Top Bananas | Tag Archives: user experience

macOS Mojave is Here! (For 2012 Macs Only)

Posted on September 24, 2018 by admin Posted in Software, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Apple released macOS 10.14 Mojave but older Macs may not be able to run it.

Hardware eventually falls behind and must be replaced. If you’re using a Macintosh 2011 or older, you won’t be able to run the latest version of macOS 10.14 Mojave. That means you’ll be stuck on macOS 10.13 High Sierra until you eventually get a new computer.

A Macintosh older than six years old can’t run macOS Mojave primarily because its graphics processor can’t handle the increased demands. Although older Mac Pro models may be able to run macOS Mojave if they have a current graphics card, older Macs with built-in graphics may not. After six years of support, older computers simply won’t be able to keep up any more. Apple can’t keep catering to older Macs because then they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of newer hardware and advances in graphics frameworks like Metal, which makes it easy for developers to access graphics capabilities on a Macintosh through macOS.

Of course, a 2011 or earlier Mac will still work just fine on macOS 10.13 High Sierra so there’s nothing to worry about. If you want to upgrade to macOS Mojave, then you’ll need to get a newer Macintosh.

The cheapest solution is to simply buy an older Macintosh that’s still newer than 2011 models. Then again, the next upgrade of macOS will eventually drop support for these older machines as well. Eventually the best bet is to buy the most current Macintosh model you can afford and hold on to it for five years. Then upgrade every five years or longer if you don’t mind falling behind.

For some people, upgrading to the latest macOS version isn’t crucial to doing their work. For others, it may be necessary. As a general rule, you want to stay current but since that’s not always possible, just keep using your Mac as long as it keeps working for you. The moment it can no longer do what you need, then it’s time to upgrade. It’s that simple.

Software and hardware will always keep improving so don’t expect your older computers to run the latest software forever. Your computer will become obsolete one day. It’s just a matter of using what you have as long as possible and then upgrading only when you need to. If you stick with this schedule, there’s no reason why an older Mac can’t work for you just fine for several years more.

To read how Metal is influencing how long Apple can keep supporting older Macs, click here.

Museums: The Next Frontier for Augmented Reality

Posted on September 21, 2018 by admin Posted in Business, Education, Hardware, Software, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Museums are increasingly turning to augmented reality to improve their exhibits.

Museums typically consist of exhibits and a few placards with a handful of detail describing what you might be looking at. That’s been the museum experience for decades but now augmented reality is starting to change that.

To remain relevant and keep today’s crowd weaned on computers entertained, more museums are turning to augmented reality to make their exhibits come alive. The Smithsonian lends visitors a HoloLens headset sot hey can walk through a space shuttle with a virtual guide. Of course, handing out virtual reality headsets is time-consuming and expensive, so the next leap will come when museums start offering augmented reality experiences for people to use on their own mobile devices such as an iPhone or iPad.

Not only will this save museums the expense of buying an doling out equipment that will inevitably break, but it will also give users the chance to use their own devices to view augmented reality exhibits. Eventually, augmented reality will appear in smart glasses too, but until then, it’s far cheaper and easier to use existing devices that visitors likely already have rather than require them to borrow a virtual headset like the HoloLens.

Augmented reality is the future of museum exhibits because this allows museums to tailor the information to each visitor. For example, instead of reading placards in English, visitors could use augmented reality to view exhibit information in any language they wish such as Japanese, Arabic, or Spanish. There isn’t enough physical space for museums to display information in multiple languages, but augmented reality makes this easy to do to accommodate almost anyone.

Museums also spend money with TV screens and videos. Augmented reality lets museums skip all that and display videos straight on the user’s mobile device. This cuts costs while increasing versatility.

Augmented reality is going to change the world and it starts one niche at a time. While businesses might be slow to find uses for augmented reality, museums are finding its advantages. Today you’ll likely find augmented reality in a museum. Tomorrow, it will be in your everyday world such as shopping malls and restaurants. Watch for how augmented reality is used in museums because this will show the world how it can be used for businesses as well.

To learn more about the use of augmented reality in museums, click here.

The A12 Bionic Processor

Posted on September 18, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Apple’s latest A12 Bionic processor appears to be the fastest mobile processor on the market.

For the longest time, Android manufacturers tried to compete against the iPhone using technical specifications. By touting the amount of RAM or screen size they offered, they tried to show how they had an advantage over the iPhone. However, one area where Android device makers are falling further and further behind is processing speed.

That’s because Apple designs their own processors while Android device makers have to buy off the shelf components from other companies such as Qualcomm. That means Apple can optimize their processor for their operating system but Qualcomm cannot.

The end result is that Apple’s latest A12 Bionic processor is noticeably faster than any current Android device on the market. Over time, this speed difference will likely continue increasing.

While raw speed by itself isn’t that important, speed makes a device more responsive and more capable of doing tougher tasks. That means the latest iPhones will simply feel faster and more capable than competing android devices.

Apple has been pushing the design of their processor faster than third party processor companies can do, such as Qualcomm. As long as Apple keeps pushing forward, they’ll likely leave third party processors behind, never to catch up.

Most people don’t care about processor speeds but it does show how far Android devices are falling behind. Watch with each generation of the iPhone as the iPhone processor speed continues distancing itself from Android devices. The result won’t be pretty if you’re an Android fan.

First Pictures Captured by iPhone Xs

Posted on September 17, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Professional photographer Austin Mann shares pictures captured by the iPhone Xs.

Apple just released the iPhone Xs and photographer Austin Mann has already shared some pictures taken by the camera. As you can see, his pictures are sharp and definitely good enough for amateurs, but also suitable for professionals. In the old days, professionals relied on dedicated digital cameras while amateurs satisfied themselves with the much simpler smartphone cameras.

However, now that the iPhone camera has improved so radically, it’s often just as good as dedicated digital cameras while being far easier to carry and use than dedicated digital cameras. Trying to use a dedicated digital camera requires lugging around bulky devices. Trying to use an iPhone camera is simple.

For amateurs, the iPhone camera is the only camera they ever need. For professionals, the iPhone camera is fast becoming the main camera they use most often with dedicated digital cameras used occasionally.

Dedicated digital cameras will always surpass the iPhone camera simply because dedicated digital cameras have the room to offer bigger lenses. However, software improvements in the iPhone camera often mimics physical lenses, which means that the iPhone camera is good enough for both amateurs and many professionals.

By browsing through Austin Mann’s gallery of images, you can see that the iPhone Xs camera is more than adequate for almost everyone. While many people don’t know about the details that professionals worry about, they do care that taking pictures is easy and fast. The technology behind the iPhone camera is simply hidden so most people just need to aim and shoot.

The world of film photography is gone for good, and the world of dedicated digital cameras is shrinking rapidly. The iPhone is no longer just a mobile phone but a professional camera as well. By capturing sharp images, the iPhone will continue to attract more and more professional photographers. One day kids will look at dedicated cameras and wonder why anyone would ever carry such a bulky item around all the time.

The Incredible iPhone Camera

Posted on September 13, 2018 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: The latest iPhone cameras offer amazing new features for professional photographers.

At one time, digital photography was awful, capturing chunky, blurring images. That’s why film enthusiasts felt that digital photography would never surpass the crispness of film photography.

Then film photography stagnated while digital photography constantly improved. Soon digital cameras became more popular than film. Then smartphone companies started adding digital cameras and digital photography seemed to take a giant step backwards. With tiny cameras on a smartphone, smartphones could capture decent but not spectacular images.

That slowly changed as well as cameras started improving dramatically. Now many film directors and professional photographers capture images and shoot entire movies using the camera in the iPhone. With Apple’s latest iPhone models, the digital camera has gotten even more amazing.

Apple has posted a video called “Shot on an iPhone XS” to show people what’s possible with its latest camera. Not surprisingly, this video highlights slow-motion, 4K, and time-lapse, which puts the power of professional, dedicated cameras in the hands of every iPhone user.

Of course, most people just want to shoot casual images, but given the added power and sharpness of the latest iPhone cameras, everyone has the power of professional photography in their hands at all times. That can unleash people’s creativity in ways much like the printing press unleashed a wave of literacy.

The iPhone camera is just one feature of the latest iPhone, but it plays a crucial role in augmented reality as well because the sharper the camera, the more accurate and realistic augmented reality can appear.

The small camera on the iPhone is a major part of the iPhone’s success. The iPhone isn’t just for making phone calls, but for giving people the power of a PC in their pocket, and professional photography is one feature that no PC can possibly match.

Combination Macintosh and iOS Device Laptops

Posted on September 11, 2018 by admin Posted in Hardware, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Apple has patents for using the iPhone and iPad as part of a MacBook laptop.

Many people don’t like the idea of carrying around a laptop and an iPad. While Apple hopes you’ll use an iPad to replace a laptop, many people still need a laptop. That’s why Apple has patented two unusual designs.

The first uses the iPhone as a drop in replacement for a trackpad. Now you can use your iPhone screen as the trackpad and conveniently carry both your laptop and iPhone around. A second patent lets you insert an iPad as the laptop screen. This creates an even more convenient design for carrying an iPad and a laptop together.

Out of these two patents, the most interesting is the iPad/laptop patent. Many people want both a tablet and a laptop, but they don’t want to carry both. By combining an iPad with a laptop, you could have the best of both worlds, unlike the Microsoft Surface that excels as a laptop but offers a mediocre tablet experience.

The iPad and Macintosh are merging as a product line although they’ll still remain distinct. However, the appeal of a real tablet and a real laptop will likely remain attractive to many. The iPad already has a smart connector on its side that lets you connect it to an optional keyboard. That same connector could be used to connect a laptop to an iPad so the iPad can be used as a screen.

Still, the idea of taking an iPad apart from a laptop remains a clumsy mechanical solution. It might work but it also might just seem like an inelegant kludge. Apple is most certainly experimenting with different designs to see how people react to them, so don’t hold your breath. A combination iPad/iPhone/laptop probably won’t be coming soon if ever.