Apple isn’t supporting gigabit cellular download speeds with this year’s iPhone refresh, so Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to explain why that’s not a big deal. They also look at the 20th anniversary of the first camera phone photo.
The Boys of Summer are Back in Town – Mac Geek Gab 661
Quick Tips to start (no hints!), and then it’s time for some new Mac advice, which is a fitting question to get on the heels of Apple’s WWDC 2017 announcements. Then it’s time to discuss backups, and how much you should worry (hint: a LOT… that’s the point of backing up!). Add in some Wi-Fi chaos and that’s the foundation of a good Mac Geek Gab episode.
The Big HomePod FAQ Show - TMO Daily Observations 2017-06-09
Today Dave Hamilton and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to dive deep into what we know about Apple’s HomePod and get you up to speed on what it does—and doesn’t—do.
iMac and iMac Pro Under the Hood - TMO Daily Observations 2017-06-08
There’s a lot going on with Apple’s new iMac lineup, so Jeff Gamet dives under the hood with Jeff Butts and TekRevue’s Jim Tanous.
Gruber's Talk Show Live, iMac Pro, and HomePod - ACM 414
Bryan and Jeff share their takeaways from John Gruber’s Talk Show Live interview with Apple senior VPs Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi. They also discuss Apple’s newly announced iMac Pro and HomePod and explore how they’ll fit into our professional and personal lives.
Apple Pay Cash, Planet of the Apps - TMO Daily Observations 2017-06-07
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts join jeff Gamet to look at Apple Pay Cash, plus they share their first impressions on Apple’s Planet of the Apps premiere.
iOS 11 Hands On - TMO Daily Observations 2017-06-06
Now that the developer preview of iOS 11 is out following Monday’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote, Jeff Butts and Bryan Chaffin join jeff Gamet to talk about hands-on experiences with some of the new features.
WWDC 2017 Keynote Standout Announcements - TMO Daily Observations 2017-06-05
Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote was filled with announcements so Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about what they saw as the standouts from the event.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Author and Linux Journal Sr. Editor Doc Searls
David “Doc” Searls is a book author, consultant, and Senior Editor at The Linux Journal. Doc was inspired by a high school teacher who thought he could write well and encouraged him. Doc, who was already thinking about journalism, started his career as a reporter and photographer at a small newspaper. Early on, he also worked at a university radio station where, he earned the name “Doc.” That in turn, led to the founding of a successful ad agency. Today, Doc is an Alumnus fellow of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and a Fellow at the Center for Information Technology & Society at UC Santa Barbara. He continues his work as a book author focusing on consumers and markets. Doc’s career is rich and distinguished, and he shared some great stories with me.
iCloud Syncing is the Bane of my Existence – Mac Geek Gab 660
Ever have problems with iCloud syncing? Haha, of course you have. Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun, your two favorite geeks, have, too, so they help a few of you with your iCloud syncing problems and, in the process, dig into all the things they’ve learned about solving this problem over the years. But you know the rule: one must always learn at least four new things each and every episode, so there’s a lot more than this, folks. Download, listen, and enjoy!
OneLogin Encryption Breach, WWDC 2017 Expectations - TMO Daily Observations 2017-06-02
Jeff Butts and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at the security breach that exposed OneLogin encrypted data, plus they share their expectations for next week’s Worldwide Developer Conference keynote announcements.
Apple's Big WWDC Keynote Plans, Siri Speaker vs Sonos - TMO Daily Observations 2017-06-01
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about how today’s announcements from Apple mean we’re in store for some big WWDC announcements, plus they discuss how the rumored Siri Speaker may be a Sonos competitor.
Carpool Karaoke on Apple Music Is Good, Woz Is Cool, AI Chips Are Important - ACM 413
Carpool Karaoke is coming to Apple Music, and Bryan and Jeff argue that this is a great move for Apple, whether or not the echo chamber thinks so. Speaking of the echo chamber, what’s with the hate on Steve Wozniak? Bryan and Jeff think he’s awesome and say anyone who has accomplished half so much as Woz is welcome to cast the first stone. They cap the show with thoughts on Apple developing its own AI chip.
Google Maps vs Apple Maps - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-31
Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at a year’s worth of data comparing Google Maps and Apple Maps and share which is their favorite.
TMO Background Mode Encore Interview with Science Communicator Dr. Kiki Sanford
Dr. Kiki Sanford is a neurophysiologist with a Ph.D from U.C. Davis. She’s a popular science communicator and creator of This Week in Science podcast and radio show. This is her second appearance on Background Mode. For those who missed her first show, Kiki explained her upbringing and early interests in ecology, conservation and animals. Her Ph.D. work was on how finches store memories and navigate. In this encore appearance, Kiki and I get geeky with science: an in-depth discussion of epigenetics, the ecology of our kitchens, brain size (and language) in animals, probiotics, how wine protects the human brain, and her favorite subject: world domination by robots. We finished with a discussion about how you can support science research. After spending 40 minutes with Kiki, you’ll want to be a scientist too!
Courts and Divulging Passcodes, Essential Home - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-30
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on courts compelling people to divulge their smartphone passcodes, plus they react to Essential’s Home voice assistant appliance.
Secure Document Syncing, Splitting Audio & More – Mac Geek Gab 659
Thunderbolt 3 Docks, Quick PrefPane Access, the best iOS PDF viewer, splitting audio files, and finding your lyrics. THAT’s what your two favorite geeks start with this week… and then they go from there! Press play and enjoy.
Apple Watch Tops Heart Rate Monitor Study, Adam Curry's Podcaster Pro - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-26
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple Watch ranking as the most accurate wrist heart rate monitor, plus Dave fills us in on Adam Curry’s all-in-one device for recording podcasts.
The Big Ringless Voicemail Rant - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-25
Jeff Butts and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to make it clear exactly how they feel about ringless voicemail. Spoiler: they don’t like it.
Samsung's Iris Scanning Joke, Crappy Business is Not OK, and PC Design - ACM 412
Unsurprisingly, Samsung’s crappy iris scanner on the Galaxy S8 has been defeated. Worse, defeating it is easy. Bryan and Jeff think it’s a joke and another example of Samsung’s delusions of relevance. They also discuss Bryan’s theory that PC makers can’t compete with Apple’s MacBook with me-too design, and say that surveillance capitalists being honest about spying on your doesn’t make their spying OK.
Apple Wants you to Know Swift, Smarthome Fatigue - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-24
Kelly Guimont joins Jeff Gamet to discuss Apple’s Swift education strategy, plus they talk about smart home fatigue.
IKEA Says Hello to HomeKit, Apple's Diversity Boss, Huawei Targets the MacBook - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-23
HomeKit compatible products are about to become easier to find and more affordable thanks to IKEA. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about IKEA’s place in the smart home market, plus they noteDenise Young Smith’s new position at Apple, and Huawei’s new laptop that targets the MacBook.
TMO Background Mode Interview with Computer Historian and Author David Greelish
David Greelish is an author, podcaster and personal computer historian. Back when he was in college in the mid-1980s, he got a job in one of the early computer stores that was also an Apple dealer. They sold all kinds of PCs, but David fell in love with the Mac. While he couldn’t afford one, his quest continued until he was able to acquire a used Lisa (that ran Mac software). Like many of us, he fell in love with the early computer movement, and that started his obsession with computer history. He’s the founder of the Historical Computer Society, the Atlanta Historical Computing Society, and was Cofounder/Director of the first Vintage Computer Festival S.E. His interviews with industry luminaries are legendary. Take a walk down computer memory lane with me and David.
Ford's Interest in Autonomous Cars, iOS 11 Wish List - TMO Daily Observations 2017-05-22
The car market just took an interesting turn because Ford’s new CEO was running the company’s autonomous vehicle division. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to discuss how what that means for the car industry and the other companies with autonomous vehicle aspirations. They also share some thoughts on what Apple may have planned for its iOS 11 announcements at next month’s Worldwide Developer Conference.