FBI Director James Comey says it’s time to restart the debate over whether or not government agencies should have back doors into our encrypted data. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at encryption and what should be kept private and out of the government’s hands. They also dive into how technology may be making people more machine like.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with SCC Director of Mobile App Development Tim DeBenedictis
Tim DeBenedictis is the co-developer of the astronomy sky charting app SkySafari. He’s now the Director of Mobile Application Development at Simulation Curriculum Corp. Tim was first inspired by the sky as a youth going on camping trips and being able to see the stars at night, something city dwellers seldom see. His dad was an avid bird watcher and always had a birding scope on the trips. One night, they pointed the scope at Jupiter and its moons. Tim described it as captivating and launched his interest in amateur astronomy. Later, that led to being a planetary science major at M.I.T. where he developed an extensive C++ code base for celestial mechanics. Years later, with that expertise, he co-developed SkySafari for the Mac, iOS and Android. Come take a grand celestial tour with us.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-08-01: Licensing iOS, Didi Buys Uber China
It’s time for Apple to start licensing iOS to cheap handset makers, or so says one pundit. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s business model and decisions to not license its operating systems to other companies. They also take a look at Didi buying rival car sharing service Uber China.
MGG 616: DHS, DHL, DFS It’s All The Same
It’s tips, tips and more tips. And also your questions. iOS Mail power searches, unleashing the power of Image Capture, a free photo-management tool that uses folders, removing and detecting malware, and demystifying 5GHz wireless channels are just some of the topics covered in today’s show!
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-29: Automous Driving Apple Car, a Year with USB-C
Apple hired QNX founder Dan Dodge to help with its Project Titan electric car project. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at what that means for Apple Car and the company’s autonomous driving plans. John also shares his experiences with using USB-C for the past year.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-28: Apple's Evolving Business Model, iPhone Digital Crown Patent
John Martellaro thinks Apple’s “skate where the puck is going” philosophy now includes manipulating where the puck will be. John, along with Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share discuss Apple’s long term philosophy, plus they offer up their thoughts on why Apple would patent a Digital Crown for the iPhone and iPad.
ACM 370: A Deeper Look at Apple's Earnings Report, 3D Printing Fingers
Bryan and Jeff dig deep into Apple’s earnings report and the company’s quarterly call with analysts. Topics include Tim Cook’s upbeat delivery, Pokemon, and Wall Street’s reaction. They also jump into the scary future of 3D printing our fingers to bypass biometric security.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-27: AAPL Earnings Report, Banning Olympics Tweets
Apple’s 2016 third quarter earnings report is out, and the results both pleased and disappointed analysts. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s numbers, and offer their take on what they mean for the iPad market. They also have plenty to say about the U.S. Olympic Committee trying to control who gets to Tweet about the games.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-26: Stronger iPhone Glass, Debunking iPhone 6SE
Apple’s iPhone display glass is pretty strong, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at whether or not the iPhone needs stronger glass, plus they shoot down the idea that the iPhone 7 will really be called the iPhone 6SE.
TMO Background Mode: Interview With Ken Ray, Host and Producer of ‘Mac OS Ken'
Ken Ray is the host and producer of several notable podcasts, including the Mac OS Ken shows. It’s not surprising that Ken started out in radio broadcasting. Early on, he was a behind the scenes person at a small radio station in Boston. There, he became operations director and learned a lot about radio tech without the on-air disc jockey pressure. He learned the station’s digital editing suite, and that led to producing some commercials and radio shows. Later, at ZDTV radio, he had the opportunity to interview some high-profile people: Jesse Jackson and Ray Kurzweil. It’s not hard to see how, after he fell into the world of Apple, he brought all his skills to bear into a whole suite of modern-day podcasts, including work with Rod Roddenberry, Gene’s son.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-25: Bob Mansfield's Apple Car, iPhone 7 Launch Date
A new report claims Bob Mansfield is in charge of the Apple Car project. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Bob running Project Titan, plus they have some things to say about a report tagging September 16th as the iPhone 7 release date.
MGG 615: John and Dave Trade Places
Quick Tips: All those little things you know that you don’t think about? Other people know and don’t think about them, too… so we think about them and share them, enhancing everyone’s knowledge! Then it’s on to some questions, with a surprising number about Ethernet. Go Figure!
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-22: Unlocking iPhones with 3D Printed Fingers, Uber-waterproof iPhone 7
Scientists are working with the FBI to 3D print fingers so they can unlock smartphones. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about the potential privacy and security issues related to 3D printing copies of our fingers. They share their thoughts on a report claiming the iPhone 7 will sport pro-grade waterproofing.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-21: Apple Car Delays, Listener Feedback
A new report says Apple’s car won’t ship until 2021, but is that a problem? Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to weigh in with their opinions, plus they respond to listener comments from yesterday’s show where we discussed black box recorders in autonomous cars.
ACM 369: BlackBerry Doofus, Black Box Regulation, Twitter Harrassment
BlackBerry CEO John Chen had some seemingly irrational things to say about Apple’s stance on encryption, and Bryan and Jeff break it down. They also take a deeper look into black boxes and self-driving cars with a focus on regulating these devices and surveillance worries. Just to keep things light, they dive into Twitter harassment and social media censorship.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-20: Autonomous Car Black Boxes, WebP in iOS 10 and macOS Sierra
Germany wants black box recorders in autonomous cars. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at Germany’s plans and what that means for anyone considering buying a self driving car. They also explain WebP, Google’s image format Apple is supporting in the iOS 10 and macOS Sierra betas.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-19: Iran's Smartphone Database, Apple Music Improves Song Matching
Iran wants Apple to join a smartphone registry, or it’ll ban and confiscate iPhones in the country. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Iran’s demands, plus they dive into the changes in Apple Music song matching.
MGG 614: Travel Tips and Cool Stuff Found
Dave’s back from Europe and he and John have a metric ton of Cool Stuff Found and Quick Tips for you and from you! Plus, Dave’s got some travel tips from Europe to share with you, too. Download… and enjoy!
TMO Background Mode: Interview with Rogue Amoeba Software Co-founder Paul Kafasis
Paul Kafasis is the co-founder and CEO of Rogue Amoeba Software. His company specializes in stellar audio products for the Mac such as Audio Hijack, Loopback, Piezo and more. His early work with colleagues (2001) was with MacAmp, an MP3 player. That led to the founding of Rogue Amoeba in 2002 and Audio Hijack 1.0. Paul and his co-founders realized that audio was emerging as an important niche where his team had special talent. Paul starts off with the story about how they chose such a memorable name for the company and then explains the evolution of Audio Hijack, then the pro version, and now Audio Hijack 3. We chat about challenges for the Mac developer and why an app like this, and its siblings, are not found in the Mac App Store.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-18: SoftBank's ARM Purchase, Apple TV's Cord Cutter Miss
SoftBank is buying chip designer ARM, which may—or may not—have implications for Apple. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to look at the SoftBand and ARM deal, plus they share their thoughts on why Apple TV still isn’t an all-in-one solution for TV cord cutters.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-15: Apple's Fall Launches, Apollo's Open Source Code
We know Apple is releasing macOS Sierra, iOS 10, watchOS 3, tvOS 10, and new iPhones this fall, but there could be more in store, too. John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to discuss what announcements Apple may be planning, and how the announcements will be managed. They also talk about NASA releasing the Apollo 11 source code and how important Margaret Hamilton was to the space program.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-14: Eddy Cue on Apple TV, Samsung goes to the Supreme Court
Apple’s Eddy Cue recently shared some insight into the company’s plans for original TV content. Bryan Chaffin joins Jeff Gamet to look at what he had to say and how Apple fits into the entertainment market, plus they have some thoughts on the scheduled Supreme Court hearing in the Apple and Samsung patent infringement fight.
ACM 368: Jeff's HomeKit Breakthrough, Pokémon GO, Post-PC Era
In this episode of The Apple Context Machine, Bryan and Jeff talk about HomeKit, sparked by Jeff’s triumph over something that shouldn’t have been hard to begin with. They also talk about Jeff’s initial foray into Pokémon GO, and look at the Post-PC Era (or lack thereof) in light of Scrivener coming to iOS.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-07-13: Mac Sales Decline, Tesla's Latest Crash
Mac sales are showing a decline and that has some pundits saying Apple has a big problem on its hands. John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to look at the state of Mac sales, the long gap between product refreshes, and the reaction we can expect when new models ship. They also look at the ramifications of the latest Tesla autopilot crash.