Apple has acquired the rights to Swan Song, starring Mahershala Ali and written and directed by Benjamin Cleary.
Andrew Orr
Since 2015 Andrew has been writing about Apple, privacy, security, and at one point even Android. You can find him most places online under the username @andrewornot.
Articles by Andrew Orr
Native Union Releases Drop XL Watch Edition Charger
Native Union today announced the release of its newest product, the Drop XL Watch Edition. It’s a wireless charging pad for your Apple Watch, iPhone, and AirPods, and they can all be charged at the same time. The charging puck for the Apple Watch is detachable, so you can free up the device for an additional USB-A port if needed. The design looks a lot like Apple’s failed AirPower product, and it’s covered in a slate-colored fabric. It comes with AC Power Adapter and a 6.5ft / 2m USB-C to USB-A braided cable. You can order one today for US$149.99.
HDR Mode is a Quick Trick to Make Your Photos Look Better
The next time you take a picture, consider turning on HDR mode. It can help you deal with clipped highlights and shadows.
New Microsoft Office App Available to Download
Today Microsoft announced the public release of its new Microsoft Office app for iOS. It combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint into a single office suite. It integrates the company’s Lens technology so you can convert images you take with your smartphone into editable Word and Excel documents, scan PDFs, and capture whiteboards with automatic digital enhancements to make the content easier to read. But you can also make quick notes, sign PDFs, scan QR code’s, and transfer your files between devices. App Store: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
Adobe Celebrates Photoshop’s 30th Anniversary With Updates
Adobe launched Photoshop 30 years ago in 1990, and it’s celebrating with updates to Photoshop for iPad and Mac.
Onelink Safe & Sound Now Supports AirPlay 2
First Alert’s Onelink Safe & Sound now supports AirPlay 2. The device is a combination of smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, and speaker.
IRS Sues Facebook for $9 Billion Over Offshore Profits
The IRS is suing Facebook for US$9 billion, saying the company kept profits in subsidiaries based in Ireland.
The IRS argues that Facebook understated the value of the intellectual property it sold to an Irish subsidiary in 2010 while building out global operations, a move common among U.S. multinationals…Under the arrangement, Facebook’s subsidiaries pay royalties to the U.S.-based parent for access to its trademark, users and platform technologies. From 2010 to 2016, Facebook Ireland paid Facebook U.S. more than $14 billion in royalties and cost-sharing payments, according to the court filing.
If the IRS succeeds this would be one of Facebook’s biggest fines.
ISPs Sue Maine, Saying Privacy Law Violates Their Free Speech
ISPs are suing Maine over a privacy law that will go into effect this July, saying it violates their free speech rights. The law would force them to obtain user consent before collecting and selling their data.
Smartphones Could Help Death Photography Make a Comeback
The New York Times has a piece today about death photography, and how it’s returning with the help of our ubiquitous smartphone camera.
“But we are returning to the older ways,” she went on, “a movement backward that some say began in the ’70s, with the back-to-nature movement and midwifery and natural births. The natural death movement is part of that. And these photos are unsurprising, too, because we carry our smartphones all the time, and it’s almost like if there isn’t a photo it didn’t happen. Now everyone is a photographer.”
watchOS 6.1.3 Fixes a Bug for Watch Owners in Iceland
Apple has released watchOS 6.1.3 that fixes a bug for Apple Watch owners in Ireland. There’s also a watchOS 5.3.5 update for iOS 12 users.
Apple Maps Transit Directions Comes to Europe
Apple Maps transit directions are starting to appear in the app for European users, like in France, Ireland, and Norway.
Apple Leverages iOS for Advertising You Can’t Block
Tumblr software engineer Steve Streza makes the case that iOS is adware for all of Apple’s services.
iOS 13 has an abundance of ads from Apple marketing Apple services, from the moment you set it up and all throughout the experience. These ads cannot be hidden through the iOS content blocker extension system. Some can be dismissed or hidden, but most cannot, and are purposefully designed into core apps like Music and the App Store. There’s a term to describe software that has lots of unremovable ads: adware, which what iOS has sadly become.
This particularly annoys me with Apple News, where roughly half the space is dedicated to showing me News+ content, even though I don’t subscribe. On iOS you can swipe to “See Less Often” but you can’t do this on iPad.
How Jeff Bezos Built a Data Collecting Empire
BBC News published an inside look into “Why Amazon knows so much about you.”
“They happen to sell products, but they are a data company,” says James Thomson, one of the former executives interviewed.
“Each opportunity to interact with a customer is another opportunity to collect data.”
Founder Jeff Bezos frames it in terms of being a “customer obsession”, saying the firm’s first priority is to “figure out what they want, what’s important to them”.
Coming March 6, Apple Shares Trailer for ‘Amazing Stories’
Amazing Stories is an upcoming sci-fi series for Apple TV+ by Steven Spielberg. Each episode will be a new story to “transport the audience to worlds of wonder through the lens of today’s most imaginative filmmakers, directors and writers.” It launches on March 6 and there will be 10 episodes in the first season. Stars include Josh Holloway, Sasha Alexander, Dylan O’Brien, Victoria Pedretti, and Robert Forster.
iCloud is a Syncing Service, Not a Backup Service
It’s important to keep backups of your data. One way to do that is iCloud Backup, but that shouldn’t be your only backup method.
Instagram Seems to Think it’s a Startup When it Comes to an iPad App
When asked why there isn’t an Instagram iPad app yet, CEO Adam Mosseri said the company would like to create one, “But we only have so many people, and lots to do, and it hasn’t bubbled up as the next best thing to do yet.”
Instagram users have been asking for an official iPad app nearly since the social network launched in 2010, the same year that the first iPad was released. Some alternatives include third-party Instagram apps for iPad, browsing Instagram on the web on iPad, or using the upscaled iPhone app on iPad.
The obvious answer is, “Hire more people because you’re owned by one of the richest corporations in the world: Facebook.” But I wonder what the actual answer is. Invasive tracking isn’t as lucrative on iPadOS?
Your 2020 Playlist for Apple Music Replay is Available
Your Apple Music Replay 2020 playlist is here. Apple will make weekly playlists, not just a playlist at the end of the year.
Iran Hackers Put Backdoors in VPN Servers
A new report finds that hackers from Iran have been putting backdoors in VPN servers around the world in the “Fox Kitten Campaign.” It sounds like affected companies provide VPN for enterprise, rather than consumers. ZDNet suggests Pulse Secure, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, and Citrix.
Though [sic] the campaign, the attackers succeeded in gaining access and persistent foothold in the networks of numerous companies and organizations from the IT, Telecommunication, Oil and Gas, Aviation, Government, and Security sectors around the world.
Clearview AI Faces Class Action Lawsuit Similar to Facebook
Two weeks ago Facebook settled a lawsuit alleging that it violated Illinois privacy laws. Now, Clearview AI is also facing a class action lawsuit in the state.
The lawsuit, filed yesterday on behalf of several Illinois citizens and first reported by Buzzfeed News, alleges that Clearview “actively collected, stored and used Plaintiffs’ biometrics — and the biometrics of most of the residents of Illinois — without providing notice, obtaining informed written consent or publishing data retention policies.”
Not only that, but this biometric data has been licensed to many law enforcement agencies, including within Illinois itself.
All this is allegedly in violation of the Biometric Information Privacy Act, a 2008 law that has proven to be remarkably long-sighted and resistant to attempts by industry (including, apparently, by Facebook while it fought its own court battle) to water it down.
‘Robo Revenge’ Will Block and Automatically Sue Robocallers
The newest service from DoNotPay is Robo Revenge. It will block robocallers and automatically sue them for you.
Robo Revenge combines both features to automatically add you to the Do Not Call Registry, generate a virtual DoNotPay burner credit card to provide scammers when they illegally call you anyways, use the transaction information to get the scammer’s contact information, then walk you through how to sue them for as much as $3,000 per call under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), a law already on the books meant to protect consumers from calls that violate the Do Not Call Registry. The app also streamlines the litigation paperwork by automatically generating demand letters and court filing documents.
As a reader pointed out below, you’ll find this service within the DoNotPay app.
US Government Agencies Expose New North Korean Malware Campaign
US Cyber Command, DHS, and FBI have exposed a new North Korean campaign of malware and phishing, with six new families of malware.
Apple Updates Human Interface Guidelines With New Resources
Apple has added new design resources in its Human Interface Guidelines collection, like Apple Pay templates, Apple Health icon, and more.
Gmail for iOS Integrates With Files App
Google shared a blog post today in which it announced that Gmail for iOS will now support adding files from the Files app.
AT&T Blocks Encrypted Email App Tutanota
In certain areas of the U.S. some AT&T users found they couldn’t access their inboxes in encrypted email app Tutanota.
Starting on January 25th 2020, we have had constant complaints from AT&T mobile users who were unable to access their encrypted Tutanota mailbox. While AT&T seemed willing to fix this when we reached out to them, the issue is still not solved and reports from users keep coming in.
While some AT&T users confirmed the block, others said that they were able to access Tutanota. As AT&T has not fixed the issue after more than two weeks, we are reaching out publicly in the hope of getting the attention of the right people at AT&T.