Apple

Podcast

TMO Background Mode Interview With Mac Observer's Editor-in-Chief Bryan Chaffin

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Bryan Chaffin is the Editor-in-Chief of The Mac Observer. He was born and raised in Texas, and it was in Austin where he met Dave Hamilton. In 1997, Bryan was writing for a website named Webintosh. Later, Bryan bought a half-intest in the publication. Soon he realized he needed someone to run the business side of the website, so he sold his half to Dave Hamilton and they rebranded it as The Mac Observer, launching on December 28, 1998. We reminisced about how an invitation from Bryan led to my first article at the Mac Observer in October, 1999. In the second segment, we chatted about two of Bryan’s notable, recent articles, iPhone encryption and Apple’s tax situation. We finished with a discussion of Bryan’s books, both technical and science fiction. Great stuff.

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Watch Apple's 2 Minute Video on Inclusion and Diversity Called 'Open'

Bryan Chaffin ·

Apple has a new video out called “Inclusion & Diversity — Open.” It’s a two-minute tribute to the value that an open and diverse workplace can bring to a company like Apple, and it features “68 employees revealing who we are.” In the YouTube description, Apple said, “At Apple, ‘open’ isn’t just a word. It’s our culture. One that embraces faiths, disabilities, races, ages, ideologies, personalities, and differences. Because humanity isn’t singular. It’s plural.” Under CEO Tim Cook, Apple has made a big push to increase the diversity of its work force and executive team. Like other Silicon Valley companies working on this same issue, Apple remains overwhelmingly white and male, even with recent progress. This video is, in part, a sales pitch for people of diverse backgrounds to work at Apple, and it’s a pretty good pitch.

Podcast

Encryption Debate, Apple's Paradise Papers, iPhone X - ACM 436

Bryan Chaffin · · Add Comment

The false dichotomy that we must choose between privacy and safety when it comes to encryption has once again reared its ugly head, and Bryan and Jeff discuss why that’s so dangerous. They also look at how Apple was affected by the so-called Paradise Papers, and discuss Jeff’s initial impressions of the iPhone X. For added fun, Jeff mocks Bryan for not having his iPhone X yet.

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iPhone X Notch, iWork Is Dead, Zombie Physics, Bitcoin/Hashgraph - Pop.0 Ep. 18

Bryan Chaffin ·

Are you for or against the iPhone X notch? Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit are joined by Walt to go over the issues—or lack thereof. They also argue about the state of Apple’s iWork suite, and ask if we’re seeing signs of progress in Apple’s ability to iterate existing projects. For the pop portion of the show, they visit the ever-burning question of zombie physics. And to cap the show, the look at the huge run in Bitcoin, as well as a blockchain tech called hashgraph. Make sure you subscribe! (WARNING NSFW: PROFANITY & RANTS)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqo9kTRscKQ
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Apple Music Channels the Trippy for 'Anthem' Commercial

Bryan Chaffin ·

Apple Music has a new promo video out, and I love it. It’s called Apple Music Anthem, and it channels what can only be described as the trippy. What’s even better is that all of the imagery is being taken from rock and pop videos, album covers, and iconic imagery from past and present. And all of that imagery is being repurposed in very different ways. Take Sia’s half white, half black wig. It’s there, but it’s on the iTunes to 1/8-notes icon. Drake’s now-iconic dance is in the video, too, but it’s been composited with the iTunes logo, too. In fact, it’s that logo that’s the unifying feature of the spot, and it’s very reminiscent of the sort of thing MTV did in its heyday. In any event, I love this spot.