We finally have the winner of our iPhone 16 Pro international giveaway! Congratulations to Oliver T., and a huge thank you to everyone who participated.
iOS 14 Public Beta 8 Seeds for Developers, Public Testers
In a first for 2020, Apple is releasing iOS 14 beta 8 for developers and public beta testers on the same day.
The Day Steve Jobs Returned to The Stage After a Liver Transplant
September 9 is another big day in Apple history. As Cult of Mac reflected, it was the day in 2009 that Steve Jobs returned to the Apple keynote stage following his liver transplant.
“I wouldn’t be here without such generosity,” Jobs told the audience, referring to the organ donor whose liver he received. “I hope all of us can be as generous and elect to become organ donors.” Before revealing Apple’s new line of iPad nanos, Jobs said, “I’m vertical, I’m back at Apple, and I’m loving every day of it.” A decade later, we now know far more about Jobs’ return than we did in 2009. First and foremost, of course, we know that while Jobs’ liver operation succeeded, pancreatic cancer ultimately resulted in the Apple CEO’s death a little over two years later. Members of Jobs’ inner circle knew about the cancer at the time, but nobody discussed it.
Numi Power Mat Wireless Charging Mouse Pad: $32.99
We have a deal on the Numi Power Mat, a mouse pad with a built-in Qi wireless charger for your iPhone or Android device. The idea is to reduce desk clutter by combining these two surface-occupying devices. The surface is made from a smooth polyester designed to work with all mice. The Numi Power Mat is $32.99 through our deal.
Apple Designs Custom Face Masks for Employees
Designers at Apple have created a custom face mask for employees called Apple Face Mask and sourced another from ClearMask.
Colorado Signs up to Apple COVID-19 Exposure Notifications Express
The state of Colorado has adopted the recently announced COVID-19 Exposure Notifications Express system recently announced by Apple and Google. The system is currently available on iOS 13.7 and will be released on Android in the near future.
Following the recent updated release of an Exposure Notifications Express system from Apple and Google, Colorado has announced that it will be adopting the technology. The state’s Governor says it will be available ahead of a September 27 Denver Broncos game. It’s part of what Governor Jared Polis called+ a return to “quote-unquote normalcy,” assuming that Coloradans use the technology and keep up social distancing. “”These are really the ways we can get back to enjoying the things we love,” he said.
Mark Zuckerberg: Apple's App Store 'Deserves Scrutiny'
Apple’s App Store “deserves scrutiny,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a new interview with ‘Axios on HBO’.
Maxed out Macs, Apple v Epic Updates – TMO Daily Observations 2020-09-09
John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss a maxed out Mac mini, and the latest in Apple v Epic Games.
Satechi Releases New Quatro Wireless Power Bank for $99
Satechi released its new 10,000 mAh Quatro wireless power bank on Wednesday that features a built-in Apple Watch charger, USB-C Power Delivery, and USB-A ports to recharge multiple devices at once. You can preorder it for US$99.99 and they start shipping by mid-October. You can can get US$20 off preorders by using the code QUATRO.
Apple Announces New CryptoKit APIs and Other Updates
Apple shared an update to its developer page to announce updates to CryptoKit, like new APIs and support for PEM and DER formats.
The September 2020 Apple Event AR Easter Egg
Hidden amongst the announcement on the Apple Event website was a little Easter egg – an AR-powered logo and date reveal.
Adobe Spark Adds Animations for Web Tools, New Asset Management
Adobe Spark introduced a couple of new updates. First, Animations is coming to Spark web tools, previously only available in the iOS and Android apps. It also gains new asset management features to its integration with Creative Cloud Libraries.
The trick to capturing attention on social media (and keeping it) is to add sensory, evocative triggers to your content, in the first two seconds that your viewer scrolls past your post. Second best to being able to scratch and sniff pixels, motion is one of those triggers that has the power to capture attention and make your audience feel something. When you evoke emotion in your audience, you’re that much closer to getting them to pay attention, swipe up, buy, or take some other desired action.
TMO Contributor Kelly Guimont (#13) - BGM Interview
Kelly Guimont is a long-time podcaster, Contributing Editor for The Mac Observer, the host of the Mac Observer’s Daily Observations podcast, and a tech support guru.
In her 13th appearance, Kelly and I chat about our favorite movies and TV shows of late. I open segment #1 with a rave review of the series Warrior Nun (Netflix). Kelly has seen all 10 episodes too, and also gives it a thumbs up. John then reviews the documentary series Still Standing. (Amazon). Kelly tells us, with enthusiasm, about Bill and Ted Face the Music (iTunes) and Lovecraft Country (HBO). In turn, John delves into a critical review of Upload (Netflix). And there’s bonus material. Join us as we explore together what’s great (and not so great) about these shows.
Apple Sues Epic Games Over Breach of Contract, Calls it ‘Robin Hood’
On Friday, Epic Games filed a motion in an attempt to force Fortnite back on the App Store. Apple has now fired back with its own lawsuit.
‘Data Jar’ is the Perfect App for Shortcut Dictionaries
Data Jar is a great app I discovered a while back and weirdly haven’t written about yet. This app helped me unlock my automations that require dictionaries. Data Jar lets you store key-value pairs and let them persist outside of Shortcuts. While I was trying to build a dictionary into my Shortcuts, I found that they couldn’t be updated using native actions; the data had to be stored elsewhere. The app lets you store text, numbers, Booleans, lists, dictionaries, and files. It’s free with an optional tip jar to support the developer Simon B. Støvring.
Epic Games Asks Court to Put Fortnite back onto the iOS App Store
Just before the Labor day weekend, Epic Games filed a motion with the court asking it to force Fortnite back onto the iOS App Store.
Data Fail Made UK banks And Councils Vulnerable to a Simple Google Search
Private details contained in over 50,000 letters sent out by UK banks and local authorities were indexed by Google when they should not have been. The error was the result of a London-based outsourcing firm leaving its system exposed, Wired reported.
Thousands of names and addresses – and the types of letters they were sent – were left exposed, affecting people in the UK, US and Canada. Virtual Mail Room, the firm responsible for the data breach, worked for clients including Metro Bank, 14 local councils, the publisher Pearson and insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor. The specific content of the letters sent to individuals were not visible. The privacy breach raises doubts about the due diligence carried out by companies and local authorities using outsourced mailing services to handle sensitive customer data. It also comes at a particularly painful time, with many of the names and addresses contained in the breach belonging to people who have been hit hard financially by the pandemic. Such missteps could fall foul of GDPR, with data controllers and processors potentially facing fines totalling tens of millions of pounds.
Review: The Roborock S6 MaxV Can Vacuum and Mop
Roborock sent Andrew the Roborock S6 MaxV which is a vacuum and mop combined. He shares his thoughts in his review.
Chargeworx Motion-Activated Wireless Charging Car Mount: $39.99
We have a deal on the Chargeworx Motion-Activated Wireless Charging Car Mount. This car mount attaches to your air vent, dashboard, or windshield, and has a built-in Qi wirelesss charger. It also comes with a built-in infrared motion sensor so you can attach or remove your phone with one hand. This car mount is $39.99 through our deal.
Uber Pledges to be Zero-Emission's Platform by 2040
Uber has pledged to become a zero-emissions platform by 2040. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi made the announcement in a blog post on Tuesday.
Instead of going back to business as usual, Uber is taking this moment as an opportunity to reduce our environmental impact. It’s our responsibility as the largest mobility platform in the world to more aggressively tackle the challenge of climate change. We want to do our part to build back better and drive a green recovery in our cities. While we’ve taken some important steps in recent years, from expanding micromobility options to offering public transit in the Uber app, we know we’ve got a long way to go. That’s why we’re working with the World Resources Institute, Transport & Environment (T&E), and others to become a stronger partner in the fight against climate change by leveraging our innovation, technology, and talent to expedite the global transition to clean energy. Uber is committing to become a fully zero-emission platform by 2040, with 100% of rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or with micromobility.
A First Look at 'The Last Campfire' on Apple Arcade
On Friday, Apple published a fairly in-depth look at the Apple Arcade game In The Last Campfire. Players take on the character of ember, who is trapped in a dark fantasy adventure. By completing a variety of tactile puzzles, players uncover a way home and restore hope to friends.
"Time Flies" Apple Event Speculation – TMO Daily Observations 2020-09-08
John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Apple’s “Time Flies” event announcement and what could be unveiled.
Smart Home Open Standard From Apple, Amazon, Google Alliance Set For 2021 Release
An open standard for smart home tech is set for release in 2021, according to a consortium that includes Apple, Google, and Amazon.
Reboot Your iPhone Weekly as a Security Measure
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has a tip for iPhone owners: Reboot it at least once a week as a security measure.
Not only does this clean the systems RAM and get it ready to do more work, it also helps protect against remote exploits by making it harder for hackers to keep control of your iPhone — hacks don’t survive reboots.
A good, practical, and easy tip for Apple users.
Apple Reveals iPhone Event on September 15
Apple has officially revealed an event on September 15, 2020 at 10AM PDT for a new iPhone, Apple Watch, and possibly more.