John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to look at Amazon’s Vesta home robot project and the possibility of Apple getting in on the competition.
Apple
Amazon's Vesta Project Means it's Time For Apple to Step Up its Robot Game
Amazon is reportedly working on a home robot code-named Vesta to ship in 2019, which means it’s time for Apple to step up its own robot efforts.
PSA: Apple Announces 13-inch MacBook Pro (non Touch Bar) Battery Replacement Program
The company said a component failure may lead to battery expansion, and that affected devices can get their battery replaced.
Tim Cook Reminds Us Apple Is Making Earth Day Donations for Recycled Devices
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted a reminder that his company is making Earth Day donations for every device handed in to the company’s recycle program. Apple announced earlier this week that it would donate to conservation efforts for devices turned in for recycling through April 30th. Earth Day 2018 is Sunday, April 22nd (i.e. this weekend).
In honor of Earth Day, we’re donating to @ConservationOrg for every device we receive from customers this month through our new program, Apple GiveBack 🌏 https://t.co/NmKimtkGpP
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 20, 2018
Cybersecurity Tech Accord: 34 Tech Companies Just Promised a Bunch of Nothing
The Accord has gotten some positive headlines, but Bryan Chaffin doesn’t think the announcement stands up to logical scrutiny.
Cybersecurity Tech Accord, Cyberwar Is Now, Social Network Inertia - ACM 458
In this episode, Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet dissect the Cybersecurity Tech Accord, a pledge by 34 tech companies to do something vague and unlikely. The timing for the announcement is somewhat interesting because we are in the middle of an undeclared shadow cyberwar. They cap the show analyzing what it might take for any new social network to supplant Facebook.
Safari Technology Preview 54 Has Changes to Clipboard API, Beacon API, More
This look-ahead version of Safari includes eight big fixes, improvements, and new features.
Apple Reportedly Plans to Roll Magazine Subscription Service Based on Texture
The move was frankly expected in that Texture was a magazine subscription service when Apple acquired it, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shed light on Apple’s specifics.
How to See Which Apple Products Have Extended Repair or Recall Status
Sometimes Apple extends device warranty coverage for specific issues, and keeps a list online so it’s easy to know if you have something that’s potentially due for repair or replacement.
The Mysterious Case of the Gold iPhone X Photos Published by the FCC
These photos are part of an FCC filing for an “Apple Inc. Smartphone -E3161A,” and clearly show a gold-colored device where no such device currently exists.
Quick Apple Video Tip on Managing Multiple Emails on iPad
Check out this video tip from Apple on working with multiple emails at a time on iPad. This is a new feature to me, and I bet for a lot of other people, too. The short version is that you can use the handle at the top of an email you’re writing to drag it down to the bottom of your screen, where it stays docked. That allows you to peruse your inbox. If you have just one docked email, tapping it brings it back up. If you have more than one, it gives you a Safari tab-like view to pick the one you want. It’s a nifty feature. Oh, and it works in portrait and landscape mode.
Apple Includes 13 New WebKit Features in Safari 11.1
The company detailed the WebKit changes in the release in a detailed post to the WebKit blog, included below.
Apple Music Tops 40 Million Subscribers, Gets a Vice President
Apple Music now has more than 40 million subscribers, up from the 36 million milestone made public earlier this year.
Mac Keyboards, Trusting Facebook, and Being Profitable and Green - ACM 457
In this episode, Bryan and Jeff discuss Mac keyboards, and what they like about clicky, long-throw keyboards, including the Azio Classic Retro BT keyboard Bryan just reviewed. They also go through a thought experiment on whether Facebook could ever earn our trust on privacy by radically reshaping their policies. They cap the show with a look at how Apple manages to be profitable and green, both.
Apple's iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition Commercial, Music by Sofi Tukker
Apple has a spot out to promote the new iPhone 8 (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition. It’s very…red, with a soundtrack by Sofi Tukker, “That’s It (I’m Crazy).” This isn’t the kind of commercial likely to get a lot of TV airtime, but it’s racking up views on YouTube (224,000 and counting, after just a few hours).
Companies Committing to User Privacy, Apple's R&D Efforts - TMO Daily Observations 2018-04-10
John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to discuss the push to get tech companies on board with user security pledges, and to talk about Apple’s R&D efforts.
Apple Hires an Amazon Tech Exec for Software VP Role
Jon McCormack previously worked at Google’s Advanced Technology & Products Group, but he was hired from his gig at Amazon, where he was Chief Technology Officer of the devices group.
Apple's Latest Mac Pro News - TMO Daily Observations 2018-04-06
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts on Apple’s latest news about the upcoming Mac Pro, what they’re hoping for in the new machine, and what they think of its 2019 time table.
Two New Apple Videos for Working on iPad, Sock Puppets and Cherries Not Included
The first one shows you how to use two at once, while the second shows how to annotate and markup screenshots.
Mark Zuckerberg vs. Tim Cook, Apple's New AI Chief, and Making HomeKit Great - ACM 456
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook have been trading public barbs on privacy, and Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet discuss the public tiff. They also discuss Apple’s hiring of Google’s former head of artificial intelligence and what it might mean for Siri (hint: good things!). They cap the show with a look at what it would take to make HomeKit the premier home automation platform.
Apple Pay Launches in Brazil
The announcement is aimed at businesses, in particular, as Apple works to add retailers that accept Apple Pay.
iTunes Launches 'Build Your Collection' Movie Promo Under $8
Apple launched a new movie promo on iTunes called Build Your Collection. It features hundreds of movies, all under US$8 and many at $4.99. Bullitt, Battle Royale, The Goonies, Empire Records, Risky Business, Beetlejuice, The Matrix, and newer movies like Black Swan, The Revenant, plus many more. They’re broken down into categories, including: Drama, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Comedy, Horror, and Romance. Unfortunately, the prices are only listed once you click through to an individual movie, but they’re all under $8 and I can’t wait to rewatch Bullitt.
Apple Hires Google's AI Chief, Tim Cook Touts His Commitment to Privacy
In a letter to employees, Tim Cook said that John Giannandrea shared Apple’s commitment to privacy and “our thoughtful approach” to machine learning.
Here’s How I Finally Accepted HomeKit is a Raging S*#t Storm
HomeKit has some great features, but some of its problems are big enough to push me back to Amazon’s Alexa for my smart home control.