We have a deal for you today on one of our favorite utilities at TMO, TextExpander. TextExpander allows you to create snippets of text you can then expand with a simple keyboard shortcut. It’s a huge time saver. The Lifehacker subscription covers Mac, iOS, and Windows devices for one user on unlimited devices. You can share your snippets to those other devices, too. Our price is $19.98 for a year, less than half the retail price if you’re paying month-to-month.
Backdoor.MAC.Elanor Malware Access Mac Webcams, Steals Data, More
There’s a new Mac malware threat in the wild dubbed Backdoor.MAC.Elanor that’s particularly nasty because it lets attackers take control of your Mac’s camera, download data from your computer, and remotely run code. Mac users can fall victim to the threat by downloading what otherwise appears to be a legit app and has even shown up on some mainstream Mac software repositories.
How Not to Lose Your Apple Pencil
Dr. Mac loves using his Apple Pencil, but hates misplacing it. He shares three inexpensive solutions in this week’s Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves…
OS X: Create a One-Click Dock Folder Alias
Today’s Quick Tip is about folder shortcuts you can put in the Dock; there’s actually a really easy way to use them to open folders in Finder. Since Melissa Holt’s not the biggest fan of navigating through files from the Dock, she’s going to walk us through this productivity trick!
3 Great iPhone Apps for Learning about Juno and Jupiter
NASA’s Juno probe spent five years traveling to Jupiter, and on July 4th it safely arrived and slid into orbit. That means we’ll have loads of new information about the gas giant soon, and thanks to our iPhones and iPads, we can stay on top of the latest discoveries. The Mac Observer put together a few apps for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch so you can find out more about the mission, get the latest Juno news, and learn about Jupiter and the Juno probe, too.
Apple Continues to Leverage Its Supply Chain to Maximize Margins (Like Always)
Apple is putting pressure on its suppliers to cut prices to maintain its profit margins, according to a report from DigiTimes that’s been picked up by other publications. What’s missing from the piece, however, is that Apple is always pressuring its suppliers to cut costs for the sake of its own margins.
Complete iBlazr Smartphone LED Flash and Accessory Bundle: $64.99
We have a deal for you today on the iBlazr LED flash for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device that includes an accessory pack. iBlazr is designed to sync with your mobile device’s camera for lighting up a scene. This deal includes iBlazr 2 (black), USB charger, Mount clip, Key clasp, Silicon diffuser, Flexible USB Charger Mount, Cold Shoe Mount, Pack of Colored Diffusers, all for $64.99. Check out the deal listing for details.
A Big Risk for AI Agents is the Creepy Factor
How much assistance do customers really need and want from AI agents? Will the very design of AI agents lend themselves to proving their worth? Or will companies who provide them see AI agents as powerful, undisciplined tools for their own advantage and profit. It’s not clear yet where the market is going, but if any company can do it right, it’s Apple.
Apple Adds Organ Donor Registry to iOS 10 Health App
Apple is making it easier to be an organ doner by adding the ability to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor in iOS 10’s Health app, due to ship this fall. Apple teamed up with Donate Life America, which manages the National Donate Life Registry, to add the feature to iOS 10.
Happy July 4th!
In honor of Independence Day—a U.S. holiday—The Mac Observer is taking off Monday, July 4th. We will return on Tuesday, July 5th, with our usual Apple, Mac, iPad iPhone, and Apple Watch news. Enjoy the holiday!
Spotify Says Apple Unfair, Apple Says Spotify Doesn't Want to Play by the Rules
Spotify and Apple are having a public spat, and it’s not exactly going well for Spotify. Spotify has publicly accused Apple of rigging the game for streaming music, and it even rigged a situation it could hang a whinge on. The problem is that it was transparent ploy and Apple called the company on it. In Public.
Armour Loop Charging iOS Cable: $19.95
Check out the Armour Loop Charging iOS Cable, a stainless-steel-wrapped Lightning cable. Its design features a holder that always keeps the cable in a loop, a loop you can adjust as needed. That makes it tough, compact, and tangle-free. You can get this device through our deal for $19.95, more than a third off retail.
Save $600 on MacTech Conference, Includes Home Automation Showcase
This fall will mark the 7th annual MacTech Conference, happening in Los Angeles November 15-18. For the first time, MacTech Conference 2016 includes a Home Automation Showcase featuring demonstrations of products and services that work with Apple’s HomeKit and other platforms. That’s not all, of course, as MacTech Conference continues its stellar conference track with sessions built especially for IT Pros, enterprise administrators and consultants of all levels. Super early-bird pricing ended back in May, but as a TMO reader you can take advantage of that pricing until Tuesday, July 5th by using our special link. That means you can register for MacTech Conference 2016 for just $999. Don’t let the weekend get in your way, register now and I’ll see you at MacTech in November!
Senator Warren: Apple, Amazon, Google Killing Competition
Apple, Amazon, and Google are abusing their market strength to block competition from smaller companies, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). In a speech at the America’s Monopoly Problem on Wednesday, she said the three companies are using their size to “snuff out competition,” and she’s at least partly right.
Last Chance for the World Class Mac Bundle: $24.99
It’s the last chance to grab 8 Mac apps in the World Class Mac Bundle. It includes iStat Menu 5—a utility I can’t imagine not having—Freeway Pro 7, uBar 6, Painter Essentials 5, DropZone 3, Xee 3, Data Rescue 4, and Hype 3.5. Those are solid apps, and you can get them all in this bundle for $24.99. There are detailed descriptions on each app in the deal listing, so check it out.
Why I'll be Buying a New iPhone 7
Some say, the iPhone 7 will be a yawner. What’s forgotten is that our appetite for new (useful) toys and being state-of-the art always outweighs the cynicism of skeptics and critics. John’s going to have a new iPhone 7, and states why you should think seriously about one too. Ignore the voices that seek control.
TaskPaper Text Editor for Mac: $12.95
We have a deal for you today on TaskPaper, a text editor for the Mac designed to help you keep track of what you’ve done. It will also auto-format projects, tasks, notes, and tags. While a Mac app, it uses a file format that is supported by some third party editors on iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and three other Mac editors, too.
Apple Patent Blocks Smartphone Recording, and it's Creepy
Musicians and other live performers could have a new way to stop attendees from using their smartphones to record video, photos, and audio at events thanks to a new patent from Apple. The iPhone and iPad maker was awarded a patent this week for a system that remotely disables recording with infrared signals. The system could be used in other ways, too, like blocking recording in secure facilities, or by governments to prevent free speech.
OS X: Safari's "Close Other Tabs" Option
Today’s Quick Tip is about a nifty little Safari feature that’ll let you close all of the tabs you’re not using, in a flash! We’ve got the details on the different ways you can do this, so come read all about it.
Apple Hit with $13B Lawsuit for Stealing the iPhone Concept
Thomas Ross says he invented and patented the idea of the iPhone in the early 1990s, so he’s suing to the tune of US$13 billion Apple for stealing his intellectual property. Never mind the fact that his patent was declared abandoned in 1995, he didn’t go after Apple when the MessagePad was a thing, and he isn’t suing other smartphone makers.
A Primer: LCDs, OLEDs, Quantum Dots and MicroLEDs
Flat panel display technology continues to evolve. A decade ago, we had Plasma and LCD TV sets. LCDs were adopted for use in iPhones and iPads, but they require backlighting. Then we had OLEDs (used in the Apple Watch). Now there’s Quantum Dots and microLEDs. John provides a primer.
Virtual Reality Box Headset: $18.99
We have a deal for you today on VR Box, a virtual reality viewer compatible with iOS and Android devices with 4.7-inch to 6-inch displays. It has an optical axis slider for controlling distance and a T-shaped strap designed to fit a wide variety of head shapes and sizes. This device is $18.99 through our deal.
AAPL Third Quarter Earnings Report set for July 26
Apple’s third fiscal quarter earnings report is scheduled for Tuesday, July 26th. Investors will be watching the iPhone and iPad maker’s numbers closely after last quarter’s disappointing results, and the lack of new product announcements during Q3.
Google Brings Higher Resolution Satellite Imagery to Google Earth and Maps
Google announced Monday the rollout of new imagery for Google Earth, and by extension Google Maps. The company said it was incorporating a new cloud-free mosaic of Earth in Google Earth utilizing higher-resolution images from Landsat 8, a satellite deployed by the USGS and NASA in 2013.