Oh Silicon Valley, how we have missed thee! Season 4 is nigh, judging by the new trailer, and it looks delightful. My favorite moment has to be Erlich Bachman mansplaining the concept of mansplaining to Monica and Laurie Bream, ???
The ISP Coup, an Apple VPN, and Samsung's Bixby Gambit - ACM 404
ISPs performed a coup against consumers, and they did so in collusion with one of America’s major political parties. Bryan and Jeff are two tense geeks about it. Their solution would be for Apple to launch a VPN integrated into Apple’s products. And then there’s Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and that company’s delusions of software relevance. Oh, and Bixby, which could eventually succeed in making Samsung relevant.
Debunking iPhone 8 Touch ID Switch Rumor - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-29
There’s a new report claiming Apple is moving the Touch ID fingerprint scanner to the back of the iPhone 8. Kelly Guimont and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to talk about why they think the report is wrong, plus they have some thoughts on Samsung selling refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphones.
Private Internet Access VPN 2-Year Subscription: $59.95
Well, isn’t this timely? On the heels of the House voting to allow ISPs to sell our browser history, we have a deal on a 2-year subscription to Private Internet Access VPN. We haven’t tested their privacy claims yet, but for those interested in a VPN, this might be a good deal for you. The deal is for $59.95, but you can also get an additional 15% off with coupon code DIGIWEEK15.
Apple's New APFS File System, Developers Respond to App Store Reviews - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-28
Say hello to APFS, Apple’s new file system for macOS and iOS that rolled out as part of yesterday’s operating system updates. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to explain what APFS is and how it impacts users, along with why we don’t need to be afraid of the change. They also offer up their thoughts on Apple finally letting developers respond to App Store reviews.
ExoMount CD Car Mount for Smartphones: $19.99
Check out the ExoMount, a car mount for your iPhone that fits in your car’s CD drive. The grip rotates a full 360 degrees. You can get it through us for $19.99, a third off retail.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Microsoft Chief Creative Architect Ben Rudolph
Ben Rudolph is a Microsoft Chief Creative Architect. That means he’s responsible for consumer, retail marketing. In Ben’s words, «his team … builds the experience that turns shoppers … into fans of Microsoft. That involves everything about how the Microsoft brand shows up to consumers in the retail environment.» That may not have been of interest to Apple fans just a few years ago, but the arrival of CEO Satya Nadella has changed all that. Ben and I chatted about his early career interest in being a physician and the path that led him, instead to Microsoft. Then we got into the Microsoft’s Surface Studio that sent shock waves through the Apple community last year. We also discussed the refreshing new corporate mission of Microsoft under Mr. Nadella. This interview will take Apple fans where they’ve never gone before.
UK Anti-encryption Push, Woz at Startup World Cup - TMO Daily Observations 2017-03-27
There’s a new government call to for tech companies to let law enforcement bypass our security and encryption, but this time it’s from the United Kingdom. Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to look at the ramifications if the U.K. forces the issue, plus Bryan fills us in on Steve Wozniak’s presentation at Startup World Cup.
Fun with Mac Terminal’s ‘banner’ Command
Mac Geek Gab listener Alex points us to a fun Mac Terminal command called “banner”, and its usage is simple. Launch Terminal, type ‘banner’, hit enter, type some text, hit enter again and voilà! You get a sideways banner of your chosen text fully suitable for printing on your favorite dot matrix printer.
Live Home 3D Pro for Mac: $24.99
Check out Live Home 3D Pro for Mac, which helps you build from the ground up something as simple as a shed or living room or a complete sky scraper. You can design 2D floor plans, too—check out the deal listing for all the features. It’s $24.99 through our deal, 64% off retail.
