element reminiscent of a thermometer that warns when you're starting to get excessively verbose. Apple appears to be very heavily moderating user input on the service, which will come as no surprise to anyone who's ever read a comment thread on a news post that mentions an Apple product. Answers left in "Answers from the community" can take up to one business day to appear after they're uploaded, and it's safe to say that any inflammatory rants about fanbois, Kool-Aid, or any number of other anti-Apple cliches won't be approved. The Next Web notes that some of Apple's products seem to be pulling questions and answers from Apple's support forums, possibly pointing to greater integration between the two areas of Apple's site. "Answers from the community" should prove to be a very useful tool for getting the most common questions about Apple's products answered in a forum that's just a click away from the product itself.
Apple support profile lists purchase history, sign up for VoicePass and SMS
Apple quietly released My Support Profile, which offers a hardware purchase history and access to Apple's VoicePass, its trademark filed shortly before Christmas. Once I signed in, I set up my iPhone to use VoicePass and receive SMS messages (available only in the US) from Apple Support. VoicePass will link Apple Support to your product history and allow them to provide personalized service. The right side of the page features a list of repairs and products that you've purchased and registered with Apple. You can also add nicknames to your purchases. The purchase history area is a bit spotty -- it registered my very first Apple product (15 GB 3G iPod from 2004), but missed the 5.5G iPod purchased two years later, iPhone 4 and iPad. But, it's easy to add your other products. Clicking on the product will show you if it's still under AppleCare and extend your AppleCare if it's available. The support profile is a handy place to update your contact information with Apple as well. It's worth taking a few minutes to go make sure your Apple profile is up to date and remind yourself of some of your past Apple purchases and repairs.
Apple TV 4.1 update is apparently resulting in loss of 720p output for some unlucky souls
We've been monitoring a growing thread on Apple's support discussion forums where users are complaining about their recently acquired Apple TV only outputting 480p after updating the OS to 4.1 last week. That's obviously a big step down from the 720p resolution touted at launch, and if the plight of these posters is indicative of anything, it seems the perpetrating update has somehow changed the HDMI resolution negotiation of the device -- which rears its ugly head in specific setups. Speaking of setups, though the issue was originally shared by a user who directly connected the device to their TV via HDMI, it appears the vast majority of posters are using an HDMI-to-DVI cable. This latter complaint offers an easy out for Cupertino since the Apple TV's fine print clearly states DVI isn't supported -- meaning if it worked perfectly with the previous OS, it was just a lucky coincidence. So how bout' it readers? Are any of you experiencing this issue with your shiny new hockey puck without involving DVI? Let us know in the comments below.
Rocky day for MobileMe email
After a day of intermittent issues for email on MobileMe, Apple has noted the issue on the MobileMe support page; the company says the problem is now resolved but "some MobileMe users could not send.... We apologize for any inconvenience. No kidding. We've had communications about this from our readers, and I've had spotty service for a full 24 hours. There are also comments on the Apple Support boards about today's hiccups. I made the mistake of using the MobileMe support Live Chat option yesterday, where I described my issues to 'Jason'. I told him I knew several people with the problem. His solution was for me to change my mail password. I typed back that I didn't see how that was the issue because I'd already told him I have the problem on 4 Apple devices (iPhone, desktop, MacBook Pro and iPad) and that the problem was happening on several networks, not just the home and office. His response was that if I wasn't going to cooperate he was done, and he cut off the chat. Nice. Apple support is usually excellent, but MobileMe has had a lot of problems over the years, and I have consistently found MobileMe support to be often uninformed and defensive. As of this afternoon EDT Apple says it is fixed, and I hope that's true. Apple charges quite a lot for MobileMe services. The company could do better at reliability, and monitoring Apple support comments from users, instead of doubting a problem exists. I'm looking forward to the day when MobileMe 'just works.'
Apple: Please use the Firefox browser to sign up for WWDC 2010
Our good buddy Jim Dalrymple over at The Loop brought up this useful piece of information for those developers who are rushing to sign up for WWDC 2010: As per Apple's own recommendation, don't use Safari 4.0.4 or earlier; use Firefox or the latest version of Safari. According to Jim's post, he was contacted by developers who ran into issues when trying to complete their transaction. One developer went so far as to do an online chat with an Apple support person and captured the screenshot of their conversation that is seen above. Apparently devs who were using Safari 4.0.5 didn't run into the problem, but it's still pretty funny when Apple's own support personnel recommend using Firefox rather than the official browser.
Can't upload pix to MobileMe? Apple has a fix for that
If you've been trying to upload a picture from your iPhone to a MobileMe gallery, and are getting the message "Unable to connect to MobileMe" message you're not alone.The problem appears to be related to a bug in user name recognition. Apple has published a KB article dealing with the issue. The problem seems to be triggered if your member name is in mixed case, or if it is in all caps. MobileMe requires the user name be in all lower case letters, although the same rule does not apply to passwords. Apple suggests you go to your iPhone settings, and under account info make sure your name is all lowercase. If not, a visit to the KB article would be advised. The fix is simple: just delete and re-enter your account details, getting your member name in a form Apple will like. When the bug is fixed, this workaround won't be needed.Apple needs to continue to pay close attention to MobileMe. My perception is it has become generally more reliable since the ugly launch in 2008, but the support page still reports a few new glitches per week. Lately I've noticed a few mail outages/slowness and difficulty getting to my iDisk.
Loss of Wi-Fi connectivity plagues the iPhone 3G as well
Wi-Fi connectivity problems are not limited to the iPhone 3GS, not by a long shot. The iPhone 3G is widely reported to have connectivity problems that, according to the large number of people discussing it on the Apple Support Discussions, dwarf the reports regarding the 3GS. In over fourteen Apple Discussion threads, over six hundred messages have been posted with the first one being written on June 17th, shortly after the release of iPhone 3.0 software. These threads have been read by thousands of users. Unfortunately, to date, a solution is not at hand.The problem, verified by many, is that when updating to the new software, Wi-Fi connectivity on the iPhone 3G either decreased or vanished entirely. Those who were used to getting full bars of Wi-Fi connectivity now experience markedly less bars. Worse, even if some signal strength bars are displayed, often there is no Internet connectivity. Many solutions have been proposed including resetting the router, changing settings (seemingly at random), and even putting the 3G in the freezer:"Also i might note, I turned off wifi, turned off the phone, put it in the freezer (in a bag) for 10 mins, turned the phone back on, put the phone right next to my wifi antenna and then turned on wifi and it joined, it JUST joined and I couldnt believe it," says one forum poster. Several others report similar results, but this fix did not last long. In fact, blog posts have been written about possible solutions, but none of them seemed to pan out after using Wi-Fi for a short period of time.Some writers have said that the 3.1 update will fix the problem while a larger number say that the new software release won't help at all.
Is it cheaper to fake a battery repair than to buy new?
Notebook batteries aren't cheap these days, and our own Conrad Quilty-Harper from across the pond (of both TUAW and Engadget fame) blogged a little experiment to give his MacBook some new mobile legs. With a total of 11 parts replaced in six months (which is far more than required to put a machine to sleep for good), he decided it was time Apple threw him a bone and called support for a battery replacement. The Apple rep told him that if he didn't return his old 'n busted battery upon receiving the shiny new one, they would charge him £71 (~$138 USD). Fair enough, but a trip to the UK Apple Store online revealed that new batteries off the shelf cost £99 (~$192) - and that's quite a difference in price no matter where you hang your hat.Now we aren't sure if the math works the same way in other countries or even the US, and we don't exactly condone calling Apple for no good reason to score or even swap out for a new battery, especially since Apple could very well charge you anyway for making a bogus call and sending them a perfectly functioning battery (i.e. - pull this stunt at your own risk). This might be useful, however, if you're truly experiencing power issues whilst untethered and saving every penny on a replacement counts.
Mac Cheat Sheet
Remember the first rule of computer security? Not writing down all the important stuff like passwords and account names in one place? Kind of fundamental, right? Well, it looks like Apple has just about had it with people being unable to remember basic information like passwords and account names when working with them to provide support for their computers. They've created what they call a Mac "cheat sheet" with the intention that you--or more likely a mac-savvy relative or coworker--write down all these basic facts and then you carefully store the sheet away. Unless you're the sort of person who wouldn't remember this information in the first place. So you'd probably keep the sheet on-hand, right? Admittedly, the form contains all the information that could really help a service tech: which OS you're using, the amount of memory in your computer, and the kind of processor. But it also details your user account password, up to three keychain passwords, a password for your ISP, passwords for your email account, your work account, and so forth. This is offset by six light gray repetitions of the phrase "don't forget to hide me", which I guess immunizes Apple from losses due to security breaches. So bottom line? The cheat sheet is a well-intentioned idea that, when used as intended, could really help during service calls, but when used in its most likely scenario will introduce unacceptable security risks.
The Tao of iTunes credits
Apple has a support article up today discussing how and in which order your iTunes Store credits get redeemed. Here's the run-down in a nutshell: If you have a free song credit from, for example, a Coke or Pepsi promotion and you're buying a song, that credit gets used first. It doesn't matter what other credits or allowances you have in your account. Buy a song, use the song credit. Gift certificates, prepaid cards and allowances form the second line of use. If you're buying an album (can't apply free song credits to albums), or if you've used up all your free song credits, these credits get used. If the cost of your items is less than your credits, you're done and dandy. If not, the balance moves up to your credit card. Your credit card only gets charged after you've exhausted all these other kinds of credits, and only for the remaining balance after applying the free songs, certificates, cards and allowances to your purchase. The credit card is basically the last line of defense, picking up any extra billing at the end of the purchase.
Apple "genius" speaks out
Popsyndicate has an article today detailing the "Confessions" of a Mac Genius, aka a guy who worked at an Apple Store doing tech support. The guy had quite a lot to say. Here are a few highlights: Make your support appointments in advance. "Get a clue. Make your Genius Bar appointment in advance so that you're at least guaranteed a seat, even if it is an hour past your appointment time." Don't brag. "Don't come in here bragging about how long you've been using Mac's, or that you're a Mac tech at your company, or anything like that. It doesn't impress us and it makes you look stupid when you don't know how to do something simple, like reset your PRAM. We're only going to make fun of you, behind your back." Don't fall in love with your data. "[There is] a situation where a customers HD is failing and there's a high likelihood they will lose all their data. I would say something like 'Well, at least you can start over with a clean slate. How many people get that kind of opportunity in their lives?' Naturally, it is purely a case by case basis as there have literally been times we've had to break out a box of Kleenex at the bar." So how typical is this guy and his attitude? The spin on the article seems to be that being a Genius is a low-wage, thankless job and that tools like sarcasm and making fun of your clients can get you through a day with crybaby customers, with the occasional "good customer" bringing out one's bright side. I've worked in the service industry. I know how difficult and entitled people can be, but the attitude put forth by this article just strikes the wrong note with me. Pop over and read the whole thing. It's...illuminating.
Apple soliciting feedback from Support Site visitors
I was trawling the Apple Support pages last night, when I noticed an orange box appear across the top of the page I was on, all Web 2.0 like. It was an invitation to participate in a short survey regarding my experience with Apple Support. Who am I turn down an opportunity to give Apple a piece of my mind? So I clicked through and was taken to this survey site, where I was presented with "Your opinion is valuable to us. Please take this short survey to help us improve your Apple Support online experience. Thank you." and then I was asked some innocuous questions. Read the questions after the jump.
Understanding the lights on the 2nd gen Shuffle
Got a new 2G shuffle? Do you know what those status lights indicate? Do you know the difference between the green-orange-orange pattern[1] and the green-orange-green-orange[2] one? What about a continuous blinking orange light[3] or red light[4]? Apple now has a nice little support article available that explains all the subtleties of the 2nd generation iPod shuffle light patterns and what they mean, complete with easy-to-follow dot patterns. I'm not sure how useful this will be to readers with color-blindness, but for the rest of us it's a pretty fascinating read. [1] iPod shuffle error. You're going to have to restore the little bugger. [2] Your music was not loaded properly. [3] iPod is busy. Do not disconnect. [4] Your battery is about to die. Right. Now. [5] There is no footnote 5. Does anyone have some chips or pretzels?
Apple warns: Holding the Volume Down button while docking iPod shuffle may cause iTunes to ignore it.
There was a interesting Apple Knowledge Base article recently posted and we thought we'd share it here as a public service. We're swell like that.Article #304693Holding the Volume Down button while docking may prevent iPod shuffle (Second Generation) from being recognized by iTunesWhile connecting your iPod shuffle (Second Generation) to the dock, inadvertently pressing and holding the Volume Down button ( - ) may cause the iPod to not be seen by iTunes. If this happens, follow these steps: Mac users Remove iPod shuffle (Second Generation) from the dock. Reset your iPod shuffle (Second Generation). To reset, switch the power on, then off-and leave the power off for 5 seconds. This will reset your iPod. Reconnect your iPod shuffle (Second Generation) to the dock for it to be properly recognized. Windows users In the Notifications area of the Taskbar, left-click the Safely Remove Hardware icon. Note: If you don't see the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the Taskbar, you can remove iPod shuffle (Second Generation) from the dock. Choose Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device - Drive(E:) from the shortcut menu. In some cases, the drive letter may be different. If you have other USB drives attached, you may need to repeat this if you're not sure which drive letter corresponds to your iPod. Reset your iPod shuffle (Second Generation). To reset, switch the power on, then off-and leave the power off for 5 seconds. This will reset your iPod. Reconnect your iPod shuffle (Second Generation) to the dock for it to be properly recognized. Has anyone actually encountered this issue yet? Can anyone figure out why the volume-down key would affect the iPod at all? And why only the 2nd gen shuffle? This is just too much for my addled brain to grasp at this wee hour on a Sunday morning.
Software Update: Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) 5.0 Release 4
Available in a Software Update near you (if you're using Tiger) is Java 2 Standard Edition (J2SE) 5.0 Release 4, which "improves reliability and addresses issues found in earlier releases of J2SE 5.0 for Mac OS X." This update also brings compatibility with Sun's Java 2 Platform Standard Edition, version 5.0 (1.5.0_06).See this Apple Support document for more information.[via Macsimum News]
