Apple Context Machine

Apple may be the most valuable company in the world, but it isn't spending like it is. Jeff and Bryan take a look at Apple's fiscal restraint, plus they have some thoughts on a report that Apple's stock will tank because it can't sustain iPhone sales, and they also dive into Google's plans to start its own cell service as an MVNO.

Does Samsung want to make an electric car? Jeff Gamet and Bryan Chaffin think so. They also look at the Pebble Time, which has raised tons of money on Kickstarter, even as Apple prepares to release the Apple Watch. With Apple getting ever-larger., they also want to know what it means to be an Apple fan today, and what it might mean tomorrow.

Bryan and Jeff dig deep into the Apple Car story, discussing all of the developments in the last few days. They also discuss Apple CEO Tim Cook's views on privacy and ask whether he and his company are going to start pushing privacy as a competitive advantage.

The belief that Apple is doomed has practically become a religion, and Jeff and Bryan have plenty to say about that. They also jump in the middle of reports that Apple is working on designing its own car. Bonus: Bryan explores a career in the railroad industry.

HTC is giving Apple the smackdown in a manner of speaking-or rapping. Jeff and Bryan have some thoughts on HTC's painful video about how its smartphones are better than the iPhone, plus they take a look at the current state of the FCC's plans to regulate net neutrality, and they dive into Apple's retail push into China.

Apple turned in some big numbers on Tuesday-really big. Jeff and Bryan talk about the Macs and the iPhones and the fact that we won't hear about iPods any more.They also delve into the billion iOS devices Apple has sold and speculate on whether Tim Cook gave himself a prize for getting that billionth unit. One of the most interesting things from Apple's conference call, however, had to be when Mr. Cook revealed the Rosetta Stone for understanding Apple's timing.

Politics are playing a bigger part in Apple's world, and that means more money spent on lobbying. Jeff and Bryan talk about Apple's growing involvement in the political game and why it had to happen, plus they look at Swiss watch makers and their plans to look outside of Switzerland to make their Apple Watch competitors.

Jeff and Bryan are on a roll, and Bryan might be a little manic. Whatever the case, they go on a tear about the growing complexity of managing our iOS devices, and they speculate on what it will take to manage the Apple Watch. Speaking of the Apple Watch, the boys chew over some ideas on Apple Watch longevity, or the lack thereof. And to cap off this tempestuous tantrum, they dive into Apple's Mac market share. Fun, right?

The Mac Observer was on location this week at CES 2015, and along with all the cool products that are coming soon, the crew picked up on some trends for the coming year. Jeff and Bryan talk about the interest-or lack of-device makers were showing in HealthKit and HomeKit, what's happening with home automation products, who wants to support Apple Watch, and more.

GT Advanced Technologies wants to pay out US$6 million in bonuses to company executives in the midst of its bankruptcy proceedings, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Jeff and Bryan look at the pros and cons of GTAT's bonus plan, plus they rant on Twitter's sponsored links in our Following lists, and they share their favorite Apple-related stories for 2014.

Jeff and Bryan want to know why Apple didn't jump on the opportunity to run The Interview, the Sony comedy about two Hollywood celebrities tapped by the CIA to assassinate the dictator of North Korea. They also explore the implications of the Apple and Microsoft-owned Rockstar Consortium, Inc. selling off all or most of its vast patent holdings. Is this the end of the mobile patent wars? It's a holiday episode that counts as short in their world.

The jury in the class action lawsuit claiming Apple violated antitrust rules to unfairly keep competitors out of the mobile device music market shot down the plaintiff's claims, and Jeff and Bryan are pretty pleased with the ruling. They also have plenty to say about Apple's ebook antitrust appeal and Tag Heuer's planned move into the smartwatch market.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg thinks Apple CEO Tim Cook is off base with his philosophy on relationships with customers, so Jeff and Bryan call him to task for missing the point Mr. Cook was really making. They also look at Apple's growing R&D efforts outside of the United States and what that means for the company's future and us.

Apple is headed back to court to appeal Judge Denise Cote's ruling that it orchestrated a conspiracy to artificially raise the price of books, and Jeff and Bryan have some thoughts on what Apple did, Judge Cote's ruling, and the book industry. They also have something to say about music file formats and the lack of Apple Lossless as an iTunes Store option.

Bryan and Jeff get their steampunk nerdery on this week after finding some amazingly cool USB drive designs. They also have something to say about the growing momentum behind the not-yet-shipping Apple Watch, and reports that Apple has teamed up with Foxconn for iPhone sapphire glass production.