The 404 432: Where we'd rather have C than P before BS
Now, don't get any wrong ideas, the show title might sound dirty, but it's actually just a reference to our parent company, the wonderful Columbia Broadcast System, or CBS. Unfortunately, Dan the Former Mantern is no longer with us, but we're happy that he just moved laterally to PBS and WNET.org's Thirteen. In fact, he joins us on today's show to help promote a local documentary he's working on featuring yours truly! It's a spotlight on New Yorkers whose lives were changed after visiting one of America's National Parks, and what a coincidence--I just got back from a trip to Yosemite!Dan and I collaborated on this project, which will air on Thirteen this Sunday, September 27, at 10 p.m. EDT. Everyone else can catch the special on the Thirteen Web site, which we'll also link to after the premiere.Dan sticks around after this shameless self-promotion to help us discuss a few stories from around the Internet, including a horribly offensive Ching-Chong iPhone App. The cheesy little game produces the same ambiguous messages you find in fortune cookies, but the catch is that the app actually reads the message outloud in a voice that bears a disturbing similarity to Verbose Asian Guy. Of course, Jeff, Dan, and even Wilson (shame on you, Wilson) practically force him out of retirement, and we even get a glimpse of Jeff's priceless Woody Allen impression...TONS of laughs in today's show! After we play the second Caribbean Call From the Public, we run through Rotten Tomatoes' Top 25 Worst Movies of the Decade. We're not surprised to see most that most of the titles are straight to DVD movies, so we take it upon ourselves to name off a few of our own picks, including "Gigli," "Jersey Girl," "Kangaroo Jack," "Cool World," and more. Let us know in the comments what your top picks are, or call us at 1-855-404-CNET and leave a voice-mail for Monday's Jeff-less show. Have a great weekend!EPISODE 432PodcastYour browser does not support the audio element. Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) |Subscribe in RSS Audio |Subscribe in RSS Video This content is rated TV-MA, and is for viewers 18 years or older. Are you of age?YesNoSorry, you are not old enough to view this content.PlayFollow us on Twitter!The 404Jeff BakalarJustin YuWilson TangAdd us on Facebook!The 404 Fan PageThe 404 GroupJustin YuJeff BakalarWilson Tang
More iPhone 4 woes; 5-megapixel camera takes yellow photos
More iPhone 4 woes; 5-megapixel camera takes yellow photos
Adding to the whirlwind of issues surrounding the latest mega-hit from Apple is an apparent inconsistency with the automatic white balance selection incorporated in iPhone 4's camera.iPhone 4's 5-megapixel still camera may be the next feature to get hit with unsatisfied Apple customer complaints, joining the antenna issues, signal bar issues, and Exchange Server ActiveSync issues in iOS 4. The question on the yellowing camera issue is whether or not the problem is software or hardware related.The photo comparison provided by Heather Kelly over at MacWorld illustrates the white balance discrepancy between various camera models. According to the article, the issues are present with, or without, the newly added LED flash.Heather Kelly, MacWorldI was not able to replicate the issue on my iPhone 4 (nor the signal bar/antenna issues, for that matter), but all signs point to this being a software-related bug. iPhone 4's capability to determine which white balance settings to use are software-based, analyzing the light environment detected by the camera and judging which white balance profile would be best suited to create the truest color.If you are experiencing this issue, there may be some things you can do to help. First, as with any software issue on iOS devices, try resetting your iPhone 4. Hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. Should the issue still exist, plug your iPhone 4 into your computer, let it create a current backup, then click to Restore in iTunes. When iPhone 4 comes back, first choose to restore from your last backup. If the problem persists, restore iPhone 4 again and choose to set it up as a new phone, keeping in mind you will lose some data, such as text messages, in the process.Should the idea of restoring your iPhone 4 as a new phone not suit you, or if doing so fails to solve the issue, a workaround is to edit the photos in a photo-editing program on your computer. For Mac users, iPhoto provides a great and easy to use tool for simple editing, including white balancing. On a PC, try an application like Google's Picasa (using the Tuning tab). This should fix the look of your photos until Apple releases a software update for iOS 4. Have you experienced any issues with your iPhone 4 camera? Let us know in the comments!
Adding to the whirlwind of issues surrounding the latest mega-hit from Apple is an apparent inconsistency with the automatic white balance selection incorporated in iPhone 4's camera.iPhone 4's 5-megapixel still camera may be the next feature to get hit with unsatisfied Apple customer complaints, joining the antenna issues, signal bar issues, and Exchange Server ActiveSync issues in iOS 4. The question on the yellowing camera issue is whether or not the problem is software or hardware related.The photo comparison provided by Heather Kelly over at MacWorld illustrates the white balance discrepancy between various camera models. According to the article, the issues are present with, or without, the newly added LED flash.Heather Kelly, MacWorldI was not able to replicate the issue on my iPhone 4 (nor the signal bar/antenna issues, for that matter), but all signs point to this being a software-related bug. iPhone 4's capability to determine which white balance settings to use are software-based, analyzing the light environment detected by the camera and judging which white balance profile would be best suited to create the truest color.If you are experiencing this issue, there may be some things you can do to help. First, as with any software issue on iOS devices, try resetting your iPhone 4. Hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears. Should the issue still exist, plug your iPhone 4 into your computer, let it create a current backup, then click to Restore in iTunes. When iPhone 4 comes back, first choose to restore from your last backup. If the problem persists, restore iPhone 4 again and choose to set it up as a new phone, keeping in mind you will lose some data, such as text messages, in the process.Should the idea of restoring your iPhone 4 as a new phone not suit you, or if doing so fails to solve the issue, a workaround is to edit the photos in a photo-editing program on your computer. For Mac users, iPhoto provides a great and easy to use tool for simple editing, including white balancing. On a PC, try an application like Google's Picasa (using the Tuning tab). This should fix the look of your photos until Apple releases a software update for iOS 4. Have you experienced any issues with your iPhone 4 camera? Let us know in the comments!
Get a Flip MinoHD pocket camcorder for $39.99
Get a Flip MinoHD pocket camcorder for $39.99
This is kind of hard to believe, but three years ago, when the Flip Video MinoHD pocket camcorder made its debut, it had a price tag of $229.99.Flip is gone, of course, having been acquired by Cisco and then shuttered earlier this year. But the products live on, at least for a while, and there are deals to be had. Oh, yes.TigerDirect, for example, has the Flip MinoHD pocket digital camcorder (silver) for $39.99, plus a very reasonable $2.29 for shipping. That's after redeeming a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF), which comes in the form of a prepaid debit card (same as cash, basically).The Mino should have been called the "minnow" for how tiny it is. The camera weighs all of 4 ounces and measures a hair more than half an inch thick. Translation: you can slip it into any pocket and barely know it's there.It records up to an hour's worth of 720p (HD) video--not a ton, but enough for most of the events you'd want to record anyway (a birthday party, a day at the beach, etc.). Alas, there's no option to expand the storage.When you're done shooting, just pop open the built-in USB connector, plug the MinoHD into your PC, and run the preloaded FlipShare software--which you can use to upload vids straight to Facebook and YouTube, perform basic editing, and so on.I have one of these little guys, and although the 2-inch LCD is a bit small, it's a breeze to use and very convenient to keep on hand. Plus, the video quality is excellent.You'd be crazy to pay $230 for a MinoHD, but $40? Not a thing wrong with that price.Bonus deal: Gotta give a shout out to hometown legend Bob Seger, who's making his iTunes debut today. And what better way to celebrate than with a free six-track Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band EP? These aren't a bunch of throwaway B-sides, either; the tracks include "Mainstreet," "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," and "Hollywood Nights."
This is kind of hard to believe, but three years ago, when the Flip Video MinoHD pocket camcorder made its debut, it had a price tag of $229.99.Flip is gone, of course, having been acquired by Cisco and then shuttered earlier this year. But the products live on, at least for a while, and there are deals to be had. Oh, yes.TigerDirect, for example, has the Flip MinoHD pocket digital camcorder (silver) for $39.99, plus a very reasonable $2.29 for shipping. That's after redeeming a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF), which comes in the form of a prepaid debit card (same as cash, basically).The Mino should have been called the "minnow" for how tiny it is. The camera weighs all of 4 ounces and measures a hair more than half an inch thick. Translation: you can slip it into any pocket and barely know it's there.It records up to an hour's worth of 720p (HD) video--not a ton, but enough for most of the events you'd want to record anyway (a birthday party, a day at the beach, etc.). Alas, there's no option to expand the storage.When you're done shooting, just pop open the built-in USB connector, plug the MinoHD into your PC, and run the preloaded FlipShare software--which you can use to upload vids straight to Facebook and YouTube, perform basic editing, and so on.I have one of these little guys, and although the 2-inch LCD is a bit small, it's a breeze to use and very convenient to keep on hand. Plus, the video quality is excellent.You'd be crazy to pay $230 for a MinoHD, but $40? Not a thing wrong with that price.Bonus deal: Gotta give a shout out to hometown legend Bob Seger, who's making his iTunes debut today. And what better way to celebrate than with a free six-track Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band EP? These aren't a bunch of throwaway B-sides, either; the tracks include "Mainstreet," "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," and "Hollywood Nights."
Get a flexible USB adapter for $2.98 shipped
Get a flexible USB adapter for $2.98 shipped
You may think I'm scraping the bottom of the deal barrel today, but hear me out.While supplies last, Cctveworld via Ebay has the Flexible Swivel Twist Angle 360 USB Adapter for $2.98 shipped.Update: Sold out, but this seller has the same thing for $2.99 shipped.Why would you want such a thing? Simple: To make USB cables go where you want them to go, rather than sticking out of your PC at aesthetically displeasing angles.See, my laptop doubles as my desktop. Thus I keep various USB peripherals plugged in at all times: iPhone dock, USB mouse, and so on. But all laptops nowadays have USB ports on the sides, which is great for convenience but lousy for aesthetics. My system looks downright Borg-like with all the wires coming out of it.With this adjustable connector, which can swivel a full 360 degrees and work at almost angle, I can run those cables along the sides of the laptop, thus reducing cable clutter considerably.These are also handy for floor-standing towers that have their USB ports positioned near the bottom (making you get down on your hands and knees, literally, when you want to plug something in). With the adapter, you can angle your port out and up. Nice!Yeah, I know, this isn't as sexy as a $40 Blu-ray player or $19/month Android phone. But it solves one of my longstanding pet peeves, and for only three bucks. I'm ordering three!Bonus deal: If you're a fan of "Mad Men," the 60s, and/or cutie stewardesses, you might want to check out ABC's "Pan Am." iTunes is currently giving away all nine episodes of the series (which returns this month). Can't say I'm a fan (well, I do like cutie stewardesses), but if you're looking for something to pass the time, it's a decent freebie.Bonus deal No. 2: Game time! For a limited time, Amazon has Rockstar's L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition (Win) for $12.49. This well-reviewed crime thriller routinely sells for at least $40. Note that this is the download, not boxed, version.
You may think I'm scraping the bottom of the deal barrel today, but hear me out.While supplies last, Cctveworld via Ebay has the Flexible Swivel Twist Angle 360 USB Adapter for $2.98 shipped.Update: Sold out, but this seller has the same thing for $2.99 shipped.Why would you want such a thing? Simple: To make USB cables go where you want them to go, rather than sticking out of your PC at aesthetically displeasing angles.See, my laptop doubles as my desktop. Thus I keep various USB peripherals plugged in at all times: iPhone dock, USB mouse, and so on. But all laptops nowadays have USB ports on the sides, which is great for convenience but lousy for aesthetics. My system looks downright Borg-like with all the wires coming out of it.With this adjustable connector, which can swivel a full 360 degrees and work at almost angle, I can run those cables along the sides of the laptop, thus reducing cable clutter considerably.These are also handy for floor-standing towers that have their USB ports positioned near the bottom (making you get down on your hands and knees, literally, when you want to plug something in). With the adapter, you can angle your port out and up. Nice!Yeah, I know, this isn't as sexy as a $40 Blu-ray player or $19/month Android phone. But it solves one of my longstanding pet peeves, and for only three bucks. I'm ordering three!Bonus deal: If you're a fan of "Mad Men," the 60s, and/or cutie stewardesses, you might want to check out ABC's "Pan Am." iTunes is currently giving away all nine episodes of the series (which returns this month). Can't say I'm a fan (well, I do like cutie stewardesses), but if you're looking for something to pass the time, it's a decent freebie.Bonus deal No. 2: Game time! For a limited time, Amazon has Rockstar's L.A. Noire: The Complete Edition (Win) for $12.49. This well-reviewed crime thriller routinely sells for at least $40. Note that this is the download, not boxed, version.
iMac the next touch-screen Apple device-
iMac the next touch-screen Apple device?
Apple's put a touch interface on so many of its other products, could an iMac be next?If a patent application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is any indication, the answer is possibly yes. Patently Apple, a blog that keeps tabs on Apple's USPTO filings, noticed an application on Monday that depicts a hinged-screen version of Apple's iMac desktop that has a touch-sensitive screen. The hinge appears to allow the computer to alternate between a traditional vertical desktop configuration and a flat, iPad-like surface when rocked back on its hinge.Because this would be a desktop computer and a touch-screen device at the same time, it appears the user can choose whether to use the touch-focused iOS operation system from the iPhone and iPad, or the traditional Mac OSX desktop operating system. Moving between the OSes, according to the application, would be activated by touching specific areas of the iMac's screen.The patent also describes how an accelerometer would be used for alternating between touch input and mouse/keyboard input when the device is in horizontal surface mode versus vertical desktop mode.While it's true patent applications aren't always good indicators of actual products being developed, this one doesn't seem that much of a stretch. Touch-screen all-in-one desktops have been a great way for PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Asus to reinvigorate desktop sales, a category of sales that was plummeting a few years ago, only to bounce back recently.Plus, Apple applied for a similar patent on a touch-screen version of an iMac in July 2008, and Apple has managed to insert touch into a variety of its products, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, MacBooks, and most recently the Magic Trackpad.
Apple's put a touch interface on so many of its other products, could an iMac be next?If a patent application filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is any indication, the answer is possibly yes. Patently Apple, a blog that keeps tabs on Apple's USPTO filings, noticed an application on Monday that depicts a hinged-screen version of Apple's iMac desktop that has a touch-sensitive screen. The hinge appears to allow the computer to alternate between a traditional vertical desktop configuration and a flat, iPad-like surface when rocked back on its hinge.Because this would be a desktop computer and a touch-screen device at the same time, it appears the user can choose whether to use the touch-focused iOS operation system from the iPhone and iPad, or the traditional Mac OSX desktop operating system. Moving between the OSes, according to the application, would be activated by touching specific areas of the iMac's screen.The patent also describes how an accelerometer would be used for alternating between touch input and mouse/keyboard input when the device is in horizontal surface mode versus vertical desktop mode.While it's true patent applications aren't always good indicators of actual products being developed, this one doesn't seem that much of a stretch. Touch-screen all-in-one desktops have been a great way for PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Asus to reinvigorate desktop sales, a category of sales that was plummeting a few years ago, only to bounce back recently.Plus, Apple applied for a similar patent on a touch-screen version of an iMac in July 2008, and Apple has managed to insert touch into a variety of its products, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, MacBooks, and most recently the Magic Trackpad.
Iger sees six-figure payday for joining Apple's board
Iger sees six-figure payday for joining Apple's board
Disney President and CEO Robert Iger will be pulling in just over six figures after joining Apple's board, when you consider both his annual retainer and his initial grant of restricted stock units.In an SEC filing today, Apple noted that Iger--who joined Apple's board of directors yesterday--will get "the standard $50,000 annual retainer" which is to be paid out in quarterly installments. Additionally, Iger gets an initial grant of 142 restricted stock units, as part of the company's Director Plan, worth about $55,000 based on Apple's current trading price. According to Apple's annual proxy filing earlier year, those shares are set to vest in February. Other perks Iger gets as an Apple board member include "one of each new product" Apple introduces, free of charge, under the company's Board of Directors Equipment Program; that's if he requests them, the program's description says.As a frame of reference, Iger's base salary last year as the CEO of Walt Disney was just shy of $2.8 million. However he pulled in more than $28 million when including a mix of performance-based bonuses and annual equity awards. Besides Apple, Iger is on a handful of other boards, including the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. This is also Iger's second board appointment this year. In June, he joined the board of the U.S.-China Business Council.
Disney President and CEO Robert Iger will be pulling in just over six figures after joining Apple's board, when you consider both his annual retainer and his initial grant of restricted stock units.In an SEC filing today, Apple noted that Iger--who joined Apple's board of directors yesterday--will get "the standard $50,000 annual retainer" which is to be paid out in quarterly installments. Additionally, Iger gets an initial grant of 142 restricted stock units, as part of the company's Director Plan, worth about $55,000 based on Apple's current trading price. According to Apple's annual proxy filing earlier year, those shares are set to vest in February. Other perks Iger gets as an Apple board member include "one of each new product" Apple introduces, free of charge, under the company's Board of Directors Equipment Program; that's if he requests them, the program's description says.As a frame of reference, Iger's base salary last year as the CEO of Walt Disney was just shy of $2.8 million. However he pulled in more than $28 million when including a mix of performance-based bonuses and annual equity awards. Besides Apple, Iger is on a handful of other boards, including the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. This is also Iger's second board appointment this year. In June, he joined the board of the U.S.-China Business Council.
iFixit outs tablet repairability list; Surface Pro in last place
iFixit outs tablet repairability list; Surface Pro in last place
iFixit, a company that takes apart technology products, analyzes what's inside, and determines their repairability, has launched a new platform to make it easier for folks to lean more about tablets.The company's new "Tablet Repairability" list shows all of the recently released slates it's taken apart and discusses how easy it is to repair them when trouble erupts. Each device is given a score on a scale of 10, with the top product -- the Dell XPS 10 -- earning the highest score of a 9, thanks to it being easy to open, and to its collection of color-coded screws and labeled cables.Apple and Microsoft have been listed as the least repair-friendly companies. The Surface RT could muster only a 4 in iFixit's scale owing to how difficult it is to open the tablet. The iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, and iPad Mini all received scores of 2 for the difficulty iFixit found in trying to open them. Still, it was the recently released Surface Pro that received the worst score in iFixit's list, earning a 1 for its "tons of adhesive holds," among other issues.iFixit has been releasing its thoughts on repairability for quite some time. However, it hasn't previously listed a single place for would-be DIYers to go and find out how easy it is to take apart a tablet."We weren't able to list every single tablet, but this list is a good start," an iFixit representative told CNET in an e-mail. "We have to disassemble each tablet to score it, so additional hardware will show up as we perform more teardowns. Our hope is that through customers' votes, manufacturers will create long-lasting, easy-to-repair hardware that we can all love."
iFixit, a company that takes apart technology products, analyzes what's inside, and determines their repairability, has launched a new platform to make it easier for folks to lean more about tablets.The company's new "Tablet Repairability" list shows all of the recently released slates it's taken apart and discusses how easy it is to repair them when trouble erupts. Each device is given a score on a scale of 10, with the top product -- the Dell XPS 10 -- earning the highest score of a 9, thanks to it being easy to open, and to its collection of color-coded screws and labeled cables.Apple and Microsoft have been listed as the least repair-friendly companies. The Surface RT could muster only a 4 in iFixit's scale owing to how difficult it is to open the tablet. The iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, and iPad Mini all received scores of 2 for the difficulty iFixit found in trying to open them. Still, it was the recently released Surface Pro that received the worst score in iFixit's list, earning a 1 for its "tons of adhesive holds," among other issues.iFixit has been releasing its thoughts on repairability for quite some time. However, it hasn't previously listed a single place for would-be DIYers to go and find out how easy it is to take apart a tablet."We weren't able to list every single tablet, but this list is a good start," an iFixit representative told CNET in an e-mail. "We have to disassemble each tablet to score it, so additional hardware will show up as we perform more teardowns. Our hope is that through customers' votes, manufacturers will create long-lasting, easy-to-repair hardware that we can all love."
IDC device maker ranking shows Apple value, Samsung volume
IDC device maker ranking shows Apple value, Samsung volume
In the brave new world of connected personal computing devices, Hewlett-Packard is a distant No. 4, with Samsung and Apple leading the way. Think of IDC's "Worldwide Smart Connected Device Market" report as the 21st century equivalent of PC maker rankings.Personal computing today includes tablets and smartphones, not just the laptop in your father's home office.That global smart-connected device market grew 27.1 percent year-over-year in the third quarter to a record 303.6 million shipments valued at $140.4 billion, IDC said today in a research note."HP, which is virtually non-existent in the mobile space, has dropped its share from 7.4% in 3Q11 to 4.6% in 3Q12 with shipments declining -20.5% during that time," said IDC. Related storiesTablet sales to stay sizzling, IDC saysThat's telling because HP still leans heavily on traditional PCs, while Apple and Samsung have shifted their product emphasis to smartphones and tablets. And while Samsung leads in shipments (see chart below), Apple leads in value. "The fact that Apple's [average selling price] is $310 higher than Samsung's with just over 20 million fewer shipments in the quarter speaks volumes about the premium product line that Apple sells," Ryan Reith, an IDC analyst, said in a statement. Translation: Apple's products are pricey but consumers buy them anyway.And what does the future hold?In 2011, PCs -- a combination of desktop and laptops -- accounted for 39.1 percent of the smart connected device market. By 2016 it is expected to drop to 19.9 percent, IDC said. Smartphones will be the "preferred product category" with share growing from 53.1 percent in 2011 to 66.7 percent in 2016, while tablet share grows from 7.7 percent in 2011 to 13.4 percent in 2016. IDC
In the brave new world of connected personal computing devices, Hewlett-Packard is a distant No. 4, with Samsung and Apple leading the way. Think of IDC's "Worldwide Smart Connected Device Market" report as the 21st century equivalent of PC maker rankings.Personal computing today includes tablets and smartphones, not just the laptop in your father's home office.That global smart-connected device market grew 27.1 percent year-over-year in the third quarter to a record 303.6 million shipments valued at $140.4 billion, IDC said today in a research note."HP, which is virtually non-existent in the mobile space, has dropped its share from 7.4% in 3Q11 to 4.6% in 3Q12 with shipments declining -20.5% during that time," said IDC. Related storiesTablet sales to stay sizzling, IDC saysThat's telling because HP still leans heavily on traditional PCs, while Apple and Samsung have shifted their product emphasis to smartphones and tablets. And while Samsung leads in shipments (see chart below), Apple leads in value. "The fact that Apple's [average selling price] is $310 higher than Samsung's with just over 20 million fewer shipments in the quarter speaks volumes about the premium product line that Apple sells," Ryan Reith, an IDC analyst, said in a statement. Translation: Apple's products are pricey but consumers buy them anyway.And what does the future hold?In 2011, PCs -- a combination of desktop and laptops -- accounted for 39.1 percent of the smart connected device market. By 2016 it is expected to drop to 19.9 percent, IDC said. Smartphones will be the "preferred product category" with share growing from 53.1 percent in 2011 to 66.7 percent in 2016, while tablet share grows from 7.7 percent in 2011 to 13.4 percent in 2016. IDC
iCloud not working properly- Check status page
iCloud not working properly? Check status page
Apple has a system status support page for iCloud where it posts information about how the iCloud service is running, and also lists recent outages in the system. Today's outage is listed as having been out between 10:58 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. PST, so if you were unable to access your e-mail during that time, then this was likely the reason.Apple's status page is available here, but can also be accessed by going to the "Support" section of Apple's Web site, clicking "Other Products," and then selecting the iCloud section of the support page. The current service status should be listed on the main page, but you can click the link underneath it to get to the detailed status page.Unfortunately Apple does not supply too detailed of an explanation about the outages, but this should be a useful location you can check if some of your iCloud services are not behaving as you would expect.The use of status pages is often overlooked when troubleshooting online services, even though numerous companies have them. Check the support section of the online services you use and make a note of where (if any) the service status indicators are. It may be useful to create a bookmarks folder of these service pages so they are easily accessible, but if they are showing any outages, then hold off on troubleshooting your software setups until they are cleared.Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
Apple has a system status support page for iCloud where it posts information about how the iCloud service is running, and also lists recent outages in the system. Today's outage is listed as having been out between 10:58 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. PST, so if you were unable to access your e-mail during that time, then this was likely the reason.Apple's status page is available here, but can also be accessed by going to the "Support" section of Apple's Web site, clicking "Other Products," and then selecting the iCloud section of the support page. The current service status should be listed on the main page, but you can click the link underneath it to get to the detailed status page.Unfortunately Apple does not supply too detailed of an explanation about the outages, but this should be a useful location you can check if some of your iCloud services are not behaving as you would expect.The use of status pages is often overlooked when troubleshooting online services, even though numerous companies have them. Check the support section of the online services you use and make a note of where (if any) the service status indicators are. It may be useful to create a bookmarks folder of these service pages so they are easily accessible, but if they are showing any outages, then hold off on troubleshooting your software setups until they are cleared.Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.
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