Following Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 combust-a-phone mess and product recall, Verizon went from “We won’t do anything,” to “OK, let’s brick them,” and now is at the “Seriously people, give us the phone before you hurt yourself” stage. Verizon’s latest move is to reroute calls from Note 7 phones to customer service to convince users to exchange their phone for something less flammable.
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SelectTV by FreeCast 1-Year Subscription: $24
Our friends at Stack Commerce have put together a deal on a one-year subscription to SelectTV. This internet-streaming service gives you browser access to some 300,000 TV episodes, 200,000 movies, 50,000 radio stations, and 5,000 live channels. The price for a one-year subscription through our deal is $24. There are more details on the deal listing.
Former Apple Engineer Claims Tim Cook Made Apple Boring
Former Apple engineer Bob Burrough has been arguing that CEO Tim Cook has made Apple boring. In a combination of tweet storm and an interview with CNBC stemming from said tweetstorm, the engineer said Mr. Cook has eliminated conflict within Apple, sapping its vitality in the process. Mr. Burrough argued that Steve Jobs ruled with ever-shifting chaos, where product triumphed over hierarchy. Under Tim Cook, he said, Apple is siloed, smooth, and essentially complacent. Former Apple wunderkind Tony Fadell coincidentally tweeted just last week that Steve Jobs did not manage through conflict, and others have taken issue with Mr. Burrough, too. The reality is that any one person’s perspective never tells the whole tale, but his opinions make for an interesting read. You can see the whole tweetstorm in this tweet and in the CNBC story.
@JohnKirk @asymco The very first thing Tim did as CEO was convert Apple from a dynamic change-maker into a boring operations company.
— ᴮᵒᵇ ᴮᵘʳʳᵒᵘᵍʰ (@bob_burrough) January 16, 2017
iOS Tip: Create Your Own Live Wallpaper with LivePapers
When Apple announced the iPhone 6s, they debuted a new way to interact with your iPhone, called 3D Touch. 3D Touch lets you “peek” and “pop” your way around apps. The company also introduced Live Photos—animated pictures that you capture and bring to life by 3D touching the photo. Apple provided a handful of Live wallpapers to use, but many people wondered if it was possible to make your own. That is what we’ll explore in this tip.
Managing Photos, Fixing Your Apple Watch & Resolving Network Issues – Mac Geek Gab 640
Migrating Photos to a new Mac, managing and syncing your family’s photos, speeding up iOS Spotlight searches, fixing an unresponsive Digital Crown on your Apple Watch and resolving website loading delays are just some of the things you’ll learn from your two favorite geeks in this week’s show! Listen as Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun answer your questions and solve your problems.
AT&T Officially Kills Off 2G, Original iPhone Support
Farewell, 2G. AT&T officially ended 2G support on its network as of the first of the year, and it’s a safe bet almost no one noticed. Dropping 2G support means older phones like the original iPhone won’t work for phone calls any more, and it also opens wireless spectrum that’ll eventually benefit LTE.
V-Moda Crossfade LP2 Headphones Sweat the Details
The V-Moda Crossfade LP2 are over-the-ear headphones that check all of John Martellaro’s boxes. In this quick look review, he tells the story of his search for a pair of decent, reasonably priced headphones for casual music and podcasting. He found them.
Vine's Demise, Avoiding Weak Passwords - TMO Daily Observations 2017-01-17
The video sharing social network Vine shut down today, and is being reborn as a Twitter feature. Bryan Chaffin and the Maccast’s Adam Christianson join Jeff Gamet to look at the state of social networks, plus they dive into the importance of strong passwords.
Goodbye Vine, Hello Twitter's Vine Camera
Vine’s six seconds of fame, so to speak, has come and gone. As of January 17th, the Vine video sharing social network has shut down and is being replaced with an app that posts short videos on Twitter.
Brexit Drives Up UK App Store Prices 25%
Apple’s App Store is about to get more expensive for U.K. shoppers. App prices are going up by 25% because the pound has been dropping in the wake of the Brexit vote.
Kinkoo 3-Outlet Surge Protecting Smart Power Strip
You folks probably know how much I love clever devices—we have a deal on one called Kinkoo 3-Outlet Surge Protecting Smart Power Strip. It’s a power strip with three AC outlets, but it also has four USB charging ports. That’s three standard USB charging ports and one USB-C charging port, making it good for new and legacy USB charging. It’s $24.99 through us.
A Broad, Consensus Critique of Apple in 2016
At sixcolors, Jason Snell writes: “As we close the door on 2016, I thought it would be useful to look back at the year gone by and ask a panel of my peers who pay attention to Apple and related markets to take a moment and reflect on Apple’s performance in the past year.” What’s interesting about this report is that these are some of the most knowledgeable and enthusiastic writers covering Apple. And the consensus grades, except for the iPhone and Apple Watch, aren’t all that great. Check it out onA Broad, Consensus Critique of Apple in 2016
TMO Background Mode: Interview with Innovation Fellow for the TechCongress Dr. Chris Soghoian
Dr. Chris Soghoian is an expert on the technology and politics of privacy. Most recently he’s been the Principal Technologist with the ACLU. In 2017, he’s one of three Innovation Fellows for the TechCongress where he’ll assist in federal policymaking. Chris earned his Ph.D. with a research focus on the role internet and telephone companies play in enabling government surveillance, and he’s also known for his work with the FTC and the Do Not Track initiative. Chris started life as a tech geek, and computers were always a part of his life. That led to an undergraduate degree in computer science. Then he interned at Apple and IBM. But a significant event changed his direction in life, and he gained a newfound appreciation for attorneys. Chris makes some interesting observations about today’s assaults on our privacy.
Listener Comments on Consumer Reports, Apple Music Goes Pop Culture - TMO Daily Observations 2017-01-16
TDO listeners have plenty to say about how Consumer Reports rates laptops, so today dive into their comments. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to respond to listener comments, plus they share their thoughts on Apple Music becoming a pop culture nexus.
Apple Music Wants to be Pop Culture Central with Music and TV Shows
Apple Music front man Jimmy Iovine all but confirmed last week’s report that Apple is on the hunt for original scripted TV shows for the subscription service. He said Apple is looking for ways to set the streaming music service apart from Spotify, and that Apple Music is going to be a big part of the pop culture experience.
Next FlipBook Maker Pro for Mac: $39.99
We have a deal today on Next Flipbook Maker Pro for Mac. This software helps you make PDFs and images into HTML5 flipbooks. It does Flash, too, but seriously, HTML5. You can embed YouTube, local video, music, images, buttons, charts, and hyperlinks, and it has batch conversion abilities, too. It’s priced at $39.99, which is 86% off retail. Check out the details on the deal listing.
Control Your Devices with Screens 3 for Mac: $12.99
We have a deal today on Screens 3 for Mac, a virtual network client (VNC) that lets you control all of your computers from your Mac. You can connect to a Mac, Windows or Linux PC from anywhere in the world. Run apps on any of your computers’ displays, send and receive content, and get work done while traveling light. You can get this software through us for $12.99, more than half off retail.
Consumer Reports Loves the Mac Again, Bigger Apple TV Apps - TMO Daily Observations 2017-01-13
Consumer Reports changed its tune and now recommends Apple’s new Touch Bar MacBook Pro. John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to debate whether or not we should trust Consumer Reports computer reviews, plus they share their thoughts on the big app size increase for Apple TV.
Apple TV Apps Are About to get More Compelling Thanks to Less Restrictive File Sizes
Apple just raised the cap on Apple TV app sizes from 200MB up to 4GB, bringing them in line with iPhone and iPad apps. Apple told developers the change lets them give users a better overall experience. For end users, that means more immersive apps and potentially a step towards a 4K Apple TV.
Jeff's 4 Must-have Touch Bar MacBook Pro Adapters
After spending a month with Apple’s 15-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pro I’ve found there are only four must-have Thunderbolt 3 adapters I need to attach everything I use with my computer. I don’t need all of them all the time, but they’re my go-to set for all of my wired connection needs.
HyperDrive USB Type-C 5-in-1 Hub in Gold: $39.95
Our deal on the HyperDrive USB Type-C 5-in-1 Hub is almost sold out. In fact, there are only Gold models left. This device is a hub you can plug directly into your MacBook or MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. It features an SDXC slot, a microSDXC slot, two USB 3.0 ports, and a USB-C port, too. It’s priced at $39.95 through us, 20% off retail. Works with Chromebook Pixel, too.
A Periodic Table of Fictional Metals and Alloys
You’ve heard of Duranium, Tritanium and Gold-pressed Latinum, right? These are fictional metals from Star Trek lore. But did you know a Periodic Table of all the elements and alloys mentioned across all fiction has been compiled? It includes all the magical substances from TV, the movies, comics, games, mythology and more. Of course, there’s no chemistry in this table. Instead, it’s a beautifully presented and organized database. Just click on any item to see its origin. For example, click on Dur to discover that “Duranium makes up the outer hull of Starfleet’s NX-class starships.” This table is just amazing to behold.
Apple's TV Series Hunt, Pennies in Macs - TMO Daily Observations 2017-01-12
Apple is out shopping for original TV shows for Apple Music, so John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to talk about what impact that’s going to have on the company. They also talk about the future of Apple TV, mysterious coins showing up inside some Macs.
Apple Shopping for Original TV Shows for Apple Music
We already see the Netflix and Amazon logos at the beginning of original shows on TV, and soon we’ll see Apple’s logo, too. Apple is reportedly on the hunt for premium television content on par with the quality we’re seeing from Netflix and Amazon to entice more people to subscribe to Apple Music.