OWC Blog - blog.macsales.com

Author Archive

Get Your Geek On This Weekend

Friday, May 4th, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.

As great as our Macs and iDevices are, there are times when we need to get out from behind the screen and do something fun with our families, friends, and/or significant others. Fortunately, this weekend offers a number of great activities that will get you out of the house, while still keeping up with those traditional geek values and interests.

Star Wars Day, May 4

Sure, it may be a little late to come to work dressed as a one of the 501st Legion or to make that Jar Jar Binks piñata, but there’s still plenty to do on May the Fourth (get it?). Here’s just a couple of ideas off the top of my head:

I’m sure you can come up with other ideas, too. Just remember: friends don’t let friends watch the prequels.

Free Comic Book Day

Article Continues…

Category: OWC Unplugged

As Earth Day Passes, OWC Maintains Its Commitment to the Environment

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.

We’re now definitely in the throes of Spring. It’s getting warmer out. Days are definitely getting longer. The robin that smacked into my bedroom window at 7am every morning for the past month must have made itself a nest somewhere else and is likely raising a brood of window-smacking offspring. It’s the magic of this time of year. As for us, it gets us in a “green” mood—one that’s enhanced by the spirit of Earth Day, which was this past Sunday, so we figured it was a good time to bring you up-to-date on some of our “green” initiatives.

In case this is your first exposure to OWC, or you haven’t read about founding principles here on the blog, Team OWC is very “green” minded. From our LEED Platinum Certified headquarters to our Vestas V39 Wind Turbine, and just about everywhere in between, we do our best to keep our operation as Earth-friendly as possible 365 days a year. Not being ones for just resting on past accomplishments, here’s just a sample of some of our newest initiatives and results. Article Continues…

Category: green

57 Years Later, Einstein Still Relevant – “Relatively” Speaking

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.
An Einsting Ring

A Gravitational lens - or "Einstein Ring" - photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope

Today is the 57th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s death.

We’ve all heard of him. We all know the equation for his Special Theory of Relativity (E=mc2), though very few people can actually explain what the heck it means in a practical manner. We also know about his contributions to modern quantum theory, field theory, and the development of the atomic bomb. It’s all stuff that you can find with a Google search.

Moreover, though, he has become the “face” of science in pop culture. When you think of a stereotypical “scientist,” odds are that many of his physical features (especially in his later years) are represented – working out incomprehensible equations on a chalkboard, wild white hair and often a thick accent. His name is synonymous with “genius” in modern language. He’s even been the subject of a number of novels, movies, and plays – including an absolutely horrendous Yahoo Serious (anybody remember him?) vehicle, an only-slightly-less horrible Meg Ryan romantic comedy, and—more positively—a Steve Martin play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile (probably one of my favorite plays ever). He’s even been portrayed as a hologram in Star Trek – playing poker with Sir Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, and Data.

Sure, other scientific minds have continued his work, sometimes even conflicting with it, but the impact of Albert Einstein on science – and the world that benefits from it – has yet to be outshone.

The Other World – Episode 47

Tuesday, April 10th, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.

Category: The Other World

Don’t Be an April Fool and Backup for World Backup Day.

Friday, March 30th, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.

This time last year, we introduced you to “World Backup Day,” wherein you’re supposed to double-check your backups or establish a backup plan if you haven’t already.

Okay… for some of us nearly every day is World Backup Day. Generally, once you’ve had a hard drive go bad on you, you tend to get a little paranoid about backing up important data. Since all of us here at the OWC Blog have had a hard drive go out on us at one time or another, World Backup Day is probably our second-most favorite “alternative holiday” next to Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Fortunately, OWC is your one-stop shop for everything you need to make sure your computer’s data is backed up and safe.

Since good backups involve multiple copies of a file, each on a different drive, a second hard drive is a must. Fortunately, we’ve got a wide range of external Storage Solutions, one of which is bound to be perfect for your budget and needs. Article Continues…

Category: Tech Tips

Sandhill Cranes visit OWC

Monday, March 26th, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.

They're hiding in those reeds... really!

OWC had some out-of-town visitors this weekend. In the small wetland ponds just outside our Woodstock, Illinois “green” campus, a pair of sandhill cranes were spotted.

Great,” you might say, “but what’s so newsworthy about that?

Well, throughout most of the 20th century, seeing a sandhill crane in this area was a fairly rare occurrence. The pair visiting were most likely the Greater Sandhill (Grus canadensis tabida) variety. Due to habitat change and hunting practices, by 1940 these cranes had been reduced to under 1,000 individuals. They have since recovered; according to the US Forestry Service, the current population is estimated to be between 65,000 and 75,000. Combined with the other migratory subspecies of sandhill cranes (the Lesser and the Canadian), with whom interbreeding often takes place, there are over 500,000 sandhill cranes, making them the most plentiful crane alive today. Article Continues…

OWC Pro Corner: The Last Shuttle Project.

Friday, March 23rd, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.

Every day, creative professionals bring something unique and different into the world. A large—and growing—number of these use OWC products as part of their workflow.

Over the last year or so, we’ve mentioned our friends at The Last Shuttle Project, who are documenting the end of the Space Shuttle era. Creator and president Dennis Biela came in to talk to us about the Last Shuttle Project, what they’re doing, and how OWC fits into their workflow.

OWC Introduces “techKNOWlogy” Video Series

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 | Author: OWC Chris S.

One of the things that we constantly get comments on are our Instructional Series of videos, which show you how to install memory, hard drives, and other upgrades into your Mac.

Now, we’d like to announce our new series, techKNOWlogy, which, instead of concentrating on the physical installation, looks more at using your Mac once your new hardware is already installed. In each episode, one of our OWC staffers will walk you through one of a wide range of topics – from showing you how to create a backup plan for your home computer to explaining the benefits and drawbacks to different RAID configurations.

For our first episode, we’re addressing a common scenario: if you’re adding a faster second drive (such as an SSD/Data Doubler kit), how do you set up your Mac so that the OS runs off the faster (but probably smaller) drive while seamlessly keeping your data files on the (probably larger) original drive?

Well, we’ve put together a method to make sure everything gets where it needs to go and OWC Vic will walk you through it, step by step.

Check it out below and be sure to stop back here at the OWC Blog often for more updates. Article Continues…