What would it take for Apple to ditch the Lightning port on iPhones? Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet explore the possibilities, and Bryan ends up convincing himself to buy Apple’s not-shipping-yet AirPower charging pad. They also ask themselves what it would take for them to want Apple Watch Series 4, iPhone Xs, new iPad Pros, and new MacBooks. Their conclusion? It’s going to be an expensive fall.
Intel's Whiskey Lake Processors, AirPort Express and AirPlay 2 - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-29
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at Intel’s new Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake laptop processors, and to explain the new firmware update for the discontinued AirPort Express.
Brian Bumbery Joins Apple Music, Technology's Social Impact - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-28
Andrew Orr and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about Brian Bumbery leaving his own music industry publicity agency to join the Apple Music team, plus they dive into the way personal technology is creating social changes.
Fonts and Photos and SpeedTests and Clouds – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 724
There is never a dull moment when the MGG Family gets together, and this week with questions about misbehaving fonts, unsorted Photos, and inconsistent speed tests, well, there’s a lot happening. And that’s just the first round! Listen as John F. Braun and Dave Hamilton sort through all this and more. Press play … and enjoy!
TMO Background Mode Interview with Sr. Mobile & Networking Developer Alf Watt
Alf Watt is an experienced software developer with expertise in macOS, iOS and wireless technology. He operates iStumbler Labs, most notably the Wi-Fi monitoring app iStumbler. He’s also a former Apple employee. As a youth, Alf’s first computer was a Commodore 64, and he leaned how to enter the code for computer games. Later, with a Mac plus, Alf learned HyperCard. Alf’s first serious language, however, was Perl. At Apple, Alf became deeply in involved with Wi-Fi and Apple’s AirPort technology, and that provided a foundation for his legendary iStumbler app. That app is now in Mac App Store. We finished with Alf’s description of his new tool called KitBridge which allows iOS developers to bring apps to macOS. Alf is an engaging personality in the Apple world, and you’ll enjoy his stories.
iCloud Storage is too Low, Bryan's Phishing Scam Encounter - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-27
Bryan Chaffin and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to look at how Apple’s free 200 GB iCloud storage for two months offer underscores how the standard 5 GB is far too low, plus they look at a new phishing scam Bryan encountered.
Coping with Subscription Apps - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-24
Adam Christianson from the Maccast and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about living with the subscription model for apps, plus they look at how SetApp may have found the right balance for developers and users.
Facebook's iPhone Activity Tracking, Apple Kills Back to My Mac - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-23
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts Facebook using its Onavo VPN app to track iPhone user’s activity, plus they speculate on why Apple killed Back to My Mac in macOS Mojave.
Verizon's $2, Apple's Newest Football, Netflix's Rebellion - ACM 476
Verizon recently throttled a fire department’s command and control vehicle in a pursuit of $2, and Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet have some thoughts about the propriety of such an action. They also wonder whether rumors of a new iMac mean we can start trusting Apple to update its Macs again, or if Lucy will just yank the ball away instead. They cap the show with a look at Netflix’s baby steps towards rebellion against Apple’s App Store cut for subscriptions.
HomePod's Limited Market Share, Netflix vs In-app Subscriptions - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-22
John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to discuss HomePod’s lack of growth in the smart speaker market, plus they look at Netflix’s plan to cut off Apple from in-app subscription purchases.
New Mac mini Report, Government Internet Control - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-21
Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on a report that Apple is releasing a new Mac mini this fall, plus they look at governments wanting to take control of the internet.
TMO Background Mode Interview with macOS Software Developer Sander Berents
Sander Berents has been fascinated by astronomy since childhood when he started using his older brother’s telescope. In his teens, he also became immersed in BASIC and assembly language programming with his TRS-80. Later, he earned an M.S. in astrophysics. His earliest jobs involved computer programming, and nowadays, he’s an independent, professional macOS software developer and the developer of the macOS app called Observatory. Version 1.0 was released in April 2016. We chatted about the development of Observatory, written in Objective-C and C++, which has several important features for astrophotographers: plate solving, image stacking and a digital blink microscope used for discovery. This app can also be used as a non-destructive photo library for astrophotos. Sander chatted about life as a developer and explained a little bit about how astronomers use his app.
CPU Throttling on Older Macs – Mac Geek Gab 723
It’s not just newer Macs that suffer from CPU throttling, it happens on older Macs, too, and a firmware update is not the easy fix. Keychains, Photo Sorting, Battery management tips, and doing the Public Wi-Fi Dance are just some of the other topics covered.
Apple Watch Series 4 Lineup, Home Cloud Servers - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-20
Adam Christianson from the Maccast and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at the changes coming to this fall’s Apple Watch lineup, plus they talk about home cloud server options.
September's MacBook, Twitter's Dead APIs - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-17
Dave Hamilton and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on a report saying a new MacBook is coming in September, along with redesigned iPad Pro models. They also have something to say about Twitter shutting down the APIs third-party client apps rely on.
Twitter Absurdity, iPhone Pencils, Cyborg Vision - ACM 475
Twitter killed some key APIs third party apps used to make their apps useful because Twitter hates influencers and power users. Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet drop a few f-bombs. They also talk about the latest rumor that Apple will bring support for Apple Pencil to some new iPhone models. The cap the show by dipping into our cyborg future of enhanced vision.
Here Comes In Home 5G Broadband - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-16
John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at Verizon’s plans for 5G broadband in our homes and how that may work out.
New Apple Watch Predictions, 20 Years of iMac - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-15
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to talk about what might be coming in the next Apple Watch along with what product announcements may be coming this fall. They also look back at the iMac 20 years after it first shipped.
iOS 12 Developer Beta 7 Problems, Google's Creepy Location Tracking - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-14
Andrew Orr and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to discuss Apple’s released—and now pulled—iOS 12 developer beta 7, plus they look at how Google tracks you even when you think they aren’t.
Cure The Beachball – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 722
The spinning beachball sucks. It sucks time away, and it sucks the life out of your computing experience. So let’s talk about at least one way to solve it. And let’s learn at least four other things along the way. Sound good? Great. Press play and you’re on the train.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Host of The Carson Podcast Mark Malkoff
Mark Malkoff is a comedian, filmaker, and the host of The Carson Podcast in which he talks with guests about legendary talk show host Johnny Carson. His guests include stand-up comics who debuted on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, individuals who worked on the show, and entertainers who were influenced by Carson. I chatted with Mark about his early jobs on various TV shows, sketch comedy, and video projects. As a comedian, he’d always been fascinated by Johnny Carson. It was Peter Jones (PBS) who encouraged Mark to do a podcast all about Carson’s Tonight Show. Mark told me about how he lines up guests and how he prepares. In 180+ podcasts, Mark has learned a lot about Mr. Carson’s personal life and the details of show’s production. Mark enthusiastically shares it all.
Left Handed Day, Perseid Meteor Shower Tips - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-13
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share some tips for International Left Handed Day, along with how to photograph the Perseid meteor shower.
The Hackindog Episode - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-10
Dave Hamilton and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at Apple’s ongoing problems with the 2018 Touch Bar MacBook Pro, and Pandora’s plan to improve podcast discoverability. John also inspires Jeff to coin the term “hackindog.”
Apple and Privacy Protection, Anki Vector Robot - TMO Daily Observations 2018-08-09
Adam Christianson from the Maccast and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on whether or not Apple is doing enough to protect our privacy, plus they have some first impressions on Anki’s new Vector robot.