Apple has a thing for its billion milestones, and this time it’s for the iPhone. CEO Tim Cook says the company recently sold its billionth iPhone—a number the company hit just days before its third fiscal quarter earnings report.
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
Olympics Committee tells Non-sponsors to Stay off Twitter
The U.S. Olympics Committee has always had a pretty hard core control fetish, and this year that reaches all the way to Twitter. The organization plans to crack down on non-sponsors mentioning this year’s summer games—and that includes using trademarked hashtags such as #TeamUSA and #Rio2016. It’s almost like the USOC borrowed its rule book from Fight Club.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-27: AAPL Earnings Report, Banning Olympics Tweets
Apple’s 2016 third quarter earnings report is out, and the results both pleased and disappointed analysts. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s numbers, and offer their take on what they mean for the iPad market. They also have plenty to say about the U.S. Olympic Committee trying to control who gets to Tweet about the games.
Apple Pencil Could be Your Next Gaming Device
If Apple’s latest patent is any indication, your next Apple Pencil will be more than a pointing and drawing accessory for your iPad Pro. It’ll also be a pointing device for your Mac, and a joystick for gaming.
Apple Scores Exclusive Deal for CBS Carpool Karaoke TV Series
Carpool Karaoke, the wonderfully fun segment on The Late Late Show where host James Cordon sings in his car with celebrities, is getting its own spin-off series streaming exclusively on Apple Music. The deal shows Apple’s growing interest in original content, and could draw more subscribers to its streaming music service.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-26: Stronger iPhone Glass, Debunking iPhone 6SE
Apple’s iPhone display glass is pretty strong, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at whether or not the iPhone needs stronger glass, plus they shoot down the idea that the iPhone 7 will really be called the iPhone 6SE.
Investor's Expensive Lesson: Nintendo Didn't Make Pokémon GO
Investors, just like gamers, are a fickle lot, and Pokémon GO is showing just how true that is for Nintendo. The company’s stock shot up to its highest point in decades after pretty much everyone with a smartphone went crazy over the game, then took a big hit when Nintendo reminded investors it has only a partial stake in developer Niantic and Pokémon Company.
AAPL Q3 Earnings Report Set for Tuesday Afternoon
Apple’s 2016 third fiscal quarter earnings report is scheduled to start this afternoon after the market closes. This quarter will include iPhone SE sales, and analysts will be watching closely to see if the company’s smartphone numbers show a year-over-year decline for a second quarter. The Mac Observer will be here to bring you the latest news and analysis from the event, so be sure to follow along with us this afternoon.
Report Says iPhone 7 May be Called iPhone 6SE
Since this fall’s iPhone is expected to stick with the same body design as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s a new report claims instead of iPhone 7 Apple will call the new model iPhone 6SE. The source for the next iPhone’s name comes from supply sources in China, and doesn’t seem like a good fit considering Apple already sells an iPhone SE.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-25: Bob Mansfield's Apple Car, iPhone 7 Launch Date
A new report claims Bob Mansfield is in charge of the Apple Car project. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Bob running Project Titan, plus they have some things to say about a report tagging September 16th as the iPhone 7 release date.
iPhone 7 Reportedly Launching on Sept 16
Apple’s still unannounced iPhone 7 will reportedly be announced a little earlier than usual this year and hit store shelves on Friday, September 16th. Word of the release date comes via Venture Beat’s Evan Blass, who has a track record for predicting Android smartphone rollouts.
Pokémon GO Already the Most Downloaded iPhone App Ever
Pokémon GO launched in the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand only a couple weeks ago and it’s already the most download title on Apple’s App Store ever. More countries have been getting in on the game since then, and with Japan launching Pokémon GO today it’s a safe bet downloads are going to just keep climbing. That popularity is no doubt translating into big bucks for Nintendo and Apple thanks to in-app purchases, and also potentially slimer waist lines for players who’re getting off their couches and roaming the streets looking for Bulbasaur and Pikachu to catch. If Pokémon GO’s downloads are any indication, we really do have to catch ’em all.
iPhone 7 will be Waterproof, Include Lightning Headphone Dongle
Apple’s iPhone 7, expected to ship this fall, will include “professional class waterproofing” and a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack dongle. That’s according to Deutsche Bank analysts following Apple’s production closely.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-22: Unlocking iPhones with 3D Printed Fingers, Uber-waterproof iPhone 7
Scientists are working with the FBI to 3D print fingers so they can unlock smartphones. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about the potential privacy and security issues related to 3D printing copies of our fingers. They share their thoughts on a report claiming the iPhone 7 will sport pro-grade waterproofing.
New Security Threat Targets OS X, iOS through Graphics
There’s a new security threat for OS X and iOS that could let attackers remotely control your device or install malware by sending you an image file. The threat is fairly serious, although so far it’s still just a proof of concept, and Apple patched the flaw in OS X 10.11.6 and iOS 9.3.3.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-21: Apple Car Delays, Listener Feedback
A new report says Apple’s car won’t ship until 2021, but is that a problem? Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to weigh in with their opinions, plus they respond to listener comments from yesterday’s show where we discussed black box recorders in autonomous cars.
Withings Thermo Digital Thermometer gets FDA Greenlight
The Withings Thermo is a really cool digital thermometer we first saw at CES earlier this year, and now it’s available because it finally passed the FDA approval process. It senses your temperature without touching your skin, displays its readings instantly, and shows high temperature alerts. Thermo is more accurate than other digital thermometers thanks to its 16 infrared sensors that capture 4,000 measurements as it sweeps across your forehead. It syncs with your iPhone, offers advice based on readings, and can alert you when it’s time to take your temperature again. The Thermo costs US$99.95 and is available at the Apple Store and Withings website.
No, Apple didn't Buy Music Provider Omnifone
Earlier this month a report said online music provider Omnifone was being purchased by an unnamed U.S. company for US$10 million. Now a new report is out saying that company was Apple, but it’s very likely that’s not really the case.
WebP Comes to iOS 10, macOS Sierra Betas: What You Need to Know
Apple added support for Google’s WebP image format to Safari in the beta versions of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, which could make websites load faster. “Could,” in this case, assumes Apple keeps WebP support in the shipping versions of its operating systems, and Web developers adopt the format for their site images.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-20: Autonomous Car Black Boxes, WebP in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra
Germany wants black box recorders in autonomous cars. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at Germany’s plans and what that means for anyone considering buying a self driving car. They also explain WebP, Google’s image format Apple is supporting in the iOS 10 and macOS Sierra betas.
Apple Music Users: How to Disable iTunes Match Subscription Auto-renew
Apple is taking some of the confusion out of its subscription services by bringing iTunes Match’s song matching system to Apple Music. That means Apple Music users will have get a much better matching algorithm, they get DRM-free versions of matched songs, and they don’t need their iTunes Match subscriptions any more. If that sounds like a winning combo to you, it’s time to disable auto-renew for your iTunes Match account. Read on to learn how.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-19: Iran's Smartphone Database, Apple Music Improves Song Matching
Iran wants Apple to join a smartphone registry, or it’ll ban and confiscate iPhones in the country. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Iran’s demands, plus they dive into the changes in Apple Music song matching.
Iran Ready to Ban and Confiscate iPhones
The Iranian government has given Apple an ultimatum: register with the country’s anti-smuggling office now, or all iPhones will be banned and confiscated. The demand comes as part of Iran’s plans to create a database of every cell phone in the country under the guise of blocking smuggling.
New Star Trek Series Coming to Netflix Streaming, but not in the US
Netflix announced a deal with CBS Studios International on Monday to stream the new Star Trek television series in countries around the world. Episodes will air within 24 hours of their showing after the show launches in 21017, except in the United States where viewers will still need a CBS All Access account. You didn’t misread that: the new Star Trek series won’t be available on Netflix Streaming in the U.S.