Opening Music

Music is Say Anything by Manda and the Marbles

PDFPen

PDFpen is the ultimate tool for editing PDFs

It's not fun to talk about, but this is the time of year I rely on PDFPen the most. Tax time.

I'm dealing with all kinds of documents and forms.

I do everything paperless so it's OCR and search are critical.

Also marking up and adding annotations to items that I want to go over with my tax professional.

Filling out "fake forms", adding signatures.

Finally securing documents with passwords to send digitally to my tax professional (I call with the password).

And PDFPen Pro has even more features

Create fillable PDF forms, even automatically

Convert websites into PDFs

and more…

Learn more about PDFpen and PDFpenPro at: [smilesoftware.com/podcast](https://smilesoftware.com/podcast)

FaceTime loses face, again

Apple might have fixed the embarrassing Group FaceTime bug with the release of iOS 12.1.4, but their troubles ain’t over.

Remember the bug allowed you to add users to Group call and the mic picked up even if they didn’t. Worse, in some instances the video could be enabled without the other party knowing it either.

Now, that issue is fixed, but a some former functionality is still broken at least according to MacRumors

If you start a one-on-one FaceTime call the add a person feature is grayed out

Not clear if this is intentional or a bug

Apple claims it’s a know issue.

The work around is to start a 3-way call first, then you can add additional users

"Universal" apps by 2021

Mark Gurman reporting over at Bloomberg says Apple has a goal of enabling developers to write an app once and deploy easily to macOS, iPhone, and iPad from the same codebase by 2021.

The project, called Marzipan, has been in the works for a while.

The first phase will launch later this year according to the report and let developers deploy their iPad apps on the Mac using the same code base

Apple used similar techniques internally to bring apps like Stocks, News, and Home to the Mac in macOS Mojave

iPhone apps will also get the ability to port to the Mac, but later, maybe next year.

The apps still require different business logic and interface code to work properly on the target platforms.

Apple is expected to show off the new tools to developers at this years WWDC conference which is expected to happen from June 3 to June 7 in San Jose, California

All of this reportedly also plays into Apple's plans to start moving Mac to their own chips and to make Macs, iPhones, and iPads work more seamlessly together.

Axios reported sources inside Intel saying the move to Apple custom chips in Mac could happen as early as 2020

Don't worry though they are not "combining" the OSes. It'll still be separate experiences.

Could WWDC reveal the Mac Pro

Is it finally going to happen? Will it actually ship?

Apple promised the machine in a secret meeting with a few elite Mac journalists in 2017 and since then Apple has not said much except it wouldn't be here in 2018.

Mark Gurman, now claims his sources inside Apple say the company has "internally weighed previewing a new version of the high-end Mac Pro" at WWDC. They have not made a decision yet.

We've heard Apple is really trying to get this one right and targeting VR and high-end cinema production. They have a "Pro Workflow Team" that has been focused in various industries to ensure the "modular" design they're building is all things to all Pros. Can they pull it off?

One sketchy YouTube rumor of a "stackable" modular design that would use a custom data connector

I question the source, but not the concept.

Separate "modules" CPU, GPU, Storage, IO

They also promised a new Apple Pro display and rumors are Apple is planning a 31.6-inch 6K/3K design with "outstanding picture quality" and possibly using a new Mini LED-like backlighting design.

Apple made the promise of a 2019 release date, but if they are just considering a "preview" this summer you can bet the product might not be here until close to the end of the year.

Considering the current Pro was released in 2013 that release schedule is more than embarrassing.

Some more near term good news for Pros, Apple updated their eGPU support document to include the AMD RX 560 in the Sonnet Radeon RX 560 eGFX Breakaway Puck

The 560 had originally been supported in early beta versions of macOS High Sierra, but was removed before release.

Playback of HDCP-protected content from iTunes and certain unnamed streaming services is not supported on displays directly connected to an RX 560-based eGPU. Playback of that content can be viewed on the built-in display of a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMac

What if 'Titan' is a van?

This is all a bit far fetched, but a German magazine is proposing that Apple's secret car project is actually a van project

They claim sources have seen black and silver prototypes and that the vehicles being tested are vans.

They also say engineers are working on the interiors

There are lots of possible theories or "reasons" why this could be reporting

Apple is working on "autonomous systems", something Tim Cook himself has commented on. Vans (really SUVs) are a platform Apple has used for testing.

There was rumors of Apple first building an in-house autonomous shuttle system to take employees between campuses (test platform)

Would fit well into my theory of Apple building a CAAS (Car as a service) platform. Interiors based around rider experiences.

Apple QuickBytes

Apple Watch Ceramic coming back

At least Ming Chi Kuo said so in a note to his clients

He also said that Apple Watch Series 5 would also bring ECG support to more countries, but he didn't really mention which ones.

Apple's ground mapping vehicles make it to the final US states

Apple has been collecting street-level data with LiDAR-equipped vehicles for over three years, with at least 45 states across the U.S. partially surveyed to date.

They will soon be adding Alaska, South Carolina, and Tennessee between March and July. Apple has yet to confirm vehicles mapping in Arkansas and Oklahoma though some have reported seeing Apple vehicles in those states.

The additions we're revealed when Apple updated their [Map Collection](https://maps.apple.com/imagecollection/) web site

The updated version also lists when and where they'll be collecting data using pedestrians.

Apple closes Texas Stores to fight trolls

Apple is closing two North Eastern Texas Apple Stores, Apple Stonebriar and Apple Willow Bend, but not because they are not performing well.

They are simply moving to avoid patent trolls. In fact they are planning to replace the stores with a new location at the Galleria Dallas.

See the Eastern District of Texas is home to some of the most patent troll friendly judges in the US.

In 2017 a ruling was made that limited patent infringement cases to districts where the defendant operates a “regular and established place of business.”

By moving out of those locations Apple will potentially avoid being pulled into lawsuits in those troll friendly courts.

Apple Music started showing up as a supported service for Google Assistant

At the moment you don't seem to be able to sign-in or authentocate, but it is listed.

The promise id that soon you'll be able to set Apple Music as a music provider for your Google Home devices.

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I put Desktops & Documents in iCloud

A couple episodes back I mentioned my reluctance to use iCloud's Desktop & Documents

My main concern was that when you get low on disk space on your local machine it will remove older files from the local drive and have them stored only in iCloud

After that episode aired several of you wrote in to say there was an option in System Preferences > iCloud

Click on 'Options…' under iCloud Drive

Make sure "Optimize Mac Storage" is unchecked. This will force the files to stay on your Mac, even if you run out of space.

Does defeat the option to free up space, but at least you can still have full local backups and you're not relying 100% on iCloud fro storage of some of your files.

Several of you also mentions using and really liking Desktops & Documents syncing.

I decided to finally enable it, with the "Optimize Mac Storage" unchecked, and i do have to admit it's working well.

Does move the "Desktop" and "Documents" folders in to iCloud. They will no longer appear in your Home folder, which takes some getting used to.

They will also be under the iCloud section in the Finder sidebar

If you have multiple Macs syncing then you will see folders under "Desktops" or "Documents" for each Mac.

You can merge and combine them into just the root folders later, but by default it doesn't merge them.

On iOS you can then access everything from the Files app or from iCloud

Be careful about deleting items

I opened a file in GarageBand, or tied to. Said it couldn't open it because it was created on a Mac. I deleted it, not realizing ti would also delete from iCloud.

Luckily, I have Time Machine on my Mac and just recovered it once I realized my mistake.

More iPad wall mounts

Received and email from Robert, who does smart home technology solutions, with some advice and recommendations

Says the brand they like to use is [iPort](https://iportproducts.com)

Solutions start around $299 USD, so they are professional solutions with high quality materials

One important factor to consider is making sure the wiring and power for low-voltage USB-style, power-over-ethernet (PoE),  or high-voltage direct charging outlets is done correctly and to code.

What looked nice to me about the iPort options was the designs for routing wires and the installations, including the powering options, fit into standard electrical "J-Boxes"

Robert did note that with voice assistants becoming more and more of a thing that clients are asking less to have displays wall mounted to control devices.

Still, seems like a very nice way to me to possible reuse an older iPad, say like an iPad mini. Or, as Robert mentions, even an iPod Touch or old iPhone could be repurposed as a permanent controller

Robert says he even has one mounted in his garage to serve a control surface for his irrigation system which means his landscapers can have access.

Gestures you maybe didn't know

Calendar

Tap and hold in Day, Week, or Mon th view to add a new event.

Tap, hold and drag an item in those views to move it

In the Week and Day views tap and hold to get handles at the top and bottom of the event block. Drag those to move the start and end times (like a text selection)

Mail

Tap and hold on the "compose" icon to get a list of any messages you have in "Drafts". You will also see a "New Message" link at the top.

Swipe across drafts in this list to delete them.

Safari

Swipe from the left edge or right edge of the screen to go forward or backward in your browser history

Tap and hold the "+" (add tab) icon to see and re-open recently closed tabs

Tap and hold the forward or backward navigation buttons to get a list of pages.

Pinch in to access all your open tabs and (if you use them) Safari tabs

Move multiple apps at once

Tap and hold to do the "jiggle" thing

Drag the first app you want to move and hold it

Tap additional apps you want to move. These will slide under the first app.

Once you have them all, then drag them where you want them and let go.

The multiple Apps trick also worked for Files in the files app or emails in the Mail app.

You can take your "groups" and drag and over them over navigation elements to move up and down the folder/file structures

Enter the "foldable" phone era

Two companies Samsung and Huawei showed off their $2,000 and up "foldable" OLED phone designs this week.

Huawei Mate X and the Samsung Galaxy Fold

Samsung's had an interesting tablet "side-notch"

Samsung has an inner screen that folds and an external "hinge" with an outer screen. The Huawei Mate X folds with the screen wrapping the outside.

The designs are cool and much thinner than I would have expected.

Still they leave a lot of questions

That a lot of screen that you can't put in any kind of case without disrupting the functionality (sleeve?)

Durability and cleanliness?

How will apps work exactly. Would need to presumably be engineered for each designs form factor and specs? An even bigger nightmare for developers.

Other then being really damn cool, what's the point?

The main one, big screen in small form factor is of course noble, but at this point under thought out.

You're going to hear cries that Apple needs to follow suit and they are one again "behind" in the smartphone race.

But like large screen sizes and wireless charging or 5G they will get there when it makes sense for the consumer.

They will design a use case for the technology that advances the user experience or they will not do it.

One concern is Samsung could withhold foldable tech from Apple to give themselves an edge. Maybe?

There are companies like LG and Japan Display and Apple has invested heavily there. If Apple wanted flexible OLED displays they could get them.

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