Bob LeVitus joins Bryan and Jeff to talk about his new book, Working Smarter for Mac Users. They talk about why Bob wrote it and the things Bryan learned from editing it. They also talk about the CIA iPhone hacks leaked to Wikileaks and the home automation hub they wish they could buy.
Wikileaks, CIA, and iPhone Hacks - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-08
With the Wikileaks report out saying the CIA developed hacking tools to get into our iPhones, John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to look at Apple’s security measures for our mobile devices. They also look at the negative message Apple is sending customers by not giving us solid information about the Mac, and Kelly Guimont drops by for a few minutes, too.
Ron Johnson on Steve Jobs, iPhone Numbers, Sonos PLAYBASE - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-07
Former Apple executive Ron Johnson recently shared some insight into Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on how Steve Jobs worked through new ideas before accepting them, plus they look at Apple’s iPhone numbers and the new Sonos PLAYBASE.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with Six Colors Editor-in-Chief Jason Snell
Jason Snell is one of the best known Apple technical journalists. He’s the Editor-in-Chief of the Apple focused website Six Colors, and he told me the intriguing story about how that name came to be. Previously he was Senior VP and editorial director at IDG, publishers of Macworld, PCWorld, and TechHive. Jason always knew he wanted to be a journalist, and he told me the story about, as a kid, standing on his back porch in a rainstorm and pretending to do a live TV weather report. In 1991, he created InterText, one of the first online fiction magazines. Today, Jason writes and podcasts about everything Apple. In our show, Jason shared his thoughts about many of the most timely and pressing topics related to Apple today: the Mac and iPad futures and the Apple TV.
New Mobile Battery Tech, Upgrading Old Macs - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-06
Rechargeable battery technology may be getting a much needed boostfrom the same man who invented the tech in our iPhone batteries. Dave Hamilton and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to tak about what may be in store for future mobile device batteries, plus they share some tips on extending the life of our old Macs.
Hello, Sailor. Nothing Happens Here – Mac Geek Gab 647
Ever get the spinning beach ball at the top of your screen? John and Dave can help with that. After all, they come together each week to solve your Mac questions and problems. Other topics include selecting your sending address from Mail, controlling when iCloud Photos get sent to the cloud, deleting stubborn files, and more!
iPhone 8, Lightning, and Hey Siri on the Mac - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-03
We’re learning more about what to expect when Apple ships the iPhone 8 this fall, and it’s looking like we won’t have to give up our Lightning ports after all. John Martellaro and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to look at Lightning and USB-C, plus Touch ID and finger print sensors embedded in the display. Jeff Butts also shares a tip on using “Hey, Siri” on your Mac.
Avoiding Microsoft Office in 2017 and Apple's View of the Mac - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-02
John Martellaro joins guest-host Bryan Chaffin to talk about whether having or not having Microsoft Office on your Mac is a relevant question in 2017. They also try and consider the state of the Mac product line from Apple’s viewpoint, and how the company might look at the importance of new hardware.
Apple Rumors and Manufacturing, Tim Cook's Pipeline, and $AAPL - ACM 400
In this 400th episode of Apple Context Machine, John Kheit joins Bryan Chaffin to discuss rumors of iPhone 8 and Samsung Galaxy S8, Apple manufacturing, Tim Cook’s claim that Apple cares about pro users and creative pros in particular, the company’s supposed pipeline, and $AAPL’s record high valuation. Oh…and Nickleback.
Working Smarter for Mac Users Preview with Bob "Dr Mac" LeVitus - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-01
Working Smarter for Mac Users is the latest book from Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus, so he’s joining Jeff Gamet to give us a preview before it launches this Friday. Bob also shares a couple tips to help improve your Mac productivity.
Apple and the Future of the iPhone's Lightning Port - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-28
The iPhone’s Lightning port may be a thing of the past, or at least that’s what one report claims. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to talk about the future of the Lightning port, plus they share their thoughts on what Apple Watch Steve Jobs would’ve worn.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with CNET Senior Editor & TV Reviewer David Katzmaier
David Katzmaier is a CNET Senior Editor and TV reviewer, something he’s been doing for most of his career. He started at a small review website in New York and, later, a friend went to CNET and brought David on board where he’s been since about 2000. David is an expert on TV technology, and so we delved into the Retina effect, generic High Dynamic Range (HDR), Dolby Vision, 10-bit color, TV brightness levels, color gamuts, Hybrid Log Gamma, edge lighting (with light guides) vs. local dimming, the pros and cons of OLED vs. LCD, H.265 compression, 120 Hz refresh sample and hold, 4K streaming standards and the best time of year to buy a new TV. Phew! If you’re into UHD/TV tech, you’ll love this grand tour of today’s state-of the-art.
Why Apple Might Discontinue the Mac Pro - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-27
Apple’s Mac Pro has gone nearly four years without an update, leave plenty of people wondering if its a dead product. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about the reasons why Apple might considering discontinuing the Mac Pro, although Bryan questions if that would be a smart move.
How do I choose a UPS? – Mac Geek Gab 646
Spring is almost here for the northern hemisphere, and that means it’s almost lightning season. It’s time to talk UPSs and battery backups. Listen as John and Dave talk through all the permutations you’ll need to know to choose the right UPS for your setup. On top of that, a few things in Cool Stuff Found, solving mailbox syncing problems, and a deep discussion about how to rip movies and then to get them onto your iPhone or iPad!
Amazon's Echo First Amendment Rights Fight - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-24
Amazon thinks smart home devices shouldn’t be used for government surveillance, and is going to court to keep Echo Alexa requests out of police hands. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at Amazon’s argument and the impact in-home listening products are having on freedom of speech and privacy.
iPhone 8 3D Cameras, iMazing Tips - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-23
Word on the street says the iPhone 8 is packing a front-facing 3D camera for facial recognition. Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to talk about the camera and what they think could really be in store for it. Jeff B also has some tips on using iMazing with your iPhone and Mac.
Frolic in the Apple Park, Rumors for iPad and Apple Watch - ACM 399
Apple announced the name of what we used to call Apple Campus 2.0—now it’s Apple Park. Bryan and Jeff chew on the name for a while, and discuss what we might expect when it opens in April. They also pore over Apple Watch 3 rumors and the news that a key supplier will stop making Apple Watch displays. And somehow they segue that into some new iPad and iPhone rumors.
What Apple TV Could've Been - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-22
There’s a new set top box coming that shows what Apple TV could’ve been. John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to take a look at Caavo and its promise to unify our TV viewing experience.
New iPad Pro and iPhone SE Report - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-21
A report claims Apple will introduce new iPads and an updated iPhone SE in March. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at what Apple may have in store for the iPad Pro lineup, plus they share their thoughts on an updated iPhone SE.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with Open Source Developer & Former Apple Manager Jordan Hubbard
Jordan Hubbard, the co-founder of FreeBSD, spent a dozen years at Apple bringing coherence to the UNIX core of Mac OS X. Apple calls it macOS today, but in the early years, there were lots of rough spots integrating the partly FreeBSD core into a viable consumer Mac OS X. Jordan was also instrumental in modernizing Mac OS X with features like MacPorts, Launchd, Grand Central Dispatch and application sandboxing. Today, his work complete at Apple, Jordan is an open source developer. We talked about the early development of Mac OS X derived from NeXT and even the earliest BSD origins. Along the way, we also chatted about Jordan’s childhood memories as an 8-year old being an electronics geek with Radio Shack as his Mecca. If you love macOS, don’t miss this insightful historical tour.
Apple's Facial Recognition Plans, the AI Race - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-20
Apple buying RealFace has people talking even more about using facial recognition to unlock our iPhones. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple’s potential plans and what they think the company has in store for facial recognition technology. They also look at Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa and the race for mainstream artificial intelligence.
Don't Fear The Wi-Fi – Mac Geek Gab 645
Inexpensive quasi-mesh Wi-Fi, cloud management for your videos, changing your Finder icons and upgrading your Mac’s Wi-Fi to the latest standards are just how this show starts out! From there it’s on to answering your questions about monitoring iOS data usage, looking at PDF data – all of it! – and then your geeks dive into the Wi-Fi danger conspiracy! We promise you’ll learn at least four new things!
iPhone 8 Biometric Sensors, FCC and Smartphone Radio Chips - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-17
New reports say Apple won’t include a Home button on the iPhone 8 this fall. Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to look at what that means for Touch ID and biometric authentication on the new phone, plus they offer up their thoughts on an FCC request for smartphone makers to enable the FM radio chips in smartphones.
4K Apple TV, WWDC 2017 - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-16
Apple may finally release a 4K Apple TV this year. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at what we know about Apple’s plans and if 4K support is enough to keep Apple TV relevant. They also look at Apple’s new San Jose venue for this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference.