• Mac OS X Server

    Enable The Caching Service Using Server 5.2 on macOS Sierra

    The Caching Server in OS X Server 5.2 (for Sierra) does content, apps, and software updates. The Software Update service is hidden by default indicating it will likely be removed from the Server app in a future update, although when is kinda’ up in the air. The Software Update service can still be enabled for now, which we’ll look at later. The Caching service on the Server app works like a proxy. When 10 of your users download that latest Nicholas Sparks book and movie, you only sacrifice your WAN pipe to download it once, and the other 9 people piggy-back off that. And when 10.12.1 ships, you only need to download it over…

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone

    Choose An Existing Supervision Identity in Apple Configurator

    When using Apple Configurator, you can assign an existing supervision identity to be used with devices you place into supervision. To do so, first open Apple Configurator and click on Organizations. From Organizations, click on the plus sign (“+”). From the Create an Organization screen, click Next. When prompted to provide information about your organization, provide the name, phone, email, and/or address of the organization. If you are importing an identity, select “Choose an existing supervision identity” and click on Next. When prompted, click Choose to select the identity to use (e.g. exported from another instance of Apple Configurator or from Profile Manager). Click Choose when you’ve highlighted the appropriate…

  • Apple Configurator,  iPhone,  JAMF

    Automator Actions for the Caspers

    Looks like Sal et al posted a suite of Automator Actions to link the Casper Suite to Apple Configurator at https://configautomation.com/jamf-actions.html. In my limited tests so far they work pretty darn well! Some pretty cool things here, like having the JSS rename a mobile device when managed through Apple Configurator, having Apple Configurator instruct the JSS to remove a device from a group, clear passcodes, update inventory, and other common tasks involved in workflows when leveraging Apple Configurator for en masse device management. Good stuff!

  • Home Automation,  iPhone,  Wearable Technology

    A Thermometer For The iPhone

    The practical uses of Wearables and Home Automation never cease to amaze me. I recently added a Kinsa thermometer to my collection of useful toys. This little device uses the 1/8th inch jack like the original Jawbone did. It works like a regular thermometer, but displays temperature on an app that runs on the iPhone. It’s simple to setup and once setup, works the same as any other thermometer. Due to the power of the Internets, you can then select symptoms and check for common ailments that match. You can also look at your history, tracking the rise and fall of your temperature. Overall, a cool little device and a…

  • Home Automation

    Add A Chamberlain Garage Door Controller To Wink

    There are two main garage door openers in the home automation space. The first is the Chamberlain MyQ and the second is the GoControl. The hardest part about setting up the MyQ was that I had to hit a funny orange button on my existing non-automated Chamberlain opener and then hit the button on the opener in my car to sync ’em up. It took about 10 tries, but eventually it worked. Once configured, I didn’t love the loud noise the device made to open the garage door (guessing that because it’s compared with a strobe that this is a safety measure). Once the Chamberlain is configured, open the Wink app.…

  • Apple Configurator,  Business,  iPhone,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server,  Small Business

    Securing Patient Data on End User Computing Devices (AMA)

    The increase in the use and complexity of technological assets in the healthcare sector has been on the rise in the recent past. Healthcare practitioners have moved from recording data manually to keeping Electronic Health Records. This eases the accessibility and the availability of data to the health practitioners. Further, electronically stored data makes it possible for patients to receive high quality and error-free care, improve decision making process because medical history is available and also makes it possible to provide safer and more reliable information for medication. Despite, the numerous advantages that the use of technology in healthcare has, there is also a threat of patients data leakage that…

  • Articles and Books,  iPhone,  JAMF,  Mac OS X

    10 Things To Consider When Switching Between MDM Solutions on The JAMF Software Blog

    I’ve worked with a lot of organizations switching between Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions in my career. And I’ve seen the migration projects go both really, really well, and really, really poorly. In most cases, the migration is somewhat painful no matter what you do. But in this (my first) article on the JAMF blog, I try and organize my thoughts around a few things to look out for when migrating between MDMs/MAMs, and some context/experience around those. https://www.jamfsoftware.com/blog/10-things-to-consider-when-switching-between-mobile-device-management-solutions/

  • Apple TV,  Apple Watch,  iPhone,  JAMF,  Mac OS X,  Mac OS X Server

    What’s Coming Next, From The WWDC Keynote

    Posted a Huffington Post article from my notes from the WWDC keynote. Hope you enjoy! Apple kicked off WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) today, with a Keynote that showcased some of the upper tier of talent and management within Apple. As a former WWDC speaker, I watch the keynote and most sessions through the remainder of the week religiously. Here, you see what’s coming in the fall releases of the four operating systems: macOS, watchOS, iOS, and tvOS (for Macs, Apple Watches, iPhones and iPads, and Apple TVs respectively). To read the rest of the article, click here to jump to Huffington Post. PS: macOS autocorrects to tacos. Mmmmm, tacos…