Month: May 2022

Some companies want people back at their desks. Others are okay with them working from their kitchen tables. How 2022!

But why not let them work from wherever they’ve pulled their RV over by the side of the road with SpaceX Starlink?

I have friends who don’t work from their office or their homes.

They work from wherever they find themselves. Indeed, you know one of them. Computerworld’s own Mike Elgan has been a digital nomad for years. He’s been working near Venice, Italy.

Me? I’m a homebody who usually works from home, but I’ve been working from Madrid this week.

But, it’s not easy.

Take Internet connectivity. Even more than power — that’s what batteries are for — we need the internet to work.

As the Mobile Internet Research Center points out: “There is no singular ‘best solution’ for all mobile Internet situations. If you want or need to move locations fairly often, you need to be prepared for the reality that what works best will change each time you relocate.”

They’re right. It changes every time.

I use Verizon when I’m in the US for my 4G/5G internet of last resort. But when I’m in Europe, I switch to my Google Fi. The Fi service is much cheaper and has better coverage for international calls and the internet.

How many people want to pay for two phone services?

But, what if you get a high-speed Internet connection that would work for you wherever you went — say, something you could hook up on your RV or boat?

That’s no longer a fantasy. SpaceX’s Starlink is now available as Starlink for RV.

With this, throughout the continental US, much of Canada, and a great deal of the UK and Europe, you can now get Starlink download speeds of over 100Mbps, upload speeds in the 12Mbps range, and latency of around 20 milliseconds.

That’s more than fast enough for work and videoconferencing.

Curiously, Starlink says you can sign up and grab a dish for your RV or boat right now. In the meantime, I’m still on the waiting list and won’t be getting a dish until mid-2022. Come on, Elon! Let’s get this dish on my roof!

Before you whip out your credit card, there are several items in the FAQ fine print you must consider.

First, you’ll only get Starlink’s “best-effort service.”

As the Starlink for RVs FAQ explains: “Network resources are always de-prioritized for Starlink for RVs users compared to other Starlink services, resulting in degraded service and slower speeds in congested areas and during peak hours. Stated speeds and uninterrupted use of the service are not guaranteed. Service degradation will be most extreme in ‘Waitlist’ areas on the Starlink Availability Map during peak hours.”

I don’t like the sound of that, but it’s still better than many of the alternatives.

In my case, Verizon covers most of the places I go to in the States. “Most.” Starlink promises to take care of me wherever I go, so long as I’m not in a city with skyscrapers blocking my satellite line of sight.

It’s also not cheap.

Ordinary Starlink costs $110 per month with a $599 one-time equipment fee. Starlink Business costs $500 per month with a $2,500 one-time equipment fee. The mobile version will cost an additional $25 a month, so you can expect a final monthly bill of $135.

That’s still less than I’m paying for my Spectrum gigabit cable connection that I can’t take anywhere.

And, if you have your RV in your driveway, you can pause the service. You only pay for the months you’re actually on the road.

You also can’t put Starlink on a car. Although I must say the idea of driving a Tesla Model S with a Starlink antenna on the roof brings a grin to my face. You really need an RV. Or, if you never plan on hauling anything in your pickup truck, I guess you could put one there too.

And, if you have a private jet to call your own, someday soon, you may be able to buy Starlink Jet.

So, is it worth it? I think it is for some people. If you work and you really like the idea of van life, this sounds good. My partner Mary and I have been toying with the idea of getting a small RV for years now, and this would make it much easier. Stay tuned.

I and my Starlink connection may soon be coming to a town near you!

The lack of true multi-tasking has long been a criticism thrown at the iPad, but this may (or may not) be about to change, and we may (or may not) learn more about this at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The big event begins June 6. 

Let’s mingle, let’s mix it up

The evidence for the change is sparse — it consists of additional WebKit code for a multitasking mode that suggests freely-resizable windows. What this might mean in practice is that you’ll be able to open multiple windows on iPad and resize them as you like, closer to the Mac experience.

Developer Steve Troughton-Smith speculates the code could feasibly support new iPad OS-powered devices as well as providing a user experience similar to a Mac desktop.

Apple continues to bring both iPad and Mac user experiences closer together, while continuing to respect the differences between both. That vision extends to complementary use, as evidenced by Universal Control announced in 2021. The latter lets you use a Mac and an iPad together with one mouse and keyboard to control both and improved partnership across the platforms — you can drag-and-drop items between devices, for example. The sum of both devices used together becomes bigger than the parts, while both devices retain their uniqueness.

Now with bigger engines

With Apple Silicon, both devices now have much bigger engines. With this in mind, it is quite interesting that despite Apple’s use of Mac-class M1 Apple Silicon chips across most of the iPad range, little is known of how it plans to exploit that processing power in iPad OS 16. Apple won’t have powered-up the range for no good reason, but speculation has been conspicuously absent in recent weeks.

What we have heard consists of improved notifications and vague noises about “new ways to interact with apps,” and “fresh Apple apps.” What little we also think we know suggests improvements to notifications, health apps, and potentially a platform for future development of the company’s anticipated AR glasses.

Given the speculated code-name for Apple’s next macOS iteration is “Mammoth,” it makes sense to anticipate big news around the company’s platforms. What changes we see for the Mac will be echoed in the iPad, and vice versa. It makes much more sense that Apple has mammoth plans for its productivity devices than that it doesn’t.

The direction of travel

Thinking back a year, Universal Control was probably the most anticipated feature announced at WWDC last year. Apple’s iPad desiderata has also been articulated with Slide Over, Split View, the still multi-window shelf and so on. Even the introduction of the capacity to build apps in Swift Playgrounds shows a direction of travel toward more functionality to fully exploit the capabilities of these machines.

Apple has significantly refined the multitasking experience in iPadOS in recent years, enhancing features such as Slide Over, Split View, and the dock. For example, iPadOS 15 added a new multitasking menu at the top of apps, as well as center window, a new multi-window shelf, and a more intuitive experience with Split View. The latest speculation about resizable windows is by far the biggest claim yet for what’s to come, and hints at another round of multitasking improvements in iPad.

What might this mean for business?

So, what does this suggest for you and your business?

What it means is straightforward. Apple continues its mission to deliver user experiences that feel equally familiar on both iPad and Mac. That doesn’t mean identical experiences — each platform has its own unique qualities — but does encompass everything from identical keyboard shortcuts to pointer and keyboard support. This attempt also means that iPads are becoming capable computer replacements for a growing number of tasks.

One of the best barometers for this growing functionality is in Photoshop for iPad. That application appears to be in accelerated development and just weeks ago Adobe added two incredibly powerful tools to the iPad app — content aware fill and remove background.

As iPad functionality continues to improve, the product family becomes an increasingly viable alternative platform. That’s important because the innate mobility of the iPad also gives Apple a chance to develop completely new solutions built around the inherent technology it now owns. Think kiosks, wearables, e-paper devices, smart entertainment systems and so on.

In the shorter term, any improvements Apple does make to iPad OS will have an immediate impact on mobile professionals who now use the tablet instead of a notebook when on the go. Improvements in multi-tasking simply make the devices more capable, while improvements in functionality and the class of apps they support will do the same.

[Also read: We already know how Apple will prosper in uncertainty]

Pitching for the upgrade business

It’s also important to note — particularly as millions of Windows PCs hit EOL — iPads already provide viable, robust, and more secure alternatives for numerous tasks at relatively low TCO. Any improvements in capability and functionality can’t hurt the platform.

That Apple must continue to put momentum behind the iPad range is clear. While shipments climbed to peak of 17.5 million in Q4 21, component-related logistical problems slashed sales to 12.1 million in Q1 22. While Apple retains leadership in the tablet market, it will want to consolidate and progress that market; multitasking improvements should help it achieve that. That its tablets now boast high-end Mac processors makes this an obvious aim. That so little is known concerning Apple’s plans for iPad OS 16 (along with little insight into iOS 16), means all eyes (virtual and otherwise) will be on Apple’s WWDC announcements June 6, Swiftly approaching.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.

Seeking growth in an likely-to-be flat market, Apple has improved its payments services products with the live launch of Tap To Pay and the introduction of a new virtual “Apple Account Card” in its Wallet app.

Tap to Pay hits Apple Retail in US

Apple’s recently announced Tap to Pay feature lets merchants use their iPhone to accept payments from a product or service using Apple Pay, with credit cards or digital wallets.  No dongle is required, as the feature makes use of the device’s built-in NFC chip and third-party merchants services such as Stripe.

The service isn’t quite live yet but is being made available across Apple Retail. Its introduction marks a powerful step forward and will arguably be a big boost to small and medium-sized retailers across the US, who can now expect to use payment services alongside third-party facilitators such as Stripe with their Apple devices.

In conjunction with Apple’s Business Essentials service, the company now has a great offer for SMBs — robust devices they like, easy-to-deploy payment services, and device management/integration services (and support) to maintain devices used in stores.

A cynic might argue that these two services will deliver a great deal more benefit to businesses than any Facebook ad, but a critic may not.

What about Apple Account Card?

The jury remains out on the Apple Account Card. Available now in Wallet in the U.S., the virtual card displays the credit balance you might have associated with your Apple ID.

If you have received an App Store or Apple Store gift card, then the balance that would have been added to your Apple ID will now show up in Wallet on your Apple Account Card. You can then use that balance to make purchases at Apple. So long as you are in the US and are running iOS 15.5 or above you should be able to ‘Add Apple Account’ in Wallet.

Ensuring all your finances are available in Wallet means this new way of accessing Apple ID-related funds makes logical sense. What isn’t known (yet) is the extent to which Apple might plan to tie the feature to Apple Pay Cash, Apple Card, and any anticipated move into the “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) market.

Persistent speculation this year has claimed Apple intends to march into BNPL services. Any such plans may, however, have been put aside in response to current global economic uncertainty, which is prompting smaller players to restructure their business.

Their restructuring could, however, translate into an opportunity for well-heeled Apple to in, with its brand helping overcome consumer resistance to such services.

In conjunction with BNPL, Apple Account Card, Apple Card, and Tap to Pay, the company would then offer an end-to-end set of complementary solutions that put Apple at the heart of the customer journey across US retail. This potential certainly exists, and Apple Business Manager (plus the still evident surge in sales of Apple’s products at every part of the enterprise) would once again provide an attractive foundation for small retailers seeking straightforward tools with which to manage this increasingly Apple ecosystem.

Apple America

The one glaring omission in the plans so far seems to be the US-centric approach Apple has taken in nearly all these services. Account Card, Apple Card and Apple Pay Cash are not yet available in Europe or elsewhere, for example. While impressive, Apple Business Manager isn’t yet signing up non-US businesses. And while we’ve heard speculation the company may offer more of its payment services in Europe, those rumors haven’t yet transformed into reality.

What has become reality is that Apple has successfully convinced US consumers (and retailers) to adopt mobile payment services. The company faced some resistance when it first launched Apple Pay, but it now accounts for 92% of two billion US mobile wallet transactions made in 2020. There are also over six million Apple Card users in the US.

The inevitable ubiquity

Earlier this week we looked at Apple’s road ahead, citing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs who said:

“Things happen fairly slowly, you know. They do. These waves of technology, you can see them way before they happen, and you just have to choose wisely which ones you’re going to surf.”

Taking all the above into account, in the case of payment services, at least, Apple is making a strong bid to become a ubiquitous presence across the US retail industry — and other markets may well follow as the company expands its services business.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.

Microsoft, we need to talk. Lately, you’ve been doing things with your desktop software that make me question whether you’re really listening to your customers.

I keep seeing you code and roll out items that make no sense. First, let’s agree that users run Windows because there is some key application or feature they need. (Otherwise they might have moved to another platform by now.) This recent tweet resonated with me: “The value Windows has to consumers and businesses today isn’t the eye candy. It’s running 30+ years of apps, many of which should’ve been retired long ago. If you started over, you’d have to jettison that – and the platform would be worthless to most.”

Eye candy doesn’t really help; in fact, it can get in the way of making a satisfied Windows customer. But I’m seeing a lot of eye candy lately.

For example, recently in Windows 10 and 11 you rolled out a new feature called Search Highlights. It’s touted as being an improvement to the search experience in Windows by surfacing important and meaningful events, files, and resources to users. Search Highlights works slightly differently for regular and enterprise users. For the former, it will show meaningful information like holidays, anniversaries, and other educational moments based on the user’s region. Enterprise users, on the other hand, will see relevant files, contacts, and other organizational information.

It’s important that you realize that this idea of “regular users versus enterprise users” no longer makes a lot of sense in this work-from-home world we now live in. Offering a user different views and actions depending on which Windows machine they’re using is confusing. Stop thinking a “normal” user should be treated differently than an “enterprise” user.  We both want an operating system to just flat-out work. Just make sure my PC boots when I want it to and is functional. When you dribble out features this way, you wind up leaving people thinking they’ve been infected by a virus and wondering what to do. Those of us who manage Windows machine have to answer questions about these “improvements” over and over. (For the record, if you want to get rid of Search Highlights, the instructions are here.)

My point is that many times these upgrades aren’t what people want. They don’t want search “highlights,” they want search to just plain work.

The current Windows 11 experience is another work in progress with mixed results. As noted by Rafael Rivera, Windows 11 25120 is testing a new desktop search box on the desktop, where the results are always shown in Microsoft Edge — ignoring the configured default browser. (For Windows 11 Insiders, if you want to see this feature, you need to download a tool that allows you to enable optional testing. As Rivera notes, you download the ViVe tool, open an Elevated Command prompt and navigate to the folder where the extracted ViveTool is. Enter the following command in the command prompt: vivetool addconfig 37969115 2 and it will enable the search box.)

Yes, Microsoft, you’ve told us these “trial balloons of code” may not end up in the final released feature releases. But it’s interesting to see what you’re spending your time on.

Maybe you should look at some feedback for items users really want: a better weather widget, for instance. Seriously. Go into the feedback application in Windows 10 and you will see a bug that has been upvoted more than 1,400 times. The issue here is that the hourly section of the Weather app no longer shows hours, at least for some users.

Now, I can see the hours showcased in my Weather app, but clearly others are seeing a problem. Therein lies the problem of the ”dribble changes” you’ve been doing. Something will suddenly change and it’s unclear whether the issue is a bug, a temporary problem, or something intentional. Often, when a change is announced, it may be weeks before anyone actually sees it show up on their computer. And by then, many users will likely have forgotten about it. Or they think their computer’s been hacked or has a virus. When Search Highlights arrived, some users thought something was wrong with their computer. And with the Weather widget, is it a bug or a feature? We don’t know.

Even for business users and IT help desk admins, this pattern leads to confusion. When someone calls the help desk with an issue, the admin might not know about it because the change hasn’t occurred on their workstation. So they then have to remote into the workstation to understand what’s going. This is less than ideal.

And now you’re taking the “dribble” approach to Office, pushing everyone who’s chosen the Semi-annual Enterprise channel onto the Monthly channel — meaning changes and tweaks will show up more often. (This often happens in my office; one day I’ll see a certain behavior in Office and then the next day, it changes. Then I have to dig into the build number of Office to determine what happened and why.)

Microsoft, you may need to dribble out changes this way so you can gauge use and resources. But for those of us who use computers, it’s often jarring and confusing and forces us to investigate why something is suddenly different. You could fix that by being clearer when you make changes to our systems.

 Please?

The iCloud login process provides plenty of value without requiring a great deal of thought. Here’s what do need to know about iCloud login and how to get the most from it.

What is iCloud login?

First, a swift recap of the basic concepts:

Apple’s iCloud powers numerous apps and services and acts as a glue to securely enable powerful features such as document and data syncing across your Apple devices with iCloud Drive, Apple Pay and more.

The iCloud System Status page is the best way to understand the extent to which iCloud supports Apple’s ecosystem. Look and you’ll find 65 services listed there. These include many you may never have heard of before, some you may not use, and a variety of services you may already rely on at work, such as the Device Enrollment and Volume Purchase programs.

iCloud login is the key to this part of the Apple Garden.

When you are logged into iCloud on a device using your Apple ID, (and this includes some non-Apple devices when using specific iCloud-supported apps or services, such as Music), you can access some or all these services.

Apple

Third-party developers also use iCloud, thanks to Apple’s CloudKit framework and tools they use to build apps that sync across devices.

Underpinning all of this is your Apple ID and iCloud login.

Apple ID and iCloud login

Your Apple ID is the key to iCloud and all Apple’s services.

When you sign into a device with your Apple ID, you also sign into iCloud. It’s really important to protect that information, which is why your Apple ID should be protected with a complex alphanumeric passcode you can remember (and must also be protected by two-factor authentication).

You can change your Apple ID and manage your account using the Apple ID account website.

How to login to iCloud

• On Apple devices: You can login to iCloud on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV. You need to be signed in using the same Apple ID on all your devices to use iCloud to sync data and services across all of them. If you keep two separate Apple IDs, you cannot easily share them both on one device as the system’s philosophy is to protect one user.
• On Windows: You can also access some iCloud information and Apple services on a Windows PC using the iCloud for Windows app. You can access a limited number of services (Music, TV+) on other devices using specific apps.
• Online: Finally, you can also access data stored on iCloud online through a standards-compliant browser at iCloud.com. There you can access Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Photos, your iCloud Drive data, Notes, Reminders, and use Find My, Pages, Numbers and Keynote. You can also manage various Settings, manage Family Sharing and a variety of other tasks via iCloud online. Therefore, it is important to ensure you use a strong passcode to secure your account.
• How to login iCloud on Android: The only way to access iCloud from an Android device is to use a browser to access iCloud online. You can’t sync apps this way.

Where is iCloud login?

iCloud login should happen automatically when you enter your Apple ID as you setup your Apple device. If for some reason you fail to set the system up then, or plan to change your device to work with another Apple ID, you will find iCloud in Settings (iOS, iPad OS) or System Preferences (Mac). You should create a backup first.

• On Mac: Tap Apple ID>Overview>Sign Out (or Sign In) and follow the steps provided.
• On iPhone/iPad: Tap Apple ID, scroll to the bottom and tap Sign Out and follow the steps provided to sign in with a different Apple ID.

When signing out from iCloud you will lose all the data stored on the device, but it should be maintained in the iCloud account you have been using.

How to merge Apple IDs

If you have multiple Apple ID’s, you are out of luck. Apple puts it quite brutally, telling us: “If you have multiple Apple IDs, you can’t merge them.”

However, Apple does enable Mobile Device Management solutions to put data separation in place to secure business data on personal devices (see below).

[Also read: How to avoid paying Apple for extra iCloud storage]

How do I see who has logged into my iCloud?

If you suspect someone is logged into your iCloud account from a device that does not belong to you, you should visit Sign in and then click Devices. You will now see all the devices logged into that iCloud account.

You can also see this in iPhone/iPad in Settings>Account Name where you will find a list of all your devices; on a Mac, in System Preferences>Apple ID, scroll down the list at the left. You can also check which devices are logged in using iCloud for Windows in Account Details>Manage Apple ID.

Apple does warn you when new sign-ins take place: If you have two-factor authentication enabled anyone attempting access to your account will require a verification code provided via one of your trusted devices or phone numbers. In the event someone does login to your iCloud account, you should receive an email telling you this.

The company also has various access controls in place to protect iCloud for Windows.

What is iCloud Data Recovery?

You may have heard of iCloud Data Recovery. It’s a recently introduced Apple solution to help people who have lost access to their account for some reason. It lets you regain access to much of your data, but can’t restore your Keychain, Screen Time or Health data, as that information is encrypted. Even Apple can’t get to it.

You’ll find iCloud Data Recovery Service in the Account Recovery section under Password & Security. You should choose to either enable your Recovery Key or assign a Recovery Contact.

In the latter scenario, that contact will be provided with a code with which you can access and unlock your account. The Recovery Key option provides you with a unique key you should write down and store in a bank vault or somewhere, as anyone with access to it can grab your account. For best results, add someone you trust to act as a recovery contact, though you can also set up a recovery key.

iCloud data separation

If you use a work device, or have a personal device that has been enrolled (usually via Apple Business or Apple School Manager) and is then controlled by a Mobile Device Management system like those provided by Apple Business Essentials, Jamf, Kandji, Mosyle and others, it may be possible to separate personal from work-related data. This process takes place during the user enrollment process, when IT can apply cryptographic separation to keep work and personal data apart. It means that if an employee leaves the company the former employer can delete any work-related data from the device without impacting the user’s own information.

This system can also be automated, which is the way kiosks and shared iPad fleets in schools can be returned to factory fresh in between use.

Do you have further questions about or insights to share concerning iCloud or iCloud login? Please let me know.

Please follow me on Twitter, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.