Short, just 15 seconds long, each spot personifies an iPhone selling point, and pits iPhone against “your phone” in a split screen representation.
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
MFi-Certified Coiled iPhone Charging Cable 2-Pack: $24.99
We have a deal on a 2-pack of MFi-certified coiled iPhone charging cables. These Lightning cables are 3 feet long when stretched out—coiled, their 1.5 feet long. The 2-pack is $24.99 through us.
French Tax Reform Activists Win Legal Permission to Continue Protesting at Apple Stores
Attac accuses Apple of dodging local taxes, an offshoot of controversy over Apple’s international corporate structure, and a court ruling affirmed their right to protest at Apple Stores.
HyperDrive USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI Support: $44.99
We have a deal on the HyperDrive USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI Support. This device expands what you can do with your USB-C ports on your MacBook with HDMI, two USB 3.0 ports, and an extra USB Type-C port. It’s $44.99 through us.
Apple Repair Center Making Lots of 911 Calls By Mistake
The issue appears to be iPhones and/or Apple Watches making emergency calls when they’re being handled by technicians.
Apple Hires Another Veteran TV Executive - Carol Trussell Will Be Head of Production
Deadline reported that Ms. Trussell will start in March, and will oversee production issues for Apple’s original shows.
The Spotify Platform Problem, Tim Cook Insights, and Apple TV Gaming - ACM 450
Bryan and Jeff talk about the Spotify Platform problem and the problems facing any independent music streaming service. They also talk about the things they learned from Tim Cook’s interview with Fast Company, and whether or not Apple is signaling a bigger play in Apple TV gaming.
HomePod Review, Cook Interview, Crypto Tax Haven, Music in Ear of Beholder, App Picks - Pop.0 Ep.30
In this TMO video podcast, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit discuss Apple’s new HomePod after 10 days of use, Apple CEO Tim Cook’s FastCompany interview, Wyoming wanting to become a Crypto Tax Haven, and how music influences really are in the ear of the beholder. They also offer a couple of app picks. (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
Design+Code2 iOS Design and Xcode Training: $39
We have a deal on the Design+Code2 iOS Design & Xcode Training, a developer training course. It includes 44 hours of video training material, and it comes with more than 36 Sketch files and 36 Xcode project files and templates. This course is $39 through us, 74% off retail.
Tony Fadell and Benoît Mintiens Discuss That Crazy Ressence Type 2 Watch 'e-Crown' Concept
Tony Fadell, former Apple executive and the father of the iPod, recently did an interview with Benoît Mintiens, a watch guy and the founder of Watch company Ressence. You might have seen the totally crazy looking Ressence Type 2 watch. Gorgeous and very, very different looking, the Ressence Type 2 is a mechanical watch married to your smartphone through what they call an “e-Crown.” Bloomberg published a piece with Hodinkee on the Type 2, and it included the video interview below. In it, Messrs. Fadell and Mintiens talk about working together and the early development of the Type 2, but they also talk about the e-Crown. You also get to see the Type 2 in action. It’s interesting, but note at the end where Mr. Mintiens notes that the watch crown has been around for 176 years. “So it’s about time to think about something else.” That sure sounds like a pot shot at Apple, whose Digital Crown is effectively rooted in that same 176 year history. It’s an interesting watch, an interesting article, and an interesting video.
Takieso Marble Qi Wireless Charger: $69
We have a deal on the Takieso Marble Qi Wireless Charger. As the name suggests, it’s a Qi wireless charger for your iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, or iPhone X, and it’s made of marble. The link is to a deal on a black marble unit, but there’s also a white marble unit available. They’re $69 through us.
Fast Company Names Apple Most Innovative Company in 2018 for 'Delivering the Future Today'
Apple beat out Netflix, Square, China’s Tencent, Amazon, Patagonia, CVS Health, The Washington Post, Spotify, and the NBA, the other top ten companies.
Apple Seeds macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 Developer Beta 3
The two biggest known new features in this release cycle are Messages on iCloud and Business Chat, plus the gorgeous wallpaper included with iMac Pro.
Aeon Timeline 2 for Mac and Windows: $11.99
We have a deal for you today on Aeon Timeline 2 for both Mac and Windows. This tool is designed to help you organize even large projects and manage your workload. You can manage events, entities and relationships, dependencies, and even story timelines for novels and other creative writing. You can also link events with images, external documents, and websites to better track research and supporting documentation. You can get this license for both platforms for $19.99, but coupon code USA40 will get you another 40% off until 11:59PM tonight, February 20th. That brings the price down to $11.99.
The Original 'Moore's Law' Paper from Intel's Gordon Moore
MGG listener Bill turned us on to a copy of Gordon Moore’s original paper discussing the trend of integrated circuit component density increasing at a rate of roughly two per year. This is the paper that gave rise to what is commonly, though improperly, called Moore’s Law. It’s improper because in that it’s not a scientific law—like gravity—but rather more of an observation of a human-driven trend that was remarkably accurate for a very long time. Regardless, it’s a fun read, and thanks to Bill for alerting us to this! In the pic below, Gordon Moore is on the left, and his Intel cofounder Robert Noyce is to the right.
DEVONthink Pro for Mac: $39.95
We have a deal on DEVONthink Pro for the Mac. This software allows you to view and edit many documents inline, read webpages as if they were local documents, and file your information. You can also store your documents in a self-contained database and sync your data directly on the local network or on any USB stick or SD card w/ AES 256-bit encryption. It’s US$39.95 through us, half off retail.
Apple Releases tvOS 11.2.6
The company didn’t release patch notes for the update (which is common for Apple TV), but Apple’s other operating systems were all patched for the Telugu text bug.
Apple Fixes Telugu Text Bug in macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 Supplemental Update
That bug resulted in apps crashing from an Indian text character sequence, and messaging apps were particularly exposed.
Apple Releases iOS 11.2.6, Fixes Telugu Text Bug
The Telugu text bug would crash your iOS device when certain Indian characters were sent to it.
Pad & Quill's 60 Year Leather Lowry Cuff for Apple Watch
Like most Pad & Quill products, it looks great, but Bryan Chaffin also think it’s a neat story: it’s made from leather that came from a 60-year old stash found in a warehouse in Europe.
Live Home 3D Pro for Mac: $14.99
Live Home 3D Pro for Mac allows you to design residential buildings from the ground up. Sheds, living rooms, homes, or even a skyscraper, according to the company that makes it. We have a deal on it for $24.99, but coupon code USA40 gives you another 40% off for a total price of $14.99 (coupon expired on February 20th). Check the listing for all the features.
Apple Will Require Native iPhone X Support on New Apps Starting in April
The company sent out emails to developers notifying them that new apps submitted for the App Store will require native support for iPhone X’s Super Retina display starting in April.
Worried about HomePod Leaving a Ring? Pad & Quill Has a Coaster for That
Are you worried about HomePod leaving a ring on your table? Pad & Quill has a HomePod coaster for that. Talk about a timely product: complaints about HomePod leaving rings have arisen in the last couple of days. If that’s a serious concern for you, the Leather Coaster for HomePod may be just what you’re looking for. I am, in general, a huge fan of Pad & Quill’s products. They do leather and stitching right. This Coaster is made from full-grain leather with Marine Grade stitching. The bottom is an “ultra-soft leather backing because the only rings you should see in your home this season are of the Olympic variety on TV.” Timely, indeed. It’s $19.95, comes in Whiskey (lighter) and Chestnut (darker), and ships in 3-5 days.
How to Make a Freaking iPhone App with iOS 11 and Swift 4: $17.60
I love the name of this new training course we’re offering through our deal site. It’s called “How to Make a Freaking iPhone App” and it’s designed around iOS 11 and Swift 4. You’ll get 24 hour per day access to 132 lectures and 16.5 hours of content. While the course retails for $200, we have it for $29. But, coupon code USA40 will get you another 40% off, for a total of $17.60.