Apple released iOS 10.2 on Monday, and the company was much quicker than normal in releasing the security patch notes for the release. According to those notes, there are 11 security holes fixed in the release. Most of those holes are serious, and some allowed access to various aspects of a device when it should be locked.
Apple Ships iOS 10.2 with TV App, New Emojis, and Music Star Ratings
Apple shipped iOS 10.2 on Monday. The update includes a long list of improvements and changes, including the new TV app. That app gives iPhone and iPad users unified access to their movies and TV shows in line with the app of the same name on tvOS for Apple TV. Apple also emphasized redesigned emoji and the addition of 100 new one. Bryan Chaffin’s favorite feature, though, is the return of Star Ratings to Music.
Apple Brings Calendar Spam Invitation Filtering to iCloud
The ongoing problem of spam invitations in Apple’s Calendar app finally has a fix, at least on iCloud. Users can now report invitations as junk with the click of a button, but they need to log into Apple’s iCloud web interface, which limits the fix to desktop and laptop users for now.
Photo Tour of Apple Brisbane in MacArthur Chambers
Check out Apple’s MacArthur Chambers store in downtown Brisbane, Australia. We have several photos submitted by an Aussie reader, and they really show off this gorgeous building, which was named for General Douglas MacArthur.
Super Mario Run Requires an Internet Connection to Because Nintendo is Afraid of Piracy
If you’re planning on playing Super Mario Run on your next flight the plane better have WiFi because it requires an always-on internet connection. Nintendo says that’s by design because they want to prevent game piracy.
2017 iPhone Rumor Roundup
iPhone 7 is still wet behind the ears, but Rumors are already flying over 2017 iPhone. It will be the iPhone’s tenth anniversary, and expectations are high for Apple’s next model. It’s still early in the rumor cycle, but here are some of the highest-profile rumors and supposed leaks so far, as well as what they might really mean.
Apple May Expand iTunes Movie Footprint with Theater-Run Movies
Apple is rumored to be in talks with three movie studios to offer movie rentals in iTunes: 21st Century Fox Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures. But these aren’t just any rentals. If the deals go through, iTunes customers will be able to rent movies two weeks after they debut in theaters, a move that could significantly expand Apple’s footprint in the streaming movie market.
Bluetooth 5: It's All About the Internet of Things
Get ready for Bluetooth 5 because the Bluetooth Special Interest Group officially ratified the specification for the wireless protocol this week. Bluetooth 5 promises twice the speed and four times the range compared to the current Bluetooth standard, and will start showing up in devices soon.
Apple Watch: Editing Your Workout Screen
Today’s Quick Tip is about working out with your Apple Watch. You can make your workout view look any way you’d like, so whether you’re a statistics person or a “one thing at a time” type, you’ll get what you want. We’ll also show you how to customize each kind of workout!
Apple's Single Sign-on Adds ABC, Disney Support
Apple TV’s single sign-on feature went public yesterday with several channels on board, and today Watch Disney and Watch ABC are joining the list. Single sign-on lets users enter their cable and satellite credentials once instead of individually for each channel.
Oral History of 'Get a Mac' with Justin Long, John Hodgman, and Creative Team
Campaign US has put together a wonderful oral history of Apple’s “Get a Mac” ad campaign. Listen, it’s delightful. It’s wonderful. Justin Long (Mac) and John Hodgman (PC) talk about their roles, and the creative team from TBWA\Chiat\Day talk about putting it together. Bryan Chaffin explains.
Setapp Brings Netflix-style Downloads to Mac Apps
Paying a monthly subscription to watch as many TV shows and movies as you want is a pretty good business model for Netflix, and MacPaw thinks it’ll work for software, too. The company’s trying that out with its new Setapp service where subscribers pay a monthly fee to get access to a growing list of apps from several developers.
Apple Music tops 20 Million Users
Apple Music just topped 20 million subscribers, only three months after hitting the 17 million mark. That’s a 15% increase, but Apple wants to see even more growth.
For Geeks Only: Hey Alexa, Tell Sonos to Play Stevie Wonder in the Kitchen
Sonos and Amazon jointly announced their Alexa integration earlier this year and the world rejoiced. Voice control of your Sonos system is one of those holy grails. The integration is expected to be available at some point in 2017. But I’m an impatient geek so, while I’m waiting for official support to be available, I spent an hour yesterday getting this working using freely-available open-source tools. You can do this, too, and I’ll walk you through what you’re doing and how to get started.
macOS: Archiving a Time Capsule
This Quick Tip is about making a backup…of your backup. So if you’re super-paranoid about your file archives, you can make sure that your Time Capsule’s historical data is saved in multiple locations. Hey, where backups are concerned, we think paranoia is good, so come read all about it!
Apple Rolls Out Single Sign-on for Apple TV
Fourth generation Apple TV owners can finally use the single sign-on feature Apple showed off months ago. The feature went live on Tuesday, although some content providers are still missing, and it’s available only in the United States.
An Update on TMO's Background Mode Podcast
Over the last three years, The Mac Observer’s John Martellaro has aired over 150 episodes of his Background Mode podcast. This show has allowed listeners to hear the inspiring success story of many notable people in the tech industry. Here’s an update on the status of the show and a recap of some notable guests who have joined him so far.
Supreme Court Throws Out Apple's $400M Win in Samsung Patent Fight
Samsung’s legal persistence is paying off because the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Tuesday the electronics maker doesn’t have to pay Apple US$400 million for infringing on iPhone-related patents. More specifically, the court ruled Samsung owes Apple damages based on infringing components instead of the entire device.
Tim Cook Says IDC got it Wrong, Apple Watch Sales are Strong
IDC says Apple Watch sales are tanking, but Apple CEO Tim Cook says that’s not so. In fact, he says Apple Watch sales are going strong and the company is on track for a record quarter.
Apple's Computing Future Could Be the Reverse ToasterFridge
Jean-Louis Gassée has an excellent piece on the future of desktop and mobile operating systems. It includes some lore—including that time Apple tried to buy a a code dump of BeOS from Palm—and some interesting speculation on the future. Both are well worth your time, and it got me thinking about an old interview of Steve Jobs from the mid-1990s. Think: the Reverse ToasterFridge.
Apple Watch Sales Decline 71% in Third Quarter Thanks to Late Series 2 Intro
The mid-September launch of Apple Watch Series 2 wasn’t in time to help the company’s third quarter sales figures. A new report from IDC claims that Apple Watch sales fell sharply year-over-year, while cheaper wearables from companies like Fitbit surged.
Apple Beta Testing Improved iCloud Photos Interface
Apple is now beta testing a number of improvements to iCloud.com Photos, including a new sidebar, easier navigation between photos, and initial support for the Touch Bar on the 2016 MacBook Pro.
UK Police Circumvent iOS Encryption By Snatching iPhone Out of Suspect's Hands
Forget backdoors and lawsuits. Police in the UK have come up with an interesting solution to Apple’s strong iOS encryption: they simply waited for the suspect to unlock his device and then snatched it right out of his hands.