TMO’s Bryan Chaffin was at the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 launch event yesterday and got to get his hands on both devices as well as the AirPods. Bryan, along with John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple Watch Series 2 and how AirPods sound and work. Jeff also settles Bryan and John’s Apple Watch bet.
Jeff Gamet
Jeff Gamet is the Mac Observer’s Managing Editor, and co-host of the Apple Context Machine podcast. He is the author of “The Designer’s Guide to Mac OS X” from Peachpit Press, and writes for several design-related publications. Jeff has presented at events such as Macworld Expo, the RSA Conference, and the Mac Computer Expo. In all his spare time, he also hosts TMO’s Daily Observations podcast, co-hosts The iOS Show podcast, and makes guest appearances on several other shows, too. Jeff dreams in HD.
Articles by Jeff Gamet
Apple's iPhone 7 Headphone Adapter Costs $9
Apple is including a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter with the iPhone 7, but what happens when you lose yours? Apple is happy to sell you another, and it’ll cost you US$9.
Apple Drops Prices, Bumps Storage on iPad Line
The iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 were in the spotlight Wednesday morning, Apple quietly lowered the prices on the iPad lineup while bumping up storage. The 16GB storage option is gone and a 256GB option is available, just like the iPhone 7.
iOS 10, watchOS 3 Available Sept 13
iOS 10 and watchOS 3 are finally getting the nod of approval from Apple and will move from beta status to official releases on September 13th. The free upgrade will come three days before the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2 ship on September 16th.
macOS Sierra Coming September 20
Apple’s big focus today is the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, but that doesn’t mean the Mac didn’t get any love—or more precisely, macOS Sierra. Apple quietly updated the Sierra website on Wednesday to say the replacement for Mac OS X El Capitan will ship on September 20th.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-09-07: Hello iPhone 7, Apple Watch Series 2, and AirPods
Apple’s “See you on the 7th” media event just wrapped up, and there were plenty of big announcements. Dave Hamilton joins Jeff Gamet to talk about what stood out to them, like the new wireless AirPods, the A10 quad-core processor in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and the Apple Watch Series 2.
Apple goes Wireless with AirPods
Apple embraced wireless earbuds on Wednesday with the introduction of its AirPods earbuds. AirPods are designed to connect to the iPhone and Apple Watch over Bluetooth, and let you quickly switch between which device where they’re streaming audio.
iPhone 7 Coming Sept 16 with New Processors, Amazing Cameras
Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus during its “See you on the 7th” media event Wednesday morning. The new models replace the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus as Apple’s top of the line iPhones with faster processors and improved cameras.
Apple Intros Waterproof Apple Watch Series 2 with GPS
Apple’s September 7th media event was about more than just the iPhone 7 because we also got our first look at Apple Watch 2. This is the first refresh of Apple’s smartwatch since it shipped almost 18 months ago and adds new features like a built-in “swim-proof” waterproofing, and a GPS.
Pokémon GO Coming to Apple Watch
Pokémon GO is coming to the Apple Watch later this month, fixing a glaring omission in the game when it first launched on the iPhone. The Apple Watch version gives you notifications your wrist, lets you track in-game activities, and ties in with fitness tracking, too.
Apple Leaks iPhone 7 Features on Twitter
Apple hasn’t officially announced the iPhone 7 yet at its “See you on the 7th” media event, but that didn’t stop the company from revealing some of its features on Twitter. The company’s Twitter feed is highlighting features like waterproofness, new cameras, stereo speakers, and longer battery life.
TMO "See you on the 7th" Live Coverage
Apple’s “See you on the 7th” event is set to start at 10AM pacific time today, and The Mac Observer will be on location at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco to cover the day’s big announcements. CEO Tim Cook and other company executives are expected to take the stage to show off the successor to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, and possibly the Apple Watch 2.
Apple Store Offline Ahead of iPhone 7 Launch Event
Apple’s online store went offline Wednesday morning ahead of the company’s “See you on the 7th” special media event. The Apple Store app now says “We’ve got something special in store for you,” which most likely is the iPhone 7.
Don't Count on Kaby Lake Processors in the New MacBook Pro
With Intel’s Kaby Lake processors shipping and the MacBook Pro woefully overdue for a refresh, Apple could skip over Skylake and roll out new laptops with the latest chips—except that isn’t going to happen. Instead, Apple will most likely retire the aging Haswell chips it currently uses and finally move on to Skylake, and the really significant processor change won’t come until 2018 with Cannonlake.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-09-06: Apple and Age Discrimination, Apple Music's $99 Deal
The New York Times says Apple age discriminates against potential retail store employees. Dave Hamilton joins Jeff Gamet to discuss what they think may have really happened with the former Apple engineer who applied for a Genius Bar job, plus they look at Apple Music’s new discount annual price deal.
Apple Music gets $99 Annual Subscription via Gift Card
If an Apple Music subscription at US$120 a year is a little too expensive for you, try $99 instead. Apple is now offering the discounted subscription through a special gift card you can buy in the company’s retail stores.
Happy Labor Day
In observance of Labor Day, a U.S. holiday, The Mac Observer will be taking the day off for a little outdoor fun with friends and family, and we hope you are, too. We’ll resume our regular publishing schedule on Tuesday, September 6, just in time for Apple’s “See you on the 7th” media event. Enjoy the holiday!
TMO Daily Observations 2016-09-02: HP Exploits Slow Mac Refresh Cycle, App Store Cleanup
Apple’s slow Mac refresh cycle is HP’s opportunity. John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about how HP is taking advantage of the ongoing lack of new Mac hardware, plus they share their thoughts on Apple’s plan to clean house at the App Store.
Apple Cleaning House, Removing Abandoned Titles from App Store
Apple is about to start cleaning the App Store’s house by removing outdated and abandoned apps. The change should make it easier to find the apps you’re looking for, improve discoverability, and cut down on apps that aren’t compatible with current iOS versions. Developers trying to manipulate search results with long app names are in for a surprise, too.
Get Ready for the FBI's New Encryption Back Door Push
The FBI’s fight for government mandated backdoors into our encrypted data and devices is far from over, and Director James Comey says he plans to bring that back to the forefront next year. Mr. Comey says it’s time for an “adult conversation” on the topic, and that law enforcement needs an easy way to access our private data for criminal investigations.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-09-01: FBI Still Wants its Encryption Back Door
FBI Director James Comey isn’t ready to give up the fight to punch a hole through our encryption and privacy. Dave Hamilton and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to discuss the FBI’s stance on mandated back doors into encryption and the Director Comey’s need to save face in this argument.
Judge Rejects Monster's Claims in Beats Lawsuit
Monster Cable founder Noel Lee got a double-dose of disappointment: first, he missed out on a big cash win when Apple bought Beats, and now his lawsuit alleging the headphone maker scammed him out of that deal is on the rocks. The judge overseeing the case tossed out his claims only days before the scheduled trial which is now focused on whether Monster should have to pay Beats’ legal expenses.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-08-31: Monster v Beats Lawsuit Implodes, Dropbox Data Breach
Monster’s Noel Lee is having a pretty bad day because his lawsuit against Beats fell apart. Kelly Guimont joins Jeff Gamet to look at Mr. Lee’s claims he was duped to cut him out of the deal where Apple bought Beats. They also talk about the why Dropbox’s 2012 data breach is news again, and get a little excited about Stranger Things season 2.
It's Official: Stranger Things Season 2 is Coming in 2017
The Netflix original series Stranger Things was an instant hit and left us wanting more, and now that’s exactly what we’re getting. The Duffer brothers released a teaser trailer for the new season, and while it doesn’t include any clips from episodes it does list their titles. All nine of them: Mad Max, The Boy Who Came Back To Life, The Pumpkin Patch, The Palace, The Storm, The Pollywog, The Secret Cabin, The Brain, and The Lost Brother. 2017 can’t get here fast enough.