I love drones—we have a deal on a tiny one for you today, the SKEYE Nano 2 First-Person View Drone. It has adjustable gyro sensitivity and 6-axis flight control system, making it easy to control. You can use a controller or your iPhone (or Android device) to control it. It will also record real-time, first-person view video in HD. It’s $99 through our deal. Check out the details on the deal listing.
Bryan Chaffin
Bryan Chaffin is the cofounder of The Mac Observer and currently serves as Afternoon Editor. He has contributed to MacAddict and MacFormat magazines, and co-authored the last two updates of iPad and iPad Pro for Dummies with Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and Ed Baig. You can find out more about Bryan at his personal site, GeekTells, or find his Twitter link below.
Articles by Bryan Chaffin
Oral History of 'Get a Mac' with Justin Long, John Hodgman, and Creative Team
Campaign US has put together a wonderful oral history of Apple’s “Get a Mac” ad campaign. Listen, it’s delightful. It’s wonderful. Justin Long (Mac) and John Hodgman (PC) talk about their roles, and the creative team from TBWA\Chiat\Day talk about putting it together. Bryan Chaffin explains.
Living with Apple's Touch Bar, the Reverse Toaster Fridge - ACM 388
Bryan Chaffin quizzes Jeff Gamet about living with Apple’s new TouchBar on his MacBook Pro. They also discuss whether or not the so-called Reverse ToasterFridge could be the future of Apple’s hardware. Listener comments have been pouring in, too.
GoPower Plus Battery Space Gray Has Built-in Charging Cable
The Kanex GoPower Plus Batter Space portable battery. What I like about it is that it has a built-in charging cable. The main cable is a microUSB cable for Android users. But it comes with a Lightning adapter that slips over that microUSB plug, and both just tuck away in the body of the battery. It comes in Space Gray or Gold and has a capacity of 8,000mAh. It’s $59.95.
Nomad Leather MFi-Certified Charging Wallet: $49.95
Check out the Nomad Leather MFi-Certifified Charging Wallet. It’s a wallet. A billfold, if you will. But in addition to holding credit cards and money, it has a built-in 2,400mAh battery in it for recharging your iPhone. It even has an integrated Lightning cable. Check the deal listing for more info and more pictures.
HyperDrive USB Type-C 5-in-1 Hub with SDXC, microSDXC, 2 USB 3.0 Ports: $39.95
Today I am pleased to tell you about a deal on a gadget I would have linked to as Cool Stuff Found if we didn’t have a deal. It’s the HyperDrive USB Type-C 5-in-1 Hub, a hub you can plug directly into your MacBook or MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. As you can see in the picture, the hub has an SDXC slot, a microSDXC slot, two USB 3.0 ports, and a USB-C port, too. The device is made from aluminum, and it’s priced at $39.95 through us, 20% off retail. Works with Chromebook Pixel, too.
Apple's Computing Future Could Be the Reverse ToasterFridge
Jean-Louis Gassée has an excellent piece on the future of desktop and mobile operating systems. It includes some lore—including that time Apple tried to buy a a code dump of BeOS from Palm—and some interesting speculation on the future. Both are well worth your time, and it got me thinking about an old interview of Steve Jobs from the mid-1990s. Think: the Reverse ToasterFridge.
The Black Friday Mac Bundle 2.0: $19.99 Today
We have a slightly different deal for you today. It’s called the Black Friday Mac Bundle 2.0, a collection of 9 Mac productivity apps. The bundle itself isn’t new, but it’s back for a limited time at $19.99. What’s new is that the price is going to go up a dollar every day until the end of this week. That means buy early if you’re interested. Check out the list of apps in the deal description.
How about a Computer Keyboard or Trackpad Made of Wood?
I have no idea how practical these products are, but they’re gorgeous. Check out the Orée Board and Orée Touch Slab, a keyboard and trackpad made from wood. The Board is portable and can connect via USB or Bluetooth. It’s designed to work with macOS and iOS, or Windows and Android. Each is made from a single piece of wood, making individual units unique. The Touch Slab is a multitouch trackpad that can also be used as a numeric keypad. Look closely and you’ll see the keypad outlined on top. It’s Bluetooth only, and works with macOS, and Windows 7 or 8. The Board is priced at US$129, while Touch Slab is $150. I haven’t tested them, but they totally caught my eye.
PDFpen 8: All-Purpose PDF Editor for Mac: $37
Good news, our deal for deal on PDFpen 8 for Mac from Smile Software is back. This software is an all-purpose PDF reader and editor. You can edit text, add images, redact information, export to Microsoft Word format, and a lot more. PDFpen 8 is priced at $74.95, but you can get it through our deal for just $37.
Apple Adds Online Form for Checking iPhone 6s Battery Replacement Eligibility
Apple added an online form for checking your iPhone 6s eligibility for a battery replacement program. The program itself was announced in November, but it was initially up to customers to figure out if their serial number was eligible. The form allows owners to simply enter that serial number and be told if it’s eligible.
LifePower A2-L 27,000mAh Portable Power Outlets: $229
27,000mAh of power. That’s a crap tonne of power for a portable battery. That’s enough to charge your mobile devices and many laptops, too. We have a deal on the LifePower A2-L 27,000mAh Portable Power Outlet, with one AC outlet and one USB port, and 27,000mAh of power. It’s $229 through our deal.
ACM 387: State of Apple Advertising, Apple's Product Vision
John Kheit joins Bryan Chaffin to discuss the state of Apple’s advertising, including Frankie’s Holiday, Balloons, and Bulbs. Spoiler, John hates them and Bryan thinks they’re lovely. They also talk about Apple’s product vision and the end of AirPort. Another spoiler: John is cranky about that, too.
Kinkoo 3-Outlet, 4-USB Port Surge Protecting Smart Power Strip: $24.99
Check out the Kinkoo, a power strip with both regular power outlets and built-in USB charging ports. That’s clever and useful, and we have a deal on it for $24.99. Not only does it have the built-in USB ports, three of them are regular USB ports, and one is USB-C for a little future proofing. Check out the deal listing for more info.
Mbeat PowerTone Mini Bluetooth Earpiece and Dual-Port Car Charger: $29.99
Our friends at Stack Commerce found us a very interesting device called Mbeat. It’s a car charger for your cigarette lighter (or auxiliary power outlet) with a Bluetooth earpiece. The device charges (and holds) the Bluetooth earpiece so you always have it with you in your car. It also has two USB ports for charging your iPhone or Android devices. I can’t recall seeing anything else like it. Mbeat is $29.99 through our deal, 24% off retail.
New Apple Campus 2.0 Flyover in 1080p
Check out the latest flyover video of Apple Campus 2.0, posted by Sexton Videography. It’s an HD tour of the so-called Spaceship HQ that shows just how far the architectural masterpiece has come. Complete with labels letting you know what you’re looking at, you can see side buildings, parking structures (with solar panels installed), landscaping, and how much of the main building has taken shape. It’s labeled “December 2016 Update,” but the video was posted November 25th. It’s a great tour. Adjust the resolution up to 1080p, as desired.
Disarming and Deleting Calendar Spam Without Auto-Notifying the Spammer
Calendar spam is now a thing. Bryan Chaffin shows you how to disarm calendar spam. More importantly, he shows you how to delete calendar spam without auto-notifying the spammer.
StallDesk on Kickstarter, Standing Desk Below $200
Check out StällDesk on Kickstarter. This project is for a standing desk made from high-quality—and very attractive—plywood called ApplePly. The retail price for this desk will be $199, but there are currently early bird funding options left at $129 that will get you one. The thing that first grabbed me about this desk is that it’s gorgeous. The shape is sleek and elegant, and the finish is beautiful. It’s adjustable, and you assemble/disassemble it without using screws. It’s also very strong, courtesy of ApplePly. Check out the project’s page for images of people standing on it. Also check out the closeup images of the StällDesk itself to see the fit and finish. The company is raising $20,000 for custom runs of ApplePly and new tooling, and the desks are being made in Colorado.
TMO's Cyber Monday Deals - 15% off Apple-Related Software
We have one more day on our Deals site where you can get 15% off Apple-related software. Use coupon code CYBER15 at checkout. This is 15% off the already great prices, mind you. Plus, when you buy through our Deals site, you’re helping to support TMO and our content. If you click the link to the deal, you’ll see all the software gathered on one page. Enjoy!
Apple Black Friday 2016 Deals Revealed
Apple’s Black Friday deals are in. As expected, they’re the same as the ones in Australia revealed earlier in the day: a free gift cards with a purchase. The company is offering US$25 gift cards with an Apple Watch Series 1, up to $50 with an iPhone, up to $100 with an iPad, and a $150 gift card with a Mac.
15% Off TMO's Deals with Black Friday Coupon Code
Our friends at Stack Commerce have rolled out the Black Friday savings for you on our TMO Deals site. You can get 15% off site-wide (with some exclusions) using coupon code BLACKFRIDAY15 at checkout. Our deal prices are usually good, often great, and sometimes amazing, but 15% off is even better. Plus, when you buy through our Deals site, you’re helping to support us. Definitely check out this one day offer.
Apple's Black Friday Aussie Deals: Free Gift Cards with Purchase
Apple’s Black Friday deals in Australia are in, and they’re free gift cards with a purchase. This is very likely to be what Apple is doing in the U.S. and other countries further behind the date line. The company is offering AUS$35 gift cards with an Apple Watch, up to $70 with an iPhone, up to $140 with an iPad, and a $200 gift card with a Mac.
![10 Black Friday Sales Apple Customers Might Have Missed [Update]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/black-friday-sale-wide.webp)
10 Black Friday Sales Apple Customers Might Have Missed [Update]
Black Friday has some of the biggest sales in retail, but you can also find a lot of software on sale. I put together a list of nine Black Friday sales that will appeal to Apple customers that you might have otherwise missed, plus a reminder that Apple is doing a promo.
Apple Adds Australia to Black Friday Sale
A friend of mine let me know last night that Australian Apple customers were also emailed about a Black Friday sale. To my knowledge, this is the first time Australia has been included in Apple’s Black Friday sales, in part because Black Friday isn’t a thing in Aussieland. As with other markets getting this sale, the Apple.com/au site has a landing page featuring an Apple Watch, with the message that, “Friday can’t come soon enough.” I’m noting this because it shows a push by Apple to make a splash with this sale. As I said, Black Friday isn’t a thing Down Under. Not only is there no “Thanksgiving” holiday weekend happening (there is a “Thanksgiving” celebration unrelated to our Pilgrims, of course), but holiday shopping has a more general ramp up than it does in the States. That said, American culture pushes out to many corners of the world, and the idea of “Black Friday” as a time for sales isn’t unheard of. It’s merely uncommon. Jeff Gamet and I discussed this on Wednesday’s Apple Context Machine. It’s possible that Apple is feeling the need to goose December quarter sales.
