Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
Compal Electronics Suffers DoppelPaymer Ransomware Attack
Computer manufacturer Compal Electronics has been hit by a DoppelPaymer ransomware attack, and the ransom is US$16.7 million.
DoppelPaymer is a ransomware operation known for attacking enterprise targets by gaining access to admin credentials and using them to spread throughout a Windows network. Once they gain access to a Windows domain controller, they deploy the ransomware payloads to all devices on the network.
According to the DoppelPaymer Tor payment site linked to in the ransom note, the ransomware gang is demanding 1,100 Bitcoins, or $16,725,500.00 at today’s prices, to receive a decryptor.
TMO Contributor Kelly Guimont (#14) - BGM Interview
Kelly Guimont is a long-time podcaster, Contributor for The Mac Observer, the host of the Mac Observer’s Daily Observations podcast, and a tech support guru. In her 14th appearance, Kelly and I chat about our favorite streaming TV shows and movies of late.
As is our custom, we alternate. I open with a very positive review of the 2020 series The Right Stuff (Disney+). Kelly was up next with Penny Dreadful (Showtime). John then raves about the movie and then series Mystery Road. (Amazon). Kelly chimes in next with extreme praise for The Mandalorian S2/E1 (Disney+) and, later, an update on Lovecraft Country (HBO Max). John delves into the fabulous The Hundred-Foot Journey (Amazon) and scifi/romance Tuck Everlasting (Disney+). And there’s more! Join us as we explore together what’s great about these shows.
Kathryn Hahn Joins ‘The Shrink Next Door’ on Apple TV+
Kathryn Hahn will join Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell in “The Shrink Next Door” based on the podcast from Wondery and Bloomberg Media.
FCC Approves Apple’s MagSafe Duo Charger
The FCC has approved Apple’s new MagSafe Duo charger, and it’s likely we’ll see it released by the end of the year.
Apple Silicon Could Lead to Lower-Cost Macs, Predicts Top Analyst
Apple will host its ‘One More Thing’ event on Tuesday, at which the first Apple silicon macs are expected to be unveiled. In a new note to investors, JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee became the latest to predict that the shift may result in lower-cost Macs.
“With the move to in-house capabilities, Apple is looking to regain control over the pace of the technology roadmap on the processor chips, and create a common architecture across all Apple products, making it easier for developers to write and optimize applications for the product ecosystem,” the analyst writes. For consumers, Chatterjee believes that a lower bill of materials cost with a new Apple Silicon chip could lead to Mac devices with a lower price point targeting a wider market. More specifically, the analyst contends that Apple could release an SKU with a price point between that of the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. The analyst estimates a standalone market opportunity of 10 to 15 million unit volume for the new Mac device, with a starting average selling price (ASP) of $1,000. That implies about a $15 billion opportunity for Apple, “which will assure multi-year growth in a lackluster PC market.”
Create Stunning Photos with this App's 100+ Effects, Fine Tuning Controls, Smooth Interface: $19.99
We have a deal on Photo Effect Studio Pro, photo editing software for the Mac and Windows. It features more than 100 effects presets developed by professional photographers and graphic designers, 30 frames to give your photo an extra degree of sophistication, and fine-tuning controls for Exposure, Brightness, Saturation, Rotate, Curve Adjustment, Color Balance, and more. This app is $19.99 through our deal. I’m linking to the Mac version of the deal, but the deal listing has an option for the Windows version, too.
OmniFocus Widgets for iOS 14 Arrive With Version 3.11
Announced on Monday, OmniFocus widgets arrive with the 3.11 update. These let you access your most used perspectives and most timely action items. This includes: A Forecast widget with a calendar view for today and the days ahead; A Perspective Items widget with a list of upcoming items in a perspective of your choice.
Both of these are available in small, medium, and large widget sizes, and can have their font size customized to suit your needs. The update also includes a New Inbox Item widget—a large, friendly button for immediately opening OmniFocus to add a new item to your Inbox.
YouTube Updates iOS App to Support HDR Video on iPhone 12 Range
The YouTube iOS app now supports HDR video on the iPhone 12 range. As iMore noted, the video-sharing platform has supported such video for a while but needs to update the app every time a new device is released.
While YouTube has offered HDR support for iPhones since the arrival of iPhone X, the app does require an update every time a new device is released. That’s less than ideal but, thankfully, YouTube seems to be pretty on the ball and gets the updates out relatively quickly. It did take a few weeks last year, though. The newly updated YouTube is available as a free download from the App Store right now. Not that you’d know what to expect from the release notes! ‘Fixed bugs, improved performance, explored the edges of the known universe.’
Belgian ISP Telenet Offers Apple Watch eSIM Support
With its new Telenet One Number mobile plan, customers can add their Apple Watch’s eSIM to their plan starting November 13.
Photographer Austin Mann Reviews iPhone 12 Pro Max
After reviewing the camera on the iPhone 12 Pro, Austin Mann has returned to publish his iPhone 12 Pro Max review to see if the larger camera sensor makes a difference. At the end he shares a few tips for iPhone photographers and the tools he uses.
One of the most famous hikes in America is The Narrows in Zion National Park. This beautiful trek requires hikers to wade miles upstream in a river through the narrowest sections of the Zion Canyon (just 10 feet wide at the narrowest).
The lighting and shooting conditions are extreme and diverse, so below I’ll share a few photos demonstrating why I think iPhone 12 Pro Max is the ideal tool to capture this adventure (whether you’re a pro or not).
Gift Picks from Team Nightmare – TMO Daily Observations 2020-11-09
Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to share ideas for gear and software if you have a gift-giving occasion on the horizon.
Apple Suspends New Business For Pegatron After China Labor Abuse Uncovered
Apple has decided to freeze new business with Pegatron after it discovered labor abuses at Chinese campuses run by the key iPhone-assembler.
Apple Camera Engineers Want iPhone Photos to Reflect Real Life
Apple engineers sat down for an interview to talk about some of the photography advancements Apple has made with the iPhone 12.
Samsung Takes Bigger Chunk of U.S. Marketshare Than Apple For First Time Since 2017
Samsung grabbed a bigger chunk of the U.S. smartphone market than Apple in the third quarter of 2020, according to data from Strategy Analytics, picked up on by Cult of Mac. That the first time since 2017 that Samsung has beaten Apple.
Apple accounted for a 30.2 percent market share of the U.S. smartphone market in Q3 2020. However, it lost out slightly to Samsung which made up 33.7 percent of the marketshare. The last time Samsung beat Apple in Apple’s home country market was Q2 2017. In third place was LG Electronics, which accounted for just a 14.7 percent share of the market. The reason for Samsung’s victory over Apple in the quarter likely involves the delayed launch of the iPhone 12. New model iPhones don’t usually make a significant impact until calendar Q4. However, their appearance in September does give the July through September quarter a boost for Apple. This year, the iPhone 12 handsets weren’t even shown off until October. This was due to manufacturing challenges related to coronavirus. Meanwhile, Samsung launched new flagship devices such as the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Z Fold 2 during the quarter.
Apple is One of The Firms Discussing Purchase of Podcast-Maker Wondery
Apple is reportedly one of the firms to have held discussions about buying independent podcast-maker Wondery.
‘Yoink’ macOS Big Sur Support Added With Version 3.5.11
Yoink macOS Big Sur support has been added to version 3.5.11. Yoink is a productivity app that acts as a “shelf” to hold files from Finder or app/website content. When you drag something on your Mac, Yoink appears at the edge of your screen, allowing you to temporarily place it there. Navigate to the destination of your files and drag them out of Yoink. Aside from adopting the new look and feel of macOS Big Sur and running natively on Apple Silicon, version 3.5.11 brings numerous quality-of-life improvements and fixes, like better support for not-yet-loaded files in iCloud Drive, or screenshots dragged from macOS’ floating screenshots window. Yoink is available on the Mac App Store for US$7.99, in Setapp, and on the developer’s website.
Review: iPhone 12 Pro Cases from TORRAS and Mujjo
New iPhones are always accompanied by… new accessories, and Charlotte has tested two new third-party cases on her iPhone 12 Pro.
Check Your Digital Couch Cushions — Mac Geek Gab 842
How much money do you have in your digital couch cushions? John and Dave walk through a few places you can check ahead of the holiday buying frenzy! Of course, most of the show is dedicated to answering your tech questions, solving your problems, sharing quick tips and, yes, a few minutes is even carved out to review eero’s new Wi-Fi 6 systems! Press play and join your two favorite geeks in learning at least five new things!
Spotify Considers a Subscription Podcast Service
Spotify could launch a subscription podcast service in the future, according to a report from Andrew Wallenstein.
The survey describes at least four possible subscription podcast plans, ranging from $3 to $8 per month. The cheapest plan would include “access to exclusive interviews and episodes,” but would still include ads. The most expensive plan would include access to “high quality original content,” early access to some episodes, and no platform-inserted ads. None of these plans would include access to Spotify’s premium music subscription.
Emulation Apps Get JIT Compilation With iOS 14.2
Emulation apps in iOS 14.2 receive Just In Time (JIT) compilation, meaning they can run at full speed.
However, that doesn’t mean you’ll see emulation apps in the App Store, or even any other app using JIT. Testut told us that the current implementation works only for sideloaded apps, which are usually installed through Xcode and other developer tools instead of the App Store. In other words, this is a feature intended for developers with debugging purposes.
CASETiFY Releases iPhone 12 mini Cases, Pro Max Cases
Hot on the heels of Apple’s launch of iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, CASETiFY has released cases for both models. They come in various configurations like leather, clear, prints, and custom cases to showcase your logo. They’re eco-friendly with some collections made from 50% recycled PC materials, and vegan leather for other cases. With the company’s DEFENSiFY coating, these cases are anti-microbial, preventing 99% of bacteria from occupying your iPhone’s surfaces.
The Mandalorian: Season Three and Boba Fett Spinoff Could be on Way
Fans have only just begun to be able to watch season two of The Mandalorian, but Deadline reported Season 3 could start shooting soon. There may also be a spinoff miniseries based on Boba Fett.
Disney+’s signature original series, The Mandalorian, just returned for its second season, which had wrapped production just before the pandemic hit in March. While not officially greenlit, a third season of the hit Star Wars series has been in pre-production for months, with creator, director and executive producer Jon Favreau publicly stating that he hoped to start filming by end of 2020. That may be the case, with some sources indicating that production would be starting as soon as next week (or in late November/early December), while others point to spring or even fall 2021. The confusion stems from the level of secrecy in the Lucasfilm camp. But persistent chatter could explain the discrepancy — that another Mandalorian-related project/spinoff, I hear possibly a Boba Fett miniseries, would film first, starting next week or later this month, with The Mandalorian Season 3 production coming after that.
Fortnite Could Return to iPhone Via Nvidia
The dispute between Apple and Fortnite-maker Epic Games is well documented. However, BBC News reports there could be a route back to the iPhone for the battle royale game courtesy of Nvidia’s cloud gaming service.
Nvidia has developed a version of its GeForce cloud gaming service that runs in the mobile web browser Safari. Apple will not get a cut of virtual items sold within the battle royale fighting title when played this way. Apple is embroiled in a legal fight with Fortnite’s developer Epic, which led the iPhone-maker to remove the game from its iOS App Store… Unlike Android, Apple does not allow games or other apps to be loaded on to its phones or tablets via app stores other than its own. But it does not restrict which third-party services can run within Safari or other web browsers available via its store.
iOS 14.2: Siri Gives You a Personalized Daily Update
If you’ve installed iOS 14.2 you can receive a personalized update from Siri every day from your iPhone, iPad, and HomePod.