In this episode, Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet make an announcement about ACM. They also talk about the cool horror of BostonDynamics’s twerking dogbot. Oh, and Facebook Portal…please. No. Just, please no. The also take a look at some listener email.
Bryan Chaffin
Bryan Chaffin is the cofounder of The Mac Observer and currently serves as Afternoon Editor. He has contributed to MacAddict and MacFormat magazines, and co-authored the last two updates of iPad and iPad Pro for Dummies with Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and Ed Baig. You can find out more about Bryan at his personal site, GeekTells, or find his Twitter link below.
Articles by Bryan Chaffin
1 Year Scribd Subscription for Books, Audiobooks, Magazine Articles: $85
We have a deal today on a one year subscription for Scribd, which gives you access to bestselling and award-winning books and audiobooks, plus articles from leading magazines, newspapers, even sheet music. It requires iOS 9 and later, Android 4.4 and later, or Kindle Fire OS 4 or later.
Get 1 Year of Setapp for $69
I am delighted to run today’s deal on a year of Setapp for $69. That’s 42% off retail on a service that was already one of the best in the Mac world. Setapp offers you more than 100 high quality Mac apps for a monthly or yearly subscription. That includes several apps that I use all the time, and I strongly recommend this service.
BusyMac's BusyContacts: $19.99
We have a deal on on BusyMac’s BusyContacts, the company’s Contacts replacement app for the Mac. You can customize your views; track activities associated with each contact including calendar events, emails, and messages; create Smart Filters based on certain conditions; integrate with BusyCal, and much more. It’s $19.99 through us, 60% off retail.
Apple Releases iOS 12.1 Developer Beta 4
No new features are in evidence, meaning this release squashes bugs, optimizes, and generally refines iOS 12.1.
Apple Music Trailer for Carpool Karaoke with Jamie Foxx and Corinne Foxx
Apple has a new trailer out for Carpool Karaoke promoting an upcoming episode with Jamie Foxx and his daughter Corinne Foxx. The trailer feature’s Foreigner’s ripoff of Deep Purple’s “My Woman from Tokyo” “Hot Blooded.” The theme of this episode is father-daughter clashes over what gets played on the car’s radio, which will surely resonate with lots of folks. Jamie Foxx is a great singer, too. Here’s the trailer.
Meross Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip: $23.99
We have a deal on the Meross Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip. This device not only has three standard plugs and two USB ports, it has Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to control each plug individually through the Meross app. You can turn connected devices on and off, set schedules, and activate timer routines, protecting your devices and trimming down your power usage. It’s $23.99 through our deal.
Tim Cook Says Apple Will Donate to Hurricane Michael Recovery and Relief Efforts
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted Thursday that his company would be donating to Hurricane Michael recovery and relief efforts.
BostonDynamics's Atlas Robot Can Now Use Parkour Tactics (to Hunt Us Down)
I both love and am terrified by the astounding work BostonDynamics is doing with its future masters-of-us-all. The company has a new video our showing its Atlas robot on a parkour outing, something they will no doubt find useful when they turn on us at some point in the not-too-distant future. OK, I mostly kid, but seriously: watching this video is both amazing and weirdly creepy (and scary). The way Atlas uses its arms to balance and help lift itself…it’s so human-like. BostonDynamics, by the by, is the company that makes dogbots that can open doors, another ability they will no doubt find useful.
6-in-1 USB-C Hub for MacBook Pro: $39.99
Check out today’s deal on a 6-in-1 USB-C Hub for MacBook Pro. It features 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A 3.0 ports, a SD port, and a Micro SD port. It supports 5K video out through USB-C, and it supports 2016 and 2017 USB-C MacBook Pro models. It’s $39.99 through us.
iPad Pro vs. Mac, Apple TV Games, iPhone Driver's License - ACM 483
In this episode, Bryan Chaffin ask if Apple’s rumored next iPad Pro is the Mac replacement long predicted. They also discuss what went wrong with Apple TV gaming, and the pros and cons and cons and cons of iPhone driver’s licenses. They sneak some Anki Vector love in there, too.
iPM Silicone Cases for iPhone X/XS/XS Max/XR - $14.99
We have a deal on iPM silicone cases for iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and the upcoming iPhone XR. They’re made fro silicone and flannelette and offer inexpensive protections for your new iPhone at $14.99.
M2 Square USB-C and Quick Charge 3.0 Charger: $37.99
We have a deal on the M2 Square USB-C and Quick Charge 3.0 Charger. It plugs into your wall outlet and includes a 60-watt USB-C port and a Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 for USB 3.0 (and backwards compatible) devices. It’s $37.99 through us.
About Russia's Mobile Hackers: Hotel Wi-Fi Spying from a Rental Car
Wired has a detailed report about Russia’s mobile hackers, a team that traveled the world hacking and spying as part of Vladimir Putin’s state-sponsored payback. The mobile team often packed a rental car with various bits of equipment, operated around the world, and worked with a support team back in Russia. It’s a very interesting piece, and as John Kheit quipped, it demonstrates how one should “seriously never use public Wi-Fi.” Here’s a snippet:
The US Department of Justice charged seven hackers working for the Russian military agency GRU with carrying out a vast intrusion campaign against a wide range of organizations. The targets include anti-doping agencies in Colorado, Brazil, Canada, Monaco and Switzerland, part of a retaliatory leaking campaign after Russia was accused of doping ahead of the 2016 and 2018 Olympics; the Westinghouse Electric Company’s nuclear power operations, which supplies nuclear fuel to Ukraine; and the Spiez chemical testing laboratory in Switzerland and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Netherlands, likely due to their investigations into the Novichok gas attack on a Russian intelligence defector in the UK earlier this year.
Apple Releases iOS 12.0.1, Fixes Placement of '.?123' Key on iOS Keyboard
This maintenance release fixes several bugs, and it puts the “.?123” key on the iOS keyboard back where it used to be.
Clip Studio Paint Pro for Mac and Windows: $29.99
We have a deal on Clip Studio Paint Pro for Mac and Windows, the successor program to Manga Studio. It’s aimed at illustrators, comic artists, manga artists, and other creators. You can get it through us for $29.99, 50% off retail. You can see it in action in the video below.
Halide Explains Why iPhone XS Is a Whole New Camera
Apple is doing something entirely new with the camera in iPhone XS, and Sebastiaan de With, designer of the Halide app published a killer explanation of what those new things are. He also explains how they work and why those things are good—and where they are not good. He also explains the so-called smoothing effect that has been noted on selfies. The end of the piece is a pitch for Halide 1.0, Mr. de With’s camera app, that includes something he calls Smart RAW, but the technical analysis and explanation of what’s happening with the iPhone XS camera is a terrific read. It’s long, too, but well worth the read. Here’s a snippet:
An iPhone XS will over- and underexpose the shot, get fast shots to freeze motion and retain sharpness across the frame and grab every best part of all these frames to create one image. That’s what you get out of the iPhone XS camera, and that’s what makes it so powerful at taking photos in situations where you usually lose details because of mixed light or strong contrast.
The Complete Arduino Starter Kit and Course Bundle
We have a deal on the Complete Arduino Starter Kit and Course Bundle. As the name suggests, this bundle starts with the Complete Arduino Starter Kit, which includes the Uno R3 board, wires, LEDs, sensors, and more. It also includes six different Arduino training courses, with hundreds of lectures and 26.5 hours of video training. This bundle is $89.99 through us.
Aspyr Brings Civilization VI to iPhone
Civilization VI on an iPhone? Really, it boggles my mind that Civ VI can played on an iPad, but Aspyr announced Thursday that it’s now available for iPhone, too. What these “phones” we carry with us everywhere can do is really something else. In any event, Civ VI for iPhone is free download—the free version lets you play 60 turns, enough to see if you’re going to like it. You can unlock the full game for $23.99 as an in-app purchase. It’s a hybrid app, too, so if you already bought it for iPad, you can download it on iPhone.
COWIN 6110 Portable Bluetooth Speaker: $42.99
We have a deal on the COWIN 6110 Portable Bluetooth Speaker. This device has a battery life of up to 10 hours listening and supports Bluetooth 4.1. Its shell is made from aluminum, too. It’s $49.99 through our deal.
Pictar Pro, Netflix Narnia, Apple's October Surprise - ACM 482
The Pictar Pro marries old school camera goodness to modern iPhone convenience, and Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet weigh the pros and cons. They also talk about Netflix’s plans to make new movies and TV series (both) out of The Chronicles of Narnia books. Lastly, they talk about what to expect if Apple does an October media event.
iMazing 2 Universal License for Mac and Windows: $19.99
We have a new deal on iMazing 2, a product we’ve written about. iMazing let’s you browse and manage your backups, extract and print your text messages, and drag and drop songs to your iPhone. Our deal is $19.99 for a universal license good on unlimited iOS devices and up to 2 Macs or PCs, $5 less than earlier deals.
Pictar Pro Launches Preorders on Kickstarter - Camera-Grip and Viewfinder for iPhone
This device is part grip and part Bluetooth controller that lets you take pics on your iPhone (or Android device) more like you would on a DSLR.
Lifetime Subscription to Aura Premium, a Mindfulness and Meditation App: $79.99
We have a deal on a lifetime subscription to Aura Premium, from the Aura Health app. This mobile app is designed to relieve stress and anxiety by providing short mindfulness meditation exercises every day. It’s $79.99 through our deal, an 83% discount.