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Apple extends warranty coverage on flawed 2008 Time Capsules
Several sites are reporting that Apple has issued a Knowledge Base article in the Support Forums that notes that some Time Capsules sold between February and June of 2008 are subject to a recall eligible for possible repair or replacement due to the problems described. Should you have a Time Capsule with a serial number in the range XX807XXXXXX – XX814XXXXXX that's experiencing the dreaded "shutdown and never power up" problem, it's time to either go to your local Apple Store with the device (after making an appointment at the Genius Bar, of course), visit a local Apple Authorized Service Provider, or to call the Apple Contact Center for your country to find out what to do. If your Time Capsule has died and it's in the suspect serial number range, the company will may either repair or replace it to get it back up and running. That is good news for those who have lost the ability to back up their data automatically using the Mac OS X backup utility, Time Machine. Good luck! [via MacSlice]
Behind the Mask: A community guide to Champions Online
Behind the Mask is the new Massively column devoted to everything you might want to know about Champions Online. Fortunately for Massively readers, the guys at UNITY have given me the go-ahead to declassify my stories as a super-powered operative. As a result, we'll be giving you the down and dirty facts that you'll need to make it in the superhero world, as well as bits of news you won't hear anywhere else. Behind the Mask will cover issues related to life in Millennium City as well as detailed info about criminal hotspots around the globe. Our first column will be a community resource for Champions Online. While there were a fair number of community sites at launch, most of them have suffered from a lack of new content in recent months. The ones that continue to be updated are the best of the best -- ranging from community hubs for roleplayers to detailed info on the game's many missions. If there's one thing to be said about the fans of Champions, it's that they are devoted to their game and eager to put out new content for it.
Apple document details Target Display mode for 27" iMac
In case you're itching to use that new 27" iMac as a big display for a MacBook, DVD player, or some other device -- and assuming your new unit isn't one of the ones that has shown up DOA or with a cracked screen corner -- Apple has released a knowledge base article gives you the scoop on how to do it all. The article, titled "Using a 27-inch iMac as an external display" outlines how easy it is to accomplish this: Make sure both computers are turned on and awake. Connect a male-to-male Mini DisplayPort cable to the Mini DisplayPort on each computer. The 27-inch iMac will enter Target Display Mode and display content from the source computer. Note: If you are connecting two 27-inch iMacs, connect a Mini DisplayPort cable to each computer and press Command + F2 on the 27-inch iMac keyboard that you will use as an external display. To leave Target Display mode, press Command + F2 on the keyboard of the 27-inch iMac that is in Target Display mode. To return to Target Display mode, press Command + F2 again. The post goes on to describe special conditions that may affect use of Target Display mode, and notes that third-party converters may be used to provide the Mini DisplayPort compliant signals needed for this mode. Have any of you used a 27" iMac as an external display for another machine or device? Let us know by leaving your comment below.
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.
How do you support players that don't trust your support?
Let's face facts -- people don't like admitting that they don't know something or need help. They'd rather hammer at the problem until they solve it themselves, or they'd rather ask a trusted friend for help. Kids are super guilty of this, as they'd rather not tell an adult when they can't do something themselves.So how do you work with kids when you're the support staff of their favorite game?Steve Wilson, customer service manager of FusionFall, decided to do some digging with support groups to find what they could do better in their customer support. What did he find out? Simplicity is key -- something that goes way beyond just the 8 to 13-year-old demographic. Customers don't want to be railroaded through a knowledgebase, nor sent to be put on hold with phone support. They'd rather perform a quick in-game chat to have their problems solved. He also found out that players would rather consult with other players than a member of a support team, which is why why FusionFall puts such a strong emphasis on their community forums and the support section. Players can ask questions of their fellow players while a support agent can chime into the threads when necessary. It maximizes the agent's time, and it allows the player to feel comfortable. A win-win all around! [Via Parature]
What happens when your iPhone overheats
The iPhone Blog has posted a screenshot of a warning screen that the iPhone 3G produces when it's over heated. According to Apple, it's totally legit. From the Knowledge Base: "Operate iPhone 3G in a place where the temperature is between 0º and 35º C (32º to 95º F) ... If the interior temperature of iPhone 3G exceeds normal operating temperatures, you may experience [the] Temperature warning screen."Here in New England, we don't see temperatures above 95º F often. Still, I have felt it heat up pretty good after playing music for two hours straight during a summertime commute. It does get cold, however, and two weeks ago we saw a frozen iPod come back to life. It's nice to know that these devices can survive (or protect themselves from) temperature extremes.[Via Macenstein]
Apple issues one-liner support doc on random MacBook shutdown problem
Apple seems to be *so* happy to finally fess up that this MacBook RSS (Random Shutdown Syndrome) isn't just all in our heads. xlr8yourmac tracked down a new Apple Knowledgebase article that is another amusing one-liner from Apple's support crew: "If your MacBook is shutting down intermittently, please contact AppleCare for service." A little bird told us they finally know what's going on and have a fix for the issue, but don't quote us on that.If you are an unfortunate MacBook RSS victim and you do give AppleCare a call, feel free to comment here with your experience and how Apple is treating this issue. We honestly don't know much more about it aside from this theory, so we're in the dark as much as you are.[via InsanelyMac News]
All your workouts are belong to Nikeplus
We're not sure how a one-sentence support document made it into Apple's support knowledgebase, but this strange doc somehow snuck past the velvet rope. It simply states: "There is no way to remove workout data from the nikeplus website", with a 'stay tuned for more info' bit at the end to finish off what is probably the shortest support document we have ever seen. Getting to the topic, however: it seems just a bit strange that there is no way to remove workout information from this supposedly revolutionary new service/iPod accessory. It's not like we're suddenly terrified about Nike's trampling of user privacy, but we wouldn't be surprised if a few tin foil hat fashion aficionados raised at least some sort of a flag over this.
Apple KB article: Identifying iPods
There are so many different models of iPods with differing iterations of software on them that it is tough to keep them all straight (even for a big deal Apple pundit like myself). Fret no longer, because this Apple KB article sets you straight on how to tell a first gen iPod from an iPod photo from an iPod mini. That's not all, it also includes the most current version of the iPod software that runs on each model (this really illustrates Apple's strategy of releasing cool new iPod features but only letting the new software run on the latest models).
Apple KB Article: Power on your Apple product
I may be the only one that enjoys these Apple KB article posts (since I write it and all) but that won't stop me. The latest KB article that tickled my fancy is the 'Power Up Quick Assist.' Besides the above graphic that shows you how to turn on various Apple products (and which I think is pretty cool) the article lists a number of ways to troubleshoot a Mac or iPod that won't start up.Pretty handy to have on hand for the less geeky amongst us.
TUAW Tip: Pair your Apple Remote to your Mac
Now that almost every Mac (expect for that odd duck, the Power Mac) sports Front Row and an Apple Remote many more people will find them in a situation I just experienced. I am typing this post on a brand new MacBook (I'll share my opinion about that later today) and I am listening to some music on my iMac through the magic of Front Row.The song playing (Paint it Black) was a little too loud, so I picked up my trusty Apple Remote and turned down the volume. Both the iMac and the MacBook picked up on the signal and the volume on both was adjusted. Oh, the horror!There is a simple way around this though, just pair your Mac and your Apple Remote following these instructions. This way a prankish Mac user (I'm looking at you, Woz) can't go around putting your Mac to sleep with the remote and all the Macs in your room won't respond to the same remote.
Apple KB Article: Why Software updates vary in size
Have you ever wondered why some software updates from Apple are different sizes on different Macs? Shouldn't they all clock in at the same size? That would seem to make sense, but as this Knowledgebase article explains there are very good reasons for the differences (mostly involved whether certain files can be updated or completely replaced).
