AI agents are great for helping us, but the come with a cost that not everyone is comfortable with. John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to talk about the personal data we give up to make AI agents more useful, and how we can limit what we share. They also take a look at the Backdoor.MAC.Elanor malware that’s threatening Macs.
PDFPen 2 for iPhone, iPad gets Apple Pencil Support
PDFPen is on my short list of must-have apps for the iPhone and iPad, and version 2.5 is even more useful because it adds Apple Pencil support for the iPad Pro. The app is a PDF viewing and editing powerhouse, and thanks to this update it also supports viewing file attachments, playing audio annotations, and validates digitally signed documents, bringing it in line with PDFPen 8 for the Mac. PDFPen 2 costs US$19.99 on the App Store, and version 2.5 is a free update.
OS X: Create a One-Click Dock Folder Alias
Today’s Quick Tip is about folder shortcuts you can put in the Dock; there’s actually a really easy way to use them to open folders in Finder. Since Melissa Holt’s not the biggest fan of navigating through files from the Dock, she’s going to walk us through this productivity trick!
3 Great iPhone Apps for Learning about Juno and Jupiter
NASA’s Juno probe spent five years traveling to Jupiter, and on July 4th it safely arrived and slid into orbit. That means we’ll have loads of new information about the gas giant soon, and thanks to our iPhones and iPads, we can stay on top of the latest discoveries. The Mac Observer put together a few apps for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch so you can find out more about the mission, get the latest Juno news, and learn about Jupiter and the Juno probe, too.
Apple Continues to Leverage Its Supply Chain to Maximize Margins (Like Always)
Apple is putting pressure on its suppliers to cut prices to maintain its profit margins, according to a report from DigiTimes that’s been picked up by other publications. What’s missing from the piece, however, is that Apple is always pressuring its suppliers to cut costs for the sake of its own margins.
New Drone Footage of Apple Campus 2.0 Captioned with Construction Details
Matthew Roberts posted new drone footage of construction efforts on Apple Campus 2.0 to YouTube (via The Loop). It not only shows massive progress on the site, it’s also captioned with helpful details about the things you’re seeing. The footage is up close and personal, enough to wonder what new case law might be established if Apple had blasted the drone out of the air. I always enjoy these drone flyovers—it’s super awesome to be able to follow along as this soon-to-be-iconic building takes shape.
TMO Background Mode: Former Apple Sr. Director of Product Marketing Michael Gartenberg
Michael Gartenberg is currently the analyst in residence for iMore.com. However, before that, he spent three years as Apple’s Senior Director of Product Marketing, reporting directly to SVP Phil Schiller. Michael tells the story about how he got his gig with Apple. After years of working at various tech industry research firms, he was always on the periphery of Apple and working with Apple executives, especially Greg “Joz” Joswiak and Phil Schiller. Then, one day in 2013, he got phone call from Joz, and it didn’t sound like it was going to be a schmooze session. Michael was alarmed. What could he have done wrong? But Joz wanted to invite Michael to Cupertino for an interview. Listen as Michael tells me how he got hired and what he did at Apple for three years.
Complete iBlazr Smartphone LED Flash and Accessory Bundle: $64.99
We have a deal for you today on the iBlazr LED flash for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device that includes an accessory pack. iBlazr is designed to sync with your mobile device’s camera for lighting up a scene. This deal includes iBlazr 2 (black), USB charger, Mount clip, Key clasp, Silicon diffuser, Flexible USB Charger Mount, Cold Shoe Mount, Pack of Colored Diffusers, all for $64.99. Check out the deal listing for details.
A Big Risk for AI Agents is the Creepy Factor
How much assistance do customers really need and want from AI agents? Will the very design of AI agents lend themselves to proving their worth? Or will companies who provide them see AI agents as powerful, undisciplined tools for their own advantage and profit. It’s not clear yet where the market is going, but if any company can do it right, it’s Apple.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-05: iOS 10's Organ Donor Registry, Tesla's Autopilot Crash
Becoming an organ donor will get a lot easier once iOS 10 ships this fall. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at Apple’s partnership with Donate Life America to add donor registration to the Health app, plus they offer up their thoughts on the impact of the tragic Tesla autopilot car crash.
Apple Adds Organ Donor Registry to iOS 10 Health App
Apple is making it easier to be an organ doner by adding the ability to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor in iOS 10’s Health app, due to ship this fall. Apple teamed up with Donate Life America, which manages the National Donate Life Registry, to add the feature to iOS 10.
Happy July 4th!
MGG 612: The One Where Dave Kanye’d John
Sometimes things just don’t work right, and that’s what your two favorite geeks are here for! Listen to them help solve your issues with batteries, email bcc, Photos migration and even CPU QoS. Download and enjoy!
Spotify Says Apple Unfair, Apple Says Spotify Doesn't Want to Play by the Rules
Spotify and Apple are having a public spat, and it’s not exactly going well for Spotify. Spotify has publicly accused Apple of rigging the game for streaming music, and it even rigged a situation it could hang a whinge on. The problem is that it was transparent ploy and Apple called the company on it. In Public.
Grab The Matrix Trilogy in HD for $14.99 on the iTunes Store
With Independence Day coming up on Monday, we have a three-day weekend ahead of us in the United States. If movies are more your thing instead of picnics and fireworks displays, check out The Matrix Trilogy on Apple’s iTunes Store. The package includes all three movies in HD, plus extras, for US$14.99. The only question left after picking up the bundle is red pill or blue pill?
Armour Loop Charging iOS Cable: $19.95
Check out the Armour Loop Charging iOS Cable, a stainless-steel-wrapped Lightning cable. Its design features a holder that always keeps the cable in a loop, a loop you can adjust as needed. That makes it tough, compact, and tangle-free. You can get this device through our deal for $19.95, more than a third off retail.
You Thought iPhone Is a Cute Telephone with Internet - Wrong
So you thought the iPhone was just a cute, miniature telephone with a camera, music player and internet access. In 2016, that’s not really the right way to think about the iPhone. John Martellaro looks at how the iPhone has affected modern culture and how Apple, in turn, has responded. The evolution of iOS is put in perspective.
Watch Out Streaming Music Market, Apple wants to Buy Tidal
Apple is reportedly negotiating to buy competing streaming music service Tidal for an undisclosed amount. The deal, should it come together, holds several potential benefits for Apple Music, including an extra 4.2 million subscribers. But there’s still several places where it could implode.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-01: Apple Music and Tidal, Spotify's App Store Gripe
Word on the street says Apple is in talks to buy the streaming music service Tidal. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on whether or not a deal between the two makes sense, plus they look at Spotify’s complaint that Apple is blocking competition in the streaming music market with its App Store approval process.
Tesla Autopilot Death a Stark Reminder that Autonomous Vehicles Are Still Early
The death of a Tesla-driver whose car was in “Autopilot” mode is a tragic reminder that self-driving cars are in their infancy. We have far, far to go before self-driving vehicles are the norm, though that day remains inevitable.
