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Author Archive for Dave Greenbaum

For my day job, I own a computer repair business here in Lawrence, Kansas. Drawing on my support background, I focus on practical technology from the user perspective; If I can't find it useful, I'm not that interested in it. My passion is helping people with technology. I've worked in corporate IT and academic computing before settling on residential and small office computer support. I'm also heavily involved in our User Group. My experience with Apple goes back to Apple IIe days; the first Mac I used was a MacPlus, and owned was a IIvx. Ever since then I've been a Mac fan. I even met my spouse through the Lawrence Apple Users' Group. I love hearing your comments and feedback: good, bad or otherwise. Let's keep the conversation going!

Site: http://www.calldrdave.com

Opinion: Psystar Ruling Could Have Set Precedent for Upgrading Your Mac

Written on November 16, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 46 people have commented

This past Friday, your future ability to upgrade your Mac may have been significantly restricted. Psystar, the company that tried to create “open” Macs by running OS X on non-Apple hardware, suffered a quick defeat in its effort against Apple’s OS license restrictions.
No question this was a long shot and Psystar was going for the [...]

Is Backup on Apple’s Back Burner or Simply Abandoned?

Written on November 03, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 22 people have commented

When Leopard was introduced, backing up became an automatic and effortless operation. Set it and forget it. Unfortunately, Time Machine backups are not off-site and don’t protect you against an on-site disaster. When I previously covered some online off-site backup solutions, Apple’s backup utility was not one of them.
Apple Backup is still [...]

Complete Guide to Apple Certification and Training

Written on October 27, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 8 people have commented

Although I’ve been supporting Macs since they came out in 1984 (when I was in high school), I haven’t received any “formal” training. It has mostly been learning by doing, reading the occasional book and now of course, TheAppleBlog. Does formal certification really make a difference as a technician? You tell me.
Recently I got into [...]

iPhone Remote Control Apps: Reach Out and Touch Your Mac

Written on October 02, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 5 people have commented

Isn’t it the dream of every slacker to sit in bed, or at the beach, and make it appear like you are putting a full day at the office? Well, there’s an app for that.
Enter the variety of remote control apps for the iPhone, which let you operate your desktop Mac from your iPhone as [...]

iPhone Roundup: 10 Jewish Apps for the New Year

Written on September 28, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 7 people have commented

For some readers, it’s the start of the year 5770. The High Holidays are over and meeting your spiritual goals is fresh on your mind. There is an extensive amount of Jewish-themed iPhone apps available. Even if you aren’t Jewish, these apps highlight some of the great features of the iPhone 3.x [...]

iPhone 3.1: Unresponsive and No Vitals, But Not Dead?

Written on September 23, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 114 people have commented

iPhone coma. Two words you never want to see in the same sentence! Yesterday I went to pick up my phone, and it wouldn’t unlock. Weird. I figured maybe the battery had died. That’s a common problem with the 3.1 iPhone software update. After 15 minutes I still had no [...]

How-To: Resurrect Your AppleTalk Printer in Snow Leopard

Written on September 04, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 27 people have commented

Did Snow Leopard leave your old AppleTalk printer out in the cold? Grab a hot cup of cocoa and warm your printer up with some of these handy tips to continue to use your classic AppleTalk printer with your state of the art operating system.
Print Via USB
Of course! Get a longer USB cable if possible, [...]

Why I’ll Wait on Snow Leopard, and Why Maybe You Should Too

Written on August 26, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 81 people have commented

A new cat is upon us, but that doesn’t mean I’ll pounce on the latest upgrade, pardon the pun. Dare I admit in public I’m not an early adopter? Hey, if you like living on the edge, go for it. Go ahead and cook your poultry below 165 degrees or eat raw eggs.
Me, [...]

Macworld Expo is Dead: Long Live the Macworld Expo

Written on August 24, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 8 people have commented

A Macworld Expo without Apple is like ordering a decaf, non-fat latte – what’s the point? This is old news, right? Not really. For many, this time of year is when the discussion about going to Macworld begins. IDG has already started some of its marketing push. Will Macworld 2010 [...]

Mophie Juice Pack Air: Extend Your iPhone’s Battery Life With Style

Written on August 11, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 17 people have commented

Does your iPhone crave power like a mad dictator? Even after trying some of Clayton’s excellent tips on power conservation, you might find that by dinner your iPhone gives out like a puppet government. The Mophie Juice Pack Air external power pack promises extended battery life in a compact combination of form and function. Is [...]

Mozy vs. Carbonite: Mac Backup Smackdown

Written on July 16, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 94 people have commented

If you look at the amount of advertising out there these days, you’d think the Mac vs. PC war is a mere slap fight compared to the war being raged for your data backups. They want your data, and they want it now!
In one corner you have Mozy, which shares corporate DNA with former Mac [...]

Patience Is a Virtue: Wait to Buy Your Mac and Save

Written on July 10, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 11 people have commented

They say you can’t time the market, but for some lucky folks, there is special time to buy a new Mac and related accessories. By doing nothing other than waiting for this magic time, you could save an average of 5-9 percent on a new computer. It’s all about being at the right place at [...]

Would You Be “Lost” Without Your Mac on Vacation?

Written on July 07, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 4 people have commented

As you head out the door, you have your tickets, you set the alarm. What did you forget? Unless you’re boarding Oceanic Flight 815, you probably have little to really worry about, but there are a few things that will ease your anxiety and ensure that your trip is as stress-free as possible.
Sometimes you just [...]

Secret to App Store Success: $1,875 per day

Written on July 02, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 6 people have commented

Do you have what it takes to create the next great iPhone app? Or have it featured on iPhone commercials and installed on the all iTouches at the Apple store? Maybe have a big ol’ icon flashing so fast at the next WWDC that you have to include a seizure warning? There’s an app for [...]

How Bandwidth Caps Hurt Your Mac & What Apple Can Do About It

Written on June 29, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 38 people have commented

As a responsible Mac user, I usually feel immune from most Internet threats…except for one. Using my Mac exactly as Apple intends it to be used sometimes renders my Internet connection virtually unusable for up to a month, and costs money to fix.
Could this happen to you? It depends on whether your Internet provider has [...]

Problem & Solution: iPhone 3G S Video and the Not-So-Fine Whine

Written on June 22, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 42 people have commented

After the honeymoon was over, and I started using the iPhone 3G S in earnest, I began to hear a high-pitched noise on my iPhone-recorded videos. At first I thought it was the environment, background noise, or just plain interference. However, once aware of the noise, I noticed it anytime the phone was recording audio, [...]

iPhone 3G vs. 3G S: Our Unscientific Speed Tests Show a Clear Winner

Written on June 19, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 43 people have commented

Apple claims the iPhone 3G S is much faster than the iPhone 3G, but is it? Keep reading for our impromptu, unscientific speed tests.
Upgrading
The iPhone 3G S may be a faster device, but the upgrade process is slow. Be prepared when you hook up the new iPhone (to the machine you previously synced your old [...]

Intuit and Apple Announcements Include Money and a Lesson

Written on June 09, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 7 people have commented

Intuit, the company that helps manage your money, may owe you some. Heck, even Apple might.
In the winter of 2007, Intuit’s Quickbooks for Mac 2006 contained a fatal bug — an automatic update erased the desktop folders of users’ accounts (yikes). Intuit’s silence on the issue was deafening. Finally, after days of complaining and people [...]

TAB Welcomes: Dave Greenbaum

Written on June 04, 2009 by Dave Greenbaum and 11 people have commented

As a new writer here, let me give you the File → Get Info on me.
For my day job, I own a computer repair business here in Lawrence, Kansas. Drawing on my support background, I focus on practical technology from the user perspective; If I can’t find it useful, I’m not that interested in it. [...]