The macOS 12 Monterey release is just around the corner. Folks on the Developer or Public Betas can update to the release candidate now.
macOS: How to Enable Touch ID Authentication for Sudo in Terminal
A few days ago, a commenter in The Mac Observer’s Mac Geek Gab Forum shared a way to use the sudo command in Terminal and use Touch ID.
How to Avoid Becoming Powerless
If you suffer from FOROOJ (Fear of Running Out of Juice), Dr. Mac has the cure (and it’s not “more cowbell…”)
Teardown Reveals Why Apple Watch Series 7 Faced Delays
We all enjoy the iFixit teardowns of new products. This time, they’ve enlisted the help of some former Apple engineers to look at the insides of the Apple Watch Series 7. It gives a hint as to why the device might have been delayed.
Apple Music Becoming Available on Windows 11 as an Android App
Windows 11 users will soon be able to access Apple Music as an Android app. MacRumors reported on the functionality, currently available only to beta testers.
Microsoft released Windows 11 earlier this month, but its promised support for side-loading Android apps was delayed. That just got one step closer, however, with the first preview of the support now available to testers in the Beta Channel version of Windows 11, which means interested users need to opt into the Windows Insider program to gain access. As it’s a preview release, Microsoft has limited the number of Android apps that can be run on Windows 11, and has partnered with Amazon to make around 50 apps on the Amazon Appstore available to download and install. Apple Music isn’t available on Amazon’s Appstore, but it is possible to run the app using the app’s APK and the Windows Subsystem for Android.
Is Safari Becoming the New Internet Explorer Holding Back Progress?
Scott Gilbertson writes about Safari for The Register on Friday, pondering its features (or lack thereof) with other major browsers.
If Apple were less opaque and faster in its development process it could participate more in the debate over new APIs. If the company truly has concerns about the privacy implications of APIs, then it should voice them. Push back against Google, and provide a real alternative to Chrome. It wouldn’t be easy, but it might be the only hope we have.
PUBG: New State Coming to iPhone November 11
Mobile gamers anxious for the next chapter in the PUBG franchise don’t have much longer to wait. PUBG: New State arrives on iOS November 11.
Satechi Unveils USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter With Built-in SSD Compartment
Satechi has unveiled its newest product, the USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter. It expands to feature a built-in SSD storage compartment.
'REvil' Ransomware Group Taken Down Through Multi-Country Effort
The FBI, working with Cyber Command, the Secret Service, and other countries, took down REvil.
According to three people familiar with the matter, law enforcement and intelligence cyber specialists were able to hack REvil’s computer network infrastructure, obtaining control of at least some of their servers. After websites that the hacker group used to conduct business went offline in July, the main spokesman for the group, who calls himself “Unknown,” vanished from the internet.
Apple TV+ Renews Mythic Quest For Seasons Three and Four
Popular Apple TV+ comedy Mythic Quest will return for at least two more seasons, having been renewed for seasons three and four.
Google Follows Apple And Slashes Play Store Fees
Google is reducing the fees it takes from developers in the Play Store, CNBC reported. It is dropping the cut it takes from subscriptions from 30 percent to 15 from day one. The move from Google follows similar ones made by Apple.
Google also said on Thursday that it was introducing a program to allow e-books, music streaming services, and other apps that pay for content to access fees as low as 10%. Apple doesn’t make exceptions for those kind of apps and doesn’t offer a 10% fee to developers in its app store. Apple, which has received more regulator attention over its app store than Google, over the past two years cut its take from 30% to 15% in many cases, including for apps making less than $1 million per year, news apps, and certain premium video streamers that participate in an Apple program. But Apple still charges 30% for the first year of a subscription, meaning that Google’s app store may be more competitive for subscription-based apps.
US Bans Export of Hacking Tools to Authoritarian Regimes
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced new rules for hacking tools and their export to other countries.
Thursdays with Bob: Juiced Up and Ready For Anything – TMO Daily Observations 2021-10-21
Today Dr Mac joins Kelly to talk about batteries, fast and slow charging, and generally making sure you don’t run out of power (even at Disneyland!)
Apple Increases COVID-19 Testing Even More for Unvaccinated Employees
Even though Apple isn’t mandating the vaccine, the frequency of required COVID-19 testing could prompt more double-jabs than before.
The Slow Mo Guys Look at iPhone 13's 120hz ProMotion Display
The Slow Mo Guys are back with a new episode, and they compare the 120hz ProMotion display of the iPhone 13 Pro models to a 60hz display. The video was shot at 2,000 fps. The team shows the screen’s refresh rate in various apps as well as the camera feed. The iPhone 13 Pro refresh rate changes depending on what’s on the screen in order to save battery.
Switch to T-Mobile and Your Phone Will be Paid Off Up to $1,000
T-Mobile announced that it will pay off your remaining smartphone payments up to US$1,000 if you switch to its network.
The Associated Press Brings Datasets to Blockchain Through Chainlink
The Associated Press announced a partnership with Chainlink to bring datasets onto leading blockchains.
AP U.S. race calls, economic data, sports game outcomes and business financials will be available. The data can be used to automate key processes that happen on-chain, including informing markets of election race calls, triggering an on-chain trade when a company’s quarterly financials are released, or augmenting the appearance of non-fungible tokens based on real-world events.
iOS 15 Wallet Tip: Expired Passes
Find your expired concert tickets, plane tickets, and more in the Expired Passes section of your iOS 15 Wallet. Learn more in this mini-segment from Mac Geek Gab 894.
Facebook Adds AR Effects to Messenger Video Calls
On Thursday Facebook announced Group Effects in video calls for Messenger. These are augmented reality effects.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Investigates Big Tech
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau plans to start probing Big Tech companies over their usage of consumer financial data.
Is Apple Product Design Better Without Sir Jony Ive?
It’s a heretical thought for some but…has Apple product design actually got better since Sir Jony Ive left? Writing for Bloomberg Businessweek, Alex Webb argues that devices now focus on function rather than form, to the benefit of the user.
Evans Hankey, who now heads the industrial design team, has overseen plenty of other tweaks that seem to indicate a change of philosophy. Take the iPhone. The latest iterations have ditched the curved edges that made the display liable to crack if dropped on its side. Or the Apple TV remote, whose symmetry made it visually appealing, but meant that users often inadvertently pressed the wrong buttons by holding it upside down. The design was revamped in May. “Since Jony Ive left, there’s not that gravitational force driving aesthetic before function,” Paul Found, a lecturer in industrial design at the University for the Creative Arts in Canterbury, England. “Those who have taken over are now listening to what customers are saying.”
New Apple Store in Istanbul Opening October 22
A new Apple Store, Apple Bağdat Caddesi in Istanbul, will open onOctober 22, becoming the company’s third retail location in Turkey.
It Costs Another US$20 to Get Fast Charging For The New 14-Inch MacBook Pro
Apple has mentioned faster charging when launching a variety of devices recently, including the new 14-inch MacBook Pro, However, as iMore pointed out, getting the feature will cost a little bit extra on top of the standard configuration.
Thankfully, the 96W power adapter is available as a $20 upgrade when you are configuring your 14-inch MacBook Pro, but it still seems odd that Apple would bother with the 67W power adapter at all since it doesn’t provide the full experience that its new laptop is capable of. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros feature the new M1 Pro and M1 Max processors, Apple’s latest pro-level chips that take the M1 to new heights. The new laptops feature a mini-LED display, MagSafe charging, a new keyboard with function keys, and the return of many ports.
Finding the Best iPad mini Case
With so many options, how do you find the best iPad mini case? Here are a few top choices, from standard folio to wraparound protection.