Vector

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Bonus: Pro work on iPad Pro, with artist Rob McCallum Nov 24, 2018

Show notes

Toronto-based concept art and storyboard artist Rob McCallum has been using iPad Pro for all of his work since 2015. And his body of work is extraordinarily impressive, with a resumé that includes: Pacific Rim, RoboCop, Total Recall, It, Suicide Squad, and most recently, Star Trek: Discovery.

Armed with the new 2018 model and his go to drawing app of choice, Procreate, he shares his experiences in being able to push the creativity and complexity of his work even further than before.

He and Rene talk about workflows, personal work vs. client work, and abandoning his drafting table and blue pencils.

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LINKS:

@Rob McCallum on Twitter
@Robmccallumart on Twitter
rob_mccallum on Instagram
Rob McCallum Art web site

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197: The Apple TV... Dongle?! Nov 24, 2018

Show notes

I've been thinking about an Apple TV streaming stick for the last couple years but now it looks like the next couple of years could make it a reality.

Currently, Apple's only answer to television is a starting at $179 box that runs apps and plays up to 4K HDR. But what if there was something else? Something smaller that, instead of sitting beside any tv, could plug right into the back. Something that gave you all the power of Apple's TV app, but could go with you in a pocket… or maybe was already in your pocket or bag?

What if there was a tiny Apple TV dongle? An AirPlay Express?

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196: Black Friday 2018: What I'm Getting... and Giving! Nov 21, 2018

Show notes

These are the actual gifts I'm giving this year. And I can't think of a higher personal recommendation than that.

You can't escape holiday gift giving — and receiving — at least entirely. So, when I shop for others and myself, I try really hard to only buy only a few, well made things. Things that give value. Things that will last.

It can make Black Friday — or Blackvember Fest as I called it in my video last week — trickier to navigate. Like HALO jumping into a brand new massively online shooter on launch day, deals and temptation exploding all around you. Even as you're desperately trying to respawn and respawn and just let me spawn, you damn deals!

If you have a strategy and a list, though, you really can win. I went over the strategy last time. Now I'm going to share my list.

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195: iPad Pro (2018) Review: Two weeks later! Nov 19, 2018

Show notes

I received a lot of great feedback on my iPad Pro (2018) review and I appreciate it. But, I also got some criticism and I think it was valid and fair. I didn't have as many negatives on my list as some other reviewers because I reviewed the new hardware and most of the negatives deemed directed at the not so new software. Also, I didn't address the iPad Pros ability to replace a laptop, which is something almost every other review focused on extensively.

So, after spending two weeks now with Apple's third generation iPad Pro, I decided to make this re-review all about what I missed last time: iPad Pro as laptop replacement and the iPad Pro software story.

In other words, what I got wrong — and what I still think many other reviews got wrong.

Yeah, it's like that.

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194: The MacBook ARM Nov 16, 2018

Show notes

Rumors have been percolating for years already about a third great Apple silicon transition, this time to ARM. By many accounts, Apple has had MacBooks on ARM, running both iOS and macOS since, well, there was any ARM to run them on.

As Apple's chipset prowess has grown and Intel's fortunes have faltered, the buzz has gotten louder. Not around an iOS clamshell or desktop box, mind you, interesting as both those products might be. But proper macOS running on proper Apple silicon.

And since the iPad Pro shipped with the Apple A12X, a desktop-as-in-i7-class processor, the buzz has become deafening.

But is it signal or is it just more noise?

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193: NEW Final Cut Pro X: Features and first-impressions! Nov 15, 2018

Show notes

Apple is releasing Final Cut Pro X 10.4.4, Motion 5.4.2, and Compressor 4.42. So, what's new?

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Final Cut Pro X 10.4.4 brings Workflow Extensions, Comparison Viewer, more!

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192: The Lost Episode: Hands-on Supercut Nov 14, 2018

Show notes

So here's the thing. We weren't able to publish audio versions of our hands-on videos that were made following Apple's event on October 30, 2018. These three videos about the 2018 versions of iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini represent Rene's initial impressions of the devices.

Full reviews have since been published — but in the interest of making the Vector audio podcast a complete chronicle of happenings in the Apple-verse, we present them now. Enjoy!

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191: Black Friday Tips: Score deals on Apple iPhone, iTunes Cards, Amazon, more! Nov 13, 2018

Show notes

You can save $100 on a HomePod. And 20% on iTunes Cards. And get $300 back on an iPhone. And...

Now, it's no secret Apple gear is priced at a premium. And that can make it expensive to get what you want, especially everything you want. But, the Black Friday and Holiday Sales can give you a very real break.

So, if you've been looking to get a new iPhone or Mac or Home automation, to save some cash on games or movies or a new subscription, now's the time to do it, and all you and I need to know are the best ways to do it.

For that I got Dan DeSilva on the line. Full disclosure, Dan works for Thrifter, my personal go-to-deals-site, which is owned by the same company that owns iMore, Android Central, and Windows Central, which host the transcripts of this show and my other editorial work. But he's also simply the best discount hound in the business, and his ready to share his top tips.

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190: Mac mini (2018) Review Nov 08, 2018

Show notes

Maybe Apple always intended to update the Mac mini but got distracted by more urgent projects? Maybe Apple was waiting to do something... different with the mini, but it was taking too long? Or maybe Apple never meant to update the mini at all but changed its mind after seeing just how much its customers missed the littlest Mac?

I don't know. But I do know this: After four long, fallow years, Apple has finally updated the Mac mini.

So, is this the Mac mini we've all been waiting for? Yes and no. It's not a bold new take of the original switcher or re-imagining of the desktop for the post-Intel world.

It's not even really entry level any more, based on the price, except compared to every other Mac.

It may be a placeholder, it could be a resurrection, but it could also be pragmatic. Most Macs sold are notebooks not desktops, and most desktops sold are iMacs not Mac mini's.

So, where does that leave us?

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LINKS:

Mac mini (2018) Review

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189: MacBook Air (2018) Review Nov 07, 2018

Show notes

"Just slap a Retina display in the MacBook Air and ship it!" is what a lot of people have been clamoring for Apple to do for a long, long time.

This isn't that.

On one extreme, you have the 12-inch MacBook for those who want ultimate portability and are willing to pay a premium for it. On the other extreme, the MacBook Pro for those who want ultimate power and are likely willing to pay for it. In the middle, the broad middle, you have the new Air for those who want a balance of portability and power and don't want to pay as much of a premium.

That it's confusing is the result of legacy branding and SKUs. In a perfect world, the 12-inch would be the Air and this would be the new MacBook, and everyone would understand naked is the baseline and modifiers are the two extremes.

But given how popular the Air brand is, and how it's come to be associated with entry-level, Apple is stuck with things the way they are. At least for now.

So, where does that leave the new MacBook Air?

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