We have a deal on the SURGE DUO Dual USB & Dual Surge Charging Station, which features two outlets and two USB ports with a small footprint on your desk. The USB ports have built-in SmartCharge which automatically detects your device and gives out the optimal charging output. The SURGE DUO Dual USB & Dual Surge Charging Station is $18.99 through our deal.
Swift Playgrounds on macOS, AirPod Domination – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-12
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Swift Playgrounds coming to macOS and what makes AirPods Pro so wonderful.
New Mac Pro Facing Lengthy Delivery Delays
The new Mac Pro is facing delivery delays, according to MacRumors. This is down to the coronavirus outbreak closing Chinese manufacturing plants.
In many European countries, for example, the base model without any customizations is currently estimated for delivery on March 10. While the new Mac Pro is assembled in the United States for orders placed in the Americas, European orders are assembled in China. The new Mac Pro also has a February 24-26 delivery estimate in the United States, despite being assembled in Texas, possibly because some components are still sourced from temporarily-closed suppliers in China.
Google and EU Engage in Courtroom Battle
The EU and Google continue their court battle with a clash over internet power. Furthermore, the internet giant argued that fines against it went too far. Bloomberg News has a rundown of what happened in the Luxembourg courtroom.
As many as seven billion daily searches make the U.S. giant “the front page of the internet,” Nicholas Khan, a lawyer for the European Commission told a panel of judges in the opening session of a three-day hearing at the EU General Court in Luxembourg. “The case is, in a nutshell, about what users are presented with, having made a search,” Khan said. Google search provides “an immensely powerful lever to direct users’ attention to any specific search market where Google might wish to develop a presence. No other internet player is in any remotely comparable position.” The Alphabet Inc. unit earlier on Wednesday argued that the EU went too far with a 2017 EU fine, then a record 2.4 billion euros ($2.6 billion), and an order to change how it shows shopping search results from rivals.
iPhone Assembler Foxconn Aiming to be at 50 Percent Output by Month End
Foxconn hopes that it can resume up to half of its output by the end of February and be at 80 percent by the end of March.
Czech Authorities Investigate Avast Over Data Collection
Investigations are underway to examine Avast’s practice of collecting and selling its users’ browser histories.
Avast, which is based in the Czech Republic, claimed it was stripping away users’ personal details from the collected browser histories as a way to “de-identify” the data, and preserve their customers’ privacy. However, the joint investigation from PCMag and Motherboard found the contrary: The same data can actually be combined with other information to identify the web activities of individual Avast users, including their internet searches. As many as 100 million users had their data collected.
I’m glad there are investigations. As I found out last week, there are likely other companies participating in this data collection practice.
Apple’s Swift Playgrounds App Comes to macOS
Released for iPad in 2016, Apple is bringing the Swift Playgrounds app to macOS as another platform on which to code.
FTC Launches Probe Into Acquisitions By Apple And Other Tech Giants
The FTC has announced a probe into acquisitions by major tech firms, including Apple, to see if they are anticompetitive.
Siri Can Answer Your Questions About Elections
Along with Apple News’ 2020 coverage of the election, Apple added functionality to Siri so she can answer your election questions.
Apple Hires Jeff Bronikowski From Warner Music Group
Apple recently hired Jeff Bronikowski from Warner Music Group as Apple’s global head of strategic music initiatives.
By 2025 Apple Pay Could Make up 10% of Global Transactions
By 2025 Apple Pay could account for 10% of global card transactions. Currently the service accounts for 5%.
UK Government Looking to Regulator to Police Social Media
The UK Government is proposing that media regulator, Ofcom, becomes an online harms regulator, overseeing social media firms.
US Reportedly Gave Allies Evidence of Huawei Backdoors
Although the U.S. hasn’t shared it publicly, it claims to have found actual evidence of Huawei backdoors.
The United States has long claimed that Huawei can secretly access networks through the networking gear it sells to telcos, but the goverment previously argued that it doesn’t need to show any proof. US officials still are not providing such evidence publicly but have begun sharing their intelligence with other countries.
The best part is that, according to The Wall Street Journal, the origin of this report, these backdoors were intentionally put into place for law enforcement. And yet, the DoJ wants Apple to put backdoors in iOS that they swear can only be accessed by law enforcement, and definitely not foreign state hacking groups.
Clearview AI vs Everybody, iPhone 9 Rumors – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-11
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Clearview AI’s business model and a new wave of iPhone 9/SE rumors.
Apple Card Supports OFX to Export Transactions
Apple Card now supports the ability to export financial transactions to Open Financial Exchange (OFX). This is what apps like Mint support.
Babbel Language Learning 1-Year Subscription (14 Languages): $119
Our deal for 1 year of Babbel Language Learning with access to all 14 languages is back. You’ll get to practice with 10-15 minute bite-sized lessons, and Babbel uses speech recognition technology to keep your pronunciation on point. And, it comes with 10,000 hours of online language education. 1 year through our deal is $119. There’s also a 2-year option available in the deal listing.
Mac Malware Threats Are Now Growing Faster Than Those For Windows
A new report from Malwarebytes reveals that malware threats against Macs outpaced those for Windows for the first time ever in 2019.
Remember Neopets? It’s Being Turned Into a TV Show
Virtual pet website Neopets is being turned into a television show aimed at 8-12 year olds.
As part of the agreement, Singapore-based Beach House will develop new stories and characters, with Blue Ant’s Canadian studio providing animation services.
The show is still in the early stages of development and its format and style aren’t finalized, but Beach House plans to target the series at eight to 12s. The pair are seeking co-production and broadcast partners for the project.
I wish I still had my login information for Neopets.
A Curved Laptop Stand is Twelve South’s Newest Product
Twelve South just announced its newest product: A metal, one-piece curved laptop stand called Curve SE. It’s a white (or black), minimalist stand that matches well with Apple’s aesthetic. It has a fixed height of 6.5-inches, which the company says is an ergonomic standard.
Desktop accessories – especially MacBook stands – are inherently home decor. They should match your room, your style, your desk and complement (not copy) your MacBook. Our latest solution, while deceptively simple, is a beautiful matte white MacBook stand we call Curve SE.
You can buy the Curve SE stand for US$59.99.
Search Warrant Reveals Apple Scanning Emails for Child Abuse Images
Andrew wrote that Apple scans uploaded iCloud content for child abuse imagery, and a search warrant reveals it scans emails too.
Apple Joins FIDO Alliance, an Authentication Group
The FIDO Alliance is an industry group to develop authentication standards as an alternative to passwords. Apple recently joined the group.
We May Have a Sneak Peek of the iPhone 9
Case maker totallee is back with another prediction for the new affordable iPhone, and it’s not a design that matches the iPhone SE.
Firefox Working to Eradicate 'Weak" TLS 1.0 & 1.1 HTTPS Standards
Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, announced it is moving to “eradicate” the weak TLS 1.0 and 1.1 HTTPS standard, The Register reported. Apple made a similar announcement in October 2018.
From next month, users hitting a site running TLS 1.0 or 1.1 will not connect immediately, but see a warning screen stating: “Secure connection failed.” There is an option to override this, in which case it will be overridden for all sites. Thyla van der Merwe, cryptography engineering manager at Mozilla, said: “We plan to keep the override button for now; the telemetry we’re collecting will tell us more about how often this button is used. These results will then inform our decision regarding when to remove the button entirely. It’s unlikely that the button will stick around for long. We’re committed to completely eradicating weak versions of TLS.”
T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Gets go Ahead
The proposed T-Mobile-Sprint merger got the go-ahead on Tuesday, Yahoo Finance/Reuters reported. A judge approved the deal, rejecting antitrust concerns raised by some states.
During a two-week trial in December, T-Mobile and Sprint argued the merger will better equip the new company to compete with top players Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, creating a more efficient company with low prices and faster internet speeds. The states, led by California and New York, had said the deal would reduce competition, leading to higher prices. The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Victor Marrero clears the path for the deal, which already has federal approval and was originally valued at $26 billion.