John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about the perception that iPhone X sales are tanking, plus they explain Siri’s hierarchy in deciding when it should respond from your iPhone, iPad, or HomePod.
Geek Challenges, Voice Assistants, and Cool Stuff Found – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 697
Ever wanted to clear recent locations in your calendar? Or alphabetize LaunchPad? How about finding old computer magazines online? These are just some of the Geek Challenges John and Dave talk through this week. Pepper in some Cool Stuff Found, other questions from fellow listeners, and a discussion about playing podcasts with your voice assistant, and you’ve got this week’s episode! Press play… and enjoy!
TMO Background Mode Interview with Axios Energy & Climate Reporter Amy Harder
Amy Harder covers energy and climate change for Axios. She writes a weekly column called the Harder Line that reports on trends, has exclusive scoops and analyzes the news driving the debate about energy and climate. Her coverage includes congressional legislation, regulations, lobbying, and international policy actions affecting the United States. Amy holds a B.A. in Journalism with honors. In our interview, I asked Amy about some of the most important issues of her coverage: what is “clean coal,” how does global warming affect climate, do all conservatives deny global warming, what is a good website for scientific information, what is her workday like, and what could scientists do to better to communicate with the public? Come meet and listen to the reporter who has a terrific grasp of these important topics.
Goodbye Twitter Mac App, HomePod Blind Sound Test - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-19
Dave Hamilton and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at the options now that Twitter has announced its Mac client is no more. They also offer up their thoughts on David Pogue’s HomePod sound quality blind test.
Mobile Safari Security Tips, HomePod as a HomeKit Hub - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-16
John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to share some tips on improving your online privacy in Mobile Safari, plus they look at HomePod’s place as a HomeKit hub.
iOS 11 Telugu Text Bug, the Mac's Good Old Days of Snow Leopard - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-15
Andrew Orr and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to explain the Telugu text bug in iOS 11, and they also look at what we’d miss out on if Apple took us back to the good old days of OS X Snow Leopard.
Inside Apple's Shareholder Meeting, Profiling Hypocrisy, and HomePod Isn't a Wiretap - ACM 449
Bryan and Jeff go inside Apple’s annual shareholder meeting, and talk about the things that seemed to get Tim Cook excited. A listener also calls them out for being hypocrites on ad profiling, and they talk about how Apple’s new HomePod isn’t a home wiretap.
Skype's Big Security Flaw, Verizon's Locked iPhones - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-14
John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to discuss Microsoft’s decision to not patch a Skype updater security flaw, plus they offer up their thoughts on Verizon stopping unlocked iPhone sales.
HomePod from a Musicians Perspective - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-13
Dave Hamilton and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at HomePod from a musician’s perspective, discuss how the smart speaker works with Apple TV, and more.
Network Speeds, HomePod, Vectors, and Dead Drives – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 696
It’s always something, isn’t it? The more computers – and devices – we have, the more issues there are. This week, that’s no different, as there are several network-related questions your two favorite geeks tackle “on-air” for you to hear. HomePod arrived, and first experiences with that are discussed. Finally, some Cool Stuff Found to help round out the episode.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Legislative Counsel for the EFF Ernesto Falcon
Ernesto Falcon is Legislative Counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). His primary focus is on intellectual property and open internet issues. Ernesto and I chatted about the key issues surrounding net neutrality, the stakes for business and consumers, how the FCC’s recent ruling might be combatted, ongoing legal efforts to restore net neutrality, the key players, potential legislation, and what consumers can do to help. But before we got into all that, Ernesto talked about how he became an attorney and his experiences leading up to joining the EFF. For example, during his tenure, Public Knowledge and the EFF scored a major victory for consumers by rallying the Internet community to defeat the SOPA act. Ernesto fills in a lot of important details in the fight for net neutrality that you’ll want to hear.
A Weekend with HomePod - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-12
Adam Christianson from the Maccast and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their experiences after a weekend with Apple’s HomePod.
HomePod Setup Experience and Some Tips - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-09
Bryan Chaffin and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to talk about the HomePod unboxing and setup experience, plus they share some HomePod tips.
Apple's Complicated Product Mix, Remembering John Perry Barlow - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-08
John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s product matrix strategy, plus they remember EFF co-founder and Grateful Dead lyricist John Perry Barlow after his passing.
Can Social Media Be Humane, Smartwatch Diabetes Detection, and Nice Apple Content - ACM 448
Can social media be “humane,” or is the push for addictive platforms just par for the course? Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss The Center for Humane Technology’s push for reform. They also talk about Cardiogram’s ability to detect diabetes from Apple Watch activity data, and they talk about Apple’s penchant for avoiding dark and edgy content.
iOS 11.3 Performance Management and HomePod FullRoom Explained - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-07
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to dive into iOS 11.3’s performance and battery management settings, plus they explain HomePod’s FullRoom feature.
HomePod Audio Quality and Siri - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-06
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at the early HomePod reviews ahead of this Friday’s release, plus they talk about audio quality and Siri’s limitations.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Architosh Founder & EIC Anthony Frausto-Robledo
Anthony Frausto-Robledo, AIA, LEED AP is a practicing architect and the founder and editor of the award-winning Architosh.com website. Educated in Boston, he has been an architectural professional for over 30 years and was a senior designer with the distinguished Boston architectural firm Koetter Kim & Associates before launching his web consultancy, BritasMedia. Anthony and I chatted about Apple’s ups and downs with technical professionals, his creation of architosh.com, the state of architecture app support on the Mac, what kind of system the pros need, and what might be in store for the 2018 Mac Pro. Even if you’re not a architect, you’ll find Anthony’s perspectives interesting and informed.
Apple's Hidden Feature Problem, Apple Music's Growing User Base - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-05
Kelly Guimont and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to talk about the problem with finding hidden features in iOS and watchOS, plus they look at Apple Music’s steadily increasing subscriber base, and get a little excited over the Solo: A Star Wars Story trailer.
Evil Address Records of Death ... and Files! – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 695
There’s always a theme, and this week it’s Files. Sure, your two favorite geeks talk about a LOT more than that, but Files are always there. The Files app in iOS, looking at your files on macOS in new ways, finding files that can be deleted, and time files when you’re having fun. What? Just listen and enjoy. It’s easier that way.
Apple Q1 2018 Earnings Report - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-02
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s 2018 first fiscal quarter earnings report, along with iPhone and iPad sales.
Two Former Professional (W)rappers and One Amateur Discuss Apple’s HomePod Strategy, and FTP - TMO Daily Observations 2018-02-01
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at FTP apps for iPhone and iPad, plus they discuss Apple’s HomePod strategy.
DOJ/SEC Investigate Throttlegate, Facebook Google Doom, New Macs in 2018 - ACM 447
The DOJ and the SEC are investigating Apple’s Throttlegate controversy, and Bryan and Jeff think it won’t go well for Apple. They also talk about Facebook, Google, and social media, and recent comments from philanthropist and political activist George Soros predicting their demise. They close the show with the implications of rumors that say Apple has three Macs coming out this year with Apple coprocessors.
Apple's HomePod Tech Specs - TMO Daily Observations 2018-01-31
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to run through the HomePod’s tech specs and see how they compare to Amazon Echo and Google Home.