Better late than never…macOS Big Sur is here!

 

It has arrived!  macOS Big Sur is ready for download and installation on your supported device.  Being the first macOS to natively run on Apple’s own Silicon, it will be interesting to see what type of performance discrepancies users will experience when compared to the vast majority of Macs still running Intel based CPUs.

For more on the latest macOS, check out the latest reads (good, bad, and ugly!)

Apple CPU Announcement

So no one’s suprise, Apple will now use their own processors in Macs.  This completes their much anticipated transition away from Intel CPUs for all their computing devices.  It doesn’t seem long ago when Apple’s Steve Jobs presented Intel’s then-CEO with a “partnership” award championing the fruitfulness of their relationship.  I guess the only thing guaranteed in tech is that nothing is guaranteed.

Check out Apple’s announcement in full here.

Create macOS Catalina bootable USB drive

You may recall my post from last year detailing the steps on how to create a bootable USB drive for macOS Mojave.  Thank goodness Apple still allows for end users to do this; there’s something about possessing physical media that makes things so much easier from a technical perspective.

Despite the fact that you will now need to use a USB drive with a minimum capacity of 16GB as opposed an 8GB one that was standard with past versions, the steps haven’t changed much…check out AppleInsider’s summary on how to perform this task here.

Apple’s September Event Recap

When you’re pressed for time for whatever reasons, sometimes you can appreciate someone who has a unique talent of being able to break down and analyze an event while only giving you the info you need…

Shout out to Nathaniel Parker (via Askwoody.com) for his quick, yet detailed breakdown of Apple’s event…

https://www.askwoody.com/2019/parker-apple-announcements-the-bottom-line/

Apple and Siri

So it appears that Apple, which has tried over the past few years to set itself apart from the competition as being all about user privacy and security, is now facing allegations that contractors working with the company are actually listening in on sensitive items such as confidential medical information, sexual acts amongst couples, drug deals, etc. according to the Guardian.

Jonny Evans at Computerworld has written a great article here that elaborates more on the issue and gives excellent recommendations on what Apple should do to fix the problem.

Check it out and let me know what you think about these developments!

MacBook keyboard issues (again)

ZDNet.com is reporting that Apple is still plagued with MacBook Pro/Air keyboard issues using their “butterfly” style keys.  Simply put, there have been too many missteps and mishaps in trying to create, recreate, refurbish, repair, etc. all these devices.

On the heels of receiving more negative press, (as shown in the article here) Apple has decided that they would be getting rid of the butterfly design and replace it with something that actually works (!)

More MacBook Pro disaster stuff!

In building off of the absurd snafu on Apple’s part in spending over $10K in trying to fix a user’s laptop (still can’t believe it), now they have officially started a recall for select 2015 15-inch MacBook Pros with defective batteries that are prone to overheating and hence need to be replaced immediately.

Check out Engadget’s story here and if you happen to own this particular model, check the recall site page here to see if yours is on the list!