Rick Smolan made his name in photography. While that’s not how he spends his time today, he’s got thoughts on image generation through A.I. He sat with host Ken Ray for this week’s show, talking 30+ years of Photoshop, publishing, making movies out of pictures out of nothing, Apple Intelligence, and what he’s up to now.
The Mac Observer Show
The Mac Observer Show is coming your way! Hosted by Ken Ray, it’s a different thing than we’ve done before. Not day-to-day news this time. The Mac Observer Show looks at a range of topics with a range of guests. Silicon Valley insiders, experts in various parts of Apple’s business, people knowledgable in other parts of tech… We’re talking AI and foldable iPhones and accessibility and Apple Retail and Apple Vision Pro and so much more.
The Mac Observer Show – every Friday on YouTube, wherever you get podcasts and of course – MacObserver.com.
Episodes
Apple Q+A with Financial Analyst Rob Black - TMO Show 2024-08-23
Financial analyst, media personality, and Apple shareholder Rob Black joins host Ken Ray to talk investing angles on Apple. How’s Apple Vision Pro doing? What should one make of Apple TV+? What – if anything – could Apple do to scare investors? Rob brings a wealth of insight to The Mac Observer Show.
Apple, Patreon, and Creators with Christina Warren - TMO Show 2024-08-16
GitHub Senior Developer Advocate and “Overtired” co-host Christina Warren joins host Ken Ray to talk about changes forced on Patreon by Apple. Is demanding commission the right move for Apple? What should Patreon do in response? And where do the changes leave Patreon creators? Christina shares her thoughts on the latest TMO Show.
Apple and the Smart Home with Richard Gunther - TMO Show 2024-08-09
Richard Gunther, co-host of The Smart Home Show and host of Home: On, joins TMO Show host Ken Ray to talk smart devices, home automation, and Apple’s place in all of it. Does everything need to be a smart thing? Does the Matter platform matter? Does Apple’s Home app do what it needs to? Richard shares his insight on this edition of the TMO Show.
The State of Streaming with Scott Mantz - TMO Show 2024-07-26
Entertainment journalist, film critic, and avid content consumer Scott Mantz joins host Ken Ray for an in-depth discussion on video streaming today. Are production costs getting too high? Is Apple TV+ doing what Apple wants it to do? Can all of today’s streaming services survive? And can one movie or TV show be a break out hit given all of the titles being produced? Plus – Scott and Ken talk Star Trek… because they cannot help themselves.
Mixing Realities with Ross Rubin - TMO Show 2024-07-19
Reticle Research Founder and Principal Analyst Ross Rubin joins host Ken Ray to talk augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality from the hardware side. Has Apple Vision Pro been a failure? Has Apple Vision Pro helped the Meta Quest 3? Is there time for another big player to enter the headset space? And what is the end goal for players in mixed reality? Ross lends his insight on this edition of The Mac Observer Show.
Startup Step-by-Step with JOhn Rokos - TMO Show 2024-07-12
JOhn Rokos is the Founder, CEO, and Product Architect at Enemy Tree… and he had an idea for an iPhone case. It doesn’t take a lot to have an idea, but it takes quite a bit to turn that idea into an actual business selling actual things. On this episode he shares with us the time a business didn’t work out, as well as the many people, steps, and tools that helped make OpenCase happen.
Mixing MR Headsets with Robert Hurt - TMO Show 2024-07-05
Robert Hurt is a visualization scientist working at IPAC, a science and data center for astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology. His work has been used by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He also hosted the video podcast “The Hidden Universe” for NASA’s Spitzer Science Center. He’s developed for mixed reality, he’s a fan of mixed reality – and he joins us today to compare and contrast the two biggest AR/VR/MR devices today – Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro.
WWDC 24 Recap with Creative Strategies' Carolina Milanesi - TMO Show 2024-06-28
Carolina Milanesi, analyst and President of Creative Strategies, joins host Ken Ray to talk A.I., Apple Intelligence, and various WWDC announcements. Topics include:
- Making the case for A.I.
- Rating Apple Intelligence
- Whether Apple is “late” to A.I.
- Whether Apple Intelligence will spur an iPhone “Supercycle”
- Other announcements of note from WWDC24
Talking Apple Retail with Michael Steeber - TMO Show 2024-06-21
Michael Steeber, “Tabletops” publisher and developer of the app “Facades,” is probably the person with the most knowledge of Apple Retail today outside of Apple. This week, he joins host Ken Ray to discuss:
- His history with Apple Retail
- The short, sad tenure of Apple Retail exec John Browett
- Apple Vision Pro in Apple Stores
- Apple Retail – Post-Pandemic and Post-Angela Ahrendts
- The Apple Store Time Machine
- The Facades App
- Favorite Apple Retail Locations
Accessing Accessibility with Shelly Brisbin - TMO Show 2024-06-14
Shelly Brisbin knows a lot about a lot, including accessibility and tech. She’s a producer and reporter at Texas Standard, a contributor to Six Colors, and host of the podcast “Parallel.” Recorded pre-WWDC2024, Shelly joins us to talk about what everyone needs to know about accessibility in tech, her time with Apple Vision Pro, her thoughts on AI and Apple and AI, and the tech she wants more than any other.
Folding iPhones, Crashing Cars, A.I. and Pre-WWDC24 with Ben Bajarin - TMO Show 2024-06-07
Creative Strategies CEO Ben Bajarin joins us for the inaugural episode of “The Mac Observer Show.” Topics tackled include:
- Thoughts on Apple and robotics
- Why Apple would/will bring a foldable iPhone to market
- Why Apple crashed the car
- Early days for Apple Vision Pro
- Expectations and possibilities for Apple and AI
And We're Back... The Mac Observer Show Promo
The Mac Observer Show is coming your way! Hosted by Ken Ray, it’s a different thing than we’ve done before. Not day-to-day news this time. The Mac Observer Show looks at a range of topics with a range of guests. Silicon Valley insiders, experts in various parts of Apple’s business, people knowledgable in other parts of tech… We’re talking AI and foldable iPhones and accessibility and Apple Retail and Apple Vision Pro and so much more.
The Mac Observer Show – every Friday on YouTube, wherever you get podcasts and of course – MacObserver.com.
But Before We Go... - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-31
The current incarnation of The Daily Observations Podcast is coming to an end. But there is still a show to do! TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts joins Ken to talk about rumors that Apple’s mixed reality headset is being delayed. Plus – Needham analyst Laura Martin thinks Apple and Disney should merge. It’s been fun.
Anticipating WWDC 2023 - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-30
Apple has announced dates and details for WWDC 2023. TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts joins Ken to talk over the remoteness of the conference and what the world can expect. Plus – Glitches with Apple Pay and (maybe) Apple Podcasts. AND – Ken and Jeff give first impressions of Apple Music Classical.
Changes for Developer Betas and Indie Podcasts - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-29
Apple’s making it harder for non-developers to get developer betas of its latest software. TMO writer Nick deCourville joins Ken with the story. Plus – Ken is worried that changes in Apple Podcasts are reducing independent podcast discoverability. He mixes up the terms “network” and “channels,” though the questions are still sound.
Cook, China, and the Latest Round of Updates - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-28
Travelin’ Tim’s taking his time in China. TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts joins Ken to talk over a meeting between China’s commerce minister and Apple’s CEO. Also, Jeff has a look at the lates OS updates from Apple.
Mixed Feelings on Apple's MR Headset - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-27
Both the New York Times and Bloomberg say there are certain misgivings around Apple’s mixed reality headset inside Apple. TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts joins Ken to talk over the latest chatter. Plus China, the Steve Jobs audio chatbot, and soccer pour out of the mailbag.
Spring OS Updates Without a Product Event? - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-24
Word is Apple is getting serious about having people back in the office three days a week. TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts and Ken puzzle over the report. Plus – Jeff thinks Apple will release its next OS updates next week. So, no spring product thing then?
Making Apple TV+ a Superstation? - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-23
Changes to “Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV make Ken wonder whether Apple is trying to turn Apple TV+ into a superstation. He and TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts bat the idea around. Plus – They talk over the random playlists that are turning up for some Apple Music users.
iPhone 14 Plus Fails at Failing - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-22
Since its introduction, most in the tech press have deemed iPhone 14 Plus a failure. New numbers indicate otherwise, leaving most in the tech press to question how Apple got it so wrong? No. That doesn’t make sense. TMO writer Nick deCourville and Ken will discuss it. Plus – Google Bard goes bigger and a very convincing Steve Jobs chatbot.
Counting and Ditching iPhones - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-21
Counterpoint Research has some staggering data on premium smartphones and iPhone. TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts and Ken work those numbers. Plus – Is “iPhone” the generic name for “smartphone” in Russia?
Ted Lasso Goes to Washington - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-20
Most of the cast of “Ted Lasso” is headed to the White House to talk mental health. TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts and Ken talk about some of the great stories on Apple TV+. Plus – the “Steve Jobs” auction revisited, and a quick dip into Mailbag Monday.
Sobering Thoughts from TSMC's Founder - TMO Daily Observations 2023-03-17
The founder of Apple’s chipmaking partner TSMC struck a worrying note this week when assessing US/Taiwanese relations. TMO Managing Editor Jeff Butts joins Ken to talk about that. Plus – Adventures in Sleep in the Apple Health app.