Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
Wink: Give Us $5 Monthly Or Lose Access to Your Devices
Wink is a company that makes smart home devices, and it recently announced it will force customers to pay a US$5/month subscription or they will lose access to device functionality.
In order to provide for development and continued growth, we are transitioning to a $4.99 monthly subscription, starting on May 13, 2020. This fee is designed to be as modest as possible […] Should you choose not to sign up for a subscription you will no longer be able to access your Wink devices from the app, with voice control or through the API, and your automations will be disabled on May 13. Your device connections, settings and automations can be reactivated if you decide to subscribe at a later date.
1: I think that’s called extortion, or fraud at the very least. 2: Apparently Wink is owned by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, and has trouble paying its employees. Not that it’s relevant, I just haven’t heard either of those names in years.
Lazarus Group’s Dacls RAT Affects Macs for the First Time
Security researcher Patrick Wardle writes that the Lazarus group’s RAT malware has been targeting macOS for the first time. MalwareBytes also published a report (and the source of my quote below). It was found to be distributed with a two-factor authentication app called MinaOTP, commonly used by Chinese users.
We believe this Mac variant of the Dcals RAT is associated with the Lazarus group, also known as Hidden Cobra and APT 38, an infamous North Korean threat actor performing cyber espionage and cyber-crime operations since 2009.
The group is known to be one of the most sophisticated actors, capable of making custom malware to target different platforms. The discovery of this Mac RAT shows that this APT group is constantly developing its malware toolset.
The conclusion I’m drawing is that it’s unlikely to affect most Mac users.
NFC Devices Could Soon Charge Smaller Devices With WLC Specification
Today The NFC Forum introduced a specification that would allow smartphones and tablets to charge smaller devices using NFC.
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