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Uber and Postmates Rush to Block California Freelancer Law

Andrew Orr ·

Assembly Bill 5, known as the California Freelancer Law, goes into effect January 1, 2020. The law says that workers must be classified as employees instead of contractors, under certain conditions. Companies like Uber and Postmates are rushing to block the law.

As employees, drivers would be protected by minimum wage and overtime rules and would be eligible for workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. The companies would have to pay half of their payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security.

Postmates said it was seeking to delay the law from taking effect to gain time to figure out a compromise so that its workers would not be classified as full-time employees.

Drivers aren’t the only people affected. Freelance journalists in California are being laid off because the law says they can only maintain their status as independent contractors if they submit no more than 35 pieces per year.

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iPhone Emergency SOS Feature Helped Stop an Attempted Sexual Assault

Charlotte Henry ·

A woman managed to receive police help when a man tried to sexually assault her after using her iPhone’s Emergency SOS feature. She triggered the feature during the attack at Virginia Beach, Va, AppleInsider reported, and the attacker fled as officers arrived.

“I get my phone back and I turn around and I try to run away and he just comes up from behind me, tackles me, grabs my face, is covering my mouth,” the woman said. “I’m trying to scream for help, [he] tackles me to the ground — is like shoving my face to the ground — and now, because I’ve been screaming, he’s holding my mouth even tighter trying to muffle any noise I’m making.” Luckily, Emergency SOS was enabled on the woman’s iPhone, allowing her to automatically dial 911 without unlocking the device. In this case, a long press of both the power button and volume down button triggered the feature. Emergency SOS can also be invoked by pressing on the power button five times in rapid succession. Police were directed to her location by a dispatcher who heard her pleas for help.

Cool Stuff Found

How 'Dickinson' Brings Past and Present Together

Charlotte Henry ·

In a new video, Dickinson star Hailee Steinfeld and showrunner Alena Smith discuss how the story of a poet from the 1800s still has relevance today. If you haven’t watched it, the show brings together past and present in a really clever way. It could be awkward and stick, but it doesn’t. This clip gives some insight into why the show’s makers adopted that style.

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Best of BGM - Emmy Winning Music Composer John Lunn

John Martellaro ·

One of my favorite Background Mode podcasts was with TV and movie music composer John Lunn. He’s probably best known for scoring the TV drama Downton Abbey — for which he received two Primetime Emmy awards. His recent work includes the scoring of the feature film Electricity and the hit TV shows: The Grantchester Mysteries, Shetland, and The White Queen—for which he received a Primetime Emmy nomination. Near the end, I played some sound snippets from two of his scores, and John (a Mac user) explained the instruments used. This episode is worth revisiting, especially now that the Downton Abbey movie is available for streaming.

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Firmware Update Means Blackmagic eGPU Fully Supports Pro Display XDR

Charlotte Henry ·

A firmware update means the Blackmagic eGPU and Apple’s new Pro Display XDR are now fully compatible. Cult of Mac said users already had got the setup working, but this update should make everything much smoother.

Blackmagic eGPU units now play nicely with Apple’s new Pro Display XDR following a firmware update. The version 1.2 release is available now for both the Blackmagic and Blackmagic Pro. Apple states on its website that Pro Display XDR is compatible with any Mac connected to a Blackmagic eGPU over Thunderbolt 3. And users have been reporting that this setup works just fine. Nevertheless, it seems a firmware update was necessary for complete compatibility. And you can get your hands on it today. Blackmagic and Blackmagic Pro owners should be able to download the version 1.2 release immediately.

Cool Stuff Found

Take a Group 'Slofie' With an iPhone 11

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple released a new video showing off the ‘Slofie’, a slow-motion selfie, feature on the iPhone 11’s front camera. It is a quick, fun, clip that shows just how the iPhone camera features can make even the most mundane circumstances look glamorous. The video features a track called  “Jet Black” by Channel Tres. In September, Apple moved to trademark the term.

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Updated Apple Maps Data Available to All Users

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple rolled out updated Maps data for Alaska and the Southeastern U.S., MacRumors reported Friday. It tested the update earlier in December and it is now fully available.

The revamped Maps app features more extensive geographical details, with updated buildings, roads, parks, sports fields, parking lots, foliage, pools, pedestrian pathways, and bodies of water. To get its mapping data, Apple uses its own vehicles equipped with LIDAR sensors and cameras. Apple has been using this method to collect mapping information for years now. Apple began rolling out its updated mapping app to customers starting in iOS 12, and at the 2019 Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple said all customers in the United States would receive the improved Maps app by the end of the year.

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Wyze Leaks Data of 2.4 Million Security Camera Customers

Andrew Orr ·

Wyze makes cheap security cameras for people, cheap in terms of price and now apparently security (ironically). A database of its user data was found exposed on the internet, unsecured.

This included a staggering array of personal information including email addresses, a list of cameras in the house, WiFi SSIDs and even health information including height, weight, gender, bone density and more.

“We are confirming that some Wyze user data was not properly secured and left exposed from December 4th to December 26th,” the company said. It denied that it had leaked bone density information, for example, but confirmed it had leaked “body metrics” for a small number of beta testers.

I’m still trying to figure out why a security camera company would have health information.

Podcast

Avoid RISCy Behavior – Mac Geek Gab 795

John F. Braun · · Add Comment

Ever have an iOS device that won’t stay connected to your Mac? How about needing to connect your Thunderbolt 2 devices to your new Thunderbolt 3-equipped Mac? What about proving your location in the past? Or looking up phone numbers?

These are just a few of the questions John and Dave tackle this week. Of course, Cool Stuff Found and Quick Tips are healthily represented as we drive towards the end of 2019. Just make sure to avoid RISCy behavior. Or don’t, and be like Chuck Peddle!

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‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Arrives Fall 2020

Andrew Orr ·

Fans of Disney’s The Mandalorian will be pleased to know that show runner Jon Favreau confirmed that it’s been approved for season 2, which will arrive fall 2020.

We already knew ‘The Mandalorian’ would be returning for a second season, after Favreau revealed in November that he’d begun filming on the second instalment of episodes. But now we have a better idea of exactly how long we’ll have to wait to find out what happens next in the streaming original, which is arguably the best new Star Wars universe content since the original series of films (yes, I really believe that).

TMO Deals

Babbel Language Learning 1-Year Subscription (with 14 Languages): $119

Bryan Chaffin ·

This is your last chance on a 1-year subscription for Babbel Language Learning that gives you access to all 14 languages offered by Babbel. 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.