Welcome to Soundbyte 305
In this issue:
- WWDC Livestream event
- July Meet-up: Newsbyte Special – WWDC
- Goodbye Intel, hello ARM?
- Updates for Pro Macs
- Catalina Fonts you might have missed
- iBooks author, the final chapter
- Syncing or backing up your phone to a server
- Vendor spotlight: Take Back Control Books
- Special Offers for members
WWDC Livestream event
Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference will start next Monday, June 22 at 6pm. LMUG won’t be able to run a live stream of the keynote this year but you can watch it on Apple’s website – click the link above for a calendar invite from Apple with a link to right page.
Instead of a live stream we will host an after party at 7:30pm on Monday in Zoom to discuss our hot takes on what Apple has announced.
Find the details on how to join us in Zoom after the keynote in the Soundbyte email. We will be running a free raffle (winner chosen at random from attendees) for a 3-in-1 64GB USB stick.
July Meet-up: Newsbyte Special – WWDC
Join LMUG online at 7pm on July 13 for a Newsbyte Special. Our technical officer will lead a discussion of Apple’s WWDC announcements.
This year we are expecting some big changes with serious implications for the Mac. We want to hear what you think and we will share what we think.
Find the Zoom invite in the email you received this Soundbyte in.
Goodbye Intel, hello ARM?
There have been rumours for years that Apple is planning on switching the Mac from Intel chips to its own ARM chips. These rumours have now reached a crescendo, with the performance of Apple’s A12 chip in the iPad rivalling the Intel chips in the MacBook Pro. Some think that the transition has been hiding in plain sight for years with the adding of Apple’s T1 and T2 chips into Macs, running increasing parts of Mac OS X. It is also true that OS X has been running on ARM (in your iPhones and iPads) since 2007.
Have a look at this article below from TidBits explaining why its time for Apple to switch.
Updates for Pro Macs
Apple has released two hardware updates for the MacBook Pro 16-inch and also the Mac Pro. You can now configure a MacBook Pro 16-inch with an AMD Radeon Pro 5600M graphics card with 8GB of HBM2 memory. This option is 75% faster than the standard graphics card and costs £700. Meanwhile on the Mac Pro you can now configure 8TB SSD storage for a cool £2,600 extra.
In other news, Apple stores in the UK are now open! Check Apple’s details on what to expect when you visit.
Catalina fonts you mights have missed
Did you know you can freely download extra professional fonts within Mac OS X Catalina? Freshen up your letters by reading about this in the article below. Click the image.
IBooks Author, the final chapter
Bad news for book creators using iBooks Author. Apple has discontinued the application. Apple has issued guidance on a transition to Apple Pages. Click the image below to read about it.
Syncing or backing up your phone to a server
Apple iPhones and iPads come with 5GB of iCloud storage for free. But that’s often not enough. Also, did you know if you don’t back up regularly, your back up will be deleted after 180 days? Other options like Google Drive and Drop Box are available, but what if you want to use your own server?
Watch this short video below on how to use the app FileBrower Go to automate backups from your iPhone or iPad.
Vendor Spotlight: Take Control Books
As an LMUG member, you are entitled to special discounts from selected vendors. These are available to user group members around the world.
I thought I should explain what these offers are, so this month, here are a few words on Take Control Books.
Take Control Books are a series of ebooks on how to use your Apple Device. EBook means electronic book. You read it on your MacBook, iPhone or iPad’s screen. These books go into detail on different topics, some of which are quite complex to learn without guidance, like automation. Other books explain everything to know about the simpler products like the Apple TV.
As a mac user group member you get 30% off any ebook purchase from Take Control Books. Take advantage of any spare time during this lockdown to learn a new skill. Give it a try!
Special Offers for members
Find below the offers for members. Find the link to access these in the members section of the website.
- Silver Matias Keyboard Special: 50% Discount
- Koingo Software: 20/50% Discount
- Dan’s Tutorials: Update 50% Discount and 30 Day Free Membership
- Eve Products: 25% Discount
- TechTool Pro 11: 50% Discount
- AgileBits 1Password 7: 25% Discount
- MacCleanse 8 Software: 20% Discount
- Eltima Software: Up to 60% Off OS X Apps
- EverWeb by RAGE Software: 50% Discount
- Opus ][ Complete Collection: 25% Discount
- Que Publishing Products: 35-45% Discount
- Take Control Books: 30% Discount on All eBooks
- Teams ID, a Password Manager for Teams: 33% Discount
- TidBITS Content Network for Apple professionals: Get a free month of tips and articles!