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.
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.
These Children Accidentally Racked up a £600 Bill on Their iPads
We’ve heard stories about children inadvertently running up huge bills on their parent’s credit cards before, but it never gets less painful for those involved. One parent shared their story with The Guardian after their children spent £600 ($764) on online gaming platform Roblox. Apple apparently did eventually refund the money, spent via the children’s iPads, after being contacted by the newspaper.
My nine and eight-year-old kids spent £602 via my iTunes account buying merchandise from the online gaming platform Roblox. I hadn’t realised my bank card would be available to use on my children’s iPads. When I discovered the spending spree I contacted Apple for a goodwill refund. The answer was: “Sorry we can’t help you but do have a nice day.” I then explained my predicament to Roblox. Their response was to terminate my children’s accounts, without any warning on the grounds that they “take fraud very seriously”.
A Joyous Sidekick: Answering Phone Calls on Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is known for its ability to monitor health and fitness. And that has improved John’s life. But the standout feature for him has been the ability to answer phone calls received on his iPhone.
Do You Own a Tesla? It’s Vulnerable to Hacking
Security experts found that Teslas are vulnerable to certain kinds of hacks. One expert, Brian DeMuth, said there are no easy ways to prevent it, but you can take some measures.
There are a few things that can reduce the risk if you are willing to accept diminished functionality in the car. For example, the telematics unit can be removed from the vehicle to eliminate attacks over the cellular network, but this also will prevent mobile apps and other remote functionality from working. Removing the telematics unit could also trigger warnings and other errors to appear in the instrument cluster or infotainment system.
Working In A New Location – TMO Daily Observations 2020-03-10
Dave Hamilton joins Kelly to discuss tips and tricks for working in a location which isn’t your usual workspace. Apps, best practices, and more!
Arturo Castro Joins Apple TV+ Series ‘Mr. Corman’
Arturo Castro has signed on with Apple to star alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt the comedy series Mr. Corman.
With iOS 14, Will Apple Finally Get the Message?
Apple’s Messages app all too often feels like its a relic from a bygone era, but help may be on its way in the shape of iOS 14.
12 Apps for Working Remotely Featured on App Store
Today Apple featured a story in the App Store that lists 12 apps you can use for working remotely and connecting with your coworkers.
Microsoft and 35 Countries Take Down ‘Necurs’ Botnet
Microsoft, along with partners in 35 countries have taken down the Necurs botnet, responsible for infecting over nine million computers.
UBS Cuts AAPL Target Price And Warns of Potential Delays to 'iPhone 12'
UBS has cut the AAPL target price to $335 a share, following a sharp decline in iPhone sales in China and supply chain concerns.
Things for Apple Watch Gets Major Update
Good news for those who use the Things task manager app – the Apple Watch version has been given an overhaul. 9to5 Mac reported that not only does it now work with multiple Apple Watches, it also syncs directly with the Things Cloud.
The new version of the task manager finally works with multiple Apple Watches. This limitation previously made Things for Apple Watch unusable when using a second Apple Watch for sleep tracking. The bigger story is under-the-hood. Things for Apple Watch has been completely rewritten to sync directly Things Cloud. The major overhaul to the watchOS app now means Things for Apple Watch no longer requires the iPhone for syncing tasks. The new watch app sync is independent just like Mac, iPhone, and iPad versions.
Apple Shares Trailer for Apple TV+ Show ‘Central Park’
Apple has shared the first trailer for its upcoming animated music comedy Central Park. From the co-creator of Bob’s Burgers Loren Bouchard, it follows the life of a family living in Central Park. Voice cast includes Josh Gad, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs, and Stanley Tucci. It arrives to the Apple TV app on May 29.
CleanMyMac X Junk Cleaner for Mac: $67.99
We have a deal on CleanMyMac X, software that cleans the junk out of your Mac. I love and use this app regularly, and I’m delighted we’re offering a deal on it. Speaking of which, that deal is for the one-time purchase version of CleanMyMac X for one Mac. (MacPaw also offers a yearly subscription version). It’s $67.99 through our deal, more than $20 off the regular price. Our deal listing also has an option for the 2-Mac version.
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection Arrives June 5
Electronic Arts is releasing a Command & Conquer remastered collection on June 5. It features Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert along with their three expansion packs: Covert Ops, Counterstrike, and The Aftermath. They provide a reveal trailer on YouTube. The graphics are in a higher resolution to match modern device screens, up to 4K resolution. Some aspect of gameplay has been changed, but it’s otherwise faithful to the original games. I remember playing Red Alert and liked it, so I look forward to the remastered version It will be available for PC via Steam and Origin.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated that it would be released for PC and Mac. It will be available only for Windows.
App Store Guidelines For Developers Get an Update
On Tuesday, Apple announced updated App Store guidelines for developers. Amongst other things, the updated guidelines cover reviews, spam, push notifications, Sign in with Apple, data collection and storage, and mobile device management. MacRumors has a good breakdown of some the key changes.
1.4.4 – Apps used to commit or attempt to commit crimes of any kind by helping users evade law enforcement will be rejected. (This previously was a rule limited to apps about DUI checkpoints). 4.3 – Apple has added new content types to its “Spam” list of app categories it considers already saturated. Fortune telling and dating apps join fart, burp, flashlight, and Kama Sutra apps as apps that will be automatically rejected unless they provide a “unique, high-quality experience.”
Tracking Company Sensor Tower Used VPN Apps to Collect Data
Tracking company Sensor Tower has been using its VPN apps on iOS and Android to collect data on its millions of users.
Apple Employee at Cork Campus Tests Positive For Covid-19
An employee at Apple’s Cork campus in Ireland has tested positive for the Coranavirus, the Irish Independent reported. The company confirmed the case of Covid-19. Over the weekend, Apple encouraged employees who were able to to work from home at a number of global locations, although Cork does not appear to be one where this policy was initially implemented.
“One of our employees in Cork has been confirmed to have Covid-19,” the company said in a statement. “We are closely coordinating with the local health authorities who feel the risk to others is low, and the individual remains in self-isolation. As a precaution, we have asked some of our team members to stay at home while we work with the Health and Safety Executive to assess the situation. We are continuing to regularly deep clean all our offices and stores and will take all necessary precautions in accordance with guidance from health authorities.” The Apple campus employs over 6,000 people.
Australia Takes Facebook to Court Over Privacy Violations
Australia’s privacy regulator is taking Facebook to court over Cambridge Analytica. It could impose a fine of AUD$1.7 million (US$1.1 million) for every privacy violation.
“Facebook failed to take reasonable steps to protect those individuals’ personal information from unauthorised disclosure,” the Australian commissioner’s office said.
Big companies like Facebook need fines in the billions of dollars for them to start paying attention.
Hermitage - An iPhone 11 Pro’s Journey Through an Iconic Museum
The latest ‘Shot on iPhone’ video takes viewers on a journey through Russia’s iconic Hermitage museum – all in one continous shot.
Founding Director, End Climate Silence Dr. Genevieve Guenther — TMO BGM Interview
Dr. Genevieve Guenther is a scholar and author. She is affiliate faculty at the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School in New York and the founder and director of End Climate Silence, an activist organization helping the news media cover the climate crisis.
How should climate scientists use effective language skills and storytelling to convey scientific research? How can they speak effectively to both fellow scientists and the lay public? How can they avoid what’s called semantic ambiguity so that their choice of words isn’t twisted by deniers? How can the media learn to couch severe climate change events in proper science context while not appearing unduly biased? Dr. Genevieve Guenther chats with me on all this and more in a most engaging and informative discusion.