We finally have the winner of our iPhone 16 Pro international giveaway! Congratulations to Oliver T., and a huge thank you to everyone who participated.
Crave PowerPack 2 - 50,000mAh Battery Charger: $189.99
We have a deal on a big boy portable battery, the Crave PowerPack 2. This 50,000mAh has two USB-C ports, one of which offers 60 watts for charging your laptop. The other USB-C port is an 18 watt port for mobile devices. It also has two QuickCharge USB charging ports for other mobile devices.
Apple Doesn't Get The iMessage – TMO Daily Observations 2020-03-12
Charlotte Henry joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss Apple’s (lacking) Messages app and what rumors say could make it an Apple-level product in iOS 14.
A Database of 500 iPhones Cops Tried to Unlock
Motherboard built a database of over 500 iPhones that law enforcement have tried to unlock. Many of them weren’t able to be unlocked at all.
Out of 516 analyzed cases, 295 were marked as executed. Officials from the FBI, DEA, DHS, Homeland Security and Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were able to extract data from iPhones in investigations ranging from arson, to child exploitation, to drug trafficking. And investigators executed warrants against modern iPhones, not just older models.
As mentioned, this provides useful data instead of the usual anecdotes. You can find the database here.
First ARM Macs Could Arrive in 2020
Apple is preparing to move its Macs to use ARM processors, starting with the MacBook. The first ones could arrive by the end of this year, according to a note by analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, seen by Cult of Mac.
In his latest note to investors, Kuo reveals that Apple could ship its first ARM-powered Mac by the end of 2020. It is believed a MacBook will make the switch first — ahead of Apple’s desktop machines. However, almost all Macs could use ARM chips eventually. The transition will obviously take time. Switching CPU architectures would require all software, including the macOS operating system itself, to be rewritten. Existing apps and games would not be compatible without some kind of emulator.
Proton Apps Receive Alternative Routing to Stop Censorship
Proton apps will get new alternative routing as a way to block attempts at censorship, whether it’s by governments, ISPs, or network admins.
How TAG Huer is Trying to Compete With The Apple Watch
By any measure, the Apple Watch has won. The device helps Apple dominate the wearables market and outsells all its rivals by a significant margin. However, TAG Huer is hoping the 2020 version of its Connected smartwatch will help it stay in the game. Wired took a look at the device.
Its Monaco watches are square so it’s conceivable that we could one day see a square smartwatch from the brand, but the new TAG Heuer Connected shows that we’re unlikely to get a device that doesn’t look and act like a conventional watch. That’s unsurprising from a Swiss watchmaker, but it’s also notable in that it makes TAG Heuer one of the only genuine alternatives to Apple remaining. Five years after its first smartwatch, the 2020 edition of the TAG Heuer Connected isn’t dramatically different. The team of 30, up from four and now based in Paris, is doubling down on the idea of watch craftsmanship, both on the hardware and in the digital watch faces, and adding its own custom Sports app for golf, running and cycling.
Apple Signs Open Letter Opposing State Anti-LBGTQ Bills
Apple joined major tech firms in signing an open later opposing anti-LGBTQ legislation passing through a number of State Houses.
Comcast Just Revealed 200,000 Unlisted Phone Numbers
Comcast says it accidentally published the names, phone numbers, and addresses of almost 200,000 of its customers.
Is The Event You're Going to Canceled Yet?
A large number of events, including major tech conferences, have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Given the constantly evolving situation, it can be hard to keep track of what is happening to events you were due to go to. Luckily, isitcanceledyet.com is helping to keep people as up to date as possible. Scroll through and you can check if what you were meant to attend is still going ahead.
Working From Home Isn’t For Everyone, But it’s Not Overrated
Writing for ˆThe New York Times, Kevin Roose says that working from home is overrated. Is it really though? I took umbrage at the sensational headline until I came to this part (emphasis mine):
But I’ve been researching the pros and cons of remote work for my upcoming book about human survival in the age of artificial intelligence and automation. And I’ve now come to a very different conclusion: Most people should work in an office, or near other people, and avoid solitary work-from-home arrangements whenever possible.
In other words, this article is an ad for his book. Moving on. To be fair, if you tend to fall on the extroverted end of the spectrum, maybe remote work isn’t best for your mental health. But calling it “overrated” just because you don’t care for it is simplistic.
Apple Partners With Jimmy John’s For Apple Pay Promo
Apple is partnering with Jimmy John’s for its latest Apple Pay promotion. Through March 15 you can get a special deal when you use Apple Pay.
Apple Dominated Wearables Market in Q4 2019
Apple dominated the wearables market in the fourth quarter of 2019, with Xiamoi trailing behind in second place.
Apple Seeds watchOS Beta Five
Apple seeded the fifth Beta of watchOS 6.2 to developers on Wednesday. MacRumors took a look at some of the new features on offer.
watchOS 6.2 introduces Apple Watch App Store support for in-app purchases, which will allow developers to create and sell Apple Watch apps that offer in-app purchase options and subscriptions. Code in iOS 13.4, the companion update to watchOS 6.2, suggests that both the iPhone and the Apple Watch will in the future have a “CarKey” feature that will let them be used in lieu of a car key to unlock NFC-capable vehicles. It’s not clear if this feature will be available when watchOS 6.2 launches, but it is in the works.
Apple to Join Tech Firms at White House For Coronavirus Meeting
Apple is amongst the tech firms asked to take place in a White House meeting to discuss the response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Forgotten Apple Watch Features – TMO Daily Observations 2020-03-11
John Martellaro joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss the Apple Watch features that tend to be forgotten when it’s considered a health tracker.
![[UPDATED] Apple Stores Increase Measures Taken to Limit Spread of Coronavirus](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/apple-store-stonestown.webp)
[UPDATED] Apple Stores Increase Measures Taken to Limit Spread of Coronavirus
Apple Stores have taken a number of measures to try and help limit the spread of the coronavirus, including operating below capacity.
All-in-One Device to Automatically Backup Photos, Videos, and More While You Charge: $89.99
We have a deal on the TOKK Photo Cube, a 64GB data backup device that automatically backs up your data, including Calendar, Contact, Photos & Videos, and more, as you power up your device. It works with iOS and Android. This device is $89.99 through our deal.
New Drama Series ‘Suspicion’ Planned for Apple TV+, Starring Uma Thurman
Apple ordered a new drama series for Apple TV+ called Suspicion. It will star actress Uma Thurman (Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction).
Notability 9.3 Update Adds Presentation Mode, Single Page Mode
Handwriting app Notability got an update yesterday. Notability 9.3 adds Presentation Mode and Single Page Mode. With Presentation Mode you can view a note in full screen without toolbars and menus when connected to an external display; use laser pointer functionality, in addition to all of Notability’s drawing tools; app background goes to black to enable you to focus on the note content; Multi-Note allows you to see a private note while presenting. Meanwhile, Single Page Mode lets you flip through a note horizontally one page at a time, and it makes pages feel like slides. App Store: US$8.99
AirPods Pro: Snap Between Transparency Mode and Active Noise Cancellation
Apple released a new video highlighting the Transparency and active Noise Cancellation modes available in the AirPods Pro. Called ‘Snap’, the clip shows a girl going through a busy city and shifting between the two modes. Turning on the active noise cancellation though takes her into a whole different place…
Yahoo Mobile Phone Service Arrives for $40
Yahoo Mobile is a new phone service that costs US$40/month. It uses Verizon’s network to give you unlimited texts, calls, and 4G data.
Times of high congestion will result in a slower connection, and tethering is limited to 5Mbits, with one tethered device permitted at time. Regular download speeds will range between 5-12 Mbps, with upload speeds of around 2-5 Mbps — not ground-breaking stuff, but reasonable enough.
It’s a direct competitor to Verizon’s other prepaid service, Visible (Which I use). Visible sounds like a better deal than Yahoo Mobile though since it removed its data cap.
Apple News Highlights Special Coronavirus Coverage
Apple is adding a special coronavirus coverage section to bring readers the latest news about the viral outbreak.
Apple Reportedly Cancels March 31 Event
It hadn’t been confirmed yet but rumors pointed to a March 31 event for Apple, but now it may have been canceled.
Careless ‘Whisper’ Leaks Years of User Data
Whisper, an app for people to share their secrets, exposed user data like age, location, and more for years.
The records were viewable on a non-password-protected database open to the public Web. A Post reporter was able to freely browse and search through the records, many of which involved children: A search of users who had listed their age as 15 returned 1.3 million results.
The cybersecurity consultants Matthew Porter and Dan Ehrlich, who lead the advisory group Twelve Security, said they were able to access nearly 900 million user records from the app’s release in 2012 to the present day.
You can never be 100% secure but at least put a damn password on your server.