Check out the Complete iOS 11 Developer Bundle, a collection of four iOS 11 developer training courses. This is one of our Pay What You Want deals, meaning you can pay anything—even a penny—and get one of the courses (the Starter Edition). Beat the average price, and you’ll get all four. Make the leaderboard at any point, and you’ll be entered into a giveaway.
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
Make Apple TV Great Again, Apple Is Doomed, iMac Pro Listener Comment - ACM 444
What would it take to make Apple TV great again? Or, maybe just make it great? Bryan and Jeff dive deep into Apple’s challenges in the settop market. They also deconstruct our newest Apple Death Knell addition, where Paul Pampilly tells us “Apple Is Doomed.” They cap the show with some great listener comments about the iMac Pro.
Apple Will Waive Developer Membership Fee for Some Nonprofits, Educational Institutions, Government Entities
This program is specifically for those organizations who only free apps on the App Store.
Qi Wireless Fast Charging Pad: $10.99
We have a deal on a Qi Wireless Fast Charging Pad. It transmits 10w of power, and works out of the box with iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. It’s also compatible with a host of Qi-enabled Android devices. It’s $10.99 through us.
Apple Death Knell #71 - Apple Is Doomed
Bryan Chaffin brings you the prognosticatory visions of one Paul Mapilly, writing for Banyan Hill Publishing, who says simple, “Apple Is Doomed,” or Apple Death Knell #71.
Watch This iPhone X Slide Around Like a Hockey Puck
Check out this video of John Kheit demonstrating his iPhone X’s miraculous (near) zero friction as it slides across his counter (with help from Walt on camera). Note that there’s nothing on either the iPhone X or John’s counter. This is just sweet, (near) perfect, air cushiony goodness. Or an accident-waiting-to-happen. You be the judge. Oh, and no iPhones were harmed in the making of this video.
Apple Purchases Developer Tool Firm Buddybuild, Team to Remain in Canada
In a blog post, Buddybuild said its team would remain in Vancouver, and would be joining Apple “to build amazing developer tools for the entire iOS community.”
Get 1 Year of Aura Premium Mindfulness for $29.99
We have a deal on a one year 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 $29.99 through our deal, a 68% discount.
iFixit Drops DIY iPhone Battery Replacement Kits to $29, Matching Apple's Apology Price
iFixit has dropped the price of its do-it-yourself iPhone battery replacement kits to $29—or less—matching or beating the apology price for in-store replacement Apple announced Thursday. The price changes include kits for iPhone 4S, 5, 5s and 5c, too, all of which are not included in Apple’s price drop. iFixit made a point of noting that its DIY kits are available today, too, while Apple’s discount program won’t begin until some time in January. iFixit has been in a running war with Apple, criticizing the company for the low repairability of its devices, especially iPhones. Apple has chosen to emphasize slim form factors and tight tolerances over easy-to-repair designs.
Screen Latency Through the Ages: Computers Have Gotten Slower Since the Apple IIe
Thanks to some painstaking tests by engineer and super nerd* Dan Luu, we now know of one area where computers have gotten slower: “the latency between a keypress and the display of a character in a terminal.”
Throttlegate, Encouraging Mac Signs, and HomePod and the Holidays - Pop.0 ep.26
In this TMO video podcast, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit look at Throttlegate, including Apple’s new apology letter. They also see some “encouraging Mac signs” from Apple, and even John is edging towards hopeful again. Which may be one of the seven signs of the apocalypse, but that’s another story. They cap the show examining the impact of Apple missing the holidays with its unshipped HomePod. (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
Build 20 Apps with the Complete iOS 11 and Swift Developer Course: $10
Check out the Complete iOS 11 and Swift Developer Course. It features 249 lectures and 34 hours of training content, and you’ll build 20 different apps during the course. You’ll also work with iOS 11, Swift 4, ARKit, MLKit, MusicKit, and the new Depth Photo API. You can get the full course through us for $10.
Apple Apologizes for Throttling Controversy, Offers $29 Battery Upgrades
Along with the apology came an offer of $29 battery upgrades, “for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced.
Apple Just Added an Important Security Feature to Control iMac Pro Boot Drives: Startup Security Utility
This feature will, in theory, stop someone from using their own boot drive to access, copy data from, or install malware or keyloggers on an iMac Pro.
Next FlipBook Maker Pro for Mac: $33.20
We have a deal for you on Next FlipBook Maker Pro for Mac. This software can turn your PDFs, images, and videos into flipbooks, and it includes templates. It’s $39.99 through us, but coupon code BESTOF2017 drops it down to $33.20.
Apple’s Battery PR Disaster, Social Media’s Negative Impact, and the Importance of Animoji – ACM 443
The boys are fuming over Apple’s self-induced iPhone battery fiasco, and argue the company will lose lawsuits over the issue, whether or not they lose in court. They also discuss Chamath Palihapitiya’s argument that social media is ripping society apart. They cap the show with an in-depth discussion on why Animoji is important, and how Apple is turning iMessage into a hybrid social media platform.
Octopus Kids Habit Tracking Watch: $59.99
We have a deal on the Octopus Kids Habit Tracking Watch. This wearable device is designed to link time to events using icons, say for brushing your teeth. It’s $59.99 through us.
Get $5 Off Fandango Movie Tickets through Apple Pay
According to Apple’s promo email, “Buy with Apple Pay on the Fandango app or Fandango.com through January 2 and get $5 off your order.”
VPN Unlimited 3-Year Subscription:
We have a deal on a three year subscription to VPN Unlimited. The service features unlimited bandwidth, servers in more than 50 countries, and more. It’s normally $29.99, but coupon code BESTOF17 at checkout drops it down to $24.90.
Grammarly Premium 1-Year Subscription: $69.98
We have a deal on a one year subscription to Grammarly Premium, a service that corrects hundreds of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. It also catches contextual errors, improves your vocabulary, and suggests style improvements. It’s $69.98 through us, a 49% discount.
One OS to Rule Them All, Apple's Structure Solved, 2018 MacBooks, Why Some Stuff Feels So Good - Pop.0 Ep.25
In this TMO video podcast, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit look at how Project Marzipan could lead to one OS to rule them all. John also says he has a solution for Apple’s corporate structure. They also pore over Intel’s roadmap to look at what could be coming to MacBook in 2018. And they cap the show by asking why it is that some things just plain feel so good. (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
iPad For Dummies Released, by Bob LeVitus, Ed Baig, and Bryan Chaffin
The 10th edition of iPad For Dummies was updated for Apple’s newest iPad Pro models and iOS 11, and there are a lot of changes for iPad in iOS 11.
PSA: Amazon Ends Music Uploads for Amazon Music Storage Plans
The company said it had already ended the ability to upload your own songs to the free version of Amazon cloud storage service, and that the ability to hear songs already uploaded would end in January of 2019.
SunFounder Nano DIY 4-DOF Robot Kit: $42.50
I love today’s deal for a SunFounder Nano DIY 4-DOF Robot Kit. This kit is compatible with the included SunFounder Nano board, or you can use it with an Arduino Nano board. The robot features two legs that you can program to walk, kick, or even dance, which is just too much fun. And, it has an HC-SR04 ultrasonic ranging module, so it can even detect and avoid obstacles intelligently. This kit is $49.99 through our deal, but coupon code GIFTSHOP15 brings the price down to $42.50 at checkout.