The Talk Show With John Gruber

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285: ‘Fahrenheit Truthers’ With Ben Thompson May 22, 2020

Show notes

Ben Thompson returns to the show and there’s no sports talk because there’s no sports. Instead: temperature scales, Joe Rogan and Spotify, and Dithering.

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Dithering.
Ben at Stratechery: “Dithering and Open Versus Free.”
Me at DF: “Dithering” and “More on Dithering”.
Me at Macworld back in 2010: “It’s the heaviness of the Mac that allows iOS to remain light.”

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

284: ‘30 Years of TidBITS’ With Adam Engst May 08, 2020

Show notes

Special guest Adam Engst joins the show to celebrate 30 years of TidBITS -- the only publication going strong today that started as a weekly HyperCard stack.

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Links:

Adam Engst: “TidBITS Marks Its 30th Anniversary in a Time of Pandemic”.
“Info-Mac is a discussion forum for Apple users as well as an archive of online content dating back to 1984.”
The Mac compression wars: Raymond Lau’s StuffIt vs. Bill Goodman’s Compact Pro. I was a Compact Pro man, myself.
The official Compact Pro website is, amazingly, still up.
TidBITS issue 42, 11 February 1991: “Compression Wars”. That’s right, 1991.
TidBITS’s coverage of MacHack over the years.
My 1994 letter to Andy Ihnatko’s Help Desk column in MacUser magazine.

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

283: ‘Some Kind of Sandwich’ With Dieter Bohn Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Dieter Bohn joins the show to talk about the iPad Magic Keyboard, the new iPhone SE, and the state of Android flagship phones.

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Squarespace: Make your next move. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order.
Linode: Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations.

Links:

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

282: ‘Everybody Is an Expert’ With Joanna Stern Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

Joanna Stern returns to the show to talk about working from home, the utter suckitude of laptop webcams, the new MacBook Air, and Face ID in our new world of face-mask-wearing.

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Links:

Joanna’s “How to Make an iPad Stand” video.
Joanna’s review of the new Macbook Air, and her video on the state of laptop webcams.
My review of the new MacBook Air.
Joanna’s column (and video) on Face ID’s inability to recognize us while wearing face masks.
Joanna’s iPhone X review from 2017, wherein she tried to fool Face ID with 3D-printed faces.
Yours truly back in August 2017: “Safari Should Display Favicons in Its Tabs”.
WWDC 2018: Apple announces favicons in Safari tabs.
Webcams Have Become Impossible to Find, and Prices Are Skyrocketing”.

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

281: ‘A Kryptonian Baby’ With Rene Ritchie Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

Rene Ritchie returns to the show to talk about going independent after 11 years at iMore. Topics include the new MacBook Air and iPad Pros, and we answer questions sent by listeners.

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Hover: Find a domain name for your passion. Get 10% off your first purchase.
Linode: Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations.

Links:

Rene’s new YouTube channel.
And his new website. (Great logo.)
“The Best Is Last”: 2016 piece by Benedict Evans arguing that “a technology often produces its best results just when it’s ready to be replaced — it’s the best it’s ever been, but it’s also the best it could ever be”, using the specific example of propeller-based passenger planes.

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

280: ‘The Subtle Difference Between Hand Sanitizer and Vodka’ With Matthew Panzarino Mar 26, 2020

Show notes

Matthew Panzarino returns to the show. Topics include the brand new MacBook Air and iPad Pros, and, you know, global pandemics in the internet age.

Sponsors:

Yes Plz: Brew yourself the best coffee. Try YES PLZ today and save $5 with code fireball5.
Eero: Wi-Fi done right. Get free overnight shipping with promo code thetalkshow.
Squarespace: Make your next move. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order.

Links:

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

279: ‘Chain of Precision’ With Jason Snell Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

Jason Snell returns to the show. Life during the COVID-19 pandemic, WWDC going online-only, Apple's in-person on-campus workplace culture, speculation on upcoming Apple product releases, and more.

Sponsored by:

Squarespace: Make your next move. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order.
Feals: Premium CBD delivered directly to your doorstep. Get 50% off your first order with free shipping.
Linode: Instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations.

Links:

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

278: ‘Dot Net Party’ With Federico Viticci Feb 29, 2020

Show notes

First-time guest Federico Viticci joins the show. Topics include how the coronavirus outbreak might affect WWDC, speculation on a possible March Apple event, the state of iPad keyboard (and trackpad) support, and iPadOS multitasking.

Sponsored by:

Feals: Premium CBD delivered directly to your doorstep. Get 50% off your first order with free shipping.
Hover: Find a domain name for your passion. Get 10% off your first purchase.
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Links:

The Information: “Apple Planning iPad Keyboard with Trackpad”.
Jason Snell: “Nine Questions About the Rumored iPad Smart Keyboard With Trackpad”.
Brydge Pro+ — upcoming iPad Pro keyboard with integrated trackpad.
MacStories-commissioned “iOS 10: Wishes and Concept Video” back in 2016.
Ryan Christoffel’s contextual-menu-based proposal for iPad multitasking.
Tommy Walton’s deceptively simple concept for a direct manipulation-based iPad multitasking UI.
iPad apps with excellent keyboard navigation: Agenda, Things, and Unread 2.

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

277: ‘Polish Stink Eye’ With John Moltz Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

Special guest John Moltz returns to the show. Topics include Larry Tesler and his “no modes” mantra for UI design, the state of malware on the Mac, third-party default apps on iOS, Apple and the coronavirus outbreak, and a record number of tips and tricks.

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Links:

Larry Tesler:
Malwarebytes’s “State of Mac Malware in 2020” report:
Mark Gurman claims Apple is considering third-party default apps for iOS 14.
How to enable the startup chime on new Mac hardware.
On Apple’s attempts to stiff retail employees for time spent waiting in bag-check lines.
The Keychron K2 mechanical Bluetooth keyboard Jason Snell convinced me to buy. (I got brown switches.)

This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

276: ‘Bring It On, Haters’ With Ben Thompson Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

Special guest Ben Thompson returns to the show to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPad.

Sponsored by:

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This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

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