Some folks with Catalina on the brain want to know how to prepare. Some folks want to prepare to reinstall Mojave. Joe has advice for future-proofing your home, and the A-Lady wants you to whisper sweet nothings at her. It’s that kind of week here and John and Dave are your stalwart guides. Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!
Search: smart home
New Pokémon Mobile Game Unveiled
The Pokémon Company announced a new game for iOS and also revealed new cloud and sleep monitoring services at a major press conference.
Protecting Your Mac and Router, New Handy Shortcuts, & Troubleshooting System Lags – Mac Geek Gab 762
First things first: make sure your Mac’s XProtect database is regularly updated. With that out of the way, we can have some fun learning some handy new keyboard shortcuts, new ways to filter Mail on your iPhone and iPad, some tricks for truly securing your router, and a discussion about guest networks, just to name a few topics included in this week’s episode. Press play, and enjoy learning at least five new things!
Make Something Cool with a Cricut Cutting Machine
Cricut (pronounced “Cricket”) cutting machines let you create and design do-it-yourself projects on your Mac, PC, iOS or Android device, and Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus tells us about the cool things you make with one.
The Death of Apple's Magic Touch
Perspectives by different people vary. Sometimes a unique, idiosyncratic view is wrong but thought provoking. And it takes courage to write anyway. This is one of those.
UK to Introduce New Cyber Security Laws for IoT Devices
The UK Government launched a consultation on consumer protection proposals for IoT devices, including a new labeling scheme.
Not all USB-C Is Created Equal – Mac Geek Gab 759
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more confusing, USB-C cables can add some additional questions to the mix. Add to this lots of Cool Stuff Found, a discussion about the best desktop Mac to buy, some tips and follow-ups from recent episodes, and you’ve got yourself this week’s Mac Geek Gab. You’re guaranteed to join John and Dave in learning at least five new things. Press play, and enjoy!
Tony Fadell - iPhone Co-Creator Discusses His Adventures in Asia
Tony Fadell, the co-creator of the iPhone, left Apple in 2010. Since then he has founded smart-home company Nest, and been on adventures around the world. He spoke to Bloomberg News about his current time in Asia, studying startups.
Fadell discovered his wanderlust as a young employee of Apple spinoff General Magic in the early 1990s, when business trips to Sony’s Tokyo headquarters took him outside North America for the first time. “I was like, ‘Whoa!” he recalls. A few years later, he spent 16 weeks backpacking across Latin America, then traveled the Middle East in similar fashion. “If you are a designer or entrepreneur, you have to see different ways of living,” he says. “It’s the sights, sounds and smells that inspire you.”
Google Fit for iOS is Here
Google announced today that its Google Fit app that launched on Android in 2014 is now available for iOS.
Logitech’s Slim Folio Pro is the Backlit Keyboard you Need for your iPad
Logitech sent Andrew its new Slim Folio Pro keyboard case for the iPad. After using it for about two weeks, here are his thoughts.
Migration Is (Not Only) For The Birds – Mac Geek Gab 757
Siri, Stringify, Space Lens, and Emergency Bypass don’t all begin with the letter ‘S’, but they have one thing in common: your two favorite geeks discuss them in this week’s episode of Mac Geek Gab. In addition, listen as John F. Braun and Dave Hamilton answer your questions, including some about migrating to a new Mac the right way. The best way. Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!
Backlash Against Cashless Stores
There is no federal law that requires stores to accept cash, which was something that surprised me. So some stores are going cashless, but some argue this discriminates against poor people who don’t have a bank account and/or a fancy smartphone.
Advocates for cashless bans worry technology is moving too fast for the 6.5% of American households — 8.4 million — that do not have a bank account, according to figures from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
Cashless is hard enough, but imagine if you walked into a store only to find out that it only accepts Google Pay. That might bring the reality a bit closer to home.
Snippets and Why You Need Them
This week in Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves (Episode #326 for those keeping track) he explains what snippets are and why you should be using them to save time and keystrokes.
Amazon's Alexa is Listening to You - More Than You Might Know
Bloomberg reports:
Tens of millions of people use smart speakers and their voice software to play games, find music or trawl for trivia. Millions more are reluctant to invite the devices and their powerful microphones into their homes out of concern that someone might be listening.
Sometimes, someone is.
The article goes on to explain how Amazon employs thousands of people around the world to listen, transcribe and annotate conversations with Alexa. All in an effort to improve Alexa’s ability to understand human speech. Of course, Amazon has strict policies and the user identities are anonymized. But still… Seriously?
Resetting Wi-Fi, Unlocking Your Mac, & Managing Secure Boot – Mac Geek Gab 756
Are you making the most of your Apple TV? Do you know all the tricks the Finder has to offer? Are you managing Do Not Disturb effectively? Your fellow listeners have the answers, and John and Dave share and discuss them for you. Plus, your two favorite geeks answer some of your questions about Wi-Fi, Watch Unlocking, NAS, and more. Press play, listen, and enjoy learning at least five new things!
Eve Flare LED Lamp Now $10 Off Through April 2
Eve Flare is a portable smart LED lamp you can take anywhere. Indulge in the aura of any color you wish, anywhere you want. Eve Flare delivers ultra-versatile ambient lighting that’s so mesmerizing, you’ll recreate the ideal atmosphere again and again and again. It gives you 6 hours of untethered illumination. Wireless charging. Durable casing with IP65 water resistance. Plus a carry-and-hang handle. This LED lamp is built to go from your bedroom to your balcony to your garden and beyond – virtually wherever you need a pop of light. Activating your desired ambience is effortless. Just use the app or chat to Siri whenever the mood strikes. Or set a timer and have Eve Flare come to life by itself, courtesy of your home hub. Plus, it’s HomeKit-compatible. You can pick it up on Amazon for US$99.90 with a US$10 off coupon at checkout,
iOS 12.2 Beta 5 Now Available
Apple released the fifth developer beta of of iOS 12.2, as well as watchOS 5.2, tvOS 12.2, and macOS 10.14.4 Monday. 9to5 Mac took a look at what we’ve seen in the beta versions released so far and what else is new. iOS 12.2 features focussed on Apple Home smart TV support, and also included Animoji, and the release of Apple News in Canada.
iOS 12.2 and the related software updates largely focus on supporting smart TVs that work with Apple’s Home app. Other changes include new Animoji characters includuing the new shark, owl, giraffe, and warthog options — plus a few more changes. iOS 12.2 beta 2 also includes changes to the AirPlay icon in Control Center plus AT&T ‘5G E’ in certain markets on certain iPhones and iPads.
Finder, Friend or Foe? – Mac Geek Gab 752
The Finder can be your friend or foe, depends upon how well you tame and tweak it. These are the kinds of things John and Dave help you do each week on Mac Geek Gab. In addition to that, we’ve got segments on taming iCloud’s two-factor authentication, suggestions for improving on the Stickies model, and ways of recovering disk space. All this and more! Just press play and learn at least five new things!
6 Education Apps for Teachers
Roundups of educational apps usually involve apps for students. But this is a list of five educational apps for teachers.
Sharing Contacts, Bulk SMS, Calendar Tweaks, and Quick Tips - Mac Geek Gab Podcast 751
Want to learn the big secret to keeping your computer happy? How about how to share contacts? What about some quick tips about using calendar? This is what Mac Geek Gab is all about, and Dave and John help guide you through all of this, including getting your questions answered!
Touch Bar & The Terminal – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 748
Do you need an elbow connector? You might after listening to this episode! That, after all, is what Cool Stuff Found segments are all about: discovering stuff you didn’t know existed, and now you need! In addition to that, of course, your tips are shared and questions are answered, including some about iCloud Archives, CarPlay, and Watch Notifications. Hosts Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun guide you through all of this and more, just press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!
Battery Usage, CarPlay, Notifications, and Cool Stuff Found – Mac Geek Gab 746
Wanna learn at least five new things about your Mac and iOS devices? This week’s Mac Geek Gab episode is sure to hit the mark. With topics ranging from Quick Look to Car Play to Robot Vacuums to APFS, there’s always something new to learn! Press play, download, and enjoy.
Alexa - Stop Listening To Me
As ever more people buy smart speaker devices likes the Amazon Echo, the privacy concerns around such devices increase too. I’ve always been somewhat wary of them. Not that I’d be discussing much of any interest, but the idea of a device sitting in my home listening out attentively for a keyword, rather freaked me out. For Tom Hoggins, those concerns got too much. He explains in the Telegraph why he unplugged his Amazon Echo Dot.
I am not usually one for tin-hat conspiracies, but with the examples mounting and the increased scrutiny on companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook (among many others) for excessive data gathering, I did start to eye Alexa with some suspicion. It then showed an increased propensity for piping up over the dinner table, playing music without being asked or blurting out random facts when the ‘Alexa’ wake word had not been uttered in earnest. By that point, it was time for Alexa to go unplugged.
Tim Cook Is a Failure at Operations
Operations are supposed to be what Tim Cook does best. Under Steve Jobs he was the Chief Operating Officer at Apple. And while he may have done a great job there, he is a failure at it as CEO.