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.
UPERFECT 15.6" Portable Monitor: $204.99
We have a deal on the UPERFECT 15.6″ Portable Monitor. It features an LCD HDR screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution, and it has built-in quad speakers. It also supports USB-C, Mini HD, PD, and Micro USB ports, and is compatible with macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux, as well as Xbox, PlayStation 4, and Rasberry Pi. This device is $204.99 through our deal.
After Ad Campaign, Intel Launches ‘PC vs. Mac’ Website
After releasing its ad campaign featuring Justin Long, Intel released a “PC vs. Mac” website comparing the platforms. Juli Clover shares:
Intel positions PCs as more “personalized” to fit a user’s “specific hardware and software needs,” while the M1 Macs offer “limited” device support, games, and creation applications. “The bottom line is a PC offers users a choice, something that users don’t get with a Mac,” reads the website.
Notice how all of Intel’s examples are features of Windows, not Intel, a.k.a. actual performance statistics. What a joke.
New ‘XcodeSpy’ Malware Targets Apple Developers
A new form of malware has been discovered that explicitly targets Apple developers. It’s called “XcodeSpy.”
Facebook Introduces Security Keys for Two-Factor Authentication
Facebook announced on Thursday that it now supports two-factor authentication authentication for security keys on its mobile apps.
Physical security keys — which can be small enough to fit on your keychain — notify you each time someone tries accessing your Facebook account from a browser or mobile device we don’t recognize. We ask you to confirm it’s you with your key, which attackers don’t have.
Bacardo Announces Pocket Watch Accessory for New Apple Watches
Bucardo is introducing a Kickstarter campaign for its pocket watch accessory. This latest product works with Apple Watch Series 4, 5, 6, and Apple Watch SE. The accessory allows you to wear your Apple Watch as a classic pocket watch. Simply remove your bands and slide the pocket watch accessory into the band slots of your Apple Watch. The company worked with talented jewelry designers and engineers to create an accessory that pays attention to all the fine details, highlighting the form of the Apple Watch while creating a unique wearable experience. Right now the base reward is US$95.
iOS 14 Isn’t Safe From Forensic Extraction Technology
Elcomsoft has announced an update to its iOS Forensic Toolkit, with version 7.0 working on iPhone 12 models and iOS 14 through iOS 14.3.
Google’s Privacy Moves to Face U.S. Antitrust Scrutiny
Apple has been the subject of a plethora of antitrust investigations in recent times. According to Reuters, recent privacy changes from Google, which would see its Chrome browsers ban some cookies, have caught the attention of the U.S. Justice Department too.
Investigators are asking whether Google is using Chrome, which has 60% global market share, to reduce competition by preventing rival ad companies from tracking users through cookies while leaving loopholes for it to gather data with cookies, analytics tools and other sources, the sources added. The latest conversations, which have not been previously reported, are a sign that officials are tracking Google’s projects in the global online ad market where it and No. 2 Facebook Inc control about 54% of revenue.
Tim Cook Says Shooting in Atlanta, Georgia 'Calls us All to Speak up And Take Action'
Tim Cook has spoken out following the shooting that saw eight people, six of whom were Asian, killed in a shooting near Atlanta, Georgia.
Natalie Portman Signs First Look Apple TV+ Deal
Natalie Portman’s newly created production company has signed a first look deal with Apple to produce TV+ content.
Starting April 15, TikTok Won’t Let You Opt Out of Personalized Ads
Starting April 15, TikTok will make personalized ads mandatory whether you want them or not.
TikTok says it is “committed” to respecting the privacy of its users, according to a TikTok spokesperson. “We will continue to be transparent about our data privacy practices and help users understand their privacy choices on our Safety Center.”
People will still be able to control whether TikTok personalizes ads based on data pulled from other apps and websites.
Committed to respecting the privacy of its users. Eye roll.
Why Does Apple Keep Making Pricey Niche Products Like The HomePod?
We recently learned that that the HomePod is to be discontinued, with Apple turning its focus to the mini instead. Luke Dormehl at Cult of Mac made a compelling argument for why it demonstrates that the company should stop producing pricey, niche, products.
You can read the HomePod debacle as an admission of failure regarding Apple’s framing of the device as a smart speaker rather than high-end audio gear. But it’s more than that. It’s an illustration of Apple’s faltering strategy of creating premium products for niche corners of the market… What else that Apple currently manufactures falls into this same category of being far more expensive than its competition? If I was toiling away on the AirPods Max, I’d probably be nervous. Apple’s pricey over-the-ear headphones, which debuted at the end of last year, sell for $550. Again, Apple hasn’t broken out sales figures, but suppliers working on the AirPods Max reportedly view it as a niche product.
Tim Cook to Appear at China Development Forum 2021
Apple CEO is set to appear at the 2021 China Development Forum, Global Times reported. Other top tech execs such as Tesla’s Elon Musk and Cisco’s Chuck Robbins will also attend.
Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, will co-chair this year’s CDF, a gathering of executives of 100-plus foreign firms including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, HSBC Chief Executive Noel Quinn, Chuck Robbins, chairman and CEO of Cisco, Ray Dalio, founder and chairman of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates and Jakob Stausholm, CEO of Rio Tinto Group, according to a posting on the CDF’s official WeChat account on Monday.The event, held annually since 2000, will offer both in-person and online components at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing from Saturday through Monday under the theme of “China on a New Journey Toward Modernization.”
Huawei Wants 5G Royalties from Apple and Samsung
Huawei is set to start asking the likes of Apple and Samsung 5G patent royalties, executives have said. The Chinese firm did though confirm that it is will to negotiate flexibly, with different rates for different 5G products, Bloomberg News reported.
The owner of the world’s largest portfolio of 5G patents will negotiate rates and potential cross-licensing with the iPhone maker and Samsung Electronics Co., Chief Legal Officer Song Liuping said. It aims to get paid despite U.S. efforts to block its network gear and shut it out of the supply chain, but promised to charge lower rates than rivals like Qualcomm Inc., Ericsson AB and Nokia Oyj. Huawei should rake in about $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion in patent and licensing fees between 2019 and 2021, executives said without specifying which of those stemmed from 5G. It’s capping per-phone royalties at $2.50, according to Jason Ding, head of Huawei’s intellectual property department. China’s largest technology company by revenue wants a seat at the table with tech giants vying to define the rapidly evolving field of connected cars, smart homes and robotic surgery.
UK Uber Drivers Now Receive National Living Wage
Uber drivers in the UK now receive the National Living Wage of £8.72 (US$12.18) per hour, following a recent case in the country. BBC News has a good breakdown of what the change means for the ride hailing service, how we got here, and what it might mean for the company more broadly.
The ride-hailing giant said drivers would earn at least the National Living Wage, or £8.72 an hour, in a move that could shake up the wider gig economy. It comes a month after it lost a legal battle in the UK over drivers’ status. Uber said it was “turning the page” on workers’ rights, but some said it had not gone far enough. Analysts also warned the company had increased prices in California after a similar ruling and was likely to do the same in the UK.
FCC Readies Next 5G Auction so Service Reaches More Americans
The FCC is preparing a 5G auction that will begin in October. It will offer frequencies that will cover millions of more Americans.
Anthony Boyle to Star Alongside Austin Butler, Callum Turner in Apple TV+ WWII Series 'Masters of the Air'
Anthony Boyle is joining the cast of ‘Masters of the Air’ on Apple TV+, co-starring alongside Austin Butler and Callum Turner.
Tom Hiddleston Joining Clare Danes in Apple TV+ Adaption of 'The Essex Serpent'
Tom Hiddleston has joined the cast of forthcoming Apple TV+ series The Essex Serpent, starring alongside Claire Danes.
What Apple's Doing With All That Green – TMO Daily Observations 2021-03-17
Bryan Chaffin and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss how Apple is spending money including Maps features and more “green” updates.
How Caria App Helps Women And Debunks Menopause Myths
During International Women’s History Month, Apple continues to shed a light on female-focussed products and female-founded firms. On Wednesday, it highlighted Caria, an app that helps myth bust the menopause for women. Co-founders Arfa Rehman and Scott Gorman attended Apple’s Entrepreneur Camp in 2019. This allowed them to collaborated in person for the first time with a key engeineer. “As a design-centric healthcare company, developing on the Apple platform and leveraging the capabilities of iOS have made meeting our priority for user privacy and security while delivering a stellar user experience easier,” Ms. Rehman, the company’s CEO, explained. She also went on to dispell some myths about menopause.
Twitter Announces Multiple Security Key Support for Accounts
Twitter announced an update to its two-factor authentication security feature. Users can now enroll and log in with multiple security keys.
Justin Long is Now ‘PC Guy’ in New Intel Ads Mocking Macs
Apple fans are familiar with the ad campaign in the mid-2000s. Justin Long was Mac Guy and John Hodgman was PC Guy, and they compared the different platforms. In a series of new ads from Intel, Justin Long is now PC Guy, mocking Apple’s Macs as Intel is surely still reeling from the announcement of the M1 chip. There are five ads in total of the “Justin Gets Real” campaign: 2-in-1 Flexibility, PC Gaming, Having Choices, Touch Screens, and 3 Monitors.
The Ulysses Group Wants to Sell Location Data to US Military
A contractor with the U.S. military called The Ulysses Group wants to start selling vehicle location data to the military.
Ulysses can provide our clients with the ability to remotely geolocate vehicles in nearly every country except for North Korea and Cuba on a near real time basis. Currently, we can access over 15 billion vehicle locations around the world every month.
T-Mobile Partners With Pandora, SiriusXM on Streaming for Customers
T-Mobile announced on Wednesday that it’s teaming up with Pandora and SiriusXM to offer its customers exclusive streaming benefits.
iOS Could Soon Separate Security Updates and Software Updates
Apple recently released the fourth beta of iOS 14.5 to developers, and code suggests that updates to the platform could change in the future.