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Opening
 
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Opening Music
 
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Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles
 
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News
 
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Third-party screen repairs "bricking" iPhones
 
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First reports came from Vice.
 
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The issue seems to have popped up after the latest iOS 11.3 updates on some iPhone 8 models that have had 3rd party screen replacements.
 
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The screens effected seem to be rejecting touch input.
 
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Some reports have said devices running iOS 11.1 and 11.2 can also impacted by the issues
 
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The allegation is that Apple has added a custom microchip that pairs with the display and if both are not replaced iOS will then reject touch inputs.
 
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There also appears to be some issues with the ambient light sensor becoming disabled after the repairs and some are alleging that Apple is using the ambient light sensor as a "test-case" to control the repair process and "link hardware with logic boards"
 
*
The issue can happen even when using genuine Apple parts.
 
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You might remember the "Error 53" issue from a few years back where some iPhones were "bricked" after a 3rd party repair
 
*
The issue was related to a test was designed to check whether Touch ID works properly before the device leaves the factory, and wasn’t intended to affect customers.
 
*
Apple issued a fix and reimbursed customers who paid for an out-of-warranty device replacement based on an error 53 issue
 
*
It's unclear if this latest issue is intentional or another bug.
 
*
Apple does allow 3rd party iPhone screen repairs and they will not void the warranty as long as those repairs did not damage the casing or other related components.
 
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Third party repair shop iFixit though thinks the issues are more likely software related then an effort by Apple to thwart 3rd party repairs.
 
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They also note the "other" issues of Battery Health feature not supporting aftermarket batteries and auto brightness and True Tone failing on the iPhone 8, iPhone 8, and iPhone X models with 3rd party screen repairs.
 
*
They already found the issue with battery communication in iOS 11.3 and will offer batteries that support the feature soon.
 
*
The touchscreen issue requires and a firmware flash, but they note that can be retroactively applied, though phones need to be brought back in for the fix.
 
*
The auto-brightness and True Tone issue is not as easy, but still seems software related. Appears to be an issue with a hardware check failing at startup.
 
*
Point is, they don't believe any of these issue are deliberate and that likely it's an issue of Apple not having the access or ability to test every aftermarket component that may be used by a 3rd party. (one of the reasons Apple advises not using a 3rd party).
 
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Still s Apple becomes aware and they can identify the cause we can likely expect software fixes, though depending on the situation, that could take time.
 
*
3rd party repairs and the "right to repair" is a hot topic right now.
 
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If you have an Apple Watch Series 2 42mm and it's not powering on or showing signs of a swollen battery Apple will repair it free of charge
 
*
To qualify you will need to have your device inspected by a Apple or Apple Authorize Service Provider.
 
V
Apple posting some pretty good numbers
 
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A lot of stats have been popping up the past week surrounding Apple's products and they all seem pretty good.
 
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Piper Jaffray did it's semiannual teen survey and seems like teens like iPhone more then ever.
 
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Piper Jaffray surveyed a total of 6,000 teens with an average age of 16.4 and an average household income of $66,296.
 
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82 percent of those surveyed already own an iPhone, up from 78 percent in the fall
 
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84 percent said they expect their next phone will be an iPhone.
 
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20 percent of teens said they plan to buy an Apple Watch in the next six months.
 
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Counterpoint Research reported that iPhone took 86 percent of total smartphone profits in the 4th quarter of 2017
 
*
Even more interestingly the iPhone X alone captured 35 percent of total smartphone profits in the quarter despite the fact that it was only on sales for two months of that quarter.
 
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iPhone X generated 5 times more profits than the combined profits of over 600 Android OEMs during Q4 2017.
 
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Apple announced the promotion of Oliver Schusser to head of Apple Music Worldwide and in a memo about the promotion Eddy Cue shared the latest Apple Music subscriber numbers
 
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Apple Music now has more than 40 million paid subscribers in 115 countries, not too bad
 
*
There is also another 8 million people on the "free trial"
 
*
That number shows Apple on a subscriber growth rate of about 5 percent per month.
 
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Gartner estimated Apple Mac shipment at 4.3 million units over the three-month period ending in March. That's up 1.5 percent year-over-year
 
*
The numbers put Apple in 4th position for worldwide PC shipment is the first quarter of 2018 with a 6.9 percent share of the market.
 
*
The growth is good news because in the last report Apple Mac sales were down 4.8 percent.
 
*
Still IDC also release it's numbers and they were not as positive. They put Apple in 5th place with 6.6 percent market share. They showed only 4 million shipments and claim those are down 4.8 percent year over year.
 
*
We should get some resolution to the discrepancy when Apple announces it's quarterly earning on May 1st.
 
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Still rumors that HomePod might not be a success
 
*
Bloomberg says apple is cutting HomePod orders from Inventec
 
*
Slice Intelligence claimed at launch the HomePod pre-orders had accounted for a third of the smart speaker market
 
*
More recent numbers put the HomePod at about a 10 percent share.
 
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Not clear that there are issue with HomePod sales at all.
 
*
Still Ming-Chi Kuo issued a report claiming Apple might sell only 2-2.5 million HomePods in 2018
 
*
That would be really low even by conservative estimates.
 
*
Apple could be moving some production to other suppliers like Foxconn.
 
*
Rumors that Apple is working on a "cheaper" HomePod which some say is a response to weak demand.
 
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Apple 'doubles down' on employee leaks
 
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Bloomberg posted an internal memo sent to Apple employees that shows Apple means business when it comes to stopping leaks, especially ones from inside the company.
 
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The told employees that it's not just their jobs they risk, but that they could be subject to legal action and criminal charges.
 
*
In some cases employees might be charged with network intrusion and theft of trade secrets which are federal crimes.
 
*
They could get massive fines and might even face jail time.
 
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The memo shared some numbers and sobering stories too
 
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Last year Apple "caught 29 leakers" and of those twelve were arrested.
 
*
The memo also claims employees caught leaking info would, "face extreme difficulty finding employment elsewhere,"
 
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The memo also talks about how reporters and media will "target" employees through social networks and LinkedIn and that being approached can seem "flattering", but that the employee is really just getting "played".
 
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The site gets traffic, acclaim, and money and the employee (leaker) gets nothing.
 
*
It specifically mentions 9to5Mac and supply chain leakers
 
*
The memo also discusses that "devistating" effects that leaks have on the teams, sometimes thousands of people, who work on a secret project for years only to see leaked in the weeks are days before it's announced.
 
*
The memo outlined a couple of instances where info on iPhone software features, the iPhone X, and Apple Watch were leaked to the media and explained some of the damage that can cause Apple.
 
*
They say leaks negatively impact sales of current models, give competitors more time to develop a response, and lead to fewer sales when new products launch (they don't explain how, but possible because of competitive response?).
 
V
They also cite the inability to control the message around a product and it's new features.
 
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Greg Joswiak says in the memo, “We want the chance to tell our customers why the product is great, and not have that done poorly by someone else,”
 
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Apple grabs Asimov Series
 
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According to Deadline Apple worldwide video had secured the rights to create a TV series based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation book series
 
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The project will be coming from Skydance Television and the series will be produced and run by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman
 
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Skydance Television is also behind the new Netflix series "Altered Carbon", which has garnered some pretty good reviews.
 
*
The two have worked on films like The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, War of the Worlds, and Terminator
 
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Possibly in addition to a new Apple video subscription service we might also see a new magazine and news subscription service
 
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You might remember that Apple acquired the magazine App Texture a few months ago.
 
*
Now Bloomberg says Apple has plans to integrate that into their Apple News app.
 
*
They say an upgraded Apple News app with the subscription offering is expected to launch within the next year and is an attempt for Apple to continue to grow it's services business.
 
*
The piece doesn't provide details about the new service like price, but Texture allowed access to over 200 magazines for a cost of USD $9.99/mo.
 
*
Many have also talked about Apple possibly coming up with a "book" subscription service to add to iBooks.
 
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macOS 10.13.4 adds 32-bit app warning
 
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If you've updated to macOS 10.13.4 and launched a 32-bit app you've likely received the warning
 
*
Apple pushed out an update this week to help remind users of older and non-updated apps that those apps days are numbered.
 
*
Apple told developers almost a year ago that the next macOS after High Sierra would not support 32-bit apps.
 
*
Also since January all new apps and app updates submitted to the Mac App Store are required to be 64-bit.
 
*
The new dialog will appear once for "each" 32-bit app the first time it's launched.
 
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To check your system for 32-bit apps:
 
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Apple Menu > About This Mac
 
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Click on 'System Report…'
 
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In the list on the left under 'Software' select 'Applications' and wait for the list to load (can take a little while)
 
*
You can select the App name and in the bottom panel there is a field called "64-bit (Intel)" if it says "No" then the app is 32-bit
 
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There should also be a "64-bit (Intel)" column in the upper panel
 
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If you have older apps that can't or won't be updated then you'll have to not update to 10.14 (when it's released).
 
*
32-bit Apps should continue to function in High Sierra
 
*
Apple will issue security patches on older OSes (typically two versions back)
 
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Start looking for alternatives now, it's why Apple is giving everyone time and notice.
 
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Time for longer passcodes
 
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The company Grayshift has an iPhone cracking product called "GrayKey" and it works on all modern iPhones even ones running the latest version of iOS 11
 
*
It's a box and service available to government agencies and law enforcement that cost between $15K and $30K depending on the service.
 
*
More and more agencies are employing it as a tool.
 
*
As near as I can gather it uses "brute force" techniques and they have found a way around Apple's timed "lockouts" and the failed attempts "wipe" controls.
 
*
New test on the device from Motherboard claim it can crack a 4-digit passcode in about 6.5 minutes and a 6-digit passcode in about 11 hours.
 
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A random 10 digit numeric passcode would take the box on average 4629 days (12.7 years)
 
*
Note it needs to be "random" i.e. no numeric pattern (don't use PI to 10 numbers)
 
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I suggest switching to a random alpha-numeric passcode that is 10 characters or larger.
 
*
Yes "only" law enforcement has this now and yes Apple will likely close this loophole, but the point remains that the cat and mouse will always go on.
 
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You change your passcode in Settings > TouchID/FaceID & Passcodes. Enter your current passcode. At the bottom tap 'Passcode Options'. Choose 'Custom Alphanumeric' or 'Custom Numeric'
 
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Sponsor: Small Dog Electronics
 
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Small Dog
 
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One of the best things about our community is that we have cool companies like Small Dog. They've been serving out community with great products an support since they started in a garage almost 20 years ago.
 
*
They know Mac and Apple geeks, because they are Mac and Apple Geeks.
 
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Right now is the perfect time to head to smalldog.com and start looking for gifts for the Apple geeks in your life. Maybe something for a graduate, how about Mom maybe an Apple Watch strap in Spring colors, or heck an Apple Watch. And it's not too early to be thinking about Dad for father's day.
 
*
They even have great new accessory bundles they just loaded on the site that make finding that perfect gift easy.
 
*
Plus, they have HomePod's and AirPods in stock and just got in a fresh batch of refurbished 15-inch Touchbar Macbook Pros.
 
*
If you want to keep up on the latest deals be sure you check the site frequently or connect with their Facebook page because they are posting new deals almost daily.
 
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You'll also get no sales tax on MOST orders and free shipping on orders over $75.00
 
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And they can ship the same day on orders made before 3:00 PM ET.
 
*
Maccast listeners can use the coupon code: 'maccast' to get $20 off an order of $100 or more
 
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Just make sure you visit smalldog.com and don't forget to use the code 'maccast'.
 
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
 
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Mac crashing, move your hard drive?
 
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Last time we mentioned Phil who was having wake from sleep crashes with his Mac.
 
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Clive wrote in to say if Phil has a USB 3 external hard drive and it's close to his Mac he might want to move it and see if that resolve the issue.
 
*
Clive had a USB 3 SSD in an enclosure on top of his 2012 Mac mini and he says it was causing him wake from sleep issues.
 
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I had never heard of this, but I was aware that some USB 3 hard drives CAN cause wifi and bluetooth issues
 
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[Apple Support Article](https://support.apple.com/en-lamr/HT203729)
 
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Possibly it's caused by the Mac having issues when attempting to reconnect to wifi or bluetooth and that then locking up the Mac?
 
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A Pro on waiting for a Mac Pro
 
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Vince wrote in to say that he's a film editor and works on a Mac Pro (trashcan) and he see's them regularly in most of the edit bays when working directly with clients.
 
*
He also sees a fair amount of "cheese graters" too.
 
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Says he personally not seeing many folks in his circle jump to PCs and Windows
 
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Premiere is becoming the industry standard for trailers, commercials and even features, and although the software runs both on PC and Mac, the main video codec (ProRes) is not fully compatible with PC.
 
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He thinks part of the reason there isn't a huge outcry from the high end professional editing community is because for large, big budget projects, most of the editing is done using low res footage and not until the picture is locked that the project goes to a
finishing house where everything gets recut using the raw material. Then that work is done on specialized equipment.
 
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The more vocal users tend to be the "small" shops or the one guy who has to do it all.
 
*
Does agree that, for now, the ideal machine for those folks is probably the iMac Pro.
 
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So in his opinion the situation is not "dire"
 
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Do you agree?
 
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One area Vince is frustrated with Apple Pro efforts is in the lack of a "pro" OS
 
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Well really the fact that the OS has so many consumer features that can get in the way of a "Pro" workflow
 
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Siri is present despite the fact that a Mac Pro has no microphone
 
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iTunes and Photos launch when clients bring in new drives, because the settings are "per volume".
 
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He'd like to a see a "Pro" variant of the OS (sort of like Server I guess?).
 
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Finally he had a theory that maybe Apple switches to their own designed processors on the "Pro" end first (vs consumer)
 
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A small user base using the equipment with a fairly limited number of apps and in very controlled circumstances.
 
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Thinks might be a reason for the delay too.
 
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I think probably not. I'm not sure ARM technology (which is more about mobile) is up for that task. Also i think Apple processors in Macs are at least 3-5 years out.
 
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Where Apple gets Map data
 
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Play question from Gary
 
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Think mine did ask me? Maybe related to DnDwD?
 
*
They should use data and Differential Privacy, but I'm not sure they do yet.
 
*
Apple get that data from a TON of different sources so all of the above.
 
*
Yes one of the sources is actually WAZE and many municipalities.
 
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You can actually see a list of all those data sources on your device.
 
*
Open Maps
 
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Tap the "i" icon
 
*
At the bottom you'll see "TomTom" (which is one data provider) and then a link that says "and other data providers".
 
*
If you tap that you're taken to a [Apple page](https://gspe21-ssl.ls.apple.com/html/attribution-98.html) that lists the data sources and providers
 
*
It's a MASSIVE list
 
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Business listing from Booking.com, Yelp, Foursquare, etc.
 
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Charing stations
 
*
Map Data from Waze, OpenStreet Maps, NASA, US Departments of State, USGS.
 
*
You have now too all the transit providers.
 
V
Safari's "Websites' panel
 
*
I wanted to get into this because of an email I received from David.
 
*
He was having an issue with a particular site in Safari where whenever he'd visit a page on that site it would start to load and then open up a new window with only text and in some cases a bunch of the content would be missing.
 
*
It was driving him crazy.
 
*
He sent me a video and I knew immediately what the issue was.
 
*
He had turned on a Safari "feature" called automatic Reader view.
 
*
A lot of these new settings are controlled from a new panel in the Safari Preferences called "Websites"
 
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You have:
 
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Reader
 
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Content Blockers (if you have 3rd party apps)
 
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Auto-Play (share Mac Pro story)
 
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Page Zoom, yes can control per site.
 
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Camera access
 
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Microphone access
 
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Location services
 
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Notifications (these cause issues for a LOT of folks).
 
*
Plug-ins are also managed from this view.
 
*
For the "Reader" settings you can also Control+Click on the "Reeder" icon in the URL bar.
 
*
If you have auto-Reader view on tapping the 'Esc' key will take you out of it and return you to the "standard" page view.
 
V
Apple Watch "fence-sitters", a message
 
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Play comment from Eric
 
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There was actually an interesting question that came up in the Maccast Patreon Slack from Patrick
 
*
What do you use your Apple watches for other than filling your rings?
 
*
Really I think it's mostly the small, but significant, enhancements to the overall mobile device experience.
 
*
I can check my Calendar and see upcoming events and appointments
 
*
I control and monitor my HomeKit devices.
 
*
Use it for more discreet Siri requests and when Siri on my phone is misbehaving
 
*
Timers, Notifications, Messages (especially when my phone is in another room. "Scribble" and voice dictation are great).
 
*
Apple Pay is awesome and I use it whenever I can.
 
*
Tapping on navigation in the car is great for not missing turns.
 
*
I use a few 3rd party apps, Carrot Weather, Fantastical, Spark, and Starbucks.
 
*
Some complain about battery life, but on my Series 2 I can often go about 1.5 to 2 days before needing to charge.
 
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So what about you?
 
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Also if you'd like to be part of the Slack all you need to do is become a [Maccast Patreon](http://patreon.com/maccast) supporter.
 
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Thing of the Moment: iOttie Easy One Touch
 
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Actually the, [iOttie One Touch 4 Wireless Qi Charging Vent Mount](https://www.iottie.com/Product/Detail/5077/iOttie-One-Touch-4-Wireless-Qi-Charging-Vent-Mount-)
 
*
Comes in various "mount" options including vent mount, suction cup, and CD.
 
*
The vent "grabs" the slat and is rock solid
 
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Included the cable and cigarette lighter adapter with USB pass through
 
*
Can use your own with standard micro-USB
 
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The one handed operation is GENIUS
 
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About $50 bucks on Amazon.
 
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Closing
 
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Podcast Marketplace
 
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Thanks to my sponsors
 
*
Smile
www.smilesoftware.com
V
Gazelle
gazelle.com
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Gazelle. The fast and simple way to sell your used gadgets! Find out what your used iPhone, iPad and other Apple products are worth at Gazelle.com.
 
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Supporters
 
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Advertising is handled by Backbeat Media at backbeatmedia.com
 
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Keep emails coming. Audio comments.
 
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