Podcast

AirPods Max, Irish Streaming Law, Replacing iPhone Camera Lenses, with Jeff Gamet - ACM 539

Bryan Chaffin · · 1 Comment

Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet talk about Apple’s new AirPods Max over-the-ear headphones. They also discuss a proposed law from Ireland that would require 30% of all streaming content to be made in Europe, something that could radically affect Apple TV+. And, Jeff Gamet explains how he broke his iPhone’s camera lens cover and how he replaced it.

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Apple Will Ban ‘X-Mode’ Data Broker From its Platforms

Andrew Orr ·

A report from The Wall Street Journal reveals that Apple and Google are banning a data broker called X-Mode from collecting location data from their platforms. (Non-paywalled version here). This is due to X-Mode links to selling data to government contractors involved in national security as Vice reported.

Both Apple and Google disclosed their decision to ban X-Mode to investigators working for Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), who has been conducting an investigation into the sale of location data to government entities.

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How to Safely See Your Top 9 Instagram Photos of 2020

Andrew Orr ·

Your Top 9 Instagram posts of each year is a trend that has been going on for several years now. You probably don’t want to give websites access to your Instagram account just to see these photos. Or, maybe you don’t care. In any case, CNN has a short guide to safely do it with apps called Top Nine and Best Nine.

When you give your email to Top Nine, the service uses it to send you your yearly roundup, but may also contact you in the future for marketing, the company’s privacy policy says. The emails may come from Top Nine and its affiliate companies, but each one will contain instructions on how to “opt-out” of these messages.

If it doesn’t automatically use your email from Instagram, you could try a disposable email service like TempMail.

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iPhone 12 Mini Sales May Be Less Than Other New iPhones

Andrew Orr ·

Numbers from Wave7 Research suggest that of the new iPhone 12 models, sales of the iPhone 12 mini only account for 4%-5% of sales from the major carriers.

Wave7 interviews sales reps at carrier stores to get a picture of sales. The 12 mini had the “softest demand,” and some people chose the iPhone 12 Pro Max because of its camera, according to the report […] Spending $100 more for the iPhone Pro 12 fetches a 24% larger screen and a better battery life than the iPhone 12 mini.

I was impressed with the iPhone 12 mini because even though it’s the most affordable of the lineup, it still has many of the same features like an OLED display. I don’t know about the iPhone 12 but I thought I saw news in the past couple of months saying that the iPhone 12 Pro was the most popular.

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Disney+ Now Has a Staggering 86.8 Million Paid Subs

Charlotte Henry ·

As of December 2, Disney+ had 86.8 million paid subscribers Variety reported. Originally it had expected to be at 90 million in year four. The company also announced a host of new content, including from Star Wars and Marvel, was on the way. However, the streaming service also plans to up its prices in 2021.

With the strong momentum at Disney Plus’ back, the company now expects the streamer to have between 230 million and 260 million total paid subscribers by the end of fiscal year 2024, CFO Christine McCarthy said at the company’s investor day Thursday, along with other projections. The forecast includes Star subscribers, Disney’s forthcoming international general-entertainment service mimicking Hulu, which are substantially expected to be bundled in with Disney Plus.

TMO Deals

MultiDock Gives Your Mac Multiple Docks: $7.99

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on MultiDock for macOS, a utility that gives your Mac multiple Docks you can position all over your Mac’s desktop. You can create an unlimited number of panels and attach them to the edges of the screen (left, bottom, right, and top). You can also create free floating and movable panels. This utility is $7.99 through our deal.

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Spotify Resets User Passwords Over Data Leak

Andrew Orr ·

Spotify has reset an unknown number of user passwords after a bug in its system exposed private data to business partners.

In a data breach notification filed with the California attorney general’s office, the music streaming giant said the data exposed “may have included email address, your preferred display name, password, gender, and date of birth only to certain business partners of Spotify.” The company did not name the business partners, but added that Spotify “did not make this information publicly accessible.”

Fortunately, those like me who created a Spotify account using Sign In with Apple shouldn’t have too much information leaked.

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EyeQue Unveils its VisionCheck 2 Smartphone Vision Test

Andrew Orr ·

EyeQue has a smartphone vision test you can do at home, and the company has a Kickstarter to fund the second-gen product called VisionCheck 2.

Some claim to have online or app-based refraction tests, but they are merely prescription verification services based on visual acuity estimates. EyeQue users are actually performing a self-refraction test while proprietary algorithms process, personalize, and store results.

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Jailbreak Store ‘Cydia’ Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Apple

Andrew Orr ·

The creator of the old Cydia app store is suing Apple, claiming it used anti-competitive means to squash it.

“Were it not for Apple’s anticompetitive acquisition and maintenance of an illegal monopoly over iOS app distribution, users today would actually be able to choose how and where to locate and obtain iOS apps, and developers would be able to use the iOS app distributor of their choice,” the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Northern California and Cydia is represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan.

I don’t see where the anti-competitive part comes in. Cydia was before the App Store, so Apple created that to compete, not “anti-compete.”