AT&T is about to get a lot bigger because the communication company struck a deal to buy Time Warner for about US$85.4 billion. The two companies hope to close the deal by the end of 2017, but are already facing scrutiny over the impact a combined AT&T and Time Warner.
How to Fix Apple Watch Contact Syncing Problems
Some people are experiencing problems with Contacts on their Apple Watch, or with initiating phone calls with Siri on your Apple Watch. The problem may be that your Contacts aren’t properly syncing, and Mac Geek Gab listener Bill wrote in (MGG 626) with the skinny on resetting it.
Apple Pay Used to Buy $1M Aston Martin DB5 Luxury Car
Turns out you can buy more than groceries and iPhone accessories with Apple Pay—like a crazy expensive car, for example. British car auctioneer Coys of Kensington just sold a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 for £825,000, which is a little over US$1 million. That’s the single largest Apple Pay transaction to date.
macOS Sierra: Disable Auto-Logout if Sierra Enabled It
Some people have reported weird rebooting/logging out problems on their Macs after upgrading to macOS Sierra. Mac Geek Gab listener Ken was one of those folks, and he traced it to an auto-logout preference Sierra appears to have changed for him. Fortunately, resetting it is an easy fix. Bryan Chaffin shows you how.
Apple Regent Street Opening Photo Gallery
Keith Burton was at last weekend’s Apple Regent Street opening. He took some great photos—including a shot of Apple retail head Angela Ahrendts—of the event and was kind enough to let us publish them.
Apple and IBM Partnership: Macs, iOS and Watson Are The Glue
IBM and Apple have been partnering with each other for some time now. The action continues with Macs finding great favor within IBM. Also, education initiatives continue. Finally, IBM’s Watson has to be giving Apple some big ideas. This has the signs of becoming one of the most productive partnerships ever, amongst former rivals, in the tech industry.
Teens Steal $13,000 in iPhones from Natick Collection Apple Store
A group of teenagers wearing hoodies and hats stormed the Apple Natick Collection Store, making off with US$13,000 worth of iPhones. The teens spent less than a minute in the store, and the iPhones they stole were attached to security cables.
iPhone 7 Blamed for Car Fire
An iPhone 7 is being blamed for causing a car fire, and it’s already being compared to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 burning phone disaster. While it’s possible Apple is about to face a wave of burning iPhones, it’s possible this was an isolated incident, or that the iPhone wasn’t the cause of the fire.
Eddy Cue Dampens Expectations for Original Apple TV Programming
Eddy Cue, Apple Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, dampened expectations for original TV programming from his company. Speaking at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit in San Francisco, Mr. Cue said that Apple was focused on making it easy to access content from everyone.
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I think I’ve all but given up trying to read the Apple TV tea leaves.
Apple Will Likely Let the 2013 Mac Pro Quietly Die
There was a time when Apple was into powerful headless Macs for technical professionals. Those who wanted their own multiple displays and great expandability. Lately, Apple seems to have lost interest in that market and focussed on mobility. There is a smattering of hopeful signs, but John Martellaro thinks the Mac Pro is headed for the annals of Apple history.
MacBook Pro's Function Touch Strip Called Magic Toolbar
We already have the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, and soon we’ll have the Magic Toolbar, too. A just uncovered trademark filing seems to confirm the MacBook Pro really is getting a touch sensitive bar to replace the keyboard’s row of function keys.
E Ink Keyboard MacBook Pros Aren't a Sure Thing
A report last week suggested Apple will ditch the MacBook Pro’s traditional keyboard for an E Ink version with keys that dynamically change based on the app being used. Now the Wall Street Journal is chiming is saying it has sources confirming Apple’s plan. That makes it more likely an E Ink keyboard is coming, but it still isn’t a sure thing.
Apple 'hello again' Media Invites Suggest Reintroduction of Mac Product Line
Apple sent out invitations to an (expected) October 27th media event. The tagline for the invite is “hello again,” and the event is expected to center around new Mac models. Bryan Chaffin thinks it may mean Apple intends to re-introduce the Mac to the world.
macOS Sierra: How to Use Photos Memories
Within macOS Sierra’s Photos program, there’s a new “Memories” feature that’ll automatically group pictures together to remind you of important events in your life. In this Quick Tip, we’ll go over a few great tricks on how to use it!
Did You Get the (i)Message? Tapback, Digital Touch, Apps, and More
When Dr. Mac sent his daughter an iMessage with iOS 10’s whizzy new stickers, full-screen effects, and animated GIFs, he was shocked when she replied: “Haha! I didn’t even know you could do all that.” He thinks it’s likely some of you in reader-land have yet to discover the joys of the iOS 10 Messages app. So in this week’s Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves (Episode #197 if you’re counting) the good doctor offers up a short primer on the interesting new features in Messages.
Apple Will Reportedly Announce New Macs with October 27th Event
Apple will finally announce new Macs on October 27th, according to Re/code. Unnamed sources said the company will hold a media event in Cupertino. It’s not yet known which Macs will be refreshed.
Bryan Chaffin Will Discuss 'Apple vs. Samsung' in Live Webinar Thursday
Bryan Chaffin will be doing a live webinar/discussion called “Samsung vs. Apple” on Thursday, October 20th, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT. Moderated by patent attorney Gene Quinn, the discussion has a subheading of, “Is A Single Patent Infringement Worth all the Profit?” Robert S. Katz, an attorney with Banner & Witcoff, will also be participating.
MacBook Pro Refresh May Still Happen in October
If you’re counting on an major refresh for the MacBook Pro in October, don’t give up hope yet. A new report says updated models are still on the way and they’ll launch before the end of the month.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Could've Been Hillary Clinton's Vice President
U.S. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s Vice President running mate could’ve been Apple CEO Tim Cook. Mr. Cook is on a list of potential running mates John Podesta, Mrs. Clinton’s presidential campaign chairman, presented before Tim Kaine was selected.
Kenu Stance Compact Tripod for iPhone
Stance, by Kenu, is a $24.95 compact tripod for iPhones that attaches via Lightning connector. Find out why it earned a spot on Dr. Mac’s keychain.
TMO's HealthKit, Health, and Activity FAQ
Apple wants to be the hub for your health and fitness world, so HealthKit was introduced with iOS 8. That grew into a whole ecosystem that can be kind of confusing until you understand what’s going on with the different apps Apple gave us. Read on to get the lowdown on HealthKit, Health, and Activity.
Apple Fixes Cellular Connectivity Problem with iOS 10.0.3
Apple released iOS 10.0.3 Monday. The company’s patch notes specify that it addresses “an issue where some users could temporarily lose cellular connectivity.”
Apple Has Plans for Better AI, Cashless Society
Apple CEO Tim Cook wants to weave artificial intelligence deeply into our lives, and he’s ready for a cashless society. The iPhone and Mac maker’s planned research center in Japan will play a role in those plans, and the country could be at the forefront of plans to push Apple Pay as the standard for a no-cash world.
Samsung's Note 7 Banned from all US Flights as Hazardous Material
Don’t worry about powering down your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 before getting on your flight because the Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration just banned the smartphone from all flights. As of Friday afternoon, the fire-prone Note 7 is classified as “forbidden hazardous material,” and come Saturday can’t be transported in your carry-on or checked luggage.