Work with OS X on an iPad or iPhone from Brian Stucki on Vimeo.
@macminicolo I filed rdar://23869832. The text of my bug can be seen at https://t.co/pRnxK2V587
Dups should note my bug 23869832
— Fraser Hess (@fraserhess) December 12, 2015
It's been interesting to watch as Apple, and Tim Cook specifically, begins to peck away at Google and the way it makes money. When iOS 9 is released, it will have a system-wide way to disable ads on the web. The early looks at this tech is pretty jarring the way it simplifies the web. Some people have said this is bad for bloggers. That may be true, but bloggers are a resourceful bunch and they have proven their ability to adapt. Plus, in general, they respect their readers and want them to have a good experience while also earning an income themselves. They'll be fine.
In reality, I wonder for Google more. The overwhelming majority of their profit comes from ads on websites and searches. As mobile viewers become more dominate, and iOS has a high percentage of all mobile viewers, that will be a big hit for Google. Imagine if Apple takes away 50% of the ad revenue from Google. Thermonuclear indeed.
In the last couple years, Tim Cook has weighed in on these issues and why he prefers the way that Apple does business. This quote from an open letter written by Tim is pretty clear:
In that same vein, we've seen more and more people and small businesses come to us looking for ways to own their own data and servers. With a Mac mini server, it's more simple than you think. Obviously, we sell the service and benefits of hosting the mac mini in a data center, but I hope this will be useful for anyone looking for some more control over their data.
Below is a list of apps that you can run on your own machine, usually free or low in cost. Most are fairly simple to set up, though we can also get you the help you need. And best of all, they run on your hardware with your privacy controls.
OS X Server is the most obvious place to start though I think it's often overlooked. It is available on the Mac App Store for just $20. (And if you're a developer for Apple, you're entitled to a free copy.) What can you do with Server?
Mail is simple to setup and run. You have options to limit mailbox sizes, filter junk mail and run virtual domains. Also, your email isn't scanned by a large company to put ads up against it or put surprises in your search results.
The mail service also offers push notifications, which Gmail dropped a couple years ago. And if you're running a business, you can setup unlimited users on the machine as there is no per-person cost.
The Calendar Server in OS X Server will let you share calendars, schedule meetings even book conference rooms or other shared resources for a company. You can also send invitations by email. And of course, push notifications can be enabled.
The Contacts Server is equally as powerful. You can sync and share contacts for the company and each person.
There are other great options built into OS X Server, but I think that those are the big three that can replace Google services and keep your data private. It also has File Sharing, though I think it is lacking a bit there. Other services you might look at are a Profile Manager to configure and deploy Macs and iOS Devices, a VPN that you can connect to while traveling, or a Messages Server to collaborate with your team. (But seriously, Slack is so good that I'd probably still go with that. Hopefully they aren't bought by Google anytime soon.)
Piwik is a great alternative to Google Analytics. When you install the free and open-source software on your machine you have complete data ownership. But more than that, it really protects the privacy of your readers and customers and supports "do not track." Google Analytics is so simple and quick to get started (Confessions: we use it right now too but plan to change soon) but the data collected on individuals must be enormous.
BitTorrent Sync is a powerful alternative to Google Drive. With Sync, the data and files that you share never reside on hardware that you don't own. The encryption and speed are really amazing too, usually faster than services like Google Drive and Dropbox. It's so simple (and even fun) to setup.
I want to recommend a good alternative to Google Docs, but I just don't think there is a self-hosted one worth recommending yet. Hopefully soon. (If you know of one, let us know.)
We'll add to this list as we find other great options. The options listed above should be sufficient to get most small businesses onto servers that they own and control. And, most likely it will even save you and your business some money.
About Macminicolo
Macminicolo, a Las Vegas based company, has been hosting Mac minis since their introduction in January 2005. We are the leaders in this niche market and are known for our personal service and advanced data center. We currently host hundreds of Mac minis for satisfied customers located in 56 different countries around the world. Find us on Twitter @macminicolo or on our company blog.
Sometimes we’ll hear from our customers after they’ve signed up and they’ll write something like, “If we would have know it was this easy to get started, we would have started a long time ago.”
This makes us wonder if others are intimidated by the startup process because they’ve never done it before. To help, here is what it takes to get a Mac mini in a data center:
1) Visit our signup page. There you can choose which options you’d like for your account. You can also purchase the the Mac mini if you prefer that route. After the form is submitted, you will receive your network information and the shipping address in an email.
2) You can then build your Mac mini at home just how you’d like it to run. You can preload data, setup your users, etc. Before sending the machine in you’ll want to be sure you enter your new IP address and enable Screen Sharing so you can reach the Mac mini when it’s here. Once done, just send it to the Macminicolo data center.
3) We’ll watch for the machine to arrive, get it installed and let you know it’s ready with an email. As long as you can reach it, we won’t even need to log into your server. You are then able to control the machine however you’ve set it up. When you connect with Screen Sharing, the machine will have all the benefits of being in a data center but still respond like it’s sitting in front of you.
That’s pretty much it. And if you buy the Mac mini through us, then it’s even easier. We usually have some used Mac minis available as well. It’ll take about one business day for us to get the machine, set it up in our data center, and then hand over control to you. You can then change any passwords/users that you want to change.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.
When you host a Mac mini in our data center, you're welcome to install anything you'd like to run on your server. Recently, BitTorrent Sync has become a very popular application on servers here. People love Dropbox (for good reason) but there is a real benefit to having your data, on a server you own, hosted safely in a very secure data center.
On the BitTorrent Sync site you can read about how it works, how people are using it, and all the technology that keeps it secure. In short, Sync "uses advanced peer-to-peer technology to share files between devices....This means there are no accounts, no file size limits, and transfer speeds are never throttled...Data is transferred directly from device to device." It's a great tool for personal data, company data, and just about everything else.
As more people become interested in controlling their own data, here is a screenshot tutorial of how to get Sync installed on your Mac, your Mac mini server, and on your iPhone. (There are also apps for Windows, Android and Linux.)
Start by getting Sync installed on the Mac in front of you. Visit GetSync.com and your download option will default to the OS you're running on.
If you scroll to the bottom, you're see all of the download options:
Once downloaded, just put BitTorrent Sync into your Applications folder:
Double click the app and you'll be asked to accept the terms:
Now you're all set to choose the first folder that you would like to share:
Once you choose your folder, you'll have some options on how you'd like others to be able to interact with your folder and it's content. You'll also be able to share the link to that folder via email, URL, or a QR Code:
Once you've made the choices, the folder is shared and waiting for it's first peer:
Now access your remote Mac mini with Screen Sharing:
Follow the same process from above to install the BitTorrent Sync app. Once you have the app installed, open Safari and paste the URL that was shared from your local Mac:
Select that you already have Sync installed:
And where you would like to store that shared folder:
You can also choose what your user and machine name will be as it's listed as a "peer" on your shared folders.
On your local Mac (where you shared the folder from) you'll be asked to confirm the new peer:
Once approved, the folder sill start syncing and the menubar item will also spin:
Now that the Mac mini server is in sync, we can also install on the iPhone. Sync has a real nice way to get this done. First, get the Sync app on the App Store:
Once installed, you'll open the app and be able to "Add a folder":
On your Mac, choose to share the folder with a QR code:
Then line up the Sync camera and it will scan it quickly:
And just like that, you are syncing the folder along with the two other peers:
And the original Mac can keep track of who is syncing, and the state they are at:
BitTorrent Sync is a great app, and only due to get better as they release version 2.0 soon.
If you have any questions about Sync, and the installation of it to your Mac mini server, feel free to send a question to us @macminicolo.
About Macminicolo
Macminicolo, a Las Vegas based company, has been hosting Mac minis since their introduction in January 2005. We are the leaders in this niche market and are known for our personal service and advanced data center. We currently host hundreds of Mac minis for satisfied customers located in 56 different countries around the world. Find us on Twitter @macminicolo or on our company blog.
Today marks ten years of Macminicolo. We started just a couple days after the Mac mini was released. (In case you missed it, I also wrote about my ten years of watching and working with the Mac mini.)
I've thought a lot about the company and what has made it last over the years. I think it really boils down to three things.
First, offer personal service. Send us an email and get one back quickly that is personal and informed. Reach us on iMessage or AIM/iChat. I just want to be available on the tools you already use every day.
Second, prices that are fair for the customer and the company. It's important to find the right place where a customer feels like they are getting the value for which they pay. It also needs to be a price that can keep a company sustained for ten years. I've seen a lot of other companies come along to host Mac minis. Usually, they try to undercut us and eventually they go out of business or they spread to other services, pulling focus from their Mac mini customers. Just be fair and offer value.
Finally, work with great hardware. The Mac mini doesn't get enough credit for being so reliable. People can be hesitant of the spinning disk or the single ethernet port. Over the years, the Mac mini has proved incredibly good as a server. The hardware last years when they are rarely moved and always stored in a controlled environment like a data center.
Thank you to all of the great customers we've been working with over the years. We still have some customers from those very first months of business. Thanks for supporting the company and for spreading the word.
About Macminicolo
Macminicolo, a Las Vegas based company, has been hosting Mac minis since their introduction in January 2005. We are the leaders in this niche market and are known for our personal service and advanced data center. We currently host hundreds of Mac minis for satisfied customers located in 56 different countries around the world. Find us on Twitter @macminicolo or on our company blog.