The fight is on to be the supplier for next year’s iPhone OLED displays. Samsung and LG are hoping to get a slice of that pie, and their fight all but confirms Apple is dropping LCD in favor of OLED for iPhone screens in 2017 or 2018.
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
TMO Daily Observations 2016-10-31: What Apple Left Out of its 'hello again' Event
Apple’s “hello again” media event felt like it was missing something, and that’s really bothering Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro. They join Jeff Gamet to discuss what they think may have been planned, but pulled at the last minute, plus they question how much time Apple devoted to the new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar.
Apple Kills Start Up Chime in New MacBook Pro Models
Apple has been on a killing spree of sorts with its new MacBook Pro models. The physical Escape key and function keys are gone, the traditional USB A and mini DisplayPort/Thunderbolt 2 ports are gone, the SD Card slot and MagSafe are gone, and the iconic startup chime is missing, too. It’s sad to see—or hear—the startup chime go, but it seems Apple has a reason for axing the sound.
Here's What You Need to Know About USB-C and Thunderbolt 3
The MacBook introduced USB-C to Apple’s laptop lineup in 2015, and the just announced Retina MacBook Pro with Touch Bar gives us Thunderbolt 3—which looks exactly like USB-C. Not sure what the differences are and how they affect you? Read on to learn more.
Apple Discontinues 11-inch MacBook Air, MagSafe Now on Death Row
Farewell, 11-inch MacBook Air, we knew you well. Apple dropped the diminutive Mac laptop from its online store on Thursday following the “hello again” event where new Retina MacBook Pro models were introduced. The 13-inch MacBook Air is still available, but now the 12-inch MacBook is the smallest screen laptop Apple offers.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-10-28: Apple's Touch Interface Philosophy, USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 Explained
Apple and Microsoft are taking different paths into computer touch interfaces. John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at the differences in Apple’s Touch Bar and Microsoft’s Surface Studio, plus they explain how USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 fit together.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-10-27: Apple's 'hello again' Wrap Up with new MacBook Pro Models
Apple used its “hello again” media event to introduce new MacBook Pro models and a new Apple TV app for consolidating the shows we watch in a single interface. Dave Hamilton joins Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple’s announcements, what was exciting from the event, and more.
Apple Retail Stores Set Stanchions Overnight, Hints at New Product Availability Today
Some Apple retail stores began setting up the stanchions they use for long product launch lines overnight. With Apple’s “hello again” media event kicking off in a few hours, the stanchions may be a hint that whatever is announced today may be available right away—and that the company expects loads of people will want it.
Apple Store Offline Ahead of 'hello again' Media Event
Apple’s online store went offline Thursday morning ahead of the company’s “hello again” media event. That’s not much of a surprise considering the company is expected to introduce new MacBook Pro models today.
Duet Display Update Turns Your iPad Pro into a Real Mac Graphics Tablet
Duet Display was already a great app for using your iPad Pro as a second display for your Mac, and now its latest update makes it a proper graphics tablet, too. The new version supports Apple Pencil angle and pressure sensitivity, so you can draw in apps like Adobe Photoshop without having to invest in Wacom’s Cintiq tablet. You can use Duet with other iPad models, too, but you won’t get Apple Pencil drawing support. Duet Display cost US$19.99 a year, but is temporarily available for $9.99, so grab your copy now.
Apple Delays AirPods, Won't Ship in October
If you’ve been holding out for Apple’s promised “late October” AirPods release, it looks like you’ll be waiting a little longer. Apple isn’t shipping its wireless earpods this month because they’re still not ready to go.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-10-26: AAPl Q4 Earnings, Microsoft's Surface Studio
Apple’s fourth quarter earnings report numbers came out yesterday, and some say they look good while other say they look bad. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their perspectives on how Apple is performing, plus they offer up their reactions to Microsoft’s just announced Surface Studio ahead of tomorrow’s new Mac launch event.
Apple's 'hello again' Event to Include Apple TV Content Discovery App
Apple’s “hello again” event on Thursday is shaping up to include more than new Mac announcements. A report claims the company will also unveil an Apple TV app that helps TV viewers discover new shows.
How to Add a Physical Escape Key to the New MacBook Pro
The Escape key has been on our keyboards practically since the beginning of time—even the Apple II had one. That’s changing with tomorrow’s MacBook Pro refresh and its Magic Toolbar. The physical Escape key is going virtual, but Apple is including a way to let other keys handle its task.
macOS Sierra 10.12.1 Leaks New MacBook Pro Images
Apple seems to have tipped its hand and accidentally revealed the upcoming Retina MacBook Pro in Monday’s macOS Sierra 10.12.1 update. Photos showing the soon to be announced MacBook Pro with a touch sensitive OLED function strip were buried in the macOS update, which is about a close to a pre-event confirmation Apple will get.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-10-25: iMessage Wish List, Original iPod Music Collection
Give us enough time with an app we really like and we’ll find something to improve. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple’s iMessage platform and Messages app, and Bryan has some interface improvements he’d like to see. They also look at the CD collection Apple gave the media with the original iPod, and Jeff notes Apple’s Apple ID Two-Factor authentication setup bug seems to be fixed.
MyScript Nebo iPad Pro Note Taking App Temporarily a Free Download
The iPad Pro and Apple Pencil make for a great note taking combo, and MyScript Nebo lets you amp that up with built-in handwriting recognition. Nebo converts what you write into editable text, lets you add formatting, turns your drawings into editable graphics, exports to Microsoft Word or any app that supports text editing, and more. It’s one of our favorite note taking apps, and you can get it for free instead of the usual US$8.99. MyScript says the price drop is temporary, so be sure to grab your copy right away.
tvOS 10.0.1 Update Improves Security, Skips Single Sign-on
When Apple released macOS Sierra 10.12.1 and iOS 10.1 on Monday it also slipped tvOS 10.0.1 out, too. The update is available for the fourth generation Apple TV, and offers security and bug fixes, but doesn’t give us iOS 10’s promised single sign-on feature.
AAPL Q4 2016 Earnings Report Coverage this Afternoon
Apple’s fourth fiscal quarter earnings conference call is scheduled to start after the market closes this afternoon, Tuesday, October 25th. The Mac Observer will be here to bring you the latest news, announcements, and analysis from the event.
Apple Fixes Two-Factor Authentication Setup Bug
HomeKit in iOS 10 requires Two-Factor authentication if you plan to remotely control or monitor your smarthome devices. That isn’t a big deal, unless you’re one of the unlucky few who were blocked from switchting to Apple’s more secure password authentication system. The good news is that Apple finally fixed the issue, so HomeKit can be more that your in-home personal assistant again.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-10-24: DDOS Attacks, Internet of Things, and HomeKit Security
Last Friday we all learned first hand what happens when hackers decide to target DNS hosts with a distributed Denial of Service attack. Dave Hamilton and The Maccast’s Adam Christianson join Jeff Gamet to look at Friday’s attack and how the Internet of Things played a major role in the incident. They also talk about how HomeKit devices may also be susceptible to hackers.
AT&T to Buy Time Warner in $85.4B Deal
AT&T is about to get a lot bigger because the communication company struck a deal to buy Time Warner for about US$85.4 billion. The two companies hope to close the deal by the end of 2017, but are already facing scrutiny over the impact a combined AT&T and Time Warner.
Apple Pay Used to Buy $1M Aston Martin DB5 Luxury Car
Turns out you can buy more than groceries and iPhone accessories with Apple Pay—like a crazy expensive car, for example. British car auctioneer Coys of Kensington just sold a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 for £825,000, which is a little over US$1 million. That’s the single largest Apple Pay transaction to date.
Teens Steal $13,000 in iPhones from Natick Collection Apple Store
A group of teenagers wearing hoodies and hats stormed the Apple Natick Collection Store, making off with US$13,000 worth of iPhones. The teens spent less than a minute in the store, and the iPhones they stole were attached to security cables.