An upcoming version of the Quibi app will include AirPlay support, signaling a rather significant shift for the streaming service.
Anker Debuts 24K Gold USB-C to Lightning Cable
Anker’s latest product is a 24-karat gold USB-C to Lightning cable. It’s part of the company’s Powerline+ III product line and designed with a 35,000 bend lifespan. Additionally, Anker says “We’re so confident in PowerLine+ III that we are offering a hassle-free replacement for all quality issues.“ Each cable is partially assembled by hand in a 51-step production process. Need I say more? It’s US$99.99 on Amazon, and it’s the perfect accessory for your gold-plated iPhone 11 from Roberto Escobar.
YouTube Kids App Now Available on Apple TV
There is now a YouTube Kids app for Apple TV, the first time the service has had a specific app on the platform.
'Mythic Quest' on Apple TV+ Might be The First Great Piece of Quarantine TV
Lots of shows have done special ‘at home’ or quarantine episodes. Some have even found a way to carry on in our new work from home conditions. Lots of it has been watchable, but Fast Company’s Steve Berkowitz thinks that with its latest episode of Mythic Quest, Apple TV+ has the first great piece of quarantine TV.
The most remarkable thing about the episode is that it mostly feels like any other installment of the show. Cocreator and star Rob McElhenney spent a whole season with his creative team (Charlie Day, Megan Ganz, and David Hornsby) sketching out various dynamics—between the titular game’s creator, Ian (McElhenney), and its lead developer, Poppy (Charlotte Nicdao); between the put-upon cofounder, David (Hornsby), and the shameless CFO, Brad (Danny Pudi); and between lovestruck Rachel (Ashly Burch) and her fellow game tester, Dana (Imani Hakim)—not to mention a deep bench of side characters. The new episode nimbly toggles between all those plotlines in mini-vignettes that are so organic, the Zoom format feels almost incidental at times. (Except for a running bit about making spatial illusions in Zoom that culminates in a grand payoff.)
More Details on Apple Card Rival Samsung Money Emerge
More information about Samsung Money, the South Korean firm’s attempt to rival Apple Card, was announced on Wednesday. The new debit card will link with the existing Samsung Pay app. The Verge has the details.
Originally announced earlier in May, today’s news offers more concrete information on what Samsung Money will actually offer — specifically, a cash management account and a Samsung Money debit card (a Mastercard issued by The Bancorp Bank). Samsung is promising that Samsung Money will feature no account fees (although the fine print reserves the right to change that in the future) and “higher interest” compared to the national average (although Samsung doesn’t go into specifics). A key part of the Samsung Money program is the Samsung Pay app integration: customers will be able to easily apply for the card directly from the app and start using it through Samsung Pay on their phones once approved, before the physical card even arrives. Furthermore, you’ll be able to use the Samsung Pay app to check your balance, review past purchases, freeze your card, and flag fraudulent purchases.
Apple to Reboot Classic ‘Fraggle Rock’ Series
Apple announced a new partnership with The Jim Henson Company to reboot “Fraggle Rock”, following the success of “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” on Apple TV+.
Roberto Escobar Sues Apple for $2.6B Over iPhone Security
Roberto Escobar, brother of Pablo Escobar, is suing Apple for US$2.6 billion. He claims someone hacked his iPhone and found his email through FaceTime. As a way to fight the company he’s also launching a limited edition iPhone 11 Pro 256GB, gold plated, for US$499.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Pablo’s brother bought an iPhone X back in April 2018, and he claims the security promise fell horribly flat. One year after buying the X, Roberto claims he got a life-threatening letter from someone named Diego, who said he found Roberto’s address through FaceTime.
In the suit, Roberto says he conducted his own investigation after receiving the letter, and found his iPhone had been compromised due to a FaceTime vulnerability.
Go to Settings > FaceTime. You can choose which address and phone number you let people contact you with, if you have multiple numbers and emails associated with your Apple ID. This won’t stop people from obtaining your address elsewhere.
HBO Max Goes Live in U.S.
AT&T’s much-previewed streaming service HBO Max has launched in the U.S., featuring a host of big-name shows and movies.
Parallels Dir. of Sales Engineers Victor Fiss - TMO BGM Interview
Victor Fiss has had a distinguished career leading teams to implement, integrate, and manage enterprise wide systems. As Director of Sales Engineers, he oversees coordination of pre-sales and post-sales delivery for Parallels solutions. He is responsible for the team’s goals and initiatives with sales, product management, development, and worldwide customer support.
Victor and I explored everything about Parallels Desktop on the Mac. What it is, how it works, supported OSes, support for Metal, external GPUs, games, working at home issues and support, macOS VM clients, adjustments at Parallels amidst COVID-19, embracing OS agnosticism, the Parallels Toolbox, the Remote Application Server, and a brief discussion of Parallels Desktop on ARM-based Macs. It’s all right here.
Apple Updates Schoolwork, Classroom Apps
Apple updated its apps for education—Schoolwork and Classroom—with new features and a new design for Schoolwork. Version 3.2 for Classroom:
Automatically access classes set up through Apple School Manager by signing into your device with a Managed Apple ID; Use AirPlay to project class details to Apple TV when inviting students to join a teacher-created class; Easily adjust the size of students’ screens by pinching to zoom in or out.
macOS 10.15.5 Brings Battery Health Management
Apple released macOS 10.15.5 today, bringing Battery Health Management, bug fixes, an update to FaceTime, and more.
Apple to Reopen About 100 U.S. Stores This Week
Around 100 U.S. Apple Stores are set to reopen, the company announced, with many offering curbside service and other safety precautions.
Bill And Melinda Gates Foundation Increases AAPL Holding
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation increased is holding in Apple (AAPL) and other tech stock during the first quarter of 2020.
Spotify 10,000 Song Limit Goes Away in Update
Spotify has removed the 10,000 song limit it imposed on user libraries. This means that you can now save as many songs and albums as you like to the My Library section.
If Apple is Going to Make Original Podcasts it Should be Bold
Apple is hunting for an exec to lead its moves original podcasts, but should it being doing this, and what benefit does doing so bring?
Apple Original Podcasts, Laptop Evolution – TMO Daily Observations 2020-05-26
Charlotte Henry and John Martellaro join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Apple’s hiring a Podcast lead, and John’s take on the Macbook’s future.
Accredited Agile Project Management Training Bundle: $99
We have a deal on an accredited training bundle for Agile PM and Prince 2. Comprising three different tutorials, this bundle has 360 lectures and more than 100 hours of content, all produced by SPOCE. This bundle is $99 through our deal.
Apple Fixes ‘This App is no Longer Shared With You’ Bug
Over the weekend Apple fixed a bug related to Family Sharing where users saw a message saying, “This app is no longer shared with you.”
iPhone Shipments Remain Resilient as Smartphone Sales Slide in Face of Coronavirus Outbreak
iPhone shipments in Q1 2020 were down five percent compared to the same time last year, but Apple still fared better than many of its rivals.
Apple Pro Display XDR Wins 2020 Display Industry Award
These are awarded to displays that “embody the profound level of innovation within the industry and exemplify how crucial displays have become to nearly every aspect of daily life.”
Latvia Releasing COVID-19 Contact Tracing App Based on Apple-Google Framework
Latvia is to release a COVID-19 Contact Tracing app based on the framework recently released by Apple and Google, Reuters reported. It will become one of the first nations to do so.
Early success of tracing apps in countries like Singapore and Australia has been patchy because Apple’s iPhone does not support their approach to using Bluetooth short-range radio as a proxy for measuring the risk of infection. Latvia’s Apturi Covid (Stop Covid) app is, by contrast, based on technology launched last week by Apple and Google, whose iOS and Android operating systems run 99% of the world’s smartphones. “The developers believe that reliance on this standard will ensure widespread adoption and also compatibility over time with contact tracing apps around the world that are also expected to adopt the same exposure notification framework,” the app’s developers said in a statement.
Google Chrome Adding New Privacy Features
Google Chrome recently announced a variety of new privacy features will be added when the latest version is released. These include real-time threat checking and password checking. Wired has a good rundown of what users of the popular browser can expect in the near future.
Chrome’s new Enhanced Safe Browsing mode will attempt to play catchup. If you turn the feature on the address of websites you’re visiting will be shared with Google in real-time and the company will compare it to its blocklist of unsafe sites. This builds on its existing Safe Browsing mode. “Chrome checks the URL of each site you visit or file you download against a local list, which is updated approximately every 30 minutes,” Google explains in a blog post about the new setting. “Increasingly, some sophisticated phishing sites slip through that 30-minute refresh window by switching domains very quickly.”
Apple Wants You to Remember Apple TV+ Has Content For Kids Too
All the focus from critics and the public may have been on big-budget scripted dramas, but Apple TV+ has content for kids too. The streaming service offers the likes of Snoopy in Space, Helpsters, and Ghostwriter, amongst other things. A new ad seeks to remind viewers of that.
Drawing, Backing Up, and Being a Screenshot Ninja – Mac Geek Gab 816
Did you know you could move your screenshot selection window around after you create it? How about rearranging columns in the Finder and having it remember? What about Profiles on your Mac, and how they can be used to hijack your browser?
If you listen to this week’s Mac Geek Gab with Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun, not only will you know how to do these three things, we guarantee you’ll learn at least two more (and probably a lot more than that!). Press play and enjoy learning all these things with your two favorite geeks.