For such a simple feature, dark mode really does split the masses. Some love the white on black theme that it offers, whereas others (we see you in the comments) routinely question "why is this news?!" If you fall in the former camp and you're a regu...

Let’s face it: a lot of people may have created Apple IDs for their kids for convenience while skirting Apple’s rules about the age at which an account can be created. That’s 13 in the U.S. and many countries, unless you use the option within Apple’s Family Sharing to create a Child Account.

If you weren’t using Family Sharing, however, and—ahem—invented an earlier birthdate for one or more child, you can still rewind the clock and gain the advantages for age-based control within Family Sharing.

For our family, that includes not just using Screen Time to limit and monitor access to all their Apple devices, but—and the kids actually like this—remotely disabling Screen Time if they are on a sleepover or away on a school trip and we are willing to let them use their screens past our household limits. (That was a selling point to at least one kid, along with access to a much larger pool of...

A friendly exchange between Jeff Bezos and Mohammed Bin Salman in 2018 seems to have turned sinister. According to an exclusive report in The Guardian,  the Saudi Crown Prince allegedly sent the Amazon founder malware over WhatsApp.

The encrypted message from the number used by Mohammed bin Salman is believed to have included a malicious file that infiltrated the phone of the world’s richest man, according to the results of a digital forensic analysis. This analysis found it “highly probable” that the intrusion into the phone was triggered by an infected video file sent from the account of the Saudi heir to Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post. The two men had been having a seemingly friendly WhatsApp exchange when, on 1 May of that year, the unsolicited file was sent, according to sources who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity.

...

This inexpensive TV antenna does a good job pulling in strong signals, but you might be happier paying a little more for higher performance.

It's already possible for robots to navigate without maps, but having them navigate well is another matter. You don't want them to waste time backtracking, let alone fall down if they bump into an unexpected obstacle. Facebook might have a solution...

The Video on Demand (VoD) market was valued at $56.55 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $120.91 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate [CAGR] of 13.5% over the period 2020-2025, according to Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com). 

VoDoffers a wide array of video programs that include entertainment, films, sports, and educational programs. Although VoD was initially in demand for movie access, with the changing customer preferences boosting the demand for TV programs and other content, VoD service providers had to expand their offerings to other content programmers.

Content-wise, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) possesses high growth in the market, owing to the latest technological innovations in the domain, according to Research and Markets. The rising availability of broadband Internet services helps in increasing the demand for IPTV when compared to conventional television services....

The Video on Demand (VoD) market was valued at $56.55 billion in 2019 and is expected to reach $120.91 billion by 2025, at a compound annual growth rate [CAGR] of 13.5% over the period 2020-2025, according to Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com). 

VoDoffers a wide array of video programs that include entertainment, films, sports, and educational programs. Although VoD was initially in demand for movie access, with the changing customer preferences boosting the demand for TV programs and other content, VoD service providers had to expand their offerings to other content programmers.

Content-wise, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) possesses high growth in the market, owing to the latest technological innovations in the domain, according to Research and Markets. The rising availability of broadband Internet services helps in increasing the demand for IPTV when compared to conventional television services....

Behold the derrière of the Xbox Series X. Images of an alleged prototype have surfaced on Twitter and the gaming forum Neogaf, hinting at the various ports that will be available on Microsoft's next console. Thurrott's Brad Sams believes they...

Apple has reportedly tasked chip manufacturing partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. with increasing production of A-series processors in response to strong demand for this year's iPhone lineup, particularly the relatively low-cost iPhone 11.

How do you sweeten the pot for gamers wanting extra-fast internet access? Throw in free goodies, apparently. Verizon (Engadget's parent company) is launching a promo that gives new Fios gigabit internet customers a free Google Stadia Premiere Editi...

There were signs Boeing would once again have to push back the 737 Max's expected return to the skies, and it just confirmed as much. The aircraft maker now expects the troubled aircraft to start the "ungrounding" process in mid-2020 based on its "e...

Sleep tracking with Apple Watch is a great way to gain new insight into your sleeping habits and trends over time. Apple is apparently working on its own sleep tracking features for Apple Watch, but those features aren’t available just yet. In the absence of a first-party solution for Apple Watch sleep tracking, a handful of incredibly powerful third-party apps have come to the App Store.

more…

The post These are the best sleep tracking apps for Apple Watch appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Sonos owners are pissed. But do they have a right to be? I don’t own any Sonos products so I have no dog in the fight.

∞ Read this on The Loop

I’d definitely take number two and three over number 1. As CNET says, “Clearly, curves and topography were not factored in.”

∞ Read this on The Loop

Apple will start mass production on the rumored low-cost iPhone that's in the works starting in February, reports Bloomberg. The new ‌iPhone‌ could launch as soon as March after production begins.

Rumors suggest the new ‌iPhone‌ will be similar in design to an iPhone 8, offering up a 4.7-inch LCD display, thick top and bottom bezels, a Touch ID Home button instead of Face ID, and a single-lens rear camera, but it will be equipped with a modern A13 chip and 3GB RAM.

‌iPhone‌ SE and ‌iPhone 8‌

The ‌iPhone‌ will be the first truly low-cost ‌iPhone‌ Apple has introduced since the ‌iPhone‌ SE, which has led to the device being called the "...

Blockbuster report by Joseph Menn for Reuters:

Apple Inc. dropped plans to let iPhone users fully encrypt backups
of their devices in the company’s iCloud service after the FBI
complained that the move would harm investigations, six sources
familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The tech giant’s reversal, about two years ago, has not previously
been reported. It shows how much Apple has been willing to help
U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies, despite taking a
harder line in high-profile legal disputes with the government and
casting itself as a defender of its customers’ information.

I want to go deep on this, because, if true, it’s staggering, heartbreaking news. Go read Menn’s entire report. I’ll wait.

OK. First,...

HP is once again giving its school Chromebooks an overhaul, and they'll be particularly good news for teachers who bristle at the thought of mangled keyboards. The Chromebook 11 G8 EE, 11A G8 EE, x360 11 G3 EE and 14 G6 all have full-skirted anchore...

Amazon spends millions of dollars each year physically protecting CEO Jeff Bezos, but his personal data remained all too vulnerable. According to a bombshell report published in The Guardian this afternoon, Bezos was the victim of a hacking operation...

EA is ending support for its Tetris for iOS apps starting on April 21, 2020, the company announced today in app updates to Tetris Premium, Tetris 2011, and Tetris Blitz.

As noted on the MacRumors forums, updates to the Tetris apps say that the games are being retired, with no word on why. From the app updates:Hello Fans, We have had an amazing journey with you so far but sadly, it is time to say goodbye. As of April 21, 2020, EA's Tetris(R) app will be retired, and will no longer be available to play. Kindly note that you will still be able to enjoy the game and use any existing in-game items until April 21, 2020. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of this game...

Senators taking part in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump may be breaking the rules regarding electronics, with a number spotted keeping their Apple Watch on their wrist instead of taking it off before heading to the chamber, a place where such devices are usually banned.

Apple has updated its Developer Page (https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=01212020b) regarding app updates in the Kids category.

Apple says: “When parents visit the Kids category on the App Store, they expect that the apps they find are suitable for children. That’s why apps published on the App Store must protect children’s data and provide only age-appropriate content. Apps must also require a parental gate in order to link out of the app, request permissions, or present purchasing opportunities. It’s critical that apps do not transmit personally identifiable information or device information to third parties, and that advertisements are human-reviewed for age appropriateness in order to be displayed.”

The post Apple...

Apple has updated its Developer Page (https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=01212020b) regarding app updates in the Kids category.

Apple says: “When parents visit the Kids category on the App Store, they expect that the apps they find are suitable for children. That’s why apps published on the App Store must protect children’s data and provide only age-appropriate content. Apps must also require a parental gate in order to link out of the app, request permissions, or present purchasing opportunities. It’s critical that apps do not transmit personally identifiable information or device information to third parties, and that advertisements are human-reviewed for age appropriateness in order to be displayed.”

The post Apple...

Apple has updated its Developer Page (https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=01212020a) regarding app updates for HTML5 apps.

Apple says: “The App Store Review Guidelines are designed to help developers create apps that are secure, high-quality, reliable, and that respect user privacy. In order to ensure this, we’ve always specified that all apps be self-contained bundles. This means that the core features and functionality of the app must be contained within the software’s binary, rather than made possible by referring users outside of the approved app — including through the use of HTML5. Apps that dynamically provide core features and functionality with web technology like HTML5 are best delivered through Safari, rather than through the curated App Store.”

The post Apple updates...

Apple has updated its Developer Page (https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=01212020a) regarding app updates for HTML5 apps.

Apple says: “The App Store Review Guidelines are designed to help developers create apps that are secure, high-quality, reliable, and that respect user privacy. In order to ensure this, we’ve always specified that all apps be self-contained bundles. This means that the core features and functionality of the app must be contained within the software’s binary, rather than made possible by referring users outside of the approved app — including through the use of HTML5. Apps that dynamically provide core features and functionality with web technology like HTML5 are best delivered through Safari, rather than through the curated App Store.”

The post Apple updates...

Apple has built up some notable momentum with Apple TV+ in the few short months since the launch of the service, even bringing home some awards. Now a new report from Bloomberg says that the company may use original podcasts to create companion content for Apple TV+ shows and movies.

more…

The post Upcoming Apple Podcasts expansion into original content will include companion content for TV+ appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple is discussing making original podcasts related to programs on its Apple TV+ streaming service, reports Bloomberg. The goal is to promote the various series.

Bloomberg says Apple sent out a request for pitches in summer 2019, asking podcast producers to pitch ideas for audio programs with some connection to the shows. The tech giant has since discussed making podcasts with the products of the original Apple TV+ series, the article adds. 

In July 2019, Bloomberg reported that Apple planned to start funding original podcasts that would be exclusive to its audio service, increasing its investment in the industry to better compete with competitors such as Spotify and Stitcher. The article said Apple was reaching out to media companies and their representatives to...

Netflix's final earnings results for 2019 are out (PDF), and in a year where it suddenly started to face more competition than ever before, the company says its service and content is only becoming more popular. The letter to investors claims that it...

This is an interesting case because, on the face of it, you’d think Apple is entirely in the right in saying that an employee can’t spend time “planning his new startup while on company time at Apple, spending hours on the phone with colleagues who eventually joined the venture.”

∞ Read this on The Loop

According to a report on Tuesday, Apple is planning a multimedia blitz beyond just television to promote its Apple TV+ service, and is discussing expanding into podcasts discussing the programming.

Kicking off 2020, security and privacy is a hot topic between the latest standoff between Apple and the FBI over the Pensacola incident as well as Apple reportedly abandoning its plan to bring end-to-end encryption to iCloud backups. With an in-depth report on what a robust iPhone cracking operation looks like from the inside, Fast Company shares some fascinating details and photos of NYC’s $10 million cyber lab.

more…

The post Here’s what a $10...

Apple is considering creating original podcasts focused on TV shows and movies from its Apple TV+ streaming service, reports Bloomberg. The podcasts would be used to promote ‌Apple TV‌+ content.

In the summer of 2019, Apple began asking podcast producers to pitch ideas for podcasts with connections to ‌Apple TV‌+ shows, and has since discussed making podcasts with the producers of some of those TV shows.

Apple's streaming TV service, which launched in November, has less content than other streaming services like Hulu, Disney+, and Netflix, so podcasts could provide Apple with a way to draw in new viewers. Though Apple is new to streaming TV, some of its shows, like "The Morning Show" have already earned...

Apple CEO Tim Cook will eat breakfast with US President Donald Trump's at Davos tomorrow, in a continuation of the rare and unusual working relationship between the two men.

The World Economic Forum started today and will run until Friday in Davos, Switzerland. The Meeting’s theme will be Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World. The key topics will cover the economy, Society, Geopolitics, Industry and yes, Technology. Tomorrow Apple and IBM CEO's to have breakfast meeting about new educational system ...

One of Apple Card’s most significant annoyances (at least compared to many other major credit cards) is that you can’t directly share transaction information with financial planning apps like Mint or YNAB. Apple provides lots of well-organized information about your spending in the Wallet app, but that doesn’t give you a complete picture of your finances as it doesn’t include your earning and other spending.

Fortunately, there’s now a workaround of sorts. Starting on January 21, Apple will allow you to export monthly transaction lists as a CSV (comma separated value) spreadsheet.

To read this article in full, please click here...

Good news for sci-fi fans: Altered Carbon season 2 arrives on Netflix February 27, 2020.

Season 2 of the sophisticated and compelling sci-fi drama finds Takeshi Kovacs (Anthony Mackie), the lone surviving soldier of a group of elite interstellar warriors, continuing his centuries-old quest to find his lost love Quellcrist Falconer (Renée Elise Goldsberry).

I enjoyed watching the show so I’m excited for season 2. It’s been so long since I’ve seen season 1 that I forgot For All Mankind’s Joel Kinnaman was in it.

Apple is reminding developers that new restrictions for kids apps and HTML5 apps go into effect on March 3, 2020.

Amazon and Lego have unveiled the winners of their Alexa-focused Mindstorms challenge, and they're as clever and oddball as you'd hope. The grand prize winner is Jason Allemann's Game Station, a project that uses Alexa for a five-game console -- you...

You’ll still be able to keep using older Sonos devices, but they’ll gradually lose functionality once the software updates stop.

Bryan Chaffin and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Apple’s decision not to encrypt backups, and what data Apple can share.

Brazilian federal prosecutors have charged Glenn Greenwald with violating the country's cybersecurity laws, reports The New York Times. According to a 95-page complaint, Greenwald was part of the "criminal organization" that hacked into the phones of...

We have a deal on WALTR 2, an app that lets you manage the content on your iOS device from your Mac or Windows device. It will handle some file conversions, too. Check out the promo video below. You can get WALTR 2 for $19 through us. There’s a deal for WALTR 2 for Windows in the deal listing, too.

TechCrunch reports that Apple has announced that Apple Card users can export monthly transactions to a downloadable spreadsheet that they can use with their personal budgeting apps or sheets. Here’s how:

° Open Wallet.

° Tap Apple Card.

° Tap Card Balance.

° Tap on one of the monthly statements/

° Tap on Export Transactions.

If you don’t yet have a monthly statement you won’t see this feature until you do. The last step brings up a standard share sheet letting you email or send the file. The current format is CSV but in the near future you’ll get an OFX option as well, according to TechCrunch.

The implementation of a French tax that would have affected Apple and other major tech firms is to be delayed. The 3 percent tariff will not be enforced whilst France and the U.S. continue trade talks, AppleInsider reported.

Originally proposed in December of 2018, the so-called GAFA – Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon – tax, had been given a stamp of approval by the French senate in July of 2019. The tax would have been applied retroactively. Under the measure, the 3% sales tax would be applied to sales generated in France by major multinational firms. France has pulled back on demanding the retroactive down payments temporarily, in an effort to prevent the U.S. from applying tariffs to French-made goods. “What we’re proposing is to give ourselves time and to show our goodwill, to postpone the remaining payments to December,” a French Finance Ministry source said, according to...

Disney+ will arrive in a number of major European markets on March 24, a week earlier than had previously been announced.

While I would argue this is a feature that should have been available at launch, it’s good to see it available now for Apple Card users.

∞ Read this on The Loop

Apple won't unlock iPhones or other devices for law enforcement, but it can and will provide substantial data about a user when it gets a subpoena. Here's what Apple has access to you from your device -- and what it doesn't.

The astronomy I learned as a kid was pretty limited — the Earth revolves around the Sun and, of course, the whole "My Very Energetic Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas" thing. Of course, that expression no longer applies because our understandin...

The issues being brought up in this piece are not often thought about by the general public and certainly aren’t being addressed by our authorities and/or the companies who sell these products and tools except for them to say, “Trust us.”

∞ Read this on The Loop

Enlarge / The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max running iOS 13. (credit: Samuel Axon)

Two years ago, Apple dropped a plan that would have made it impossible for the company to decrypt iPhone and iPad backups for law enforcement, according to a Reuters report today. Reuters wrote that "six sources familiar with the matter" confirmed that Apple dropped the end-to-end encryption plan for iCloud Backup "after the FBI complained that the move would harm investigations."

Apple had "told the FBI that it planned to offer users...

Apple today has added a new option for Apple Card users: the ability to export monthly statements in spreadsheet form. This means you can download your Apple Card data, and then import it into your budgeting setup of choice.

more…

The post Apple Card adds native support for exporting transactions to a spreadsheet appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple Business Chat continues to expand as a seamless way for companies to offer a more personalized and smooth customer experience. David’s Bridal is the latest company working on Apple Business Chat support and expects to be the first in its industry to do so.

more…

The post Apple Business Chat to bring ‘new level of personalization’ to David’s Bridal customers appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Google is still exploring ways to help you cut back on phone use, and this time it's relying primarily on one tactic: guilt. The company has introduced the experimental Android apps Activity Bubbles, Envelope and Screen Stopwatch, all three of which...

Shoppers looking for the best Apple Watch deals can find double-digit -- and even triple-digit -- savings on current and closeout models. Select from a variety of case and band combos with cash discounts on the Apple Watch 5, 4 and even Series 3. All with free shipping, delivering the lowest prices in January 2020.

Netflix's Emmy-nominated sci-fi saga Altered Carbon is returning for a second season, two years after the first batch of episodes. You won't have to wait much longer to delve back into its dystopian cyberpunk world, as season two hits Netflix Februar...

According to Apple’s Legal Process Guidelines, there is a lot of data that the company can provide to law enforcement.

Fans of Telltale's The Walking Dead who've been hoping to play through all of Clementine's story on Nintendo Switch can finally do so. Skybound Games has released Season Two and A New Frontier on the eShop for $15 each. Season One and The Final Seaso...

France's tax aimed at internet multinational companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Apple, has been postponed as U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron work together to avoid a rise in tariffs.

Samsung's T-lineup portable media has been increasingly popular over the years. Most recently, the T5 has been the go-to choice for those who need reliable, compact, fast portable storage. The T7 Touch builds on that, improving in nearly every way possible.

A couple of weeks ago during CES 2020, Samsung took the wraps off the latest iteration of its T-series portable SSD line, the Samsung T7 Touch. The newest portable SSD in the South Korean giant’s portfolio comes with embedded PCIe NVMe flash storage for the first time, resulting in faster peak speeds compared to previous entries in the lineup.

Additionally, the T7 Touch comes with a built-in solid state fingerprint security scanner to complement the password security that’s been present in previous generations of the T-series lineup.

With the entry-level 500GB model coming in at the same $130 starting price as its predecessor, should you consider the Samsung T7 Touch as the next portable SSD companion for your MacBook or iPad Pro? Watch our hands-on video review for the details....

Last week Patently Apple posted a report titled "Video Conference: Barr Clarifies that 'Apple has not given any substantive assistance' in the Shooting Case in Pensacola Florida." The issue over end-to-end encryption is heating up with Attorney General William Barr, FBI Director Christoper Wray and the U.S. Senate led by Lindsey Graham giving Apple close to a year to come up with a solution that will allow Law Enforcement to gain access to smartphone data with a proper court order. Today, potential blockbuster news is that Apple is reportedly about to drop end-to-end ...

True North Software today has released Station 3.0, an update of their multilevel (hierarchical) launcher for macOS. 

With nested folders, you can arrange items in Station in a way that fits your workflow. In version 3.0, scalability is increased through logical groupings thus increasing the sheer number of items that can be added to Station without having to shrink the launcher size.

Station 3.0 costs U.S. $14.99 and is available through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. A demo version is available at the True North website. 

The post Station launcher for macOS revved to version 3.0 appeared first on MacTech.com.

True North Software today has released Station 3.0, an update of their multilevel (hierarchical) launcher for macOS. 

With nested folders, you can arrange items in Station in a way that fits your workflow. In version 3.0, scalability is increased through logical groupings thus increasing the sheer number of items that can be added to Station without having to shrink the launcher size.

Station 3.0 costs U.S. $14.99 and is available through the Mac App Store in the Productivity category. A demo version is available at the True North website. 

The post Station launcher for macOS revved to version 3.0 appeared first on MacTech.com.

Reuters:

Apple Inc dropped plans to let iPhone users fully encrypt backups of their devices in the company’s iCloud service after the FBI complained that the move would harm investigations, six sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

And:

The tech giant’s reversal, about two years ago, has not previously been reported. It shows how much Apple has been willing to help U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies, despite taking a harder line in high-profile legal disputes with the government and casting itself as a defender of its customers’ information.

And:

When Apple spoke privately to the FBI about its work on phone security the following year, the end-to-end encryption plan had been dropped, according to the six sources. Reuters could not determine why exactly Apple dropped the plan.

“Legal killed it, for reasons you can imagine,” another former Apple employee said he was told, without any specific mention of why the plan was...

ForkLift is a powerful file manager and ferociously fast FTP client clothed in a clean and versatile UI that offers the combination of absolute simplicity and raw power expected from a well-executed Mac software.

ForkLift will connect to any remote server SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, Rackspace CloudFiles, SMB, AFP and NFS shares on your local network,- pretty much anything you can plug into or hook up to a Mac. ForkLift also carries a complete toolbox for managing your files, including Folder Synchronization, Multi-Rename, Archive handling, Application deleter, editing files over remote connections and many more. All these power features are packaged into a Finder-like, dual-pane interface that delivers superior workflow while remaining absolutely familiar to use, along with Quick Look, Spotlight search and all.

Features

• Completely rewritten entirely in Swift
• ForkLift Mini
• Two-way Sync...

As 9to5’s Ben Lovejoy pointed out in a “feature request" article, Apple really needs to add stereo-paired HomePods as a Mac sound output. Apple’s iOS/iPadOS audio apps will happily allow you to select stereo-paired HomePods as a single output device. 

Not so the Mac itself, however. I can output Mac sound to Office Left or Office Right, but not to the stereo pair. Apple needs to fix this, and a newly granted patent (number 10,542,365) for “optimizing the performance of a linked audio/video feed” gives me hope that it will, although it involves more situations than that involving the Mac.

Speaker arrays may reproduce pieces of sound program content to a user through the use of one or more audio beams. For example, a set of speaker arrays may reproduce front left, front center, and front right channels for a piece of sound program content (e.g., a...

Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,542,280) for “OLED based touch sensing and user identification” that hints at OLED screens with TouchID in future iPhones, iPads, and even touchscreen Macs.

Touch ID is an electronic fingerprint recognition feature, designed and released by Apple that allows users to unlock Apple devices, make purchases in the various Apple digital media stores (the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the Apple BookStore), and authenticate Apple Pay online or in apps.

In the patent filing, Apple says that recent advancements in touch sensor technology have allowed capacitance-based touch sensors to perform at higher speeds and at higher touch resolutions than was previously possible. Some applications, such as user identification, may desire a higher sensitivity and/or resolution than capacitance-based touch sensing. 

Here’s the summary of the patent: “A touch screen configured for optical touch...

HDR — High Dynamic Range — photography is the tool used by professional photographers to achieve results that show detail and intense color in all areas of a photograph from the darkest shadows to the brightest skies. The Photomatix Pro Plus Bundle (on sale for $41.99) consists of Photomatix Pro (with six HDR styles), Photomatix Essentials (with four more styles and 30+ presents), and the Photomatix Tone Mapping Plugin for Photoshop, and it can revolutionize your digital photography.

Lightroom's HDR Merge offers just one HDR style, which may not always give the effect you're aiming for. With Photomatix Pro, you can choose between 6 HDR styles, so you can find the options that...

In May 2019 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Due to Trade Tensions between U.S. and China, Pegatron to begin Production of MacBooks and iPads in Indonesia." A new report points to Apple supplier Pegatron adding production in Vietnam.

Apple has reportedly abandoned plans to allow users to end-to-end encrypt iCloud, after getting negative feedback from the FBI.

The streaming service has pulled forward its launch date in most European countries, and also announced local pricing which is more expensive than its US fees.

More than two years ago, Apple informed the FBI that it planned to roll out end-to-end encryption for iCloud backups, according to Reuters. Apple ultimately dropped the plan at some point after the FBI objected, although the report notes that it is unclear if the federal agency was a factor in the decision.

A former Apple employee told Reuters that the company did not want to risk scrutiny from public officials for potentially protecting criminals, or promote new legislation against encryption.

"They decided they weren't going to poke the bear anymore," the person said, after Apple's legal battle with the FBI in 2016 over access to an iPhone used in a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California.

Apple has taken a...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 39 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover an advancement made to the PPG system of Apple Watch that provides enhanced sensor signal collection and reflection so as to more accurately measure heart rate, oxygen saturation and more. Apple was also granted a patent for 3D Touch ...

"Mario Kart Tour" is gearing up for a second beta test of its upcoming multiplayer mode, this time allowing everyone to join in on the fun.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the non-binary gendered and the otherwise non-binary gendered, it’s time again for another episode of the new game show The Macalope just made up: Here’s What’s Hilarious!

If you’ve followed this column at all over the years… well, The Macalope would just like to formally apologize to you. It’s mostly a thinly-disguised series of butt jokes sold as somehow Apple-related. That’s what we here at Macalope Industries call “the special sauce”.

Not to be confused with the actual “special sauce” we put on the alfalfa burgers in the cafeteria. Which is really just Thousand Island dressing.

Sorry, chef Terry. Your secret is out.

To read this article in full, please click here

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 39 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover an Apple patent that describes a future OLED display being able to operate in two modes with one of them being in optical mode to be used as Touch ID under the display.

If you’re concerned about your privacy and location tracking via your iPhone, this might help.

Twitter user Brandon Butch has noted that the second beta of iOS 13.3.1, released earlier this month, includes a toggle for disabling the Ultra Wideband chip in the device. 

The toggle can be found by opening the Settings app, tapping Privacy, tapping Location Services, selecting System Services, and then toggling off the “Networking & Wireless” option. 

Apple incorporated this toggle in the new beta after it was discovered that the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max handsets continued to track user location even after location services had been disabled.

The company stated that this was expected behavior given the Ultra Wideband chip found within the new iPhones and that this was operating as designed. The company stated that this met designed expectations given international regulatory requirements that mandate the U1 chip be disabled in...

Disney+ is coming to Europe sooner than we thought. Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom will now get the streaming service on March 24, Disney revealed today.

Additional Western Europe markets, including Belgium, the Nordics, and Portugal, will follow in summer 2020, said the company in a press release. Disney+ is already available in the Netherlands, where it launched as a free pilot trial back in September.

The new launch date is a week earlier than was initially scheduled. In November, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the launch date for European markets would be March 31.

Pricing has also been confirmed at £5.99/€6.99 per month, or £59.99/€69.99 for an annual subscription. Disney+ will be available on Amazon Fire devices, LG and Samsung smart TVs, Roku'...

The global cloud gaming market size is expected to grow by US$2.7 billion during the period 2020-2024, according to the latest market research report by Technavio (www.technavio.com).

The high cost of gaming consoles and the need for specific equipment such as physical copies of gaming software are helping to drive the cloud gaming market, notes the research group. Cloud gaming doesn’t require gamers to buy physical copies of games and eliminates the need for regular hardware updates to play the latest games. 

What’s more, cloud gaming services require lesser waiting time during loading or updating as compared to conventional gaming. In addition, gaming studios tend to offer subscriptions for cloud gaming which results in significant cost savings. Technavio says that this means that all the cost savings in terms of equipment, and quick onboarding advantages will drive the growth of global cloud gaming market during the forecast...

The global cloud gaming market size is expected to grow by US$2.7 billion during the period 2020-2024, according to the latest market research report by Technavio (www.technavio.com).

The high cost of gaming consoles and the need for specific equipment such as physical copies of gaming software are helping to drive the cloud gaming market, notes the research group. Cloud gaming doesn’t require gamers to buy physical copies of games and eliminates the need for regular hardware updates to play the latest games. 

What’s more, cloud gaming services require lesser waiting time during loading or updating as compared to conventional gaming. In addition, gaming studios tend to offer subscriptions for cloud gaming which results in significant cost savings. Technavio says that this means that all the cost savings in terms of equipment, and quick onboarding advantages will drive the growth of global cloud gaming market during the forecast...

Disney today announced that the Disney+ (Disney Plus) streaming service will launch in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland earlier than initially announced.

more…

The post Disney+ moves up release date of streaming service in Europe, announces pricing appeared first on 9to5Mac.

2020 is the year 5G will start making a difference for people, but 4G LTE networks aren't going anywhere. If anything, they'll remain the de facto means of connection for much of the world for years, so it's little surprise to see Qualcomm rolling ou...

It's been a year and nearly eight months since the EU's data privacy law, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), came into force and 114 million euros ($126 million) in fines have been imposed so far, according to a new report.

The law firm...

Rumblings out of Apple's East Asian supply chain this week offer fresh insight into this year's iPhone release cycle, with a report on Monday claiming the company's 2020 handsets will be similar in design to the iPhone 11 lineup albeit with a few sizing tweaks.

Apple CEO Tim Cook on Monday said the company is investigating technology that could help identify health risks at an early stage, similar to heart monitoring features introduced with Apple Watch.

Back in September, Adam Engst moved from an Apple Watch Series 2 to an Apple Watch Series 5. After living with it for several months, he’s figured out which features make a difference and which are just marketing fluff.

Yet another Square Enix-published game is facing a delay, and this might not be a short wait. Techland has delayed its zombie title Dying Light 2 indefinitely to allow "more development time to fulfill our vision." It didn't say what led to the compa...

Apple is widely rumored to release four new iPhones in the fall, including one 5.4-inch model, two 6.1-inch models, and one 6.7-inch model, and Japanese blog Mac Otakara has offered a few details surrounding these devices. The information is said to come from sources within Apple's supply chain in China.

The translated report is quite difficult to decipher, but here are some details that are being suggested:

• 6.7-inch model will have a thickness around 7.4mm, which would be nearly 10% thinner than the iPhone 11 Pro Max at 8.1mm
• All four new iPhone models will have OLED displays and Face ID
• 5.4-inch model's height would be between the iPhone SE and iPhone 8, while at least one of the 6.1-inch iPhone models would have a height that falls between the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro...

As we highlighted earlier today, Apple CEO Tim Cook is in Ireland this week to receive an award in recognition of Apple’s 40-year history in the country. After being recognized by IDA Ireland today, Cook sat down with IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan for a brief conversation.

more…

The post Tim Cook says AR is the ‘next big thing,’ teases Apple’s health initiatives that are ’cause for hope’ appeared first on 9to5Mac.

Apple today began selling certified refurbished iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models for the first time since the devices were released in September 2018.

At the time of writing, the refurbished models are available in Space Gray, Silver, or Gold with 64GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage through Apple's online store in the United States. All of the models are unlocked, aka SIM-free.

Refurbished models available:

• iPhone XS - 64GB: $699, down from $999 in September 2018
• iPhone XS - 256GB: $829, down from $1,149 in September 2018
• iPhone XS - 512GB: $999, down from $1,349 in September 2018
• iPhone XS Max - 64GB: $799, down from $1,099 in September 2018
• iPhone XS Max - 256GB: $929, down from $1,249 in September 2018
• iPhone XS Max - 512GB: $1,099, down from $1,449 in September 2018

Apple says all refurbished...

Check out all seven of Peart’s Audible books here.

Tesla just rejected any notion that its cars are prone to unintended acceleration. In a blog post, the EV maker claimed that a petition describing unexpected acceleration was "completely false" and the product of a "Tesla short-seller" hoping to mak...

Apple's iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max were the most popular models sold in the United States in the holiday quarter, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, with research also indicating the 2019 launches sold in higher proportions than the 2018 models in their launch quarter.

Most people don’t realize that the title of the speech wasn’t in the original prepared text. It wasn’t until the famed Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson yelled out, “Tell ’em about the dream, Martin!” that the Reverend went off script and adlibbed much of the rest of the speech.

Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss their new favorite games, listener mail, and some recent news stories.

Apple made the rack-mountable version of the Mac Pro available last week, and now the first orders are arriving to customers. As expected, the folks at MacStadium are planning to host the new Mac Pro in their data centers, and they’ve gotten their hands on the new rack-mountable machine today.

more…

The post Here’s our first look at Apple’s brand new rack-mounted Mac Pro appeared first on 9to5Mac.

If you're looking for an affordable way to store your files locally, Amazon is currently selling the 8TB Western Digital Elements external drive for $115, down from $180. That's the lowest price Amazon has offered this particular model for, according...

Nomad has made a name for itself by designing unique accessories for mobile users that strive to be above and beyond the generic. The new Base Station Stand lives up to that ideal in many ways.

iLounge has a special deal on the GAMECASE: 416-in-1 Gaming Console + Power Bank, which allows you to enjoy retro console games and conveniently charge your iPhone at the same time.

Forget the plain old power bank that you lug around all day- more features mean that power bank can do more than charge your devices. Enter the GAMECASE retro console + power bank, which extends your playtime to new heights.

GAMECASE: 416-in-1 Gaming Console + Power Bank

The 8,000 mAh supply should be more than enough to charge up your iPhone and iPad fully with juice to spare. On the front is a 2.8-inch color display and game buttons so you can play 416 blast-from-the-past titles, complete with sounds. The GAMECASE features two USB ports for charging all your devices, including your iPhone, iPad and more. Silicone bumpers and durable material keep dust, bumps, and shocks away.

The GAMECASE: 416-in-1 Gaming Console + Power Bank normally costs $299, while we at iLounge are...