So I finally was able to find a local Apple store that had in stock, a 256GB model that was unlocked. Helpful Apple staff at the Menlo Park Mall store explained that stock was low for this model all over, but that the 512GB and 1TB models were plenty. Also, getting one unlocked was rare too, as most stock was for carrier models (ATT/tMobile/VZW). Thus explaining the reason I couldn’t find an unlocked, 256GB model.
I took the phone home and did the upgrade/transfer without Apple support. I had a backup but the transfer of putting new next to old worked well with ONE BIG CAVEAT: your MFA apps like Google Auth, Duo, MS and Y Auth, do NOT carry your settings over! I am so glad I had my old phone and DID NOT WIPE to get all my accounts reconfigured. I think I should have just did a restore from my iTunes encrypted backup. However I don’t know how that would go from a iOS 15 version to the iOS 26 if so on the new iPhone.
Quick Summary: its much snappier with Carplay, but issues now point to my Mazda infotainment than the phone. Magsafe charging and phone holder is much better than previous None on my SE. Its wider than the SE and thus my jeans side pockets have some issue with fit (so far just the one pair). Fit my 5.11 pants fine on side or front pocket. Camera is wonky to get focus on close versus far objects – macro kicks in too slow. I don’t mind the blue but with a case, its moot. I keep hitting the mic button on texting… Apple’s keyboard in Messages is still subpar.
Why do my songs STILL have artwork issues? I’ve tried a web suggestion to delete all art and restore but somehow some artists albums get wrong art from Apple?
Apple released the iPhone 17 models for availability on Sept 19th, 2025
As of Oct 6th, I still cannot buy one in the store. Any Apple store. Atleast the 12-15 that are within my 100mile radius.
I suspect that the reason is, I want the Pro model, not the Max, and with 256GB of storage. And unlocked from all carriers. I don’t want ATT. Nor Verizon or Tmobile. I want an unlocked phone because… I want to add eSim second number to the phone. You cannot add another number, via eSim without it being unlocked from the carrier. If I place an order for one from Apple, it shows that I can have the phone by Oct 28th. Which is more than a month since Apple announced it being available to the public.
Contacting ATT store, they have stock. Called Verizon store, they have stock. BUT only for them, as carrier.
Also note that lower models, not the Pro or Pro max, you have to pay additional money to have an unlocked phone. So that iPhone 17 or iPhone Air, unlocked, is more than the advertised price.
This month, Apple without much fanfare, released the replacement to the iPhone SE model as the iPhone 16e. And A18 processor in an aluminum frame similar to the iPhone 14. A new model, the C1, an inhouse Apple modem. No more home button. That is gone. Downside is that its more than the SE 2020 (3rd edition) in cost. Apple is selling this as base model iPhone 16e 128GB for US$599. The previous SE 2020 (64GB) was US$429. So US$171 more. YMMV.
Update: Youtubers and review sites, Reddit, all pretty much agree that the price is a disappointment. The SE was the “affordable” iPhone. Tim Cook says “its affordable!” but only when you compare it to the $US1200 models. Sure! It’s 50% less! One lens vs three! Ok, it has USB-C. Face recognition. Better but not brighter display. And again Apple engineers its prices in that you can’t get a refurb model 15 or even 16. Shame on you Apple.
Next, Apple announce something in the Air teaser and it was the iPad Air, along with the iPad models (starting at US$299 and 128GB storage/wifi). There is also a new Magic Keyboard for the new models. The Folio for the iPad is…well..US$249..almost as much as the iPad. Apple prices its accessories and tablets to not compete with its laptops. Think Different? More like Think Next Model to upgrade to.
Then Apple released the new MacbookAir M4. This model is light, offered in Sky Blue now, and more memory and cheaper by US$100 versus last M3 model. Ready for Apple Intelligence, longer battery life. 13″ and 15″ model sizes. This is the notebook you need if you write, surf, facetime or zoom, and do lightweight work. And lightweight it is. If I needed a notebook, this would be ideal. I can see students snapping this up. Ok, only 2 USB-C ports, a magsafe port and headphone jack port (I’d rather have one more USB-C/Tbolt port since “most” headsets are wireless buds or over the ear now.
And as of Wednesday, March 5th 2025, the next announcement is the Mac Studio Pro in M4Max and M3 Ultra. Pricier. Really pushing Apple Intelligence. No longer can you get base model with 64GB as you need to bump up to more cores. I’ve an Mac Studio M2Max model, 64GB and 2TB that was US$2699 (8/3/2023). That same configuration for the M4Max model, 64GB and 2TB today is US$3299. Why is this model now US$600 more??? 0.8x faster than…my current M2Max. Oh and it now has Thunderbolt5 ports. Two more cores than my M2Max. Ok, so Wifi6, and 10Gb included, with Bluetooth 5.3. Not going to say it loudly but, not worth US$600 more. Oh and the trade in value of my computer to Apple?… US$1006.
I can wait till the M7Max… wonder if my Applecard will still get 0% financing in 2028…
Problem: to boot a Mac Studio into Recovery mode to run terminal command and disable SIPS (csrutil disable and csrutil enable).
Solution that didn’t work: Power off the Mac Studio, then hold the power button in…keep and even after startup chime look for display to show Recovery icons (one is gears as Options).
Didn’t get this…held for more than 30 seconds.
Resolution: Recovery mode doesn’t work with LG display and USB-C ! Instead, use HDMI out of the Mac Stupido and hopefully your display has more than one input. Repeat above and should get into Recovery screen options. Then select Utilities from menu and Terminal…
Please note: Mod Security doesn’t like some links or images I used and have to rename. Visit Xerox Support for your model and firmware…and remember AT YOUR Own Risk… Xerox Versalink B400 Mono Laser Printer – discontinued
In the process of troubleshooting why a user’s Xerox B400 printer was set to paper size 8.5″ x 13″, I also checked the firmware version which needed updating.
The paper size issue was likely because the user can accidentally change the paper feed lever, which one can push up to the back and sides of the paper in the tray. This tells the printer its size, and after one returns the tray into the printer, the display will prompt to confirm. Well, the user must have confirmed it was this size. Thus the call for why it refused to print unless correct paper was selected (user knows its supposed to be US LETTER so…).
Meanwhile I was remote into the printer admin console, to check tray setting, along with firmware update. After 60 mins waiting from start of the update, I physically went to the printer and found it had a blue screen with ERR: Booter Failed! So I restarted the printer (power off, unplug, wait, replug, power on, Power start). Same error after 10-15mins of just no status.
Xerox B400 Err boot screen – she a brick now!
This was frustrating in design: After a call to Xerox support, some questions on why this seems common, and links received to attempt (remove toner, replace? Really??) and estimated rates for having an onsite tech show…since no extended warranty and a product that is discontinued…I followed the best advice the support person gave: visit the forums.
On a search for B400, ERR: BOOTER FAILED, I didn’t find the specific message I needed. But I did come across a suggestion that till this day, aggravates: the menu screen has hardware menu to initialize the boot mode, storage init mode, etc.
To get to this menu, called the AltBoot, you need to power off the printer, then turn on while also pressing the Home and Power buttons on the display. Then you should get a SPECIAL BOOT … display and if you hold the Home button in AND press finger on the AL BO of the SpeciAL BOot line, it will take you to a menu with numerical pad. Makes no sense. UNLESS you take the advice from the support forum:
NOTE: I did an initialize boot first. This is important. It does not indicate when done, and can take 30 mins.
This is the screen when you have selected Storage initialization…
Updating Firmware on VersaLink B and C Series Printers using AltBoot
Download the latest firmware for your printer model from Xerox Support.
Locate an empty FAT32 formatted USB thumb drive.
Prepare the USB Drive
Create a folder named DWLD in the root of the USB drive.
Extract the firmware files from the *.zip file you downloaded from Xerox Support.
Copy the *.bin file into the DWLD folder on your USB drive.
Safely Remove the USB drive.
Boot the Printer using the AltBoot Procedure to Update Firmware
If the printer is powered on, press and hold the power button until the printer shuts down completely.
Insert the USB drive into the USB slot on the front of the printer.
Press and Hold the Home button and Power simultaneously and continue holding until the printer displays Special Boot Menu.
Tap and hold Special Boot Menu on the screen and press the Home button simultaneously until a dial screen appears.
On the dial screen, enter 6789# and the printer will display Special Boot Menu 1/3.
Tap Download Mode and then tap Yes on the confirmation screen to reboot the printer.
The printer will reboot and install the firmware file from the USB drive. This process may take several minutes and the printer may reboot several times. You MUST allow this process to finish completely without interrupting it.
The printer will print a Software Upgrade report when the firmware update is complete.
You may remove the USB drive and use your printer.
This worked! It came back to the Xerox logo screen. I was able to connect my laptop via USB cable, and then use the Versalink Firmware Install Utility and updated firmware on the (US English) support page.
There is confusion as Xerox’s support page as a tiny URL link in red,that one should immediately follow and update to.
Using the laptop, I launched the Versalink Firmware Utility, then find the recently downloaded BIN file, in this case firmware version 37.71.21 BUT there is a newer one in the Service Pack to 37.81.11 which I usually will do last.
Xerox support is hit and miss. Their labor cost for ONSITE in the US is $299 for the first 30 mins for this model, and then $69 per 15minutes thereafter! You realize that you can get a new printer for that labor of an hour or more.
Finally, I did order a new printer because this is the second Xerox Versalink that has bricked on me. First one was right out of the box with a C400 color! And I never deployed it, just prepped and was updating. I HIGHLY recommend that you use the VFI Versalink Firmware Install Utility and via USB cable and windows laptop, install updates this way. Not simple, not easy and painful if you have many printers deployed. Does Xerox have a remote printer management console/web app to maintain fleet of networked printers? that would really be ideal…
Well, thanks to a new Apple Card, I was able to finance a 2023 M2 Mac Studio Pro (Max, not the Ultra). I didn’t go crazy and with a educational discount, all said came to $2600 + Tax. This mac has 64 GB of Unified memory and 2TB of SSD storage, along with the SD card reader and up to 10Gb networking. When I priced a M2 Mac Mini (Pro), it was $300 less but didn’t have card reader or 10Gb interface. Sure, a CalDigit T4 dock would take care of more ports and card reader and yet, would be same price as the Studio.
For now, I migrated, and I did find some issues:
Intel apps didn’t come over or if they did, no longer work (Quickbooks, VMware Fusion, …)
I migrated from a mac to 2012 Mac Mini to this 2023 M2 studio and there is much junk files, prefs, linger apps and legacy extension that will no longer work or take up space.
My VMware ISOs, turns out, were totalling 200GB…It wasn’t until I migrated that I found out… THAT is why I didn’t go with a 1TB SSD but 2TB for the growth. I can’t run those VM’s anymore. 🙁
– was able to get a Parallels to download (see 9to5Mac How to install Win11 ARM ) Win11 ARM and then use a version of Fusion (13.x) trial that let me make a Win11 VM. I really only need this for Intuit Quickbooks but trying to figure how to get my QBfile to this new Mac… glad I still have the MacMini and might sneakernet the file over…once I get Quickbooks up on the Win11ARM if there is a version for ARM..
.
All in all, the M2 Mac Studio was worth it. Now, I still need to get FinalCutPro and video cam/DLSR to create videos. I am using a Thunderbolt OWC Thunderbay 4-DRIVE for storage and every so often, a HDD will spin up like something is looking for it. Internet is NOT happy with OWC and the Thunderbay so I may spend $$$$ in the future for a NAS and move my files there. But I need a Thunderbolt array for edit/storage so…that is another article to blog about.
My only fistpump at Apple is the ram upgrade price greed… from 32GB to 64GB is a $200 jump. Same with storage from 1TB to 2TB is massive cost increase. Lesson learned: get what you think you’ll need, not what you have now, because with Apple, you can’t upgrade later…unless your replace with new computer (cha-ching!).
Apple M2 Mac Mini 2023 front with no more infrared or indicator
Apple’s new M2 Mac Mini and Mac Mini Pro aren’t even out a month, and Apple’s support forum are showing over 70 posts to complain of wifi dropping or none, when using Wifi 6E or Comcast Wifi.
Apple released two versions of the M2 Mac Mini: the cheaper M2 Mac Mini with only 2 USB-C/Tbolt 4 ports and max 24GB RAM/2 TBStorage, or the M2 MacMini Pro version with maximum 32GB Ram and 8TB storage.
M2 Mac Mini Pro 2023
Clearly, Apple is aiming for the tween of Desktop user but not the workstation user that a Mac Studio would fill. I’m not even going to compare the Mac Pro since that niche is costly and quiet on the newsfront. Notice in the image of the back of the M2 MacMini Pro that it has 4 USB-C/Tbolt-4 ports. The lower-priced M2 Macmini (non-Pro) has only 2 USB-C/Tbolt-4 ports. Both are configurable to optional 10Gb Ethernet (Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ-45 connector).
But both also have Wifi6E (802.11ax). I’m wondering if any of these Xfinity users are on the XB8 newest gateway that does Wifi6E?
RIP Dark Sky, I knew you well.
Well, until Apple bought it in 2020.
Then it was nothing but sadness. About 4 months ago, after an iOS update, I noticed a 1/2023 warning on the app on my phone. It was a subtle reminder that I should be using Apple’s Weather app instead.
Weather has improved with iOS 15 and now iOS 16. You can have lock screen widgets showing precipitation and temp. You could with Dark Sky but it was hit or miss depending on your phone and iOS level.
The new Weather app has some nice features, as the lock screen will change with the weather… moody grey, or morning clouds or dusk. Even 10pm at night shows a cloud with dark sky. If you open Weather and touch the hourly forecast, you will see a visual chart of the temp. Touch the tiny thermometer and you now have choices such as wind and precipitation with measurements every 6hours. Close that (hit the X ) and you return to main screen. There, if you scroll down past the clutter of a map (See, this is where Dark Sky shined… the local map gave radar and not a clutter of state names, cities and towns).
And below that map, are a section of the same chart choices, but in sections that you can access as well as via the hourly section.
I can’t blame the creators of Dark Sky for “selling out”. I mean, afterall, Apple was their market and they were a dev for them. I just hope they run into a weather situation that the new Weather app, well, missed. Because money can’t buy happiness. But it can buy a roof that doesn’t leak or blow away.
…or a refresh MacMini M2 w/32GB Ram and 1TB SSD. Otherwise, I will have to fold and buy a Mac Studio Pro with 32GB and 1TB SSD, which I’d rather have the 64GB w/2TB SSD because “you can’t upgrade any Mac Mini or Mac Studio Pro” products.
Currently, Apple hasn’t refreshed the MacMini since over a year ago, with the M1 MacMini. But it limits the maximum memory to 16GB. And there are no options to upgrade any version after purchase. My current MacMini is a 2012, capped at 16GB and two, 1TB storage drives; a 1TB SSD and a 1TB HDD – not currently possible with recent Apple MacMini models.
Apple finally releases the M2 MacbookAir for order on July 8th, 2022.
While I tend to recommend when buying a model like this, to get the most ram you can afford, because you cannot upgrade it later. And storage. This model offers a dual USB charger so you can charge a phone AND the M2 MBA.
Personally, if you are doing editing, really, you need to use a Pro model. The MacbookAir is a “notebook” for lightweight use. Step up to the 14″ Pro…which soon should see an M2 revision.
