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.
Reddit Announces Public Bug Bounty Program
For the past three years Reddit has maintained a privacy bug bounty program for cybersecurity researchers with HackerOne. On Thursday the company announced a public program.
With our continued growth and visibility, we’re now ready to make the program public and expand the participation to anyone wanting to make a meaningful security impact on Reddit. As we scale the program, our priority will remain focused on protecting the privacy of our user data and identities. We know each security researcher has their own skills and perspective that they bring to the program, and we encourage anyone to submit a report that shows security impact. We’re super excited to hit this milestone and have prepared our team for what’s to come.
Celebrate Earth Day 2021 by Using Apple Pay
Now through April 22 Apple will donate US$1 to Conservation International for every Apple Pay transaction made with Apple.
Adobe Releases Global Emoji Diversity & Inclusion Report
On Thursday Adobe released the Global Emoji Diversity & Inclusion Report. It surveyed 7,000 emoji users from around the world on how they use diverse and inclusive emojis.
Only half of global emoji users feel their identity is adequately reflected in current emoji options. More representative emoji, inclusive of different cultures, age groups, and ethnicities, are key in helping emoji users better express themselves. This goes a lot deeper than personal identification — it helps people accurately express how they are feeling.
U.S. Sanctions Russia Over SolarWinds Cyberattack
The U.S. has imposed sanctions against Russia for election interference and its role in the devastating cyberattack known as SolarWinds.
U.S. House Committee Approve Big Tech Report
The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee formally approved a report that accuses big tech companies, including Apple, of either buying or crushing smaller rivals, Reuters reported. The extensive document offers various options for changing antitrust law.
The more than 400-page staff report will become an official committee report, and the blueprint for legislation to rein in the market power of the likes of Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google, Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Amazon.com (AMZN.O) and Facebook (FB.O). The report was approved by a 24-17 vote that split along party lines. The companies have denied any wrongdoing. The report first released in October – the first such congressional review of the tech industry – suggested extensive changes to antitrust law and described dozens of instances where it said the companies had misused their power.
Apple TV+ Titles Have Highest Average IMDb Score, But Netflix Best Value for Money
Apple TV+ titles’ average score on IMDb of 7.24 beats that of its key rivals, but Netflix offers the best value for money.
Fitness+ Adds New Workouts for Pregnancy, Workouts for Older Adults
Apple’s Fitness+ service is expanding its program with three new categories: Workouts for Pregnancy, Workouts for Older Adults, and Workouts for Beginners.
Adding Car to HomeKit for In-App Controls and Automation
Self-confessed “home automation enthusiast” Siobhán Ellis integrated an electric car into her Apple HomeKit setup. In a blogpost (spotted by MacRumors) she explained what she did and how she did it.
After I initially wrote this blog post, I wondered if there was a HomeBridge integration into the Jaguar InControl API. InControl enables a number of things, such as remotely seeing if the car is unlocked, how much it’s charged and if it is charging. It also enables pre-conditioning, which is the warming up of the car before you travel somewhere so the batteries work at peak efficiency. As it happens, there is a plugin, called Jlr Incontrol. Installation was easy, although I must say it came up with a few warnings.
Extra Storage And You – TMO Daily Observations 2021-04-15
Thursdays with Bob continue as Dr Mac drops by to chat with Kelly about how (and why) to shop for a hard drive, and Bob’s secret for buying them.
Apple Launches $200 Million Carbon Removal Project
On Thursday Apple announced the Restore Fund, a project that will make investments in forestry projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere.
Magnetic Wireless Charging Power Bank Sticks to iPhone 12: $39.99
We have a deal on a portable battery with a built-in Qi charger that uses magnets to stick right to the back of your iPhone 12 while it’s charging. And it has a built-in ring on the back that you can use to securely hold your iPhone while you’re using it. This device is $39.99 through our deal.
Windows 10 Now Runs on Apple Silicon M1 Macs
Users who so desire now run Windows 10 on an M1 Mac. The latest version of Parallels allows the operating system to run on an Apple Silicon computer, The Verge reported.
The latest version of Parallels Desktop for Mac now allows M1 Mac owners to run Windows 10 on Arm apps or traditional x86 apps side by side with Mac or iOS apps on Big Sur. There will be some app limitations on the Windows 10 on Arm side, thanks to its own app emulation, but Windows 10 on Arm will soon support x64 app emulation, too. Parallels Desktop maker Corel says its latest update also results in some impressive performance and battery improvements over running the software on Intel-based Macs. According to Corel, the 16.5 update uses up to 250 percent less energy on an M1 Mac, compared to an Intel-based MacBook Air. There’s also a promise of up to 60 percent better DirectX 11 performance and up to 30 percent better overall virtual machine performance running the Arm version of Windows 10 on an M1 Mac instead of a Windows 10 VM on an Intel-based MacBook Pro.
UK Tesco Shopper Orders Apples, Gets iPhone SE
One happy customer in London, England ordered apples at a supermarket and came away with an iPhone SE. The Mirror reported that customer Nick James found out he’d randomly won the device when he went to pick up a ‘click and collect’ order at a Tesco Extra store.
Mr James was gobsmacked to receive a free iPhone SE in his click and collect order. He told the Mirror: “I was half expecting the surprise to be an Easter egg or something – I was a little bit shocked to say the least.” Tesco Mobile is giving away free Apple iPhones, AirPods and Samsung devices as part of a “super substitutes” promotion this week. Tweeting about his win earlier this week, he said: “A big thanks this week to Tesco and Tesco Mobile. “On Wednesday evening we went to pick up our click and collect order and had a little surprise in there – an Apple iPhone SE.
Apple Partners with Pixar's Story Master for Animated Short 'Blush'
Apple Original Films and Sky Dance animations announced their partnership’s debut short film, with former Pixar exec John Lasseter as an Executive Producer.
Apple TV+ Announcements, Streaming Comparisons – TMO Daily Observations 2021-04-14
Charlotte Henry joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss new announcements on Apple TV+ and a new study of how TV+ stacks up against other services.
Apple TV+ Adds to Musical Roster With New Mark Ronson-hosted Docuseries
Producer and DJ Mark Ronson is set to host a new music show coming to Apple TV+ on July 30, called ‘Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson’.
How Advertisers are Reacting to iOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency
The release of iOS 14.5 is right around the corner and with it comes a feature known as App Tracking Transparency. How are advertisers reacting?
15:21 Cork iPhone Cases are Sustainably Harvested
15:21 is a company based in Stockholm, Sweden and it makes iPhone cases out of cork, including cases for the iPhone 12 smartphone line.
Mac and Services to Provide AAPL Upside
AAPL investors can still expect an upside when during Apple’s forthcoming earnings call thanks to Mac and services. That’s according to J.P Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee in a note seen by AppleInsider.
Lead analyst Samik Chatterjee writes that the setup heading into Q1 2021 earnings is “dramatically different than the last one,” since the focus on near-term earnings drivers has moderated after the busy holiday season. Specifically, iPhone builds are slowing down, led primarily by softening smartphone shipments in China and slowing momentum of 5G-equipped iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro sales. Relative to sell-side consensus, Chatterjee believes investors are primed for softer results. However, the analyst still expects modest upside to investor expectations. He cites strong growth in Services and the current momentum in Mac and iPad shipments as the primary driver, despite concerns that work from home trends will wear off. JP Morgan is tracking iPhone revenue in line with expectations.
No mini in 2022 iPhone Lineup, Says Ming-Chi Kuo
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that there will be no iPhone 14 mini, in a new note seen by MacRumors. Despite its relatively poor performance, a smaller model is expected to be in the 2021 lineup.
“We predict that the new 2H22 iPhone will come in four models: the high-end 6.7″ and 6.1″, and the lower-end 6.7″ and 6.1″,” wrote Kuo. If there is no so-called iPhone 14 mini next year, the iPhone SE would regain the title of smallest iPhone with its 4.7-inch display. However, the current iPhone SE is actually slightly larger than the 5.4-inch mini model due to having thicker bezels and a Touch ID home button. The iPhone SE also has only a single-lens rear camera and is equipped with an LCD screen, whereas the iPhone 12 mini has a superior OLED display.
Big Library Read’s Latest Book Club Offering is ‘The Art of Taking it Easy’
Overdrive’s book club called Big Library Read announced its latest entry for readers called “The Art of Taking It Easy” by psychologist and stand-up comedian Dr. Brian King. Through Libby, OverDrive’s one-tap reading app, The Art of Taking It Easy is available for free, simultaneous use access from over 20K libraries and schools worldwide through April 19. Being selected for Big Library Read provides great exposure for King, with hundreds of thousands checkouts per program and the unique opportunity for readers to interact with the author and others in the online discussion.
Mophie’s Powerful New Batteries Can Jump Start a Vehicle
Mophie has released four new batteries to its product line-up, and these are different than your standard portable power packs.
Security Firm Behind iPhone Unlocking Finally Discovered
The security firm that unlocked the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter has been unveiled, and it’s an Australian company called Azimuth.
Azimuth is a poster child for “white hat” hacking, experts say, which is good-guy cybersecurity research that aims to disclose flaws and disavows authoritarian governments. Two Azimuth hackers teamed up to break into the San Bernardino iPhone, according to the people familiar with the matter, who like others quoted in this article, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
An interesting story, especially with the connection to Corellium.
Spotify Launches First Hardware Product - Car Thing - in U.S.
Spotify launched in-car entertainment system Car Thing in the U.S. on Tuesday, TechCrunch reported. It’s the company’s first ever hardware product.
The company explained its interest in Car Thing is about solving a need for customers who want a “more seamless” and personalized in-car listening experience. Although many cars today support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, Spotify points out that the average age of a car in the U.S. is actually 11 years old and the average lifetime of cars is 18 years. That means there are still a large number of cars on the road that don’t support modern, in-car infotainment systems. Car Thing is being introduced to serve this market — and likely, to give Spotify the opportunity to explore future business models where it has a more direct relationship with customers inside the vehicle, though the company isn’t speaking to its longer-term ambitions at this time.