Apple Music has a new promo video out, and I love it. It’s called Apple Music Anthem, and it channels what can only be described as the trippy. What’s even better is that all of the imagery is being taken from rock and pop videos, album covers, and iconic imagery from past and present. And all of that imagery is being repurposed in very different ways. Take Sia’s half white, half black wig. It’s there, but it’s on the iTunes to 1/8-notes icon. Drake’s now-iconic dance is in the video, too, but it’s been composited with the iTunes logo, too. In fact, it’s that logo that’s the unifying feature of the spot, and it’s very reminiscent of the sort of thing MTV did in its heyday. In any event, I love this spot.
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
Here's a Discount on Cyberpunk Horror Game '>observer_' for Mac
I’m delighted to announce that we have a discount for you on >observer_, the popular cyberpunk horror game Aspyr brought to the Mac. The discount is for the Steam version of the game, where you can get it for $24.99 (regularly $29.99).
iMemPro USB-C Hub for Apple MacBook Pro: $59.99
We have a deal for you on the iMemPro USB-C Hub for Apple MacBook Pro. It features a ThunderBolt 3 port, a USB-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, a 4k HDMI port, and an SD/MicroSD card reader. It’s $59.99 through us.
tvOS 11.1 Keeps Up with the Joneses, Fixes KRACK
The release keeps Apple TV up with the OS Joneses, in time with the release of iOS 11.1, macOS High Sierra 10.13.1, and watchOS 4.1.
Apple Releases macOS High Sierra 10.13.1: New Emojis, Bug Fixes, Enterprise Content
The update includes the same 70 new emojis introduced in iOS 11.1, several bug fixes, and some enterprise-specific fixes, and the security patch notes for the release include fixes for dozens of vulnerabilities.
Apple Releases iOS 11.1 with New Emojis, KRACK Fix, and 3D Touch App Switcher
Other changes include bug fixes for Photos, Accessibility, notifications, an annoying bug that kept some app icons from showing on Apple Watch, and more.
You Can Buy Steve Jobs’s BMW Z8, or 400 iPhone Xs
Steve Jobs’s BMW Z8 has had three owners, and has an estimated value between US$300,000 and $400,000 — or, 400 iPhone Xs, as long as you’re not buying them off Ebay.
HomeSpot AirBeans X True Wireless Earbuds: $49.99
We have a deal on a pair of HomeSpot AirBeans X True Wireless Earbuds. These in-ear wireless Bluetooth earbuds come with three sizes of inserts and use Bluetooth 4.2. They’re $49.99 through us.
Best Buy and AT&T Still Have iPhone X Models Available 11/3 - 11/10
It’s a good bet both of these will change in the next few hours, so get ’em while you can.
Twist Plus World Charging Station: $31.99
Check out the Twist Plus World Charging Station. It can plug into any power outlet in the world, and it has four USB ports for charging multiple devices. It also has a MacBook adapter on the bottom you can slide your MacBook’s charging brick onto. It’s $31.99 through our deal. Update: Coupon code “SAVE15” will get you another 15% off this deal.
![iPhone X Orders Arrive, Delivery Times Jump to 2-3 Weeks in Minutes [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/iphone-x-november-3-1200x630.jpg)
iPhone X Orders Arrive, Delivery Times Jump to 2-3 Weeks in Minutes [Update]
The online Apple Store came back online at approximately 12:13 AM PDT, while the iPhone app was working as early as 12:03 AM and the iPad app was hit or miss.
Carpool Karaoke with James Corden and Lebron James on Halloween (Trailer)
Apple Music teased the Halloween episode of Carpool Karaoke with James Corden and Lebron James on Thursday. It’s a short teaser at just 31 seconds, with a glimpse at a buddy cop-style skit. This is one of just a couple of episodes in season one of the standalone adaptation of Carpool Karaoke that feature James Corden.
Time Travel, Worst Apple CEO Successors, iPhone Production Skyfall - Pop.0 Ep. 17 [Video Podcast]
From The Dragonriders of Pern to Dark Matter to Back to the Future, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit discuss the right and wrong way to handle time travel storytelling. They throw in some new black hole theories for fun. They also discuss who they think would be the worst candidates for Apple CEO, and Chicken Little iPhone production skyfalling predictions. Make sure you subscribe! (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)
Amazon’s Key to Your Home, HomeKit Lights, Port-Free iPhones - ACM 434
Amazon Key will let delivery people into your home when you aren’t there, and Bryan and Jeff discuss the pros and cons. Jeff also gives Bryan a primer on starting off with HomeKit devices that don’t need a third party hub. They cap the show with the idea that Apple could be working towards a completely-sealed iPhone.
ChargeTech Portable Power Outlet: $279
We have a deal for you today on the ChargeTech Portable Power Outlet. This beast features a 27,000mAh battery capacity, two USB ports, and an AC port for plugging in your MacBook. It has an AC plug for charging itself, too. It’s $279 through us.
iOS 11's Instructions for Stopping Family Sharing Plan: Transfer Your Kid to Another Family
Ouch. That seems a bit drastic, and is it even legal?
Naztech Xtra Drive Mini Plus 16GB microSD Card: $44.99
We have a deal on the Naztech Xtra Drive Mini, plus a 16GB microSD card, for $44.99. You can save another 15% off using coupon code SAVE15, for a final pice of $38.24. The Naztech Xtra Drive Mini has a Lightning jack on one end and a USB jack on the other for storing and transferring data on an iPhone or iPad.
This Smart Camera Levitates and Rotates
Check out The Moon from 1-Ring on Indiegogo. It’s a levitating smart camera. And while smart cameras don’t need to levitate to do their thing, this one can rotate while it’s levitating, and that means turning silently. It’s controllable from a smartphone app, and features night vision, motion detection, and notifications. It will also serve as a home automation hub for Philips Hue, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Homekit. It has integrated temperature, humidity, CO2 and light sensors. Oh, and it looks like a frickin’ Death Star! I haven’t tested one of these things, and I don’t know if they can do everything they say they can do, but the campaign raised more than $89,000 in no time. There’s a month left, and the original goal was just $45,000. As of this writing, there are funding levels of $209 that will get you one, but there aren’t many of those left. It’s supposed to ship in March of 2018.
Apple Video Shows You How to Edit Portrait Lighting in 44 Seconds
Apple has a new video tutorial that shows you how to edit Portrait Lighting photos taken with an iPhone 8 Plus in 44 seconds. I think Apple has something with this mode, and I hope the company brings it to more devices in the future. In the meanwhile, if you have an iPhone 8 Plus and want to make the most of Portrait Lighting, check out this video.
Apple Video Explains How-to Shoot with Portrait Lighting on iPhone 8 Plus
Apple has a new video how-to on YouTube for using Portrait Lighting on an iPhone 8 Plus. It’s a quick walk-through of the basic steps and options one has when using this feature.
Quicken for Mac 2018 Launches, Subscription Only
The company has three different version of the accounting and billing software, Quicken Starter, Quicken Deluxe, and Quicken Premier.
Jeff Williams Hints at an Apple Disruption in Health Care with AI
Speaking at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s 30th anniversary celebration in Taipei, Mr. Williams said the world is “at an inflection point.”
Gifting Air Travel by the Hour, iPad Controlled VW Bus - TMO Daily Observations 2017-10-23
Bryan Chaffin is joined by Jeff Butts and Andrew Orr to chat about Skyhour app’s new ability to gift air travel by the hour. They also look at VW’s plans for an iPad-controlled VW Bus.