Bryan and Jeff have pretty high expectations for the future of technology, and aren’t afraid to share. This week they dive into what they want to see, ranging from immersive reality to companion robots, and debate what might become reality while exploring what could go wrong.
Apple Context Machine Podcast
Apple Context Machine is a weekly in-depth look at Apple and the tech world from Bryan Chaffin, editor-in-chief of The Mac Observer with special guests from the tech world.
Episodes
All About Writing and Getting Published
Bryan and Jeff both have experience as published authors, so this week they’re sharing their experiences with writing process, editing, and getting published. They also talk about the writing tools they use, how to improve your fiction and non-fiction skills, and where to find support for honing your craft.
Security Stuff: Protecting Your Data and Staying Safe Online
Bryan and Jeff dive in to data protection, cloud storage issues, strong passwords, password managers, and more this week in their computer security-palooza discussion. Jeff also shares his dismay over Bryan not knowing about Correct Horse Battery Staple.
The Streaming TV Episode: What We're Watching Now
Bryan and Jeff decide to make their pre-show banter the entire episode this week, and still manage to talk for nearly an hour. As Bryan has pointed out, we’re in the golden age of television so the team shares what shows they’re watching right now.
Apple's Peek Performance Event, and Bryan Spends Some Money
Bryan and Jeff look at Apple’s just-announced iPhone SE 3, M1 iPad Air, the Mac Studio, and 27-inch Studio Display. Bryan also amazes us with how much money he spent on Apple gear this week.
Mice and Other Computer and Tablet Input Devices
This week on The Context Machine, Bryan and Jeff discuss the evolution of computer and tablet pointing devices, changing up story lines for movies, The Lord of the Rings, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Han shooting first.
Living that Cord Cutter Life
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dive into their TV viewing lives as cord cutters on this week’s episode of The Context Machine.
Getting the Band Back Together: The New Context Machine
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet get the band back together and take the show down a new path as The Context Machine, and Jeff gets all excited about mechanical keyboards.
Changes and 15 Years of iPhone - ACM 567
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet reflect on recent changes, and they try to put 15 years of iPhone into context. Hard to believe!
CES and In-Person Events, Brain Implants, Social Media Accountability, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 566
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet talk about CES and the future of in-person events. They also take a look at brain implants, which, believe it or not, are here. And, they talk about efforts to make social media companies accountable and say: be careful what you wish for.
Streaming Music Today, Using iPads, NFT Comic Books, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 565
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet talk about the practical realities of listening to music int he age of streaming music services. They also talk about how they use their iPads, and the ways in which that has changed. They cap the show with a practical use case look at NFT graphic novels, which Bryan says is one way of bringing collectibility back to the comic book world.
Universal Control, App Privacy, and ArtSabers, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 564
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet geek out over ArtSabers and UltraSabers, two companies making light sabers! They also talk about Universal Control and how they would use it when Apple gets around to releasing it. And they look at the ever-changing world of app privacy.
Smarthome Tech Matter(s), Crypto in a Down Market, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 563
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dig into Matter, the smarthome platform that should make it easier for devices to work all the major smarthome platforms. They also talk about cryptocurrencies in a down market, and how and why Bryan is interested only in long-term prospects and possibilities.
Adele's Shuffle Challenge and Apple's Stand on State-Sponsored Spyware, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 562
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet talk about Adele’s desire that we not shuffle her albums. They also look at Apple’s public stand against state-sponsored spyware.
Apple's Self Repair Program and Smarthome Pain Points, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 561
For a limited time, new users can get $10 in free Bitcoin when you sign up today at Coinbase.com/ACM
Apple's Not Wrong to Avoid Crypto (for Now), Apple Small Business Support, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 560
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss Bryan’s thought that Apple isn’t wrong to avoid cryptocurrency, at least not for now. But, there are lots of things coming in the crypto world that will change that. They also talk about Apple’s new Small Business Essentials service that helps companies manage their employees’ devices.
Digging into Arduino, Getting Started with Smarthome Tech, with Jeff Butts - ACM 559
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts get geeky with a deep dive into Arduino and a look at how to get started with all this smarthome stuff, especially Apple’s HomeKit.
Adobe's Announcements and Apple's New Stuff, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 558
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet take a look at all the announcements Adobe unveiled this week, as well as some of Apple’s mew stuff, including macOS Monterey, new MacBook Pros, and the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors.
Apple, a Decade after Steve Jobs, with Dave Hamilton and Jim Dalrymple - ACM 557
Bryan Chaffin, Dave Hamilton, and Jim Dalrymple look back at the ten years since Steve Jobs passed, and dig into the Apple today that lives on without him.
iPhone 13 Pro, Apple Watch 7, and iPad mini, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 556
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet take a deep dive into Apple’s new product announcements, including iPhone 13 Pro and its camera, Apple Watch 7, and the new iPad mini.
Smart Bulbs vs. Smart Light Switches, Digital IDs, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 555
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dive back into smarthome tech, with a focus on using smart light switches instead of smart light bulbs. This includes Jeff’s recommendation for a smart light switch. They also discuss digital IDs and the perils and promise they offer.
Fall Apple Product Hopes, Crypto Solving Real-World Problems, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 554
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss some of the products they hope Apple announces this fall. They also take a look at some of the next-gen cryptocurrencies trying to solve real-world problems, like Fetch.ai and its blockchain-based software agents. You can practically hear Bryan drooling!
Mac Gaming, Crypto Credit Cards, iOS 15, with Jeff Butts - ACM 553
Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Butts talk about the current state of Mac gaming, with Jeff focusing on improved Mac support at Steam. They also dive deeper into crypto credit cards where you can either spend your crypto and/or earn cryptocurrency rewards like Bitcoin on your purchases. And, Jeff has been deep into iOS 15 betas, and he talks about some of his favorite new features.
The Top Products Apple Inexplicably Killed, with Jeff Gamet and John Kheit - ACM 552
Bryan Chaffin, Jeff Gamet, and John Kheit pick up part three of their series on Apple’s best features and products with a look back at the products Apple killed, including the best products that were inexplicably canceled.