John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at Apple’s place in the original TV show market, plus they talk about patents that may reveal the company’s augmented reality glasses plans.
Kelvin Was Left Out In the Cold – Mac Geek Gab 672
No reason NOT to start the episode with Cool Stuff Found, so that’s just what your two favorite geeks do. Then it’s off to answering some questions about printer sharing, bluetooth headsets, USB-C connections, and, of course, CrashPlan! Download and enjoy!
iPhone 8's Price, The SciFi World of Twistron - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-25
Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join guest-host Dave Hamilton to dig into whether the rumored price of Apple’s not-yet-announced iPhone 8 is too expensive. They also talk about the science fiction promise of a new material called Twistron. It’s super cool.
Apple's Titan Car Struggle, iPhone 8 vs. Samsung Galaxy 8 - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-24
John Martellaro and Jeff Butts join guest-host Bryan Chaffin to talk about Apple’s perils an lessons in trying to make a car. They also discuss the perennial topic of whether this is the year when—finally—Apple can’t compete with whatever Samsung announced earlier in the year. (Spoiler: no, it’s not.)
Lava Lamp Love, Eclipse Disaster Preparedness, and the Bitcoin Fork - ACM 423
Lava Lamps are the bee’s knees. It is known. And in this episode, Bryan and Jeff discuss how they make the perfect random number generator. They also look at how eclipse watching is an excellent window into what would happen in a disaster, and discuss the Bitcoin fork that resulted in Bitcoin Cash being created.
CrashPlan for Home goes EOL, Luna Display First Look - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-23
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to talk about the pending demise of CrashPlan for Home and options for people who have been relying on the backup service, plus they take a first look at Astro HQ’s Luna Display.
iPhone 8 Facial Recognition and Home Button Replacement Gestures - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-22
Dave Hamilton and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to discuss a report claiming the iPhone 8 will have facial recognition that’s nearly instantaneous, plus they share their thoughts on videos in iOS 11 showing gestures that replace some Home button functionality.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Bloomberg Consumer Tech Reporter Mark Gurman
Mark Gurman is the Consumer Technology Reporter for Bloomberg. As Mark recalls, there was never a time in his youth when he wasn’t interested in technology. He told me that it was the iPod mini for his 10th birthday that wowed him. His love for the company that created the iPod made it feel very natural to get into reporting on Apple. In the second segment, we chatted about his seminal article in December 2016 on the state of the Mac, thoughts on the next Mac Pro, competition from Microsoft in the form of the Surface Laptop, how the Apple watch Series 3 may have LTE, how devious Apple has become in hiding its pre-release trademarks, prospects for an Apple robot and Apple’s HomePod. Mark provided, as always, fascinating and insightful comments about Apple.
Apple's Potential Movie Deal and Ways to Avoid Scam Calls - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-21
Jeff Butts and John Martellaro join Dave Hamilton to talk about Apple’s potential deal for first-run movies in-the-home, as well as ways to avoid getting scammed by fake calls from Apple support.
Cool Stuff Found, NAS Advice, and Geek Challenges – Mac Geek Gab 671
It’s time to dig back into NAS drives by answering Steve’s question: Which Synology DiskStation is right for me? There are a few more things to explore on that topic, too, and your two favorite geeks do it justice. Separate from that are a few questions about a variety of topics, some of which are Geek Challenges where you get to provide some answers! A hardware-focused Cool Stuff Found rounds out the topic list for the week. Press play and enjoy learning!
Apple's Secure Enclave Encryption Key Revealed, Apple Music Content Investment - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-18
Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to sort out the news that the encryption key for the iPhone and iPad Secure Enclave has been released on the internet, and they also look at Apple’s US$1 billion investment in original programming for Apple Music.
No Apple Pay for Hate Sites, the Growing Surveillance State - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-17
Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on hate-related websites being blocked from accepting Apple Pay, plus Bryan voices his concerns over how we’re participating in the surveillance state.
Eclipse Tips, AR Needs Eyeware, and No Apple Television Set - ACM 424
The eclipse is coming, and Bryan and Jeff have some tips for viewing it. They also explore practical limitations on augmented reality (AR) without the help of specialized eyeware. For a bookend, they deconstruct a new rumor about a supposed Apple television set. Spoiler, it ain’t happening.
iOS 11's Device Setup Feature, Coding iPhone Apps for Arduino - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-16
Jeff Butts and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to talk about iOS 11’s new way to set up our devices, plus Mr. B fills us in on the iPhone app he wrote to monitor the Arduino thermometer he made.
Apple Watch Series 3 and LTE, iOS 11 App Icon Changes - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-15
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at a new report saying the Apple Watch Series 3 will have LTE cellular connectivity, plus they have something to say about iOS 11’s redesigned App Store icon.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Colorado Charter School Academic Director Johanna Harth
Johana Harth is the Academic Director of a Colorado charter school. Over the last 12 years, she’s gained enormous experience in how to match the curriculum needs of K-8 grade students with modern computer technology. Thanks to the technical influence of her father, and being very good at math, as a youth her plan was to become an engineer. She graduated from U.C. San Diego with a degree in industrial engineering. All was according to plan until some significant, serendipitous events changed her life. Just how she became the Academic Director of a charter school, and then became involved in computer technology is an amazing story. Johanna explained the school’s migration from Macs to Chromebooks, when the students start with computers, how they use them and what they’re taught about computers. It’s a very, ahem, educational story.
Leaked iPhone 8 Videos, Apple Pay's Potential Decline - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-14
Adam Christianson from The Maccast and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to offer their take on supposed leaked videos showing the back casing from the iPhone 8, plus they talk about issues with Apple Pay at retailers.
Backups, APFS, High Sierra, and You – Mac Geek Gab 670
Cool Stuff Found starts the episode, then it’s on to a few things related to backups, including how High Sierra’s APFS will affect you. Listener tips and some other, unrelated questions are answered, and then there’s a nice, juicy segment on meshifying your home without buying mesh for all of you, too. Press play and enjoy!
Apple's Developer Problem in China, Hacking Computers with DNA - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-11
Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on developers in China complaining about Apple’s business practices, plus they discuss the ramifications of computer hacks embedded in DNA.
Apple's HomePod Firmware, Coping with App Subscriptions - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-10
Jeff Butts and The Maccast’s Adam Christianson join Jeff Gamet to talk about what may be behind Apple’s HomePod firmware leak, plus they look at the growing number of service, entertainment, and app subscriptions they’re dealing with.
The Silofication of Movies and TV, LOL Fitbit, and Fooling Self-Driving Cars - ACM 423
Disney said it’s pulling its huge portfolio from Netflix in 2019, and Bryan and Jeff are concerned that the silofication of more and more content will be bad for consumers. They also chat about Fitbit’s plans for a smartwatch…ah, we’re just kidding. LOL Fitbit. Oh, and it turns out it’s pretty easy to fool a self-driving car.
Carpool Karaoke, Apple's Fall Product Lineup - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-09
John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on last night’s Carpool Karaoke launch on Apple Music, plus John tells us how expensive this fall will be thanks to new Apple products.
iOS 11 Dev Beta 5, More 4K Apple TV Hints - TMO Daily Observations 2017-08-08
Jeff Butts and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at some of the changes in iOS 11 developer beta 5, plus they have some thoughts on the latest finding hinting at a 4K Apple TV.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Joy of Tech Co-founder Nitrozac
Nitrozac (Liza Schmalcel) is an accomplished artist and cartoonist. Along with her partner, Snaggy, she founded Geek Culture in 1997, and it continues to thrive. She’s also the co-founder of the Joy of Tech webcomic. Nitrozac told me about growing up in northern Manitoba, Canada. She knew at a very early age that she wanted to become an artist, and she’s been drawing non-stop ever since. After high school, she attended the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. Nitrozac suffered for a bit with not very capable computers before she went on to photography and communication design. Eventually, she met Snaggy the team has been at the center of our geek culture for two decades. And now, she’s graciously provided a new self-portrait for us. It’s the Nitrozac mystique!