Spring is almost here for the northern hemisphere, and that means it’s almost lightning season. It’s time to talk UPSs and battery backups. Listen as John and Dave talk through all the permutations you’ll need to know to choose the right UPS for your setup. On top of that, a few things in Cool Stuff Found, solving mailbox syncing problems, and a deep discussion about how to rip movies and then to get them onto your iPhone or iPad!
Amazon's Echo First Amendment Rights Fight - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-24
Amazon thinks smart home devices shouldn’t be used for government surveillance, and is going to court to keep Echo Alexa requests out of police hands. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at Amazon’s argument and the impact in-home listening products are having on freedom of speech and privacy.
iPhone 8 3D Cameras, iMazing Tips - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-23
Word on the street says the iPhone 8 is packing a front-facing 3D camera for facial recognition. Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to talk about the camera and what they think could really be in store for it. Jeff B also has some tips on using iMazing with your iPhone and Mac.
Frolic in the Apple Park, Rumors for iPad and Apple Watch - ACM 399
Apple announced the name of what we used to call Apple Campus 2.0—now it’s Apple Park. Bryan and Jeff chew on the name for a while, and discuss what we might expect when it opens in April. They also pore over Apple Watch 3 rumors and the news that a key supplier will stop making Apple Watch displays. And somehow they segue that into some new iPad and iPhone rumors.
What Apple TV Could've Been - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-22
There’s a new set top box coming that shows what Apple TV could’ve been. John Martellaro and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to take a look at Caavo and its promise to unify our TV viewing experience.
New iPad Pro and iPhone SE Report - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-21
A report claims Apple will introduce new iPads and an updated iPhone SE in March. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at what Apple may have in store for the iPad Pro lineup, plus they share their thoughts on an updated iPhone SE.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with Open Source Developer & Former Apple Manager Jordan Hubbard
Jordan Hubbard, the co-founder of FreeBSD, spent a dozen years at Apple bringing coherence to the UNIX core of Mac OS X. Apple calls it macOS today, but in the early years, there were lots of rough spots integrating the partly FreeBSD core into a viable consumer Mac OS X. Jordan was also instrumental in modernizing Mac OS X with features like MacPorts, Launchd, Grand Central Dispatch and application sandboxing. Today, his work complete at Apple, Jordan is an open source developer. We talked about the early development of Mac OS X derived from NeXT and even the earliest BSD origins. Along the way, we also chatted about Jordan’s childhood memories as an 8-year old being an electronics geek with Radio Shack as his Mecca. If you love macOS, don’t miss this insightful historical tour.
Apple's Facial Recognition Plans, the AI Race - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-20
Apple buying RealFace has people talking even more about using facial recognition to unlock our iPhones. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple’s potential plans and what they think the company has in store for facial recognition technology. They also look at Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa and the race for mainstream artificial intelligence.
Don't Fear The Wi-Fi – Mac Geek Gab 645
Inexpensive quasi-mesh Wi-Fi, cloud management for your videos, changing your Finder icons and upgrading your Mac’s Wi-Fi to the latest standards are just how this show starts out! From there it’s on to answering your questions about monitoring iOS data usage, looking at PDF data – all of it! – and then your geeks dive into the Wi-Fi danger conspiracy! We promise you’ll learn at least four new things!
iPhone 8 Biometric Sensors, FCC and Smartphone Radio Chips - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-17
New reports say Apple won’t include a Home button on the iPhone 8 this fall. Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts join Jeff Gamet to look at what that means for Touch ID and biometric authentication on the new phone, plus they offer up their thoughts on an FCC request for smartphone makers to enable the FM radio chips in smartphones.
4K Apple TV, WWDC 2017 - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-16
Apple may finally release a 4K Apple TV this year. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at what we know about Apple’s plans and if 4K support is enough to keep Apple TV relevant. They also look at Apple’s new San Jose venue for this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference.
Mac Users Can Expect More Malware and TV Shows Are Good for Apple Music - ACM 398
With state-sponsored hackers from Russia developing malware for the Mac, Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet fear Mac users can expect more malware in the future. They also discuss the negativity that greeted Planet of the Apps, and argue that TV shows are good for Apple Music. Plus, they visit listener comments on Net Neutrality.
Right to Repair Laws, Apple Design Critics - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-15
Apple doesn’t make it easy for people to get parts for do-it-yourself repairs, and some states want to change that. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to debate whether or not companies should be required to make device parts available outside of authorized repair centers, plus they look at a claim Apple is actually pretty crappy ad designing products.
Apple Music's Reality TV Plans - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-14
Apple is making a push into original video content for Apple Music with Planet of the Apps and other shows. John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at how reality TV fits in with Apple’s plans. They also look at the state of personal privacy with smart TVs and more.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with Astrophysicist Dr. Christine Corbett Moran
Dr. Christine C. Moran is an astrophysicist who specializes in computational astrophysics, high performance computing and big data visualization. She’s interested in the gravitational force, which she’s described as the most beautiful and mysterious of all of nature’s fundamental forces. In her undergraduate life, she studied both physics and philosophy, great background for her Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Zurich. Along the way, she’s also worked for, notably, SpaceX and the M.I.T. Media Lab. She’s also a Mac user and iOS app developer. We talked about her interest in gravity, computation, and hobbies: flying and martial arts (Kung Fu). Also, in November, 2016, she returned from the South Pole (radio) telescope where she did research on the Cosmic Microwave Background. Come take a cosmic journey with John and Christine as she tells her story.
The State of Apple Pay - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-13
Some big retailers don’t seem interested in Apple Pay, and Apple is having a fight over adoption in Australia. Adam Christianson from the Maccast and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at the state of Apple Pay and talk about what they see in the future for contactless payment systems.
iOS Geek Gab, Managing RAM, Converting Numbers to Excel – Mac Geek Gab 644
A little iOS Geek Gab segment starts the show, discussing batteries – both internal and out – as well as screen protection. Your geeks share their picks and, more importantly, how they pick. Then it’s on to some great tips from both your two favorite geeks and you, including managing RAM, converting Numbers to Excel (without Numbers!), upgrading your Mac mini and more. Press play and enjoy!
iPhone Iris Scanner, Smart TV Privacy Tips - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-10
Reports say the next iPhone will include an iris scanner for authentication, much like the current Touch ID sensor. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s authentication technology plans (spoiler: Jeff thinks it isn’t iris scanning), plus John has some tips on protecting our privacy from smart TVs.
Apple's Expensive Anniversary iPhone - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-09
Are you ready to drop $1,000 on a new iPhone because it sounds like Apple is hoping you are. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to talk about the report of a $1,000 special edition 10th anniversary iPhone, plus John dives into the philosophy of math and Apple product sales estimates.
Apple Doesn't Love iBooks and Samsung Schadenfreude - ACM 397
Evidence suggests Apple stopped loving iBooks. Bryan and Jeff go over that evidence and discuss why Apple should rekindle that love and make iBooks great again. They also take a few minutes to experience some schadenfreude over Samsung’s battery factory fire, and argue that a loss of market share demonstrates Samsung’s lack of software relevance.
Apple TV's New Marketing Boss - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-08
Apple may have some new plans for Apple TV now that they hired away Amazon’s Fire TV boss. Kelly Guimont joins Jeff Gamet to talk about Timothy Twerdahl’s now job as Apple TV’s vice president for product marketing, plus they look at what could be in store for the next Apple TV refresh.
Vizio's Spying TVs, UAC iPhone Connectors - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-07
Vizio just settled an FTC lawsuit for using their smart TVs to spy on customers. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to talk about Vizio collecting viewing data on users without permission and the settlement with the FTC. They also look at the UAC connector that’s going to let headphones connect to Lightning and USB-C.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with with Tech Community Facilitator Jonathan Bernstein
Jonathan Bernstein is an attorney. He’s an Apple product expert. He’s worked for the Federal Election Commission. He’s on the board of directors of the legendary Washington, D.C. Apple Pi Users Group. He’s involved with the Silver Spring, Maryland Citizens Advisory Board where he’s active in facilitating communication between citizens and local government. Oh, my. After Jonathan told me a little bit about his background, being the son of a rabbi father and pediatrician mother, it soon became clear where his roots of public service originated. Out of law school, he clerked for a judge in the U.S. Claims Court, and that eventually connected him to the FEC. We chatted about Jonathan’s unique gift for bringing people together utilizing technology. He’ll inspire you with collaboration methods you never realized were possible.
Apple and the Broken FaceTime Lawsuit - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-06
Apple is facing a class action lawsuit over claims it intentionally broke FaceTime to force users to upgrade to iOS 7. John Martellaro and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at the case and decide whether or not they think it has any merit.