Mimeo Photos has introduced two new photo products: Tabletop decor and limited edition photo ornaments perfect for the holidays. Photo Ornaments: For a limited time, choose from eight personalized photo ornaments available in materials like acrylic, metal and rustic wood in a variety of festive shapes and sizes. Tabletop Decor: The new collection features four different options of Tabletop Decor available in a variety of materials, including acrylic, metal and more, that arrive ready to display. Simply pick your favorite moments and make some room on your work-from-home desk, end table, or shelf.
Rewatch The Whole of The 'One More Thing' Apple Silicon Event
It may have been relatively short for an Apple Event but Tuesday’s ‘One More Thing’ presentation packed in a lot. You can rewatch it all on the company’s YouTube channel. The video also has the ability to skip to specific sections. Oh, and PC guy is there at 45 mins 29 seconds.
Prepare for ‘His Dark Materials’ Season 2 With AR App
To prepare for “His Dark Materials” season 2, HBO released an augmented reality app called His Dark Materials: My Daemon. Created in partnership with Oscar, Emmy and BAFTA-winning creative studio Framestore, His Dark Materials: My Daemon is a first-of-its-kind entertainment app that brings narrative elements from the show into daily life, as a user’s daemon is by their side at all times, encouraging them to participate in activities that contribute to overall mind, body and spirit health. Users are encouraged to take part in fitness activities like walking or running, as well as other kinds of self-care, such as taking some time to themselves, watching a movie, or reaching out to a friend. The app detects everyday activity through Apple Health and Spotify, syncing with favorite fitness, sleep, and meditation apps. Daily habits, hobbies and new challenges become fuel to progress further through the journey that’s at the heart of the app.
‘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.
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.
‘Reigns: Beyond’ Joins Apple Arcade Today
The latest game in the Reigns series called Reigns: Beyond joins Apple Arcade on Friday. As an intergalactic indie rockband, plot your rise to stardom, traveling from planet to planet and gig to gig on your quest for fame and fortune. Play local (and not-so-local) clubs throughout the galaxy, recruiting alien band members along the way, and rock out across the cosmos! But make sure you’re managing your ship’s resources and keeping your crew in check while on this stellar tour because one wrong decision may leave you dead in space.
Arc Pulse is a Minimalist Titanium Bumper for iPhone 12
I have one more piece of iPhone 12 phone case news for today. I was alerted to the Arc Pulse on Indiegogo. It tries to strike a balance between protecting your phone and enjoying its naked beauty. It’s not a case but a couple of metal attachments that slide over the top and bottom, protecting it from drops. There is an aluminum 7075 version and a titanium grade 5 version.
Metallica's Lars Ulrich Discusses Rolling Stones and More on Apple Music One
Metallica’s Lars Ulrich sat down with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1. They discussed a range of topics, from the drummer playing with the Rolling Stones to when he hosted his own show, It’s Electric!, on Apple’s radio offering – then Beats 1. A video of the discussion is available on YouTube.
AirPods Menu Bar Tool ‘ToothFairy’ Updated to Version 2.7
ToothFairy is a Mac app that lives in the menu bar to connect your AirPods with a single click or key press. It works with other Bluetooth accessories too, like mice, keyboards, and gaming controllers. Version 2.7 readies the app for macOS Big Sur and brings changes: Added AppleScript support for listing devices, getting their properties, and toggling connections; Updated the sample scripts in the “Run shell script after connecting/disconnecting” section of the manual; Added new icons for AirPods Pro, Beats Studio 3, controller, headphones, Playstation, Powerbeats 2020, Siri Remote, and Xbox; The “Improve sound quality by disabling audio input from device” option now works better when a Bluetooth device auto-connects rather than being connected via ToothFairy. It’s also more reliable in cases where macOS reports that it has set the audio input device but actually hasn’t. ToothFairy is available on the Mac App Store for US$4.99.
Use This Shortcut for Real and Fake Art in Animal Crossing
Redd is a character in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that runs the Treasure Trawler. He visits your island every so often to sell you paintings and statues for your art museum. However, sometimes the art is counterfeit, and this shortcut can help. It uses Polygon’s art guide but since it’s a shortcut you won’t have to browse through a long article.
‘Dark Sky’ 6.8.5 Adds Improved Location Search, New Watch Complication
Apple recently updated the Dark Sky app to 6.8.5 and it adds a couple of new features and improvements. Adds the extra large watch complication with watchOS 7; Improves location search with more suggested and relevant results; Adds a new location icon to indicate when Precise Location is disabled; Fixes an issue that could cause a duplicate forecast page after moving it from Recent Searches to Saved; Includes stability and performance improvements. Although Apple acquired the Dark Sky app it still requires a US$3.99 purchase.
'Boys State' Participants Talk Democracy With Experts, Politicians, And Activists
With the U.S. Presidential election about to take place, on Friday Apple released a new clip related to the Apple TV+ movie Boys State. It features various experts, politicians, and activists joining together to hear what some of the participants in the movie had to say about democracy.
The Mandalorian Season Two Arrives on Disney+
The first episode of season two of The Mandalorian is now available on Disney+, with new episodes coming weekly. The Star Wars spin-off picks up after the fall of the Galactic Empire, with lawlessness rife. The streaming service costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 for a year.
Favourite iPhone 12 Pro Features
The Mac Observer’s Associate editors Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr discuss their favorite features on the new iPhone 12 Pro:
- The updated design.
- The cameras.
- Battery life.
- The OLED display.
[iPhone 12 Pro Review: An Absolute Joy to Use]
{iPhone 12 Sensor Shift, ProRAW, and Other Impressive Camera Features]
Apple Releases Unseen 'Long Way Up' Footage
Apple released previously unseen footage from the Apple TV+ series Long Way Up on Thursday. It’s 83 minutes of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on their motorcycles shot from their point of view. The show is available to view now in the TV app.
OverDrive Announces Next Title in Digital Book Club Called ‘Reverie’
Big Library Read is a digital book club from eBook lender OverDrive. “Reverie” is the next book to read available for free through Libby from author Ryan La Sala. “All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He can’t remember anything since an accident robbed him of his memories a few weeks ago. And the world feels different—reality itself seems different. So when three of his classmates claim to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what’s truly going on, he doesn’t know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into unimaginable worlds that materialize out of nowhere—the gym warps into a subterranean temple, a historical home nearby blooms into a Victorian romance rife with scandal and sorcery—Kane realizes that nothing in his life is an accident, and only he can stop their world from unraveling.”
Notability’s Email App “Twobird” Gets Calendar Integration
Ginger Labs, creators of popular productivity apps Notability and Twobird, announced Monday that Twobird received calendar integration. But that’s not the only part of the update. Key features include Interactive Notes, Embedded collaboration tools, Clean interface for distraction-free work, and a brand-new feature launched today: calendar. Other features include: Organize your schedule in Twobird with a clean built-in Calendar, designed to keep you on track with less distractions; Scroll through your Calendar to get an overview of your upcoming events and reminders for the week; Connect multiple Gmail accounts and choose which to display; All your reminders (for notes or emails) appear in your calendar so that you never miss a task; Attach a Twobird note to any calendar event to add context for you and your attendees; No need to switch gears, preview your nearest events and reminders at the top of your inbox.
A Photographer's Review of the iPhone 12 Pro
Lots of the reviews of the new iPhone 12 Pro have mentioned the cameras. Well, Tyler Stalman has reviewed the device from the specific point-of-view of a photographer.
Bruce Springsteen 'Letter to You' Reunion Apple TV+ Featurette
There has been a lot of cross-platform promotion for the new Bruce Springsteen Apple TV+ film Letter to You, which was released on Thursday, ahead of schedule. If you haven’t had a chance to settle down and watch it, there’s a short featurette on YouTube. It shows the E-Street band reuniting and explaining what it feels like when they are all back together.
Charge Anything, Anywhere With the Omni Off-Grid
A new product on Indiegogo I was recently made aware of is the Omni Off Grid charger. It’s a portable power station great for camping and emergency situations. It features an LED display, four USB-C ports, 12V/12A cart port, dimmable light with an SOS alert, four USB-A ports, XT60 and Anderson 400W int put port, Aviation 300W input/output port, and four AC outlets at 1500W output with 3000W surge. You can power it with an optional solar panel (US$299). The Off Grid charger starts at US$1,649 and the team has already surpassed their financial goal.
Edit HDR Videos in iMovie With the 2.3 Update
With the version 2.3 update it’s now possible to edit HDR videos in iMovie, just in time for iPhone 12 models that support shooting video in Dolby Vision. Other new changes include: Customize any title by selecting from dozens of built-in fonts; Adjust the color of any title by selecting from a grid or spectrum of presets, adjusting numerical sliders, or using the eyedropper in the viewer; Quickly change a title’s default style, capitalization and duration; Pinch and drag to adjust the size and location of any title; Choose from three new animated titles: Slide, Split and dual-color Chromatic; Add solid, gradient, and patterned backgrounds to your movie; Use the color picker to customize the colors of any background; Drag the slider to change the intensity of any filter applied to your photos and videos; Import and share 4K videos at 60 frames per second; View, edit, and share High Dynamic Range (HDR) videos from your Photos library.
Bruce Springsteen 'Letter to You' Arrives Early on Apple TV+
The Bruce Springsteen film Letter to You arrived on Apple TV+ on Thursday, a day earlier than expected. He is also set to ‘takeover’ the new Apple Music TV channel today. The film documents the musician and his E-Street Band recording their latest album. The album itself is set to arrive on platforms, including Apple Music, on Friday.
Video Stabilizer App ‘Emulsio’ Gets iOS 14 Update
Emulsio is a video stabilizer app from Creaceed and recently got an update. Version 3.5 offers a fully exposed video encoder that provides several important features: user-adjustable output file format, custom bitrate/quality setting, video and audio codec choices, and output resolution adjustment. The new Transcode extension now allows re-encoding existing videos at a desired quality/size level. Further enhancements include a better video import handling using the new & more capable iOS 14 photo/video picker to easily browse and search through the video library.
Amazon Offers Great Deals on 2020 MacBook Air
If you’ve been holding off on buying a new 2020 MacBook Air, it’s time to make your move. Right now, Amazon offers great deals on the lightweight laptops with digital coupons worth up to $100. You can purchase a 256GB MacBook Air for $849.99, down from its retail list price of $999.99. Amazon lists it at $949.99, plus you get a $100 digital coupon at checkout. Even better, the 512GB MacBook Air can be yours for $1,149.99. This is marked down from the usual $1299 price tag and also uses a digital coupon.