The Mac Observer's Daily Observations Podcast

The iOS 10 and macOS Sierra public betas are here! John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to look at the public beta releases, talk about what they like, and remind everyone that betas shouldn’t go on our primary devices. They also have something to say about gun-shaped iPhone cases.

AI agents are great for helping us, but the come with a cost that not everyone is comfortable with. John Martellaro joins Jeff Gamet to talk about the personal data we give up to make AI agents more useful, and how we can limit what we share. They also take a look at the Backdoor.MAC.Elanor malware that’s threatening Macs.

Becoming an organ donor will get a lot easier once iOS 10 ships this fall. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at Apple’s partnership with Donate Life America to add donor registration to the Health app, plus they offer up their thoughts on the impact of the tragic Tesla autopilot car crash.

Word on the street says Apple is in talks to buy the streaming music service Tidal. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on whether or not a deal between the two makes sense, plus they look at Spotify’s complaint that Apple is blocking competition in the streaming music market with its App Store approval process.

Apple, Amazon, and Google are all big players in the tech market, and Senator Elizabeth Warren says they’re stifling competition. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at the Senator’s concerns and share their thoughts on competition in the tech world.

Apple patented a way to block our smartphone cameras from recording. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on the patent and its potential for abuse. They also look at a lawsuit alleging Apple stole the idea for the iPhone.

Speculation about the audio ports on the next iPhone are still going strong. Today Dave Hamilton joins Jeff Gamet to talk about the potentially missing headphone jack on the new iPhone, digital to analog converters, and how we listen to our music. They also get a little creeped out over Facebook’s location-based friend suggestions.

Apple’s stock isn’t a high as it used to be and understanding why can be a little daunting. Bryan Chaffin joins Jeff Gamet to look at Wall Street’s dysfunctional relationship with Apple and the Brexit impact on the stock market. They also check out Google’s new Blocks programming platform for kids.

It’s official: Apple is killing off the Thunderbolt Display. Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on what this means for Apple in the display market, plus they have something to say about John C. Dvorak’s claim that it’s time for Apple to spin off the Mac into its own company.

It’s listener comment day on TDO. Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to respond to your thoughts on Alicia Keys locking up attendee’s smartphones at her concerts, and on Apple’s new APFS file system for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

John Martellaro has been busy learning all about APFS, and he has plenty to share. John, along with Kelly Guimont, join Jeff Gamet to take a closer look at Apple’s new file system for the Mac, iOS, Apple Watch, and tvOS.

Going to an Alicia Keys concert will get your iPhone locked away, but not by the police. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on concert goers being forced to drop their smartphones in locked bags as a condition to see the show. They also take a look at Russia’s bill calling for backdoors into encrypted chat apps.

Apple wants to be an electric company, but that doesn’t mean we’ll be buying iElectricity soon. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to talk about Apple’s plans for the surplus electricity it generates through its renewable energy efforts, plus they share their thoughts on Apple’s plans for biometric passcodes and protecting our privacy.