David Sparks and Brett Terpstra launched 60 Mac Tips, Volume 2 on Tuesday. Part of the MacSparky Field Guide series, the new project offers more tips built on the release of Volume 1. They’ve released the book on iBooks with 60 screencasts and two hours of video, or you can get a video-only version on Vimeo. The video below includes an introduction and some free tip excerpts from the book. Subjects include: Siri for the Mac, using the keyboard, Spotlight, Automator, Safari, Mail, Apple Notes, Apple Photos, Terminal Tips, and third-party apps. It’s $19.99 on iBooks, and is available today. The Vimeo version can be purchased through the MacSparky site.
Bob LeVitus Doesn't Want You Buying the Paperback of Working Smarter for Mac Users
So my old friend Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus made a paperback version of Working Smarter for Mac Users, but he doesn’t want you to buy it. Weird, right? He has his reasons, though, and he made a video (with some cheesy help from yours truly) explaining why. Check it out. And if you haven’t already checked out Working Smarter for Mac Users, you should. I edited this book, and it’s amazeballs. It’s chock full of both Mac productivity tips and Dr. Mac’s techniques for overcoming procrastination. But unlike other productivity systems I’ve read, Bob’s focus is less about “do these things” than it is, “here are different things to try, and here’s how to think about them so you can pick what works for you.” It’s on Amazon ($19.99 Kindle, $29.99 Paperback), iBooks ($19.99), or direct from Bob (where’s a coupon code at the bottom of the page). In the meanwhile, enjoy Bob’s video!
iTunes, Apple Music, App Store Add PayPal Support
PayPal is finally a payment option for the iTunes Store, App Store, and Apple Music in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
iOS 11 and AR, iBooks in Apple Stores, Listener Email - ACM 416
Where’s Apple going with ARKit in iOS 11? Bryan and Jeff weigh the pros and cons of mobile-device AR versus goggle/glasses AR. They also talk about Bryan’s cockamamie idea for iBooks inside Apple Stores, and go deep on some listener email on HomePod and Apple Car.
Dear Apple, Please Don't Give Up on iBooks in iOS 11
Improvements to iBooks in iOS 11 I’d like to see include barcode scanning and book playlists.
Apple Launches New Swift Curriculum on iBooks Store for Free
Apple wants everyone to know how to code for the Mac, iPhone and iPad, so new training resources are rolling out today.
iBooks Offers 30 Edgar Award Winning Mysteries for $3.99 or Less
Apple’s iBooks is offering 30 mystery novels for $3.99 or less, all of them past winners of the Edgar Awards. The Edgars—short for the Edgar Allan Poe Awards—are handed out by the Mystery Writers of America, an author’s guild. The sale is promoting eight 2017 Edgar winners (from $2.99 to $20.99) and 21 nominees (from $3.99 to $14.99), but the 30 past winners are all on sale. Authors in the sale catalog include Eliot Pattison, Otto Penzier, Allison Gaylin, S.J. Rozan, Melanie Rehak, James Patterson, and some fellow named Michael Crichton (A Case of Need), and many more.
Use BookBub To Get iBooks Recommendations
A cool website called BookBub offers eBook recommendations. You can choose from a variety of book genres you’re interested in, including Mysteries, Thrillers and Action; Romance; Fiction; Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror; Teen and Young Readers; and Nonfiction. BookBub specifically suggests eBooks that are on sale. I’ve used BookBub for a couple of years, and I’ve gotten eBooks as low as US$0.99. It displays eBooks from Amazon, Google Play and iBooks. BookBub has an iOS app, but that version only shows iBooks offerings. If you sign up via the website, you’ll also see Amazon and Google offerings. After you select the genres you like, you can get a daily email with eBook deals.
Game of Thrones 'A Dance with Dragons' iBooks Enhanced Edition on Preorder
Apple’s iBooks Store added the Enhanced Edition of George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons over the weekend. It will ship on March 30th, and includes new artwork, an expanded glossary, more information about the houses, maps, and more.
Self Publish Your Books With iBooks
If you’re an author, you can self publish your books on iBooks. You’ll want to leverage multiple platforms to increase your visibility, but don’t forget Apple. As The Mac Observer editor-in-chief, Bryan Chaffin, wrote, Apple’s eBook platform isn’t perfect, but it is worthwhile to use.
It's Time for Apple to Show iBooks Some Love
Apple doesn’t love iBooks, and it shows in the way the company has largely let its ebook store languish. Bryan Chaffin argues that what we’ve seen (not) happen to iBooks is what we’ve seen every time an Apple product stopped being the focus of top executives. That needs to change.
Apple Doesn't Love iBooks and Samsung Schadenfreude - ACM 397
Evidence suggests Apple stopped loving iBooks. Bryan and Jeff go over that evidence and discuss why Apple should rekindle that love and make iBooks great again. They also take a few minutes to experience some schadenfreude over Samsung’s battery factory fire, and argue that a loss of market share demonstrates Samsung’s lack of software relevance.
Apple Shares Best of 2016 Video For Content
A few weeks ago, Apple released its annual ‘Best Of’ lists to showcase the most popular content for the year. Today the company shared a quick video to show top content across all of its categories. We’ll share the video and break down each category.