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News
  iPhone 15 USB-C more than meets the eye
    There rumors and mounting evidence that the USB-C port on the iPhone 15s might support Thunderbolt
    A new report based on info from ChargerLAB says they have images of the alleged new iPhone 15 USB-C port that shows it with a Retimer chip.
    That is a chip that used to reconstruct signals and reduce signal jitter in Thunderbolt devices.
    So while the Lightning port can transmit at up to 480 Mbps and USB-C connectors at between 5 Gbps and 10 Gbps. A Thunderbolt iPhone could be capable of up to 40 Gbps.
    Now what speeds Apple supports and which iPhone models get Thunderbolt might be up for debate.
    Phone 15 is rumored to support charging with up to 35W.
      Currently, the iPhone 14 Pro is limited to charging at 27W and the iPhone 14 is limited to 20W
      Apple already offers the 35W Dual USB-C charger that they introduced last year
    No leather for you!
      There’s an odd report that Apple might not offer leather cases for the iPhone 15 models this year
      9to5 Mac claims they’ve heard it from a couple of sources
      There might be environmental and sustainability reasons for the decision and they could offer a high end alternative to leather.
  More M3 specs and details
    Mark Gurman continues to give us the goodies on what the new M3 Macs could look like and it’s exciting
    In his lates newsletter he dropped the specs on the M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max, and M3 Ultra chips
    I think we already discussed that the M3 will have the same eight CPU cores (four performance and four efficiency) and ten GPU core configuration as the M2, but use the new 3nm manufacturing process for better performance and energy efficiency
    With the M3 Pro looks like will go from 10-12 cores in the M2 to 12-14 cores in the M3 with 6 or 8 high-performance and 6 energy-efficient cores and 18 or 20 GPU cores, up from 16 or 19 GPU cores
    On the Max gets 16 CPU cores (12 high-performance and 4 energy-efficient) with 32 or 40 GPU cores vs the M2 which had 12 CPU cores (8 high-performance and 4 energy-efficient) and 30 or 38 core GPU cores
    And finally the Ultra which gets 32 CPU cores (24 high-performance and 8 energy-efficient) with 64 or 80 GPU cores vs the M2 Ultra which has 24 CPU cores (16 high-performance and 8 energy-efficient) with 60 or 76 GPU cores
    Apple is also apparently testing MacBook Pro models with 36GB and 48GB of memory which is a different memory configuration.
      Existing options are 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, and 96GB
  “Hijack” lands top streaming spot
    The Apple TV+ thriller, “Hijack” staring Idris Elba seems to have landed the top streaming spot, at least according to “ReelGood” data, but only now after all episodes are available
    The 7-episode series released it’s first episode on Apple TV+ back in June.
    The show follows Elba’s character on a plane flight from Dubai to London that gets hijacked and he must end a negotiation with the hijackers before the plane lands
    It’s not too surprising to me as I’ve heard the series is excellent. I think may people, myself included, prefer to wait on some series so they can binge the whole thing at once.
Sponsor: SimpliSafe
  SimpliSafe
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    I’ve been lucky in my life to have never experienced a break-in to my home, but I know how traumatic it can be.
      Growing up I had a neighbor who had their house broken into multiple times, to the point where they put a sign on their door that said, “There’s nothing left to steal”
    With SimpliSafe there’s good odds you’ll never have to experience that because SimpliSafe’s professional monitoring agents can now warn intruders that they are being recorded and police are on their way in real time, stopping them in their tracks.
    24/7 live guard protection is made possible by the new Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Camera, available with the Fast Protect Monitoring plan.
    The new Smart Alarm indoor camera is the only indoor security camera that can trigger the alarm and instantly deter intruders with a built-in siren.
    With advanced motion detection and vision AI, the Smart Alarm indoor camera can sense the difference between potential intruders and pets to reduce false alarms.
    24/7 live guard protection and the new Smart Alarm Indoor Camera work seamlessly as part of the entire SimpliSafe security system to keep your whole home safe from break-ins, fires, flooding, and more.
    Right now, Maccast listeners get a special 20% off any SimpliSafe system when you sign up for a free month trial of Fast Protect Monitoring.
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    There’s no safe like SimpliSafe.
Feedback, commentary, opinions
  Location services is back
    Looks like the macOS Ventura 13.5.1 update fixed the Location Services issue I reported on last episode
  Email hosting that’s not your ISP
    Susan want’s off her ISP email. Comcast, BTW which she says sucks (a lot do)
    She knows she could go with a “free” gmail address, but she’s looking for a bit more. Specifically the ability to use her own domain and possibly tech support.
    Google Workspace is an option, and what I use for Maccast.com, but it comes with a lot more than just email and can get pricey starting at $6/mo per user.
    She says she’s heard about Hover.com
      I wasn’t aware Hover did email, but I guess they do and it seems like not a bad deal.
      USD $29/yr for 1TB of storage (I think this is per email address?), https://www.hover.com/email
    I know Fastmail is another popular service, https://www.fastmail.com/.
      I have never personally used them, but they are also priced similar to Gmail at $5/user per mo (if you want to be able to use non-web based email clients)
    But here’s the deal… if you have an iCloud+ account… you can use your own domain!
      https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212514
      In fact, you can use up to five custom domains, with up to three personalized email addresses per domain.
      You can also use your personalized email address for Messages, FaceTime, Calendar, to sign in to your device, and more.
      And the domain can be shared in iCloud Family Sharing groups
    I have not tried it myself, but it sounds like a great option if you’re already paying for iCloud+
    Would love to hear experiences using your own domain for email with iCloud+ and also any other recommendations for email hosting.
  PDF Pen alternatives
    Kim wrote in to ask about options for PDF editing apps now that PDF Pen has been sold off by Smile.
    The new owners have gone “upscale” and are really targeting businesses. Even their “Essentials” price is USD $129.00 or $10/mo
    My recommendation would probably be PDF Expert, https://pdfexpert.com, from Readdle, but it’s pricing is similar at USD $80/yr to USD $139.00 / lifetime
    The reality is that Preview likely has most of what most people need.
      It has pretty good editing and markup with “Markup”
      It can convert non-form PDFs into forms with auto field recognition
      You can save and add signatures
    Kim did note that accessing and using fonts in forms is a bit clunky…
      You need to detect the form fields and use Markup mode to access the fonts
      And the font selection doesn’t seem to “stick” from field to field.
    Overall, I do agree that some things in Preview are “clunky”, but there is a lot of power built in for free.
    For example… I will use it some times for very basic image editing and conversion
      Cropping
      Tools… > Adjust Color to make quick color adjustments
  Should you be using 2-Factor Authentication?
    Joe wrote to say, “I have one request. Convince me to use two factor authentication.”
    He says:
      he hates the added step of 2FA even though he knows it’s more secure.
      He feels like Apple is “nagging” him to use it.
      The extra step of getting a texted code is all too much hassle.
      Says his biggest concern is traveling when he only has a non-cellular iPad and iPhone with him. What if he loses the phone?
      What is the procedure to log in to iCloud or use other 2FA services if my authentication device is un-available?
    First… I will not try to convince anyone to do anything. We are people of free will and can do what we want.
    I WILL give you my opinions and share my experiences and if that helps you choose to add 2FA to your workflow then that’s awesome!
    When you set-up iCloud 2FA you will add trusted devices and trusted phone numbers
      Trusted phone numbers don’t have to just be your iPhone, you might consider adding another device that isn’t your iPhone
        You can get a verification code via a phone call, doesn’t have to be a text.
      A trusted device is an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, or Mac
    Even still you can use any trusted device to receive a 2FA code.
      On iOS:
        Settings > [Your Name]
        Tap Password & Security > Get Verification Code.
      On a Mac:
        Apple menu  > System Settings
        Password & Security > Get a Verification Code
    For 3rd party services I recommend using a password manager that you can add 2FA codes to
      I use 1Password, but most support this.
      You don’t need a special “authenticator” app.
      You can scan the QR code with your password manager or add the 2FA codes manually
      Most will even autofill the 2FA code for you, but you can always copy it from the entry in your password manager.
    Moving to passkeys…
      Passkeys will eventually replace passwords
      A passkey uses Touch ID or Face ID to identify you. (or a physical devices like a Yubikey)
  Thing of the Moment: Callsheet: Cast and Crew
    This one is from a listener, Bob.
    For when you’re are watching something on TV or a movie, and you see an actor you know was in another show but can’t remember its name; Callsheet will very quickly find the information you want.
    Has a “Where to Watch” feature to help you find where you might watch on streaming
    Also offers anti-spoiler settings. You can hide cast character names for example in cast other appearance are on tv series where theres a character with a secret identity.
    Developed by Casey Liss
    The app is a subscription, but is just $1/month or $9/year.
      You can try the app with 20 free searches
      And there is a 7-day free trial
Closing
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