The Context Machine Podcast

Queen Oprah and the UK’s Prince Harry are doing a docu-series on mental health for Apple TV+, and Bryan Chaffin is joined by Charlotte Henry to talk about what that says about Apple’s video efforts. Charlotte also brings some across-the-pond context about Prince Harry and the royal family and how this news was greeted in England. They also talk about JJ Abrams saying that working on Apple TV+ was like the Wild West. They cap the show by discussing Ming-Chi Kuo’s most recent Mac predictions.

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Sources referenced in this episode:

• Ming-Chi Kuo: New MacBook Pros Coming in 2021
• J. J. Abrams: Working With Apple is ‘The Wild West’
• Prince Harry, Oprah to Make Mental Health Docu-Series for Apple TV+
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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Some Mac Pro fan mockups have been circulating, and Bryan Chaffin is joined by John Kheit to discuss their pros and cons. And surprise, John Kheit is full of mostly cons, so they also discuss what they think the Mac Pro needs to be awesome. They also discuss the state of the chip industry, Intel’s 56-core Cascade Lake, and Apple’s ARM ambitions for the Mac. They wrap up the show with a look at John’s obsessive research to find the best USB-C cable.

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Sources referenced in this episode:

• A Cool Concept Video: Modular Mac Pro
• Intel Announces Cascade Lake: Up to 56 Cores and Optane Persistent Memory DIMMs – Tom’s Hardware
• John’s Jesus Cable (USB-C Cable from Apple): $39 – Apple Store
• John’s Jesus Cable (USB-C Cable from Apple): $39 – Amazon
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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Apple says that it wants a tiny sliver of the ginormous medical industry, and Bryan Chaffin is joined by guest-cohost John Martellaro to discuss what that might look like. They also discuss Apple TV hardware, what Apple’s new TV+ announcement might mean for its hardware business, and the state of Apple TV’s competition.

Sources referenced in this episode:

• Apple TV+ Guide: All of the Original Video Content [Update]
• Apple TV+ Announced in Star-Studded, Lengthy Media Event
• Space Jump-Col. (Ret.) Joe Kittinger – YouTube
• It’s Time for Rich Flat Earthers Like Shaq to Prove the Earth Isn’t a Globe – GeekTells
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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Google Stadia looks likely to shake up the gaming world, but there’s more than one way to skin a gaming cat, and Apple is focused on AR. Bryan Chaffin is joined by guest cohost Andrew Orr to discuss how those different tracts might fare. They also talk about the good sides of corporate data surveillance, and yes, they will both forgive you if you are surprised either would entertain such a notion.

Sources referenced in this episode:

• Everything You Need to Know About Google Stadia
• Would You Give Apple More of Your Data?
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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Bryan Chaffin and John Kheit don their futurist caps and look for the killer app in Augmented Reality. Spoiler: they have different ideas on what form it might take. They also explore the near-term future of practical robots, starting with today’s vacuumbots. They cap the show looking at the slow pace of progress when it comes to modern cabling. Let’s get that Cat 8 and 40 GB/s throughput!

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Sources referenced in this episode:

• N8500-32C (32*100Gb) 100Gb Spine/Core Layer Trident 3 Switch, Bare-Metal Hardware – FS.com
• 10G SFP+ DAC Cable – for Netgear AXC761 10GBASE-CU Passive Direct Attach Copper (DAC) SFP Twinax Cable, 1m – Amazon
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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In this episode, Bryan Chaffin is joined by guest-cohost Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus to examine the ins and outs of Apple’s Mac pricing. It’s no simple issue, and they dig deep into what appears to be Apple’s strategy. They also talk about the realities of cord cutting today, with Bob’s own situation serving as the example scenario.

Sources referenced in this episode:

• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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This episode is all about robots! Apple robots, military robots, delivery repots, preacher robots, manufacturing robots, and self driving car robots! Bryan Chaffin is joined by guest host John Martellaro to deep into what’s happening with robots today and what they expect for robots in the future. Put your SciFi futurist cap on for this one. They also talk about foldable phones, or as they like to think of it, the netbook of 2019.

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Sources referenced in this episode:

• Genuine Courage: Apple Shouldn’t Build a Foldable iPhone
• The One Job Exempt From Robots? Not Really
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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Where is Apple going with its content drive? Bryan Chaffin is joined by guest-host Charlotte Henry to dive deep into original shows, services, publishing, news, and Apple’s other content ambitions. They also talk about the promise (and potential drawbacks) of Marzipan, and what Apple’s recent executive shuffling might portend.

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Sources referenced in this episode:

• Marzipan is going to be a big deal for the Mac
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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Does Apple have the infrastructure it needs for a cohesive future? Once that seemed clear, but Bryan Chaffin and guest-host John Martellaro say it’s become harder to see, if so. They then pivot to how augmented reality will figure into Apple’s future plans and products. They cap the show by weighing Apple’s ability to pay attention to details as the company grows.

Sources referenced in this episode:

• Apple’s Previously Public Roadmap Has Become Opaque
• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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Bryan Chaffin is joined by Dave Hamilton to take a very high-level look at Apple, comparing the company from its early days to the company of today, and looking ahead to what kind of company Apple might be tomorrow.

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Sources referenced in this episode:

• Apple Context Machine Facebook Group – Facebook
• Bryan’s Twitter
• Bryan’s blog: GeekTells

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