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What To Expect From Apple’s Annual Spring Event On March 21st

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It’s no surprise that Apple has a spring and fall event to showcase the future of Apple each year. This year is no different and the spring event is on March 21st, here is a rundown of things you should expect.

  1. The iPhone SE
    • This device has been rumored since late last year. Now we get to see the fabled device in action and what it is really all about. At the moment, it is rumored this device will have a 4-inch screen with the hardware specs of an iPhone 6/6s. Are these rumors true? We will find out come the 21st.
  2. A new revision of the iPad Pro
    • it is no surprise that Apple always has some sort of revision to their devices. The iPad Pro is no exception to this. It is rumored that a new model of the iPad Pro will debut at this event as well. As a person who uses the iPad Pro right now in day to day life, I am excited to see if there is any truth to this. I personally feel the iPad Pro is fantastic, but we will see what the rumor holds come March 21st.
  3. More Apple Watch Bands
    • Currently, there is a decent amount of Apple Watch bands out in the market. Most are 3rd party compared to the limited official Apple branded bands. It is expected that Apple will announce several new bands that will be coming out in the near future.
  4. New Software updates
    • If history has taught us anything, it is that certain events are destined to repeat. During the past Apple spring events, they would reveal the newest software update for their devices. This one seems to have no exception to this rule. It is rumored we will see the newest WatchOS, OS X (10.10.4) and iOS (iPhone and iPad version 9.3) updates at the event. We can also possibly get some sort of release window on the updates.
  5. New revision on the MacBook, iPad Air & iPad Mini
    • I would file this one under wishful thinking, but there seems to be a rumor that we may see a new MacBook, iPad Mini and new iPad Air at the event. I would be skeptical considering for the iPad Mini 5 rumor because the Mini 4 just came out last September. The iPad Air 3 rumor seems possible considering the Air 2 came out October 2014. The MacBook is possible since it’s right at a year old.

All and all, it seems to be a packed event. It will all go down March 21st. We’ll will be here to post the main points of the event. So stay tuned for it.

Via: HackInformer

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Mac OS X RAM Test

How To Test RAM Using Mac OS X

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Whenever I get a new stick of RAM for my Mac or PC, I’m always eager to just plug it in and start using it to its fullest, but having worked on hundreds of computers and encountering dozens of bad memory modules has convinced me that thorough testing is a must. While off-the-shelf PCs can run a copy of the free Ultimate Boot CD tool to perform RAM tests, Macs are a little bit more complicated in this respect. If you’ve purchased AppleCare for your Mac, it comes with a bootable TechTool Deluxe disc, but you’re otherwise left to your own devices when it comes to hardware tests.

Fortunately, with a little preparation right now, you can boot your Mac into Single User Mode and do a complete RAM test in the future. While you can run the necessary software in a fully-booted system, I recommend doing testing in Single User Mode where there are far less programs loaded in memory, and less chance of an important system component getting corrupted if your machine freezes or kernel panics — common symptoms of bad memory. A modified Mac OS X boot CD would be ideal, but that’s another post for another day!

DOWNLOAD MEMTEST

The testing setup isn’t terribly complex; I’ve taken the liberty of putting together an installable package which will put the Memtest utility into your /usr/bin/ folder. Memtest is a Unix command-line program that does the memory testing, and is the Mac equivalent of MemTest86.

MEMTEST USAGE

To run memtest on a new memory module, first shut down your computer and install the new chip. (Some helpful guides for doing this can be found at iFixit, if you’re unsure of the exact steps.) Ensure the chip is firmly in place, close up your machine (or don’t, if you’re a pessimist), and power it on while holding down the Command and S keys to force Mac OS X to boot into Single User Mode. Once you see a black screen with white text, you can release the key combination. After all the system logging is done scrolling past, type memtest all 2 to test all memory two times. Two passes should be enough to detect any blatant problems, but I wouldn’t hesitate to let it run for hours on end if I suspected an intermittent memory problem (memtest all). When complete, you should be greeted with “All tests passed” if your new RAM is in good condition. If your system locks up or freezes indefinitely during the test, you may have a bad memory module on your hands.

Thanks to OSXDaily and Command-Tab for the article.

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