We have a deal on Movavi Screen Capture Pro for Mac. This software allows you to capture stills or video recordings of your Mac, make tutorials, record games, etc. It’s $19 through us. [Update: Coupon code “GIFTSHOP15” will get you another 15% off, for a final price of $16.15.]
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
Watch Apple's 2 Minute Video on Inclusion and Diversity Called 'Open'
Apple has a new video out called “Inclusion & Diversity — Open.” It’s a two-minute tribute to the value that an open and diverse workplace can bring to a company like Apple, and it features “68 employees revealing who we are.” In the YouTube description, Apple said, “At Apple, ‘open’ isn’t just a word. It’s our culture. One that embraces faiths, disabilities, races, ages, ideologies, personalities, and differences. Because humanity isn’t singular. It’s plural.” Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has made a big push to increase the diversity of its work force and executive team. Like other Silicon Valley companies working on this same issue, Apple remains overwhelmingly white and male, even with recent progress. This video is, in part, a sales pitch for people of diverse backgrounds to work at Apple, and it’s a pretty good pitch.
Jennifer Anniston Returns to TV with Reese Witherspoon in Original Apple Series
The show has been ordered in a straight-to-series deal for two seasons, bypassing the pilot stage entirely.
uBar Dock Replacement for Mac: $12.74
We have a deal for you today on uBar, a Dock replacement for Mac. uBar is customizable, expandable, can be displayed on one or all of your monitors, and it has a variety of built-in functions. Check out the deal listing for more. It’s $14.99 through our deal, but you can use coupon code “GIFTSHOP15” at checkout for another 15% off, for a total of $12.74.
Apple Fixes i-Becomes-A with a Symbol Autocorrect Bug in iOS 11.1.1
The autocorrect bug has been intermittently annoying a subset of users since the release of iOS 11.1.
This Wallpaper Is the Best Use of the iPhone X Notch Yet
Yeah, I think Kelly Guimont just won the Internets. Maybe two of them, because check out this wallpaper on an iPhone X she posted to Instagram. That has to be the absolutely very best use of the iPhone X notch we’ll ever see. Enjoy!
Encryption Debate, Apple's Paradise Papers, iPhone X - ACM 436
The false dichotomy that we must choose between privacy and safety when it comes to encryption has once again reared its ugly head, and Bryan and Jeff discuss why that’s so dangerous. They also look at how Apple was affected by the so-called Paradise Papers, and discuss Jeff’s initial impressions of the iPhone X. For added fun, Jeff mocks Bryan for not having his iPhone X yet.
RevolCam Has 3 Lenses, a Light, and a Selfie Mirror for your iPhone: $34.99
We have a deal on RevolVam, a lens set for your iPhone (or Android device) that packs three lenses, an LED light, and a selfie mirror, all in one. Lenses include wide angle, fisheye, and macro lense, and the LED light is removable. It’s $34.99 through us.
Apple Releases macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 Public Beta 2
Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.3.2 Public Beta 2 on Tuesday, one day after the release of Developer Beta 2.
iPhone X Cases with Wood and Stone Backs from WÜD Life
The wood is layered, treated, and coated with a protective layer, while the stone is attached to a layer of adhesive, another layer of fiberglass, and then a background material.
PDFpenPro 9: $52.70
We have a deal for you today on PDFpenPro 9 for Mac, from Smile Software. This is the professional PDF editor that allows you to edit PDFs, mark them up, add signatures, do OCR, and more. It’s listed for $62, but coupon code “GIFTSHOP15” will get you another 15% off, for a final price of $52.70.
Apple Seeds watchOS 4.2 Developer Beta 2
No feature changes have been announced with this release, making it a bug fix and improvement cycle that also keeps up with iOS 11.2 DB2, macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 DB2, and tvOS 11.2 DB2.
Apple Seeds tvOS 11.2 Developer Beta 2
This tvOS release cycle adds an developer API called AVDisplayManager for automatic display mode switching and support for the Unwatched category in Home Sharing.
Apple Seeds macOS High Sierra 10.3.2 Developer Beta 2
No new features have as yet surfaced on the 10.3.2 release cycle, suggesting its a bug fix and performance-centric update.
Last Chance to Pay What You Want for the Fab 5 Mac App Bundle
The Pay What You Want deal for the Fab 5 Mac App Bundle is coming to a close. Pay anything, as little as a penny, and you’ll get MacCleans 6. But if you beat the average price ($12.86 as of this writing), you’ll also get TechTool Pro 9.5, RapidWeaver 7, Hands Off!, and AfterShot Pro 3. Make the leaderboard at any time, and you’ll be entered into the Tech Bundle giveaway.
5 Drop-Protection Cases for iPhone X
Here are some of the best drop-protection cases for iPhone X that have crossed Bryan Chaffin’s desk in the lead up to Friday’s launch.
5 Leather Cases for iPhone X
Here are some of the best leather cases for iPhone X that have crossed Bryan Chaffin’s desk in the lead up to Friday’s launch.
Phil Schiller Kicks In $25 Million to Boston College for Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society
This is the second major donation from Apple’s top marketing exec for higher education in the last two months.
Here's a Force Flyers DIY Building Block Drone for $32.99
We have a deal for you today on a Force Flyers DIY Building Block Fly ‘n Drive Drone. It comes with a 2.4GHz transmitter for long-range flight control, a 6-axis gyro, and you build it yourself for $32.99! How fun is that?
Apple Lays an Old-Fashioned Beat Down on Wall Street Expectations with Revenues of $52.6B, EPS $2.07
Apple reported revenues of $52.6 billion, up 12 percent year-over-year, and earnings per share of $2.07, up 24 percent year-over-year. [Updated]
iPhone X Notch, iWork Is Dead, Zombie Physics, Bitcoin/Hashgraph - Pop.0 Ep. 18
Are you for or against the iPhone X notch? Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit are joined by Walt to go over the issues—or lack thereof. They also argue about the state of Apple’s iWork suite, and ask if we’re seeing signs of progress in Apple’s ability to iterate existing projects. For the pop portion of the show, they visit the ever-burning question of zombie physics. And to cap the show, the look at the huge run in Bitcoin, as well as a blockchain tech called hashgraph. Make sure you subscribe! (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
Jamstik+ Portable Smart Guitar:
We have a deal on the Jamstik+ portable smart guitar. This device has a short neck/fretboard, and uses an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac (including MIDI-enabled apps like Logic, GarageBand, Ableton Live, and more) to produce sounds. It’s $279.99 through our deal. There’s a video on the device in the deal listing.
Bryan’s HomeKit Problems, HomePod’s SiriKit, Apple’s Product Improvements - ACM 435
Bryan and Jeff explore the good points and less-than-good points of Apple’s HomeKit, and the news that HomePod is going to need your iPhone to do some things. They also look at mounting evidence that Apple is back in gear for regular updates across its product line.
Apple Releases a Significant Update to GarageBand for iOS with New Sequencer, Sound Library, Instruments
Apple released GarageBand 2.3 for iOS, a significant upgrade that adds a sequencer, a sound library, and new instruments to the recording software.