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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
Take Greater Control Over Your Budget with a PocketSmith Subscription: $49.95
We have a deal on a subscription to PocketSmith, a budget and accounts app for the Mac. In addition to synchronizing your income and outflow, PocketSmith will project how those things might look in the future. It has bill scheduling, the ability to break your budget into time periods meaningful to you, and more. A Premium 1 year subscription is $49.95 through our deal. There’s also an option for a Super subscription.
Apple Adds Unlocked iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to Refurb Offers
iPhone 7 models start at $449—9% off the original retail price—while iPhone 7 Plus models start at $599—10% off the original price.
Apple Reports Record Revenues of $88.3 Billion, Record EPS of $3.89 - iPhone X Top Selling Model
Apple reported record revenue of $88.3 billion for the December quarter, with staggering and record earnings per share of $3.89. [Update: This article has been updated with considerably more information.]
TAMO Charge-N-Glow MFi-Certified Lightning Cable: $18.99
We have a deal on a TAMO Charge-N-Glow MFi-Certified Lightning Cable. In addition to being MFi-certified, this cable is coiled with LEDs that blink when they’re ready to charge in a visual metaphor for the energy flowing into your device. That’s fun! It’s $18.99 through our deal.
DOJ/SEC Investigate Throttlegate, Facebook Google Doom, New Macs in 2018 - ACM 447
The DOJ and the SEC are investigating Apple’s Throttlegate controversy, and Bryan and Jeff think it won’t go well for Apple. They also talk about Facebook, Google, and social media, and recent comments from philanthropist and political activist George Soros predicting their demise. They close the show with the implications of rumors that say Apple has three Macs coming out this year with Apple coprocessors.
Phil Schiller Talks Music, Siri, and HomeKit for HomePod in Interview
Apple has turned out the C-Suite to promote HomePod, including senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller. In an interview with audio magazine Sound and Vision, Mr. Schiller talked up three aspects of Apple’s smart speaker: music, Siri, and HomeKit. There’s little I would call new in the interview, and when I went looking for a standout quote, it all felt like informative marketing speak. But, it’s interesting to see Mr. Schiller pushing HomeKit integration, which has largely been downplayed in Apple’s marketing message so far. One way or another, however, it’s a good read that gives a nice overview of what Apple wants us to think about HomePod.
VPN Unlimited 3-Year Subscription: $29.99
We have a deal on a three year subscription to VPN Unlimited. The service features unlimited bandwidth, servers in more than 70 locations and 24/7 support. They support a wide variety of languages, and it works on Mac, iOS, Android, Linus, and Windows. A 3 year subscription is $29.99 through us.
![Apple News Notifications Go Bonkers, Plus Steps for Disabling Those Notifications [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cnn-apple-news-notification-tweet.jpg)
Apple News Notifications Go Bonkers, Plus Steps for Disabling Those Notifications [Update]
Apple News Notifications in iOS went bonkers Tuesday evening, with the same notification going out over and over again, and we have steps for disabling them.
January Update to Office for Mac Includes Reading Tools, Coauthoring Improvements, AutoSave
Microsoft rolled out several improvements to Office for Mac in January, including improved coauthoring support, AutoSave, and new reading and learning tools designed to help users with learning differences.
Microsoft Adds Drag and Drop Support to Office and OneDrive for iOS, Support for Files, and More
In this piece, we’ll look at the changes announced for iOS, including drag and drop support, a new List view in OneDrive, support for Apple’s Files app, coauthoring improvements, and search-across-organization in Outlook.
16GB USB 2.0 AES 256-Bit Encrypted Flash Drive: $59.99
We have a deal for you on a 16GB USB 2.0 AES 256-Bit Encrypted Flash Drive. It features a keypad on top of the drive for a password to encrypt and decrypt the contents. It’s $59.99 through us.
iLap Laptop Stand: $36.99
We have a deal for you on the iLap, a laptop stand designed for MacBook owners. It has a hinged cushion for positioning your Mac at different angles, and the device allows your MacBook to stay cool while you’re working. It’s $36.99 through us.
HomePod Delivery Date Holds Steady at February 9th
This adds credence to the idea that software was what held up the launch of the HomePod, which was originally supposed to ship in December.
Augmented Reality for Reals?, Analysts Suck, Why Software Sucks, Blade Runner 2049 - Pop.0 ep.29
In this TMO video podcast, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit ask the question, “Is Augmented Reality for reals?” They also take the tact that analysts suck, and building on that theme, debate John’s theory on why software seems to suck today. For the pop part of the show, they look at Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. If you enjoy the show, make sure you subscribe to it! (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 Public Beta 1 Is Available Now, with Messages on iCloud and More
The two biggest known new features in this release are Messages on iCloud and Business Chat, plus the gorgeous wallpaper included with iMac Pro.
Watch Apple's Animoji Karaoke Commercials, Featuring Migos and Childish Gambino
They’re both Animoji Karaoke videos stitched together with effects and compositing that you might expect from a major production.
Paww WaveSound 3 Noise-Cancelling Bluetooth Headphones: $79.99
We have a deal on a pair of Paww WaveSound 3 noise-cancelling Bluetooth headphones. They feature two 40mm Neodymium drivers, and use multiple microphones to block out as much as 20dB of unwanted ambient noise. They’re $79.99 through our deal.
Apple Updates Logic Pro X with Project-Wide Tempo Controls, New Effects
The update to Apple’s digital audio workstation (DAW) includes Smart Tempo, project-side tempo controls, as well as four new effects.
NAMM - IK Multimedia Announces iRig Stomp I/O
NAMM – IK Multimedia announced iRig Stomp I/O Thursday. It’s a pedalboard stompbox designed to let you control your AmpliTube for iPad or iPhone effects pedals live or in the studio. iRig Stomp I/O has a lot of features, including four switches, an expression pedal, a built-in preamp, phantom power for microphones, a built-in USB audio interface, a combo input jack for line, instrument or mic input, and balanced stereo output. It’s also MFi-certified, and priced at $/€299.99. IK Multimedia said it will ship in March of 2018.
NAMM - IK Multimedia Announces a Leslie Rotary Speaker Model for AmpliTube
NAMM – The plugin includes six different Leslie rotary speaker models and five Leslie amp models.
MyCharge's AdventureJumpStart Will Charge Your iPhone or Jump Start Your Car - Really
Check out the AdventureJumpStart from MyCharge. It’s a portable battery for charging your iPhone, iPad, or other mobile device, but it can also charge your other other mobile device. Your car. How cool is that? It even comes with detachable jumper cables designed to connect to the AdventureJumpStart and your car battery. With 6,600MhA of storage, you’d use it for your smart devices normally. But when jumping a car, AdventureJumpStart will put out a peak of 400A of current. MyCharge says you can leave it in your car year round, but recommends recharging it (via microUSB) every 90 days. It’s priced at US$99.99.
TypeIt4Me for Mac: $9.99
We have a deal on TypeIt4Me for Mac, software that makes it easy to create shortcuts that expand to longer words, phrases or pictures. You can get it through us for $9.99, half off retail.
13" MacBook Wish List and Why Bitcoin Uses So Much Electricity - ACM 446
Rumor has it that Apple is going to release a new entry level 13″ MacBook. Bryan and Jeff discuss how it might fit in Apple’s Mac product line, and what they would like to see in such a device. They also talk about Bitcoin mining and why it uses so much electricity, as well as the roles cryptocurrencies could play in our lives.