Backblaze S3 Compatible APIs are Here for B2 Cloud Storage

Today Backblaze announced it supports S3 compatible APIs for its B2 cloud storage service. This means that developers and software companies can use Backblaze storage without having to rewrite code or change their workflows.

Official Launch Partners: Cinnafilm, IBM Aspera, Igneous, LucidLink, Marquis, Masstech, Primestream, Quantum, Scale Logic, Storage Made Easy, Studio Network Solutions, Veeam, Venera, Vidispine, Xendata. These companies join a list of more than 100 other software, hardware, and cloud companies already offering Backblaze B2 to support their customers’ cloud storage needs.

Senators Introduce COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act

Today a group of Republican senators announced plans to introduce the COVID-19 Consumer Data Protection Act.

The legislation would provide all Americans with more transparency, choice, and control over the collection and use of their personal health, geolocation, and proximity data. The bill would also hold businesses accountable to consumers if they use personal data to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

A good move, I think. We need thoughtful legislation passed to preempt the contact tracing train.

SteamVR Drops Support for Mac Customers

Steam announced today that SteamVR is dropping support for macOS so the team can focus on Windows and Linux.

We recommend that macOS users continue to opt into the SteamVR [macos]branches for access to legacy builds.

Users can opt into a branch by right-clicking on SteamVR in Steam, and selecting Properties… -> Betas.

SteamVR first came to the Mac in 2017 when Apple added support for external GPUs. They’re most likely reacting to a lack of interest on the part of users and a lack of commitment on Apple’s part.

The Start-to-Finish Guide to Launching a Successful Podcast Bundle: $44.99

We have a deal on another training bundle for your #stayhome time, the Start-to-Finish Guide to Launching a Successful Podcast Bundle. It features 9 different  courses on creating, producing, and distributing a podcast, including how to conduct an interview, marketing, and more. It has more than 500 lessons and 39 hours of video content. The whole bundle is $44.99 through our deal.

Apple Results Show Reason For Positivity

Lots of Apple watchers think there is plenty to be positive about, following the company’s latest results announcement. Ed Hardy on Cult of Mac outlined his five reasons to be cheerful.

A significant part of the increase in company revenue came from growth in services like the App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and others. “Our long-running investment in our services strategy is succeeding,” said CEO Tim Cook. “This business is growing and is a reflection of our enduring, large and growing installed base.” The company did not break out how its new video and gaming services are doing from the general increase in revenue.

Apple TV+ Taking Viewers on 'Unbelievable Journeys'

There appears to be a big push to bring in more Apple TV+ subscribers. Maybe it’s because of the ever-growing competition. Maybe it’s because a load of people will be getting their new iPhone SE soon and the company wants to remind them they get a year’s free subscription. Whatever it is, this is the second advert to land in about 24-hours. It focusses on the “unbelievable journeys” Apple TV+ can take viewers on and highlights some of the original flagship shows.

The ORG Domain Won’t Be Sold to a Private Entity After All

The board of the Internet Association for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICAAN) has rejected the sale of the Public Interest Registry to private equity firm Ethos.

Since 2003, PIR has operated the .ORG generic top-level domain (gTLD) as a not-for-profit organization, as well as six other gTLDs. Per the gTLD Registry Agreements, ICANN must either approve or withhold consent of a proposed change of control, the deadline for which is 4 May 2020.

After completing its evaluation, the ICANN Board finds that the public interest is better served in withholding consent as a result of various factors that create unacceptable uncertainty over the future of the third largest gTLD registry.

Good news for public organizations with .ORG websites. We don’t need another private company jacking up prices.

The Become a Social Media Manager Certification Bundle: $28.98

We have a deal on the Become a Social Media Manager Certification Bundle, a collection of 7 different tutorials focused on social media management. Instagram Marketing for Newbies & Small Business, LinkedIn Marketing: Build a Brand & Generate Leads, Blogging For Business: Triple Your Traffic Without Paid Ads, and four more tutorials are included. There are 223 different lessons and 18 hours of content in this bundle, all for $28.98.

Get a Raspberry Pi Camera With This New $50 Product

The Raspberry Pi Foundation announced a camera board built around a 12MP Sony IMX477 sensor, and it supports interchangeable lenses.

The High Quality Camera is compatible with almost all Raspberry Pi models, from the original Raspberry Pi 1 Model B onward. Some very early Raspberry Pi Zero boards from the start of 2016 lack a camera connector, and other Zero users will need the same adapter FPC that is used with Camera Module v2.