Lit Apple Mac, iPhone, iPad User Group

The new MacBook Air offers up to 16GB of storage — double the memory capacity of its predecessor.

(16 GB of RAM, I think?)

A new Mac mini Tuesday, in the first update to the smaller Mac model in four years. It comes with up to 64GB of memory and works five times faster than its predecessor. Storage wise, all Mac minis now have all-flash storage up to 2 TB. It starts at $799, and it too is available to order today and for pickup Nov. 7.

Nifty. My 2012 MBA has been great but it's starting to show its age, and I've been waiting a long time for a new Mini as partial replacement.
 
The new MacBook Air offers up to 16GB of storage — double the memory capacity of its predecessor.

(16 GB of RAM, I think?)

A new Mac mini Tuesday, in the first update to the smaller Mac model in four years. It comes with up to 64GB of memory and works five times faster than its predecessor. Storage wise, all Mac minis now have all-flash storage up to 2 TB. It starts at $799, and it too is available to order today and for pickup Nov. 7.


Nifty. My 2012 MBA has been great but it's starting to show its age, and I've been waiting a long time for a new Mini as partial replacement.


You are correct. Confirmed the source but didn't catch the error. Sorry for the confusion.

8 GB RAM Memory has been the standard for the 13" version since April 19, 2016. and still is, but now has an optional 16 GB.

Storage has been 128 or 256 GB with an optional 512 GB upgrade, and now also optional 1.5 TB upgrade.
 
You are correct. Confirmed the source but didn't catch the error. Sorry for the confusion.

8 GB RAM Memory has been the standard for the 13" version since April 19, 2016. and still is, but now has an optional 16 GB.

Storage has been 128 or 256 GB with an optional 512 GB upgrade, and now also optional 1.5 TB upgrade.

I see the Mini now goes up to 64 GB (though not for cheap!) Trying to work out how much I ought to buy - any thoughts? For drive space I'm happy to just take the default 256 GB and supplement with external drives if needed, but for RAM I'm stuck with my decisions.
 
You are correct. Confirmed the source but didn't catch the error. Sorry for the confusion.

8 GB RAM Memory has been the standard for the 13" version since April 19, 2016. and still is, but now has an optional 16 GB.

Storage has been 128 or 256 GB with an optional 512 GB upgrade, and now also optional 1.5 TB upgrade.

I see the Mini now goes up to 64 GB (though not for cheap!) Trying to work out how much I ought to buy - any thoughts? For drive space I'm happy to just take the default 256 GB and supplement with external drives if needed, but for RAM I'm stuck with my decisions.


Would like to clarify, you said "For drive space I'm happy to just take the default 256 GB", starting with these models Mac Minis no longer have Hard Drives but only Flash SSD storage.


Think you're asking about RAM. Depends on what plan on doing should help you decide. More applications running at the same time will want more RAM. Also what are you doing, creating and editing Digital Media wants more RAM than a word processor. By today's standards 8 GB is not much RAM.

However there is good news, from what I understand the 8 GB factory installed is user upgradeable, and will be much lower price bought from other vendors.


Something else, the $800 base model has a 3.6 GHz i3-8100H quad-core CPU where the $1100 has 3.0 GHz i5-8500B six-core CPU








Wanted and forgot to include this myth



steve-jobs-vs-bill-gates-7-638.jpg


I have to say that in 1981, making those decisions, I felt like I was providing enough freedom for 10 years. That is, a move from 64 K to 640 K felt like something that would last a great deal of time. Well, it didn't - it took about only 6 years before people started to see that as a real problem.



And 8 GB is 1,310,720% more than 640 kb

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Facebook and (lack of) security


March 2018 Cambridge Analytica had harvested the personal data, Facebook later confirmed up to 87 million users.

Oct 12, 2018 Facebook says 30 million users were affected by a massive hack

Nov 2, 2018 Facebook said hackers stole 81 thousand messages; but not were not obtained through a breach in its security, but rather through malicious browser extensions installed off of Facebook.
(Sandy note - no it's not Facebook's fault or responsibility what's uploaded and downloaded form their servers, just as long as it's not their fault)


These are only three of the recent more high profile security issues at Facebook, It's widely expected that social media will soon be regulated by the federal government.



Been trying to prepare posts about security and privacy for Macs, but in my opinion, this is bigger. I'm not going to give my opinion or suggest what you do, but rather leave that to you.

Disclosure - I do not now or ever have a Facebook account, as I've been following how they track, harvest, and scrape users data, then turn around and sell it.
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Multiple media outlets brought attention to a malicious "heart rate" scanning app that attempted to dupe wide-eyed shoppers into buying a $90 in-app purchase, which highlights that Apple still needs to do a lot more work on the app review process.


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The entire app is fraudulent and purports to read a users heart rate by having them place their finger on the Touch ID sensor. In actuality, after a second or so of random "heart rate" values flashing on the screen, the app dims the screen to its minimum brightness and invokes an in-app purchase for $89.99.

It is obvious this app should have never made it past the review process, not even looking at the substantial cost of the in-app purchase, considering that it is impossible for your iPhone to actually read your heart rate through the Touch ID sensor. The scam is even more obvious when used on a newer device that relies on Face ID.

Running the app on our iPhone XS Max —which lacks Touch ID —the app still claimed to show heart rate.

Others have hypothesized reasons the app may have "slipped through," and have absolved Apple of much of the blame —but none of the reasons put forth much make sense. This is an app that attempted to deceive consumers at its face, intentionally, from the get-go. Despite patents suggesting that the technology is possible, reading heart rate on the Touch ID sensor isn't doable, trying to do so at a touch on a Face ID-equipped iPhone is even less possible, and the way the IAP is invoked is scary.

Once you start the "heart rate reading" process and the IAP is triggered, you have the option to hit cancel. But then, it is triggered again, and again, and again.

Force-closing the app, yet so many invocations of the in-app purchase dialog were sent they continued to pop up. Even more experienced users could potentially make the purchase while trying to close the app and shut off their phone.

The level of fraud here is mind-blowing enough that even a rookie app reviewer at Apple should have caught this —assuming any eyes been laid on it. The basic premise is fake, the method of continuously triggering IAP is clearly a violation, and the outrageous price is clearly problematic.

This highlights, yet again, the problem with Apple's app review process. I am in support of the review process, but for a clearly fraudulent app to slide through unquestioned raises serious doubts. The chance that this was a one-off circumstance that Apple overlooked and it happened to be a scam is quite unlikely and makes us question how thorough the process is as a whole.

Apple can't praise the security of its walled garden while not even looking at apps that make it on the App Store. This app is currently still alive on the App Store.


To call Apple’s App Store reviews a “process” demeans the word. It certainly comes across as poorly staffed and/or badly automated and the results are a lot more random than any process I’ve seen.
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Apple has announced that watchOS 5.1.2 will be publicly released today and will enable the long-awaited ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 models in the United States. The update will also enable irregular heart rhythm notifications on Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, and Series 4 models.



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watchOS 5.1.2 should be available through the Apple Watch app on a paired iPhone around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. It will feature an Apple-designed ECG app that can indicate whether your heart rhythm shows signs of atrial fibrillation, a serious form of irregular heart rhythm, or a normal sinus rhythm. This is possible thanks to new electrodes built into the back crystal and Digital Crown on Series 4 models.

Apple Watch Series 4 is capable of generating an ECG similar to a single-lead electrocardiogram, according to the FDA. Both the ECG app and irregular heart rhythm notifications are regulated features that have received De Novo classification from the FDA, making them available over the counter.

The ECG app will check heart rhythm every few hours or so, and if there are five consecutive readings that appear to be abnormal, the Apple Watch will alert the user to see a doctor. As for notifications, users will be alerted if an irregular heart rhythm is detected on five checks over a minimum of 65 minutes.

Importantly Apple cautioned that the ECG app is "not intended to be a diagnostic device or to replace traditional methods of diagnosis," and "should not be used to monitor or track disease state or change medication without first talking to a doctor."

To take an ECG reading from the Apple Watch, users will need to place a finger on the Digital Crown while wearing the watch. The reading is completed in 30 seconds, allowing users to determine whether their hearts are beating in a regular pattern or if there are signs of atrial fibrillation.

Apple says the setup process for these heart health features will include details about who can use the features, what the features can and cannot do, what results users may get and how to interpret them, and instructions for what to do if users are feeling symptoms that require immediate medical attention.
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Would like to clarify, you said "For drive space I'm happy to just take the default 256 GB", starting with these models Mac Minis no longer have Hard Drives but only Flash SSD storage.

Yeah, I was talking about the flash drive.

Something else, the $800 base model has a 3.6 GHz i3-8100H quad-core CPU where the $1100 has 3.0 GHz i5-8500B six-core CPU

Don't tell me the US prices, you'll just make me sad ;-)

Anyway, I bought the six-core version and it's been pretty good so far, aside from a few minor glitches in migration.
 
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Dimming your iPhone screen past its lowest brightness setting


If you read on your iPhone in bed until you're tired enough to fall asleep, but sometimes your iPhone's screen can be too bright for you and your partner — even if it's on the lowest brightness setting.



First, go to your Settings app


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Click General


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Scroll down and click Accessibility



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Click Zoom


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In the Zoom settings, make sure Zoom is enabled, and check that you have Zoom Region set to "Full Screen Zoom"

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I'm limited to 10 images per message so I need to split the message
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On your home screen, or in any app, triple tap the screen with three fingers. This semi-transparent menu will pop up in the middle of your screen. Click "Choose Filter"


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"None" should be checked off already. But click Low Light and see what happens


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The screen should be much dimmer than before


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The brightness settings in your Control Center still work, so you can make the screen a little brighter or even dimmer



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If you turn brightness all the way down while the Low Light accessibility option is on, the screen appears almost completely black


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To get your brightness back to normal, just triple-tap your screen again with three fingers, which should bring back that zoom menu again. Click "Choose Filter," then "None"


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How to get up to $20 in bonus App Store credit from Apple


Apple is quietly offering a 10% bonus on App Store credit if you buy it before Thursday.

If you add $200 to your Apple ID, you can get up to a $20 bonus. The credit can be used toward purchases on the App Store, iTunes, iCloud storage, and other Apple services — but not devices.

Historically, Apple doesn't like to discount its own products and services.
Even resellers aren't allowed, instead they discount or give away items from other companies.



You'll need a working payment method and an iPhone to get this credit. It's found in Settings > Your Name > iTunes & App Store > Your Apple ID. Then click on "View Apple ID" on the popup, and go to Add Funds to Apple ID.


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Then you'll see a pop-up. Tap on View Apple ID and make sure you have a payment card linked to your account


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It works!


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There's also a shortcut at the bottom of the App Store app.

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Amazing and incredible iTunes trick to reclaim iPhone/iPad storage


I don’t understand why this works at all, but here is how you will usually be able to reclaim Gigabytes of storage on your iPhone:


  • Open Settings>General>iPhone Storage.

  • Scroll down to the bottom of the page and look for System.

  • You may be surprised how much storage this takes – I was, when I first checked on my iPhone XS Max it claimed 28GB of storage for the System alone – which is a huge chunk of space when you’re using a lower capacity device.

  • The tip I am going to explain to you seemed to trim this to 12.62GB of occupied storage for the System — it may be less or more for your device.

  • Launch iTunes on your computer.

  • Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB/Lightning cable.

  • You may be asked to ‘Trust’ your computer.

  • Leave the iPhone connected for a few minutes.

  • After at least two minutes check to see how much storage System now takes. I bet it takes up lots less space now.


I have no idea why it works but I imagine it is something to do with eradicating unwanted system caches and the like.

I also imagine it is possible this is just a SNAFU and that when the Storage feature first estimates the quantity of space occupied by your System it includes items it hasn’t assessed yet, such as third party data, within the figure. The system then reasserts a more accurate figure a few moments later once the quantity of data used has been reassessed.
(On an iPad Pro that was not connected to iTunes I watched the System data consumption figure shift from 94MB to 10+GB to 6.33GB in real time.)
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Merry Christmas



One of the most emotionally impactful ads I’ve seen. Their “Misunderstood” holiday campaign aims to shed light on our society’s obsession with technology and why that can be okay – as long as we remember the ones we love.

Apple’s clever use of emotional appeal in this ad is highly effective and it really strikes a chord with many people this time of year.


Apple 2013 Christmas commercial: Misunderstood: (HD)


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Apple's $29 iPhone battery replacement program ends December 31

As a reminder:


Apple said it would reduce the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement to $29 from $79 "for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, available worldwide through December 2018."

And so if you own an iPhone 6, an iPhone 6s, an iPhone 7, or any other phones made after that and are experiencing battery issues — maybe it's draining faster than it used to — head to an Apple Store before December 31.
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Apple’s cheapest MacBook Pro vs 2018 Air
There are 4 key reasons why you may consider Apple's cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro instead of the new MacBook Air



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Apple's latest 2018 MacBook Air is a welcome update over the original and severly aging MacBook Air — but you might be better off getting the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro instead.

It's not because the 2018 MacBook Air is a bad laptop. Rather, it's because it'll only cost you an extra $100 to buy the base model of the 2017 13-inch MacBook Pro. Indeed, the 2018 MacBook Air costs $1,200 and the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro costs $1,300.

For $100 extra, you get a slightly better laptop overall in the cheapest MacBook Pro than the 2018 MacBook Air. The 2018 MacBook Air would have been a no-brainer for a lot of people had it cost $1,000 like the original, but that's not the case.



The 2018 MacBook Air isn't that much lighter than the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro.


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One of the main reasons to buy a MacBook Air over pretty much any other laptop is because of its incredibly light weight. But the difference between the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro isn't that stark.

The MacBook Air weighs 2.75 pounds and the MacBook Pro weighs 3 pounds. It's a quarter-pound difference, which is noticeable but not too significant. It's not that the new MacBook Air is heavy, but rather that the recent 13-inch MacBook Pros are already so light to begin with.



The 2018 MacBook Air is also thicker at its thickest point than the MacBook Pro.


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Another reason many would buy the MacBook Air over any other laptop is because of its incredible thinness.

Yet, you might be surprised to know that the 13-inch MacBook Pro is actually thinner than the 2018 MacBook Air at its thickest point. It's a mere 0.02-inch difference, but it's still a counterintuitive stat for a laptop that's marketed as a thin and light device.

With that said, the 2018 MacBook Air does taper down to an incredibly thin 0.16-inch thickness at its thinnest point, while the MacBook Pro has a consistent 0.59-inch thickness. So, overall, the MacBook Air does take up less space than the MacBook Pro, but not that much less.



You won't really notice it that much, but the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro still has a slightly better screen.


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The new MacBook Air has the same 2560 x 1600 Retina resolution as the MacBook Pro. The main area where the two displays differ is in colors and brightness.

Overall, the new MacBook Air's display isn't quite as good as the MacBook Pro's, which comes with better "wide p3" color gamut, according to the specs. The MacBook Pro's display can also get brighter at 500 nits, compared to the MacBook Air's 300 nits.

At the end of the day, only professionals are likely to notice the MacBook Pro's additional color depth. The MacBook Air's display will surely be fine for most people.



You won't really notice it that much, but the cheapest 13-inch MacBook Pro still has a slightly better screen.


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The new MacBook Air has the same 2560 x 1600 Retina resolution as the MacBook Pro. The main area where the two displays differ is in colors and brightness.

Overall, the new MacBook Air's display isn't quite as good as the MacBook Pro's, which comes with better "wide p3" color gamut, according to the specs. The MacBook Pro's display can also get brighter at 500 nits, compared to the MacBook Air's 300 nits.

At the end of the day, only professionals are likely to notice the MacBook Pro's additional color depth. The MacBook Air's display will surely be fine for most people.


But don't worry if you have your heart set on the MacBook Air.


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The 2018 MacBook Air is still a great machine that's perfect for a lot of computer users out there. You won't be missing out on much at all if you've been eyeing — or already bought — the 2018 MacBook Air.

It's just a shame that it's priced at $1,200, which is so close to the $1,300 13-inch MacBook Pro rather than being in a more affordable price-range of its own, like the original $1,000 MacBook Air.
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I have been asked to do an audio story and I would love to but... I have an old computer with no mic. Not gonna get a mic until I get a new computer. Meanwhile, I have an IPhone. Is there a way to do an audio there and post it on here? If so, what steps do I have to take? Thanks!
 
I have been asked to do an audio story and I would love to but... I have an old computer with no mic. Not gonna get a mic until I get a new computer. Meanwhile, I have an IPhone. Is there a way to do an audio there and post it on here? If so, what steps do I have to take? Thanks!

I don't know of a way to embed video or audio in a post at Lit.. Perhaps use a web hosting service then post the link here to it?
 
I have been asked to do an audio story and I would love to but... I have an old computer with no mic. Not gonna get a mic until I get a new computer. Meanwhile, I have an IPhone. Is there a way to do an audio there and post it on here? If so, what steps do I have to take? Thanks!

]I don't know of a way to embed video or audio in a post at Lit.. Perhaps use a web hosting service then post the link here to it?

Are there any free hosting services that you know of?


Hopefully these may get you starter or at least help you.



Upload monthly between 2 hours under their free plan
https://www.buzzsprout.com/


Upload 3 hours per month.
https://soundcloud.com/


Storage 500MB under the free account
https://www.podomatic.com/


Audio storage ranges from 10 hours
https://www.spreaker.com/


Basic storage starts from 30 hours a month.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/


You can try their free plan for as long as you like
https://www.pinecast.com/


Pippa makes podcasting ridiculously easy
https://pippa.io/


Apple-compatible feed,
Podiant: https://podiant.co/




Whooshkaa is a full-service audio on demand company that helps creators and brands produce, host, share, track and monetize their content. They put your audience first, creating listener-focused branded content and ads that resonate while pairing your podcast with premium brands. Their data-rich audience analytics allows you to track when, where and how audiences listen in real time. They also provide a few different options for the promotion of your podcast, including dynamic ad injection with ads served based on genre and listener location. You control where the ads are placed and you receive the majority share of revenue.
https://www.whooshkaa.com



With Podcasts.com, you get it all for free. Hosting your podcast with them is 100% free, and there are no fees for anything we provide. This includes hosting, SEO optimized directory listing, automatic subscriber updates, unlimited everything, easy iTunes integration, and Google Analytics integration. Each time you release a new episode, we automatically alert all your Podcasts.com subscribers with a link to listen to the episode. Listeners can easily reach your podcast from Podcasts.com wherever they are in the world using their web player, our iOS or our Android app.
Podcast.com: http://www.podcasts.com/
 
Hopefully these may get you starter or at least help you.



Upload monthly between 2 hours under their free plan
https://www.buzzsprout.com/


Upload 3 hours per month.
https://soundcloud.com/


Storage 500MB under the free account
https://www.podomatic.com/


Audio storage ranges from 10 hours
https://www.spreaker.com/


Basic storage starts from 30 hours a month.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/


You can try their free plan for as long as you like
https://www.pinecast.com/


Pippa makes podcasting ridiculously easy
https://pippa.io/


Apple-compatible feed,
Podiant: https://podiant.co/




Whooshkaa is a full-service audio on demand company that helps creators and brands produce, host, share, track and monetize their content. They put your audience first, creating listener-focused branded content and ads that resonate while pairing your podcast with premium brands. Their data-rich audience analytics allows you to track when, where and how audiences listen in real time. They also provide a few different options for the promotion of your podcast, including dynamic ad injection with ads served based on genre and listener location. You control where the ads are placed and you receive the majority share of revenue.
https://www.whooshkaa.com



With Podcasts.com, you get it all for free. Hosting your podcast with them is 100% free, and there are no fees for anything we provide. This includes hosting, SEO optimized directory listing, automatic subscriber updates, unlimited everything, easy iTunes integration, and Google Analytics integration. Each time you release a new episode, we automatically alert all your Podcasts.com subscribers with a link to listen to the episode. Listeners can easily reach your podcast from Podcasts.com wherever they are in the world using their web player, our iOS or our Android app.
Podcast.com: http://www.podcasts.com/


Thanks so much! :D
 
Apple's new MacBook Air versus MacBook Pro: Which should you get

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[
COLOR="Black"]5 reasons you to get the new 2018 MacBook Air instead of the MacBook Pro[/COLOR]


To the delight of MacBook Air fans, Apple finally released a new MacBook Air with updated specs, features, and a new design in 2018.

There was some unforeseen rain that hit the MacBook Air parade when the laptop's $1,200 price tag was announced. The original model cost $1,000, which was one of its main draws.

With that said, there are still some very good reasons to consider the MacBook Air over the MacBook Pro. Since the MacBook Air has a 13-inch display, I'm mostly comparing it with the 13-inch MacBook Pro.


Check out why you should consider the MacBook Air as your next laptop:



The new MacBook Air is ever so slightly lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.


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The new MacBook Air weighs in at 2.75 pounds, which is slightly lighter than the original MacBook Air's 2.9 pounds. Compare that with the 3-pound 13-inch MacBook Pro, and you have yourself a lighter laptop! It's not a massively significant difference, but lighter is better for many computer users out there.



The MacBook Air has better battery life than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.


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According to the spec sheets, the new MacBook Air can last for up to 12 hours of web browsing, while the MacBook Pro can last up to 10 hours.



It's thinner overall than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.


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Actually, believe it or not, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is 0.02-inch thinner than the new MacBook Air at both laptops' thickest points. With that said, the MacBook Air tapers down to an extremely thin 0.16 inches at its thinnest points, whereas the MacBook Pro maintains its thickness throughout its design.



All of the new MacBook Air models have Touch ID, whereas only the more expensive models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro models have it.


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The new MacBook Air is cheaper than any MacBook Pro.


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The new $1,200 MacBook Air is $100 cheaper than the cheapest MacBook Pro.

It's not a huge difference, but cheaper is cheaper, right? Plus, you're not getting much of a performance hit with the slightly less powerful chip turning the wheels inside the MacBook Air.
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I don't know of a way to embed video or audio in a post at Lit.. Perhaps use a web hosting service then post the link here to it?

You can't, you can only post a link to where it lives on the web. It must be a public url.
 
I don't know of a way to embed video or audio in a post at Lit.. Perhaps use a web hosting service then post the link here to it?


You can't, you can only post a link to where it lives on the web. It must be a public url.


Can't? Web hosting services are in the public domain.

Must? I've posted links that that aren't public URL's or on the web.
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Can't? Web hosting services are in the public domain.

Must? I've posted links that that aren't public URL's or on the web.
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Really? Links that are not on the web? Then I bet you are the only one that can see them. Ever get any complaints?

I assumed, which I shouldn't have, that you wanted to have the video or Audio to appear in the post like JPG and GIFs do.

But with this version of vBulletin you can't. You can only post a link to where the video or audio lives on the web.

i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLvtvq1DcuI

or

Truck Fails
 
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