The Talk Show With John Gruber

Special guest Dan Frommer returns to the show. Topics include the end of The Deck ad network, my weird story about getting kicked out of Amazon’s affiliate program, Apple’s new products announced last week (Red iPhone 7 models, larger-capacity iPhone SEs, the new 9.7-inch just-plain iPad, and Apple’s excellent new Clips app), Samsung’s new Galaxy S8, Twitter’s new reply system, CarPlay getting its ass kicked in a head-to-head comparison with Android Auto, ISPs and Privacy, and more. Sponsored by: JAMF Software: Jamf Now helps you manage your Apple devices from anywhere. Use this link and set up your first 3 devices free of charge. Squarespace: Build it beautiful. Use code gruber for 10% off your first order. Audible.com: With Audible, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Get a free 30-day trial. Casper: An obsessively engineered mattress at a shockingly fair price. Use code thetalkshow for $50 toward your mattress. Links: Jim Coudal announces the end of The Deck. My farewell to The Deck. Clips. Dan Frommer on the Galaxy S8 taking a bit of the piss out Apple's purported edge-to-edge iPhone coming later this year. Dan Seifert’s report on the Galaxy S8, from Samsung’s headquarters in South Korea. Viv, the Samsung-acquired voice-AI system from the creators of Siri. The 12-year old Daring Fireball post that apparently got me kicked out of Amazon's affiliate program. Andy Rubin's teaser tweet. Eric Schmidt's tweet promoting Rubin's teaser, on the day of Samsung's S8 announcement. Android Auto vs. CarPlay head-to-head. Sam Biddle tries to get a telecom PR rep to make sense of their official position on “protecting user privacy”. The iPhone Math, Dan’s favorite busted-ass rumor. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

The one and only Merlin Mann returns to the show. Topics include modern plumbing technology and product marketing, the intricate ordeal of switching from iCloud’s old two-step authentication to the modern two-factor authentication, and the future of voice-driven UI/AI. Also, a wee bit of follow-up on our post-election November 9 Holiday Party. Sponsored by: Eero: Finally, Wi-Fi, that works. Away: High quality luggage with built-in USB chargers. Save $20 with promo code talkshow. Fracture: Now through the end of March, save 20% on Fracture prints with promo code CLEAN. Order now for Mothers Day. Warby Parker: Boutique-quality, vintage-inspired glasses at a revolutionary price. Try up to five pairs at home for free. Links: American Standard VorMax anti-splatter flush technology. “Clinger”. “Skid Marks”. Halfway through this one they flush something soft and brown. Michael Heilemann: “When did Siri figure out to not activate two iCloud connected devices with ‘Hey Siri’ at the same time?” My YouTube video showing how best to remove AirPods from their case. Do By Friday: Excellent new(ish) podcast hosted by Merlin, Alex Cox, and Max Temkin, whose names have an average of one “x” per host. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Serenity Caldwell returns to the show. Topics include the Best Picture fiasco at last week’s Academy Awards, Tim Cook speaking vaguely of “the pro area” at Apple’s shareholders meeting, the conflict between Apple’s culture of secrecy and the glaring embarrassment that is the 1,100-day-old Mac Pro lineup, new iPad Pro rumors and our ruminations on tablet vs. notebook hardware form factors, The Wall Street Journal’s seemingly goofy report on new iPhones replacing Lightning with USB-C ports, and the garbage fire that is Uber’s corporate culture. Sponsored by: Squarespace: Build it beautiful. Use code gruber for 10% off your first order. Harry's: An exceptional shave at a fraction of the price. Use code talkshow for a great deal on your your first purchase. Backblaze: Online backup for $5/month. Native. Unlimited. Unthrottled. Uncomplicated. Links: The Best Picture Oscars fiasco: Vulture’s deep dive on the Best Picture envelope mixup. Variety’s backstage photographic evidence showing how PricewaterhouseCooper accountant Brian Culligan gave Warren Beatty the wrong envelope. Andy Ihnatko’s tweet showing the terrible typographic design of the envelopes. The terrible design of the “The Winner Is…” cards. Tim Cook speaking vaguely of Apple’s commitment to “the pro area” at Apple’s shareholder meeting. Curious Wall Street Journal report claiming the next iPhone will replace Lightning port with USB-C. Ming-Chi Kuo, following up on that WSJ report, says all new iPhones will have Lightning ports. Jonathan Hoefler’s Twitter thread critiquing an in-the-works typeface design by Louie Mantia — a great example of how the iPad is great for some forms of work. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Special guest Marco Arment returns to the show. Topics include WWDC moving back to San Jose, the latest rumors about this year’s new iPads and iPhones, and the thinking behind the design changes in the just-released Overcast 3.0. Sponsored by: Casper: An obsessively engineered mattress at a shockingly fair price. Use code thetalkshow for $50 toward your mattress. Eero: Finally, Wi-Fi, that works. Use code thetalkshow for free expedited shipping. Audible: With Audible, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Get a free 30-day trial. Links: WWDC moves back to San Jose. Marco on the design details of Overcast 3.0. iPhone and iPad rumors: FastCo: “Here’s Why Apple’s 10th Anniversary iPhone Will Likely Cost More Than $1,000”. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo: “iPhone 8 to Feature 5.8-Inch OLED Display With 5.15-Inch Main Screen and Virtual Buttons Below”. If this is true, this new iPhone (which I do not think will be called “iPhone 8” — I’d guess “iPhone Pro” — will have a radically different aspect ratio. 3D facial recognition to replace or supplement TouchID? Mac Otakara: Apple to introduce new iPad Pros (7.9-inch (mini), 9.7-inch, 12.9-inch, and a new 10.5-inch with an edge-to-edge display), red iPhone 7’s, and 128 GB iPhone SE at event next month. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

John Moltz returns to the show. Topics include: 🐩💨, iPad vs. Mac for productivity (and why the iPad isn’t a self-sufficient platform), nostalgia for System 7, speculation on this year’s upcoming new iPhones, and more. Alternative title for this episode: 🏢🍆. Sponsored by: Squarespace: Make your next move. Make your next website. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order. Setapp: An “Unstore” Alternative to the Mac App Store. Casper: An obsessively engineered mattress at a shockingly fair price. Use code thetalkshow for $50 toward your mattress. Links: DF: “Comparing the First Seven Years of the iPad and Mac”. Why isn’t there a version of iBooks Author for iPads? Tim Cook, introducing the iPad Pro in September 2015: “The iPad is the clearest expression of our vision of the future of personal computing.” Ulysses, a great project-based app for writers, with cross-platform iOS and Mac versions. Ken Case’s Omni Group year-in-review post, with a tease at their upcoming cross-platform JavaScript-based automation system. Two stories on the same rumor about this year’s new iPhones: Mark Sullivan, writing for Fast Company. KGI analyst Ming Chi Kuo. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Matthew Panzarino returns to the show. Topics include Apple’s Q1 2017 financial results (including record iPhone sales and continuing cooling iPad sales), issues with LG’s new 5K UltraFine display (not so fine if you use it near a Wi-Fi router), the tech industry’s response to Trump’s immigration ban, and the highlights at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Sponsored by: Squarespace: Make your next move. Make your next website. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order. Ministry of Supply: Performance dress clothes for men and women. Use this link and get a free pair of socks. Audible: With Audible, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Get a free 30-day trial. Links: Apple’s just-announced Q1 2017 results. LG’s new 5K display can have problems if used near a Wi-Fi router. Steve Jobs set the goal of 10 million iPhones sold in the first year (1 percent market share). Tim Cook’s response to Trump’s immigration ban. Google employees rallied against the ban. Sergey Brin went to SFO to join the protests. Steve Bannon suggested there are too many Asian CEOs in Silicon Valley. Movies that debuted at Sundance: The Big Sick Marjorie Prime This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Ben Thompson returns to the show. Topics include the state of the Mac (and our shared belief that it’s death has been greatly exaggerated), the NFL playoffs, Chris Lattner leaving Apple for Tesla (and the general problem of talent retention), ruminating on the origins of the word “podcast”, and more. Sponsored by: Casper: An obsessively engineered mattress at a shockingly fair price. Use code thetalkshow for $50 toward your mattress. Eero: Finally, Wi-Fi, that works. Use code thetalkshow for free expedited shipping. Away: First-class luggage at a coach price, including built-in USB chargers. Links: “America’s slow but very real decline into a fascist state as told by the Milwaukee Bucks logo.” Pittsburgh cab driver says John Elway is the best quarterback in history, not know that Elway was sitting in the back seat. Yours truly back in 2005: “Is That a Podcast in Your Pocket?” MPW, Apple's classic-era IDE. Pastebot, a great new clipboard utility from Tapbots. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Jim Dalrymple returns to the show for the first episode of 2017. Topics include New Year’s Eve, Siri/Alexa/Google Assistant, Apple’s aging AirPort and Mac Pro lineups, the future of desktop Macs, Apple Watch battery life, and rumors of upcoming new iPads. Sponsored by: Mailchimp: MailChimp: send better email, sell more stuff. Squarespace: Make your next move. Make your next website. Use code talkshow for 10% off your first order. Harry’s: An exceptional shave at a fraction of the price. Use code talkshow for $5 off your first purchase. Links: Chuq Von Rospach: “Apple’s 2016 Year in Review”. My follow-up, specifically on the AirPort and Mac Pro hardware. Matt Birchler: “Siri vs. Google Assistant”. Dave Mark, on the slew of Alexa-related products at CES this year: “Alexa Is Everywhere”. Chris Adamson, on why he just bought a “new” Mac Pro. Apple, The New York Times, and China. Photos from inside Harry’s razor blade factory in Germany. Rumors about upcoming new iPads, including a new bezel-less edge-to-edge design. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Rene Ritchie returns to the show. Topics include Siri vs. Alexa, and whether Wynn Las Vegas’s announcement that they’re putting Amazon Echos into their 4,700+ guest rooms is a sign that Amazon is building a meaningful long-term lead in the nascent voice assistant market; Mark Gurman’s week-ago piece for Bloomberg, “How Apple Alienated Mac Loyalists”; Consumer Reports’s bizarre but widely-publicized battery test results for the new MacBook Pros; and a brief year in review look at our favorite new Apple products from 2016. Sponsored by: Casper: An obsessively engineered mattress at a shockingly fair price. Use code thetalkshow for $50 toward your mattress. Audible: With Audible, you’ll find what you’re looking for. Get a free 30-day trial. Warby Parker: Boutique-quality, vintage-inspired glasses at a revolutionary price. Try up to five pairs at home for free. Links: Super Mario Run only needs to be purchased once per iTunes account for use on multiple devices, but can only be played on one device (per iTunes account) at a time. Wynn Las Vegas is going to put Amazon Echos in its 4,700+ hotel rooms. Wynn has not one but two resorts in Macau — Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace — neither of which can use Amazon Echo until Amazon adds support for Chinese. Digital Trends: “A Holographic Virtual Girl Lives Inside Japan’s Answer to the Amazon Echo. Tim Cook, in a company-wide Q&A: “Some folks in the media have raised the question about whether we’re committed to desktops. If there’s any doubt about that with our teams, let me be very clear: we have great desktops in our roadmap. Nobody should worry about that.” Bret Victor: Touch Bar development started at Apple eight years ago. Follow-up tweets here, here, and here. Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg: “How Apple Alienated Mac Loyalists”. Consumer Reports: “New MacBook Pros Fail to Earn Consumer Reports Recommendation” Me: “That’s absolutely bonkers.” Rene Ritchie: “Consumer Reports Fails to Earn MacBook Pro Credibility”. This episode of The Talk Show was edited by Caleb Sexton.

Craig Hockenberry returns to the show with his gigantic fleshy palms. Topics include Donald Trump's highly publicized meeting with a handful of U.S. tech company leaders (including Tim Cook), the release of Nintendo's Super Mario Run for iPhone, Uber's autonomous car that was caught cruising straight through a red light in San Francisco, and Craig's excellent new book, Making Sense of Color Management. Sponsored by: Squarespace: The best way to create your own website. Use code talkshow for 10 percent off your first order. Harry's: An exceptional shave at a fraction of the price. Use code talkshow for $5 off your first purchase. Backblaze: Unlimited, unthrottled online backup for your Mac, for just $5 per month. Links: Craig's excellent new book, with a foreword by yours truly, Making Sense of Color Management, from A Book Apart. More from Craig on the story behind the book. Uber's carefully-worded PR spin on their autonomous car that was captured on video running a red light. Trump's tech summit meeting, and the look on Tim Cook's face. Poll shows U.S. Republicans rate Vladimir Putin 67 percent more favorably than Hillary Clinton, and 54 percent more favorably than Barack Obama. (Source.)