Rob's daughter needs a computer and he'd like to get her a Mac. Leo says that the MacBook Air is thin, light and very powerful. Leo recommends setting the internet up with OpenDNS to protect her from going places she shouldn't go. Checking the Apple Refub Store could save him money on the computer too.
Pam is having trouble watching videos online with her Mac. Apple probably blocked Flash since Pam had neglected to update it. Leo advises uninstalling Flash and then install it from Adobe.com/flashplayer to download the stand alone Flash installer. Then, install it with all browsers closed. She will have to keep it updated, or Apple will block it again.
When Max connects his iPad 2, iPhoto sees it but iTunes doesn't. Leo says that Max may want to upgrade to iTunes 11. Also, he should try enabling the launch iTunes when device connects option. Max can also select the Sync over WiFi option. Leo advises turning off the iPad and then turning it back on. If that doesn't work, he should reset it by holding down the home button in addition to the power button until it turns off. If it still isn't showing up in iTunes on the desktop, he should bring it to Apple.
Martino is a teacher and wants to be able to image several iPads. Leo says that there's a program called Apple Configurator. It only works with OS X Lion, so he'll need a Mac to deploy it.
Apple has had a lot of security issues as of late, one of them relating to its Apple ID "forgot password" system. It was possible for anyone to gain access to another user's account simply by knowing their email address and birthday. This lead to Apple taking down iforgot.apple.com until just recently.
Becky bought her first Mac and it's been in and out of genius bar with repairs. It keeps dying and she's worried because her Apple Care is about to run out. It could be that her power is fluctuating causing components to fail. In that case, she can get a UPS from TrippLite that will condition her power. She would want to find one that is constantly conditioning the power, and those cost a little bit more.
It comes with 8GB, and Leo got that one. There's very little he could do on a computer where he'd see a difference in performance going from 8GB to 16GB. Going from 4GB to 8GB is significant, but the improvements are less noticeable after 8GB.
Greg wishes that Apple would've gone with a larger screen and he's now thinking of getting rid of his iPhone in favor of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy SIV. Leo says that it probably won't be out until April at the earliest - it hasn't even been announced yet (March 15). Another option is the HTC One.
What about making the transition? Are there apps for podcasting? Leo says that there are great third party apps for podcasting - including DoggCatcher (Android) and InstaCast (iPhone). The chatroom recommends PocketCast (Android), Downcast (iOS).
Leo says all models he's seen haven't been any good. They don't work like a phone. It doesn't work like he wants it to. It just tells him that his phone is ringing and shows him text messages. It's an expensive waste of money at this point. Leo also says that there isn't really a market for this (or Google's Glass) yet, but companies have decided there will be demand sometime. Even Apple is rumored to be getting into the smartwatch game. Leo says to wait awhile and see where things go.
Leo advises making a copy of the data and then running the Mac Disc Utility to repair it. Drives can go into read only mode for a variety of reasons, but it can be repaired. If he wants to get a complete copy of the data off of it, then it's just easier at that point to format it (HFS+) and start over. It may also indicate a physical problem with the drive controller. Job one is to get that data off, though!
