Flash storage cannot be removed from the logic board in the new 27-inch iMac – some models have flash storage expansion.
Security Friday - Intel, LastPass, Clario – TMO Daily Observations 2020-08-07
Andrew Orr and Jeff Butts join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Security Friday news, and a new headphone option coming with iOS 14.
iPhone 12 Camera Lenses Encounter Quality Control Problems
Camera lenses set for the iPhone 12 have encountered problems, according to a note from analyst Ming Chi Kuo, seen by 9to5 Mac. However, it could save Apple some money.
The problem was spotted during a high-temperature, high-humidity test designed to ensure that the cameras can cope with use in tropical climates… The issues occurred with the camera modules destined for the non-Pro 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch models, with units made by Yujingguang. It’s not yet known whether the company will be able to fix the problem in time for the launch. While Apple will undoubtedly not be impressed by the failure in the iPhone 12 camera lenses, there may be an upside to it. Kuo believes that the lens supplier will be forced to offer Apple a substantial discount on the agreed price in order to win back the business.
New Executive Orders Target WeChat and TikTok
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed Executive Orders banning transactions with Chinese companies behind WeChat and TikTok.
Apple to Donate to Beirut Relief Efforts
Apple is to make a contribution to relief efforts in Beirut, following the devastating blast in the Lebanese city this week.
Apple and T-Mobile Give 1 Million iPads to California Students
Apple and T-Mobile are partnering with the California Department of Education to give up to one million iPads to students in need.
Facebook Gaming App Launches on iOS... With no Games
Facebook hit out at Apple’s App Store policies as it launched its Facebook Gaming app on iOS… without any games.
‘Have I Been Pwned’ Database Now Open Source
Troy Hunt is making his Have I Been Pwned database open source. He says it’s already a community project with companies like Cloudflare providing free services to HIBP.
The single most important objective of that process was to seek a more sustainable future for HIBP and that desire hasn’t changed; the project cannot be solely dependent on me. Yet that’s where we are today and if I disappear, HIBP quickly withers and dies.
Facebook to Continue WFH Until July 2021
Facebook has joined Google in extending its work from home plans. Staff will not return to the office until July 2021, Techcrunch reported. Apple is hoping to have employees return in early 2021.
“Based on guidance from health and government experts, as well as decisions drawn from our internal discussions about these matters, we are allowing employees to continue voluntarily working from home until July 2021,” a spokeswoman told the Reuters news agency. Facebook also said it will provide employees with an additional $1,000 to spend on “home office needs”… Earlier this month, Facebook secured the main office lease on an iconic building in New York, for example — adding 730,000 square feet to its existing 2.2 million square feet of office space.
Meeting The Cast of 'Little Voice' on Apple TV+
In a new video, the cast and creators of Apple TV+ show Little Voice discuss their time on set and how they set about showing young New York life. They talk about the characters and the diversity that makes the series what it is.
Twitter Pushed iPhone Update Notes on Limiting Who Can Reply by Mistake
Twitter pushed an iPhone release suggesting that the ability to limit who replies was being rolled out more widely than it currently has been. However, The Verge found out that the release notes came out by mistake.
Twitter has been experimenting with this feature since May, and yesterday pushed an update to the iPhone version of its mobile app suggesting the feature would be more widely rolling out. A Twitter spokesperson now tells The Verge it accidentally pushed incorrect release notes; the feature is not in fact more widely rolling out, for now. “In May, we tested a new way to have a chat with exactly who you want, so you can create and consume more meaningful changes,” read the update text on the App Store. “Now, everyone can try this new feature and choose who can reply to their tweets.” A Twitter spokesperson says the misconception was due “to some accidentally pushed release notes,” and that “the ability to limit replies on tweets is not currently available to everyone.”
Shot on iPhone - Academy Award Winner Damien Chazelle Creates Vertical Cinema
Apple released a new ‘Shot on iPhone’ video in which Oscar winner Damien Chazelle took famous cinematic styles and flipped them on their side.
20GB Intel Data Leak Spread on Twitter Includes Source Code
An anonymous leaker took to Twitter to leak 20GB of Intel data and says more is coming soon.
The poster encourages downloaders to look for mentions of ‘backdoors’ in some of the Intel source code, and even provides a sample clip of one such listing, but we aren’t sure of the intentions behind the listings in the code.
Hitting Command + F to look for mentions of backdoors, because such backdoors would conveniently be labeled as such, right?
Snapchat Voting Tools to Appear in September
Snap Inc plans to gradually roll out Snapchat voting tools for users and we can expect to start seeing them in September.
Amazon Alexa App on iPhone Gets Major Revamp
The Alexa app for iPhone is getting a revamp, offering increased personalization and a greater focus on first-party features.
macOS Big Sur Public Beta Now Available
Apple released iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 for public beta testers in July, and on Thursday launched the macOS Big Sur public beta.
Stars Head to TV+, Apple Music Goes Gaga – TMO Daily Observations 2020-08-06
Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Apple’s newfound appeal with stars, and the latest Apple Music radio show.
Apple Seeds iOS 14 Public Beta 4 for Customers
Apple released iOS 14 public beta 4 today for beta testers after it released a new developer beta on Tuesday.
Harry Potter Movies Heading to Peacock
The entire set of Harry Potter movies is heading to Peacock and will be available in windows from later this year and into 2021, Variety reported. The films will even be accessible to those users with the free tier.
The octet of movies based on J.K. Rowling’s famed fantasy book series is set to roll off HBO Max as of Aug. 25, after WarnerMedia had carved out a three-month window for the popular franchise following its launch. In 2016, NBCU inked a deal with Warner Bros. locking up TV and digital rights to the Potter movies (including “Fantastic Beasts”) from 2018-2025 that also incorporated content for Universal theme parks. “The Harry Potter franchise is beloved by people of all ages and represents the caliber of quality entertainment customers can expect to find on Peacock,” said Frances Manfredi, Peacock’s president of content acquisition and strategy, in a statement. “We’ve built a world-class collection of iconic movies and shows, and we will continue to expand the film library with treasured titles from NBCUniversal and beyond that will surprise and delight Peacock customers time and time again.”
More Chinese Apps Could be Banned From App Store in U.S.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that more Chinese apps may be removed from the App Store and other platforms.
Former Arm President Warns Against Sale
Tudor Brown, the former president of UK chip-designer Arm, has warned against the sale of the company. There has been speculation current owner Softbank will sell it to Nvidia. Mr. Brown voiced his opposition to such a move in an interview with BBC News.
“I have always believed the Softbank investment and focus on growth was ill-advised, and I think Softbank is coming to accept that now,” Mr Brown told the BBC. “[But] it would be very bad news for ARM to be sold to any semiconductor company. “The company should be slimmed down and kept independent to serve the industry from a profitable position of neutrality.” ARM creates computer-chip designs that others then customise to their own ends. It also develops instruction sets, which define how software controls processors.
Apple’s Senior VP of Machine Learning Talks Strategy
John Giannandrea, Apple’s Senior Vice President for Machine Learning and AI Strategy, and Bob Borchers, VP of Product Marketing, spoke with Ars Technica about Apple’s AI strategy and beliefs.
When I joined Apple, I was already an iPad user, and I loved the Pencil,” Giannandrea (who goes by “J.G.” to colleagues) told me. “So, I would track down the software teams and I would say, ‘Okay, where’s the machine learning team that’s working on handwriting?’ And I couldn’t find it.” It turned out the team he was looking for didn’t exist—a surprise, he said, given that machine learning is one of the best tools available for the feature today.
Robert Downey Jr. Heads to Apple TV+ With New Drama
Apple has given a straight-to-series order for a drama from Adam Perlman and Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s Team Downey production company.
Tivoo-Max Pixel Art Alarm Clock and Speaker: $149.99
We have a deal on the Tivoo-Max pixel art speaker from Divoom. It features a 2.1 speaker setup with an active sub-woofer, and the front of the device is a pixel art display you can control with the Divoom Smart app on your iPhone (or Android device). It also has alarm clock features built in, making it an all around device that is fun, too. The Tivoo-Max is $149.99 through our deal.