Satellite TV Will Be Gone Soon, and Apple Might Be Ready to Step In

In the 1980s, some people had 3 meter steerable satellite dishes and could freely access raw network feeds from geosynchronous satellites. Then the networks encrypted everything, and we migrated to smaller dishes and monthly service from Dish and DirecTV. But that’s just one-way TV, and it may be gone soon. The Next Big Thing could well be low-latency, full internet access with TCP/IP via low-earth-orbit satellites. Particle Debris page two points to several articles that cover the emerging story.

Throttle Pro 1-Year Subscription: $39

We have a deal on a one-year subscription to Throttle Pro. This service works through a browser extension that generates a one-time email address you can use when signing up or online services. Throttle Pro then emails you a daily digest of all the email sent to those one-time addresses. You can then forcibly unsubscribe to anything you want through Throttle Pro. A one-year subscription through us is $39.

MEEM Memory Cables: $59.99

We have a deal for you today on the MEEM Memory Cable. This clever device is a Lightning charging cable with a built-in flash drive. It’s designed to let you back up some data while you’re charging. It’s $59.99 for a 32GB model. There’s a 16GB Android version in the deal, too.

The Steam Powered Star Wars Gamer Bundle for Mac: $14.99

We have such a great deal for Star Wars Day. It’s called the Steam Powered Star Wars Gamer Bundle, five Mac games from the Star Wars universe. It includes: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition, Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, and Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. These were all published by Aspyr and run through Steam, and the whole bundle is $14.99 through us. May the fourth be with you!

u-Jays Wireless On-Ear Headphones: $169.95

We have a deal on u-Jays Wireless on-Ear headphones. These Swedish-designed headphones have on-board controls and a mic, and the battery lasts up to 25 hours of playback. There’s a DigitalTrends video review of these headphones on the deal listing. They’re $169.95

How to Distinguish Phony Apple News From the Real Stuff

Nowadays, it’s a real challenge to find fact-based news and solid analysis about many things, including tech companies like Apple. There are so many voices. Does a lurid article title correlate well to solid research and historical insight? Probably not. Just exactly how does one go about identifying valuable, accurate analysis when it comes to Apple? Those who have learned the ropes know that a specific, experienced author is more important than an article title, and this week, one of those special authors, Daniel Eran Dilger, proves why that’s so. It’s on Page 2 of Particle Debris.

MarginNote Pro for Mac: $24.99

We have a deal on a Mac app called MarginNote Pro. It’s a, “reading tool for students, teachers, researchers, lawyers, or just the naturally curious.” It allows users to take notes, make mind maps, review flashcards, and more. Check the deal listing for more. It’s $24.99 through us.

Apple's Next Mac Pro Will Require a Change in Design Philosophy

Apple’s design philosophy for consumer Macs has been that of simplicity, indeed minimalism. Approachable and beautiful. But even the 2008-2012 Mac Pro, designed in the Steve Jobs era, understood the needs of technical and creative professionals. Now that Apple has had time to digest what went wrong with the 2013 Mac Pro, it’s time, according to Marco Arment, to change the design thinking from that of “no!” to that of “yes!”  Versatility should rule. It’s all on page 2 of Friday’s Particle Debris.

Gamevice for iPhone plus $10 iTunes Gift Card: $99.95

Check out Gamevice for iPhone. It’s a game controller for your iPhone that fits on either end, turning it into a single gaming device. It features built-in ABXY, L1R1, L2R2, and D-pad controllers, plus dual joysticks. It’s US$99.95 through our deal, and that includes a $10 iTunes gift card.

Kodak HD WiFi Pet Monitor: $72.99

We have a deal on the Kodak HD WiFi Pet Monitor, a webcam that streams video to your smartphone through a companion app. It also features a speaker so you can speak to your pet remotely. It’s $72.99 through us.

MacX Media Management Bundle: $19.95

We have a deal for you on the MacX Media Management Bundle, a collection of Mac apps designed to help you encode and decode videos and move them to your iOS devices. It consists of MacX DVD Ripper Pro, MacX Video Converter Pro, and MacX MediaTrans, for $19.95

Technical Evolution Can Leave Companies Behind That Caused it

Companies have to be careful about grand projects that don’t serve as a foundation, change rapidly, and sometimes incur legal difficulties. This week’s Particle Debris looks at how Google Book Search foundered from a lack of commitment and legal troubles, VRML morphed into purer VR, the strained evolution of tvOS, cute robots putting laborers out of work, the rapid evolution of self-driving cars, and how Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos plans to keep his company from a slow, painful demise. These are examples of how technical evolution can double back on the very companies that spawn it.

HoudahSpot 4 for Mac Family License: $19

We have a deal today on HoudahSpot 4, a desktop search tool that uses your Mac’s Spotlight index to mine into files and find exactly what you need. You can find files by name, text, content kind, file extension, author, recipient, pixel count, and more. You can get a family license through us for $19.

DeltaWalker 2 Pro for Mac: $29.95

We have a deal on DeltaWalker 2 for Mac (there’s a Windows version, too, if that’s your thing). This software allows you to compare, edit and merge files side-by-side. You can get it through us for $29.95, half off retail.

The Swift 3 Master Coder Bundle

Check out the The Swift 3 Master Coder Bundle, a collection of four training courses for iOS developers. This includes: Hacking With Swift 3 – Beginner to Pro: Build 17 Apps, Swift 3: Exploiting the Latest iOS 10 Features, iOS 10 and Xcode 8: Complete Swift 3 & Objective-C Guide, and Learn iOS 10 Development with Swift 3 & Xcode 8: Build 14 Apps. That’s more than 94 hours of video training content for $36.