shownotes_20160831

Opening
  Opening Music
    Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
Sponsor: DigiDNA
  iMazing
    A tool that lets you access, view, backup, and manage the data on your iOS devices
      But while iTunes will let you do that for some data, iMazing let's you get at just about everything
      No jailbreaking required
    You can manage and interact with data from
      Messages
      Photos and videos
      Music Apps
      Notes
      Contacts
      Voicemail
      Call History
      File System
      Backups
    Very familiar "Apple" like interface
    Works fast and is asynchronous so you can continue working while doing a backup
    You can even access and browse files that are inside your backups
      Great for recovering individual app data files.
      Export and reimport saved data
    Backup your messages or voicemail so you can save space.
    You can try it for free and when you order get 20% off if you use the coupon code 'maccast'.
News
  Apple next event September 7th
    The invites are out and the press is scheduling their trips for next week at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in SFO.
    Things kick off at 10:00 AM PT and it will be streamed
    Apple is calling this on the "See you on the 7th" event and most of us are expecting it to be iPhone focused.
    Last predictions of the iPhone 7 before the big day
      A solid-state pressure-sensitive "Force Touch ID" module.
      An updated Apple A10 processor and M10 motion co-processor
      2GB RAM in the iPhone 7 and 3GB in the Plus
      A 1960 mAh battery on the "iPhone 7," and a 2910 mAh battery on the "iPhone 7 Plus."
      A 12-megapixel camera in the iPhone 7 with OIS and dual 12-megapixel cameras on the Plus
      No headphone jack
        One leak supposedly of the "in the box" components likes Lightning EarPods and a Lightning headphone adapter
        A filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission listed "Wireless Headphones AirPods".
      32GB, 128GB and 256GB sizes.
    Leaked SIM cover photo showing a "glossy" black color, think Mac Pro.
    Of course you can ask Siri, "See you on the seventh" and she will provide some witty responses.
      My favorite, "Be there or be heptagonal".
    How will it sell?
      Gene Munster thinks Apple currently has about 275 million users on devices more than two years old.
      That's a nice potential sales base, but the lack of real major new changes in design or features might not lure as many upgraders.
      Still he think the more radical design changes of the next "2017" iPhone could do the trick and is predicting Apple to sell 234.5 million iPhones in fiscal year 2017 with about 150 million of those being the new flagship "iPhone 7" series.
    Wouldn't be an iPhone launch without rumors of supply shortages before the product is even announced.
      Nikkei is reporting that the "iPhone 7" could face supply issues at launch.
      The components supposedly causing trouble are the new dual-lens camera for the 7 Plus (not surprising) and defects in a new waterproof speaker.
      They are also reporting in general that Apple looks to be ordering fewer units at launch than they did for the iPhone 6s launch
      Demand for ANY new iPhone always out weighs supply, so no matter what the issues these predictions are safe to make.
      Apple always recovers from supply constraints quickly and I'd expect this launch to be no different.
      Still see you online at midnight on pre-order day and good luck.
    Will we see Apple Watch 2 at this event?
      I say it's 50/50. It could be coming later in October, but signs seem to be pointing to and update soon.
      This week surfaced images of a purported battery pack an increased capacity of 334 mAh.
        The current 42mm version has a 245 mAh battery, so that'd be a nice jump up.
        Maybe an improvement of a couple hours
      That extra battery might be used up though by the rumored GPS upgrade.
      The Wall Street Journal also reported there might be a cellular modem, but Bloomberg said battery concerns and other technological limitations caused Apple engineers to delay the cellular-enabled feature.
      Still a new 16-nanometer 'S2' chip made by TSMC should be more energy efficient. The current S1 is a 28-nanometer design from Samsung.
      Other rumored features are a thinner, lighter display assembly, better waterproofing (possibly allowing for swim tracking), and maybe a FaceTime camera.
      Corning also announced Gorilla Glass SR+ (scratch resistant), ideal for smartwatch applications.
        Apple uses ION-X glass in the sport and Sapphire glass in their other models
        According to Corning, Gorilla Glass SR+ offers scratch resistance similar to sapphire but with 70 percent better damage resistance against impacts and 25 percent better surface reflection..
      Best Buy dropped the price on a 38mm Apple Watch Sport down to USD $199.00
  So what about new Macs?
    I expect that event to come sometime in October
    Hints in macOS Sierra of new Macs with USB 3.1 gen 2 which supports up to 10 Gbps. Marketed as "SuperSpeed+", not to be confused with "SuperSpeed USB" which is USB 3.1 gen 1, the stuff in the current MacBook models (ain't USB great!).
    The new USB 3.1 support will more likely come via Thunderbolt 3 which supports the spec and my guess is via a USB-C connector which is also supported by Thunderbolt 3.
    Thunderbolt 3 supports speeds of 40 Gbps and Display Port 1.2 and power.
    We've already heard the rumors of an updated Retina Macbook Pro featuring a LED touch enabled function bar, internally called the “Dynamic Function Row,”
      The Macbook Pro update is also believed to be adding TouchID support to the Mac for the first time.
    Bloomberg says Apple is planning to refresh the iMac and MacBook Air (iffy) and will also introduce a new 5K display (also iffy).
      The Macbook Air is said to include a USB-C update
      The iMac will offer new GPUs from AMD
      Claim Apple is partnering with LG for the 5K standalone display.
      They also claim a new iPad Pro in the first half of 2017.
        Faster display technology
        Possibly a new 10.5-inch size
    What the new Macs won't feature is Intel's latest Kaby Lake processors
      Only the ultra low power version are currently shipping
      That means Apple will use the almost year old Skylake processors at least in the iMac.
      There are some Kaby Lake processors, dual-core, available in September, but the H-series quad-core mobile units won't ship until 2017
      Intel calls Kaby Lake a "14nm+" processor. Slightly improved to run at slightly higher clock speeds.
      The integrated GPU is a significant improvement and can decode and encode 4K video
      Roughly a 15-20 percent boost in most "average" tasks.
    No word on any Mac Pro or Mac mini updates.
  Rumors already for 2017 iPhone
    Many outlets, mostly Bloomberg, seem to be indicating that THIS is the phone that will feature a "radical" redesign
    An edge-to-edge flexible OLED display, possibly with curved edges. No more top and bottom bezels.
    They are claiming the Home Button and Touch ID could be integrated directly into the display.
    The design is said to reflect Jony Ive's long time desire to build an iPhone that looks like a single sheet of glass.
    For the 2017 iPhone they are also predicting wireless charging, an enhanced Taptic engine, and new biometric capabilities like iris scanning or facial recognition.
    Apple's also expected to move to OLED, but that switch could be brief.
      If you remember, Apple reportedly opened a secret laboratory in northern Taiwan that has been working on Micro LED
      This was after Apple acquired LuxVue Technology in 2014 a company focused on Micro-LED technology.
      Micro-LED displays can be thinner and lighter and allow for improved color gamut, increased brightness, and higher resolutions.
      The main issue is that currently they are difficult and expensive to mass produce.
    Intel could become a chip supplier by 2018
      TSMC reportedly has deals to be the sole supplier of A10 and A11 chips for iPhones in 2016 and 2017
      But Nikkei Asian Review thinks Apple and Intel are in talks for 2018, for at least some of the A12s
      This comes on the back of that licensing deal between Intel and ARM I mentioned last week.
      Remember though that Intel's current license is for some new ARM reference designs and likely doesn't cover Apple's heavily modded version of ARM technology.
      Both Intel and TSMC are working toward deploying ten and seven-nanometer process technologies.
      If Intel can get the licensing and a deal from Apple there are some benefits. Apple has a new supplier that's not a competitor like Samsung. Also, some of the A-series production could move to the US which comes off as a good PR win for Apple too.
      The irony is that Apple approached Intel about manufacturing chips for the original iPhone and they passed because they didn't believe the iPhone would be popular enough and chip volumes would not be high enough.
  Label fights Apple Music "Exclusives"
    Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge has sent out a memo to all his executives prohibiting doing any moe exclusive music streaming deals moving forward.
    The move seems to be a response to Frank Ocean's new album "Blonde" which launched as a two week Apple Music exclusive, though that's not specifically mentioned in the note.
    To be fair the ban doesn't specifically target Apple. The dozens of labels under UMG aren't allowed to do deals with ANY streaming provider, so it includes Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, as well as Apple or any others
    The immediate fall out of the letter was that Lady GaGa’s fifth studio album, from Universal’s label Interscope, will not launch as an Apple Music exclusive
    The labels seem to want to stop the practice because they feel it may hurt the industry in the long run. Giving too much power to a single music service (again not singled out, but presumption is that Apple with it's massive bank roll may have an edge).
    They also argue that it puts too much focus on "top-tier" talent, pushing out smaller indie musicians who can't get the same deals.
      The reality is that these deals do seem to draw in subscribers
      They are also a good deal for the artists. Frank Ocean self-released his latest album on Apple Music.
      A larger subscriber base on Apple Music would, in my opinion, help all artists. Come for the hits, stay for the depth of the catalog.
      I think more artists will get fed up with labels telling them what to do and more will attempt to self publish. Going direct to streaming services and pitting them against each other to get the best deal.
      This is likely not as great for consumers as it fragments their choice if they like a specific artist.
      Really most of the "exclusives" are only for a week or two so does it matter much?
    Not long after the UMG reports surfaced from The New York Times and Bloomberg that alleged Spotify was "punishing" artists who agreed to Apple Music exclusives.
      Allegedly Spotify explicitly told artists who did Apple Music exclusives that their music wouldn't be included in featured playlists. Reports additionally claimed that Spotify "buried" their songs in search rankings.
      A Spotify spokesperson said Bloomberg's claim that Spotify has "buried" search results for songs of artists who have signed Apple Music exclusives is "unequivocally false".
    Apple announced the lineup for the Apple Music Festival
      Used to be the iTunes Music Festival
        Goes from September 18th to the 30th at The Roundhouse in London and features artists like Elton John, Britney Spears, Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, Calvin Harris, and Chance the Rapper.
      If you live nearby you can apply for a lottery to win tickets and go to the shows in-person.
      Apple will live stream 10 of the performances, but you'll need to be an Apple Music subscriber to watch live.
      Of course you could always sign-up for a free three month trial if you haven't already had one.
  Apple's been using Machine Learning for years
    There's [this great article](https://backchannel.com/an-exclusive-look-at-how-ai-and-machine-learning-work-at-apple-8dbfb131932b#.5qklgktpi) by Steven Levy where he sat down to talk to Apple's executives about their Machine Learning and AI efforts
    There's great details in the piece:
      Apple moved Siri to a neural-net based system in the US on July 14th, 2014. The rest of the world was migrated on August 15th, 2014
      Machine learning, deep learning, and AI are powering most of Apple's latest tech. Some of the benefits are already being felt, but a lot of the new tech powering iOS 10 and macOS Sierra will take it even further
      You see it in things like app suggestions, QuickType's predictions, caller ID that knows people not in your contacts list (from email signatures), etc.
      They call it the 'Apple Brain' and because of Apple's fierce protection of privacy it's in your iPhone and on your devices (Apple says about 200MB of it).
        They can keep it relatively small by deleting older data.
      Apple uses the tech in ways user see and others that they don't
        Tells the Apple Watch when you're actually exercising or not
        Palm rejection for Apple Pencil
        Helps identify the contents of your photos (this is AMAZING BTW).
        Determines when to hand off a weak Wi-fi to cellular data.
        Keeps "Hey Siri" from eating all your battery.
      Apple also has the unique advantage of being able to tweak the hardware and the software to be perfect.
        The A-series chips have had design features built in to optimize support for AI and machine learning.
        Apple can also control things like the kind and positions of mic for a better experience when interacting with Siri and the AI.
        Still another report says stagnant microphone technology is hindering Siri's performance.
      Apple has been acquiring AI, VR, AR, and machine learning companies like crazy and this month they bought machine learning platform Turi for an estimated $200 million.
        Apple is now purportedly growing the Turi team to serve as their new machine learning division focusing on integrating the tech into new and existing products.
        The report is a little odd given the Levy piece and that Apple already has integrated machine learning into many products.
  Does your iPhone have 'Touch Disease'
    iFixit is reporting on a symptom being noticed by a growing number of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners
    Impacted users experience an unresponsive touchscreen and shows a flickering grey bar at the top of the display.
    Over time many report the touchscreen stops working completely
    One shop handling doing repairs, [iPad Rehab](http://mendonipadrehab.com/), says they are getting up to 100 iPhone 6 and 6 Pluses a month that don’t respond well to touch.
    Why these models and what's the cause?
      The problem occurs with the Touch IC chips (they translate your touches for the CPU).
      The Touch IC chips connect to the logic board via an array of itty-bitty solder balls and the iPhone can flex a bit. Over time the flexing appears to be popping the micro solder. Dropping and rough handling and increase the likelihood of failure.
      iPhone's prior to the 6 series had a little blob of cured “underfill” beneath critical chips to help keep solder balls secure. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus don't seem to have that.
      Older models also had a rigid metal EMI shield covering the Touch IC chips which may have provided extra support.
      The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus seem to be immune from Touch Disease because Apple moved the susceptible Touch IC chips off the logic board and onto the display assembly.
    How do you fix it?
      Replace the phone (expensive)
      Replace the logic board (expensive)
      Replace the IC Chips and solder in new ones (not many places do this kind of work). iPad Rehab adds a strong metal shield over the top of the new chips as an internal reinforcement.
      Don't just "reflow" the solder, it will eventually suffer the same issue.
    If you're iPhone 6 or 6 Plus is under warranty chances are Apple will replace it, but it likely could develop Touch Disease over time.
    I fully expect the class action lawsuit any day now if it hasn't already been filed and I just missed it.
  Critical security update in iOS 9.3.5
    Patches multiple critical zero-day vulnerabilities that had already surfaced in the wild
    A report from Citizen Lab and Lookout Security claimed that some governments were already using the exploit to target activists and dissidents.
    The exploit when deploys could allow attackers to access to the device’s camera and microphone, capture audio calls, and even bypass encryption in end-to-end secured apps.
    Most users would likely not be impacted, but still worth running the update.
    Apple continues to be extremely focused on maintaining customers security and privacy
      A recent patent application should them looking into pro-active anti-theft measures
      An invention that describes collecting the fingerprint and photo of the thief when they attempt to access a stolen iPhone. Also potentially video and audio of the environment.
Sponsor: MacPaw
  The Mac Optimizer Bundle
    Right now, MacPaw offers an awesome “Back to School” bundle with two of their best apps, CleanMyMac 3 and Gemini 2 at a great price.
    Mac Paw makes awesome apps that are designed for the Mac and have great looks and ease of use.
    With these two apps you have everything you need to clean up your Macs clutter and save space
    That will also help speed up your system and get things ready for the coming school year. And if you're a bit older, like me, you'll have more room for your stuff.
    Gemini 2 is an amazing duplicate file finder.
      Easily discover where you have multiple copies of the same file and eliminate the dupes.
    CleanMyMac is the ultimate utility for doing all sorts of housecleaning
      Find junk in Photos, iTunes, and your system
      Remove old Mail attachments
      Find and remove old and large files.
      Also find and completely remove old apps you're no longer using and don't need.
      The UI is great and it makes it easy to review everything before you take any action.
    I try to use CleanMyMac every few months just to keep my Mac tidy and for me it helps a lot.
    So get a great deal on these two apps by visiting http://www.macpaw.com/maccast and while your there check out MacPaw's other great apps too.
Feedback, commentary, opinions
  Apologies to Gretzky and Steve
    The quote is, "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."
    Yeah, I totally messed it up. I think I said something that implied skating to where the puck has been which means looking to the past. Something Apple does NOT do.
  What we want in new Apple products
    Andrew wrote in and said he's now excited about the prospect of new iMacs because his mid-2011 27-inch died. Failed video card.
      It was part of Apple's warranty extension for failed AMD Radeon HD 6970M video card, but only covered for four years past the original sale date.
      Apple seems to have extremely bad luck with failed 3rd party graphics cards.
    Diego said he wants Apple to make the equivalent of the HP Z840 workstation
      Something with PCI slots for expandability.
      Before email to bash Diego remember I said to say what you want (not what you think Apple will deliver).
      Still, you basically want the cheese grater Mac Pro back.
      Apple went lactose intolerant with the latest Mac Pro and they ain't going back.
      Your best hope of PCI expandability on the Mac is a PCI expansion chassis and Thunderbolt (2 for now and 3 in the future).
    Play Apple Watch comments from Cindy
      The Fitbit looks very nice and I get your points about the health app data on the watch
      Apple Watch does need to improve the on watch Health display
        watchOS 3 does have the new "Activity" faces, so will see if that makes any difference
        I think accuracy, especially in distance traveled, needs to be improved. Hopefully on board GPs will fix that.
      I like the Apple Watch, but Health data is not my only focus.
      I use apps like Fantastical and Carrot weather. I also use Siri and respond to text notifications (something that is a lot better in watchOS 3 with Scribble)
      I also will check email on occasion using the Spark app.
      watchOS 3 will be a pretty big game changer for Apple Watch.
      The battery is OK, but I agree when it goes longer it will be better.
  Monitor cellular data on iOS
    Neil has encountered an all too common problem and question I get asked about when it comes to iOS devices and cellular data usage.
    I suddenly am using X times more cellular data and I have no idea why.
      I haven't changed any of my behavior, but now my provider says I'm using three times as much data.
    So the question becomes how do you track this data usage to see what the offending culprit might be?
    Neil was on the right track as he said that he checked the 'Cellular' settings in Settings on iOS.
    The trouble is that in looking that data, at first, might not feel useful for determining what caused the big uptick in recent data.
      The view is alphabetical by app, not by usage
      The data is aggregated since a specific period in time.
      It's that second part that is the key to fixing your dilemma Neil
    That date is the date since the last time you reset the cellular data usage statistics.
      Scrolling to the bottom of the Cellular settings on my iPhone I can see mine has been tracking data since September 25th, 2015 (OVER a YEAR).
      I've used 35.9 GB of System Services data for example. 30.8GB of that from Personal Hotspot.
      Netflix is 3.3GB and Music is 6.3GB (yes, I love Apple Music).
    So the key is to reset the statistics and then you can monitor from that point forward to see what is using all the data
      Settings > Cellular
      Scroll to the bottom to 'Reset Statistics'
        Right below this you can see that date since they were last rest.
      Tap 'Reset Statistics'
      Confirm the reset.
    A few other things you can do in the Cellular settings
      Below each app it shows that apps total data use since the last reset.
      You can turn off an individual apps ability to use cellular data.
      System Services are at the bottom. You can tap to view a detailed listing of those
      Turn on data roaming.
  Thing of the moment: Nebo
    A really cool not taking App from the [MyScript](http://myscript.com/nebo/) folks
    Let you write and take notes and it will convert your handwriting to text.
      You can leave it as handwritten if you want.
      handwritten text is also searchable.
    Not only that you can edit the converted text by writing on it.
    There are special notations you can use to apply formatting and headers.
    It also allows you to draw charts and you can write mathematical equations.
    The charts can have arrows and they will stay anchored.
    Works great with the Apple Pencil
    Export as text, html, or PDF.
    The app is currently free for a limited time.
Closing
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