Steve Jobs was almost always compelling, intensely so. The Loop noted this video interview from 1994 when a bearded Mr. Jobs was still at NeXT. I’m not sure what he was asked (something about equating computing to the Renaissance), but his answer is intensely compelling. His central thesis is that advances in computing technology are ephemeral, and that all of his work “will be obsolete by the time I’m 50.” What’s unsaid is that legacy wasn’t the thing that drove him. Mr. Jobs relentlessly pursued the future, and this answer is part and parcel of that drive. I highly recommend watching it.
Bryan Chaffin
Bryan Chaffin is the cofounder of The Mac Observer and currently serves as Afternoon Editor. He has contributed to MacAddict and MacFormat magazines, and co-authored the last two updates of iPad and iPad Pro for Dummies with Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and Ed Baig. You can find out more about Bryan at his personal site, GeekTells, or find his Twitter link below.
Articles by Bryan Chaffin
Layze Flexible Universal Car Mount: $12.99
Check out the Layze Flexible Universal Car Mount. It has a flexible neck that allows you to position your smartphone just the way you want it. and the universal mount is designed to hold what the manufacturer says is all smartphones. The clamp is shock-resistant and slip-resistant rubber pad that won’t slide, You can get this device through our deal for $12.99.
ACM 370: A Deeper Look at Apple's Earnings Report, 3D Printing Fingers
Bryan and Jeff dig deep into Apple’s earnings report and the company’s quarterly call with analysts. Topics include Tim Cook’s upbeat delivery, Pokemon, and Wall Street’s reaction. They also jump into the scary future of 3D printing our fingers to bypass biometric security.
KOAR Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headset: $76.99
Check out the KOAR Bone Conduction Bluetooth Headset, a headset with patented transducers that use bone conduction technology to convey crystal clear sound directly to your inner ears. The idea is that whatever goes into the headset does so without blocking out the rest of the world. That means you can listen to your music while chatting in the real world, or you could have a conversation through your headset in an otherwise noisy environment. You can get this device through our deal for $76.99.
Apple Beats Estimates, Sees iPhones Sales Decline
Apple on Tuesday reported revenue of $42.4 billion for the June quarter, the company’s 3rd fiscal quarter. That included earnings of $7.8 billion, or $1.42 earning per share (EPS). Those results were down from the year ago quarter of $49.6 billion in revenue and $10.7 billion in earnings. It was within Apple’s own guidance of $41 to $43 billion, and earnings beat analyst expectation.
Mobile Data Management Bundle: $9.99
Check out the Mobile Data Management Bundle, a deal for Leawo iOS Data Recovery and Leawo iTransfer. Leawo Data Recovery allows you to restore 12 types of data from your devices, iTunes, and iCloud backup when you suffer a lost or broken device. And Leawo iTransfer allows you to transfer files between iOS devices, and backup your iPhone, iPad, and iPod data to a Mac. You can get both products for $9.99 through our deal.
Titan Travel MFi-Certified Lightning Cable: $22.49
We have a deal for you today on a metal-clad MFi-certified Lightning cable. The Titan Travel MFi-Certified Lightning Cable is 19-inches long and designed to be portable, in addition to being tough. As you can see in the image, it can be rolled up into a compact roll. You can get this cable through our deal for $22.49.
Apple Has Olympic Limited Edition Apple Watch Bands in Brazil, But We Found Alternatives
Apple is offering limited edition Apple Watch bands for the Olympics, but you can only get them at the Apple Store VillageMall in Barra da Tijuca. That’s in Brazil. GQ reported that Apple has Apple Watch bands commemorating 14 “major competitor” countries. But if you can’t go to Brazil, we did some digging and found a couple of alternatives at Amazon and AliExpress.
Apple to Announce Earnings July 26th
Apple announced Friday that it will hold its quarterly call with analysts on Tuesday, July 26th. Investors will be keenly watching results and guidance looking for signs in renewed growth for Apple. In the March quarter, Apple reported year-over-year declines in revenue and iPhone sales.
Urge Basics 4-Port USB-C Car Charger: $19.99
If you share your car with other people, you’ll want to check out today’s deal for the Urge Basics 4-Port USB-C Car Charger. It plugs into your car’s AC outlet (or cigarette lighter), and features two 2.4A USB ports, one 3A USB port, and one USB-C port. You can get it through us for $19.99.
ACM 369: BlackBerry Doofus, Black Box Regulation, Twitter Harrassment
BlackBerry CEO John Chen had some seemingly irrational things to say about Apple’s stance on encryption, and Bryan and Jeff break it down. They also take a deeper look into black boxes and self-driving cars with a focus on regulating these devices and surveillance worries. Just to keep things light, they dive into Twitter harassment and social media censorship.
Screens 3 for Mac VNC: $12.99
Check out Screens 3, a virtual network client (VNC) that allows you to login to and control a Mac, Windows or Linux box from your Mac. There’s some of that built into OS X, but Screens 3 adds support for Windows and Linux devices. It also allows you to set up an action that triggers each time you disconnect (for instance, “Log Out Your User,” etc.). There are other features you might find useful, too, so check out the deal listing for more info. You can get Screens 3 for Mac through our deal for $12.99.
Voilà! Apple Pay Launches in France
Apple Pay officially launched in France Tuesday. The initial rollout covers MasterCard and Visa users with Banque Populaire, Carrefour Banque, Ticket Restaurant, and Caisse d’Epargne. Orange and Boon banks are coming soon. Apple announced the French Apple Pay rollout during June’s World Wide Developer Conference—ironically, our own Dave Hamilton tried to use it in France without success just last week during his European vacation. Le moment, as they (don’t actually) say, est tout.
MacVoices Interviews Bryan Chaffin, Jeff Gamet, and Macstock Speakers
MacStock 2016 took place over the weekend, and TMO friend Chuck Joiner has already edited a 57 minute video of interviews with many of the podcasters and writers in attendance. That includes Ken Ray, Victor Cajiao, Bryan Chaffin (meeeeeeee!), Tim Robertson, Julie Kuehl, Wally Cherwinski, Don McAllister, Adam Christianson, Barry Fulk, Mike T. Rose, and several more folks. If you pay attention, you’ll even see our own Jeff Gamet molest Mr. Joiner. As one does.
TigerVPN Lite 3-Year Subscription: $19
We have a deal for you today on a three year subscription TigerVPN Lite. The “Lite” part means you get access to 15 nodes, a subset of the full service, which offers 62 nodes. But that also means you get three years on the cheap, just $19. It works on Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows. Check out the details on deal listing.
German Legislation Would Require 'Black Box' Tech for Self-Driving Cars
Germany is considering an interesting approach in the march towards regulating self-driving, or autonomous, vehicles. Reuters reported Europe’s largest economy is working on legislation that would require self-driving cars to include “black box” tech. That system would record when the system was active and when the driver was in control. It would also record when the system requested the driver take over. Black box comes from the airline industry, where effectively-indestructible devices record flight data in the event of a crash. Those devices cost about $100,000 and have to survive substantially greater trauma than a car would ever endure. With that in mind, devices designed for cars would share little more than a name with their flying cousins. This is one regulatory approach that could be copied far and wide.
Swift and iOS Beginner eBook Bundle: $59.99
We have a deal for you today on a two-ebook bundle for people who want to learn how to make apps for iOS. The first is called Swift Apprentice, and it’s designed to teach you how to get started with playgrounds and be able to practice while you learn core Swift 2 language concepts. The second, iOS Apprentice, is a ground up tutorials on how to build iOS apps that walks you through building four apps. You’ll also work with Xcode, Interface Builder, Swift 2, and more. You can get both ebooks for $59.99 through our deal.
Magnetic Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless Sport Headphones: $24.99
We have a deal for you today on a pair of magnetic wireless sports headphones.These are Bluetooth headphones with magnets on the back of each ear piece so that they stick to each other. That means fewer tangles and fewer opportunities to get lost. The price through our deal is $24.99, some 37% off retail. Check out the details in the deal listing
ACM 368: Jeff's HomeKit Breakthrough, Pokémon GO, Post-PC Era
In this episode of The Apple Context Machine, Bryan and Jeff talk about HomeKit, sparked by Jeff’s triumph over something that shouldn’t have been hard to begin with. They also talk about Jeff’s initial foray into Pokémon GO, and look at the Post-PC Era (or lack thereof) in light of Scrivener coming to iOS.
Scrivener Coming to iOS July 20th
ZOMGZOMGZOMG!!! I am all a tither! Literature & Latte announced Wednesday that Scrivener is coming to iOS on July 20th! Scrivener is the best writing environment I’ve found, but heretofore it’s worked only on Mac and Windows. I’m not personally interested in writing on my iPad, but I am mega-interested in editing on my iPad. In fact, I do my serious read-throughs when editing fiction in iBooks. That’s great, but being able to get into that reading mode with Scrivener directly in hand is going to be a big deal for me. There’s no link yet, but L&L said it will be released July 20th at $19.99.
'Pokémon GO' Personal Injury Lawyer [Mild Profanity]
Talk about having your finger on the zeitgeist, Funny or Die pushed a video Tuesday called “‘Pokémon GO’ Personal Injury Lawyer.” The name says it all, but note there is mild profanity. Enjoy.
Apple Watch Scores Top Spot in J.D. Power Smartwatch Satisfaction
Apple Watch came out on top in J.D. Power’s newest smartwatch satisfaction survey. The Apple device narrowly beat out the competition in overall points, but scored significantly higher in J.D. Power’s Power Circle Ratings, as shown in the chart.
Anti-Gravity iPhone 6/6S (or Plus) Case: $29.99
Check out the Anti-Gravity case for iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6/6s Plus. It has nano-suction technology on the back that allows you to stick your device to many surfaces, including glass, mirrors, whiteboards, metal and more. This means you can keep your device safely out of the way, use it hands free, mount it for photos, videos, and the all-important selfie, and more. I haven’t personally tested it, but did find a video review on YouTube showing the case in action. You can get this case through our deal for $29.99. There’s a pulldown menu that lets you choose between iPhone models.
![BLOCKS Smartwatch: $220 [Updated]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/blocks-smartwatch-deal.webp)
BLOCKS Smartwatch: $220 [Updated]
We have an interesting deal for you today, a pre-order for the BLOCKS smartwatch. This device allows you to add functionality to your smartwatch by adding physical modules in the strap. Sensors, batteries, flashlight, and many more modules are possible. The device itself runs Android, but it syncs with either an Android or iOS app. You can get it through our deal for $220 [price corrected!].
