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Revenue From Streaming Music Totaled $4.6 Billion in First Half of 2021

Andrew Orr ·

A mid-year report from the RIAA showed streaming music services have bounced back in 2021.

Within the overall streaming landscape, paid streaming subscription revenue totaled $4.6 billion — growing at the same 26% clip — and accounted for 78% of overall revenues in the first half of the year. Limited tier subscription revenue jumped to $452 million, accounting for 10% of streaming dollars, while ad-supported revenues — which took a large pandemic-related hit last year — grew 54% to $741 million. Digital and customized radio, including SoundExchange distributions, increased 3% to $585 million.

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Security Researcher Finds CloudKit Bug That Broke Apple Shortcuts

Andrew Orr ·

Security researcher Frans Rosén wrote about a CloudKit bug he accidentally found that affected Apple News, Shortcuts, and iCrowd+.

On the third day, I started to connect the dots, realized how certain assets connected to other assets, and started to understand more how things worked. This is when some of the first bugs popped up, finally restoring my self-esteem a bit, making me more relaxed and focused going forward.

I dug up an old jailbroken iPad I had, which allowed me to proxy all content through my laptop. I downloaded all Apple owned apps and started looking at the traffic.

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Coinbase Adds Option for Two-Factor Authentication Security Keys

Andrew Orr ·

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced an important update to its mobile app. Users can now secure their accounts with a two-factor authentication security key.

Hardware security keys are encrypted USB devices that you can register with your Coinbase account as a strong form of physical 2FA. Once registered, you’ll be prompted for your security key when logging in. You then plug in the key, or tap via near field communication (NFC), to your mobile device to securely access your account.

VSCO Introduces a Healing Tool for Members Called ‘Remove’
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VSCO Introduces a Healing Tool for Members Called 'Remove'

Andrew Orr ·

Remove lets you easily edit out unwanted objects from your photos in a few simple taps. Clear photobombers, background clutter, and more for cleaner, beautiful images when you start a 7-day free membership trial. I’ve been testing it so far and it’s not the greatest at removing things, but the feature is currently in beta and is sure to improve over time. Options: Determine the Brush size you want to use with the slider. Play with smaller Brush sizes and using a tapping motion, instead of a brushing motion, for more accurate editing. You can also pinch and zoom into different parts of your photo to focus on smaller details. While editing your image, make use of the back and forward arrows to compare edits and undo or redo your work. Tap the checkmark when you’re done.

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Coinbase Adds Rari Governance Token (RGT) and XYO Network (XYO)

Andrew Orr ·

Starting today, Rari Governance Token (RGT) and XYO Network (XYO) are available on Coinbase.com and in the Coinbase Android and iOS apps.

Rari Governance Token (RGT) is an Ethereum token that powers Rari Capital, a decentralized protocol for lending and borrowing. The Rari Governance Token is used for fee discounts and protocol governance.

XYO Network (XYO) is an Ethereum token that powers XYO Network, a decentralized network of devices that anonymously collect and validate geospatial data. On the XYO World platform, XYO tokens can be traded for and staked against unique ERC-721 tokens representing real-world locations.

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Investor Tells Tim Cook - 'The Time Has Come to Change Apple’s Approach' to Antitrust

Charlotte Henry ·

One prominent tech investor has written to CEO Tim Cook urging the company to rethink its approach to antitrust cases and regulators. Roger McNamee had his letter published by Time.

Unless Apple rethinks its approach, regulators will likely have no choice but to undermine its advantage in privacy and security. As a customer, that will piss me off. As an activist trying to reform the tech industry, it will leave me wondering what might have been. I would like to suggest a path to a better outcome. Apple is no longer the plucky upstart it was when Steve Jobs returned two decades ago. The company has a market value bigger than the GDP of all but eight countries in the world. In the trailing four quarters, your firm enjoyed a tax rate of about 14%, which has attracted the attention of Senator Warren, among others, who believe it is too low. Apple has huge economic power, which it uses for competitive advantage. Some of the victims of that economic power are fighting back, not unreasonably, and Apple’s brand with policy makers has taken a beating. The company’s reaction? One of surprise and resentment, which is not working. The time has come to change Apple’s approach.

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Major Apple Maps Update Rolling Out in Italy

Charlotte Henry ·

A major update to Apple Maps is being rolled out in Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and Andorra. It includes a host of new data and features users in other countries have enjoyed for a while, MacStories reported.

In one update, the entire region is gaining features that were released elsewhere over the past two years, including: Look Around, More detailed road coverage, pedestrian data, and land cover, Improved navigation, 3D buildings. Siri Natural Language Guidance. Speed camera data. Lane guidance, and more… When iOS 15 is released, transit stations in Italy will be easier to find, and riders will be able to pin their favorite transit lines in Maps and track when they should disembark on an iPhone or Apple Watch. Drivers will gain the ability to report accidents, hazards, and speed checks using Siri too.