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Stickies: Here's How

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        Maybe you're already a fan of Stickies?  Jim Hamm sends this note:  "The Stickies app (not the Widget) can be very helpful in quickly posting notes that you want to keep as reminders.  Following is a link to an article that provides more info on Stickies."
        "If you're in Safari and want to quickly save something, highlight the text and/or image, then do Shift+Cmd+Y and it will be automatically posted into a Stickie note. If you're in Mail, highlight what you want to save and drag it to the Stickies icon in the Dock and it will be posted to a Stickie note."

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Apple's New Retail Store for iOS to Launch Thursday

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        We have Jim Hamm to thank for the following news release.  Here's what we see so far:  "While information about Apple’s new iOS app and retail plans have leaked out in various forms over the past few weeks, we now have the whole story thanks to a trusted source. On Thursday, Apple’s new retail store app for iOS will launch, and it will bring two major features with it. First, it will enable online ordering with retail store pick up. This has already started happening in a few stores in California and New York City Apple stores as well, and more stores will go live on Thursday. Hit the jump for details on what happens when you place an order through the app to pick up in a retail store nearby.
        - If a customer orders an in-stock product, pick up will be available approximately 12 minutes after completing the order. Why 12 minutes? Well, the order goes through the system to the designated Apple Store in about 3 minutes. Apple’s back-of-house employees have 2 minutes to set all of the products aside on a shelf from the minute it was ordered. There is then a 7-minute grace period for employees to get everything else in order. Around 12 minutes after purchasing, customers will be able to walk into the Apple Store, skip lines, skip registers, get their products, sign for them and leave. We’re told Apple is really excited about this, and it’s something customers have been seeking for a while.
        - If a customer orders something that a retail store does not have in-stock, like a custom-configured machine, an accessory the store does not carry, or something like an engraved or gift-wrapped device, the customer will be a given a pick-up date right after the purchase is completed. Everything will have free shipping when sent to an Apple retail store. Once the order arrives at the Apple Store and is available for pickup, a push notification will be sent to the customer through the Apple Store app, letting him or her know the order is ready. We’re told the same 12-minute timeframe applies here as well: 12 minutes from the time the push notification is received, the customer’s order should be waiting to be signed for.
        - We have been told customers who opt to purchase online or through the app will be given priority when they walk into the store over a customer waiting for a retail specialist, and that Apple expects the majority of customers over the next few years to use the in-store pick up option as their default method of buying products. This will help with foot traffic in retail stores while also reducing the cost of shipping for Apple, and possibly even reducing the number of stores Apple needs to open to accommodate sales.
        - Apple will offer customers the ability to return items purchased online to retail stores.
        - Lastly, we’re told that Apple will be attributing revenue from items purchased in this manner to the retail store where the items are delivered and retrieved. This should help create new job opportunities since hiring at Apple Stores is based on sales. Apple is reportedly expecting a 30% increase in sales at retail stores from this program, and it will only be available in the U.S. for now.
        "The other major feature coming in Apple’s new app? Customer self check-out at retail stores. This is a huge deal and Apple is the first to be able to put it together. Here is how this will work: after you find the item you want to buy, like an accessory, you launch the Apple Store app on your iOS device and there will be an option to buy a product in the store. You scan the product with the camera on your device in the app, click purchase, and it will charge whatever credit card is associated to your Apple ID. You then just walk out of the store. Yes, we have been told that Apple will not be checking purchases which seems hard to believe, but this self check-out option will launch Thursday worldwide at all Apple retail stores."
        Info on this can be found at Time.com's Techland site.  

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A Simple Technique in iPhoto

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        He starts out, "Have you ever taken a photo that turned out to be, well, pretty drab?"  Well, it's John Carter to the rescue.  He goes on to say,  "There is a simple technique you can use in iPhoto for enhancing the color of a photo (Edit -> Adjust, increase Definition), but sometimes it just isn’t enough or give you the result you were hoping for. You can vastly improve the color of any photo using layers in either Photoshop or GIMP. One contributor to Digital Photograpy School has provided detailed steps in two different posts, one for Photoshop and one for GIMP. Give it a try on one of your photos."

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Sync Problem With Mobile Devices

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        A workaround solves the problem of sync for mobile devices in iOS5, as described in this article from MacObserver.  Jim Hamm declares that Apple needs to address this complicated process in an update.
        This morning we have a reply from John Carter to shed more light on the situation: "I don’t want to rely on using WiFi for backing up iTunes to the iPhone and vice-versa, so I always connect the iPhone directly to the Mac for that purpose. However, anytime I make a change to my address book or calendar or add a photo to Photo Stream on either the Mac or the iPhone, just being at home with the Mac turned on takes no more than 15 minutes to see the change on the other device. Now that’s real handy! I don’t have to connect the iPhone to the Mac and bring up iTunes just to update my iCal or Address Book or photos that I took on the iPhone to make them available to iPhoto."
        To follow-up:  this article just came (11-1) from SmallDog to clarify the method of wireless sync with iTunes.  See if this helps.

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Where Is It? Now, We Know

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Wonder no longer.  David Passell shares this interesting info:  "Many others --  and I -- have always speculated on what would happen if a sunspot storm, high-altitude nuclear blast, or other event might cut off internet service.  I always thought that internet was carried via satellites.  Well, I was wrong.  It is underwater.  Here's a short, informative video from Kim Komando that will explain it to you."  Like David, we're relieved to hear this!

Found: 

Did everyone else already know this?  Jim Hamm sends us this tip:  "Give this a try:  Shift+Opt+K.  Not a 'biggie' tip, admittedly, but kinda neat.  Be the first in your neighborhood to sport this logo."  And Jim signs off with his trademark (grin).   I tried this on about a dozen different fonts, and every single one comes up the same. How fun is that!

Understanding Computers Made Easier

If you want to understand more about how computers work you'll want to take a look at these links from John Carter.  He writes, "Albert Wenger has a blog called Continuations. Although Albert’s daytime job is working at a Venture Capital firm, he seems to be doing quite well at explaining how computers work in his Tech Tuesday column."Scroll down to "Computer’s Building Blocks" and to "Of Bits and Bytes." John closes with "Anyone new to computers will undoubtedly come away with a better understanding of the innards of a computer."

Beware! This is VERY techie!

How to Check Out eBooks at Library

Following is a brief article on checking ebooks from a library. Jim Hamm explains, "As the http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/10/hands-on-checking-out-library-books-with-kindle.ars article states, the process is a bit clunky, but it works and it's much easier than driving to the library twice — once to borrow and once to return a book. Over time, I feel certain, the process will improve and the selection of available ebooks will increase."

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Making the Transition from MobileMe to iCloud

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        Have you been reading about the transition to Lion, the move from MobileMe to iCloud and how to deal with some issues?  Ward Stanke sends this helpful info.
        "This article from Ars Technica talks specifically about the problems some users are having managing the transition from MobileMe to iCloud, specifically problems with multiple or shared AppleIDs.
        "This article from Apple User Group Resources includes a handy chart which shows the differences between MobileMe and iCloud and what is supported or not under each. It also show what alternate applications could be substituted for the old familiar ones which won't work under Lion (such as AppleWorks and Quicken). It also lists a number of helpful links to help walk you through some of the issues."

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Clearance Sale: Take a Look

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The alert eyes of Jim Hamm caught this special sale info.  Take a look, "The online Apple Store is having a clearance of the original iPad for three select WiFi and WiFi + 3G models, including the flagship 64GB WiFi + 3G iPad. Now available for up to $200-$230 less compared to their original list prices, these products come looking like new and with the same 1-year warranty that other Apple products receive. All refurbished iPad models also include a brand new battery and outershell. Supplies are time-limited, as indicated by the Special Limited Time Price designation. Availability is guaranteed upon receipt of full payment."   Check out this link.