Team Breker announced this week that it had a Apple I computer up for auction. Not only is the device functioning, the auction house told The Telegraph UK it was “best-preserved example of an Apple-1 computer to appear on the market.”
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
Waterproof Smartphone Bag With Music Out Jack + Waterproof Headphones
It’s getting warmer in on the top half of the planet, and we have a deal to make your spring and summer music listening a wee bit easier. It’s for a waterproof iPhone bag (or your Android device, if that’s your thing) with both a music-out jack and included waterproof headphones. The bag has a touch-sensitive screen and is waterproof up to 60 feet deep. It’s $28.99 through us, 58% off retail.
Mazda Will Add Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Retroactive for Some Models
Mazda announced Monday that it will (finally) add support for Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto technologies. Cars.com reported (via AppleInsider) that Mazda was short on specifics, but that support for both platforms will be retroactive with models that have Mazda Connect. That platform first appeared in in the 2014 Mazda3. There’s no specific timeline for the rollout, but Mazda made the announcement as part of the 2017 introduction of the Mazda CX-5 (pictured below). The company did say a “potentially minimal hardware addition” may be necessary, but it didn’t explain what that might be or how much it will cost. Cars.com also noted that once Mazda is on board, Toyota will be the last major holdout to support these mobile connectivity platforms from Apple and Google.
![Bob LeVitus’s ‘Working Smarter for Mac Users’ Available Now [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/working-smarter-mac-users-cover-bob-levitus-wide.webp)
Bob LeVitus's 'Working Smarter for Mac Users' Available Now [Update]
Bob “Dr. Mac” Levitus released a new book Tuesday, Working Smarter for Mac Users. It’s a productivity book specifically written for Mac users, and it combines Bob’s own techniques for overcoming procrastination with his decades of learning how to get the absolute most out of his Mac. [Update: Working Smarter for Mac Users is now live on iBooks. – Bryan]
Block Your Webcams with These Magnetic Covers
We have a very timely deal for you today on Nope Webcam Covers. If you want something more elegant than Stickies or tape to cover your webcams, Nope Webcam Covers stick to your Mac and rotate to cover your webcam when you aren’t using it. For $14.99, you’ll get two Nope and four Nope Minis, and you can choose your finish (Gunmetal, Silver, or Silver and Gunmetal). Check out the details on the deal listing.
JP Morgan Buys CurrentC Technology for the Lawls
Then there was CurrentC and its parent company MCX. This was the company that was going to larn Apple a lesson with its so-called “Apple Pay.” Wait, you don’t remember that? That could be because CurrentC was a big phat failure predicated on what retailers wanted rather than what consumers want. Enter Wall Street giant JPMorgan. That company bought a stake in MCX in August of 2016—because it was doing so well, I suppose. And on Friday, the bank announced it had purchased what’s left of MCX’s technology, its FinTech payment technology. Again, because it’s so awesome. JP Morgan plans to add FinTech to Chase Pay, its own soon-to-be-erstwhile mobile payment platform. Or maybe I’m just cynical. Either way…?
Grain Audio OEHP On-Ear Headphones: $69.99
We have a deal for you today on the Grain Audio OEHP On-Ear Headphones. These minimalist, solid wood headphones feature proprietary drivers with Neodymium magnets and CCAW voice coils. They also don’t artificially boost the bass. You can get them through us for $69.99, some 64% off retail.
That Time Steve Jobs Taught Guy Kawasaki a Life Lesson
Then there was that time the late Steve Jobs taught Guy Kawasaki a life lesson. It comes in the form of a Quora answer posted by Guy Kawasaki and republished by The Huffington Post. In it, he talks about the time Steve Jobs walked up to him with a nameless companion and asked a question about a company. Mr. Kawasaki rattled off his negative opinion of that company, and Steve Jobs then introduced him to his companion, the CEO of that company. “Thank you, Steve.” ? There was a lesson in that incident, though, and I think it makes a very good read. So go read it.
Asypr Bringing InnerSpace Game of Exploration to Mac
Aspyr announced Thursday that it will be bringing InnerSpace to the Mac. InnerSpace is an exploration game where players, “soar through the skies and dive through the oceans, and the secrets of Inverse will reveal themselves.” Players can also uncover artifacts throughout the game world that upgrade your vehicle and reveal clues about past civilizations. I’m writing about it today because I think it’s gorgeous. Initially crowdfunded through KickStarter, Aspyr is partnering with the developers to bring it to both PlayStation 4 and Steam (for Mac and Linux). Pricing hasn’t been announced, and the game is expected later this year.
Apple Support Forums Down, Possibly for Update
Apple’s support forums are down. The company didn’t specify what it was doing, but the graphic put in place of the forums says, “We are busy updating Apple Support Communities for you and will be back shortly.” [Update: the forums are back up.]
Neutron S iPhone and iPad Mount: $19.99
Check out the Neutron S Phone and tablet Mount. It consists of a shielded magnet you mount to your iPhone or iPad (or other device, if that’s your thing) via a special included tape. It’s an aviation tape designed to attach strongly and detach smoothly. The magnet then attaches to the included mount, allowing you to put your device where you want it. It’s $19.99 through our deal.
Laurene Powell Jobs Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss Education and Immigration
Laurene Powell Jobs—billionaire, philanthropist, widow of Steve Jobs, and mega-donor to Hillary Clinton’s Super PAC—met with President Donald Trump this week. White House spokesperson Sean Spicer confirmed the meeting Wednesday, and a spokesperson for Ms. Powell Jobs said the two discussed education and immigration.
Bob's Productivity Book, CIA iPhone Hacks, the Home Hub We Want - ACM 401
Bob LeVitus joins Bryan and Jeff to talk about his new book, Working Smarter for Mac Users. They talk about why Bob wrote it and the things Bryan learned from editing it. They also talk about the CIA iPhone hacks leaked to Wikileaks and the home automation hub they wish they could buy.
Ztylus Revolver Lens Camera Kit for iPhone 7: $84.95
We have a deal for you today on the Ztylus Revolver Lens Camera Kit for iPhone 7. This is a lens kit built into a revolving holder on the back of a case. It has four lenses, fisheye, wide angle, CPL, and macro. Just spin the holder to access the lens you need. It’s $84.95 through our deal.
Espionage 3 Encryption Software for Mac: $19.99
We have deal on Espionage 3, encryption software for your Mac. It allows you to create multiple master passwords, each protecting an isolated set of folders with a combination of AES-256 encryption and scrypt security. Our deal is for $19.99 on a lifetime license to Espionage 3, which includes all minor updates and major upgrades. Check out the deal listing for more details.
Here’s Your Chance to Buy a Steve Jobs Autographed NexTWORLD Poster
Here’s your chance to get something autographed by Steve Jobs, but you’ll need to bring your wallet. An auction for a NeXTWORLD poster autographed by Steve Jobs currently has 31 bids and stands at US$11,000. The poster, which was autographed by Steve Jobs in 1992, is part of an online auction by RR Auction. Bidding ends on March 8th.
Lightning Cable with Built-in Battery: $39.95
We have a deal today on the Nomad Ultra Rugged Battery Lightning Cable. It’s a lightning cable with a portable battery built right into the cable. It has a capacity of 2,350mAh, and the cable is designed to charge your phone first—from the battery if necessary. You can get it through us for $39.95.
Apple Says You Can Take Better Notes with iPad Pro in New Commercial
A new Apple commercial makes the case that students can take better notes with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil. The spot is a continuation of Apple’s iPad Pro commercials that directly respond to real tweets from real people. There’s also a second spot called iPad Pro — Need less stuff.
Nylon Lightning to USB MFi-Certified 2-Meter Cable 2-Pack: $23.99
We have a deal on a 2-pack of nylon Lightning to USB MFi-Certified cables. They’re 2 meters (roughly 6.5 feet) long, and because they’re nylon, they’re going to last longer than Apple’s white cables. You can get the 2-pack for $23.99.
Apple Bundles Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, Other Pro Apps for Education for $199.99
Apple announced Pro Apps Bundle for Education Thursday. It includes all of the company’s pro software—Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage—in one bundle for $199.99. “The industry-leading apps used by professional video editors and musicians are now available at a special price for qualifying college students, teachers, and education institutions,” the company said. Purchased individually outside of the education channel, these apps would total $629.95. This is no substitute for new professional Mac hardware, but it is a statement of support for the pro market, and it comes in the wake of CEO Tim Cook telling shareholders that Apple cares about the pro market. Getting students embedded with Apple’s software is a good way to hook them into the Apple ecosystem.
Avoiding Microsoft Office in 2017 and Apple's View of the Mac - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-02
John Martellaro joins guest-host Bryan Chaffin to talk about whether having or not having Microsoft Office on your Mac is a relevant question in 2017. They also try and consider the state of the Mac product line from Apple’s viewpoint, and how the company might look at the importance of new hardware.
New Apple iPad Pro Spot Shows the Power of Apple Pencil to Sign Documents
Apple has a new entrant in its iPad Pro commercials where the company responds to tweets from real people. The new one is called No more printing, and shows how you can use iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to sign documents. It’s anchored around a tweet from @ROSESplease about printing personal documents on the company printer. I thought these spots were interesting when they launched, and found it interesting that Apple was interacting indirectly with social media and tweets from real folks. As time goes on, however, I find that I don’t think about these adds at all. That certainly wasn’t true with many other Apple campaigns. Then again, I’m not the target demo for these spots. This is the fifth spot in the series, making it likely they’re performing well for Apple.
TextExpander 1-Year Single User Plan: $19.98
TextExpander is one of our must-have Mac and iPhone utilities at TMO, and our friends at Stack Commerce have put together a deal on it. TextExpander expands snippets of text to much longer blocks of text. Your signature, a formula, addresses you have to type all the time, etc. It can also insert variables or things in your clipboard. Our deal is $19.98 for a one-year, single user license for macOS, iOS, and Windows. That’s half off regular price.
Appellate Court Rules Smartflash Patents Invalid, Saving Apple $533 Million
Apple won a significant victory in court this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. That court ruled three patents owned by Smartflash LLC were invalid, according to Reuters, a ruling that saves Apple US$532.9 million by negating a damage award.
