The Congressional Encryption Working Group has issued a year-end report on encryption that finds weakening encryption would harm the national security interests of the United States. Bryan and Jeff discuss the implications, as well as a new request from the Turkish government asking Apple to unlock an iPhone 4s owned by an assassin. They cap the show with a preview of CES expectations.
Bryan Chaffin
Bryan Chaffin is the cofounder of The Mac Observer and currently serves as Afternoon Editor. He has contributed to MacAddict and MacFormat magazines, and co-authored the last two updates of iPad and iPad Pro for Dummies with Bob “Dr. Mac” LeVitus and Ed Baig. You can find out more about Bryan at his personal site, GeekTells, or find his Twitter link below.
Articles by Bryan Chaffin
OfficeSuite Premium 3-Year Subscription: $9.99
We have have a deal for you today on three-year subscription to OfficeSuite Premium. This is a cross-platform (iOS, Windows, Android) alternative to Office that handles DOC, XLS, PPT, and CSV files. This license lets you use the software on up to 1 phone, 1 tablet, and 1 Windows PC at the same time. Get the details on the deal listing.
iKlips DUO+ Dual Interface Flash Drive: $69.99
We have a deal for you today on the iKlips DUO +, a flash drive with a Lightning connector on one end and a USB connector on the other. This means you can connect it to your iPhone or your Mac for transferring files. It works on Windows PCs, too. With our deal, you can get a 32GB model for $69.99. There’s a pulldown menu for 64GB and 128GB, too.
1Password 6.5 for iOS Adds Native Apple Watch App
AgileBits announced Tuesday the release of 1Password 6.5 for iOS. This release offers device syncing through 1Password.com and gets the iOS version up to date with 1Password 6.5 for Mac. The company also made the Apple Watch app native, which should mean it will be much faster (you can read more about that in the AgileBits blog). In addition to being faster, the native app allows you to access entries to any vault, including vaults stored in 1Password.com—previously, you could only access items in your primary vault. You can download the update through the App Store.
Apple Updates AirPort Firmware to Fix Disappearing Base Station Issue
Apple released AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.7.8 on Tuesday. The update fixes an issue that caused some AirPort Base Stations to disappear from AirPort Utility when Find My Mac is on. It’s specifically for AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac.
Hotspot Shield Elite Plus VPN 1-Year Subscription: $21.50
We have a deal for you today on a one-year subscription to Hotspot Shield Elite Plus VPN. The service supports Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, and Kindle, with more than 20 virtual locations to connect to. You can get this subscription for $21.50 though us. There are longer subscriptions available, too.
The First AI-Written Christmas Song Is More Soul-Crushing than Fruitcake
Gather ye around the yule log, so festive, warm, and bright! Listen to this song of Christmas cheer written and composed by an AI. And hold on to your loved ones as said tune sucks the soul from your very bones and leaves you quivering in the naked fear not that the morrow will not come, but that it will come and you will be forced to endure another day contemplating the futility and hopelessness of life! “I’ve always been there for the rest of our lives. A hundred and a half hours ago. I’m glad to meet you. I can hear the music coming from the hall.” Now that, dear friends, is the Christmas stuff of nightmares, as HowStuffWorks put it. And yes, I am dying, both from laughter and abject fear. This “song,” such as it is, was the result of a neural network project from The University of Toronto. They fed in 100 hours of holiday music, a bunch of holiday photographs with captions, and said, “Now you do it.” The song below was the result. Put another way, score ones for the humans.
GorillaPower 5-Port USB & Power Dock: $59.99
We have a deal for you today on the GorillaPower 5-Port USB & Power Dock. This charging station has five ports and slots to hold your devices, too. It also has two two-way AC outlets, meaning you can plug the device into the wall, but you can also plug a computer into dock. This device is priced at $59.99 through us, 33% off retail.
Super Mario Run Collects $5 Million in Coins in 24 Hours
Super Mario Run has garnered as many as five million downloads and US$5 million in revenue in just the first 24 hours since the game launched. VentureBeat rounded up estimates from three third party app metric services, with two of the three offering estimates in that range. If accurate, it would represent a 20% conversion rate of people who have download the free-to-download game. Nintendo gives users access to three levels, plus a tiny taste of the boss level, in the free download. For $9.99, users can unlock the whole game. $5 million is not a lot of money to a company like Apple—and Apple’s cut would be roughly $1.5 million—but it’s likely to be significant for any gaming company. Especially in the first 24 hours. Mobile gaming is big, and Apple has been pushing Super Mario Run hard (as Jeff and I discussed in Friday’s Daily Observations). It would seem that Apple’s user base is responding well to that push. Just for fun, the game’s trailer is below.
Apple Trying to Beef Up Battery Engineering Team
In the wake of ongoing complaints about battery performance and reporting on MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, Apple is looking to beef up its battery-engineering team. 9to5Mac noted the company just added two positions related to batteries, Battery Algorithm Analysis Engineer and System Power and Control Architect.
ActiveInbox, an Gmail Task Manager: $24.95
We have a different sort of deal for you today on ActiveInbox, a Chrome-browser-based Gmail task manager. The company has an iOS app, too. Our deal is for one year of access to ActiveInbox for $24.95, which is 37% off retail. There are deals for longer licenses on the same page, too.
Exocharge 3-Port USB Car Charger: $14.99
Check out the Exocharge 3-Port USB Car Charger. The name says it all: it’s a three-port USB charger for your car that plugs into your car’s auxiliary power (lighter). One port puts out 2.1 amps, one does 2.0 amps, and the third does 1 amp. You can get this device through our deal for $14.99.
Apple AirPods, Kickstarter, and Augmented Reality - ACM 389
Apple shipped AirPods. Sort of. Bryan and Jeff think it was a terrible idea to ship them before Christmas if Apple couldn’t meet demand, which is exactly what’s happening. They also weigh the merits of Kickstarter and discuss the state of augmented reality and its future.
Something Strong Sweatproof Bluetooth Earphones
We have a deal for you today on a pair of Something Strong Sweatproof Bluetooth earphones. Aimed at the workout crowd, these earphones are sweat-proof. They use Bluetooth to get a signal from your iPhone (or Android device), and connect to each other behind your head through a cable. They’re just $19.99 through us.
Netflix's 'The OA' Taps the Weird of 'Stranger Things' in Lost Memory Mystery
Netflix blew up the Internet with a series of tweets saying, “Have you seen death?” “Have you seen darkness?” and “Have you seen the light?” It was followed by a clip of a woman jumping off the bridge, and not much else aside from everyone and their brother reacting.
Apple Releases iTunes 12.5.4 with Touch Bar Scrubbing, TV App, Windows Security Patches
Apple updated iTunes on Tuesday to version 12.5.4. The update adds two specific features, scrubbing in the Touch Bar on MacBook pro and support for the TV app across iOS devices. There were also security holes patched in the Windows version.
Best of 2016 Special Sale, 16% off Collection with Coupon Code 'BESTOF2016'
Our friends at Stack Social have put together something cool for us, a “Best of 2016 Special Sale.” It’s 18 of the most popular products from the last year, and a coupon code—BESTOF2016—where you can get another 16% off. There are iPhone lenses, Apple Watch straps, stands, charging docks, cables, and software.
Rosetta Stone Language Box Set (Levels 1-4): $139.99
Our friends at Stack Commerce have wrangled a new deal on the Rosetta Stone Box Set (Levels 1-4). Rosetta Stone uses natural learning techniques to take you from beginner to intermediate and higher language skills. I like this software. I’m studying French with it now. And I’m pleased we get to offer it as a deal. You can get the boxed set for $139.99, which is 38% off retail. Today’s link is for Spanish, but there are boxed for French, Italian, and English, too.
Apple Squashes 11 Security Holes in iOS 10.2
Apple released iOS 10.2 on Monday, and the company was much quicker than normal in releasing the security patch notes for the release. According to those notes, there are 11 security holes fixed in the release. Most of those holes are serious, and some allowed access to various aspects of a device when it should be locked.
Apple Ships iOS 10.2 with TV App, New Emojis, and Music Star Ratings
Apple shipped iOS 10.2 on Monday. The update includes a long list of improvements and changes, including the new TV app. That app gives iPhone and iPad users unified access to their movies and TV shows in line with the app of the same name on tvOS for Apple TV. Apple also emphasized redesigned emoji and the addition of 100 new one. Bryan Chaffin’s favorite feature, though, is the return of Star Ratings to Music.
Photo Tour of Apple Brisbane in MacArthur Chambers
Check out Apple’s MacArthur Chambers store in downtown Brisbane, Australia. We have several photos submitted by an Aussie reader, and they really show off this gorgeous building, which was named for General Douglas MacArthur.
Apple Posts 4 New Commercials for Apple Watch Series 2
Apple has four new commercials for Apple Watch Series 2 (AWS2): Apple Watch Series 2 — Go Play, Apple Watch Series 2 — Go Run, Apple Watch Series 2 – Go Dance, and Apple Watch Series 2 – Go Out (below). Each has a theme of “go” do something, and each features Apple Watch being opened as a present. It’s a sharp, fast, double jab of a message. The ads also feature music with aggressive beats, and they’re probably aimed at a younger audience. Unlike other recent branding spots, these ads feature a lot of shots of AWS2 being used to do something. Play music, buy with Apple Pay, activity tracking, Breathe, receiving iMessages, and more. For those keeping score at home, my favorite song in the four spots is Realligator by MagnusTheMagnus.
True Key by Intel Security: $15.99
We have a deal for you today on True Key by Intel Security, This software is a password keeper that lets you use unique features, like your face, fingerprint, or devices you’ve approved to unlock apps and websites. You can get one year of access to this software for $15.99 through us. There are also deals for three years and five years available.
Colin Furze Built a Giant Star Wars AT-ACT in His Backyard
YouTuber colinfurze did what any Star Wars fan would do: he built a 5.5 meter (18 feet) high AT-ACT in his back yard. I love all the projects this nut job builds—he’s awesome—and this one is truly spectacular. It’s a scale model of a scale model on the outside, and on the inside it’s a Star Wars fan club house. In the video below he gives us a great tour, and he also has a behind-the-scenes video of how he built it.
