GSE379 Dear Tim

On episode 379 of Geekiest Show Ever, Elisa and Melissa discuss what they would request if they wrote a letter to Tim Cook regarding features announced at WWDC22. Check out our full show notes here https://www.geekiestshowever.com/gse379-dear-tim/ 

Lack of Sharing and Group Management in Contacts

We still can not edit or manage groups in Contacts using iOS or iPadOS. Groups can only be hidden or shown. A new contact can not be assigned to an existing group. These tasks must be performed on a Mac. Even more perplexing is the lack of ability to edit groups using Safari with iCloud.com on an iPhone. Apple’s support articles instruct how to log into iCloud.com using a web browser to access the Contacts web app. Currently, the Contacts web app is absent from view when using an iPhone. If using an iPad, it must be rotated sideways in order to see the groups in the sidebar on the left. Below are some support articles from Apple regarding Contacts.

Learn how to use Contacts on iCloud.com on a tablet: https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/aside/mm2785e13e7e/1.0/icloud/1.0 “If you want to access your contacts on iCloud.com, use a tablet or computer. You can’t use Contacts on iCloud.com on a phone.”

Create and manage groups of contacts on iCloud.com: https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud/create-and-manage-groups-mmfba73c71/1.0/icloud/1.0

View contacts on iCloud.com: https://support.apple.com/guide/icloud-ipad/view-contacts-mmfba73ffb/1.0/icloud/1.0 “Note: If you don’t see the groups list in the sidebar, try viewing your iPad in landscape orientation.”

Messages Housekeeping

Have you ever wanted to delete files and animated GIFs taking up space in your iCloud? Elisa tells us how to clear those out. Here is Apple’s support article with instructions: Free up storage space on your Mac: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206996

Do you have questions about what you heard in this episode? Please send us your feedback. You can email us: podcast at geekiestshowever dot com. Follow us on Twitter for additional tips and conversation: https://twitter.com/GeekiestShow. We’d like to hear from you, so let us know which tech topics interest you most. Elisa can be found at https://twitter.com/elisapacelli1 and Melissa can be found at https://TheMacMommy.com/

Episode Artwork Credit: Dorothe Wouters of Darkmoon_Art from Pixabay

Check the Apple Security Updates page to see if your Apple gear is up to date.

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GSE375 Kevin’s Back

Melissa is a bit under the weather for episode 375 of Geekiest Show Ever, so former host Kevin Allder joins Elisa and talks about all his Apple acquisitions since last we spoke. And there were more than a few references to MyMac.com podcast co-host Guy Serle. Why? You’ll have to listen to find out! Check out our full show notes here: https://www.geekiestshowever.com/gse375-kevins-back/

Do you have questions about what you heard in this episode? Please send us your feedback. You can email us: podcast at geekiestshowever dot com. Follow us on Twitter for additional tips and conversation: https://twitter.com/GeekiestShow. We’d like to hear from you, so let us know which tech topics interest you most. Elisa can be found at https://twitter.com/elisapacelli1 and Melissa can be found at https://TheMacMommy.com/

Check the Apple Security Updates page to see if your Apple gear is up to date.

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GSE340 Apple Announcements – Time For a Recap

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Hear our reactions to the latest announcements from the Apple Event on September 15, 2020 and find out what interested these geeks the most.

Welcoming Apple One to the Family
We finally got our wish for a bundled plan, yay! Our new wish is that someday we can pick and choose the services we want to have in our bundle of joy. Apple’s Family Sharing features already let you manage parental controls and Screen Time, send money securely with Apple Cash Family, share purchases*, subscriptions, and iCloud storage with up to six family members — the more the merrier!

Apple One will truly broaden this value when they offer the right amount of storage and combination of services. Based on her experiences with setting up Family Sharing for her own family and others, Melissa believes the Apple One Family plan should increase the storage offering from 200GB to 1TB or allow some form of incremental pricing to upgrade the storage. In her professional opinion, 200GB is better suited for a couple. For her family of five, even 500GB is tight. She’s been subscribing to the 2TB plan so her family has room to grow, digitally-speaking, but 1TB would be more suitable.

As subscription services and in-app purchases overwhelm budgets, something has to give. Kids these days are creating and consuming an ever increasing amount of digital content for school at home and for hobbies they hope to someday convert into careers. A storage and services plan built for a family should support that in an economically responsible way.

The Family Grows Again with Family Setup for Apple Watch
Smartphones and kids are a tricky and expensive combination full of additional responsibilities and hazards that a young family may not want to take on. The same is true for family members caring for an elderly loved one. Apple Watch could be a good alternative for a young child or older adult who doesn’t need a fully-featured smartphone to manage health and wellness. Though it will require an additional fee through a cellular carrier, it might be worth taking a look at what’s involved in setting up and Apple Watch for a family member, then decide if the cost is a good fit for your situation.

Compare Apple Watch Models

Compare iPad Models

Apple One Bundle Breakdowns (all pricing in US dollars)
Individual: $14.95/mo.
50GB of iCloud storage, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade
Family: $19.95/mo.
200GB of iCloud storage/month for up to six family members, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade
Premier: $29.95/mo.
2TB of iCloud storage/month for up to six family members, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple Fitness+

Apple One plans and pricing screenshot

Subscription Services

iCloud Storage Plans:
50GB: $0.99/mo.
200GB: $2.99/mo.
2TB: $9.99/mo.
Apple Arcade: $4.99/mo.
Apple TV+: $4.99/mo.
Apple Music:
Student: $4.99/mo. including Apple TV+ at no additional charge*
Individual: $9.99/mo.
Family: $14.99/mo.
Apple News+ $9.99/mo.
Apple Fitness: $9.99/mo. or $79.99/yr.

*Excluded from sharing are: in-app purchases, hidden purchases, specific apps from the App Store, third-party subscriptions, and individual or student Apple Music subscriptions. Shared music can not be accessed on an Apple TV.

Elisa can be found at http://twitter.com/senseidai or www.threegeekyladies.com
Melissa can be found at http://twitter.com/themacmommy or www.themacmommy.com
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from links on this site.

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GSE335 WWDC20 Reactions

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Apple Special Event June 2020
After watching and listening to WWDC20 demonstrations and announcements, Elisa thinks the new App Clip will be really useful. Melissa is excited for macOS and iOS to finally have some UI consistency. Mike is looking forward to kicking the tires on the new Apple CarPlay.

Here are the links we followed for our discussion:
iOS 14 Preview
iPadOS 14 Preview
watchOS 7 Preview
macOS 11 Big Sur Preview


Melissa is happy to eat her rant about the lack of adding metadata using the native Photos app in iOS 14. Though there wasn’t time to demonstrate everything in the Keynote, this would have been an amazing thing to see!! From Apple’s iOS 14 All New Features, scroll to the Photos section and you will see:

“Add context to photos and videos with captions”
View and edit captions to add context to your photos and videos, and easily find captions you’ve added in the Search tab. With iCloud Photos enabled, captions sync seamlessly across all your devices.”

Mike can be found at http://twitter.com/dscchipman or mike-mcpeek.com
Elisa can be found at http://twitter.com/senseidai or www.threegeekyladies.com
Melissa can be found at http://twitter.com/themacmommy or www.themacmommy.com
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from links on this site.)

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GSE334 Simply the Worst

Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash

Last episode we discussed what makes a great design and what we liked most or felt was life-changing. This time, we’re flipping it to talk about the Terrible Product Designs We Love to Hate. How could these product designs be improved to make the world a happier place? Dealing with waste and bad design takes some thinking outside the box.

13 horribly designed everyday products that need to be reinvented” — Business Insider, May 1, 2017
10 exasperating design flaws in everyday objects” — Creative Bloq, July 06, 2018
7 Bad Designs Of Everyday Objects You’ve Become Used To” — Ed Times, June 2, 2018
Examples of Bad Design in the Real World” — Site Builder Report, July 8 2015
The guy who invented USB finally admits it’s annoying to plug in” — Digital Trends, June 24, 2019
The Pros and Cons of Switching to a Shampoo Bar” — Mind Body Mastered, February 11, 2020

Our Picks
Elisa:

Melissa:

Mike:

Mike can be found at http://twitter.com/dscchipman or mike-mcpeek.com
Elisa can be found at http://twitter.com/senseidai or www.threegeekyladies.com
Melissa can be found at http://twitter.com/themacmommy or www.themacmommy.com
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases with links on this site.)

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Geekiest Show Ever 157 – Geeks Talking About Apples

GSE157 Graphic

  • Apologies for late delivery of show
  • Apple announcements
  • Silently killed the iPod Classic
  • Increased storage decreased price
  • New editing software

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Mike can be found at twitter.com/dscchipman or about.me/MikeMcPeek
Mark can be found at twitter.com/mark_greentree or markgreentree.com
Kevin
can be found at twitter.com/Big_in_va or about.me/KevinAllder

Episode #79 Geekiest Show Ever


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– Hershey Squirts
People Of Walmart

Movies & TV:
The Philadelphia Experiment
In Harm’s Way
Toy Hunter (Travel Channel)
– Birthday Wishes To The Mac Community
– All You Can Eat Pizza
– Food Comparison USA vs. Australia/UK
– Mark Shows Off Gifts
Mission Log Podcast
– Mark Complains About Apple
– Noise Gate

Kevin can be found at http://about.me/ or on Twitter with username: http://twitter.com/Big_in_VA.

Mark can be found at www.markgreentree.com and can also be found on Twitter with username: https://twitter.com/mark_greentree