We have a deal on the BentoStack PowerHub 5000, an accessory organizer with a 5,000mAh charging cover, Type-C hub, and a storage compartment, all in one minimalistic stackable case. The charging cover has a Qi wireless charger, and the hub has 8 different ports in it. This device is $99.99 through our deal.
Apple Only Smartphone Maker to Grow in Last Quarter
Apple was the only smartphone maker that grew over the last quarter. That’s according to researchers at Canalys, with Cult of Mac break down the data.
“Apple defied expectations in Q2,” said Canalys analyst Vincent Thielke. “Its new iPhone SE was critical in the quarter, accounting for around 28% of its global volume, while iPhone 11 remained a strong best-seller at nearly 40%. iPhone SE will remain crucial to prop up volume this year, amid delays to Apple’s next flagship release. In China, it had blockbuster results, growing 35% to reach 7.7 million units. It is unusual for Apple’s Q2 shipments to increase sequentially. As well as the new iPhone SE, Apple is also demonstrating skills in new user acquisition. It adapted quickly to the pandemic, doubling down on the digital customer experience as stay-at-home measures drive more customers to online channels.” What’s particularly impressive to me about Apple’s success during the quarter is how many potential pain points it needs to navigate.
Going Cold Turkey on Apple, Amazon, Google,Microsoft, and Facebook
Kashmir Hill stopped using the ‘big five’ tech giants, one at a time. For the final week, she stopped using them all. She relayed her experience for Gizmodo.
I went through the digital equivalent of a juice cleanse. I hope I’m better than most dieters at staying healthy afterward, but I don’t want to be a digital vegan. I want to embrace a lifestyle of “slow Internet,” to be more discriminating about the technology I let into my life and think about the motives of the companies behind it. The tech giants are reshaping the world in good and bad ways; we can take the good and reject the bad.
[Update: August 3] The quote above and main link (below) is from the first time Ms. Hill conducted this experiment, in 2019. She has since reflected on it for The New York Times.
iOS 14 Features Could Hurt Facebook Ad Targeting
iOS 14 features like “ask to track” could hurt Facebook’s ad targeting business, said Chief Financial Officer David Wehner.
With the update to its mobile devices, Apple will ask users if they want to let app developers track their activity across other apps and websites […] The change is expected to start impacting Facebook’s advertising in the third quarter but it will have a more pronounced effect in the fourth quarter, Wehner said.
I’m sure Facebook will find other ways to track people.
‘Military Grade’ is Hardly More Than a Marketing Term
In early 2020 I wrote an article explaining what it means when companies use phrases like “military grade encryption” or “bank level security.” I wrote “they might seem like marketing buzzwords” but I should’ve said, “they totally are buzzwords.” This usage isn’t limited to discussions around encryption. Mel Magazine says it refers to MIL-STD-810 and it’s not the tough, high quality standard we think it is.
Commercially, Hollings adds, “there’s no governing body that says, ‘Okay, you met the requirements for MIL-STD-A-10.’ So effectively anyone can say their product is military standard.” This obviously isn’t great for civilian consumers, while ex-military like Hollings just scoff at the designation […]
Who is Apple iPhone Display-Maker BOE?
Apple is set to utilize a new display-maker in the next generation of iPhone – BOE. Wired provides a good insight into the relatively unknown firm.
The company, which was founded in Bejing in 1993 and acquired SK Hynix’s STN-LCD and OLED businesses back in 2001, is ranked second in the world when it comes to flexible OLED shipments, holding a market share of 11 per cent during the first quarter of this year. It, naturally, is still a long way behind market leader Samsung, which owned 81 per cent market share of the OLED market in the same quarter. Still, with a sizable chunk of the OLED market already under its belt, it perhaps won’t come as too much of a surprise – now, at least – that the firm already has some big-name allies. BOE’s display technology is currently being utilised in Huawei’s most popular smartphone models, including the high-end P and Mate series, and it reportedly will manufacturer the palm-stretching screen set to appear on this year’s Huawei Mate 40.
iPhone Wireless Charger, Himalayan Salt Air Purifier, and Built-in Speaker: $109.99
We have a deal on the Mantova Lamp & Wireless Charger. This rather interesting device has a Qi wireless charger, as well as a slot for standing your iPhone up if you want to. But it also has a Himalayan salt air purifier and lamp built into it, along with a speaker. It’s $109.99 through our deal.
Standalone 5K Monitors no Longer Available From Apple
Standalone 5K monitors are currently unavailable via Apple in various countries. 9to5 Mac noticed this and offered some explanations why.
We have verified Apple’s website from different countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Brazil, and in all of these, the LG UltraFine 5K Display is not available. Apple doesn’t clarify whether the unavailability is temporary due to a new model arriving or supply constraints. The same thing happened last year, with LG UltraFine 5K disappearing from Apple Stores in May. Two months later, LG announced a new generation of the monitor — which is the model that was being sold until now. Now with Pro Display XDR, Apple could simply remove the LG monitor from its stores. But since the LG UltraFine 5K Display is still listed in the Apple Online Store, that’s less likely. However, it’s hard to imagine that Apple will continue to work with LG to launch a new monitor.
Marangoni Electromagnetic Light: $79.95
We have a deal on a lamp, a Marangoni lamp, to be more specific. The two spheres in the middle of the lamp shown in the image are electromagnetic. The lamp turns on when you bring the two spheres close to each other. the light is produced by LEDs, too. Cool, yeah? The Marangoni electromagnetic light is $79.95 through our deal.
Spotify Premium Lets Users Host Six-Person Listening Party
Spotify Premium users can listen to the same playlist or podcast simultaneously with friends and family, wherever they are. The company announced the next beta of its Group Session tool on Tuesday.
In our latest innovation, we’re taking Group Session one step further with brand-new functionality that allows Spotify Premium users around the world to tune into the same playlist or podcast simultaneously. So no matter the distance—whether six feet apart or a thousand miles away—you and the members of your squad can now each listen to the same content at the same time on your own devices (as well as control playback). Groups of two to five people can use this feature at once by sharing a “join” link via messaging apps or social media with each other.
Steve Jobs Signed 'Fortune' Magazine Cover to be Auctioned
A rare copy of Fortune magazine signed by Steve Jobs is set to be auctioned. It will go on sale on July 30 with a minimum bid of $11,000, AppleInsider reported.
The magazine, Fortune’s 9 October 1989 issue, features Steve Jobs on the cover and was published shortly after the launch of his company, NeXT. According to the listing with Nate D. Sanders Auctions, the magazine going up for sale is signed in black ink “To Terry, steve jobs” in a lower-case signature. The recipient of the signature was one of the chauffeurs who drove for Jobs, and asked for the autograph after driving the company chief for several years. Despite the familiarity and length of time working for Jobs, the CEO still called the limousine company to complain about the autograph request.
CES 2021 Will be an All-Digital Event
The Consumer Technology Association has (finally) confirmed that CES 2021 will be a digital event. It accepted that given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it would not be possible to safely hold the event in person. There will still be keynotes, product showcases, and opportunities to network, a blog post published Wednesday said.
With the growing global health concerns about the spread of COVID-19, it is not possible to safely convene tens of thousands of people in Las Vegas in early January 2021 to meet and do business in person. An all-digital CES 2021 will allow the entire tech community to safely share ideas and introduce the products that will shape our future. You’ll be able to participate in all the awe-inspiring moments of CES wherever you are in the world. We are designing a unique experience for the tech industry.
Why The iPhone is Key to Photographer Dimpy Bhalotia
For London-based photographer Dimpy Bhalotia, the iPhone has become a core part of producing beautiful art, including the picture in this piece. The iPhone Photography Awards winner explained why to Cult of Mac.
Bhalotia, a full-time fine art street photographer based out of London, told Cult of Mac she loves shooting with an iPhone so much that it’s become second nature. “It’s a lightweight butter slice always in my hand, which has the entire world in it,” she said. “It feels like I’m shooting with my palm.” In 2020, you don’t need an expensive DSLR camera and a darkroom to produce breathtaking imagery. The iPhone has truly democratized photography — and made it easier for anyone to capture the magic of everyday moments.
‘Greyhound’ Success Prompts Apple TV+ Rethink
It seems that the success of Tom Hanks moving Greyhound has prompted a shift in thinking at Apple TV+. While big-name series were clearly always fundamental, sources told Fast Company that blockbusters are going are to be a much bigger focus going forward.
One source says the streamer is discussing plans to release a dozen new movies a year on Apple TV Plus, roughly one a month. Two to four of those would be blockbuster-type titles such as Greyhound and Emancipation, the runaway-slave thriller starring Will Smith and directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) that Apple recently acquired for $120 million in a bidding war with Warner Bros., Universal, and other studios. Another source had fewer specifics but confirmed that Apple is telling Hollywood that it’s now in the market for more tentpole-like feature films. (Apple would not comment for this story.) Apple’s greater focus on big films marks a noticeable amplification on its movie front.
COVID-19 Contact Tracing App ‘Working in Ireland’
Ireland’s COVID-19 contact tracing app is a rare success story, according to BBC News. It is also one of the tools that has been released using that Apple-Google API.
And now people in Northern Ireland are about to get access to a similar contact tracing app made by Nearform, the company behind Ireland’s Covid Tracker. Northern Ireland health officials confirmed at a briefing today that the app, to be released next week, will collect some data to show how it is functioning. In the early days there will not be much to go on as only between 10 and 20 new cases of the virus are being reported each week, but if there is a second wave of infections in the autumn they hope to know more about what is going on. The officials also revealed their app will work across the border, as will Ireland’s Covid Tracker.
Sorry, Catnip Won’t Protect You Against the Meow Attack
Over 1,000 insecure databases have been completely erased, and the attackers leave no trace except the word “meow.”
Since then, Meow and a similar attack have destroyed more than 1,000 other databases. At the time this post went live, the Shodan computer search site showed that 987 ElasticSearch and 70 MongoDB instances had been nuked by Meow. A separate, less-malicious attack tagged an additional 616 ElasticSearch, MongoDB, and Cassandra files with the string “university_cybersec_experiment.” The attackers in this case seem to be demonstrating to the database maintainers that the files are vulnerable to being viewed or deleted.
Better erased than breached, right?
‘The Darwin Affair’ Latest Big Library Read
“The Darwin Affair” is the next book in Libby’s digital book club called Big Library Read.
London, June 1860: When an assassination attempt is made on Queen Victoria, and a petty thief is gruesomely murdered moments later—and only a block away—Chief Detective Inspector Charles Field quickly surmises that these crimes are connected to an even more sinister plot. Was Victoria really the assassin’s target? Are those closest to the Crown hiding something? And who is the shadowy figure witnesses describe as having lifeless, coal-black eyes?
Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker, Wireless Charger, Clock: $56.99
We have a deal on the Gotek Wireless Charging Music Station. This device is a Bluetooth 5.0 speaker, , a wireless charger, and a clock, all in one. Accordingly, it tells time with a big LED display, and is capable of both streaming music and charging your Qi-enabled smartphone wirelessly. It’s $56.99 through our deal.
The Reasons Why Apple Should Buy TikTok
TikTok has been the focus of much political attention recently due its base in China and allegations (which it denies,) of data sharing with the Chinese state. The video-sharing app has said it will move its HQ, but it could even be bought by a U.S. firm. Music Business Worldwide offered a number of reasons why that company could, and maybe should, be Apple.
TikTok’s global addictive appeal is no accident. The app’s advanced artificial intelligence capabilities and powerful recommendation algorithms are key factors behind the 68 billion hours spent by its users in the app last year. Case in point: respected investor and tech industry commentator Connie Chan recently wrote a piece in which she called TikTok “the first mainstream consumer app where artificial intelligence is the product”… In an increasingly competitive music streaming market, with Apple Music’s primary rival Spotify known for excelling in content recommendation, TikTok’s AI baked into the the Apple Music ecosystem could be Spotify’s kryptonite.
DNA Company ‘GEDmatch’ Hacked in Data Breach
First, over a million DNA profiles from GEDmatch were leaked. Then, email addresses from the breach were used in a phishing attack against users of genealogy website MyHeritage.
As a result of this breach, all user permissions were reset, making all profiles visible to all users. This was the case for approximately 3 hours. During this time, users who did not opt in for law enforcement matching were available for law enforcement matching and, conversely, all law enforcement profiles were made visible to GEDmatch users.
If GEDmatch sounds familiar, it was the DNA database used to identify the Golden State Killer.
iPhone 'Periscope' Lens Supply Chain on Target for 2022 Launch
Apple’s so-called “periscope” lens for iPhone is on track for 2022, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It is expected to bring onboard new suppliers to fulfill orders for both lens and voice coil motor parts, reported AppleInsider.
Two new suppliers are anticipated to enter Apple’s supply chain as the tech giant works to build out iPhone’s camera capabilities, Kuo said in a note to investors on Wednesday. Korean lens supplier Semco and Chinese lens supplier Sunny Optical are predicted to furnish parts in the second half of 2020 and in 2021, respectively. Apple is contracting with the new companies to further diversify lens component supply for iPhone, iPad and Mac, the note reads. Lower lens costs and new technology development are also cited as benefits. Semco, for example, is forecast to ship a periscope telephoto lens for iPhone in 2022, with the firm winning an estimated half of all orders. Largan+Alps/Minebea are also expected to provide parts for the new mechanism.
Companies Like Doordash Share Your Purchases With Facebook
Thomas Smith dug into his Facebook settings and downloaded a copy of his data. In a section introduced this year called Off Facebook Activity, he found that companies like Doordash send data about your purchases to Facebook.
If you’ve bought an item on myriad e-commerce websites, made a donation to a political campaign, used any of several hundred participating apps, or, in my case, bought a wildly expensive bubble tea, there’s a good chance Facebook knows about it. What are they doing with this knowledge? Again, it’s pretty clear. It’s there so it can “show you more relevant ads,” “help you discover new businesses and brands,” and the like.
He also sounds incredibly guilty for buying bubble tea through Doordash.
TestFlight Beta for NextDNS iOS 14 is Here
NextDNS for iOS 14 is now available as a TestFlight beta. It uses the encrypted DNS feature introduced with iOS 14.
The first beta of NextDNS for iOS 14 is now available at:https://testflight.apple.com/join/AFDFPLP3
This version uses the new Encrypted DNS feature of iOS 14, removing the need for the fake-VPN trick used in iOS 13 and below.
The new iOS 14 feature means three things. First, DNS apps will no longer need to set up a fake VPN profile for you to use the service. Second, these DNS settings will work over cellular, whereas in the past it would only work over Wi-Fi unless you used said fake VPN profile. Third, this means that if you have a real VPN app, you can set it to use the OpenVPN protocol. Because of the fake VPN profile created by DNS apps, you had to use the IKEv2 VPN protocol if you wanted to use the VPN and DNS apps at the same time.
Apple Employee 'Close Your Rings' Fitness Challenge is Back
Apple’s ‘Close Your Rings’ employee fitness challenge returned this week. It sets staff the challenge of closing all three of their Apple Watch Activity rings every day of the month. Usually, it takes place in February, which is designated as Heart Month. However, it was postponed this year due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to an Apple employee that spoke to MacRumors, Apple is reinstating the challenge this week, with the event expected to end on August 16. Employees who finish the challenge will be rewarded with a t-shirt that says “2020” in a logo with Apple Watch Activity-style rings. Employees who complete the challenge each day will earn a “gold” ranking and will receive a gold pin along with their t-shirt, and there are also silver and bronze rewards accompanied by silver and bronze pins.