Super Mario Run hit Apple’s App Store yesterday, so today Bryan Chaffin joins Jeff Gamet to talk about the game and whether or not it’s worth the US$9.99 in-app purchase. They also talk about why Astra is an awesome iPhone app for Amazon Echo and Echo Dot owners.
AirPods Available in Apple's Retail Stores on Dec 19
If you missed out on ordering your AirPods for a pre-Christmas delivery, there’s still a chance you might get ahold of a pair because they’ll be available in Apple’s retail stores on Monday, December 19th. Don’t, however, get your hopes up because this will likely mirror the Apple Pencil launch where “available in store” really means “good luck with that.”
Firewatch Comes to Mac App Store
When Firewatch launched on Steam back in February the internet pretty much went crazy over the game, and now it’s available as a native Mac title. The game tasks you with solving a mystery while working as a firewatcher in Wyoming. The graphics are beautiful, the story is intriguing, and the only help you get comes from another firewatcher talking over your portable radio. Firewatch costs US$19.99 on Apple’s Mac App Store, and if you haven’t played it yet get ready to have a very unproductive weekend.
Super Mario Run Already the Top Grossing App Store Title
Nintendo released Super Mario Run for the iPhone and iPad Thursday afternoon, and by early Friday morning it was already the top grossing and top free title on Apple’s App Store. The game is a free download with a US$9.99 in-app purchase to unlock extra levels, and considering Mario’s top spot on the App Store plenty of players are happy to pay up.
ActiveInbox, an Gmail Task Manager: $24.95
We have a different sort of deal for you today on ActiveInbox, a Chrome-browser-based Gmail task manager. The company has an iOS app, too. Our deal is for one year of access to ActiveInbox for $24.95, which is 37% off retail. There are deals for longer licenses on the same page, too.
iPhone 7, Pokémon GO Top 2016 Google Searches
It looks like the things people wanted to know about the most in 2016 were Pokémon GO and the iPhone 7. The two topped Google’s this year’s searches, beating out Donald Trump and Prince.
Turn Your iPhone into an Amazon Echo with Astra
Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot are pretty cool, but what if you don’t have one yet—or aren’t home to use yours? That’s where Astra comes in. It’s an iPhone app that links to your Amazon account so you talk talk to Alexa just as if you’re right in front of your own Echo. The app lets you do pretty much everything your Echo or Echo Dot can handle, except for music playback or reading audio books. You can also remotely control your Echo-aware smarthome devices with your voice, which is worth the app’s US$0.99 price tag all by itself. You can get Astra at Apple’s App Store.
Super Mario Run Available for iPhone and iPad
As promised, Super Mario Run for the iPhone and iPad launched on Apple’s App Store on Thursday. The game marks Mario’s first official appearance on Apple’s mobile devices and was first teased this fall, and if the hype is any indication productivity is going to take a serious hit for the rest of today.
Yahoo's Data Breach, Mac Laptop Battery Time Estimates - TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-15
Yahoo! lost over a billion user’s account information in a data breach. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about what happened, and share some tips for protecting your accounts and data from hackers. They also look at some apps for showing the battery time remaining estimate on your Mac laptop.
Exocharge 3-Port USB Car Charger: $14.99
Check out the Exocharge 3-Port USB Car Charger. The name says it all: it’s a three-port USB charger for your car that plugs into your car’s auxiliary power (lighter). One port puts out 2.1 amps, one does 2.0 amps, and the third does 1 amp. You can get this device through our deal for $14.99.