We have a deal on the Kinkoo Mini Portable Air Conditioner that cools, humidifies, and cleans the dust particles from the air. Fill the viewable water tank, and the device uses evaporation to cool you down—the company says it works best in a hot and dry climate. It’s $59.99 through our deal.
Happy 12th Birthday iOS App Store
The iOS App Store has turned 12-years-old. It first went live on 10 July 2008 and has since created a whole economy.
Apple EU Tax Case Appeal Ruling Due Next Week
The result of Apple and Ireland’s appeal against an EU tax ruling is expected next week but is likely to be appealed further.
'Little Voice' on Apple TV+ Aims to Improve Autism Representation
Little Voice arrived on Apple TV+ on Friday. It features an autistic character Louie King, who was played by an actor who is on the autism spectrum, Kevin Valdez. The actor joined the show’s co-creator, Jessie Nelson, to explain why this was so important.
“He’s really similar to me,” Valdez says. “It’s almost like this role was made with me in mind”… Apple’s service has a show, See, that features a large cast of actors who are blind or low vision. “I was so pleased with how far we’ve come that Apple was so supportive of finding an autistic actor to play this role,” Nelson says. “This is a very different moment in history.” Increasingly, autistic actors are playing characters on the autism spectrum. And those characters are moving beyond the male autistic savant stereotype, says Arianna Esposito, director of lifespan services at Autism Speaks. Having a person with autism playing a role like Louie “really brings an authenticity to the character,” Esposito says.
Spotify, Waze, And Other Popular Apps Crashing in iOS 13 Possibly Thanks to Facebook SDK
Users are reporting that a number of popular apps, including Spotify and Waze, are crashing when they try to use them on an iPhone.
Apple Registers UK Turnover of £1.37 Billion, £6.2 Million Tax Payment
The latest accounts for Apple in the UK showed the firm had a turnover of £1.37 billion with a total tax expense of £6.2 million.
Public Beta of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 Now Available
Apple has released the Public Beta of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, just days after the updated developer beta was made available.
Tekjoy Shiatsu Kneading Massage Pillow with Extended Velcro Strap: $44.99
Our friends at Stack Commerce have a fun deal for us today on the Tekjoy Shiatsu Kneading Massage Pillow. It’s a massager that comes with an extended strap that allows you to put pressure where you want it. This device is $44.99 through our deal.
Updates to Swift Learning, iOS 14 Preview – TMO Daily Observations 2020-07-09
Charlotte Henry and Jeff Butts join host Kelly Guimont to discuss updates to Apple’s Swift educational resources and new features in iOS 14.
Nokia Collaborates With Apple on Data Center Networking Tools
Nokia launched a set of tools for data center networking in collaboration with Apple on Thursday. Reuters reported that the aim is to help firms manage increased traffic as 5G networks are rolled out.
As the usage of 5G networks expands, vast quantities of data will be generated as more household appliances and other machines are linked up with sensors and artificial intelligence tools, creating the so-called “internet-of-things”. Nokia, which competes against China’s Huawei and Sweden’s Ericsson to build 5G networks, has been broadening its portfolio by adding open interfaces to its 5G equipment and launching new networking products. “We worked very closely with (Apple) over the last two plus years to understand their requirements,” said Steve Vogelsang, Nokia’s chief technology officer for IP and optical business.
Quibi Loses 90 Percent of Users After Free Trial
Quibi lost 90 percent of early users after their free trials expired. That’s according to data from Sensor Tower, reported on by The Verge.
According to the firm’s new report on Quibi’s early growth, the short-form video platform signed up about 910,000 users in its first few days back in April. Of those users, only about 72,000 stuck around after the three-month free trial, indicating the app had about an 8 percent conversion rate. That’s not too bad. But compare it to the streaming video industry’s most successful debut of the last few years, Disney Plus, and the resulting picture is a grim one for Quibi.
Apple Releases Updated Swift Coding Educational Resources
Apple updated its coding programs and resources for students launched a new online professional learning course for educators.
How to Show Battery Percentage on iPhone XR and iPhone 11
To show battery percentage on an iPhone XR or iPhone 11 you need to access the Control Center or add a Widget.
How to Look Up Your Apple Warranty Status
There’s an easy way to look up your Apple warranty status for any product you own. And then proceed if you need assistance.
Apple Won 63 Patents, Including For a Repositionable Control Accessory
An interesting new patent granted to Apple was for a repositionable control that could be used with iPads and other devices.
Microsoft Reveals Details of Vast Phishing Campaign Against Users
In a blog post published Tuesday, Microsoft revealed details of a major phishing campaign that its Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) first observed in December 2019. The criminals targeted user accounts in 62 countries,
Based on patterns discovered at that time, Microsoft utilized technical means to block the criminals’ activity and disable the malicious application used in the attack. Recently, Microsoft observed renewed attempts by the same criminals, this time using COVID-19-related lures in the phishing emails to target victims. This malicious activity is yet another form of business email compromise (BEC) attack, which has increased in complexity, sophistication and frequency in recent years. According to the FBI’s 2019 Internet Crime Report, the most-costly complaints received by their Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) involved BEC crimes, with losses of over $1.7 billion, representing nearly half of all financial losses due to cybercrime. While most of the public’s attention in recent years has justifiably focused on the malign acts of nation state actors, the increasing economic harm caused by cybercriminals must also be considered and confronted by the public and private sectors. For our part, Microsoft and our Digital Crimes Unit will continue to investigate and disrupt cybercriminals and will seek to work with law enforcement agencies around the world, whenever possible, to stop these crimes.
Innotech Bluetooth 4.0 Smart Scale, BMI Analyzer, Health Monitor: $41.99
We have a deal on the Innotech Smart Scale, a device that provides 9 precise ways to look into your body measurements including weight, body fat, water, muscle mass, BMI, BMR, visceral fat, bone mass, and protein. It connects to an app on your iPhone or Android device via Bluetooth 4.0, and it supports supports Fitbit, Apple Health, and Google Fit. This smart scale is $41.99 through our deal.
PowerBook Origin Story – TMO Daily Observations 2020-07-08
Bryan Chaffin and host Kelly Guimont chat about an interview with a designer of the original PowerBook and their own Apple Portable histories.
iPhone Independent Repair Provider Program Coming to Europe and Canada
Apple is expanding its Independent Repair Provider so firms in Europe and Canada can offer customers iPhone repairs using genuine Apple parts.
Apple Pay Available to Heritage Bank Customers
Australia’s Heritage Bank has rolled out Apple Pay as more banks work to facilitate contactless payments to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Tom Hanks is “Actually Thrilled” ‘Greyhound’ is Coming Out on Apple TV+. No. Really.
Tom Hanks walked back recent comments and said he is “thrilled that Apple TV+ is making it possible for everybody to see” Greyhound.
Will 'Free as a Bird' be Enough to Make Peacock a Success?
NBCUniversal is set to fully enter the streaming wars next week. Variety took a look at the story behind the Peacock service, which has suffered delays to some of its major launch productions.
Most of the Peacock originals slate has been delayed by COVID-19. The service will come out with just nine originals, which include a slick series adaptation of “Brave New World” and U.K.-set workplace comedy “Intelligence,” starring David Schwimmer. The Summer Olympics were postponed until 2021, depriving the launch of some valuable promotional real estate. And with two weeks before go time, Peacock had deals for Apple, Google, Xbox and Vizio and LG TVs, but still had not clinched distribution pacts with Roku or Amazon Fire TV, the two biggest over-the-top TV device makers (which also have been holdouts on HBO Max). But Strauss remains undeterred, convinced that Peacock’s greatest potential lies in the free-to-watch tier with a light advertising load that promises no more than 5 minutes of commercials per hour. NBCU’s theory is that “Free as a bird” will resonate with millions of Americans who are financially strapped or just too maxed out to pay for yet another streaming package.
iOS 14 Developer Beta 2 Now Available
iOS 14 Developer beta 2, the first update since WWDC, has landed, as have Xcode 12 beta 2 and Xcode 12 for macOS Universal Apps beta 2.
Google+ is Officially no More - Replaced on iOS and Android
Google+, the search giant’s ill-fated social network, is officially no more. It has been replaced on iOS and Android with Google Currents, reported 9to5Mac Google.
This launch is starting with a rebrand of Google+ for Android and iOS to Google Currents. The latest version introduces the blue waveform-like icon and gives the application a Google Material Theme redesign. The core UI is mostly unchanged with a home stream ordered by relevance (or chronology), while posts from company leadership can be given priority with a sparkle icon. Text, links, images, and other content from Drive can be shared, along with polls. Otherwise, this internal community tool carries over the concept of “tags” and “streams” from Google+.