It’s been about a year since Smile introduced its subscription licensing model for TextExpander, so I invited company co-founder Greg Scown back on the show to talk about how that’s working out. Dave Hamilton joins us to round out the discussion.
Apple Releases iOS 10.3.1, a Bug Fix Release
Apple released iOS 10.3.1 Monday. The patch notes are sparse, saying only, “iOS 10.3.1 includes bug fixes and improves the security of your iPhone or iPad.” The company has not yet published the security release notes, but this update is most likely addresses issues that cropped up since the release of iOS 10.3 last week.
Apple's Plan for In-house Mobile GPU Design Could Lead to Imagination Technologies Patent Fight
It’s no secret Apple likes using its own chips in products like the iPhone and iPad, and Imagination Technologies is learning that in a painful way. Apple currently uses Imagination’s GPU chips in its mobile devices, but that’s changing within two years when they move to in house designs—and that could lead to a patent fight.
Apple Scheming for HBO, Showtime, Starz Streaming Bundle
Apple has a new plan for selling us a streaming TV package: premium channels. A new report says Apple is trying to bring together a deal to offer HBO, Showtime, and Starz without requiring viewers to sign up for a base-level channel package first.
Disk Drill PRO 3 for Mac: $34.99
We have a deal on Disk Drill PRO 3 for Mac, a data recovery tool that works with OS X 10.8.5 or later, including macOS 10.12.x Sierra. This is a lifetime license, and I’m delighted to note our friends at Stack Commerce added a detailed description of exactly what that means. The short version is you get, “a lifetime of major updates, and inevitably a world of new features that are beyond our current imagination. Many of our Lifetime License options are exclusive offers, at the web’s best prices.” It’s $34.99 through us.
Four New Things You’ll Learn Today – Mac Geek Gab 651
Quick Tips about VPN, Sierra’s storage, Universal Clipboard, and Wi-Fi priority are just the start to the show. From there we talk about using Flash on your iPhone or iPad (it’s true!), portable VPN options, accessing a file server with iOS and much more. Download or just press play right here and enjoy. You’ll learn at least four new things, we guarantee it!
Make Your Old iPhone Red with SlickWraps
Apple’s (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus has been received a warm welcome. Your mileage may vary, but I’ve personally had even Android zealots express an interest in the RED iPhone to me. And I love the (PRODUCT)RED charity, but not everyone can get a new iPhone at any given moment, which is why a SlickWraps promotional email grabbed my attention. That company has red wraps for iPhones for those who want a red iPhone, but can’t get a RED iPhone. To be fair, they have a wide variety of colors, but red is the color du jour, and it’s $22.95.
5 Things to Consider when Evaluating a VPN for Privacy
Yesterday we explained what a VPN is and covered the benefits of using one. Today we’re examining how to figure out if you have a trustworthy VPN provider. In place of your ISP, your VPN provider receives your browsing data, and it’s good to shop around and compare privacy policies. Andrew Orr tells us what to look out for.
Google Maps Transforms Your City into Ms. Pac-Man for April Fools Day
Google is all about April Fools Day pranks, and this year they put one inside the Google Maps app. Instead of navigating your city, you can turn it into a Ms. Pac-Man game. Seriously. Just launch the Google Maps app on your iPhone and tap the Ms. Pac-Man button. The city streets turn into the game grid and you swipe to move around and avoid the ghosts. It’s 8-bit awesomeness that makes pretty much any city cooler. If you don’t already have the Google Maps app it’s a free download at Apple’s App Store.
The Alexa Assistant, OK Google, and Lots More in one Full-Featured Speaker
Say hello to the first standalone device to give you the Alexa assistant, OK Google, and plenty more. The folks at Indiegogo have more than funded the Clarity Speaker. Still, you can preorder yours until the end of April 2017. One great thing about Clarity is you get a portable Bluetooth and Wi-FI speaker with a seven-inch fully-featured touchscreen. Additionally, Clarity includes a built-in Alexa assistant and “OK Google” functionality. It’s also a fully functional Android tablet, running Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Clarity Speaker is extremely portable, weighing less than two pounds. The device is powered by a quad-core processor. Clarity includes two 5-watt speakers and a 2MP camera. Internally, you’ll have access to 16GB of memory. You can expand storage with a micro SD card. The speaker is available for preorder at US $149 until April 30, 2017. The regular retail price is $199, and the device begins shipping in June.