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 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
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.
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.
New Macs at WWDC, Apple vs Diabetes, Lattice Data - ACM 411
This could be the year Apple breaks form and introduces new hardware at WWDC, and Bryan and Jeff explain why. They also discuss Apple’s big bets on an even bigger future and the importance of AI, neural nets, and machine learning.
Imagining a Siri Smarthome, Apple and Sleep Tracking, and the Real iPhone 8 - ACM 410
With Alexa Show and Microsoft Invoke, Bryan and Jeff envision the Siri smarthome of the future to make the case for an Apple Siri device. They also talk about what Apple might do with sleep tracking technology from Beddit, as well some sexy new renders of Apple’s unannounced iPhone 8.
Dr. Mac on Procrastinating, Touch-Screen Macs, and Siri at Home - ACM 409
Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus joins Bryan and Jeff to talk about his new book, Working Smarter for Mac Users. It’s all about beating procrastination. They also talk about Apple, toasterfridges, and touch-screen Macs, and whether Apple would compete with Amazon’s Alexa in the home.
Epic Facebook Rant, CAPTCHA Complaints, and Apple Store Hangouts - ACM 408
Bryan and Jeff go on an epic rant about Facebook and its attitude about humanity and our very lives. They also talk about problems they’ve been seeing with CAPTCHA systems, and ask whether or not Apple can make its retail locations places where people hang out.
Touch Screen Macs, iPhone's Name, and Star Wars - ACM 407
Would Apple ever make a touch screen Mac? Bryan and Jeff chew over recent rumors about Apple making an iMac for creative pros that would compete with Microsoft’s Surface Studio. They also talk about iPhone’s name and Disney’s management of the Star Wars franchise.
Making iPhones, Internet Myths, Mac Pro Wishes - ACM 406
Jeff and Bryan talk about making iPhones, factories in China, and manufacturing in the U.S. relating to a first hand report from a Pegatron factory. They also talk about internet myth and Snopes, as well as some of the cool Mac Pro mockups that are circulating.
The Mystery of New Mac Pros, Apple and Politics, and Robot Welfare - ACM 405
Apple kind of announced a new Mac Pro and professional display, but Bryan and Jeff want to know how we got here. They also take another look at how politics increasingly intersect with a tech giant like Apple, and discuss our robot welfare future.