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.
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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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Game Foul: Ford Dealership Steals Firewatch Art
No matter how hard our kindergarten teachers tried, some people never really wrapped their heads around the idea that stealing is bad. Take, for instance, the Quirk Ford dealership in Massachusetts and the Firewatch artwork it stole for a promotional event.
Google Ready to Try Apple's Tactics with New Smartphone
Google is reportedly working on a new smartphone to take on Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s phone De jour. Unlike its Nexus line, where partner companies are making the phones, Google plans to take complete control over this new line.
Apple gets its Rainbow on for SF Pride Parade
Apple helped celebrate the LGBTQ community over the weekend by marching in San Fransisco’s annual Pride parade. Company CEO Tim Cook’s photo on Twitter shows what looks like hundreds of Apple employees marching and waving rainbow flags—and wearing the special limited edition Apple Watch rainbow watch bands the company gave to participants.
6 Great Display Choices for Your MacBook Pro and Mac Pro
Apple is getting out of the stand-alone display market—at least for now—and says there are plenty of third-party alternatives to its now defunct Thunderbolt Display. Sorting out which display to buy can be a little intimidating, so The Mac Observer put together a list with some great 4K, 5K, and HD options to help make your shopping a little easier.
Apple Drops 2.81% in Broad Brexit Selloff
Shares of Apple Inc. shed 2.81% Friday in a broad market downturn sparked by Brits voting to leave the European Union, or Brexit for short. The selloff was part of a general panic among investors concerned about what Brexit will do to the global economy.
OS X: Using Policy Banner for Custom Login Screens
You may know that you can set a custom message on your Mac’s lock screen, so if someone takes or finds your computer, he’ll have an easy way to contact you. However, if you’re an administrator who manages multiple machines, there’s also a built-in way to add a policy banner, which’ll make anyone who logs in click an “Accept” button to continue.
Apple Adds RAW Support for 15 DSLR Cameras from Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony
Apple released Thursday Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 6.20, an update that adds support for 15 new DSLR cameras from Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony.
G-BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Boombox: $79.99
It’s loud, wireless, will play tunes for up to 6 hours on a charge, and it has a handle. G-BOOM is a boombox for the iPhone era. It features a protective rubber base, and has a standard headphone jack in addition to Blueooth connectivity. You can get this device through our deal for $79.99.
Judge Dismisses Error 53 iPhone Bricking Lawsuit
A class action lawsuit against Apple over bricked iPhones and Error 53 has been dismissed because the Judge overseeing the case saying the plaintiffs failed to prove they had been harmed. This isn’t, however, the end of the line because they can amend their claims, plus there are at least two similar cases in the court system, too.
YoCam Versatile Waterproof Camera: $179
Check out the YoCam, a small camera that is waterproof up to 20 feet (IP68). It takes photos or video, and has video stabilization, too. It weighs just 1.9 ounces, and it has a companion app for iPhone and Android devices for processing images. You can get YoCam through our deal for $179.
What We've Learned About Apple's New File System, APFS
It wasn’t discussed in the WWDC keynote. But Apple’s has been developing a new file system for all its devices called Apple File System. It’s been a hot topic of discussion over the last week. Here are some of the notable things we’ve learned since the first day of WWDC along with some context.
Apple Should Confirm the iPhone 7 Headphone Jack is Gone
The only big design change we can expect to see in the iPhone 7 when it ships this fall will be the lack of a headphone jack. That’s what the latest report claims, and it also says it’ll be 2017 before a major redesign comes. Considering this report comes from the Wall Street Journal, Apple should just go ahead and officially confirm the headphone jack is gone.
Apple Puts Non-Retina MacBook Pro on Death Row
Apple’s 13-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro looks to be close to end of life because the company is pulling it from retail displays, and it’s unavailable in some locations. Once the 13-incher is gone, the MacBook Air will be the only non-Retina laptop Apple sells, and none of its computers will ship with an internal optical drive.
6 Things I Learned about Apple from Gruber's Interview with Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi
John Gruber has posted the full video of The Talk Show Live from last week’s World Wide Developer Conference, where his guests were Apple senior vice presidents Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi. It’s a great interview, and I highly encourage you to watch it in its entirety, but there were six things in particular I learned.
Apple Says No to GOP Convention Over Trump
Apple won’t provide any funding or support to the Republican presidential convention because of Donald Trump’s negatively charged position on women, minorities, and immigrants. Other tech companies are staying out of this year’s event, too, and some are scaling back their support, showing how controversial the Republican presumptive president nominee is.