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Apple’s Tremendous Financial Success and the Future of FileMaker Technology

January 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Apple’s fourth quarter of 2011 was amazing (APPL). Here are a few incredible statistics:

  • Apple is now worth more than the GDP of Greece….literally an entire country.
  • Apple’s revenue was $46.3 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 73%.
  • Apple sold 5.2 million Macs, 15.4 million iPods, 37 million iPhones, and 15.4 million iPads.
  • With a market cap of around $419 billion, Apple is now the largest company in the world, overtaking Exxon Mobil’s market cap.
  • Apple’s $96.7 billion in cash reserves is larger than the combined market capitalization of 474 companies in the S&P 500.
  • Apple’s revenue for the quarter was more than twice that of Microsoft Corporation.
  • Apple’s net income grew more than Google’s revenue for the quarter.

If you never purchased Apple stock in the past, you’re kicking yourself. It recently traded at an all time high of $454.

There is a certain satisfaction gained for long-time Apple supporters that have endured a lot of hard times. There were those that ridiculed Apple as a niche player relegating the Mac to graphics and artsy people only. They said it was not a serious business machine because of it’s graphical user interface while Microsoft went on to copy most of the look and feel with Windows. Analysts have been wrong so many times about Apple showing that they never really understood its strategy or place in the computer arena.

Well now the world is different. Macintosh vs. Windows isn’t such an important consideration anymore. Apple is in an incredible position from any standpoint. In the end, Apple creates great products that are designed well and really work to get the job done. No one can argue with that. I’ve seen time and again companies saving significant headaches and improving bottom line results by an investment in Apple technology.

On the other hand the Windows market is still a huge business. The amount of time spent supporting, maintaining, and training people to use Windows workstations is staggaring. It won’t go away soon, but it’s importance is being challenged…primarily by the mobile market. Everyone wants mobile. If you can’t take it with you easily it simply isn’t as useful. The mobile market is dominated by Apple’s iOS and the iPad/iPhone.

Cimbura.com is positioned well to provide solutions that work for all users across platforms…Mac OS, Windows, web and especially Mobile (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch)…all through our custom FileMaker and web solutions.

With FileMaker being a wholly owned subsidiary of Apple (though 80% of their clients run Windows), they have significant resources behind them to succeed in the future. In addition, FileMaker has been profitable ever since their inception…even without Apple’s backing. FileMaker is devoting the R&D necessary to move users into the future with a cost-effective and worthy solution to many business problems. We’re proud to be a part of it.

Sources:

Filed Under: Apple, FileMaker, HOT TOPICS, Mac OS, Mobile iPad & iPhone, Web & Internet, Windows

Macintosh Video Adapters

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Nearly all Macs requires an adapter cable to connect to a monitor or video projector. For presenters using Keynote or PowerPoint it is essential that you be able to connect to any configuration.

If you have a standard VGA monitor adapter connector, then it is an analog video signal coming from your Mac (even though the computer itself is digital). I suggest carrying multiple adapters so you have backups and options to connect to nearly any projector. It is not uncommon for an adapter cable to go bad. Since they are not commonly found in the PC world, it’s good to have another on hand. A digital signal would be output from a HDMI or DVI adapter (see below).

To determine what kind of adapters you need, first find out what video port is available on the side of your MacBook. It will be one of the following male connectors:
1. Thunderbolt (newest)
2. Mini Displayport
3. Micro DVI
4. Mini DVI
This apple article describes them all. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3235

The other end of the adapter would be a female:
1. VGA – Video Graphics Array.
2. HDMI – High-Definition Multimedia Interface. (Used for most new TVs…also a standard port on the MacMini. This cable can also transmit audio…but may not do so automatically from the Mac.)
3. DVI – Digital Visual Interface.

This end of the adapter will connect to the video projector cable itself. I suggest that you have one of each on hand (VGA, HDMI, and DVI) and an extra VGA since that is the most common.

Filed Under: Apple, Hardware, Mac OS

Dark Screens and Keynote Mac OS vs. PowerPoint on Windows

November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Question: I have been told that when showing pictures of photos on an external video projector, that it is best to use a Windows PC with PowerPoint…that the Mac and Keynote has the pictures showing up as dull or dark. Is this true?

Answer: If you are having issues with presentation slides showing up on an external projector that are less than optimal, this is likely due to the settings and configuration or software versions, not an inherent issue with Mac vs. PC or PowerPoint vs. Keynote.

First, make sure you are using the latest operating system version revision. (Please do a full system backup before doing this!) There were reports of some issues with this kind of issue around version 10.6.3 of Snow Leopard. There are various Color Display Profiles to choose from is the Displays System Preferences and a calibration process where you can adjust the gamma. In some cases there may be a problem with the default “VGA Display” profile.

Here’s how to fix it:

  1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
  2. Click on Displays.
  3. Click on Color.
  4. Turn off “Show profiles for this display only”
  5. Choose “Generic RGB Profile” or “Wide Gamut RGB”.

On some versions of the Mac OS, the following may also help:

  1. From the Go menu in the Finder, choose Utilities.
  2. Open the “ColorSync Utility.app” application.
  3. Click on Devices.
  4. Click on Displays and choose “VGA display.”
  5. Under “Current Profile” click the down-arrow, select “Other…” and select “Color LCD”.

Here’s an Apple support article that describes the process of calibrating an external display.

I would always suggest that you arrive early to a presentation and test your laptop with the particular model of projectors they have installed. Then you will have time to get the settings right. As an alternative, if you have the option, use your own projector that you have pre-calibrated.

Filed Under: Apple, Mac OS, Speakers/Entertainers, Windows

The Legacy of Steve Jobs

October 7, 2011 By 1 Comment

On October 6, 2011 Heidi Collins of FOX 9 News KMSP in the Twin Cities Minneapolis, St. Paul MN interviewed Chief Technology Officer and Apple expert Tim Cimbura regarding the legacy left by Steve Jobs. (See video below.) Following is not a word-for-word transcription of the interview but the outline and responses prepared for the interview:

1. When we look back at what Steve Jobs innovated and invented… what’s going to stand-out ten years from now?
What we see today in the iPhone and iPad are the most advanced precursors to the mobile devices that nearly everyone will carry with them every day in the future. Ten years from now we’ll take it all for granted. Kids today grow up with this technology magic not even knowing there was a time when it didn’t exist. I’ve been there since the early days…Apple II, Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad…every one was a major step forward…Steve Jobs led the way that is now considered common place.

2. Steve Jobs is obviously known for his technological advances, but what about his sense of how to run a company?

  • I believe Steve answered the question well “What is your unique contribution to the world?” A business should have a laser focus on what they do best. Then you need to drop the other stuff that isn’t critical to your mission. He wanted to make products that were “insanely great”.
  • Then you need to be willing to take a chance, a risk, and be OK with being called the fool. He said that “you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
  • Steve modeled hard work in a casual environment. He always wore jeans and a black turtleneck…but he was a serious businessman. You don’t need to wear a tie for that.

3. What is his legacy in the business world?
Every computer you see ANYwhere…Windows or Mac was greatly influenced by Steve. Innovations such as desktop publishing and the mouse as an input device were made popular by the Mac and then copied later by Microsoft Windows. Nearly every modern mobile device you see today was influenced by the iPhone or iPad. Apple’s big advantage has been about the user experience in marrying the hardware and the software together in harmony.

4. Those Apple presentations by Steve Jobs were something no other CEO could touch. What made him such a powerful speaker?
Many things. Among them:

  • There was a simplicity in his message.
  • He focused on the audience and answered the question “What would change their lives?”
  • Steve told a great story.
  • He made excellent use of visuals through memorable photos and video.
  • Finally, he had fun. You knew he loved what he was doing with a passion. He was able to laugh and even make fun of past mistakes he or Apple made.

5. We have to talk about his cultural legacy. What is the biggest cultural transformation he gave us? Do you think it’s that first Apple computer, the iPod, iPhone or iPad?
Overall, bringing the computer into nearly every home was a huge transformation. As a teen…I remenber my first Apple II that my father brough home from school for the summer. I could program it to count from 1 to 1,000,000 in about 30 seconds. It was completely amazing…magic…and yet that is such a simple thing.
Today, the transformation is most certainly the mobile computer such as the iPhone or iPad. The fact that we carry with us more computing power in our pocket than 1000s of Apple IIs is amazing…and we often just take it for granted or complain about the little things that it CAN’T do yet.

Steve was a college drop out but he knew the influence of education and loved learning. Through the Apple education program he inspired youth with Apple products and focused on the next generation. He saw the power of creativity there. Look at the iPad and how it has improved education and business by making information accessible anywhere.

Steve used the perspective of death to get rid of fear and do what mattered. He said “Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important… There is no reason not to follow your heart.” So true.

At his death Steve Jobs was worth about $7 billion. If you asked him, I believe he would say that his wife and four kids were among the most valuable things he had in his life. He said “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” Then he’d end with “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

6. Without Steve Jobs at the helm of Apple, what do you think the company is going to look like? Are we going to continue to see such incredible technological innovations as we have in the past?

The future of Apple’s technology path is mapped out internally for at least the next 10 years…so I don’t think that will be a problem. Certainly, Steve will be missed for his significant contributions and vision on a day-to-day basis but there is a pretty amazing team of people that he has assembled at Apple that will keep that going. It would really take a train wreck to completely change the course of what Apple is doing today. They are so successful.

Here’s the interview…

Filed Under: Apple, Mac OS, Speakers/Entertainers

The New iPhone 4S

October 5, 2011 By 3 Comments

For those of you that travel extensively…and overseas…the new iPhone 4S is definitely worth looking at. It includes CDMA and GSM chips in it so it can talk on nearly any mobile phone tech system…and across Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint.

In addition, the new Seri intelligent assistant will be great for those of us who enjoy talking. Now there will be another listener. :) This will totally change the way we interact with our “phone”.

New camera, faster, longer battery life, etc. Many iOS 5 features coming, too.

If your contract is ready for an upgrade, I think it’s a no brainer. For those of us that already have an iPhone 4…hmm…
You can sell / recycle your current used phone at one of the following sites SellYourMac , Gazelle , HelloTotem , or CashForiPhones and think about the new investment.

Filed Under: Apple, Hardware, Mobile iPad & iPhone, Speakers/Entertainers

Build a Utility Shelf for Your Mac Mini, Time Capsule, or Airport Extreme Base Station, etc.

September 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Our home wiring panel was getting overrun with equipment with no place to put them and limited space to actually mount a shelf. First, there were 2 boxes from Comcast for our phone system and internet connection. Then I added two Apple Time Capsules to create our wireless network with a total of 4 TB of backup disk drive space. Where could I safely put all these boxes?
I searched for pre-built brackets and shelves for the Time Capsule or Mac Mini and found a few. They were all specialized and not cheap (most cost around $45). Some required a lot of wall space. I devised a simple solution with the following advantages:

  • Very low cost (about $5 per shelf)
  • Easy to construct and install
  • Access to front and back of the unit for viewing status lights and attaching cables
  • Sturdy and reliable
  • Open air provides breathability for the components so they don’t overheat
  • Fits any equipment
  • Minimal wall space required for installation
  • Side stops prevent units from accidentally falling off the side of the shelf.

Note: This shelf is not a solution for keeping a component secure or preventing use of the internal CD drive as some of the pre-built solutions do.

I was able to get all the parts at our local Menard’s hardware store. Lowe’s and Home Depot should also carry similar items. I’ve included links here so you could purchase from Amazon.com.

Gather the following components:

  • 1 Shelf bracket with 10″
  • 1 Small wire helper shelf
  • 3 Standard screws
  • 3 Plastic cable zip ties

Amazon.com Links

Here’s how you build and install the shelf in three easy steps:

  1. Use three screws to mount the shelf bracket on the wall. You may want to install the bracket upside down so that the longer arm is facing out. It will still be plenty sturdy. (If installing in drywall with no stud be sure to use appropriate dry-wall anchors.)
  2. Turn the helper shelf upside down so the legs face up (they will become side stops) and place the shelf on top of the bracket.
  3. Use three cable zip ties to fasten the shelf to the bracket going through the screw holes in the bracket.

You’re all done! Hope works for you. It worked out perfect for me. Repurposing the shelf and mounting it upside down with the cable zip ties was the key. You should also have plenty of zip ties left over to also make your cables neat!

Filed Under: Apple, Hardware

Steve Jobs Steps Down as CEO of Apple

August 24, 2011 By 1 Comment

Today Steve Jobs announced that he will step down as CEO of Apple and most likely accept a more limited role as chairman of the board.

My entire career has paralleled the innovations that came about with Apple and Steve Jobs. I got one of the first Apple IIs and my first programming job as a teenager (proclaimed by the press as a “whiz kid”) for $4/hour creating educational software. I created character generator software that allowed any Apple II to display lower case letters, fonts, and colors!…truly an innovation for the time.

During college I pursued electrical engineering and computer science where we used Macs in labs as some of the first people to use spreadsheets and automate graphing in our labs. We used the first color Macs to develop incredible computer graphics that previously had only existed on costly image processors.

Today, I’m developing custom iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch and Mac (and Windows) business solutions that are totally on the cutting edge of what is possible with the technology that Apple has brought to us.

Thanks Steve for all that you’ve done…your push for excellence, passion for design and usability, and persistence to make your dreams come true in the tech world. I pray that your health improves and that you live a quality life with your priorities in the right place. Apple will continue to thrive but you will be missed as a leader. Oh yeah and “one more thing…” Thanks again. The world is a better place for your influence.

Filed Under: Apple, Mac OS, Mobile iPad & iPhone

The Minnesota State Fair Hits the 21st Century in Technology

August 17, 2011 By 1 Comment

For at least seven decades, the Minnesota State Fair has run hundreds of thousands of competitions using the basic tools of paper and pens to judge perhaps a million animals including horses, cattle, poultry, rabbits, goats, etc. This year the tools used will be completely different.

The MN State Fair purchased 16 Apple iPads that will be used to quickly check-in each animal as they arrive to the judging areas and then enter and tally immediate judging results. Competitions results will be available within seconds for fair goers to view on a huge 15 foot screen in the Warner Coliseum. Four other weather-proof 55″ LCD screens in the cattle barns and coliseum will provide up-to-date information to exhibitors so they will know when to get ready and what competition comes next. In the past, all the paperwork was tallied at the end of the day and the results might not be available until the following day.

The solution that powers this system was custom developed by FileMaker Business Alliance member Cimbura.com and DeMeyere Design. It fully demonstrates the power of FileMaker database technology. The solution was shown at the FileMaker developer conference in San Diego, CA as one of the most notable FileMaker Go iPad applications developed this year.

The application takes advantage of some of the most advanced technologies that FileMaker and Apple have to offer. The iPads with FileMaker Go make the following functions possible:

  • Check-in of the animals as they enter the ring.
  • Selection of all the winners and assigning prize ribbons. Automatically moving winners to championship competitions.
  • Snap shot photos of the winners.
  • Verification of the results through signature capture of the judges.
  • Immediate tallies of premier points…a process that was very prone to error and took significant time to do by hand.

FileMaker also performs the following backend functions:

  • Connects to a web online database registration information source via ESS (External Sequel Source) to bring in the latest online registration entries and exhibitors for all competitions.
  • Tracks all entries, prizes, and exhibitors in the appropriate competitions.
  • Generates hundreds of reports required before and after the fair.
  • Manages hundreds of competition specific exceptions.
  • Prints prize checks for premiums and payments.
  • Drives data to 5 large screen displays through full screen web viewers installed on Mac Minis utilizing PHP to connect directly to the data sources.

Jill Nathe, State Fair Competitions Business Analyst, had the following to say about the system:

“We use FileMaker for it’s incredible flexibility, ability to work across operating systems (Mac, Windows, and iOS), speed of development, and cost effectiveness. FileMaker has put the vast sea of exhibitor and entry information into a format where we can get any kind of report at a click of a button…and so we can easily react to changes. This year we’re expanding the solution to include real-time results which will reduce labor costs significantly into the future. We are positioned to take advantage of technology improvements and be proactive in making any changes necessitated by external regulations.

FileMaker allows us to provide much better customer service to our exhibitors. At all stages of the entry and showing process, we have more accurate information more readily available. Because of the changes we added to FileMaker this year, we will be able to mail out premium checks to our exhibitors about two weeks earlier than usual, and getting paid in a timely manner is the ultimate in customer service for our exhibitors.”

Come out to the Minnesota State Fair and see the future in action today!

Fun Fair Competition Facts:

  • There are approximately 11,000 livestock entries including beef, dairy, swine, sheep, goats, llamas, stock dogs, and poultry in almost 5000 competitions.
  • Horses entered include about 2500 in english, miniature, draft, western, and saddleclub categories combined competing in almost 700 individual competitions.
  • In 2010, approximately $1 million in prizes were awarded to exhibitors.
  • In 1859 the premium paid for “best horse” was $4…or one third of the entrance fee for 1 person to the fair today.
  • The Minnesota State Fair is the largest state fair in the U.S. in terms of average daily attendance.
  • Check out the new MN State Fair iPhone app that includes fun, food, and merch finders as well as an interactive GPS map so you can find the competitions.

Check out this article on TwinCities.com: Minnesota State Fair: The iPad’s in the paddock – By Julio Ojeda-Zapata about the iPads at the State Fair.

Here are some photos of the coliseum during horse show showing the large screen displays, judges using the iPads, some iPad screen shots, and for those of you that are technically inclined, a diagram of the underpinnings that make up this complex system.


Filed Under: Apple, FileMaker, Mobile iPad & iPhone

Laptop Travel Tips

July 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When I travel I go carry on only. I have one plane sized carry on bag for clothing. I have a backpack for the computer, etc. that qualifies as my “purse” or “handbag” for carry on even though it is quite roomy. Here’s the backpack I have for the computer: SOLO Sterling Collection Laptop Backpack, CheckFast Airport Security-Friendly, Holds Notebook Computer up to 16 Inches, Black, CLA703-4  You can also find this or similar items at Office Max or Office Depot for a decent price.

I carry lots of extras to be prepared:

POWER
Apple Power Adapter (comes with your laptop)

Power Strip or Splitter – Monster Outlets To Go 4 Outlet Travel Power Strip
3 Prong to 2 prong grounding converter
For international travel… World Travel Adapter Plug Set

OTHER
Display adapter for laptop to VGA (for projector connection)…depends on your laptop model.

Black RJ45 Computer Networking Cat5e Ethernet Patch Cable – (3 Feet)

STORAGE and BACKUP
USB Flash Drive…formatted as Windows drive to transfer files between any computer. SanDisk Cruzer 8 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive

External bootable hard drive with full backup using SuperDuper. LaCie Rugged All-Terrain 500 GB FireWire 800/ FireWire 400/USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive

Other World Computing also makes great portable drives.

To adapt the FireWire 400 cable to newer computers… FireWire 800 to 400 adapter

Hope that list helps! Being fully prepared has saved me many times.

Filed Under: Apple, Hardware

FileMaker and Mac OS X Lion

June 30, 2011 By 11 Comments

Lion, the next version of the Mac OS, is due in a few weeks. One of the changes that will affect some Mac users is the inability of Lion to run older PowerPC-based software. Compatibility software called “Rosetta” will not be included as part of Lion. So applications like AppleWorks, Quicken 2007, older versions of Microsoft Office and others will no longer be operational. To determine if an application you use regularly is affected, follow these steps:

  1. From the Apple menu, choose About This Mac.
  2. Click on More Info…
  3. Under the Software heading on the left, click on Applications.
  4. Click on the Kind column heading to sort the applications by kind.

Any applications listed as “Classic” or “PowerPC” will no longer run under Lion. You’ll need to find replacements for them if you upgrade.

So what does this mean for FileMaker database users?

The latest version of FileMaker will be fully supported and should have no problems running on Lion. There may be a minor revision coming…so wait until FileMaker says it’s OK. (Here’s the official word from FileMaker confirming compatibility with Lion.) Update from FileMaker on 7/20/11: http://thefmkb.com/9713 and http://thefmkb.com/9710 regarding Lion compatibility.

There are, however, still many businesses that decided several years ago to stay with FileMaker 6 and go no further. In 2004, the release of FileMaker 7 introduced an entirely new file format and rewritten application from the ground up. The work involved to migrate a FileMaker 5 formatted database can be significant and so some companies decided to leave a working solution alone.

So this means that anyone with a Mac and FileMaker 6 (or earlier) software will no longer work together with Lion. You’ll need to stick with Snow Leopard or migrate your FileMaker solution to FileMaker 11. Some database migration options are:

  • Minimal database conversion only…with minor script changes to make the database run.
  • Database conversion with file consolidation (combining individual files) and rewriting to take advantages of new features.
  • Complete database rewrite and optimization.
  • Export of your data into an existing pre-written solution like fmIgnite and customize for required features. This option can save you money and time over a complete rewrite and gives you the advantages of additional features and a previously tested solution.

There are some tools available such as Metadata Magic that can make the conversion easier and more cost efficiant as well as assist in estimating how long the project may take. If you attempt to convert the files on your own, it is essential that you look at this product.

Which method you choose will depend on your budget and desired outcome. The conversion can also happen in phases allowing you to adjust to the change over time. If you desire, Cimbura.com can assist with determining the best path for you. As FBA (FileMaker Business Alliance) members, we can also provide you with the best pricing for FileMaker 11 upgrades. Contact us for a project request or quote.

I might add a quick recommendation regarding upgrading to Lion… This will be a major upgrade with lots of under-the-hood changes. We advise that you make at least one complete backup of your computer onto a bootable external hard drive using Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! before upgrading. Apple’s Time Machine backup is great but not as easy to deal with in the event of a full-system restore. In the event of any issues you will have the easiest method of recovery available. Also…be patient and wait a couple weeks after the initial release before you install Lion. Let other people deal with any issues that might occur and save yourself potential time and frustration.

Filed Under: Apple, FileMaker, Mac OS, Software
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