Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
Apple Hires BBC Factual Controller Alison Kirkham
Apple has hired BBC factual controller Alison Kirkham to join Apple TV+ this summer. She will remain in London and oversee unscripted content.
Sonos Arc Premium Soundbar Brings Dolby Atmos, Immersive Sound
On Wednesday, Sonos announced their latest hardware additions, featuring the Sonos Arc, a premium soundbar with support for Dolby Atmos. This marks the first Sonos product to support Dolby Atmos, and there are hints at support for higher resolution audio formats coming in the future. Two other pieces of hardware, Sonos Five (a PLAY:5 with revamped guts) and their 3rd-generation Sonos Sub, were also announced today.
Spotify CEO Says Apple Will Open its Platform More
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek says he expects Apple to open its platform more to third party services.
“Long term, we do expect Apple to open up,” Ek said in an interview with Bloomberg TV that aired on Tuesday. Spotify has criticized Apple for taking a 30% cut of subscriptions and accused it of limiting app updates and preventing functionality on the Apple Watch and Siri.
Spotify will only be satisfied with the cancellation of Apple Music and the preinstallation of its app on iOS. But that still wouldn’t change the fact that it doesn’t pay artists a fair wage.
Australia's Covid-19 Contact Tracing App Doesn't Work Properly on iPhones
Users running Australia’s Covid-19 contact tracing app on an iPhone may not be collecting all the necessary data, it has emerged.
iOS 13.5 Will Auto-Share Your Medical ID With First Responders
In the beta versions of iOS 13.5 and watchOS 6.2.5, a feature will automatically share your Medical ID when Emergency SOS is activated.
'Visible - Out on Television' on Apple TV+ is The Kind of Show Only Apple Could Make
‘Visible – Out on TV’ tells the story of LGBTQ representation on TV and shows the full power of Apple starting to produce content.
Why Apple Cares About ARM – TMO Daily Observations 2020-05-06
John Martellaro and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss ARM processors, what exactly they are why Apple wants to develop them.
There Are 2 Ways to Recover iCloud Drive Files
Did you accidentally delete a file or folder and want to get it back? Thankfully there are two ways to recover iCloud Drive files.
Tim Cook's Ohio State University Virtual Commencement Address
With in-person graduation ceremonies stopped, lots of schools are offering virtual commencement addresses. On Sunday, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave one to Ohio State University’s class of 2020. Last yeah, he addressed graduating students at Tulane. This time around, Mr. Cook urged the students to “build a better future than the one you thought was certain.
Safe Touch N Go Key Contact-Less Keychain Tool 2 Pack: $19.99
We have a deal on the Safe Touch N Go Key, a device designed to allow you to push open doors, push buttons, or even touchscreens without making contact with your skin. Our deal is for a 2-pack of gold finish, aluminum alloy keys for $19.99.
New iMac and AirPods 'Ready to Ship'
Updated iMacs and AirPods are apparently “ready to ship” and “could drop at any time,” according to a well-known source of leaked information.
Craig Federighi Explains How Apple Reinvented The Cursor For The iPad
One of the big ‘wow’ moments when Apple unveiled the new iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard was the way it integrated a new kind of cursor. In an interview with Techcrunch, Apple SVP Craig Federighi explains how the company did.
In some ways, the work on the new iPad OS cursor began with the Apple TV’s refreshed interface back in 2015. If you’ve noticed some similarities between the way that the cursor behaves on iPad OS and the way it works on Apple TV, you’re not alone. There is the familiar ‘jumping’ from one point of interest to another, for instance, and the slight sheen of a button as you move your finger while ‘hovering’ on it. “There was a process to figure out exactly how various elements would work together,” Federighi says. “We knew we wanted a very touch-centric cursor that was not conveying an unnecessary level of precision. We knew we had a focus experience similar to Apple TV that we could take advantage of in a delightful way. We knew that when dealing with text we wanted to provide a greater sense of feedback.”“Part of what I love so much about what’s happened with iPadOS is the way that we’ve drawn from so many sources. The experience draws from our work on tvOS, from years of work on the Mac, and from the origins of iPhone X and early iPad, creating something new that feels really natural for iPad.”
Hacker Bribed Roblox Insider to Access Kids’ Data
Motherboard reports that a hacker had bribed a Roblox insider to access the data of over 100 million users.
“I did this only to prove a point to them,” the hacker told Motherboard in an online chat. Motherboard granted the hacker anonymity to speak more candidly about a criminal incident.
Beyond just viewing user data, the hacker was able to reset passwords and change user data too […] The hacker said they changed the password for two accounts and sold their items. One of the screenshots appears to show the successful change of two-factor authentication settings […]
Proving a point my a**. This person tried to claim a bug bounty from Roblox. They denied it because he/she acted “more maliciously than a legitimate security researcher.” He messed with the accounts after denial, so his point was revenge.
Update: A Roblox spokesperson informed me that only a small amount of customers were affected, not 100 million, and immediate action was taken to address the issue. Additionally, it was a Roblox insider and not an employee.
Firefox 76 Improves Built-In Password Manager
Mozilla released Firefox 76 today, bringing improvements to the browser’s Lockwise password manager. It also gives Mac users picture-in-picture functionality.
Firefox Lockwise will require a device’s account password before allowing a saved password to be copied, and it will let users know if a website breach has occurred that compromises a login and password.
It also provides an alert for vulnerable passwords, which are passwords used for more than one site. The password generating feature that creates random passwords has also been rolled out to more sites.
That’s great to know. I had no idea Firefox had a built-in PM.
Twitter Testing Sending Prompt to Users Posting 'Offensive' Replies
Twitter is to test sending prompts to users who may be using “offensive or hurtful language” in their replies.
Apple Releases Firmware Update 2D15 for AirPods Pro
Today Apple released firmware version 2D15 for AirPods Pro. This will bring all customers to one update.
WWDC 2020 Announced – TMO Daily Observations 2020-05-05
Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join host Kelly Guimont to discuss WWDC 2020, and making lemonade from the hand of lemons we’ve been dealt.
WWDC 2020 Date Set for June 22
Apple just announced the WWDC 2020 date and it will happen on June 22. As previously reported it will be a virtual conference.
Apple Patents Suggest Company Doubling Down on Bendable Designs
Apple appears to be turning an increasing amount of attention towards developing bendable designs for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. At least that’s what a new patent suggests to AppleInsider.
“Planar hinge assembly,” US Patent No 10,642,318, chiefly describes how such a design could apply to a MacBook Pro-style device. “A personal computing device comprises a single piece body having a seamless overall appearance and that includes a bendable portion that is capable of having a smoothly curved shape,” it says. “The single piece body includes a first part capable of carrying a display suitable for presenting visual content, and a second part that is capable of carrying an input device suitable for accepting an input action.” Apple is careful to always describe “a personal computing device,” and its details can also apply to “a smart phone cover or a tablet computer device.” But it all hinges, so to speak, on what’s referred to as “a multi-state bending assembly.”
Apple Stores in Australia and Austria Reopening This Week
Apple Stores in Australia and Austria will reopen this week, with almost all those in Australia welcoming customers from Thursday.
Edison Mail Arrives in the Mac App Store
Popular iOS email app Edison has arrived to the Mac App Store. It brings features like a Focused Inbox, Today Folder, and notification muting, as well as analyzing user email for research and e-commerce trends. The company announced it in a blog post:
We’ve been working night and day to ensure that the Edison Mac app experience is incredible for all our consumers. Available for Yahoo, Gmail, Outlook accounts, and more, Edison offers a universal inbox that keeps all emails from multiple accounts in a single place. This means no more jumping from inbox to inbox in order to see messages in your different accounts.
Mac App Store: Edison Mail – Free
Apple and Google Ban Location Tracking in COVID Apps
Apple and Google announced on Monday that the use of location tracking in contact tracing apps is banned to preserve privacy.
Nest Introducing Two-Factor Authentication For All Users This Month
Nest is introducing two-factor authentication for users who have not migrated to a Google account or turned the feature on already.
France Claims Apple is Undermining its COVID App Efforts
On Tuesday the French government accused Apple of undermining its efforts with its contact tracing app “StopCovid.”
Apple’s iPhones normally block access to Bluetooth unless the user is actively running an app. French officials want Apple to change the settings to let their app access Bluetooth in the background, so it is always on. So far, they say, Apple has refused.
O, the French minister, said he could not explain the reasoning behind Apple’s decision on Bluetooth. “We consider that oversight of the healthcare system, fighting the coronavirus, is a matter for governments and not necessarily for big American companies,” he said.
As we pointed out on our Daily Observations podcast, most people aren’t going to care about the privacy aspects of these apps. But they will care about battery life, and apps like these constantly using Bluetooth in the background will undoubtedly be a factor, Bluetooth Low Energy or not.