Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
iMazing iOS Device Manager Lifetime License: $19.99
We have a deal on iMazing, the iOS device manager we are big fans of here at TMO. With iMazing, you can browse and manage your backups, extract and print your text messages, drag and drop songs to your iPhone—all without jailbreaking your device. A lifetime license for two devices is $19.99 through our deal. There are also deals for 3 and 5 devices in the deal listing.
Apple Security Chief Thomas Moyer Indicted in Concealed Weapons Permit Scandal
Thomas Moyer, Apple’s head of global security, is among four people indicted in a concealed weapons permit bribery scandal.
Walmart ‘Jetstream’ Routers Contain Backdoors
Researchers found backdoors found in Jetstream routers that lets a hacker remotely control the router and any device connected to it. This router is sold exclusively at Walmart.
CyberNews reached out to Walmart for comment and to understand whether they were aware of the Jetstream backdoor, and what they plan to do to protect their customers. After we sent information about the affected Jetstream device, a Walmart spokesperson informed CyberNews: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are looking into the issue to learn more. The item in question is currently out of stock and we do not have plans to replenish it.”
Bad news for owners of these routers, but at least Walmart won’t sell them anymore.
Apple Faces France Antitrust Complaint Over Privacy Controls
Apple is facing an antitrust complaint in France over its plans to restrict trackers used in mobile advertising.
HomePod mini and You (if You're Dave or Bryan) – TMO Daily Observations 2020-11-23
Dave Hamilton and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss how the HomePod mini compares to other speakers and voice assistants.
Universal Electronics Releases Apple TV Remote With Buttons
Universal Electronics is releasing its own version of an Apple TV remote that looks more like a traditional remote with buttons.
Waze to Get CarPlay Split-View Soon
It looks like Waze is soon going to support CarPlay’s split view fairly soon. That’s according to images sent by a beta tester to The Verge.
A tipster who is beta testing the new feature sent us this image of Waze operating in CarPlay’s new Split View function. Apple rolled out the new dashboard as part of last year’s iOS 13 software update, but it was limited to only work with Apple Maps at the time. Previously, CarPlay required bouncing between different screens to see a track name while getting directions to a destination. With Split View, you can see a map, what’s currently playing on the car’s stereo, and the next piece of guidance to your destination all in one place. Apple eventually released iOS 13.4 earlier this year, which introduced the option for third-party companies to add support for the dashboard mode on their own mapping apps. It took Google until August 2020 to implement support for Google Maps. And now it seems like Waze (which is also owned by Google) is soon to follow. A spokesperson for Waze wouldn’t confirm the beta testing, so we’re not sure when the navigation company plans to officially announce the rollout.
Apple's M1 MacBook Air: One Week In, It's the Little Things
I was fortunate enough to receive my built-to-order M1 MacBook Air (16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 8-core GPU) last Tuesday, and I’ve had a week to truly experience it. We’ve all read the early reviews (Snell, Gruber, and Bohn are the highlights), and they’ve focused on the specs and the highlights, so I won’t rehash (much of) that here. What I want to focus on are the little things.
Apple Extends In-App Purchase Deadline for Online Group Events
Apple is extending the requirement for apps offering online group events to use the company’s in-app purchase system until 2021.
Clips From Apple TV+ Series 'Doug Unplugs' Available
Apple has shared a number of clips from Apple TV+ kids show ‘Doug Unplugs’ in which the robot discovers new things about the world.
BeardID - Facial Recognition Software Learning to Identify Bears And Cows
Facial recognition software is a key part of how we use our iPhones with Face ID. CNet reported that similar technology is now learning to recognize bears and cows.
After spending over a decade tracking and studying grizzly bears in British Columbia, Canada, bear biologist Melanie Clapham has teamed up with two Silicon Valley-based tech workers to create a facial recognition software called BearID. Designed to monitor grizzly bears and track them via small differences like scars and nicks, the project has been used to recognise 132 of the animals thus far. By adapting existing artificial intelligence programs (namely, funny apps that put moustaches on dogs) the team was able to collect 4,674 images of grizzly bears. According to the team’s research, published in Ecology and Evolution, the system is now 84% accurate — though it requires the bears to be in the system prior to identification.
Fraud Operation Targets Spotify Users With Leaked Database
In a similar situation to a Facebook scam, researchers uncovered an unsecured database with over 380 million records in a potential Spotify hacking operation.
The origins of the database and how the fraudsters were targeting Spotify are both unknown. The hackers were possibly using login credentials stolen from another platform, app, or website and using them to access Spotify accounts.
Working with Spotify, we confirmed that the database belonged to a group or individual using it to defraud Spotify and its users. We also helped the company isolate the issue and ensure its customers were safe from attack.
Big Sur, the M1 MacBook Air, and Quick Tips — Mac Geek Gab 845
Dave’s had his M1 MacBook Air for a week, and John has some questions for him! Lots more about Big Sur including your questions answered *and* some Quick Tips. Of course, MGG wouldn’t be complete without more in-depth tips, too, and y’all have been keeping the queue full in that department! Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things.
What’s the Difference Between Apple Thunderbolt 4 and Windows Thunderbolt 4?
Larry O’Conner, CEO of Other World Computing (OWC), wrote a helpful explainer about the differences between Thunderbolt 4 used by Apple and Thunderbolt 4 used by PCs.
You see, Thunderbolt 4 finally promises PC/Windows users all the features Thunderbolt 3 has long offered Apple users. For Mac users, full Thunderbolt capability has always been present. This has been true since the first Macs with Thunderbolt 3 (Thunderbolt USB-C). What Apple did was simply call out that they now support USB 4. This is in addition to the Thunderbolt features already standard and present.
M1 Mac Mini Logic Boards With 10 Gigabit Ethernet in Internal Parts Ordering System
The new M1 Mac mini is currently only available with Gigabit Ethernet. However, MacRumors reported that Apple included multiple logic boards with 10 Gigabit Ethernet for the device in an internal parts document intended for Authorized Service Providers.
While the boards are available to order (in limited quantities), it is unclear why at this point. There are several possibilities, including that Apple listed the parts mistakenly or before it decided against offering a 10 Gigabit Ethernet option. The logic boards could also be designated for special circumstances, such as enterprise use. Apple could also choose to release an M1-based Mac mini with 10 Gigabit Ethernet at a later time.
Totallee Adds Pacific Blue Case and 2020 Black Friday Sale
Case maker totallee has added a Pacific Blue case for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max to its product lineup.
Security Friday, Encryption Basics – TMO Daily Observations 2020-11-20
Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Security Friday news, This Week in Facebook, and basic encryption for messaging and iOS files.
T-Mobile First Carrier to Enable 988 For Mental Health Services
T-Mobile has become the first carrier to enable the 988 number for mental health services, The Verge reported. If its customers dial that number, they will be connected to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL).
T-Mobile says it is the first carrier in the US to make 988 available to its customers. T-Mobile chief technology officer Abdul Saad said in a statement that making the shorter emergency number available to customers was “a matter of urgency for us, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and the holiday season approaches.” In 2019, the FCC released a report suggesting a three-digit hotline number would make it easier for those seeking help. The FCC voted unanimously in July to make 988 the number to connect to the NSPL hotline, and it gave carriers until July 2022 to put it into effect. However, the 988 number isn’t able to receive text messages, which FCC commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said at the time was problematic. She noted that voice service is “not native for most young people.”
C-Command Software Offers 25% Off Black Friday 2020 Sale
Software company C-Command is offering 25% off all of its Mac apps with the code BLACKFRIDAY2020.
Hombli Smart Indoor Camera: $34.97
We have a deal on the Hombli Smart Indoor Camera, a security camera with 1080p HD video, night vision, 2-way audio, and storage with MicroSD or cloud service. It supports Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, and it come with support apps for iOS and Android. This device is $34.97 through our deal.
How to Use and Edit Widgets in macOS Big Sur
Widgets have been a feature in macOS for a while, and they again appear in Big Sur with a couple of ways to access and edit them.
Encryption App ‘Cryptomator’ to Integrate With iOS Files
Cryptomator is my top recommendation for file encryption and it recently shared its late 2020 development roadmap.
What’s up with Cryptomator for iOS? For the last 6-7 months, we have been hard at work on a completely new app written in Swift.
What will be so special about the rewrite? Cryptomator will be fully integrated into the Files app. This comes with many benefits like thumbnails, support for third-party apps that can edit files directly inside the vault, and many more!
Great news. What I’ve also been hoping for is the ability to access Cryptomator vaults in external storage on iOS/iPadOS, like you can on the Mac.
Apple Executives Discuss AR and its Potential to Transform the World
Mike Rockwell, Apple’s head of AR, and Allessandra McGinnis, senior product manager for AR, talk about the company’s efforts in augmented reality.
Apple Hires Barbara Whye From Intel as Head of Diversity
Apple has hired Intel’s chief diversity and inclusion officer as its own head of diversity. Barbara Whye will join the company early next year.