AppleInsider podcast talks GymKit, iMac Pro, and Jony Ive's return to product design

AppleInsider

This week on the AppleInsider podcast, Neil and Victor talk about the powerful iMac Pro and its custom T2 chip, GymKit and the opening up of NFC connectivity, and Jony Ive's return to focusing on product design.

In our latest episode, AppleInsider editors Neil Hughes and Victor Marks discuss:

• GymKit debuts in North America, London, and Australia. Victor and Neil have some thoughts on how this rolls out, and Victor makes an embarrassing admission about his own personal fitness habits.
  
• Speaking of Apple Watch, (because GymKit works with the Watch) we've got a tip on how to calibrate the Watch for more accurate step and calorie count, check the link below.
  
• The iMac Pro debuts with a custom T2 chip, which surprisingly is said to be in charge of the things we were discussing a rumored A10 chip to handle. Credit here goes to Cabel Sasser for posting about what he's learned.
  
• Google's Home Max is coming at $399. On sale now. Neil and Victor talk about who this is for, what making hardware is like, and what Google hopes to accomplish here.
  
• Phil Schiller talks about going all in on FaceID and the HomePod delay. Neil isn't buying what Phil's pushing.
  
• Shazam! Victor and Neil look into why Apple bought Shazam, the music identifying service.
  
• Apple grants Finisar $390M to continue development into lasers for TrueDepth cameras.
  
• Jony Ive returns to product design full time.
  
• We give a small mention to weMessage, the application that allows Mac owners to use iMessage on Android.

The show is available on iTunes and your favorite podcast apps by searching for "AppleInsider." Click here to listen, subscribe, and don't forget to rate our show.

Listen to the embedded SoundCloud feed below:

Show note links:

• GymKit for Apple Watch makes North American premiere
  
  
• How to calibrate an Apple Watch for accurate pace & calorie measurements
  
  
• iMac Pro debuts custom Apple T2 chip to handle secure boot, password encryption, more
  
  
• After Apple's HomePod delay, Google's $399 Home Max speaker goes on sale
  
  
• Apple's Phil Schiller talks HomePod delay, AirPods engineering, Face ID in iPhone X, iMac Pro
  
  
• Not just music: Apple's purchase of Shazam will aid augmented reality pursuits
  
  
• Apple grants Finisar $390M for research & production on laser tech used in iPhone X
  
  
• Jony Ive returns to hands-on control of Apple design team
  
  
• weMessage promises to bring iMessage to Android, uses Mac as server

Follow our hosts on Twitter: @thisisneil and @vmarks.

Feedback and comments are always appreciated. Please contact the AppleInsider podcast at [email protected] and follow us on Twitter @appleinsider, plus Facebook and Instagram.

Those interested in sponsoring the show can reach out to us at [email protected].

k2kw

Total agree with Neil about the Touchbar.   A wired touchbar (hopefully with TouchId) should have been released by Apple last summer with the new iMac. - not just now with the Pro.   They could have kept the cost down with and LCD based screen. It should have been an option when ordering.

The touchbar was supposed to be Apple’s macOS answer to Microsoft’s full touch screen PCs.   so the lack of a desktop version (where it’s usefullness should be even greater because otherwise you have to reach farther to touch the display) is either a serious production fail or a massive software design fail since Apple said they worked on the Touchbar for years.

Maybe this is why Ive is returning.   This would be the 2nd major design dead end along with the Mac Pro.   Hopefully they will have some of their internal employee programmers who were building their own hackintoshes pulled into the designing and reviews of the new machines.

vince_jt

Wait, did I miss something? Ive's back on product design? Wasn't that his thing? Where has he been? Is that why we got the iPhone X?

nhughes

vince_jt said:

Wait, did I miss something? Ive's back on product design? Wasn't that his thing? Where has he been? Is that why we got the iPhone X?

Ive wasn't involved in day to day design decisions on products. He was supposedly handling the finishing touches on Apple Park, and some of the innovations they made also trickled down to retail. Now he's done with that and is back on product design full time.

SpamSandwich

Just keep Jony far, far away from UI design and bring in someone with at least 20 years experience in that area.

mrgyps

Hey guys, I listen to your podcast every week and enjoy a lot your discussions, opinions and views not only on macs but market and technology in general. In the past few months you have been talking a lot about speakers (rightfully) with the homepod and competitors. However I have never heard (sorry if I missed it) about the Microsoft offering. Microsoft and Harman-Kardon created a speaker (the invoke) with cortana embedded. I have been quite amazed by the sound quality of it, even if it doesn't offer all the bells advertised by the homepod (that may or may not be realistic it seems) and the integration with Cortana is interesting especially for access to professional (outlook calendar...) data. It also offers some growing home automation capabilities. I realize that Microsoft is not a main player here but I think their speaker and development effort around it deserves to be mentioned as much as Google's for example. Thanks!

nhughes

mrgyps said:

Hey guys, I listen to your podcast every week and enjoy a lot your discussions, opinions and views not only on macs but market and technology in general. In the past few months you have been talking a lot about speakers (rightfully) with the homepod and competitors. However I have never heard (sorry if I missed it) about the Microsoft offering. Microsoft and Harman-Kardon created a speaker (the invoke) with cortana embedded. I have been quite amazed by the sound quality of it, even if it doesn't offer all the bells advertised by the homepod (that may or may not be realistic it seems) and the integration with Cortana is interesting especially for access to professional (outlook calendar...) data. It also offers some growing home automation capabilities. I realize that Microsoft is not a main player here but I think their speaker and development effort around it deserves to be mentioned as much as Google's for example. Thanks!

I've heard of this product, but have not actually heard it. Sounds interesting, though. My own experiences with Cortana are limited to the Xbox One and Kinect, and frankly they are terrible (it cannot distinguish between the channels CNBC and CMT). You'd think a $500 box could do better, but perhaps the Harman-Kardon one does.