Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus is a writer, book author and raconteur. He writes for the Houston Chronicle and The Mac Observer, and he specializes in the “Dummies” books about Apple products like the Mac, the iPad and iPhone.
In this episode, Bob and I focus on the practice of working from home. We covered work strategies and techniques, workspace and hours, software vs. paper tools, clothing and eating, task management, multitasking vs. single focus and more. We delved into microphones and cameras for a Mac as well as some video conferencing apps and touched on the notion of spending time learning unfamiliar but essential internet technologies. We closed with a discussion of music to work by and a great library app called Libby.
I’ve long enjoyed reading on a Kindle (I have a PaperWhite model). I find the e-ink display a nice break from the usual screen I use. However, when 9to5 Mac‘s Bradley Chambers moved away from the Amazon device, he began reading on the iPad Mini, and soon decided Apple Books was the best service for him.
Once I sold my Kindle Oasis, I decided that the iPad mini would be the best device for reading books from Apple Books. While it’s more expensive than the 7th generation iPad, in the long run, it’ll be a more comfortable device to hold for reading. One thing I quickly noticed was that Apple Books has audiobooks built right into the app. With Kindle on iOS, you generally use the Audible app. I expected Apple’s audiobooks to be very expensive as I remembered from a few years back, but to my surprise, they were all in line with Audible’s pricing.
Russian telecom company Rostelecom is implicated in a BGP hijacking incident which rerouted network traffic from Akamai, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and others.
BGP stands for the Border Gateway Protocol and is the de-facto system used to route internet traffic between internet networks across the globe…
BGPMon founder Andree Toonk is giving the Russian telco the benefit of the doubt. On Twitter, Toont said he believes the “hijack” happened after an internal Rostelecom traffic shaping system might have accidentally exposed the incorrect BGP routes on the public internet, rather than Rostelecom’s internal network…
But, as many internet experts have also pointed out in the past, it is possible to make an intentional BGP hijack appear as an accident, and nobody could tell the difference.
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· Kelly Guimont · The Mac Observer's Daily Observations Podcast
Dave Hamilton and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the trends in listening habits in the new age, and Apple’s (questionable) decisions about Apple TV+ within the Apple TV app.
Some users are experiencing system crashes having updated to macOS Catalina 10.15.4. MacRumors reported that the issue mostly seems to arise when users are attempting to make large file transfers, although that’s not the only circumstances in which it happens.
The crashing issue appears to be most prominent when users attempt to make large file transfers… Other users on macOS 10.15.4 have experienced crashes after waking their Mac from sleep, with affected systems suffering a kernel panic and rebooting to the Apple logo, according to comments shared on the Apple Support Communities, MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and Twitter.
A new video offers viewers a look at how Apple TV+ series Amazing Stories was made. In the clip, executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who worked alongside original creator Stephen Spielberg, take us behind the scenes. You see scenes being shot and hear from some of the stars too. All episodes of the first seasons of the revamped Amazing Stories are available now to Apple TV+ subscribers.
· John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · Mac Geek Gab Podcast
iCloud Folder Sharing works, and your two favorite geeks have tested it for you. Should you use your ISP’s mesh or your own? How about installing Catalina on a Fusion Drive? These questions answered, plus a LOT more. And John and Dave share your Cool Stuff Found, too. Press play and enjoy!
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· Kelly Guimont · The Mac Observer's Daily Observations Podcast
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the iPad on the tenth anniversary of release. Looking back, and forward, at its impact and potential.
