The time since most of the Macs have been updated can now be described as geologic. Is that because Apple doesn’t care about the Macs? Or, more likely, could we be in for another major architectural change? Evidence is mounting that Apple will abandon Intel and take the Mac lineup to ARM. John looks at the evidence and makes the case.
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iPhone 7 Review: My First Five Days
John Martellaro has had his drop-dead gorgeous black, 128 GB iPhone 7 for five days now. He takes a look at Apple’s official list of features, then delves into his initial reactions and technical observations about this remarkable iPhone. It’s hardly a yawner of an update.
MGG 620: Backups Deep Dive
It’s time for a Deep Dive! This time, Backups. Local backups, online backups, remote backups, paid backups, free backups. Just promise us one thing: no matter what you choose after listening to this episode, please make sure you’re backing up your data!
Siri and Apple's Machine Learning Are About to Get a Lot Better
Siri, as we’ve know her (or him), has been both a blessing and a frustration. The technology, when it works is brilliant, but when its limitations are exposed, it can be very frustrating. Our appetite for a stellar chatbot companion has merely been whetted, and we’re about to get it. From Apple. On its terms. With privacy.
Apple: We're Seriously into Augmented Reality
Apparently it’s big news that Apple is working on augmented reality projects—or more accurately, Apple CEO Tim Cook stripped away enough of his code-speak and made it very clear his company is seriously pursuing AR technology.
ACM 372: Samsung Pay’s Security Failure, the Story Behind Apple’s Public Betas
Bryan and Jeff dig into Samsung shenanigans, including reports of a way to hack magnetic stripe reader transactions, and the mysterious case of Apple Watch drawings in a Samsung patent. They also discuss the interesting story of how the flawed Apple Maps rollout led to public beta programs for OS X and iOS.
Apple Patents iPhone Digital Crown, but that Doesn't Mean We'll See One
The iPhone and iPad may seem like an odd place to find an Apple Watch-like Digital Crown, but that’s exactly what a just published patent application shows. The patent shows the Digital Crown controlling volume, snapping photos, and locking the display. That doesn’t, however, mean your next iPad will look like a giant Apple Watch.
iPhone 7 Reportedly Launching on Sept 16
Apple’s still unannounced iPhone 7 will reportedly be announced a little earlier than usual this year and hit store shelves on Friday, September 16th. Word of the release date comes via Venture Beat’s Evan Blass, who has a track record for predicting Android smartphone rollouts.
MGG 614: Travel Tips and Cool Stuff Found
Dave’s back from Europe and he and John have a metric ton of Cool Stuff Found and Quick Tips for you and from you! Plus, Dave’s got some travel tips from Europe to share with you, too. Download… and enjoy!
Manhattan DA Still Wants to Kill iPhone Encryption
Manhattan DA calls for Federal smartphone encryption backdoor mandate Mr. Vance said that by choosing to encrypt our smartphone data, Apple and Google have been “engineering themselves out of criminal investigations,” according to Fortune. The consequence, he said, is that criminals can act without fear of repercussion. He said, In my office alone, we now…
It Could Happen - Universally Autonomous Cars Could Fail in the Marketplace
There's been a lot of discussion lately about autonomous car technology. We've seen a lot of testing going on, and there's a certain amount of buzz about the technology because it just seems so cool. See: “Self-driving Chevy Bolt arrives in San Francisco.” However, there are many questions to be asked and cultural issues that…
The Explosion of Video Entertainment is Taking Us Into a Zombie State
There was a time, perhaps 20 years ago, when our computers didn't have a lot of supporting infrastructure. We knew they were powerful tools, and there was a sense that they would become instrumental in our lives. But lacking the Internet and modern video capabilities, we were left with the idea that as we prepared…
Internet of Things is a Security Disaster
Internet of Things devices offer almost no security protections A Disrupt New York 2016 panel said the fact that so many devices collect information about us poses a serious privacy risk because data could be intercepted, and also creates enticing targets for criminals, hackers, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies around the world. “It's a field…
FBI Shows Fingerprints and Touch ID Aren't Warrant-proof
Warrant let FBI use suspect's finger to unlock iPhone Paytsar Bkhchadzhyan was arrested in late February, and only 45 minutes later FBI agents had a warrant in hand compelling her to place her finger on her iPhone's Touch ID sensor to unlock the device. Considering how quickly the warrant was obtained, the FBI probably assumed…
SolarTab Portable Solar Panel is a Bright Spot in Outdoor Charging Solutions
Let's get this out of the way right up front: The SolarTab is the best solution I've seen for using solar energy to charge your gear in the wild. The problem is, with the ubiquity of cheap, high-capacity external batteries, I'd pretty much written off solar chargers as obsolete. But more on that later. A…
How Can Apple Possibly Compete with the Tesla Model 3?
Image credit: Reuters, Tesla The lower price is enabled by economies of scale. Reuters reports: Tesla says scale from the massive facility [nearing completion in Nevada] will cut the cost of its battery pack by 30 percent to enable the lower-priced vehicle. A boatload of people stood in line yesterday to pre-order, coughing up $1,000…
The Apple vs. FBI True-False Quiz
Image credit: Shutterstock. 1. If the iPhone is the favored smartphone of criminals and terrorists for security and privacy, then we should be using an Android phone instead for our banking and credit card purchases. • True • False 2. If Apple builds the “govtOS” that the FBI wants Apple to build, and defense attorneys…
A Tale of Two Universal Remotes: Harmony vs. Blumoo
Episode #163 It’s been a couple of years since I talked about universal remote control devices and apps. For me, an awesome universal remote control is the holy grail of home automation; having a single device that can mimic every function of all five individual remote controls for my home theatre system is priceless.…
Lynktec ReelJuice Portable USB Battery is Unique: Capable, Flexible & Includes a Take Up Reel
There are many ho-hum and many good portable battery chargers for our iDevices. Most are just little boxes with a battery, LED lights and USB ports. However, the new Lynktec (5,300 or 8,000 mAh) charger has a multitude of thoughtful features, expansion options and usage profiles. It sets a new standard. This product has so…
It's Time for Apple to Convert Dollars to Leadership
________________________ Leadership isn't just financial success with products customers want and enjoy. Leadership is also an outwardly visible commitment, over a long period of time, to products that Apple believes in. It also means using Apple's technical expertise and trustworthiness to influence the industry in areas where Apple is now following the pack, losing its…
Hewlett-Packard's Z27s is a 27-inch 4K Display for Your Mac Without the 4K Price
Hewlett-Packard Z27s 27-inch IPS UHD Display 1. Introduction I spent many years of working with very nice Apple displays, culminating in a 2010 iMac. However, things changed a few years ago when Apple elected to let its 27-inch Thunderbolt display, launched in July 2011, stagnate. That resulted in my search for a suitable display for a…
You Have an iPhone Now - Do As You're Told
Things have evolved from there. For example, “Teens can't tell the difference between Google ads and search results.” And now, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella believes: “Smart agents like Cortana will replace the web browser.” This is all part of an effect that I've written about before, namely, the Internet doesn't teach its users how to…
What Would Happen if a Future Apple Autonomous Car Made a Very Bad Decision?
This week, Tim Bajarin, the President of Creative Strategies, Inc starts off the discussion with a very thoughtful essay. ” Autonomous Cars and Their Ethical Conundrum.” Mr. Bajarin starts off by noting: …we are years away from getting autonomous cars on the road and getting the right kind of government regulations passed to make this…
Tesla's Elon Musk Rant at Apple Means He's on to Something Scary
________________________ The sensational, on the surface, news is what Elon Musk said about Apple hiring away his important engineers. Forbes told the story. Important engineers? They have hired people we’ve fired. We always jokingly call Apple the ‘Tesla Graveyard.’ If you don’t make at Tesla, you go work at Apple. However, all that is just…