Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about how today’s announcements from Apple mean we’re in store for some big WWDC announcements, plus they discuss how the rumored Siri Speaker may be a Sonos competitor.
Carpool Karaoke on Apple Music Is Good, Woz Is Cool, AI Chips Are Important - ACM 413
Carpool Karaoke is coming to Apple Music, and Bryan and Jeff argue that this is a great move for Apple, whether or not the echo chamber thinks so. Speaking of the echo chamber, what’s with the hate on Steve Wozniak? Bryan and Jeff think he’s awesome and say anyone who has accomplished half so much as Woz is welcome to cast the first stone. They cap the show with thoughts on Apple developing its own AI chip.
Google Maps vs Apple Maps - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-31
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at a year’s worth of data comparing Google Maps and Apple Maps and share which is their favorite.
TMO Background Mode Encore Interview with Science Communicator Dr. Kiki Sanford
Dr. Kiki Sanford is a neurophysiologist with a Ph.D from U.C. Davis. She’s a popular science communicator and creator of This Week in Science podcast and radio show. This is her second appearance on Background Mode. For those who missed her first show, Kiki explained her upbringing and early interests in ecology, conservation and animals. Her Ph.D. work was on how finches store memories and navigate. In this encore appearance, Kiki and I get geeky with science: an in-depth discussion of epigenetics, the ecology of our kitchens, brain size (and language) in animals, probiotics, how wine protects the human brain, and her favorite subject: world domination by robots. We finished with a discussion about how you can support science research. After spending 40 minutes with Kiki, you’ll want to be a scientist too!
Courts and Divulging Passcodes, Essential Home - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-30
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on courts compelling people to divulge their smartphone passcodes, plus they react to Essential’s Home voice assistant appliance.
Secure Document Syncing, Splitting Audio & More – Mac Geek Gab 659
Thunderbolt 3 Docks, Quick PrefPane Access, the best iOS PDF viewer, splitting audio files, and finding your lyrics. THAT’s what your two favorite geeks start with this week… and then they go from there! Press play and enjoy.
Apple Watch Tops Heart Rate Monitor Study, Adam Curry's Podcaster Pro - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-26
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple Watch ranking as the most accurate wrist heart rate monitor, plus Dave fills us in on Adam Curry’s all-in-one device for recording podcasts.
The Big Ringless Voicemail Rant - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-25
Jeff Butts and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to make it clear exactly how they feel about ringless voicemail. Spoiler: they don’t like it.
Samsung's Iris Scanning Joke, Crappy Business is Not OK, and PC Design - ACM 412
Unsurprisingly, Samsung’s crappy iris scanner on the Galaxy S8 has been defeated. Worse, defeating it is easy. Bryan and Jeff think it’s a joke and another example of Samsung’s delusions of relevance. They also discuss Bryan’s theory that PC makers can’t compete with Apple’s MacBook with me-too design, and say that surveillance capitalists being honest about spying on your doesn’t make their spying OK.
Apple Wants you to Know Swift, Smarthome Fatigue - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-24
Kelly Guimont joins Jeff Gamet to discuss Apple’s Swift education strategy, plus they talk about smart home fatigue.
IKEA Says Hello to HomeKit, Apple's Diversity Boss, Huawei Targets the MacBook - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-23
HomeKit compatible products are about to become easier to find and more affordable thanks to IKEA. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about IKEA’s place in the smart home market, plus they noteDenise Young Smith’s new position at Apple, and Huawei’s new laptop that targets the MacBook.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Computer Historian and Author David Greelish
David Greelish is an author, podcaster and personal computer historian. Back when he was in college in the mid-1980s, he got a job in one of the early computer stores that was also an Apple dealer. They sold all kinds of PCs, but David fell in love with the Mac. While he couldn’t afford one, his quest continued until he was able to acquire a used Lisa (that ran Mac software). Like many of us, he fell in love with the early computer movement, and that started his obsession with computer history. He’s the founder of the Historical Computer Society, the Atlanta Historical Computing Society, and was Cofounder/Director of the first Vintage Computer Festival S.E. His interviews with industry luminaries are legendary. Take a walk down computer memory lane with me and David.
Ford's Interest in Autonomous Cars, iOS 11 Wish List - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-22
The car market just took an interesting turn because Ford’s new CEO was running the company’s autonomous vehicle division. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to discuss how what that means for the car industry and the other companies with autonomous vehicle aspirations. They also share some thoughts on what Apple may have planned for its iOS 11 announcements at next month’s Worldwide Developer Conference.
Fixing Album Art, Cracked iPads, and UPnP Dangers – Mac Geek Gab 658
Your geeks start with some tips: dealing with a bad key on your keyboard, restoring the proper album art after iCloud Music Library has done its part, and dealing with a damaged SD card. Then it’s on to some questions, like whether or not UPnP is dangerous for you or what to do when you hear your Mac’s fans running more frequently than you think is necessary. All this and more, just after you press play!
Trusting Siri, Apple's Diabetes Wristband - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-19
In machines we trust, or maybe not. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about how people may perceive the information artificial intelligence systems like Siri will give us as they get smarter. They also have some thoughts on Apple’s potential impact on the medical industry.
Chat Tipping in China, Thoughts on Apple Park - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-18
Apple has reportedly blocked in-app tipping in Chinese chat apps, and Jeff Butts and John Martellaro join guest-host Bryan Chaffin to talk about it. They also talk about John Martellaro’s thesis that Apple Park celebrates the employee.
New Macs at WWDC, Apple vs Diabetes, Lattice Data - ACM 411
This could be the year Apple breaks form and introduces new hardware at WWDC, and Bryan and Jeff explain why. They also discuss Apple’s big bets on an even bigger future and the importance of AI, neural nets, and machine learning.
Siri the Cyber Security Guard - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-17
As artificial intelligence systems improve, voice assistants like Siri make take a more active role in protecting our computers and our online activity. John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to look at how Siri may play a bigger part in our personal cyber security, and whether or not that’s something we want.
iPad mini on Life Support, Michael Lombardo at Apple - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-16
A new report is in line with our belief that the iPad mini is in its final days. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on the pending demise of Apple’s smallest iPad model, and on the company’s tablet strategy in general. They also look at what Michael Lombardo potentially joining the company could mean for its original TV show and movie plans.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Astrophysicist Dr. Kelly Holley-Bockelmann
Dr. Kelly Holley-Bockelmann is an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University. Her research specialty is black holes and gravitational waves. For as long as she can remember, she wanted to be an astrophysicist. In our interview she tells the story about, as a teenager, lying in a field under dark Montana skies and gazing at the Milky Way (the edge of our galaxy). She wondered about all those stars and planets and whether there were other civilizations out there looking up at their own starry skies. It was transformative. Today, she uses a Mac and supercomputers to study how black holes generate ripples in the fabric of spacetime and deepen our astronomical understanding and perspective. Kelly, her students and associates are also devoted Mac users, and she tells me why.
The Day the Music Died, Hello Alexa Calling - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-15
The internet is up in arms over the news that MP3 patent licensing has come to an end. Dave Hamilton and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to explain why that’s not the end of the work, or even something to worry about. They also explain why people may be overreacting to the ability to use Alexa Calling to contact anyone who enables the service.
Guardians of the Geek Galaxy – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 657
Ever wondered how to share iCloud contact groups amongst family and team members? Ever have to mix iOS, Android, and macOS? Ever wonder what AppTranslocation folders are? How about the best thing to put in your walls before you close them up? John F. Braun and Dave Hamilton have your answers to all of this and more.
The Dangers of Voice Assistants in Our Homes - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-12
Apple, Amazon, and Google want voice assistants to be a bigger part of our lives. Jeff Butts and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at the social and privacy implications as voice assistant appliances become more deeply intertwined in our lives.
iPhone 8 3D Cameras, iPhone and Social Platforms - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-11
Apple has a supplier for 3D cameras for the iPhone 8, and the question is exactly how will they be used. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to debate what Apple intends to do with 3D on the new iPhone, plus they look at how the iPhone’s hardware features may be more important than its software.