We finally have the winner of our iPhone 16 Pro international giveaway! Congratulations to Oliver T., and a huge thank you to everyone who participated.
Invitations and Rumors – TMO Daily Observations 2021-09-07
Jeff Butts and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the (now announced) iPhone event, and what else may be revealed next week.
Apple Releases Another AirTags FirmWare Update
For the third time in recent days, Apple released new AirTags firmware on Tuesday. AppleInisder reported that the software mainly contains bug fixes. It is automatically installed over the air.
It is unknown what the new firmware with version 1.0.291 (A1291e) brings, and Apple has released no documentation to support the revision. However, the update is expected to bring bug fixes and general improvements to the product. The past firmware was upgraded to the same version number but with a different build number — 1.0.291 (1A291c). The last firmware was released just five days after the previous one debuted.
This Person Has Archived the Entirety of iTunes U
A Redditor announced that they. have archived the entire iTunes U catalog, and asks for help to upload some of the larger torrent files.
Apple Exec Looks to Address Concerns Raised by AppleToo Movement
Apple’s head of retail and people, Deirdre O’Brien, sought to address a number of key issues amongst staff raised by the AppleToo movement.
Developers Receive tvOS 15 Beta 9 for Their Devices
Apple released tvOS 15 beta 9 for developers. The company doesn’t provide release notes for this OS, but we do know what features will arrive this fall.
Bitcoin Becomes Legal Tender in El Salvador Today
El Salvador officially made Bitcoin a legal tender currency on Tuesday, September 7, the first country to do so. This move comes into effect three months after its parliament passed the vote.
The big advantage Bitcoin will have for these economies is that they will not have any debt to pay to anyone. It also means that these countries will offer excellent opportunities for the adoption of cryptocurrencies and for crypto startups. This will eventually boost taxation and can become a growth point for this country.
Rogue Amoeba's Fission Pulled from the Mac App Store
Rogue Amoeba has pulled Fission from the Mac App Store after almost a decade of trying to convince Apple to improve the service for users.
Hulu Raises Prices for On-Demand Plans by a Dollar
Disney is raising the prices of on-demand Hulu plans by US$1.00 to push subscribers to its Disney Bundle and Live TV packages.
Here are Steps to Take to Protect Your Privacy on Apple Devices
Macinstruct published a brief guide on protecting your privacy on Apple devices as a response to Apple’s CSAM detection plans.
We’re now encouraging readers to protect their privacy by disabling certain Apple features. In situations where privacy is a hard requirement, it may be necessary to consider using non-Apple hardware and software. This article provides an overview of our recommendations and your options.
It’s a decent guide except for the recommendation to disable iMessage in favor of SMS. iMessage is end-to-end encrypted, SMS is not. My advice for iMessage privacy is to prevent Messages from storing content in iCloud. When that happens, Apple has the capability to decrypt texts. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Profile Name > iCloud, and turn off the toggle for Messages. Then go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages. Change it to auto-delete old messages after 30 days. Or, use a private messenger such as Signal.
Apple 2021 Fall Event Scheduled for September 14, Invites Reveal
Apple has sent out official invites for its 2021 Fall product event. It’s set for September 14 at 10:00AM PT, 1:00 ET.
Apple Watch Series 7 Coming Soon, but in Short Supply
We’re waiting for the iPhone 13 event, when Apple also unveils the Apple Watch Series 7. Deliveries of the new Watch might be later, though.
Using Folder Actions To Keep Your Mac Organized
Did you know Folder Actions still exist for macOS? Find out how to use them to organize your Mac folders in this Quick Tip from Mac Geek Gab 887.
The H.266 Video Codec is Coming. Here’s What it Promises
The next codec for video compression is H.266, or Versatile Video Codec (VVC). It promises up to 50% better compression than H.265, or High-Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC).
The JVET decided to build H.266 (VVC) for applications beyond video streaming. The standard has support for beaming 4K to 8K videos seamlessly, along with support for 360-degree videos. This could be useful in VR and AR applications.
Bross mentioned that H.266 is designed in such a way that that you can access different regions of a frame directly in the bitstream. So a video streaming service could choose to streams regions that are not very important in the scence in a lower resolution to save bandwidth.
Apple TV+ Fall Preview — Media+
Kelly Guimont joins host Charlotte Henry to preview all the shows coming to Apple TV+ this fall. They also discuss the state of the streaming service as it approaches its second birthday.
Maestral: A DropBox Alternative For Mac Users
Here’s cool stuff found from Mac Geek Gab 887 on an awesome dropbox alternative. Download Maestral Here: https://maestral.app
Power Usage and iPhone Terminal — Mac Geek Gab 888
Today is full of Cool Stuff Found, tips, and questions, with focuses on your charging and power usage as well as seeing behind the scenes of your iPhone. Of course, there’s always more with your two favorite geeks, including third-party AirTags, migrating email, and maintaining your Mac! Press play and join John and Dave in learning at least five new things!
From TMO to Everyone, Happy Labor Day!
Today is Labor Day in the U.S. The Mac Observer will be taking the day off, and we hope you are, too. We’ll resume our regular publishing schedule on Tuesday, September 7th. Enjoy the holiday!
Use Amphetamine To Keep Your Mac Awake!
Want your Mac to stay awake? Have you tried Amphetamine for your Mac? Learn more in Mac Geek Gab 887.
Salvadorans Protest Bitcoin Law, But Don’t Know What It Is
El Salvador’s Bitcoin Law goes into effect on September 7. Most Salvadorans think it should be repealed, but they don’t know what it means.
AppleToo Workers File First Two Labor Law Complaints
While Cupertino struggles to hold on to its culture of secrecy, the AppleToo organizers have filed two labor law complaints against Apple.
Digital Rights Group Responds to Apple CSAM Measures Delay
Apple’s delay to rolling out controversial measures to find known CSAM was welcomed by activists, but they want them scrapped permanently.
‘Ted Lasso’ Season Two Review: Episode Seven – Not So Great Nate
Episode seven of Ted Lasso season two takes us deep into the minds of some of the key characters, including Ted, Nate, and Keeley.
App Store Reader Apps – TMO Daily Observations 2021-09-03
Today Bryan Chaffin joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss Japan’s investigation into the iOS App Store and what it means for users worldwide.
Get Up to $30 Off Your Groceries with Instacart and Apple Pay
From now until September 8, 2021, US customers can get a hefty discount off their grocery order. The latest Apple Pay promotion gets new Instacart customers $30 off any order of $50 or more. Existing customers also benefit from the promotion with a smaller discount.Existing Instacart customers can get $5 off an order of $35 or more. If you subscribe to Apple Pay emails, you should have received a promotion code. If not, you will find a promotion banner to click at the top of the iOS Instacart app once you have Apple Pay enabled.