CrashPlan for Home is being discontinued. This week, Dr. Mac talks about what he’s using instead, and why.
Columns & Opinions
The iPhone 8 Could Soon Usher in Eye-Tracking Ads
Aside from ARKit, another API that Apple released to developers this summer is a Vision API which can “identify faces, detect features, and classify scenes in images and video.”
Whoa, Siri in iOS 11 Sounds Amazing and Human-Like
iOS 1 1 will bring a Siri that is not only smarter than before, but also more human-sounding.
Essential Gadgets for iPhone Photography
Dr. Mac has collected quite an assortment of photography-related gadgets he uses with his iPhone, all aimed at helping him capture the best possible image every time.
Mac Keyboard Shortcuts Speed Up Almost Everything
If these Mac keyboard shortcuts aren’t etched in your muscle memory, they should be.
10% of the Internet Is Encrypted with Lava Lamps
Bryan Chaffin loves Lava Lamps and used to own a half dozen of them, but who knew they could be one of the keys to encryption?
Apple Just Built the App Store Icon from Popsicle Sticks
I’m not sure what message Apple wants to deliver with the new App Store icon, but I see popsicle sticks.
Three Real World Practical Uses for Arduino
Jeff Butts has spent quite a few sleepless nights working with Arduino, ever since he got his Sparkfun Inventor’s Kit, and has some great insight on practical ways you can put the programmable logic board to work.
Here's How to Turn Your Neighbor's Amazon Echo into a Remote Listening Device
MWR Labs was able to open a first generation Amazon Echo and add permanent code to the firmware that streamed live audio from the always-listening microphones to remote services.
The Day Steve Jobs Launched the iPod and Changed Apple Forever
The iPod showed Apple that it could be more than just a conventional computer company, and that changed everything.
iStat Menus Helps My MacBook Pro Keep Going and Going...
Dr. Mac gives a little credit to iStats Menu for helping him to monitor the handful of critical bits of information about his Mac that help him keep it running smoothly.
Who Would Apple's Tim Cook Pick to Succeed Him?
Every corporation has a succession plan for its CEO, so what might Apple’s look like?
The iPhone at Age 10 (Which is Roughly 60 in Dog Years)
The iPhone turned 10 last week (that’s roughly 60 in dog years). In this week’s Rants & Raves column, Dr. Mac takes a brief look back upon the 14 iPhone models introduced so far and the new features each one introduced.
Is the iPad a Real Computer? Do its Users Deserve it?
Those who like to argue about whether the iPad is a full-fledged computer are wasting their time, and no one cares.
A Bold Move for Apple: MacBook Air 2 for Education
An affordable notebook Mac for Middle and High School education sets the world on its heels.
Dear Apple, Please Don't Give Up on iBooks in iOS 11
Improvements to iBooks in iOS 11 I’d like to see include barcode scanning and book playlists.
Drive Genius 5: Guardian of Your Disks
Dr. Mac says Drive Genius has proven its value to him time and time again by alerting him to potential disk drive issues he’d otherwise be oblivious to, and then repairing the damage.
No, the iMac Pro Apple Tax Isn't a Real Thing
The suggested pricing for the fully-upgraded iMac Pro, if it’s accurate, is just business as usual.
Monday's Apple WWDC Keynote Just Got Even More Exciting
Apple issued two developer-centric press releases, and that can only mean the company has too much stuff to fit them in during Monday’s WWDC keynote.
How AIs, like Siri, Could Become Our Proxy Shoppers
People of means don’t spin their wheels on frustrating shopping expeditions, however, AIs could be the equalizer for the rest of us.
Apple Could Own Device-Centric AI with Custom Chip
Such a chip could give Apple a significant leg up deploying artificial intelligence, and if it succeeds, few of its competitors could respond.
The Cloud Is a Lie
The cloud is a lie. John Kheit argues that if you believe in the cloud, you’re not only a sucker, you’ve been brainwashed into accepting your lot as a 2nd class digital citizen. According to him, the cloud is a lie because it convinces you of at least two Stockholm syndrome things: (1) you don’t deserve to own or control your own data, and (2) security for your data does not matter.
5 Less Expensive Wireless Alternatives to AirPods
Last week Dr. Mac said he thought AirPods were too expensive… For those looking for decent-sounding, comfortable wireless headsets to use primarily with a single Apple device—an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac—he says he knows many models that will serve your needs and cost you less than AirPods.
John Oliver Makes It Easier to Comment on FCC Effort to Gut Net Neutrality
The FCC under Chairman Ajit Pai did its best to bury the mechanism for publicly commenting on the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s efforts to gut net neutrality. Fortunately, comedian and Last Week Tonight host John Oliver made it easy.