Bryan and Jeff go inside Apple’s annual shareholder meeting, and talk about the things that seemed to get Tim Cook excited. A listener also calls them out for being hypocrites on ad profiling, and they talk about how Apple’s new HomePod isn’t a home wiretap.
Apple
Apple and Ron Howard Developing Series Based on NBA Superstar Kevin Durant's Early Career
According to Variety, the show will be titled Swagger, and it will be produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Television along with Durant’s Thirty Five Media.
iPhone X: 2 New Apple Videos on Shooting and Editing Portrait Mode Selfies
Both videos make it clear just how easy it is to work with Portrait Mode on iPhone X.
Apple Video on Creating a Bouncing Live Photo
Apple published a new video to YouTube showing you how to create a Bouncing Live Photo. Fans of Instagram and other social media services might be familiar with the idea under the name of Boomerang. Check it out.
John Kheit's HomePod Unboxing Video
John Kheit put together a HomePod unboxing video for me. It includes not only the unwrapping and unboxing, and his set up process, too. It stops shy of him foaming at the mouth about how much he doesn’t like the sound, but we’ll get to that next Wednesday on Pop.0. Until then, check out the unboxing experience with HomePod!
Apple Has Four New HomePod Commercials: Equalizer, Distortion, Bass, and Beat
They’re all abstract pieces that say little specific about Apple’s smart speaker.
Apple's Product Line is Complex. And it's Perfect
Some might insist that Apple’s product line has become bloated. Actually, it’s perfect.
Apple's Complicated Product Mix, Remembering John Perry Barlow - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-08
John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s product matrix strategy, plus they remember EFF co-founder and Grateful Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow after his passing.
Can Social Media Be Humane, Smartwatch Diabetes Detection, and Nice Apple Content - ACM 448
Can social media be “humane,” or is the push for addictive platforms just par for the course? Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss The Center for Humane Technology’s push for reform. They also talk about Cardiogram’s ability to detect diabetes from Apple Watch activity data, and they talk about Apple’s penchant for avoiding dark and edgy content.
Apple to Open 2nd Data Center in China for Mainland iCloud Services
According to XinhuaNet, Apple will build the facility in Ulanqab City, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Apple Seeds iOS 11.3 Developer Beta 2
iOS 11.3 includes new Animoji, Business Chat, Health Records, ARKit 1.5, HomeKit software authentication, more information about battery health and an option for disabling the feature for improving iPhone stability with worn out batteries, and more.
All iMac Pro Models Shipping, Including 14-core and 18-core Configurations
If you’ve been holding out for a 14-core or 18-core iMac Pro, today is your lucky day because both models are available for order now. Deliveries start February 19th.
Apple Adds Unlocked iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus to Refurb Offers
iPhone 7 models start at $449—9% off the original retail price—while iPhone 7 Plus models start at $599—10% off the original price.
Tim Cook: Augmented Reality is Going to be Profound
Augmented Reality is going to be profound and will be positive for humans, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Apple Services Hit 240 Million Paid Subscriptions
Apple’s services business in Q1 2018 hit paid subscriptions hit 240 million for 58% year-over-year growth.
Apple Reports Record Revenues of $88.3 Billion, Record EPS of $3.89 - iPhone X Top Selling Model
Apple reported record revenue of $88.3 billion for the December quarter, with staggering and record earnings per share of $3.89. [Update: This article has been updated with considerably more information.]
Apple Q1 2018 Earnings Report Today, May Include Record iPhone Sales
Apple’s first fiscal quarter 2018 earnings report conference call is set to start after the market closes this afternoon.
DOJ/SEC Investigate Throttlegate, Facebook Google Doom, New Macs in 2018 - ACM 447
The DOJ and the SEC are investigating Apple’s Throttlegate controversy, and Bryan and Jeff think it won’t go well for Apple. They also talk about Facebook, Google, and social media, and recent comments from philanthropist and political activist George Soros predicting their demise. They close the show with the implications of rumors that say Apple has three Macs coming out this year with Apple coprocessors.
Apple's Eddy Cue Will Speak at SXSW 2018
Mr. Cue will be interviewed by CNN’s Dylan Byers onstage at Ballroom D from 11:00 AM CST to 12:00 PM CST on March 12th.
Phil Schiller Talks Music, Siri, and HomeKit for HomePod in Interview
Apple has turned out the C-Suite to promote HomePod, including senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller. In an interview with audio magazine Sound and Vision, Mr. Schiller talked up three aspects of Apple’s smart speaker: music, Siri, and HomeKit. There’s little I would call new in the interview, and when I went looking for a standout quote, it all felt like informative marketing speak. But, it’s interesting to see Mr. Schiller pushing HomeKit integration, which has largely been downplayed in Apple’s marketing message so far. One way or another, however, it’s a good read that gives a nice overview of what Apple wants us to think about HomePod.
Tech Spec Showdown: Apple HomePod vs Amazon Echo vs Google Home
Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo, and Google Home can all stream music, but how do they stack up against each other?
![Apple News Notifications Go Bonkers, Plus Steps for Disabling Those Notifications [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cnn-apple-news-notification-tweet.jpg)
Apple News Notifications Go Bonkers, Plus Steps for Disabling Those Notifications [Update]
Apple News Notifications in iOS went bonkers Tuesday evening, with the same notification going out over and over again, and we have steps for disabling them.
HomePod Delivery Date Holds Steady at February 9th
This adds credence to the idea that software was what held up the launch of the HomePod, which was originally supposed to ship in December.
Augmented Reality for Reals?, Analysts Suck, Why Software Sucks, Blade Runner 2049 - Pop.0 ep.29
In this TMO video podcast, Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit ask the question, “Is Augmented Reality for reals?” They also take the tact that analysts suck, and building on that theme, debate John’s theory on why software seems to suck today. For the pop part of the show, they look at Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049. If you enjoy the show, make sure you subscribe to it! (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)