The Apple Beat: OS X's disc free OS recovery is rock solid

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

I recently had to rescue my wife's ageing first-generation MacBook Air from what looked like impending disk failure. We decided to move her system files to a newer machine with more updated hardware and a biggler hard drive. Then I realized I no longer had the installer disks that came with the devices.

After a brief moment of panic, I remembered that Apple hasn't been including installer disks for the past few years and that any system restoration could be done via OS X Recovery or via  the cloud. I'm old school in the sense that I've always felt the need to have backup copies of operating systems for computers I use. Specially since in the past, these have been useful to boot from in order to repair or reinstall troubled computers.

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Apple bolsters 'Made in USA' initiative with new sapphire glass factory, 2,000 new jobs

Apple is making good on its promise to bring more jobs to the USA. A new sapphire glass factory is set to open in Arizona and will reportedly bring 2,000 new jobs. Sapphire glass is used in a number of Apple products, most notably to protect the lenses of the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. This follows Apple's commitment to assembling the new Mac Pro in Texas.

“The multi-year agreement, which was reported by MacRumors, includes a $580 million prepayment that will get paid back to Apple over five years starting in 2015, and requires that GT maintains a minimum level of manufacturing capacity.” The new jobs are mostly in engineering, manufacturing and construction in nature.

Video: Apple's iPad Air launch in downtown Toronto

There was a steady line of 80 to 90 people at the Eaton Centre Apple Retail Store early this morning when we arrived shortly befor the doors opened at 8:00 am. There was the usual excitement from Apple's staff and many of the buyers who were waiting to get their hands on the new iPad Air.  

Apple Smart Cases and Covers for older iPads reduced to dark grey

Apple's iPad 2 ushered in the magnetic Smart Covers  which were either polyurethane or leather and did a decent job of customizing the device as well as protecting the screen and doubling as a stand. Suceeding models like the iPad 3 with Retina display brought in Smart Cases which wrapped entirely around the iPad. It seems the colourful options are now being discontinued by Apple for the older iPad 2, iPad 3 with Retina display and iPad 4 with Retina display in favour of single dark grey Smart Cases and Smart Covers. This means if you want some of the brighter hues (including the lovely PRODUCT(RED) covers then it might be worth racing to retailers to catch leftover inventory. Buyers of the iPad Air won't have this issue as Apple is introducing a bunch of colours for Smart Covers and Smart Cases.