Now that we’re thinking about privacy and the security of our computers and mobile devices again, we’re worried about encrypting email. Jeff Butts is here to set your mind at ease that email encryption is alive and well, and surprisingly easy to do on the Mac.
Columns & Opinions
Perspectives on Blancco's State of Mobile Device Report (iOS & Android)
Recently, Blancco published a report on the performance and health of iPhones and Android smartphones. A key finding was that iPhones are less reliable than Android devices. It created quite a stir, and the report intrigued John, so he asked for a copy of the report and looked into the findings. Here’s what he found.
Be More Productive: Try a Different Keyboard
Last week Dr. Mac showed you how you could improve your typing skills for free at www.typingtest.com. But that’s only half the story. He also types significantly faster on his third-party keyboard than any keyboard Apple has made in the last decade…
Check This Out - You Can Replace Your Computer With Your iPhone
Our iPhones have a lot of potential for computer power, but we might not think of them as desktop or laptop replacements. Writing this entire article on an iPhone instead of a computer, Jeff Butts explores this possibility and lets you know what you can do with that supercomputer in your pocket.
Apple Dropping iPhone Lightning Port for USB-C? I Don't Think So
Hold on to your cables, kids, because Apple is ditching the Lightning port on the iPhone 8. A new report claims Apple is replacing the Lightning connector with USB-C on the new model, but I’m not convinced.
The Thinking Behind a Female Voice for Siri
Siri started out with a female voice exclusively, but now it can be changed to male. Alexa uses only a female voice. Cortana’s voice, for now, is strictly female. Why is that? Is it sexism? Is it for better intelligibility? John looks into the matter.
7 Reasons For Apple to Discontinue the Mac Pro
Recently, John Martellaro took a philosophical tour of the idea that Apple might well want to discontinue some products that we’ve become fond of. The pros and cons. One reader asked what the pros would be to sending the Mac Pro into extinction. John tries to answer that question.
The Pros and Cons of Legacy Apple Products Going Extinct
It seems that there is just as much fuss about Apple products that seem to be on the verge of extinction as there is about exciting new products. John looks at the economics and psychology of Apple dropping beloved products like certain Macs, Airport base stations, displays and other devices that we’ve come to depend on. Are we on the verge of a new age of Apple?
Be More Productive by Typing Faster
“If you’re not typing at least 40 words per minute, you’re wasting time. Possibly the easiest way to get more done in less time is to become a better typist.” Dr. Mac’s been saying it for nearly 30 years. Here’s why…
Apple, Let Us Tune into Those FM Radio Channels
Your iPhone has an FM radio chip that you’ve never been able to use. FCC chairman Ajit Pai thinks that’s a shame, and so does Jeff Butts. While the FCC chairman isn’t going to try forcing Cupertino to turn on the chip, he’s certainly turning up the heat about it. Let’s see what the good chairman has to say, and what impact that might have on streaming music services.
iPhone 8 and 3D: It's About Facial Recognition, not AR
There’s plenty of speculation about what new technology will come with the iPhone 8. Do recent trademark filings mean it will use an iris scanner instead of Touch ID? What about augmented reality; will that be the hottest new feature to arrive in Apple’s mobile phone? Or are all of these rumors completely off base, and the plan is actually for the iPhone 8 to unlock your phone based on how well it can recognize your face? Jeff Butts digs deep into the science and the rumors, and offers his take on the matter.
Who's More Intelligent, Apple's Siri or Amazon's Alexa?
In the battle of virtual personal assistants, Apple and Amazon have strong contenders. Which one is “smarter,” though, Siri or Alexa? Perhaps it’s too early to really call the race, since both personal assistants keep growing and evolving. Be that as it may, Jeff Butts has put both through their paces, and shares his thoughts.
Apple, Kill the LG UltraFine 5K and Make Your Own Displays
As if it weren’t bad enough that the LG UltraFine 5K performed poorly when placed too close to a wireless router, now Apple’s shipping times for the display have slid to five to six weeks. Jeff thinks that it just might be time for Cupertino to resume making the displays for their Macs and MacBook Pros instead of relying on the third-party market to fill the void.
Tempered Tantrum: Screen Protectors for iPhones
iPhone cases may be great for protecting the back and sides of your iPhone, but most of them offer little or no protection for the screen. Bob LeVitus runs us through some tempered glass protectors, and weighs the pros and cons of using cheap one or paying for premium products.
Apple Cash Hoard Tops $246 Billion, Enough to Buy 4.9 Billion Amazon Echo Dots
Apple’s cash hoard swelled to a staggering $246.09 billion in the December quarter, an increase of $8.49 billion. This, despite returning some $15 billion to shareholders in the form of stock buybacks and dividends. It’s an unprecedented concentration of corporate wealth that would let Apple buy more than 4.9 billion Amazon Echo Dots if it wanted.
Apple CEO Tim Cook Says Trump's Muslim Ban 'Is Not a Policy We Support'
Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees Saturday that President Trump’s Muslim ban, “is not a policy we support.” Echoing his many previous comments on diversity, Mr. Cook said, “Apple would not exist without immigration.”
Just in Cases: iPhone Protection 2017
This week Dr. Mac looks at three new iPhone cases he likes and recommends and one iPhone case that was more fragile than the iPhone it was meant to protect.
Automatic Photo Enhancement by Photolemur for Mac
If you don’t enjoy tweaking your photos as much as Dr. Mac does, you might enjoy a little program he’s been testing called Photolemur ($49), which improves your photos automagically and may be just the ticket for the tweak-averse.
![Some People Have Found Coins In Their MacBook [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/macbook-featured.jpg)
Some People Have Found Coins In Their MacBook [Update]
In today’s weird news, apparently some people have found coins hidden inside their MacBook, specifically the optical drive. Is this an engineering tradition of good luck? Or perhaps an error in manufacturing? We dive in to explore the explanations, and apply Occam’s Razor in a show of logic. Updated with comments from Kyle Wiens of iFixIt.
Apple Finds Bug after Consumer Reports MacBook Pro Battery Test
Consumer Reports said in a blog post Tuesday that Apple has a fix for a bug uncovered in CR testing. According to statements from both CR and Apple, there was a bug in Safari that caused battery life issues on Apple’s new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, and Apple has released a fix for that bug to its beta program, and said it will release it to the public in the coming weeks.
Sony Does About-Face - Introduces OLED 4K/UHD TV With Dolby Vision
LAS VEGAS — For a long time, Sony has had an excellent reputation for building great TVs. However, until yesterday, only LG was selling those magnificent OLED 4K/UHD TVs. Now, Sony has joined the fray with its own branded OLED 4K/UHD sets, and they’re amazing. And not only HDR but Dolby Vision to boot. The word is… wow.
My 3 Favorite iOS Apps From 2016
As 2016 comes to an end, it’s nice to look back and reflect upon the year. I’d like to share my three favorite apps that I’ve used this year, and why I liked them: Cryptomator, RNI Flashback, and Curiosity.
Here's Why a Plastic OLED Display iPhone Is a Good Thing
A new report claims Apple’s next iPhone will replace the glass LED display with curved Plastic OLED. On the surface that sounds like a bad idea because plastic, after all, scratches much easier than glass—but in this case, “Plastic OLED” doesn’t mean “plastic display.”
Apple's TV App Reveals its Plight with Television Industry
From time to time, we’ve seem articles that explain Apple’s plight with its TV business. But John has found a splendidly complete diagnosis at The Verge for this week’s focus. It examines the deepest motivations of Apple, it’s clash with the entertainment industry, its successes and failures, and how that has, in turn, affected Apple TV software design and customer perceptions.