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107: Clappin' Like A Seal Aug 27, 2014

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Shawn King fills in for Dan, Jim talks 13” iPads, The iTunes Festival and his favorite headphones!

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106: I'm Going to Have to Go Smash a Guitar Now Aug 20, 2014

Show notes

Jim and Dan talk about Balmer's final departure from Microsoft, Apple commercials, Pokemon coming to the iPad (and the iPad gaming ecosystem), Dan tries to stump Jim's music knowlege, and more.

Links for this episode:

Steve Ballmer steps down from the Microsoft board
As I approach the six month mark of my retirement and your appointment as CEO, I have been reflecting on my life, my ongoing ownership of Microsoft stock, and my involvement with the company. I have reached some conclusions and wanted to share them with you. I know August is the key month during which the company starts to prepare the proxy statement for the next shareholders’ meeting, and so these thoughts are probably timely for that too.
Apple pops the $100 barrier
Apple stock today popped through the $100 per share barrier for the first time since they split the stock 7-1. That makes for a pre-split price of $700 a share. An important psychological step for Apple investors.
Life after death: Resuscitating a drowned iPhone 5 | Macworld
Last weekend, we headed out for one of our summer camping trips with friends. I take my iPhone along for videos and pictures (and the occasional offline game just before sleep time), even though there’s no cellular connectivity at the camp site. Our camping trips are always at a lake, as we share a boat with another family, and spend most of the time out on the water.
Apple Beats Bud, Nike and GE to Win the 2014 Emmy for Best Commercial | Adweek
Apple has had its ups and downs in advertising lately. But one recent unqualified creative success—last year's much-loved "Misunderstood" holiday spot—waltzed off with the 2014 Emmy Award for best commercial at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday.
Nintendo rises after report Pokemon game to debut on iPad
Since there is currently no Nintendo affiliated game on the iPad, this is a “sticking their toes in the water” moment for Nintendo. Pokémon is a huge property, certainly one of the largest electronic gaming properties in the world. Pokémon on iPad is a big step for The Pokémon Company and for Apple, and I would think the sales numbers will be an important source of sales intel for future Nintendo projects.
RBC sees Apple selling upwards of 75M 'iPhone 6' units before end of 2014
While analyst Amit Daryanani currently forecasts sales of 56 million iPhones in the December quarter, he said in a note to investors, obtained by AppleInsider, that a more bullish scenario sees the company possibly shipping more than 70 million units in a three-month span.
Apple analyst: fruity firm set to shift 75 million iPhones • The Register
He suggested the fruity firm will flog 10 million of the iPhone 6 in the opening weekend, which is expected to fall in September. Once the first horde of ravenous fanbois has faded away, other iZombies will rise to take their place and snaffle up a whopping 60 million units.
'Skylanders Trap Team' for iPad Will Have a Bluetooth Low Energy Portal AND Controller, Launching in October for $74.99 | Touch Arcade

105: Cheeseburger at a Sushi Restaurant Aug 13, 2014

Show notes

Jim and Dan talk about Microsoft's new ad campaign for the Surface Pro 3, pitting it agains the MacBook Air. They discuss the changing paradigm of keyboard vs. touch, iPhone 6 rumors, and more.

Links for this episode:

Apple - Remembering Robin Williams
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robin Williams. He inspired us through his passion, his generosity, and the gift of laughter. He will be greatly missed.
Apple - Diversity - Inclusion inspires innovation.
At Apple, our 98,000 employees share a passion for products that change people’s lives, and from the very earliest days we have known that diversity is critical to our success. We believe deeply that inclusion inspires innovation.
Samson — C01U Pro
Amazon.com: Rode Podcaster USB Dynamic Microphone: Musical Instruments
RØDE Microphones - Podcaster
Disappearing Burgers: Why So Many Chefs Make It So Hard to Order Their Most Popular Dish -- Grub Street New York
iPhone 6: Bigger, Faster, Coming September 9
New Models for 2014 Coming Soon | Jackson® Guitars & Basses
Dinky™ Features | Jackson® Guitars
Spotify Web Player - Amplified - Guitar Rock - Dan Benjamin

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104: A Little Google Elf at Your Door Aug 07, 2014

Show notes

Dan and Jim talk about the Apple/Samsung lawsuit, Twitch.tv and the death of Justin.tv, Russian Hackers, 1Password, Google and Barnes & Noble's partnership, anonymity online, Wampler pedals, Godsmack, and more.

Links for this episode:

Apple, Samsung Agree to End Patent Suits Outside U.S. - Bloomberg
The companies said in a joint statement today that they have agreed to drop all suits against each other in countries outside the U.S. Claims are being abandoned in Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Netherlands, the U.K., France and Italy.
Goodbye from Justin.tv
Justin.tv pioneered live video on the Internet and spawned one of the largest video platforms ever: Twitch. Justin.tv was officially renamed Twitch Interactive Inc. in February of 2014 and Twitch is now the focus of the company's resources. Unfortunately that means we need to shut down Justin.tv. We thank all of our broadcasters and viewers for 7 years of live video memories.
Twitch pulls the plug on video-streaming site Justin.tv - CNET
YouTube reportedly to acquire streaming site Twitch for $1B - CNET
Russian Hackers Amass Over a Billion Internet Passwords - NYTimes.com
A Russian crime ring has amassed the largest known collection of stolen Internet credentials, including 1.2 billion user name and password combinations and more than 500 million email addresses, security researchers say.
1Password
Google and Barnes & Noble Unite to Take On Amazon - NYTimes.com
Starting on Thursday, book buyers in Manhattan, West Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area will be able to get same-day deliveries from local Barnes
It’s Time for Open, Shared Home Wi-Fi | Re/code
How closely is Google really reading your e-mail? - The Washington Post
Most users know that Google routinely uses software to scan the contents of e-mails, including images, to feed its advertising and to identify malware. But many may not have been aware that the company is also scanning users' accounts looking for illegal activity -- namely, matching images in e-mails against its known database of illegal and pornographic images of children.
Tor Project: Anonymity Online
How (& why) feds killed a talk on Tor-hacking at Black Hat (exclusive) | VentureBeat | Security | by Richard Byrne Reilly
Fulltone Musical Products, Inc. | pedals | OCD
Wampler Pedals | Hand Made Custom Guitar Pedals | Boutique Effect Pedals | Amp In A Box | Pinnacle
Home : Godsmack
iTunes - Music - 1000HP by Godsmack
The Loop Magazine Returns
After a short hiatus this summer, The Loop Magazine returns today with a double issue. I want to apologize to all the subscribers of the magazine for the unscheduled break in publishing, but we’ve put together a great issue for its return. To make up for the missing issues, I’ll publish another large issue shortly, giving you lots of great stories to read.

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103: A Monster Deal Jul 16, 2014

Show notes

Jim and Dan talk about Apple's announcement to work with IBM on business software and more.

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Apple and IBM partner for Enterprise mobility
Apple and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced an exclusive partnership that teams the market-leading strengths of each company to transform enterprise mobility through a new class of business apps—bringing IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to iPhone® and iPad®.
Apple and IBM Storm the Enterprise | Tech.pinions - Perspective, Insight, Analysis
These IBM tools include MDM, security, and integration with all types of back end systems as well as powerful analytics and the ability to provide a lot of new services over the next 18 months to their customers as well as Apple’s IT buyers. While Apple will handle the 24/7 phone and cloud support, the deal calls for IBM to handle on-site service as needed. Think about this for a second. The big knock on Apple is they were not seen as being serious about the enterprise. Now they have a worldwide sales force and support organization to take the iPad and iPhones directly to the customer as well as provide the tools, back end integration, security and support for just about any IT operation anywhere in the world.
IBM Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth
What is IBM's net worth? IBM's net worth was $106.91 billion in 2012, and $112.5 billion in 2013.
BlackBerry Shares Drop More Than 10% In Trading In Wake Of Apple/IBM Deal | TechCrunch
The new partnership between IBM and Apple may be a wake up call for Google and companies building Android-based handsets and services targeting enterprise users. But for BlackBerry, it may be more of an alarm bell.
Amazon is testing “Kindle Unlimited,” an ebook subscription service for $9.99/month — Tech News and Analysis
Amazon is testing an ebook and audiobook subscription service called “Kindle Unlimited” that offers “unlimited access to over 600,000 titles and thousands of audiobooks on any device for just $9.99 a month.” Most of the test pages were pulled down Wednesday after some users on the Kindle Boards noticed them, but they are still available through Google Cache and some are still live on Amazon’s site.
Samson CO1U Pro | Sweetwater.com

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102: Very Smart, Good Looking People Jul 02, 2014

Show notes

Jim and Dan talk about the demise of Aperture, the future of Final Cut Pro and Logic, Photos.app, iTunes Match, subscription services, the Sony Walkman, wearables, and more.

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No doubt aboot it: Canada is better than America in at least seven ways - Vox
Canada has a great reputation internationally — the best reputation, in fact, if you look at an international survey last year that asked 27,000 people across the globe what they thought about the safety, public policy, efficacy of government and other attributes of 50 different countries. Canada came out at the very top of those reputation rankings, edging out Sweden:
Apple stops development of Aperture
Apple introduced a new Photos app during its Worldwide Developers Conference that will become the new platform for the company. As part of the transition, Apple told me today that they will no longer be developing its professional photography application, Aperture.
Apple - iOS 8 - Photos
10 Things Aperture Users Need to Know About Lightroom | Lightroom Killer Tips
The history of the Walkman: 35 years of iconic music players | The Verge
Amazon.com: Philips USA PH-62050 CD/MP3/MD-To-Cassette Adapter (Discontinued by Manufacturer): Car Electronics
Amazon.com : Walkman Car Connecting Pack for MD Walkman and CD Walkman (Model# CPA-9C) : MP3 Players & Accessories
Google I/O 2014
NextDraft: The Day’s Most Fascinating News with Dave Pell
These are not the wearables we’ve been waiting for - Quartz
Google presented its vision for smartwatches—one of the first waves of wearable computers—this week at its I/O conference in San Francisco. It was…mildly inspiring.
Amazon.com: Casio Men's CA53W Calculator Watch: Casio: Watches
Amazon.com: Casio G-SHOCK Bluetooth 4.0 GB-6900B-1BJF Men [Japan Import]: Watches
Amazon.com: Casio Men's STB-1000-1CF "OmniSync Sports" Bluetooth-Enabled SmartWatch: Watches
Amazon.com: Timex Unisex T2P1429J "Weekender" Watch with Navy and Yellow Nylon Band: Timex: Watches

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101: Sitting Outside Jun 25, 2014

Show notes

Jim and Dan discuss Google Glass streaming live video, Google TV, Apple TV, HBO Go and cable companies, Apple's iCloud strategy, The New York Times and Walmart, placing trust in news organizations, Dropcam, Nest and privacy limits, the MacBook Air to Surface Pro 3 upgrade path, Bono's (Red) rant, and more.

Links for this episode:

Now Google Glass Can Turn You Into a Live Broadcast - WSJ
On Tuesday, Google Inc. officially began offering the Livestream video-sharing app in its MyGlass store. The software lets Glass wearers share what they are seeing and hearing with other Livestream account holders free of charge by using the command, "OK Glass, start broadcasting."
Google I/O 2014
Google Readies TV Set-Top Box in Race With Apple, Amazon - WSJ
Google's device will carry another company's brand, but will be powered by Google's new Android TV software designed to play movies, games and other content on televisions, the people said. Users will be able to control the box using Android smartphones or tablets, and potentially other devices.
Apple TV updated with new channels
Apple debuted a number of new channels to the Apple TV this morning, adding ABC News, PBS Kids, Willow TV, and AOL On.
Mid-2014 iMac review: lower price, way lower performance | Macworld
Working in the Macworld Lab as I do, I tend to focus on system performance when recommending (or not recommending) computers for purchase. The truth is, however, that many people buy computers based largely on price.
Google steps up and fixes Verizon data plan gaffe
The LTE Chromebook Pixel was originally sold with a free two-year mobile broadband plan from Verizon — 100MB per month, with the option to purchase more data on a pay-as-you-go basis as needed. But as I reported yesterday, Verizon stopped honoring the plans halfway through that two-year term. Customer support agents for the carrier have been telling Pixel owners they weren’t aware of any two-year commitment, despite clear online documentation to the contrary.
iWork for iCloud updated
Apple on Tuesday released an update for iWork for iCloud. Each application received some new features and there are some features common to all of the apps.
Walmart Corporate - Fact Check: The New York Times "The Corporate Daddy"
Nest to Share User Information With Google for the First Time - Digits - WSJ
Matt Rogers, a co-founder of the smart-thermostat maker, said in an interview that Google will connect some of its apps to Nest, allowing Google to know when Nest users are at home or not.
Microsoft wants you to trade in your MacBook Air for a Surface Pro 3 | Ars Technica
This weekend, Microsoft Stores launched a trade-in program to encourage sales of the new Surface Pro 3, but the trade-in promotion named only a single device: the MacBook Air, at a value of "up to $650" toward any Surface Pro 3 purchase. At the lowest specification, that trade-in amount would let buyers walk out of a Microsoft Store with an Intel i3 Surface Pro 3 for as little as $150.
Bono's Urgent Call for Brand Partnerships Energizes Cannes to Combat AIDS | Adweek
The U2 frontman spent much of his Cannes Lions presentation urging brands and agencies to help create an AIDS-free generation by supporting the ambitious—and largely stalled—goals of his global nonprofit, (Red).
U2 > Discography > Albums
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100: Do You Keep Canaries? Jun 18, 2014

Show notes

Jim returns from his well earned vacation to talk to Dan about the potential for an Amazon phone, WWDC two weeks later, the new iMac's importance as a serious production machine, operating systems as a product, Apple's veil of secrecy, and more.

Links for this episode:

Apple introduces new entry level iMac
The iMac comes with a 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 2.7 GHz, Intel HD 5000 graphics, 8GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. It also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi, two Thunderbolt ports and four USB 3.0 ports.
Apple iMac line gets $1,099 option - CNET
Apollo Twin Interface with Realtime UAD Processing and Thunderbolt

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99: Like Hodor with a Better Vocabulary Jun 13, 2014

Show notes

Dan Benjamin is joined by Peter Cohen of iMore.com to talk about the future of Apple, working in Appe retail, predictions for hardware in 2014 (iWatch, Apple TV, Thunderbolt displays), and more.

Is the iWatch a certainty? Will we see Apple TV's with games? Listen to find out.

Links for this episode:

Apple Is Taking Action Against Fake Ratings On The App Store | TechCrunch
App developers know that having good ratings and reviews means more users will be wiling to download their app. And thanks to ratings’ influence on Apple’s ranking algorithms, it will help their app be better discovered via the App Store’s Top Charts as well. Because of this, some — okay, many — developers manipulate their apps’ positions by posting fake ratings and reviews. It’s sort of common knowledge these days, in fact. Any brief, glowing, five-star review is immediately suspect.
Apple - Mac Pro
The case for an Apple Thunderbolt 2 Display | iMore
We all have our big and little wishes for WWDC 2014 next week. The grand unveiling of OS X 10.10 is a forgone conclusion, and we're seeing pundits and analysts chime in on what they expect to see. Our own Rene Ritchie offered his thoughts this morning on what he'd like to see regarding iOS 8. For my part, among the hardware hopes that I have is a replacement for Apple's aged Thunderbolt Display.
Amazon.com: Macrack Mini 1U Rack Kit for 2010 Mac Mini Server: Electronics
Omotesando, Tokyo store grand opening video
In another example of “Apple opening the kimono” (see what I did there?), here is a video that, while typical of many other “Grand Opening” videos, shows a little of the behind the scenes efforts that go into one of these store openings.
iMore | The #1 site for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and all things Apple!
Peter Cohen (flargh) on Twitter

98: The Nature of The Beast Jun 05, 2014

Show notes

Jim and Dan meet in San Francisco to talk about the future of iOS 8, Yosemite, and apple hardware after the 2014 WWDC keynote.

Links for this episode:

Apple’s Tim Cook Explains Beats Deal in Interview | Re/code
See, in the record business, you can show someone your song, and they don’t copy it. In the tech business, you show somebody your idea, and they steal it.

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