Get into the holiday spirit with our iPhone 16 Pro Max giveaway! Don’t miss your chance to win a brand-new iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple Supplier ‘Lens Technology’ Used Forced Uighur Labor
Documents uncovered by the Tech Transparency Project show that Apple supplier Lens Technology has used forced slave labor from Uighur Muslims.
AirPlay 2 and HomeKit Support Comes to 2018 LG TVs
After previously resisting, LG has begun rolling out support for AirPlay 2 and Homekit for some of its 2018 smart TV models.
AAPL Stock Rockets to Intraday Record
AAPL stock hit an intraday record on Tuesday, reaching $138.79 per share at one point, after opening at $138.05.
The Streaming Wars Are Only Going to Intensify in 2021
2020 was, you may have noticed, a big year in the streaming wars. However, Input thinks things are going to escalate even further in 2021. Looking at the amount of content on the way, it’s hard to disagree.
Aside from Netflix, which had more than a year’s worth of content on hand before lockdowns began, every major service experienced significant delays, pushing back their original slates of programming. With Hollywood productions back up and running for 2021, this will be the year the streaming wars begin in earnest. Even when just looking at the smaller services, the year ahead should prove exciting. Apple TV+ is gearing up to release Foundation, its next flagship prestige series, along with new seasons of shows the service launched with. CBS All-Access will be rebranding to Paramount+, an effort to reflect the more diverse content offering outside the kind of shows geared to the, er, typical CBS audience. Amazon Prime will drop the first season of its incredibly expensive Lord of the Rings adaptation. Oh, and Funimation bought Crunchyroll, bringing the bulk of anime licenses into one place for the first time.
What Is Bitcoin? Here’s the Bitcoin Primer You Need
We’ll explain what Bitcoin is, how Bitcoin works, how Bitcoin wallets work, and throw a mention in for getting free Bitcoins through faucets.
Ming-Chi Kuo Cool on Apple Car Speculation
Analysts, including the well-known Ming-Chi Kuo, have poured some cold water on recent Apple car speculation.
Xiaomi Joins Samsung in Mocking Apple Then Removing Smartphone Charger From the Box
Xiamoi and Samsung mocked that the iPhone 12 range does not come with a charger in the box, but both firms now seem to be doing the same.
LA Vaccine Recipients Can Add a Digital Record to Apple Wallet
Residents in Los Angeles who get a COVID-19 vaccine will receive a digital record they can add to Wallet on iOS.
US Government Appeals Injunction Against TikTok Ban
The U.S. government is appealing an injunction from S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols that blocked its ban of TikTok.
The Trump administration had raised concerns over the video-sharing app due to its Chinese ownership by way of parent company ByteDance, and the potential risk of TikTok’s U.S. user data being accessed by the Chinese government.
[…]
Judge Nichols in the separate case led by TikTok ruled that Trump overstepped his authority in trying to ban the app from the U.S., referring to the agency’s action as “arbitrary and capricious.”
Apple’s New Mentorship Program for First-Gen College Students
Apple will launch a mentorship program for first-generation college freshmen and sophomores called Launch@Apple.
'Soul' on Disney+ is a Holiday Hit
Soul has arrived on Disney+ and, I don’t know about you, but all my social media timelines are filled with people saying how much they love it. It stars Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, and tells the story of Joe, a musician who lands a gig at the best Jazz club in town. There is also a load of related extras available within the streaming service. The score is by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Cryptocurrency 101 – TMO Daily Observations 2020-12-28
Bryan Chaffin joins host Kelly Guimont to chat about cryptocurrency. Learn a little something even though it’s winter break. 🙂
Buy Knock-Off Solo Loop Watch Bands for 80% Off Apple's Pricing
Every time Apple comes out with a new style of watch band, FOMO tells me to order one. Unfortunately, my wallet often disagrees (and wins that argument), as was the case with Apple’s US$49 Solo Loop and $99 Braided Solo Loop bands introduced this fall. Never fear, though, Amazon to the rescue! There are plenty of companies who sell knockoffs of Apple’s Watch band designs, many of which have proven to be of spectacular quality over the years. The $12 Solo Loop and $20 Braided Solo Loop clones my family found in our Christmas stockings last week were no exception. First, download (and print) Apple’s Solo Loop Watch Band Size Guide, then check ’em out and place your orders. Final step: enjoy!
Cherry? Check? 8herk? No, a Mistakenly Shared Apple TV+ Poster
Prior to Christmas Apple TV+ launched a ‘for you consideration’ campaign for its film, ‘Cherry,’ but a poster shared online was unreadable.
That Video of an Apple Car Parking is Fake
There was a video making the rounds on social media recently showing an Apple Car with bizarre, round wheels. As The Drive points out, such wheels are physically impossible. The car is a 3D model of a Mercedes concept vehicle.
If you take a hard look at one about the imaginary Apple Car, you’ll see the shadows don’t match up and it’s low resolution, which camouflages the CGI seams you might spot otherwise. But still, you can bet that right now, someone is searching “Apple car” and trying to figure out a way to get on the waiting list. They’ll stand outside of the Apple store all night if they have to.
Mariah Carey in Discussions About Further Apple TV+ Specials
Mariah Carey is said to be in talks to make specials for Apple TV+, following the apparent success of her recent Christmas show.
Time Capsule Replacements, Quick Tips, & Cool Stuff Found — Mac Geek Gab 850
Apple’s Time Machine lets you backup to a network drive… but which network drive should you use now that Apple no longer sells a Time Capsule? John and Dave are here to answer this question and many, many more! Listen as your two favorite geeks answer all the questions YOU sent in this week, plus sharing Quick Tips and Cool Stuff Found to give you lots to think about… and to get! Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things about your Mac, iPhone, and other tech.
Happy Holidays 2020 from The Mac Observer!
Whether you’re into Christmas, Hanukkah, Festivus, Solstice, or any end-of-the-year holiday, The Mac Observer hopes this is a wonderful time for you. We’re taking Thursday and Friday off this year, but we’ll be back on Monday, December 28th, with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Media, and probably even car coverage, along with a fresh TMO Daily Observations episode.
Fashion App ‘21 Buttons’ Exposes Data of European Influencers
An e-commerce app called 21 Buttons has exposed the private data of hundreds of people across Europe.
Among the millions of photos and videos, we also viewed hundreds of invoices detailing payments to users in the 21 Buttons Rewards program, covering the last few months. Some of these invoices appear to be test data, but many of them were definitely legitimate invoices detailing real records of payments made.
Cellebrite Has Not Broken Signal’s Encryption
On Tuesday, security company Cellebrite claimed to have broken the encryption that Signal uses to keep user communication safe. The blog post has since been removed, but the BBC has an archived version here. But Signal says that claim isn’t true.
It is important to understand that any story about Cellebrite Physical Analyzer starts with someone other than you physically holding your device, with the screen unlocked, in their hands. Cellebrite does not even try to intercept messages, voice/video, or live communication, much less “break the encryption” of that communication. They don’t do live surveillance of any kind.
How Apple Thrived After Not Buying Tesla
A while back, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that he had “reached out to Tim Cook” about buying his company. Obviously, that never happened. A missed opportunity for Apple? Liam Denning, writing for Bloomberg News, doesn’t think so.
Is Cook kicking himself for not buying Tesla when he had the chance? I suspect that, in some well-appointed office deep inside the Apple Park donut, the soft thud of self-kicking is not to be heard. Musk may well have “reached out.” On the other hand, the gossamer-veiled dig at Cook’s apparent short-sightedness contained in the Tesla CEO’s tweet suggests this may be more about taking the shine off Apple’s rumored vehicle ambitions. Musk has been known to lash out on Twitter. There is also some history here, given Musk once dissed Apple as a “graveyard” for defecting Tesla employees. That was a few years before he apparently reached out to the chief gravedigger.
Facebook Thinks It's Defending Small Firms Against Apple. Not All Its Employees Agree.
Facebook recently ran a high-profile ad campaign against Apple. The social media giant said changes to iOS privacy rules would hurt small businesses. According to Buzzfeed News, its employees don’t necessarily agree.
While the $750 billion company’s public relations effort has presented a united front with small businesses, some Facebook employees complained about what they called a self-serving campaign that bordered on hypocrisy, according to internal comments and audio of a presentation to workers that were obtained by BuzzFeed News. A change in Apple’s iOS 14 mobile operating system — which requires iPhone owners to opt in to allow companies to track them across other apps and websites — hurts Facebook, some employees argued on the company’s private message boards, and their employer was just using small businesses as a shield. “It feels like we are trying to justify doing a bad thing by hiding behind people with a sympathetic message,” one engineer wrote in response to an internal post about the campaign from Dan Levy, Facebook’s vice president for ads.
Eligible Devs Start Receiving Emails to Join App Store Small Business Program
Apple has begun to contact developers who earn under $1 million per year and are eligible for its new App Store Small Business Program.
MOGICS Coconut Portable Waterproof Light: $36.95
We have a deal on the MOGICS Coconut, a waterproof portable light that floats. It features four brightness modes, an internal, rechargeable battery, and self-inflates. This device is $36.95 through our deal. There are also options for two Coconuts, as well as multicolor options.