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.
Apple Delays Its CSAM Scanning ‘Features’
The controversy surrounding Apple’s proposed CSAM scanning features has been noticed. The iPhone maker announced it’s delaying the rollout.
'Little America' Season Two Coming Back to Apple TV+, Shooting Early Next Year
Little America will return to Apple TV+, co-creator Emily V. Gordon has confirmed, with the plan is to resume shooting in early 2022.
Mamma Mia, Here They go Again - ABBA Discusses Comeback on Apple Music
ABBA surprised many with news of a return this week, accompanied by new music and upcoming shows. The band’s Björn Ulvaeus sat down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe to discuss the pop legend’s legacy, and why they decided to take a chance on coming back. Two songs from the Swedish super trouper’s upcoming album ‘Legacy’, out in November, are available to preview now.
Great Suggestions For Repurposing an Older iPad Before You Recycle it
It’s always somewhat sad to let an old iPad go to the great recycle bin in the sky, especially as they tend to still be fairly functional. Earlier this week, the Digital Story podcast offered some great suggestions for repurposing the device and getting a bit more life out of it. I really like some of these.
#1 – Fantastic Audio/Visual Remote and Channel Guide I’ve been using my iPhone to surf my Comcast channel guide. It worked fine. Then one day I had the bright idea to use an old iPad mini. Wow! What a difference screen real estate makes. I can can leave it right there on the coffee table. Plus it works nicely for Apple TV and other services. #2 – DIY CarPlay for Older Vehicles I love my 2007 Audi A3, and I doubt that I will ever sell it. But I do miss it having that handy LCD screen that every modern car sports these days. An iPad mini with cellular is a beautiful upgrade. I use a Padcaster for iPad Mini 1-3 frame that actually looks really nice with the interior of the car. And it’s quick release mounted so I can slide the device under the seat of the car when I’m not in it.