Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
The 2020 Limited Edition Mac Bundle with Parallels, iMazing, TextExpander, More: $48
We have another opportunity for you to get a discount on the bundle of Mac apps called the 2020 Limited Edition Mac Bundle. This bundle has 13 Mac apps, including Parallels, iMazing, and TextExpander. You’ll also find PDF Expert, Windscribe VPN Pro, RapidWeaver 8, Disk Drill Pro, Aurora HDR 2019, and more. Which is probably why Stack Commerce has already sold 10,000 of these bundles. The 2020 Limited Edition Mac Bundle is $59.99 through our deal, but coupon code GREENMONDAY20 brings it down to $48.
Safari Users are Less Valuable to Advertisers
A report suggests that Safari users are less valuable to advertisers due to the browser’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention technology.
Apple Spy Also Had Top Secret Military File
Apple spy Jizhong Chen was changed with stealing files form Apple for a Chinese startup. But he also had a file from a missile program.
Where Are we With The 5G Rollout?
5G is on the way, probably including a compatible iPhone in 2020. ArsTechnica has a good rundown of the state of the rollout of the superfast network.
The first thing to know about 5G is that it’s a family affair—and a sometimes-dysfunctional one. Wireless carriers can deploy 5G over any of three different ranges of wireless frequencies, and one of them doesn’t work anything like today’s 4G frequencies. That’s also the one behind the most wild-eyed 5G forecasts. Millimeter-wave 5G occupies bands much higher than any used for 4G LTE today—24 gigahertz and up, far above the 2.5 GHz frequency of Sprint, hitherto the highest-frequency band in use by the major US carriers.
The 16-Inch MacBook Pro's Very Quiet Arrival
The 16-Inch MacBook Pro arrived with relatively very little fanfare. At Forbes, Ewen Spence asked why the device is not being more heavily promoted.
Following its launch event in October 2018 for the new MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and iPad Pro models, Tim Cook was expected by many to hold an October event. This could have amplified the launch of the iPhone 11, given the iPad a springboard into the festive gift-buying period, and allowed the 16-inch MacBook Pro a moment in limelight as the largest screened MacOS laptop launched in the last seven years. But there was no event. Apple declined to push forward its hardware, instead focusing on the launch of Apple TV – one of the many services that Apple’s management believe is the future for the company. Reinforcement of the iPhone 11 was not a necessity and Apple snuck out the seventh generation iPad in late September. It was the MacBook Pro that lost out on a significant push with the mainstream media.
'The Morning' Show Earns Golden Globes Nominations
Apple has received its first Golden Globes nominations for ‘The Morning Show’ in the Best Drama Series and Best Actress categories.
How the De-Aging Process Behind ‘The Irishman’ Worked
Filmed by Martin Scorsese, The Irishman tells the story of Mafia hitman Frank Sheeran and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa.
Their first concern was making sure the actors would be comfortable. “The process doesn’t use animation, it actually records the faces of actors with every nuance of their performance and replaces them with the younger CGI faces,” Prieto explains. “The advantage is that you don’t have to place motion-capture marks on the actors’ faces or helmets with little cameras. In fact, they don’t even wear makeup. It feels perfectly natural to them. This was a prerequisite for Scorsese — he did not want the actors to be encumbered with any VFX paraphernalia.”
It’s a long, 3.5-hour movie but I thought it was good.
Tim Cook Celebrates Coding And Computer Science Education Week in Japan
Tim Cook celebrated Computer Science Education Week and the importance of coding with primary school pupils in Japan.
Meet Emily Dickinson, Apple TV+'s Complicated Heroine
Apple TV+ show ‘Dickinson’ is great, and well worth watching if you haven’t yet had a chance. In a new video posted over the weekend, showrunner Alena Smith, star Hailee Steinfield, and others let us meet Emily a little bit more. It gives great insight into how the show got its unique style. It also explains why they all felt it was so important to tell the story of Emily Dickinson.
Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR Go on Preorder December 10th
Apple announced late on Saturday that its long awaited Mac Pro, as well as the Pro Display XDR, will go on preorder December 10th.
Saudi Aramco Expected to Beat Apple as ‘Most Valuable Company’
Oil giant Saudi Aramco recently had the world’s biggest IPO of US$25.6 billion. At that level it has a market valuation of US$1.7 trillion, beating Apple to become the world’s most valuable company.
Aramco did not say when shares would start trading on the Saudi stock market but two sources said it was scheduled for Dec. 11.
Saudi Arabia relied on domestic and regional investors to sell a 1.5% stake after lukewarm interest from abroad, even at the reduced valuation of $1.7 trillion.
Robocalls and Scams are Killing Phone Calls
Sarah Hagi writes how the phone call is dying thanks to the rise of robocalling. Now, many people don’t answer unknown callers and instead send them to voicemail.
Speaking to so many people, it struck me how resigned everyone was to this fact: that this is seemingly just the way things are now, with no hope of it getting better, only worse. And while many believe millennials killed talking on the phone because we fear real connection, maybe it’s because we are too scared of getting scammed.
It’s appropriate to come across this article today because I’ve gotten an increase in robocalls in the past couple of days. Aside from using a robocall-blocking app, I go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.
Track Your Cards and Cash in One Place with this Digital Finance and Budgeting Tool: $34
We have a deal on the Toshl Medici plan, a financial tracking service that unlocks all the features available in Toshl Finance. That includes all graphs and the option to automatically import data from your bank, credit card or other financial services. You can get a 3-year subscription through us for $39.99, but coupon code BFSAVE15 brings the price down to $34 at checkout. There’s a 1-year option available in the deal listing, too, and the coupon code works on it, too.
Premier League Streaming, TMO Gift Guides – TMO Daily Observations 2019-12-06
Andrew Orr and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Amazon’s foray into streaming sports, and the latest TMO Holiday Gift Guide.
Apple Reportedly Threatened to Leave Russia Over Device Law
An anonymous Apple source reportedly told Kommersant Business Daily that Russia’s new device law poses a security threat to Apple devices.
How to Scan Documents Direct to Mail in iOS 13
iOS 13 has a tool which allows users to scan documents directly within the Mail app, and send the document as an attachement.
The iPhone SE 2 Might Be Called... iPhone 9?!
Rumors emanating from Japan suggested that the much-discussed iPhone SE 2 may actually be called the iPhone 9. AppleInsider took a look at this somewhat unlikely claim.
Japanese site Macotakara is reporting confirmation from its sources within manufacturers in the supply chain, that Apple is readying a cheaper, smaller ‘iPhone SE 2’ to replace the iPhone SE. It may be released in spring 2020, but Macotakara also claims that it may be called the iPhone 9. “Since the consecutive design has been used from iPhone 6 to iPhone 8,” says the site in its own English-language translation, “it is difficult to be thought that the name of iPhone SE would be succeeded.” The word “design” there is most likely to be a mistranslation of what the site probably meant was the iPhone naming convention.
The Privacy Problems Around Facebook's Libra Currency
Libra, Facebook’s attempt to get into cryptocurrency, has suffered a number of setbacks. On Wired, European Data Protection Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiórowski highlighted the privacy issues with the project.
In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive guarantee privacy and personal data protection as fundamental rights for every individual. There can be no doubt that Libra would be subject to these laws. It is clear that payment and transaction data convey a lot of information about the user, facilitating profiling. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) mainly examines potential data-sharing that may be triggered by Libra facilities on a previously unseen scale. Even if sharing would be conditional on user consent, the long-term implications may be the further loss of control over data.
Video: The MacObserver's Christmas Gift Guide 2019
Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr discuss some of thee products you may want to buy friends and family, or even ask for yourself. They included a number of items they reviewed this year. For example, Andrew picked the Yubico 5Ci security key. Meanwhile, Charlotte selected the Tivoli Go Fonico earbuds.
Bernie Sanders Unveils ‘High-Speed Internet for All”
Today Bernie Sanders revealed a plan to expand broadband access across America called ‘High-Speed Internet for All’.
High-speed internet service must be treated as the new electricity — a public utility that everyone deserves as a basic human right. And getting online at home, at school, or at work shouldn’t involve long waits, frustrating phone calls, and complex contracts and fees meant to trap and trick consumers. It should just work.
It’s time to take this critical 21st century utility out of the hands of monopolies and conglomerates and bring it to the people while creating good-paying, union jobs at the same time.
Apple Shares 2019 Apple Pay Holiday Deals
Apple has shared a roundup of some Apple Pay holiday deals to give customers discounts at certain retailers.
YouTube Releases Rewind 2019 Video
Last year’s YouTube rewind video did not go down well. At all. In fact, it became the most disliked video on the platform ever. This year, YouTube decided to play it safe. It admitted its users are “better at this than we are” and brought together all the most popular clips from the year. The finished video is not that exciting then, but it is certainly less cringe-inducing than last year’s offering. It also gives a good insight into where the site is going as we head into the next decade.
Shure MV88 Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone for Apple Devices: $149
We have a deal on the Shure MV88 Digital Stereo Condenser Microphone, a high-quality condenser mic for iOS and iPadOS devices. It’s MFi-certified, features 5 DSP preset modes (Speech, Singing, Flat, Acoustic Instrument, Loud), matched cardioid and bi-directional 0.4″ (1cm) cartridges, and other high-end features. It’s $149 through our deal.
Homeland Security Cancels Facial Recognition Plan for Americans
Homeland Security had a plan to expand its use of airport facial recognition to include U.S. citizens. After much outcry the agency will drop that plan, although foreign nationals and visitors will still face mandatory scanning.
A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection, which filed the proposal, said the agency has “no current plans to require U.S. citizens to provide photographs upon entry and exit from the United States,” and that it “intends to have the planned regulatory action regarding U.S. citizens removed from the unified agenda next time it is published.”