With state-sponsored hackers from Russia developing malware for the Mac, Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet fear Mac users can expect more malware in the future. They also discuss the negativity that greeted Planet of the Apps, and argue that TV shows are good for Apple Music. Plus, they visit listener comments on Net Neutrality.
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
Hype 3.5 for Mac: $24.99
We have a deal for you today on Hype 3.5 for Mac, software that allows you to add animations to web pages, infographics, presentations, digital mags, ads, e-books, GIFs, videos, and more to webpages. It outputs HTML5, too. You can get this software for $24.99 through us.
Iconfactory Plans to Rebuild Twitterrific for Mac with Kickstarter Campaign
The Iconfactory has launched a Kickstarter for Twitterrific for Mac. The company wants to rebuild the Mac version of this venerable Twitter client for the Mac, and the company is looking to raise US$75,000 to do it.
Photon Strike is a Fun Arcade Scroller for iOS
You may known of my penchant for tower defense games, but I also have a not-so-secret love for arcade scrollers. The good news for your time-sucking pleasure is that I found a new one called Photon Strike. It’s a solid vertical scroller for iPhone an iPad (I played on iPad) with good graphics and fast action. In fact, it’s very fast. It’s similar to others in the genre. You have to steer your ship (with your fingers), firing as long as your finger is on the screen. Waves of enemies fly around the screen, and you have to shoot/avoid them. Powerups are available throughout each level, and you get credits for each enemy you destroy for buying upgrades. It’s free to download, but for real-world cash, you can get yourself a whole heap of credits. You can also watch videos for free credits. Every five waves there’s a boss at the end. It’s ad-supported, but the ads go away with any purchase (the ads are not obnoxious). That said, this is the kind of game where I’m happy to pay to unlock ads to directly support the developer.
DEVONthink Pro: $39.95
We have a deal for you today on DEVONthink Pro for the Mac. This software allows you to view and edit many documents inline, read webpages as if they were local documents, and file your information. You can also store your documents in a self-contained database and sync your data directly on the local network or on any USB stick or SD card w/ AES 256-bit encryption. It’s US$39.95 through us, half off retail.
iDelete Cleaner Pro for iOS 3-Year Subscription: $19
We have a deal for you on a Mac utility for cleaning temp files and caches from your iOS device called iDelete Cleaner Pro. According to the company, its, “search and collection algorithm detects and effectively cleans up useless junk data, caches, log files, and more.” You can get a three year subscription to the software for $19.
Apple Music Trailer for Carpool Karaoke with Will Smith, Metallica, Ariana Grande, More
Apple has pushed the first trailer for Carpool Karaoke, the spinoff series being produced for Apple Music by James Corden and CBS. It features, “James Corden, Will Smith, Billy Eichner, Metallica, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Ariana Grande, Seth MacFarlane, Chelsea Handler, Blake Shelton, Michael Strahan, John Cena, Shaquille O’Neal, and many more.” It’s super fun, and builds a song with short samples from many episodes of the first season. Carpool Karaoke has been a huge hit for James Corden and The Late Late Show, and news broke late in 2016 that it would be spun off as a standalone show for Apple Music. My guess—especially after seeing this trailer—is that it’s going to be a huge hit for Apple Music, too.
Smartphone Telephoto PRO Camera Lens: $17.99
Check this out, it’s a telephoto lens for smartphones called Telephoto PRO. It offers up to 8X optical magnification, and it connects to your device with a clamp. It’s compatible with iPhones and iPads, as well as Android devices from Samsung, HTC, Sony, and Nokia. It’s US$17.99 through our deal.
Steve Jobs NeXT Keynote in 1992 Is a Must-Watch for Jobs Fans [Update]
Check out this recording of Steve Jobs’ NeXT keynote from 1992 (via Cult of Mac), where he introduced NeXTSTEP 3.0 (which eventually became OS X). Interesting tidbits from the spot include the 51 minute and 32 second mark, where he shows a feature that ended up being cut when Apple bought NeXT, distributed object inter-application and inter network communication. At 59 minutes and 53 seconds, Mr. Jobs shows off fast elliptical encryption built right into NeXT’s email system. That was also cut for the Mac. Then there was the bit about operating system-level the Renderman rending engine (nixed), and NeXTSTEP for Intel processors, which did eventually make it to the Mac. All these observations come courtesy of John Kheit, who used to work at NeXT. He called this one of Steve Jobs’s best keynotes and a must-watch for fans. I agree, though your mileage may vary. One way or another, it’s definitely good.
Tim Cook Speaks at University of Glasgow for an Hour (Video)
Tim Cook spoke to the students of the University of Glasgow this week. The hour long event included questions from faculty and students alike. Topics included President Trump’s travel bans on seven muslim-majority countries, the reach of the App Store, the environment, wealth inequality, education, balancing work and life, technology interacting with our bodies, Apple Watch, idealism, Steve Jobs’s influence over Apple today, styluses, and more. The video was posted by a student. The audio quality is poor, but the rules for the event precluded “dedicated recording equipment.” To that end, this video was recorded entirely on an iPhone 7 in the hands of a student 50-70 feet from Mr. Cook, and is stunningly good considering. In addition, note how quiet and respectful this audience of 800-plus students is.
VPN.asia 3-Year Subscription: $24.99
We have a deal for you VPN.asia, a VPN with military-grade 256-bit encryption. It’s compatible with a host of devices, including Macs and iOS devices, and you’ll have access to 40-plus servers in 30 countries. The deal listing has other subscription options, too, so check it out.
Apple Doesn't Love iBooks and Samsung Schadenfreude - ACM 397
Evidence suggests Apple stopped loving iBooks. Bryan and Jeff go over that evidence and discuss why Apple should rekindle that love and make iBooks great again. They also take a few minutes to experience some schadenfreude over Samsung’s battery factory fire, and argue that a loss of market share demonstrates Samsung’s lack of software relevance.
LimeLens Universal Smartphone Camera Lens Set: $39.99
We have a deal for you today on the LimeLens Universal Smartphone Camera Lens Set. It works with iPhones, many Samsung devices, some Sony devices, and even some Chinese Android devices. It includes a dual macro/wide lens that’s 10x macro on one side and 0.67x wide angle on the other. It also has a fisheye lens with a 190° view. The set is $39.99 through our deal.
Steve Wozniak to Tell 'Untold Stories' about Apple at Startup World Cup Grand Finale
Steve Wozniak will be speaking at the Startup World Cup Grand Finale in San Francisco on March 24th, 2017. Event organizers Fenox Venture Capital said Tuesday that Woz will, “share insights on his time at Apple and tell some untold stories.”
Belkin Car Vent Mount for Smartphones: No, This One Works!
Belkin has a new version of its Car Vent Mount for iPhone (or Android devices). Made with quality materials and redesigned components, this is the first vent mount that Bryan Chaffin has found that works.
![Pay What You Want for the 2017 Superstar Mac Bundle [Updated]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-superstar-mac-bundle-deal-2.webp)
Pay What You Want for the 2017 Superstar Mac Bundle [Updated]
We have a new pay-what-you-want deal for you called the 2017 Superstar Mac Bundle. It includes 12 different apps—you get all of them by beating the average price, which is $12.17 as of this writing. But you can pay anything—as little as a dollar—and get two of the apps, Mac Screen Recorder and NotePlan. Beat the leader’s price and get an entry into a giveaway for a 13″ MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Check out the details on the deal listing. [Updated with a new promo image. – Editor]
Polaroid University 5-Year Subscription: $24.99
Did you know that Polaroid has an online university with hours of professional-led, professionally-produced videos for smartphone photographers, covering dozens of topics? Thanks to our friends at Stack Commerce, I do now, and they put together a deal for us on a 5-year subscription to Polaroid University for $24.99.
Swift Programming from Scratch Interactive Learning Platform: $10
We have a deal for you today on a training course to help you learn Swift. It’s called We ❤️ Swift, an ebook and interactive platform designed to teach you Swift from scratch. It includes more than a hundred exercises and custom made playgrounds. You can get it for $10 through our deal.
The 2017 Arduino Starter Kit and Course Bundle: $75
I love Arduino. It’s an open source electronics platform for making interactive projects, and we have a deal on an Arduino Starter Kit bundled with nine Arduino training courses. The Starter Kit has a bunch of Arduino electronics. The training bundles include: Arduino Step by Step 2017: Getting Started, Arduino Robotic Projects, Arduino iOS Blueprints, Internet of Things with Arduino Blueprints, Arduino Android Blueprints, Arduino Development Cookbook, Arduino Electronics Blueprints, Arduino Wearable Projects, and Arduino by Example. That’s a ton of training materials, letting you pick the areas that interest you. You get it all for $75.
Apple Profits, Mac Sales, and Fun with Apple's Cash Hoard - ACM 396
Apple turned in a record December quarter this week, and Bryan and Jeff look at the numbers. They also look at this one weird trick Apple did to goose Mac sales—the company released a new Mac. And for grins, they discuss some of the things Apple could do with the astounding $246 billion in cash the company has squirreled away.
Apple's Exchange and Repair Extension Programs Site
Apple has a webpage called Exchange and Repair Extension Programs that lists the company’s current recalls and warranty programs. I’m not sure it lists every such program Apple has, but it’s a good place to check if you have concerns about an Apple device. Each listing includes a date of the program or extension, the name of the program, and a link to a page detailing exactly what it is, what it covers, and how you utilize it. You should bookmark it, and then do what you can to not forget that it’s there. As of this writing there are some 15 different programs listed, from the Apple Ultracompact USB Power Adapter Exchange Program to iPhone 6s Program for Unexpected Shutdown Issues,
UltraBright 500-Lumen Tactical Military Flashlight 2-Pack: $29.99
Check out the UltraBright 500-Lumen Tactical Military Flashlight. They’re intensely bright, and they have an adjustable zoom that provides up to one mile of range. That’s just crazy. They have an SOS mode, too. Our deal is on a 2-pack of these devices, including a case, for $29.99.
Apple Cash Hoard Tops $246 Billion, Enough to Buy 4.9 Billion Amazon Echo Dots
Apple’s cash hoard swelled to a staggering $246.09 billion in the December quarter, an increase of $8.49 billion. This, despite returning some $15 billion to shareholders in the form of stock buybacks and dividends. It’s an unprecedented concentration of corporate wealth that would let Apple buy more than 4.9 billion Amazon Echo Dots if it wanted.
![Apple Beats Guidance with Record Revenue of $78.4B and EPS of $3.36 [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/apple-money-pile.webp)
Apple Beats Guidance with Record Revenue of $78.4B and EPS of $3.36 [Update]
Apple announced Tuesday record revenue for its December quarter of US$78.4 billion, as well as record earnings per share (EPS) of $3.36. That’s up from $75.9 billion in revenue in the year-ago quarter with EPS of $3.28. [Update: This article has been updated with additional details. – Editor]
