Category: Tech

What happened to the iMac?

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The iMac debuted 20 years ago. It’s not hyperbole to say that it’s the computer that saved Apple and set the stage for Apple’s ascendance to becoming the biggest tech company in the world. All that said, Apple’s lost something in the translation – while the iMac is still a fixture in Apple’s product line, it lacks some essential qualities of that first model. Its personality has changed. The iMac has gotten harder. It’s lost the sense of whimsy, fun, and wonder that made the first iMac such a joy to use.

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How to beat fake news: Trust, but verify

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All of us of a certain age remember Ronald Reagan’s utterance “Trust, but verify” – a translation of the Russian proverb “Doveryai, no proveryai.” Reagan used it during nuclear disarmament talks between the US and the Soviet Union in the 1980s.  “Trust, but verify” is an important maxim to observe on social media as well, as we try to figure out what to do about “fake news.” More thoughts on this after the break.

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MacVoices: Talking About Social Media

Chuck Joiner and I recently spoke on his MacVoices podcast. Our subject was social media and its impact. Some of the topics we discussed included protecting ourselves at a time when many of us are dangerously overexposed. I went deep on my specific experience with Twitter, which has a lot of value. But Twitter’s also become really toxic; I stepped away because of that and some other reasons which I go into. I even got a bit ranty. Chuck’s a very gracious host, so he let me spin my top.

The Committed: On Apple Design, and more

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Ian Schray, Kirk McElhearn, and Rob Griffiths were kind enough to invite me to talk with them on their podcast The Committed this week. We talked about the controversy over Apple’s design of the iPhone X (the infamous “notch”), the Apple TV 4K, and the new LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3. I had a great time with these three gents, I hope you have a great time listening in.

The Committed

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MacCast: Backup strategy, SSD upgrades and more!

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Is iOS 11 Apple’s first real attempt to turn the iPad and iPad Pro into a general-purpose computer? I think so. I also have strong opinions on proper backup methodologies and offer some tips for anyone looking for ways to improve the performance of their older Macs (hints: It has to do with memory and storage). If you’re interested in this and other issues including Apple TV 4K, iPhone 8s and the Apple Watch with LTE, and some High Sierra tips and tricks, please listen to this recent episode of The MacCast podcast. Adam Christianson and I had a great time talking! Thanks for having me on, Adam!

Maccast

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Apple Context Machine: APFS, iOS 11, backups and more

On this episode 429 of the Apple Context Machine podcast, Jeff Gamet and I talked at length about iOS 11, the new APFS file system change that’s already come to iOS and is coming to (some) Macs with High Sierra’s release, T-Mobile and LTE Band 71, backups and more. If you’re looking for an hour to fill with Apple nerdery, please tune in, or whatever the kids are doing with podcasts these days.

Apple Context Machine

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Apple World News: “Get Off My Lawn”

Apple World News podcast

Very pleased to appear on Nerd Radio FM’s “Apple World News” podcast episode 6 with Brian Sutich. We talked about:

  • old Macs
  • new Macs
  • Cool iPhone photography techniques we recently learned
  • Apple news and rumors
  • My personal philosophy on best backup practices, and lots more.

Lots of ground to cover!