Have you caught a case of Star Wars fever yet? There’s a new movie out, and people who hopped on the Disney+ train early have been enjoying The Mandalorian. Interestingly, Disney hasn’t had a lot of merch around the show yet, leaving others to fill that gap. Like Etsy shop SmokeScreenPrinting, which has a new Beskar Friends! shirt, printed in silver ink. I cannot confirm if any actual Beskar was harmed in the production of these shirts, but I can confirm that the shop takes more forms of currency than Imperial Credits.
Apple Shares ‘Little America’ Trailer Coming to TV+
Premiering on January 17, 2020, Little America is an anthology series to share the true stories of immigrants. Apple shared a trailer for the series on its YouTube channel.
“Little America,” is written and executive produced by Lee Eisenberg (“The Office,” Good Boys), who serves as showrunner, and executive produced by Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick, “Silicon Valley”), Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick), Alan Yang (“Master of None,” “Parks and Recreation”), Sian Heder (Tallulah, “Orange Is the New Black”), Joshuah Bearman (Argo), Joshua Davis (Spare Parts) and Arthur Spector (The Shack). Heder also serves as co-showrunner alongside Eisenberg.
Save Space and Regain Power With This USB-C Apple Watch Charging Dock
Satechi has a very smart looking USB-C Magnetic Charging Dock for the Apple Watch. It can neatly plug into your devices, saving the annoyance of having cables everywhere. The dock fits all sizes of Apple Watches and will charge when connected to any powered USB-C device. It costs $44.99 and is available from the firm’s website.
Notability 9.2 Changes the Highlighter and Supports the Files App
Notability 9.2 didn’t bring a lot of changes, but the changes it did bring are important. Here are three things that were changed: Highlighter color now appears more vivid and behind text, making the text pop; Added ability to identify and troubleshoot unsearchable notes that have not been indexed properly; Can now import documents from the Files app.
Notability is among the best note-taking apps for the iPad, especially if you like handwriting your notes with an Apple Pencil. This update should be a welcome one for users.
Twelve South Launches AirPods Pro Case ‘AirSnap Pro’
Available for US$39.99, Twelve South announced pre-orders will begin for its AirPods Pro case called AirSnap Pro. It’s expected to start shipping the week of December 30, 2019. The case is made of leather and comes with a removable clip to attach it to your backpack, purse, or attack keys to it.
Meticulously made of premium top-grain leather, this little leather AirPods cocoon has a metal snap to keep the case closed and your expensive AirPods Pro Wireless Charger safely inside. AirSnap Pro gives you three ways to keep your coveted AirPods Pro within reach. Use the included S-clip to attach AirSnap Pro to a backpack, purse or keychain. Remove the S-clip and carry AirSnap Pro in your pocket. Or, use the included wrist strap to hold your AirPods Pro Wireless Charging Case on walks or runs.
These Apple Watch Straps Are Helping The Planet
Icon Days has a new Apple Watch strap. Not only does it look stylish, but it is also helping protect the planet. The Navy Flame strap is made of premium of leather but it is also plastic free. That includes the packaging. Furthermore, 10% of profits go to environmental charities. The strap is compatible with all Apple Watch models. It costs £39 ($52) and there is free UK shipping in time for Christmas.
Meet The New Xbox - Coming Holiday 2020
Microsoft unveiled the latest edition of the Xbox on Friday. Named the Xbox Series X, the console will be released for next year’s holiday season. Microsoft put out a video to show it off. Noticeably, the console looks a lot like a PC than previous models.
The Moment Ellen De Generes and Michelle Obama Give iPads to a Class of Schoolchildren
Ellen De Genres and former First Lady Michelle Obama visited Randle Highlands Elementary School in Washington, D.C. There, they handed out an iPad from Apple to every pupil. Furthermore, the teachers got MacBook Airs and the school got new iMacs (via Cult of Mac). A video shows the moment the pupils realized what was happening!
Steam Game Terraforming Mars Heads to iOS
Terraforming Mars, a Steam game that was previously only available for PCs, has made its way to iOS. It’s a strategy game in which players try to terraform Mars to make it habitable. You play as a corporation, and each one has a different specialization, like metal, heavy industry, financier, biotech, or energy. You work together with other corporations in the terraforming process, and compete to get points based on your contributions. You can play solo with AI opponents or online with humans. It requires a minimum of iOS 10 to download. App Store: US$8.99
Massive Procreate 5 Update Brings a Ton of Features
Procreate is one of the most popular drawing apps on iOS, and it got a bunch of new features today with Procreate 5. Here are just some of them: Animation Assist helps you create rich illustrative animations, animatics and looping GIFs to share with others. Brush Studio lets you create your own brush has never been easier with the new seamless textures generator. An expanded Drawing Pad sets you free to experiment. Save a reset point at any time and keep on refining. You can also import ABR Photoshop brushes. The new Valkyrie engine gives artists the most flexible and versatile painting system on iPad. If you want to make a glazed brush that wet mixes, has color dynamics, and also has wet edges with burnt edges? You can. And all with Procreate’s trademark performance. App Store: US$9.99 (Offers In-App Purchases)
Meet Emily Dickinson, Apple TV+'s Complicated Heroine
Apple TV+ show ‘Dickinson’ is great, and well worth watching if you haven’t yet had a chance. In a new video posted over the weekend, showrunner Alena Smith, star Hailee Steinfield, and others let us meet Emily a little bit more. It gives great insight into how the show got its unique style. It also explains why they all felt it was so important to tell the story of Emily Dickinson.
Video: The MacObserver's Christmas Gift Guide 2019
Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr discuss some of thee products you may want to buy friends and family, or even ask for yourself. They included a number of items they reviewed this year. For example, Andrew picked the Yubico 5Ci security key. Meanwhile, Charlotte selected the Tivoli Go Fonico earbuds.
YouTube Releases Rewind 2019 Video
Last year’s YouTube rewind video did not go down well. At all. In fact, it became the most disliked video on the platform ever. This year, YouTube decided to play it safe. It admitted its users are “better at this than we are” and brought together all the most popular clips from the year. The finished video is not that exciting then, but it is certainly less cringe-inducing than last year’s offering. It also gives a good insight into where the site is going as we head into the next decade.
Calendars by Readdle Now Lets You Add Outlook Accounts
Another popular app got an update today. Calendars by Readdle (and also Calendars 5) now lets you add Microsoft Outlook accounts. Support for multiple accounts was also added. This means you can now have Google, iCloud, and Outlook (Exchange) accounts in the app simultaneously. This is in the Pro version of Calendars 5, which is on sale for 40% off (usually US$3.99). Other features include: Drag and drop events; Manage events both online and offline, Special keyboards; Search, and more. App Store: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
Full Marc Benioff Fireside Chat with Tim Cook
Tim Cook joined Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff onstage at Dreamforce last week. The two men discussed Steve Job’s legacy, Apple’s environmental plans, and privacy. However, the also talked about Apple moving into the enterprise space, and the relationship their firms had. The whole conversation is available on YouTube and is worth a watch.
Hurry, Pixelmator Photo on iPadOS is Free Right Now
Normally US$4.99, Pixelmator Photo is free right now. It’s a photo editor that promises a full collection of nondestructive color adjustments, full support for RAW images, and machine learning that can improve your photos like a pro photographer. It’s an exclusive app for iPadOS. Here are some of the other features: Batch edit photos using the entire collection of editing tools available in the app; Enhance automatically takes care of all the subtle improvements that go into every great shot — white balance, exposure, shadow, and highlight detail — so you can focus on adding your own creative finishing touches; Presets for film emulation, vintage looks, and more.
Apple Shares Featurette of ‘Truth Be Told’
Apple shared a video that gives us a look at its upcoming Apple TV+ show Truth Be Told.
When new evidence compels podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) to reopen the murder case that made her a national sensation, she comes face to face with Warren Cave (Aaron Paul), the man she may have mistakenly helped to put behind bars. Her investigation navigates urgent concerns about privacy, media and race.
Truth Be Told is created by Nichelle Tramble Spellman and stars Octavia Spencer, Aaron Paul, Lizzy Caplan, Elizabeth Perkins, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, Tracie Thoms, Haneefah Wood and Ron Cephas Jones.
Need the Tor Browser on iOS? Try Onion Browser
Need a Tor browser on iOS? Onion Browser is the only iOS app recommended on the Tor Project’s website. Starting out at the U.S. Naval Research Lab, Tor is a special network that helps people browse the internet with as much privacy as possible. You should note there are a couple of security advisories on its website: WebRTC/Media leaks: Due to iOS limitations, WebRTC and media files leak outside of Tor and are routed over the normal internet. This will reveal your real IP address to sites using these features. (If you are using a VPN, the VPN IP address is revealed instead.) To defend against this, you may set Strict security mode in Host Settings, which will disable Javascript. More information here. OCSP leak: Visiting EV “Green Bar” HTTPS sites may leak information that can be used to reveal the domain name of the website you are visiting. This is handled within iOS and cannot be changed by Onion Browser. There is no known workaround. A detailed report can be found here. App Store: Free
iVerify Can Detect if Your iPhone has Been Jailbroken
iVerify is a security toolkit for iPhones and iPads. It can check the security of your device to see if modifications have taken place, such as jailbreaking or other forms of hacking. It also has a Safari content blocker.
iVerify is your personal security toolkit. Use iVerify to manage the security of your iOS device and detect modifications to your smartphone. iVerify makes it easy to manage the security of your accounts and online presence with simple instructional guides.
I’m curious to see how long it will last. I’ve used two similar apps in the past that offered the same modification detection, but both were removed from the App Store. I don’t know if it was Apple’s doing or if each company independently removed it. App Store: US$4.99
Finally a Way to Batch-Rename Files on iOS
Every since I bought an iPad Pro I’ve been able to conduct most of my work and personal life on my iPad. But I still need my MacBook Pro for a couple things, like using Automator to batch-rename files (renaming multiple files simultaneously). This isn’t possible to do on iOS, until now. A shortcut I found on RoutineHub lets you do this. It lets you rename your files in custom formats, like alphabetically, prepending text, sorting by date modified, etc.
App Sale: ‘Severed’ Game Goes From $7 to $1
Severed is normally US$6.99 but now it’s just US$0.99 for a limited time. Winner of the Apple Design Award in 2017 and voted iPad Game of the Year in 2016, Severed lets you take control of a one-armed warrior named Sasha, wielding a living sword on her journey through a nightmare world in search of her family. Dungeon Combat: Master offensive and defensive touch combat techniques to survive intense battles against a menagerie of enemies. Severing: Best enemies in combat for a chance at severing their body parts — then wear them to gain new powers or consume them to upgrade your equipment and abilities. Exploration: Follow branching routes through the unknown, using your wits to avoid hazards and solve puzzles. Award-Winning Soundtrack: Immerse yourself in the haunting original score from Juno- and Polaris-nominated band YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN, featuring Pantayo. App Store: Severed – US$0.99
Trailer for Sneaky Sasquatch - Now on Apple Arcade
The game Sneaky Sasquatch is now on Apple Arcade. It is a task-based game in which you need to complete challenges – the only rule is don’t get caught. Apple posted a trailer for the game on its YouTube channel. This game doesn’t appear to have the high production values of some of the others on the subscription service, but it still looks quite fun.
Adobe Releases Photoshop for iPad, But it's Still a Work in Progress
Adobe has released Photoshop for iPad. You can try it for a 30-day free trial, and after that it requires a subscription to Creative Cloud that costs US$9.99/mo.
This first version focuses on core compositing and retouching tools designed to work best on the iPad with Apple Pencil and touch. And we’re just getting started. For future versions, we’re looking at enhancing our tools used for brushes, masks, refining edges, and selecting smart subjects. Plus, we want to make it easier to access your brushes and fonts in Creative Cloud.
Early reviews of the app say it’s a bit rough around the edges, but download it to see for yourself. App Store: Free (Offers In-App Purchases)
Apple TV+ is about to launch. What can we expect?
Apple TV+ is about to go live, but what can we, the viewers, expect? The reviews have not been good, but that does not mean we should give up hope just yet.