What a weird Mac:
Connected #264: Trash Forever ⇢
Federico has iCloud issues and Myke has a new phone, but no new computer. Stephen has reviewed macOS Catalina.
My thanks to our sponsors:
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
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Ungeniused #89: Water Slides & Log Flume Rides ⇢
This week on Ungeniused, Myke and I talk about water slides and give everyone some fast flume facts and FAQs.
My thanks to our sponsor for the episode:
- Moo: Custom business printing and design. Save 15%.
Liftoff #109: An SLS in the Garage ⇢
NASA works to get its InSight lander digging again, while the SLS program moves forward with training using a replica core stage and some have suggested Planet 9 may not be a planet at all. Oh, and Elon Musk and Jim Bridenstine have been feisty on Twitter.
My thanks to our sponsors:
- Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code LIFTOFF at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
- ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
Review: macOS Catalina Cuts Ties With the Past While Ushering in the Future
It’s fall again, so it is time to consider yet another new version of macOS. This year, it is macOS Catalina, named for a small island off the coast of California.
Apple has pretty much dropped version numbers from its marketing materials, but Catalina is macOS version 10.15, the 16th major release since Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah shipped way back in March 2001.
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Like Mojave before it, Catalina support both Light and Dark Modes, but Apple has added an “Auto” appearance that changes the desktop wallpaper, mode and Night Shift white balance as the day progresses. There are actually eight variants of the default wallpaper, which you can see here.
To see a lot more of macOS Catalina, be sure to check out its page in my Aqua Screenshot Library. Over on Mac Power Users, David and I have published a bonus episode all about Catalina, so be sure to check that out, too.
Catalina is an important version of macOS, both in what it adds, but also in what it leaves behind.
Continue Reading → “Review: macOS Catalina Cuts Ties With the Past While Ushering in the Future”
Mac Power Users #503: Fax the Updates, with Dave Hamilton ⇢
David and Stephen are joined by Dave Hamilton to talk about his work at The Mac Observer and BackBeat Media, his approach to podcasting, how covering Apple has changed over the years and some software tools every Mac user should know about.
I enjoyed this conversation with Dave quite a bit, and I think you will, too.
My thanks to our sponsors this time:
- Sanebox: Stop drowning in email!
- The Omni Group: We’re passionate about productivity for Mac, iPhone and iPad.
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iPhone SE 2 Rumored ⇢
Benjamin Mayo, writing at 9to5Mac:
Apple is set to launch the next version of the iPhone SE 21 in the first quarter of 2020, according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The new phone will be more affordable than the rest of the Apple iPhone lineup and feature newer internals, like an A13 processor with 3 GB RAM, in a familiar iPhone 8 chassis.
Kuo says that most of the new iPhone SE’s hardware specification will mirror the iPhone 8. The analyst predicts Apple will sell 30-40 million units across 2020.
My wife used an iPhone SE until about a year and a half ago, when we got her an iPhone 8. She has slowly gotten used to the larger size, but remains committed to the Touch ID lifestyle after trying an iPhone X for a little while. If this phone makes it out, and includes a better camera system than on the 8, I think she’ll re-join the SE family in no time at all.
- This is not as good of a name as SE/30 was. ↩
Connected #263: Moon Plus Sign Plus Sign ⇢
Stephen tells a story about his Apple Watch accomplice, Myke reviews tvOS 13 and Federico explains how Deep Fusion and Capture Outside the Frame work.
Apple’s camera stuff on the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro is getting … confusing.
My thanks to our sponsors:
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Microsoft’s Big Day ⇢
Microsoft has introduced its new lineup of hardware, and all of it looks pretty great. MKBHD has posted a great overview of the hardware coming this fall:
There’s also the Surface Neo, coming at the end of next year:
The Neo will run Windows 10X, a new lite version of Windows that retains the ability to run legacy Windows apps, but is designed for new dual-screen devices, complete with a revised Start menu.
Over $312,000 ⇢
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We’ve wrapped up our annual St. Jude fundraiser1 and the number raised is simply staggering: over $312,000
It has been incredibly humbling to see this community to rally around this cause, and I can tell you first-hand how much it means to the families at St. Jude. Thank you for not only the amazing amount of money raised, but for joining in the work of saving kids without regard to their ability to pay.
- The donation pages will be up for a few more weeks to catch any stragglers, so there’s still time to give! ↩
Kbase Article of the Week: iMac: How To Differentiate Between Models (CRT) ⇢
This article provides information on the differences between various iMac models that have cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitors.
Video: Live Unboxing of a Graphite iMac ⇢
This morning, I hopped onto the Relay FM Twitch channel and unboxed then set up an iMac G3 to mark the end of our month-long St. Jude Fundraiser. The video is up on YouTube: