Allow me to state up front that I don’t agree with the sentiment of this parody video, but it’s very well done and very funny. It’s a snarky look at the “$1,000 Emoji Machine,” aimed at the Animoji feature unique to iPhone X. Also, it’s not safe for work.
Check out the Amazing Colors in Apple's 'iPhone X' Commercial
Apple released a bunch of solid commercials Tuesday, but iPhone X is my favorite. It uses some gorgeous colors splashing around as a lure for the devices OLED screen. The colors grabbed my attention during the keynote when it was first shown. They reminded me a lot of the 70s’ kid’s toy, the Magic Window, but with a lot more colors. It’s compelling, bold, striking, and sexy. Interestingly, text at the end of the spot indicates that it hasn’t been approved by the FCC, and specifies that it can’t be sold until it is.
Apple Claims Apple Watch #1 Watch in the World
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Tuesday that Apple Watch is not just the number one smartwatch on the planet, it’s now the number one watch. It would represent a huge accomplishment for Apple, and one that should scare the pants off the watch world. In the screenshot I included, Apple Watch is about to overcome Rolex to be the top brand in terms of sales.
Apple Says New York City's 5th Ave Glass Cube Will Return
Apple senior vice president Angela Ahrendts said Tuesday that the iconic glass cube will return to its 5th Ave Apple store location. The announcement came during the company’s fall media event, in Apple Park’s Steve Jobs Theater.
Join TMO in a Live Hangout for Apple's Media Event
Hey, folks. Join the TMO “backroom” while we watch, process, and discuss Apple’s keynote today in realtime. We’ll have the chatroom open so you can share your thoughts, too!
BopPad Uses Smartcloth to Improve Drum Pad Response
There’s a new drum pad out there from Keith McMillen Instruments (KMI) that uses smartcloth to make the device more accurate and responsive. At least that’s what the company claims, and they’re using smart fabric sensors from BeBop Sensors to do it. Funded on Kickstarter last year, BopPad is a, “location and pressure-sensitive drum controller with a wicked-fast playing surface.” I’ve yet to meet an electronic drum I love to play, but I’m looking forward to checking out BopPad. Just watch the video. The device is $199 through the KMI website.
Hey Musicians, How about a Wearable Metronome?
Here’s something for musicians called Soundbrenner Pulse. It’s a wearable metronome that uses haptic feedback so you can feel the beat. The company says that haptic feedback is “up to seven times stronger than the vibrational alerts found in today’s smartwatches.” This is a standalone device that can be strapped around your arm or leg, or worn on your chest. Better yet, it’s controlled by an app that can sync with up to five Soundbrenner Pulses. That means five people in the band could be marching to the same beat! Come on, that could be game changing for musicians! Soundbrenner Pulse is $99 at Amazon, and it’s shipping now.
These Could Be the Official Names of Apple's New iPhones
Kudos to 9to5Mac‘s publisher, Seth Weintraub, for a huge scoop. Reporting from Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA), an electronics trade show in Berlin, Mr. Weintraub uncovered what could well be the official names of Apple’s next round of iPhones. Specifically: iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone Edition. The news is based on leaks from Apple’s supply chain that wound up in the hands of case makers. Those case makers were confident enough in their intel to start printing up packaging for cases for unannounced iPhones. Read through his entire piece, as he makes a very compelling argument for why this information is likely reliable. If it does turn out to be true, it would mean that Apple is skipping the “iPhone 7s” and jumping straight to iPhone 8 for its base iPhone line. The much-rumored special iPhone, which had been dubbed everything from iPhone Pro to iPhone 8, will be iPhone Edition. It’s a good lineup of names, in my opinion, and I think there’s a lot of merit to this story.
Instagram Stories Now Available on the Web
Instagram announced Thursday that the platform’s Stories will soon be viewable on the Web. This means IG users will be able to see them on a browser on Mac or PC, or on a mobile device if you don’t want to use the Instagram app. Previously they were available only in the app. Stories were essentially copied from SnapChat, and have proven immensely popular for Instagram, too. Stories last 24 hours only and are comprised of either live streams, videos, or stills. I’m not seeing them in my personal Instagram feed yet, but the company said that when they appear, they’ll be, “at the top of feed on mobile web, and to the right of your feed on desktop web.”
Absorbits Wet Phone Rescue Pouch for Home Smartphone Drying
There’s a new company called Absorbits tackling the problem of wet iPhones and other smartphones. The company’s self-titled products is a sleeve designed to draw moisture out of a wet device. It’s reusable, comes in four colors, and is a DIY solution for drying your iPhone for $9.99 through Amazon. I haven’t tested it yet, but will should I dunk my iPhone in the future.
Alexander Hamilton Papers Now Online at Library of Congress
Alexander Hamilton is household name these days for many reasons, perhaps even moreso in my house, but likely yours just the same. The Library of Congress has now published digital versions of over 12,000 letters, legal papers, speech drafts, and more, many of which are in Hamilton’s own writing. The example shown here is a letter Hamilton wrote on November 11, 1769 when he was 12-years-old in St. Croix, telling his friend that he would “willing risk my life tho’ not my character to exalt my station.” There are some fascinating treasures within.
You Won't Believe How Real This Food Looks in an ARKit Demo Video
Check out this ARKit demo for a menu app called Kabaq. The idea for the app is that a restaurant builds their menus to show customers what their food would look like on the plate in front of them. And wowza, does it look real! At least in this demo video. AppleInsider found it, along with another great ARKit video, and they noted the developers see cookbooks using their technology, too. Either way, it’s a much more practical application of augmented reality (AR) than the games that have dominated early exposure so far. This app is made possible by ARKit in iOS 11, which is expected to ship in September.
What to Do Now That CrashPlan for Home is Going Away
This week’s Mac Geek Gab had many listeners writing and calling in, asking for guidance on their cloud backup options now that CrashPlan has announced the end of CrashPlan for Home. John and Dave talk through various solutions including BackBlaze, B2, Amazon Glacier, CrashPlan for Small Business, and others. Listen to this Mac Geek Gab Highlight from MGG 672 to hear the advice of your two favorite geeks.
Apple Moves Some Safari Extensions to Mac App Store
Apple launched a new Safari Extensions section on the Mac App Store this week. Currently there are 27 Safari Extensions on the MAS, a mix of free and for-fee Extensions. The original Safari Extensions Gallery website is still available, too, though, where you can find every Extension available. There wasn’t a lot of information released with the Mac App Store addition, and we don’t yet know if Apple plans to move all of them. Safari Extensions add hooks into apps, services, and other features into Apple’s Safari browser. Many are free—especially app companions—while others come with a (small) price tag.
Apple I Originally Gifted by the Two Steves Going Up for Auction
Another Apple I computer is going up for auction, according to BusinessInsider (via 9to5Mac). This one was gifted to its original owner—Adam Schoolsky—by his friends Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It also includes an Apple I cassette interface card, a drawing from Apple cofounder Ron Wayne, and a prank flier made by Messrs. Schoolsky and Wozniak for the 1977 West Coast Computer Faire. All of those things makes this auction a little special from other Apple I auctions, but it will also be a charity auction by CharityBuzz, the folks who auction off those coffee dates with Apple execs. Proceeds benefit FAIRS, a nonprofit that develops amateur and emergency radio services in developing countries. CharityBuzz hasn’t listed the auction yet.
How to save both Optimized and Original iCloud Photos on the Same Mac
Listener Dan has wants to store optimized version of his iCloud Photos on his MacBook Pro’s internal drive, and full-sized originals on his external drive. An interesting dilemma, for sure! In this week’s Mac Geek Gab Highlight, Dave and John talk through the solution for this one. Listen, learn, and enjoy!
Apple Leaks Go Back Almost 30 Years (Video)
Generally speaking, the only secrets Apple can keep any more are products developed and manufactured internally. Put another way, some software and the Mac Pro. But Apple has always leaked like a sieve. Enter this video from 1988 found and digitized by Fast Company. It’s a news broadcast from a local San Francisco television station interviewing David Bunnell, editor for a now-defunct publication called Macintosh Today. He went on to found PC Magazine, PC World, and Macworld, but back at Macintosh Today, he had just scooped Apple with a story about the not-yet announced Mac Portable (or Luggable, as it was nicknamed). His story was based on a 160-page document his magazine got its hands on. 160 pages! I suppose this is proof that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Comcast Launches Xfinity Mobile Wireless Service Nationwide
Just in case you were thinking to yourself, “Hey, Comcast doesn’t have a big enough footprint in my life,” I’ve got good news for you. The media behemoth announced Friday that Xfinity Mobile is launching nationwide in the U.S. Comcast commercials ask, “It makes you wonder: shouldn’t we get our phones and internet from the same company?” Quick response: no it doesn’t and how on earth does that make sense? Anyhoo…it’s $45 per line per month for unlimited data or $12 per month per GB of data.
Formula One 2017 for Mac with Same Day Release as Windows on August 25th
Feral Interactive announced Friday that Formula One 2017 will be released on August 25th, with a same-day release for Mac and PC. The game, created by Codemasters, offers a stunning Formula One racing experience. In addition to the trailer below, Codemasters released a 26 minute, unedited gameplay video that is just unbelievable. The game features a Research 7 Development tree, the ability to tune the cars, a career mode, and off-track activities. The game will be available through Feral and Steam for US$59.95, with a Mac App Store version coming later for $49.99. System requirements haven’t published, but are likely to be steep. If you’re a racing game enthusiast, it’ll be worth it.
BioShock Remastered Coming to macOS - Here Are the Macs That Will Run It
Feral Interactive announced that BioShock Remastered is coming to macOS on August 22nd. The Remastered version of BioShock brings the Art Deco first person shooter to 1080p, but you’re going to need a Mac from 2013 or later to run it. Feral announced requirements today, including: all 21.5” iMacs since late 2013 (1GB Nvidia GT 750M Models are not officially supported); all 27” iMacs since late 2013 (1GB Nvidia GT 755M Models are not officially supported); all 13” MacBook Pros since late 2016; all 15” MacBook Pros since late 2013, and all Mac Pros since late 2013. The company said that Late 2012 iMac models with 2GB Nvidia 680MX graphics cards are also supported. The game will play on 2012 and other 2013 Macs, as well, but aren’t officially supported. BioShock Remastered will be priced at $19.99 through Feral and Steam, and a Mac App Store will be released “shortly afterwards.”
This Video Shows You How to Transfer an App from Apple Watch to Atari 2600
You know how you’ve got an Atari app stored on your Apple Watch and you need to get it over to your Atari 2600? Hello? Anyone? OK, fine. No one needs to do this, but YouTuber napabar didn’t let something as petty as need stop him. No, he was motivated by could. Using a Compumate addon, he was able to transfer the apps and run them, because who doesn’t need to guess a number between 1 and a 100 in 8-bit glory…OK, again, need doesn’t apply. Check it out. It’s super geeky cool, and we salute napabar!
Here's Where to Find Protective Eyewear for the Solar Eclipse
The August 21st solar eclipse is fast approaching, which means time is running out to get ready for the event. I’ve already said how important the right protective eyewear is and I’ll say it again: If you don’t use ISO 12312-2 certified eye protection to watch the eclipse you’ll damage your eyes and may go blind. Eye protection that meets the ISO standard is getting harder to find with the eclipse only days away, but the American Astronomical Society has an awesome list of glasses and retailers that may have them on its website. If you don’t have your eclipse glasses yet this is a handy resource to track some down before next Monday.
How to Restore Spotlight App Launching in iOS 11 Beta
Many folks using the latest iOS 11 betas have been unable to launch apps in Spotlight search by just typing a fragment of the app’s name. We dug into this and, in this week’s Mac Geek Gab Highlight, we’ll tell you how to fix it! Listen, learn, and then subscribe to MGG if you want to hear tips shared like this every week!
Watch All of the ARKit Demos We Can Find in one Place
ARKit, Apple’s answer to augmented reality (AR) on iOS, has become tremendously popular already. Folks have posted quite a few ARKit demos on YouTube since Apple’s announcement of of the software development kit at WWDC 2017. We’ve covered many of these demonstrations in previous articles. This morning, though, I needed a YouTube playlist of them for an article at AppAdvice about IDC’s report that Augmented and Virtual Reality are going to see some serious increase in revenues. Not finding one, I decided to create my own. Since I love all of you, I decided to share that YouTube playlist with you. Without further ado, here it is. We will add to it as more ARKit demonstrations come on our radar.