Author Archives: Daniel Palmkvist

When it comes to home networking – wireless seems like the best solution.Although,while one Wi-Fi is working on its own in some magical way,you may soon face the fact that as your neighbors add on their own wireless networks your own Wi-Fi speed will diminish.This issue can make it hard to stream a video via YouTube and Netflix,or play video games online.Luckily,there are a few measures you can take in order to avoid this kind of interference.
So,this is what you need to do.
What you are going to need:
AirPort Utility
Free iStumblr application

Possible Symptoms
Some of the widespread symptoms of wireless networking interference are:
- Weak or low signal
- Signal dropping,even when close to the base station
- Slower than usual speeds,even without any traffic on the network
- Streaming video,audio or over-network file transfers halt,and then restart

What is the cause of these symptoms?
Picture a room full of people.They all are talking.Now,would you be able to get a clear about what all these people are talking about?Unlikely,and if you try to talk louder,someone else in the room will get louder and they’ll drown you out.
Wireless networks are the same.People in the noisy room are wireless base stations that send out a wireless signals (sound waves) to others.When communication begins, a louder base station interrupts the conversation by sending out its signal,creating the noise in the wireless medium.

Here is the thing – unlike the licensed bands,such as those used by cell phone providers,TV,radio stations and others,that are not allowed to interfere with each other and are limited by the FCC to specific regions,Wi-Fi is an unlicensed band,however,and can legally interfere with other networks in the same 2.4GHz frequency.This happens all the time when wireless networks are located too close to each other.
Let’s check out four different ways that we can solve this problem in.We are going to show you how to make these changes using an AirPort base station,but almost any wireless router will allow you to make similar changes.
1) Change channels
One of the easiest solutions that you can solve the Wi-Fi interference problem with is by changing router’s broadcast channel to one not being used by surrounding routers.
Using iStumbler you can figure out what channel surrounding wireless routers are using.You need to pick a channel for your router that is not being used by other routers.
This is very easy to do with the help of AirPort Utility (or your router’s configuration page),and go to Wireless>Wireless Options and pick a new channel from the drop-down menu.Most routers are automatically configured to select the “best” channel to broadcast on,but,you can change it to a specific channel if you are experiencing repeat Wi-Fi interference issues.

2) Move the base station

As simple as that,if you continue to have issues with your wireless connection – try to move your router to an opposite side of your house or apartment,or closer to a place where you’re going to use Wi-Fi the most.

Another,least desired option is to offload some of the wireless strain on your network by using wired connections on your main machines.This can be done by plugging directly into your router,or by using LAN over power-line options.

3) Switch to 5 GHz Band
2.4 GHz is the most widely used band in the wireless networking,although,Apple has only implemented 5 GHz networking over 802.11n. What that means is that if the interference is really bad – you can switch to another band and avoid the interference that 2.4GHz networks throw at your router.
Keep in mind,that the 5GHz network is only available on 802.11n devices and 5GHz-supported base stations.
If you want to change the band of your AirPort router – go to the Wireless Options panel in AirPort Utility and select 802.11n only (5GHz) from the Radio Mode drop-down menu.

4) Reduce Power Output
Finally,another way to reduce the interference is by playing nicely with surrounding routers. For instance, when you have your radio output power set to maximum,other routers may have diffiulty transmitting at their lower power,and it may cause them to transmit longer,leading to more interference in the wireless medium.
To change the output power you have to get the older version of AirPort Utility and navigate to your base station>Manual Setup>AirPort>Wireless>Wireless Network Options. Once you get there – select a transmit power that is lower than 100% (you can pick between 10%,25%,50% and 100%).

Don’t forget to update your configuration once you are done.

The rumor about Apple planning on creating a smaller 7-inch version of the iPad has been hanging in the air for a while.However,up until now there was no clear reason to take that rumor seriously,especially considering how much Steve Jobs disliked the concept of smaller tablets.

Nevertheless, according to a new report,Apple is really planning a 7-inch iPad,which would probably be available for users in October for about 200 – 250$.Here is the quote from iMore reports:

“Apple will be going forward with the 7-inch iPad, currently targeting an October 2012 release alongside the new iPhone, and — here’s the killer — at a $200 to $250 price point. According to our source, which has proven reliable in the past, the reason for such aggressive pricing is to do to the tablet market what Apple did to the MP3 market in 2004 with the expansion of the iPod product line — leave absolutely no space for competitors.”

It seems like the device will feature a resolution of 2048 x 1536 – the same as Retina display on the new iPad.If that is true,a pixel density on the “iPad mini” will be identical to that of the iPhone 4S.The new iPad is going to be almost identical to the new iPad 3,just scaled down in size.

Another news about Apple’s new creation is that its built-in storage is going to get cut down in order to establish a cheaper price for it.According to the report,the new iPad is going to come out in an 8GB version at the price of 200$ – same price as an entry-level iPod touch.

Sounds a little too strange at first – why would Apple release a 7-inch iPad at less than lalf the price of the current entry-level iPad?It would only position the device to compete with other 7-inch tablets and it might hurt their sales of the new iPad.
Anyway,previous iMore claims were very accurate,so,this statement might be worth of considering.

The fourth maintenance update for Lion – OS X 10.7.4 – had just been released by Apple.You can get through Software Update.This update is recommended for all Macs and it includes most notably a fix to the bug,left in OS X 10.7.3 that stored passwords in plain text on a user’s hard drive.

The OS X Lion 10.7.4 update includes general operating system fixes that improve stability,compatibility and security of your Mac.
Updating your system
Remember,it is crucial for you to back up your system before installation – use TimeMachine.
You may experience some unexpected results in case you interrupt the installation process.You might also face some difficulties if you have third-party system software modifications installed.
Select Software Update from the Apple menu to check for the latest Apple software via the Internet.
There could be some other updates for your computer that need to be installed.Keep in mind,that an update’s size may be different from computer-to-computer when installed using Software Update.Some updates must be installed prior to others,make sure to run Software Update until Software Update states “Your software is up to date”.

There is a useful trick in case you want to update multiple computers,but don’t really feel like downloading the update more than once – you can manually download installer. These versions of the standalone installers are available from Apple Support Downloads.

Additional Information
What’s included?
The OS X Lion v10.7.4 Update includes fixes that:

1. Resolve an issue in which the “Reopen windows when logging back in” setting is always enabled.

2. Improve compatibility with certain British third-party USB keyboards.

3. Addresses permission issues that may be caused if you use the Get Info inspector function “Apply to enclosed items…” on your home directory. For more information, see this article.

4. Improve Internet sharing of PPPoE connections.

5. Improve using a proxy auto-configuration (PAC) file.

6. Address an issue that may prevent files from being saved to an SMB server.

7. Improve printing to an SMB print queue.

8. Improve performance when connecting to a WebDAV server.

9. Enable automatic login for NIS accounts.

10. Include RAW image compatibility for additional digital cameras.

11. Improve the reliability of binding and logging into Active Directory accounts.

12. The OS X Lion v10.7.4 Update includes Safari 5.1.6, which contains stability improvements.

Last week Apple issued a third preview of OS X Mountain Lion,bringing the operating system known as Mac OS X 10.8 one step closer to us!Going to install it as soon as it’s released?Here are a few steps that would help you to prepare your machine for the next OS X that is coming out this summer.

OS X Mountain Lion is going to bring a whole bunch of new iPad-inspired features and updates,based on what Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 and OS X Lion 10.7 have already achieved.While developers are dealing with the preview build,we have to just sit and wait….or,do we??

Here is a list of things to do in order to prepare for the arrival of OS X Mountain Lion

Test Drive the Messages Beta

One component of OS X Mountain Lion is actually available to OS X Lion users – a free beta of the new Messages app,which replaces the former iChat and introduces unlimited messaging between the Mac and iOS devices. You are going to need Mac OS X 10.7.3 (the latest version publicly available) to install Messages,so,make sure to hit Software Update and get current before downloading.
Other than iMessages between iOS devices and the ability to send,photos,videos,attachements,contacts,locations and more,users can also initiate a FaceTime call from the Messages beta,as well as communicate through the more traditional AIM,Yahoo!,Google Talk and Jabber platforms as well.

Remember,it is not that easy to return to iChat once you’ve installed Messages – although,knowing that OS X Mountain Lion will eventually replace it anyway – there is no need for you to worry about that.

Bone up on New features

Apple has really surprised us all with a sneak peek into what’s coming with OS X Mountain Lion. Nevertheless,with the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) kicking off on June 11 in San Francisco,you can be sure there will be some last-minute updates and additions that developers haven’t had a chance to see before.
Most likely, developers will receive a close to final version of Mountain Lion at this year’s WWDC.Despite the fact that there shouldn’t be any of the new things Apple hasn’t publically anounced yet,somehow,things find their way onto the Internet.
For instance,this week’s OS X Mountain Lion Developer Preview 3 build presented a new “Do Not Disturb” setting to Notifications Center,allowing Mac users to hide alerts and banners when they need to stay focused on a specific task without any distractions.There will definitely be more such innovations yet to come,so it’s good to stay tuned when new builds reach developers,so you can be ready when OS X Mountain Lion comes onto your Mac this summer.

Get Current

If you’re still playing with Mac OS X Snow Leopard – either from laziness or,maybe,you didn’t really like the changes with OS X Lion -the time has come for you to sign the truce with Mac OS X 10.7 and pay the piper. You are,most likely,going to need to install OS X Lion before you can enjoy the Mountain Lion.
If you are still hanging with Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 – there is even more work for you to do.Especially,if you are a MobileMe subscriber.That service is going end up in flames on June 30,2012,which means you’ll have no other options,other than transition over to iCloud in less than 60 days,whether you like it or not.
The good thing about it is that Apple offers a free installer DVD for Snow Leopard 10.6 to MobileMe members just by asking – when installed,you can purchase OS X Lion from the Mac App Store and be ready for Mountain Lion’s arrival.
If you use OS X Lion,the task is going to be much simpler for you – run Software Update to make sure you’re using the latest version,currently 10.7.3. (developers are currently palying with 10.7.4. beta that seems to be almost complete and that means that the new version might be available very soon).

Clean your system
Apple is planning to release major Mac OS X releases on an annual basis in order to be on the same page with iOS,so now it is crucial to keep your Mac tidy and clean,so you can deal with the problems that might occur before you need to install a new operating system version.
The first recommended step is to take inventory of your Applications folder and chuck anything that hasn’t been used in a while.

OS X Mountain Lion should install just fine over your existing software,though,it is not a bad idea to archive some of your files that are no longer needed,perhaps,to an external drive or some other media,and then delete them from your system drive.

Back your stuff up
You’ve heard this so many times,and yet,sometimes these words are not sinking in at all: Back your stuff up!!!Transition to OS X Mountain Lion should be pretty simple – buy it from Mac App store and wait a bit as it installs – but,sometimes,things can go wrong,so you better be prepared.

Have you ever had a desire to check up on your house while you’re not there?We have some good news!It is possible now!Following a few simple steps we will turn a Ma into a home security camera that will open a live video stream on demand.You’ll be able to watch it remotely from anywhere via your iPhone,iPad,iPod touch or another Mac.It might sound a bit too complicated,but it’s not that hard at all,and everything is done through a little FaceTime hackery.Follow these instructions.

Requirements for the Mac Security Cam
This is what you are going to need before getting started:
1) FaceTime app installed on the home Mac (comes with Lion or later,earlier Macs can get it from Mac App Store.)
2) A valid Apple ID to use as a FaceTime Login – you may want to create an additional unique Apple ID for this purpose.
3) An iPhone,iPad, or iPod touch, or another Mac with FaceTime.

Setting up the camera and accepting remote video connections

This might sound difficult,but it’s a no-brainer,really.So,once you have FaceTime installed on your Mac (if you haven’t installed it yet – do it now),you need to position the Mac so that the front-facing iSight (FaceTime) camera is pointing in the direction you want to watch. Once it is done,here is the most technical move in this set up:

1) Launch Terminal found in “/Applications/Utilities/ and enter the following command to automatically accept incoming FaceTime calls:
defaults write com.apple.FaceTime AutoAcceptInvites -bool YES
2) Still in Terminal, enter the next command,changing the email address on the end from the Apple ID you wish to automatically accept a video connection from:
defaults write com.apple.FaceTime AutoAcceptInvitesFrom -array-add change@me.com

In case you need to add other Apple ID’s or even a phone number to automatically accept FaceTime video calls from,feel free to do so by running the command above again with additional email addresses.Phone numbers must be prefixed with a + like so: +14084441211

Opening the Live Video Feed
Here is how the fun starts.Grab your iPhone,iPad,iPod touch or Mac that is set up to use FaceTime with the Apple ID you chose to autoaccept invites from,and initiate FaceTime call with the home Mac’s Apple ID. Your Mac will automatically accept the call,giving you a live video feed of what’s going on at the location of the recipient Mac.If you want to close the video – just hang up the FaceTime call.
Enjoy.