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Apple Card Family Features, Restrictions Revealed in Support Document

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple has released a support document outlining the features of the recently launched Apple Card Family. AppleInsider published a breakdown of what it says.

Detailed in a support document, Apple Card Family is available to one cardholder and one member of their Family Sharing group who is 18 or older. Touted as a rethinking of traditional credit cards, the new service enables both members of an account to share a credit line while simultaneously building credit. A total of six people, including owners or co-owners, can be assigned to a particular Apple Card account. Participants must be 13 or older. Co-owners share full responsibility for account balance and payments, and have their credit reported equally in their own name, Apple says.

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Finnish Mental Health Startup Vastaamo Leaked Patient Data

Andrew Orr ·

Vastaamo ran the largest network of private mental-health providers in Finland. William Ralston tells the story on WIRED, and how hackers used the data to threaten patients.

A security flaw in the company’s IT systems had exposed its entire patient database to the open internet—not just email addresses and social security numbers, but the actual written notes that therapists had taken. A group of hackers, or one masquerading as many, had gotten hold of the data.

What an incompetent company. No anonymization of patient records, no encryption of data. In other words, unfortunately common. Two developers hired at Vastaamo were even arrested in a previous security breach.

TMO Deals

Pre-Order ScoutPro Ultimate All-in-One Charger: $99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a pre-order deal on the ScoutPro, an all-in-one charger that ships in July. This device features a large 24,000mAh internal battery and it can charge up to five devices simultaneously. It has two USB-C charging ports and a USB-A charging port. It also has magnetic wirelesss charging for iPhone 12 devices and a spot to charge your Apple Watch.  The pre-order deal is $99.

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Epic Games Versus Apple: A Legal Overview

Charlotte Henry ·

Since it began on Monday, we have heard various bits of information coming out of the Epic Games trial against Apple. MacStories‘s John Voohres was a lawyer for many years and gave an outline of what we can expect as the case develops.

There is no legal prohibition against formulating a business strategy with the assistance of professionals to deal with a competitor. However, Epic’s actions arguably demonstrate a level of bad faith that could undermine its antitrust case, something Judge Gonzalez Rogers has essentially suggested at previous hearings. A very old legal principle that is known as the doctrine of ‘unclean hands,’ which Apple has raised and is based on the equitable notion that manufactured disputes should be discouraged, could prevent Epic from winning some or all of its claims, regardless of their merits.

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IBM Creates World-First 2nm Computer Chip

Andrew Orr ·

IBM has created a 2-nanometer chip using a prototype manufacturing process. It’s likely we won’t see these chips in the market until late 2024, however.

Chip makers routinely talk about their 10nm, 7nm, and 5nm nodes, in their efforts to pack more and more transistors on a piece of silicon. However, the nanometer nomenclature is often just marketing speak […] based on the company’s slides, there actually isn’t a component on the chip at a 2nm size. Instead, the announcement is more about a generational improvement from IBM’s earlier 5nm process, which debuted in 2017.

“The chips must be insulated from human thought, as an errant memory of grandma from 1970 can cause quantum effects in the chip.“

TMO Deals

Eazy-Arm Magnetic iPhone Holder: $11.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the Eazy-Arm Magnetic iPhone Holder. This device attaches to a laptop, computer monitor, or any vertical surface, with a magnetic holder for your iPhone. It has a charging port for your iPhone, and it’s available in black, blue, silver, or white. It’s $11.99 through our deal.

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Poll Shows 63% of Americans Don’t Trust Their ISPs

Andrew Orr ·

Mozilla is releasing results from a survey conducted with YouGov, showing that 63% of them don’t trust their ISPs (n=1305).

63 percent of consumers do not trust ISPs to look out for their best interests, and 72 percent want control of what they see online without meddling or interference from ISPs, according to the findings released today from a new survey we conducted with YouGov.

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Purple iPhone 12 Begins Shift to Randomized Serial Numbers

Charlotte Henry ·

The transition towards Apple using randomzied serial numbers has begun. The recently released iPhone 12 model is the first device to have them, MacRumors  reported.

With assistance from Aaron Zollo, host of the YouTube channel ZolloTech, we can confirm that the purple iPhone 12 released last month has a new 10-character serial number format, compared to the usual 12 characters for most other Apple products. Apple previously said its randomized serial numbers would initially be 10 characters long, so the purple iPhone 12 appears to be the first Apple product with a randomized serial number. The change likely extends to the purple iPhone 12 mini, but we’ve yet to confirm this.

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Apple Responds After Australian Retailer Pulls AirTags Over Safety Concerns

Charlotte Henry ·

Australian retailer Officeworks pulled AirTags off its shelves this week citing “safety concerns.” Apple has defended the product, reports TechRadar, insisting it meets all the relevant safety standards.

In response to the report, Apple issued the following statement to TechRadar: “AirTag is designed to meet international child safety standards, including those in Australia, by requiring a two step push-and-turn mechanism to access the user-replaceable battery.  “We are following the regulations closely and are working to ensure that our products will meet or exceed new standards, including those for package labelling, well ahead of the timeline required.” As Apple’s statement above shows, the brand believes that it is conforming with the necessary regulations for sale of goods with coin batteries inside, and should be allowed on sale on Australian shelves.

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App ‘Winnie’ Helps Connect Parents to Available Childcare Providers

Andrew Orr ·

On Tuesday Apple shared the story of Winnie, an app that helps connect parents to childcare providers with openings.

Winnie is the brainchild of Chief Executive Officer Sara Mauskopf, 36, and Chief Product Officer Anne Halsall, 37, who met while working at the same startup six years ago. Both were mothers with young children, and knew how challenging it could be to find quality childcare.

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Sensor From British Startup Could Turn Apple Watch into a Doctor

Charlotte Henry ·

Wearables, including the Apple Watch, are clearly going to play a big part in Apple’s future. According to a Telegraph report picked up on by Cult of Mac, a sensor from a British firm could be key to taking its medical capabilities to the next level.

The British startup promises to “bring laboratory diagnostics to the wrist.” And Rockley is undoubtedly(sic) working with the iPhone-maker. The company is about to have its IPO, and documentation filed with the SEC mentions, “Apple Inc., Rockley’s largest customer.” But the two companies’ cooperation might not lead to significant change as quickly as some might hope. In March, CEO Andrew Rickman said in the SEC filing, “The commercial launch of Rockley’s consumer product offerings is expected to be in 2022.”

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Oprah Reveals Prince Harry Mental Health Apple TV+ Series to Air in May

Charlotte Henry ·

We may finally be getting close to seeing Prince Harry and Oprah’s long-awaited Apple TV+ series on mental health. The talk show queen revealed that it is coming this month during a recent TV appearance, reported The Independent. 

Winfrey confirmed the release during a recent appearance opposite psychiatrist Dr Bruce D Perry on The Drew Barrymore Show.  “I want to just say that Dr Perry and I have also, for the past two years, along with Prince Harry and Apple, we’ve been working on this mental health series that’s coming out in May on Apple,” she said. The announcement of the duo’s partnership was initially made in April 2019 via a post shared to the official Instagram account for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

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Twitter Launches Audio Conversation Feature ‘Spaces’

Andrew Orr ·

Twitter is one of the companies trying to complete with audio app Clubhouse. On Monday Twitter officially released its feature called Spaces centered around audio conversations.

Today, we’re bringing the ability to host a Space to all accounts with 600 or more followers on Twitter. Based on what we’ve learned so far, these accounts are likely to have a good experience hosting live conversations because of their existing audience. Before bringing the ability to create a Space to everyone, we’re focused on learning more, making it easier to discover Spaces, and helping people enjoy them with a great audience.

TMO Deals

Scrivener 3 for Mac: $29.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

I’m delighted to announce we have a deal for Scrivener 3 for Mac. Scrivener is Latte & Literature’s excellent writing software, software I have personally used to complete a novel, write short stories, write and organize query letters, synopsis keep research notes and character details, and output samples and manuscripts to ebook formats, Word docs, and a whole lot more. I love Scrivener. I mean, I totally adore this software and recommend it to anyone who is serious about writing. Scrivener 3 for Mac is just $29.99 through our deal. Snap it up.

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We Still Don’t Know a Key Bit of Information About the Rumored Folding iPhone

Charlotte Henry ·

Rumors about a folding-iPhone circulated recently after analyst Ming Chi-Kuo suggested that a device a bit larger than the iPhone 12 Pro Max will go on sale in 2023. However, as 9to5 Mac noted, we still don’t know one crucial bit of information – how it will actually fold.

But there are two different ways of designing a folding iPhone that opens up to reveal an 8-inch display. First, there is a vertical fold, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. What you get there is a device slim enough to fit into a jacket pocket, which then opens up into a rather wide iPad mini-like display. The alternative is a horizontal fold, like the 2019 Motorola Razr. What that gives you is a super-pocketable device that opens up into an even larger Pro Max – creating more vertical space rather than more horizontal room.

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There’s Lots For Apple Watchers to be Excited About

Charlotte Henry ·

Following Apple’s latest blockbuster quarter, there’s lots for fans of the company to be excited about according to Dan Moren. He explained what he’s looking forward to in his latest MacWorld column – wearables, to name but one.

There’s nothing that Apple watchers want to know more than what the next big product coming out of Cupertino might be. They scrutinize supply chains, try to draw information out of company contacts, and, of course, closely pore over every public statement by Apple. When it comes to Apple’s financial calls, one key phrase that often signals what areas Apple might be interested in is “very excited.” If you were listening during last week’s financial call, you would hear that exact phrase uttered by Apple CFO Luca Maestri in relation to precisely one product category: Wearables.

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New Cloud Browser ‘Mighty’ to Cost $30 per Month

Andrew Orr ·

A startup called Mighty is building a cloud-based web browser that it claims will reduce loads on battery, CPU usage, and RAM. You can find the company’s blog post here, and a link to coverage from The Verge below.

Mighty claims it’ll eliminate distracting cookies and ads, automatically notify you about Zoom meetings, quick search Google Docs and presumably other integrations to come. Mighty also says it encrypts your data and keystrokes, among other security promises.

I think the concept of a cloud-based browser is interesting. But I prefer free Safari over paying a US$30/month fee.

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VMware Fusion Won’t Run x86 VMs on M1 Macs

Andrew Orr ·

VMware announced on its blog Tuesday that it won’t support installing or running x86 VMs on M1 Macs.

We will be delivering a Tech Preview of VMware Fusion for macOS on Apple silicon this year. We don’t plan to support installing or running x86 VMs on Macs with Apple silicon. macOS VMs are not in scope in the short term. There are challenges there which will require Apple to work with us to resolve.

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How Apple is Navigating the Great Semiconductor Shortage

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple is faring better than most as the global semiconductor shortage continues. Reuters analyzed why it is in a better position than other firms, particularly automakers, and also explained why it could face some problems in the near future.

Apple, which is famous for its supply chain management and has more buying power than any other company, has avoided problems so far in meeting surging demand in part by burning through supply buffers, Chief Executive Tim Cook told investors on a conference call Wednesday. Problems procuring chips made with older-generation technologies will catch up with Apple in the current quarter, Cook said, noting that other industries also use such chips. He did not cite automakers specifically, but many of their components are based on such earlier-generation tech. Apple expects the problems to mostly affect iPads and Macs – two product lines that have sold well as work-from-home tools during the pandemic but whose sales are a fraction of Apple’s cash cow, the iPhone. Ford, by contrast, is facing production shutdowns for its most profitable product, the F-150 pickup.

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Here’s When The FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Starts

Andrew Orr ·

FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced the start date of the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. It starts on May 12 for U.S. residents with low incomes or those who lost income during the pandemic. You can sign up for the program here. Benefits include:

Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals; Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands; A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50)

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Apple Pay and Others Mean Banks Could be Squeezed Out, French Authorities Warn

Charlotte Henry ·

Payment services from tech firms like Apple and Google risk squeezing out traditional banks and need monitoring. Authorities in France raised the concern that these firms can make money from these services but avoid much of the regulation, Bloomberg News reported.

The French authority also highlights access to near-field communication on smartphones used for contactless payment, an issue that has already triggered EU and Dutch antitrust probes and potential legislation to respond to banks’ complaints that Apple unfairly blocks their access on its devices. The companies that the French agency calls “les BigTech” are armed with “considerable financial power” to invest in new technologies and will have lower marginal costs compared to banks. Access to large volumes of data and processing power may allow them better assess customers financial health and offer them targeted services, the authority said. Integrating payments in other services allows them to offer a “customer journey” that can’t be matched or replaced easily by competitors, the authority said