shownotes_20140830

Opening
  Opening Music
    Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
Sponsor: Smile
  PDF Pen for iPad
    Many of us have gone paperless these days and the format of choice for paperless workflows is PDF.
    You need a tool to let you easily work with your PDFs and many times you want to do more than just read the document.
    We are also increasingly more mobile and may not always have a Mac to access our documents.
    That’s where PDFpen for iPad comes in.
    It let’s you store your PDFs in your favorite cloud service. Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, Box, Alfresco, Transporter, WebDAV, FTP, and iTunes.
      With iCloud or Dropbox you can also sync your PDFs
    Powerful PDF editing on your mobile device
    And the latest version, PDFpen for iPad 1.8, improves performance and reduces memory use
    PDFpen for iPad supports these Bluetooth styluses
      Jot Touch
      Pogo Connect
      JaJa Stylus
      Wacom Stylus (new in 1.8)
    Best of all PDFpen for iPad is just $14.99 on the App Store.
    And if you don’t own a copy for Mac yet you should pick that up too.
News
  Apple event confirmed for September 9th.
    Invites went out to the press this week
    The invite a all white with an extreme close up of the Apple logo with it’s leaf casting a long shadow
    The title says, 9.9.2014 Wish We could Say More
    Many are trying, as usual, to read a lot into the imagery on the invite. The biggest theory begin the leaf and it’s shadow somehow indicate a sundial (time) and hint at an iWatch
      I personally don’t think Apple hides clues or mystic "tea leaf " messages in it’s designs.
    Perhaps more telling about the event is the choice of venue
      The Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino
      It’s the same venue where Apple announced the Original Mac in 1984.
      Incidentally, it looks like the venue hasn’t updated it’s website since the 90’s
      The Flint Center and hold a much bigger audience, up to 3,000 attendees.
      Returning to the seen of epic Apple launches like the Mac and iPod
      They are also errecting a huge structure, wrapped in white barricades, next to the event and there is said to be lots of tight security around the venue.
    Some reports out of China are claiming Apple will not announce the 5.5 inch iPhone at the event
      Just a new 4.7 inch model and an 8GB version of the iPhone 5s (I assume for the low cost option).
  iWatch to be announced, but not delivered
    Last week we heard reports that the iWatch might not even be going into production until next month
      That means shipping level quantities would not be ready for months
      That points to a shipping time of early 2015
      Those rumors seem to be backed up with additional ones this week.
    Still several reliable sources this week say that Apple will announce the new device at their event on the 9th.
    The folks at Re/code described what Apple plans to announce as a "new wearable" that is designed for the wrist
      They also reiterated that the device will have integration with the HealthKit and HimeKit functions coming in iOS 8
    Many believed that Apple would announce their wearable at a separate event in October, but those plans seem to have changed.
      ReCode still thinks Apple will have an October event though now they believe it will be focused on an updated iPad line-up
      Some are speculating that merging the iWatch in with the iPhone announcement means Apple plans to highlight it’s tight integration, and possibly dependency, on the iPhone
      Some, myself included, feel that to be more successful than offerings we’ve seen to date Apple needs to have a wearable device that has some significant functionality without being tethered to another device.
    TechNews says that the iWatch will have 512MB of RAM and 8GB of storage.
    Analysts at Display Research have evidence that the iWatch’s display could be 1.3” and 1.5” QVGA AMOLEDs being manufactured by LG Display
      If that’s correct, they feel Apple might have put image quality ahead of battery performance and that could be a concern.
      Battery life in current smartwatch devices has been a common complaint
      Early on we heard rumors that, for Apple, battery life was a priority.
      In addition to the image quality Apple may have also opted for AMOLED on plastic because it can be extremely thin, light and rugged.
  iPhone 6 rumors solidifying
    Screen resolutions
      Feld and Volk took a microscope to what they believe to be the 4.7-inch screen
      Claim a resolution of 1704 x 960 which would be 0.5x the resolution of the iPhone 5s screen or a 3x increase over the original iPhone’s 320 pixel width (remember the height resolution changed slightly with the iPhone 5’s 4-inch display)
      9to5Mac, discovered references to another resolution of 1472 x 828 within recent Xcode 6 beta release.
        They also noted a higher 1241x2208 resolution
      The pixel density of the Feld & Volk image suggested a 13 pixels per mm density, according to mac Rumors, but a 1704 x 960 screen at 4.7-inches would suggest a density more like 16 pixels per mm.
      Mac rumors speculates that possibly the 5.5-inch model would have a 1704 x 960 resolution and that the 4.7-inch would get the 1472 x 828 display.
      That gives both models a density of around 14 pixels per mm or 355-360 pixels per inch. Slightly up from the current iPhone’s 326 PPI density.
      John Gruber did some number crunching and came up with two sizes
        4.7-inch iPhone 6 will feature a resolution of 1334 x 750 with 326 pixels per inch
        5.5-inch iPhone 6 will have a resolution of 2208 x 1242 with 461 pixels per per inch.
      The only trouble I have with this is I think Apple needs to start pushing pixel densities up over 400 PPI just to seem competitive in the spec race.
        You know I personally think specs are marketing BS, but if you fall too far behind the general consumer buying market will take notice.
        They use the spec as a factor in final buying decisions, it’s stupid, but reality doesn’t always follows logic.
    Design
      We reportedly now seen near complete near production versions of the case
      Unfortunately for me it looks like we are getting a "Tron" phone. That’s what I’m calling the large surrounding antenna breaks around the phones end plates.
      The end plates are also looking to be metal and not glass like the current iPhone 5s.
      The good news is the plastic in the antenna breaks in the latest leaks from the French site Nowhereelse appear to be a lot better color matched and don’t look nearly as hideous.
    Protruding camera wart
      This is looking more and more likely
      Schematics showing a 7.1mm (5.5") and 6.9 mm shell with a 0.67 (5.5") to 0.77 (4.7") mm camera ring (the iPhone 5s is 7.62 mm thick)
      Single round true-tone flash. With the "cool" and "warm" tints each on half of the circle
      Some sort of image stabilization, but unclear if Apple will pull it off optically or go with a software/image processor trick.
    Sapphire
      This rumor is still very much in flux with rumors flying wildly in all directions
      Digitimes for example thinks only 1.35-2.25 million sapphire displays fro the 5.5-inch model will be made by the end of the year
        That is almost a joke and probably very far from accurate
      More recent reports out of the Foxconn factory seem indicate that Apple will have Sapphire option in both screen sizes.
        What’s not clear is will it be an "option" and at what price premium?
    Updated M7, "Phosphorus"
      Coming out of the Chinese site Weibo
      A set of schematics allegedly showcase this new co-processor chip, which is internally labeled "Phosphorus."
      They speculated it’s a successor to the M7 and might be tweaked to capture additional data related to the iWatch and HealthKit.
      Later a MacRumors poster who is familiar with these kinds of chips confirmed it’s actually a barometric pressure sensor.
        These sensors could used for GPS and indoor/outdoor navigation enhancement, weather forecasting, altimetry, and spirometry, and lung function measurements that were added to Apple's Health app
    NFC getting more and more hype
      I really can’t fathom why?
      A Chinese repair firm claimed to have a schematic for the iPhone 6 showing pinning diagram for a part labeled as PN65V, which they speculated to be a version of NXP's PN65 NFC package
      Wired reported that the iPhone will launch a new Apple payment platform and NFC will play some sort of role.
      I could see Apple adding NFC so that may be leveraged by 3rd party apps and enterprise.
        Railway cards, keyless entry systems, etc.
        Maybe Apple has also been pressured by payment processors and credit card companies, even though there is no standard for NFC payments
    Main Board
      The very latest high res iPhone 6 Main board images from Feld & Volk show a NXP-made NFC chip
      Their board is also equipped with 16GB Toshiba Flash
      A8 Chip believed to be a 20nm design clocked at 2GHz
      MacRumors claims the image also shows that the A8 has just 1GB of RAM
    Pricing
      A Spanish blog claims to have a source at the mobile carrier Telefonica who says the base prices on the new 4.7-inch iPhone 6 might carry a 50 Euro bump.
        750 Euros for the 16GB base model, up from the 699 Euro price of an iPhone 5s
        in the US that would mean a similar $50 base price jump. $249 for an on-contract 16GB 4.7-inch iPhone 6 with the 32GB and 64GB versions coming in at $349 and $449 respectively.
    All this preparing isn’t cheap
      Amit Daryanani of RBC Capital Markets noted that Apple's manufacturing and component costs were up 18.5 percent year over year in the June quarter.
      Apple's manufacturing and component purchase commitments reached a record $15.4 billion last quarter
      Apple will spend another $5.6 billion on other obligations such as tooling, capital assets, advertising, and research and development, a 300 percent year over year increase
  What about the other stuff?
    iPad Air
      Might see a RAM increase to 2GB. This is something I think Apple needs to do across the board on iOS devices
      Apple might be intentionally keeping memory lower to save space. maintain battery life, and keep costs down
      Some are still hoping for split screen multitasking to surface in a late build of iOS 8
    iPad "Pro"
      Apple’s rumored 12.9-inch iPad is set to debut sometime in early 2015 according to Bloomberg sources
      No new details on the gigantiPad were given.
      Doesn’t make sense to me. Seems to just fill a space that’s already better served by the Macbook Air.
        Maybe an Air with a detachable touchscreen? Even that seems stupid to me.
  Bad iPhone 5 battery? Get a free replacement.
    Apple has a new free replacement battery program for a limited number of iPhone 5 models that shipped with defective batteries
    If you have an iPhone 5 and have been plagued with poor battery performance you might want to check and see if you’re eligible
    Apple has set up a support page where you can get details and check your device serial number to see if you’re eligible
      To find your devices serial number Tap Settings > General > About
      You can tap and hold on the number to get the "Copy" pop-up.
    Impacted units were sold were sold between September 2012 and January 2013.
    The unit will need to be sent in for repair, so make sure to back up and know you’ll be without a device for a bit.
      Apple says to back it up, turn Off Find My iPhone, and to erase data and settings in Settings > General > Reset > Erase all Content and Settings prior to sending it in.
  New iAds in your apps soon
    Apple announced availability of new iAd options for advertisers and developers
    Pre-roll video and full-screen interstitial banner ads are now available on iOS
    The intersticals are full screen and can be a static element or placed between two app sections as transition content
    Video ads appear in 16:9 or 4:3 and can be 15, 30, or 60-second spots
    Interstitials command a higher price from advertisers (and I assume offer ore revenues for developers).
    This is what I hate about the free model.
    I guess there will be more incentive to buy in-app remove ad purchases. Just make the ads so annoying that people pay up.
    I am the last person to knock anyone from using an ad supported model, but don’t do so at the expense of the experience
      Some of you might call me hypocritical because this sow is ad supported
      I try hard to only promote relevant and appropriate ads, I minimize the ad to content ratio, and I allow the listener control over the ad experience. You can jump, skip, etc. (I hope you don’t, but don’t actively work to stop you either).
  Thinner MacBook Pros
    Digitimes claims that component production has already begun on parts for a updated Macbook Pro they say will ship before the end of the year.
    They also claim Apple will cease production of the 13-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro by the end of 2014.
    There were also reports back in June that Apple was producing a 12-inch Retina Version of the Macbook Air.
    One possible reason for the late update to the macbook Pros was the pushback of Intel’s Broadwell chips.
      The chips that ship late this year are more suited for hybrid style tablet PCs
      Apple could possibly use them in a new Macbook Air, but might want a bit more CPU power
    If Apple does update the line expect it to happen sometime after the iPhone event, possibly in October along with updated iPads
Sponsor: Audible
  Audible.com
    We are all pressed for time these days and so if you’re like me sitting down to read a book might always be an option. That’s just one reason why I love Audible.
    I can do other things as I get to listen to the books I’ve been wanting to read.
      Driving in the car, doing work around the house, or catching up with a chapter or two at the end of the day.
      So I can listen for long periods or just a little and come back to it when I have time
    Their library is huge, over 150,000 titles across every category imaginable. I’ve never had any issues finding what I want.
    And the books you buy you own. They are saved in your Library and you download and listen on amy device, iPhone, iPod, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Phone and over 500 mp3 players.
    Their iOS and Android apps are also great.
    The best part of all is that you can try out Audible free for 30 days and get a free audiobook.
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    Right not I’m finally getting around to the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, but you can get any book you want. Just go to audiblepodcast.com/maccast to sign-up
Feedback, commentary, opinions
  Apple’s OS X Yosemite public beta
    I had asked if Apple had released a new beta to Public Beta member when they released the last developer beta.
    Many of you confirmed they hadn’t, but not long after that episode aired they did.
    Apple released OS X Yosemite Public Beta 2 along with a beta of iTunes 12 to Public Beta participants.
    The update has
      iMessage screen sharing
      Updated icons for several apps as well as system settings
      Under-the-hood changes as the operating system
      New iTunes 12 interface
        Family sharing support
        New content organization features
    This week Apple also released another build of OS X Mavericks to developers
      The beta build of OS X Mavericks 10.9.5 is numbered 13F24
      Developers have been asked to test USB, USB Smart Cards, Safari, Graphics, and Thunderbolt integration with 10.9.5
  Details and workarounds for Macbook Pro GFX issues
    George emailed me to say he has been impacted by the early 2011 Macbook Pro issue
    In contacting Apple the repair costs were $512 in store or $380 if sent to the depot
    He did extensive research on the issue and it’s a common one. Basically the solder joints on the GPU fail after a period of years due to heating a cooling
      This is how my 14-inch iBook G3 met it’s death
    The fix is a new logic board or DIY’er will try to "re-flow" the solder
      There are many techniques for this if you’re brave and want to do some Googling
      The basics are getting the motherboard hot enough so that the solder points melt and reconnect
      I would think this could cause breakage of other joints and issues in other components
    George did try one technique so he could implement a workaround.
      Boot the impacted Mac until you see the bad screen (green in his case)
      Flip it upside down with the lid closed and wrap it in a blanket
      leave it for up to 2 hours. George did just 10 mins.
      Let it cool.
      Start-up and hopefully the solder re-flowed.
    Worked for George and then he could install the app 'gfxCardStatus'
      Menubar app that shows which GPU is being used
      Can force it to use the Integrated Only
      Will work until you have to re-boot your Mac.
    Ultimately George ended up having Apple repair his Mac.
      If you are impacted by this in anyway consider writing Tim Cook directly at tcook@apple.com
  Getting iMessage SPAM? Block it.
    I personally haven’t received any, but a report last week said it was on the rise.
    The folks at iMore have us covered though and posted a great article on how to report and block it if you do happen to be unlucky enough to get some.
    How to block it
      Open the SPAM message
      Take a screenshot by pressing the home and sleep/wake buttons at the same time. This will be saved to your camera roll.
      Tap the Contact button in the upper right hand corner of the message.
      Tap on the Info button.
      Tap and hold on the number or address of the sender and tap on 'Copy' in the pop-up
      Tap Block this Caller at the bottom. (may need to swipe up to see it).
      Tap Block Contact in the popup menu to confirm.
    How to report it
      Open the Photos app and locate the screenshot of the SPAM message and tap to open it
      Tap the Share button in the bottom left corner.
      Tap 'Mail'
      Tap and hold inside the body of the email, just above the photo, to bring up the popup menu.
      Tap Paste to paste in the spam number or email address. 16: Type in the day and time you received the spam iMessage (e.g. January 1, 2014, 3:15pm).
        Remember last episodes tip to swipe left in the messages app to view the timestamp on a message.
      Put 'imessage.spam@icloud.com' in the To: field of the message and Tap send.
      Enjoy the satisfaction of blocking and reporting a scumbag.
  Upgrading iPhone via SIM Swap
    Play question from Andy
    I’m not 100% sure the way I did it in the past is the recommended way, but it worked.
    This time around I too will be upgrading my wife’s line on AT&T and doing a "SIM swap", assuming the iPhone 6 still uses a nano-SIM, which it should.
    Here’s the process I used
      Order the iPhone on-line
      When it arrives open and connect to iTunes
      Go through the upgrade/activation process using the number that is eligible for the upgrade. In this case your wife’s number, since that’s the one that qualifies for the upgrade.
      After the upgrade has completed verify the number is woking in the iPhone 6.
      Then power down the phone and pop the SIM, use an "ejector tool" (typically a straightened paper clip). I then label the chip so I don’t mix them up.
      Do the same for your iPhone 5s. Pop the SIM.
      Now put your SIM in the iPhone 6 and your wife’s SIM in the phone she will use.
        Any reason you won’t hand her down the 5s and sell the 5?
      Power the phones on and they should now work with the correct number assigned to each.
      The only issue with this method is that in AT&T’s records they will think you have the iPhone 5s and your wife has the iPhone 6
        All data plans, talk minutes, plan features etc still will be tracked correctly though.
      If you want to make it more "official" AT&T has traditionally offered an “upgrade swap.” This covers when the line that is eligible for an upgrade does not belong to the person on the family plan that wants to upgrade their phone.
        If you plan to do this stop by the AT&T store first and ask for a couple extra blank nano-SIMs as it involves needing a new SIM. The new iPhone 6 will have one, but you may need one for the other phone too.
        Upon receiving the new phone, you can take it out of the box, but do not turn it on and do not attempt to activate it yourself.
        Call AT&T customer service from a phone other than the two phones you’re swapping.
        When prompted, choose the option to activate your phone on a line other than the one used to purchase the upgrade.
        A customer service representative will then assist you to make the switch.
        Once the switch has successfully been made, turn on the new phone and follow the on-screen instructions.
  Jobs tribute hidden in Pages for Mac
    OS X Daily found a cool easter egg hidden in Pages for Mac.
    There is a TXT file with the text of the "Here’s to the Crazy Ones" ad and Jobs’ famous 2005 Stanford commencement speech
    Here’s how you can find it on your Mac
      In the Finder go to the Applications and find the Pages app
      Control+Click or Right+Click on the app and choose 'Show Package Contents…'
        Now be careful because messing around in here can potentially damage the App.
      Inside the package open the 'Contents' folder and then the 'Resources' folder
      Now locate the file 'Apple.txt'. You could open it from here, but I suggest making a copy outside the package folder by Option+Dragging the Apple.txt file to your desktop.
      Open the Apple.txt file in your favorite text editor and you should see the ad copy and speech.
Closing
  LMUG Keynote Event
    If you’re in the London area and want to hang out and party for the Keynote on September 9th the London Mac Users group is doing an event
    The event starts at party starts at 5:30PM in the Groovy Wonderland at the Tiger Tiger Nightclub just off Piccadilly in Central London.
    They’ll be playing Keynote Bingo with prizes and blasting Tim Cook and crew on the nightclub sound system
    The bar is serving food and there will be drink specials to keep things going.
    I wish I could get across the pond for this.
    They are asking, if you plan to attend, that you RSVP on their Meetup.com page
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