Get into the holiday spirit with our iPhone 16 Pro Max giveaway! Don’t miss your chance to win a brand-new iPhone 16 Pro Max.
EU Tells Facebook, Google, Twitter to do More to Fight Fake News
The EU Commission told Facebook, Google, and Twitter to increased their efforts to fight fake news. Reuters reported that the EU’s executive has said that if the companies do not to more, it will take regulatory action.
The Commission is now drawing up regulations known as the Digital Services Act. This will set out liability and safety rules for digital platforms, services and products, a move which has already triggered fears in the tech industry of heavy-handed intervention. The latest monthly report from the companies showed a wide divergence between them and provided few details on the impact of the measures taken by the companies, EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, EU security chief Julian King and EU digital commissioner Mariya Gabriel said in a joint statement. “Large-scale automated propaganda and disinformation persist and there is more work to be done under all areas of the Code. We cannot accept this as a new normal,” they said.
Vint Cerf's Favorite Moments From the First 50 Years of The Internet
On October 29th, 1969, the first packet was sent, laying the foundation for what we know as the internet. Fifty years on, Google VP and web evangelist Vint Cerf reflected on some of his favorite internet moments.
1. October 29, 1969: The first packet was sent. This pioneered our understanding of operational packet switching technology, which prepared us for the subsequent development of the Internet. 2. 1971: Networked electronic mail was created using file transfers as a mechanism to distribute messages to users on the Arpanet. 3. 1974: The design of the Internet was released. Robert Kahn and I published “A protocol for packet network intercommunication.” In this paper we presented not only a protocol, but an architecture and philosophy that supported an open design for the sharing of resources that existed on different packet-switching networks. 4. November 22, 1977: A major demonstration of the Internet took place, linking three networks: Packet Radio, Packet Satellite and ARPANET. 5. January 1, 1983: The Internet was operationally born, and I’ve used an “electronic postcard” analogy to explain how it works.
Corellium Strikes Back Saying it Makes iPhones Safer
Apple filed a lawsuit against a company called Corellium. This company runs virtualization software that lets it emulate iOS. It responded to Apple’s lawsuit on Monday and said it makes iPhones safer. Oh, and it claims Apple owes it US$300,000.
Corellium’s key argument lies on the assumption that Corellium’s customers are looking for bugs with the intention of alerting Apple of their existence…For now, however, that is only an assumption…When Motherboard asked today whether they ever reported a bug in iOS found using Corellium, Mark Dowd, the founder of Azimuth, said: “no.”
That “no” is a pretty damning answer. If you claim that your software helps fix iOS bugs, you should probably also report those iOS bugs to Apple. At least if you also claim to make iPhones safer, because selling those bugs on the black market doesn’t do that.
It Will Cost $89 to Replace a Lost AirPods Pro
It’s all too easy to lose wireless earbuds, but the cost of replacing an AirPods Pro should act as another incentive to be extra careful.
Update PSAs, Restaurant Payment Systems – TMO Daily Observations 2019-10-29
Andrew Orr and John Martellaro join host Kelly Guimont to discuss system updates to iPhones and HomePods, and the evolution of payment tech.
Apple TV+ Execs Talk About the Service in Interview
Apple TV+ executives talk about the service in an interview. Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg, former Sony employees, talk shop.
One of the first things they had to wrap their heads around was that they were no longer working for a Hollywood studio. The traditional factors that had defined their options as studio chiefs for so long — budget deficits, international sales, syndication potential, et al. — no longer applied. Now, the guiding principle was to build a service worthy of the Apple brand that also harnessed the power of digital media. The result is a collaboration between many departments.
iOS 13.2: How to Turn off Siri Grading so Audio Snippets Won't be Shared
Yesterday Apple released the iOS 13.2 software update and one of the features it brought was the ability to turn off Siri grading.
Facebook Employees Write to Mark Zuckerberg Over Political Ads
Hundreds of Facebook employees signed a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, raising concerns over the company’s policy towards political adverts.
Apple Releases watchOS 6.1 to Support AirPods Pro
Alongside macOS 10.15.1 comes an update to the Apple Watch as watchOS 6.1. It supports AirPods Pro and brings watchOS 6 to older devices.
Apple Releases macOS Catalina 10.15.1
A day after iOS 13.2 Apple is releasing macOS Catalina 10.15.1 with some of the same features including support for AirPods Pro.
PSA: Some People Found That iOS 13.2 Bricks HomePods
iOS 13.2 bricks HomePods, or at least it did for some people. Apple has since pulled the release and we’re waiting on a bug fix.
Apple TV+ Shows Get Luke Warm Reviews
I’m rather excited to see the new shows on Apple TV+ later this week. However, some that have seen the series already have not greeted them all that warmly. The LA Times rounded up some of the indifferent reviews for The Morning Show, See, and For All Mankind.
Reviews are in for all the shows leading the charge ahead of Apple TV+’s much-anticipated Friday launch, and the general consensus has been lukewarm at best. Even “The Morning Show,” the forthcoming streaming service’s timely flag-bearer starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, has elicited mixed reactions. Four series are set to premiere by week’s end, and all signs point to a slow start as Apple enters the streaming wars. But despite its flaws, some still argue there’s content worth watching in the four new shows.
Is Dark Mode Technically Better? No, But That's Not The Point
Since Apple introduced Dark Mode in iOS 13 we’ve had a wave of people arguing that dark mode isn’t better for legibility, it could made reading worse on your eyes, et cetera et cetera. But I think they’re missing the point. I’m sure it’s subjective but staring into a searing white screen is worse than staring into a dark screen at night, and I don’t care how many “experts” pull a “well, ackshually.” Speaking of searing white screens, using as much white space as possible in web design has been popular for the last several years and it’s probably a reason why everyone wanted dark mode in the first place. Some web designers tend to prize aesthetics over readability. I’m looking at you Jony Ive.
So yes, you can have the Wednesday Adams aesthetic on your phone interface too. But at this point, it seems to be just that—about the looks.
'The Morning Show' Premieres Days Before Apple TV+ Launches
The Morning Show premiered at an event in New York City attended by Tim Cook and stars Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon.
GRUBBRR CEO Bhavin Asher - TMO Background Mode Interview
Bhavin Asher is a technologist and entrepreneur. After graduating college with a computer science degree, he went to work for IBM. Later, Bhavin transitioned to a position at Deloitte as a CRM Strategy Consultant. Deloitte provided a learning environment to understand how successful businesses leverage technology to scale and grow. Most recently, he was a Director and Solutions Architect at Salesforce. Today, Bhavin is the founder and CEO of GRUBBRR.
Bhavin tells a career story that well prepared him to launch his own business. GRUBBRR is a full-service kiosk order and sales system for, to name a few, restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, cafes, bars, coffee shops, and bakeries. If you’ve ever waited an eternity for your food order or check, you’ll want to hear how GRUBBRR has re-engineered the whole process for the digital age—including great GUI displays, AI and Apple Watch support. Welcome to tomorrow.
Learn a Language by Chatting with Native Speakers Around the World: $29
We have a deal on HelloTalk VIP, a language-learning app that connects you with native speakers around the world. You can search for language exchange partners by native language, city, distance from you, and you can chat with language partners via text, voice recordings, voice calls, video calls, and doodles. A lifetime subscription to HelloTalk VIP is $29 through our deal.
Encryption (Stance) Evolution, AirPods Pro – TMO Daily Observations 2019-10-28
Charlotte Henry and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss former FBI counsel Jim Baker’s stance on encryption and new AirPods Pro.
Apple Releases iOS 13.2 with Deep Fusion, Support for AirPods Pro, More
iOS 13.2 includes Deep Fusion, a camera-focused technology announced in September. It also includes support for the newly-announced AirPods Pro, more than 70 new emojis, and new features for Siri, the Home app, and multiple bug fixes.
Spotify Reaches 113 Million Paid Subscribers
Spotify announced that it reached 113 million paid subscribers around the world, and it’s growing twice as fast as Apple Music.
We continue to feel very good about our competitive position in the market. Relative to Apple, the publicly available data shows that we are adding roughly twice as many subscribers per month as they are. Additionally, we believe that our monthly engagement is roughly 2x as high and our churn is at half the rate.
Australia, Please Don't Scan My Face When I Download Porn
The U.K. recently canceled its plans for an age filter on porn websites, but now Australia has taken up the mantle. It wants internet users to verify their identity using facial recognition before viewing pornography.
Writing in a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs’ inquiry, launched in September, Home Affairs said it could provide a “suite of identity-matching services”.
One example highlighted by the department was the use of the Face Verification Service to prevent a child using their parent’s driver licence to get around any age verification.
At this point, me writing about porn is a running joke now. But stuff like this raises awareness on important privacy issues.
That Apple Bluetooth Tile Product to be Named 'AirTag'
There’s a 99% probability that Apple’s new Bluetooth product will be named AirTag, according to assets found in iOS 13.2 which was just released today.
A folder within the filesystem for the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system possibly confirms the name “AirTag” for the new device, which will be paired with a user’s iPhone just like AirPods and will allow users to track any item using the Find My app.
I currently have a bet going that AirTag will be released tomorrow.
Review: Print iPhone Photos Using Motif
Photos look different on your screen than they do printed out. Motif is one such service to print iPhone photos, and Andrew tried it out.
Spotify Reaches 113 Million Paid Subscribers
Spotify has hit 113 million paid subscribers, according to its latest financial update, Music Business Worldwide reported. Apple Music hit 50 million paid subscribers in the final quarter of 2018.
The subscriber numbers were confirmed in a Q3 financial update today (October 28), in which SPOT confirmed that its premium subs count was up 31% year on year (on the same three months, to end of September, in 2018). The 113m is comfortably within the firm’s guidance range of 110-114m for Q3. The average paying Spotify subscriber across the world (ARPU) in Q3 2019 paid €4.67, down 1% YoY, but actually down 3% excluding the impact from foreign exchange rates. SPOT’s global Q3 Monthly Active User count (248m) was up 30% year-on-year, and up by 16m people quarter-on-quarter.
Apple Announces AirPods Pro with Active Noise Cancellation, Available October 30th [Update]
Apple announced AirPods Pro Monday — without a media event — featuring an in-ear design with noise cancellation, as predicted by a recent leak. AirPods Pro are available for preorder now, and will ship October 30th. [Update: article has been updated with more details and features.]