Month: June 2018

How to prep your computer to run the public beta of MacOS Mojave

Dan Uff June 20, 2018 2

We all want to know what the future holds for our Macs.

When Apple announced that the newest operating system, MacOS Mojave, would be made available for public beta testing, people started clamoring to download it as soon as they could. But some found out that their Macs were too old to support the beta.

So, after some research, here is what you need to run the beta of MacOS Mojave (subject to change with later versions):

• MacBook (Early 2015 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Mid 2012 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid 2012 or newer)
• Mac mini (Late 2012 or newer)
• iMac (Late 2012 or newer)
• iMac Pro (2017)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013, plus mid 2010 and mid 2012 models with recommended Metal-capable GPU)

If your Mac isn't listed above, then don't even try to download the installation file.

For those of you who can, you need to make sure of a few things before even downloading the installation file:

Always backup necessary files to an external device.
Make sure you don't have any unnecessary files on the computer.
At least 8 Gigs of RAM.

Remember: This is a beta version which means if something goes wrong, you cannot get any support from Apple until Mojave is officially released this Fall.

Amazon Alexa will now be your butler at Marriott Hotels

CompuScoop Staff June 19, 2018 1

(CNBC): Amazon.com said on Tuesday that it has partnered with Marriott International to help increase guest access to amenities with Alexa, through its voice-controlled device Echo, in an attempt to expand its presence in the hospitality industry.

Alexa for hospitality would assist in providing services ranging from ordering room service to requesting housekeeping or calling the concierge for dinner recommendations without picking up the phone.

The company said the partnership will start this summer at Marriott's select properties and the service will be available by invitation to other hotel chains.

Several media reports had said that Marriott had tested both Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa to select what was best suited for its hotels.

Marriott did not comment specifically on Apple, but said it has "great relationships with a number of technology companies and is always open to exploring opportunities to innovate and better the guest experience."

Amazon has never disclosed the exact sales figure for its Echo devices. However, the company in January said it sold "millions" of Amazon devices and that the Echo Dot device was the best-selling product among Prime members.

The company's move to tie-up with hotels is another strategy to woo more users for its Echo devices. Amazon Echo owners spend an average of $1,700 a year on Amazon, more than the $1,300 Amazon Prime members are estimated to be spending a year on the e-commerce site, CNBC reported earlier this year, citing a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners.

Sprint and T-Mobile to file Merger papers on Monday (6/18/18)

Dan Uff June 16, 2018 2

Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc have informed the Federal Communications Commission that they will formally file an application asking for approval to merge on Monday, according to a document seen by Reuters.”

“The document, which was filed to the FCC on Thursday, also requests a protective order that would shield sensitive corporate information from public view,” Reuters reports. “The two companies, which are the third- and fourth-largest wireless carries, agreed to a $26 billion [sic] [recte $146 billion] all-stock deal in April that they said would create thousands of jobs and help the United States beat China to creating the next generation mobile network.”

Read more in the full article here.

Fox Board sets date to consider Comcast’s Bid

CompuScoop Staff June 15, 2018 2

The board of 21th Century Fox will weigh Comcast’s $65 billion bid to buy most of its film and television assets in a meeting on Wednesday, Variety has confirmed.

The sit-down will take place a week after Comcast threw a wrench in the Walt Disney Company’s plans to purchase the bulk of Fox in a deal valued at $52.4 billion. Comcast had previously tried to buy Fox’s film and television assets, a collection of brands and labels that includes 20th Century Fox, Fox Broadcasting, and FX. However, its offer was rejected over regulatory concerns.

A recent court decision rejecting anti-trust claims and paving the way for AT&T to buy Time Warner has emboldened Comcast to make another run at Fox. At the very least, the media company hopes to drive the price up and force Disney, a chief competitor, to pay more for its prize.

To read the rest of the Variety.com article, click here.