Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
US Publishers Join Coalition for App Fairness Against Apple
Digital Content Next, a trade association representing major U.S. publishers, has joined the Coalition for App Fairness to protest Apple’s fees.
Life Time Adds Fitness+ to its Membership Program
Fitness company Life Time announced that it will be adding Apple’s Fitness+ program to its membership starting December 19.
macOS Big Sur Gets 11.1 Update - Introducing AirPods Max Support, ProRaw, and More
Apple has released the 11.1 update of macOS Big Sur with AirPods Max support, ProRAW support, and an updated TV app.
Nike Training Club is a Free Fitness+ Alternative
I tweeted about this app last night and I figured I’d write about it too. If you don’t have an Apple Watch or just don’t want another subscription, Nike Training Club is a free Fitness+ alternative. The premise is similar; it gives you guided video workouts for all fitness levels whether you have gym equipment or not. Once you’ve created an account the app will ask you what you’re looking for like fitness level, intensity level, if you’re in a gym or at home, and if you want to mix it up once in a while with cardio. It will then create a 4 to 8 week program for you. Like Fitness+ it can sync with your Apple Music library during workouts.
Private Messenger ‘Signal’ Adds Encrypted Group Video Calls
Good news for users of Signal. The app now supports group video calls, and they are end-to-end encrypted like the rest of the app’s communications.
Now when you open a group chat in Signal, you’ll see a video call button at the top. When you start a call, the group will receive a notification letting them know a call has started.
When you start or join a group call, Signal will display the participants in a grid view. You can also swipe up to switch to a view that automatically focuses the screen on who is speaking, and it will update in real time as the active speaker changes.
Mozilla Supports M1 Macs With Firefox 84
Mozilla issued an update to Firefox on Tuesday, and the 84th version has added support for M1 Macs, along with a few new features.
HomePod Software 14.3 Out Now
Apple released version 14.3 of its HomePod software on Tuesday, MacRumors reported. It followed a spate of releases on Monday, which included the latest version of iOS with Fitness+.
The HomePod 14.3 is available for the HomePod and the HomePod mini, and according to Apple’s release notes, the update includes general performance and stability improvements. HomePod software is installed automatically on the HomePod unless the feature is disabled.
Chrome and Keystone, Updating Apps – TMO Daily Observations 2020-12-15
Dave Hamilton and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Chrome’s updater and alternate methods for keeping apps current.
VSCO Shares its 2020 Year in Review With Top Trends
VSCO has shared its 2020 Year in Review, exploring the top trends it saw throughout the year like popular hashtags and photo presets. For example, the top third preset of 2020 was B1, aka B&W Classic. That’s my favorite VSCO preset for black and white photography and I have a feeling I was partially responsible for pushing it to the top.
Without the pressure of public likes and comments on VSCO, we saw our community share their most raw and true moments, and how creativity helped them to get through this year’s ups and downs.
EU Lays Out New Regulations for Big Tech
Thee EU has laid out plans to try and rein in big tech firms, including annual checks on how illegal and harmful content is dealt with.
COVID-19 Exposure Notifications Now Work on iPhone 6 And Other Older Devices
Devices that doe not support iOS 14, including the iPhone 6, can now access COVID-19 exposure notifications thanks toiOS 12.5.
Skylum Releases ‘Luminar AI’ Photo Editor for $79 on Mac
Known for products like Aurora HDR and Luminar, Skylum has launched its latest photo editor called Luminar AI.
Apple Boosting iPhone Production by 30 Percent in First Half of 2021
Apple is reportedly planning to produce 30 percent more iPhones in the first half of 2021 than in the same period in 2020.
First Look at Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry on Apple TV+
As promised, a first look at the documentary documenting the rise of Billie Eilish called The World’s a Little Blurry, was released on Tuesday. It follows the pop star as she tours and records an album that changes her life. It will air in theaters and on the streaming service on February 26, 2021.
Could Apple TV+ be Banned Across Europe? With Adrian Weckler - Media+
Adrian Weckler, tech editor at the Irish and Sunday Independent, joins Charlotte to discuss new legislation that could see Apple TV+ kicked off European screens.
Apple Overhauls Privacy Policy, Makes it Easier to Read
Apple has redesigned its privacy policy page on Monday to make it a bit easier to read and it’s now separated into distinct, clickable sections.
Jetstream Routers Get Firmware Update to Fix Backdoor
In November, security researchers found a Walmart-branded router called Jetstream contained a way for a third party to remotely control the router and devices connected to it. Walmart responded and said it stopped selling these routers. The manufacturer, Wavlink, also responded. A firmware update includes the following:
Removed unnecessary diagnostic pages; Deleted tcpdump tool; Added codes to block CSRF attack; Improved Web authentication routine.
The researchers haven’t yet tested the update to see if it has been effective.
Siri on iOS 14.3 Can Mimic Sounds Like Animals
When you download iOS 14.3 released on Monday, ask Siri if she can quack like a duck. CNBC says she will play a short audio clip of a quacking duck. However, when I asked her she played me an album from Apple Music called “Quack Like a Duck.” But I don’t think I worded it correctly. Ask “What does <blank> sound like?”
If you ask “what does the fox say?”, Siri may simply quote the song that became a YouTube hit in 2013. But asking “what does a fox sound like” brings up an actual call from an arctic fox, which sounds like someone whooping.
FTC Launches Major Investigation into Tech Privacy
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a huge investigation into privacy and data collection practices at major tech firms on Monday. Axios had the scoop.
The big picture: The move comes amid broader scrutiny for the industry and appears to be a wide-reaching inquiry into everything major tech companies know about their users and what they do with that data, as well as their broader business plans. Details: The FTC is asking for a large trove of information and documents from the above platforms, plus Discord, Reddit and Snap. The agency wants much of the usage and engagement data the platforms collect on their users, the metrics they use for measuring such things and short- and long-term business strategies, among many other areas of inquiry.
watchOS 7.2 Brings Apple Fitness+ Support and More
Apple released watchOS 7.2 alongside other software updates, principally to support the new Fitness+ service.
Apple TV+ ‘Slow Horses’ Adds Olivia Cooke, Jonathan Pryce
“Slow Horses” is an upcoming spy drama series for Apple TV+ from Gary Oldman. Two stars were recently added.
What is Google Chrome Running in the Background?
Over the weekend Loren Brichter wrote about Google Chrome and how it makes your computer slow even when it’s not actively running.
TV+ Updates, Breaking News – TMO Daily Observations 2020-12-14
Andrew Orr and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss new TV+ shows and announcements. Stay tuned until the end for Breaking News!
100 Entries to Win the Complete Home Gym Giveaway Featuring Peloton
We have a giveaway called the Complete Home Gym Giveaway, where you could win a bunch of home fitness gear including the Peloton Bike+ Basics, the Mirror, Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells, and more. You get entries to the giveaway by donating money to the Playing For Change Foundation through our deals site. A $10 donation gets you 100 entries into the giveaway, with larger donation options available in the listing.