We have a bundle of Mac apps for you called The Black Friday Mac Bundle 2.0. It features 9 apps, including: PDF Expert 2.0 for Mac, Call Recorder for FaceTi, MainMenu Pro 3, TripMode, AfterShot 3, ParticleShop, Total Video Converter Pro for Mac, RapidWeaver 7, CrossOver 15 for Mac. All those for $19.99. There’s a description of each app on the deal listing. Grab it while you can.
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
iTunes Store Offers 93 Classic Rock Albums at $7.99
Apple still sells music on the iTunes Store. Who knew, right? On Tursday, the company launched a promotional push for classic rock albums at US$7.99 each. There are 93 albums included in the sale.
KlikR Universal Remote Control: $19.99
Our deal on KlickR is coming to an end in a few days. This device serves as a go-between between for your iPhone and any device with an infrared receiver. Put it onto or next to the receiver and you’ll be able to control it from the companion app on your iPhone or Android device. You can also use voice controls, designate rooms and multiple devices (if you have multiple KlikRs), and more. It’s the kind of device that helps bridge legacy electronics with the Internet of Things, and we have a deal on KlikR for $19.99.
iPhone 7 Plus Ship Times Hold at 3-4 Weeks or Higher
Wait times for Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus remain at 3-4 weeks or 3-5 weeks, with none showing less than 3 weeks as of this writing. Almost 7 weeks after the initial ship date, that’s an unusual delay for Apple, and the question is why.
Tim Cook's Message to Employees after Election: 'Move Forward Together'
Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a company-wide email to employees Wednesday evening encouraging them to “move forward.” While he didn’t name President Elect Donald Trump or his defeated rival, Hillary Clinton, by name, the theme of the email was that the election shouldn’t divide employees.
ACM 384: Demand for iPhone 7 Plus, AWS2, MacBook Pro
John Kheit guests with Bryan Chaffin to talk about demand for iPhone 7 Plus, for which wait times are still 3-4 weeks. Apple Watch Series 2 has 2-3 week wait times, and MacBook Pros seem to be flying off the shelves. Join them while they explore these topics.
6.5-Ft Apple MFi-Certified Lightning Cable 3-Pack: $21.99
We have a deal for you today on a 3-pack of 6.5-foot MFi-certified Lightning cables. You can get them through us for $21.99.
Apple Offers Refurb iPhone 6s/Plus on Apple Store Starting at $449
Apple began offering refurbished iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices on the Apple Store Tuesday. Refurbished iPhone 6s models start at US$449 with 16GB of storage, while 16GB iPhone 6s Plus models start at $529. 64GB iPhone 6s Plus are currently priced at $589.
Review: Charge and Listen on iPhone 7 with Belkin Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar
This is a pretty easy review: Belkin’s Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar works. Think of it as a Lightning splitter with a specific purpose. If you’re looking for a way to charge your iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, or use Lightning headphones and charge an older iPhone or iPad, this is the device for you.
Brain.fm 1-Year Subscription: $19.99
Have you heard of Brain.fm? It streams music designed to help you work, relax, or sleep. Choose which, and you’ll experience an original composition specially generated for that scenario. You can adjust the stream to play for 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, or indefinitely until you turn it off. We have a deal for a 1-year subscription for $19.99. There are other subscription lengths, too. Check out the deal listing for more info.
HomeSpot Rugged Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker: $29.99
Check out the HomeSpot Rugged Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker, a rugged, weather-proof speaker. It deflects dust, dirt, and water, and it’s coated with a rubberized surface. It will pair to your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Android device with Bluetooth, and it also supports NFC pairing. You can get this device for $29.99 through our deal.
ROME: Total War for iPad Release Date Set for November 10th
I get giddy when Feral Interactive releases new information about ROME: Total War for iPad. On Monday, the company set the release date for November 10th, meaning Squeeeeeeeeeee! Oh, and there’s a new video, a playing the game on the iPad video. Man, does it look great! ROME: Total War has been a big franchise on Windows and Mac for a long time, and I can’t wait to play it on iPad. It’s $9.99, and it will be here Thursday.
Apple Follows Mystery iTunes 12.5.3 Update with Bonus Mystery iTunes 12.5.3 Update
You remember that iTunes 12.5.3 update Apple released a couple of days ago? The one where the patch notes were the same as the patch notes from iTunes 12.5.2? Well good news. There’s a new iTunes 12.5.3 update waiting for you in the Mac App Store. It’s a new build of the same update. And oh yeah, the patch notes explain nothing.
Ivacy VPN 2-Year Subscription: $29
OK VPN fans, we have a deal on a 2-year subscription for Ivacy VPN for $29. With this service you have access to more than 250 servers in more than 100 locations in more than 50 countries. It works across iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi, and many more. You can connect up to five devices at a time. Check out the details on the deal listing.
How to Turn Off Music Auto-Shuffle in iOS 10
Did the Music app in iOS 10 start auto-shuffling your albums? It’s easy to fix, but you have to know where to look. Bryan Chaffin walks you through it.
Plugable Claims New MacBook Pro Doesn't Recognize Some Thunderbolt 3 Docks
Device maker Plugable said Thursday that Apple’s new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is incompatible with Thunderbolt 3 docks that use a particular Texas Instrument chip. If accurate, it means at least some early Thunderbolt 3 docks already on the market will not work with Apple’s newest Mac laptop.
Horace Dediu's Take on MacBook Pro and Convergence is a Must Read
Horace Dediu has penned a piece on computers, mobile devices, touch input, and convergence that is a simply put, a must-read. Centered around Apple’s new MacBook Pro and Touch Bar, Mr. Dediu defines the difference between the Mac and Windows platforms as it pertains to the ways they are evolving. I don’t want to rewrite his piece, so I’ll just leave you with this passage and encourage you to read the whole thing: “Which brings me to the question of what it is allowed to be and hence what it is. It cannot take on the role of being the future. That belongs to the touch screen devices. It will not morph into a touch device any more than a teen’s parent will become cool by putting on skinny jeans. What it will do is become better at what it is hired to do.”
If You Were Waiting, Which Mac Laptop Did You Buy?
We know a lot of people were waiting for Apple to launch new MacBook Pros before buying one. What we’d like to know, though, is if that includes you, which machine did you actually buy? Tell us in the Twitter survey we’re running.
If you were waiting until after Apple’s announcement to buy a new Mac laptop, which did you buy?
— The Mac Observer (@MacObserver) November 3, 2016
Last Chance for Keyboard Maestro Deal: $19.99
This is the last chance to get our deal on Keyboard Maestro, one of our own Dr. Mac’s favorite Mac utilities. With Keyboard Maestro, you can create macros and trigger them with keyboard shortcuts to help automate regular activities. You can get it through us for $19.99, but there’s just one more day on the deal.
ACM 383: iOS Song Star Ratings Return, MacBook Pro Innovation Rants
iTunes Song Ratings are back in iOS 10.2 beta, and Bryan and Jeff are stoked, even if it’s not perfect. They also talk about the pushback gets when Apple pushes the envelope with its products. They cap the show with a look at MacBooK Pro’s Touch Bar being a double down against making a ToasterFridge.
ARMOR-X Mini Flexible Phone Tripod: $19.99
I love deals like this one for the ARMOR-X Mini Flexible Phone Tripod. It’s a tripod. The legs are flexible. It holds your iPhone or Android device up to a maximum width of 3.5-inches. It comes with a remote for triggering your camera app. Boom! You’re good to go. It’s $19.99. Christmas is coming. Just saying.
Mute/Unmute Apple Watch Activity Reminders in watchOS 3
Apple Watch Activity Reminders are great, but sometimes you just need to mute them—or to unmute them. That setting is hidden in the Watch app in iOS 10, and Bryan Chaffin shows you how to use it.
Apple iTunes 12.5.3 Update Released, Contents Remain a Mystery
Apple released iTunes 12.5.3 late on Monday. It’s unclear what the update actually changes because the accompanying patch notes are the same as patch notes that came with iTunes 12.5.2, and that’s true both in the Mac App Store and on Apple’s Support site.
HOCO L1 Lightning Cable Headphones: $21.99
We have a deal for you today on the HOCO L1 Lightning Cable Headphones. These earbuds come with a Lightning cable for those with an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, or those who just want to listen through their Lightning port. You can get them through us for $21.99.
