As promised, Super Mario Run for the iPhone and iPad launched on Apple’s App Store on Thursday. The game marks Mario’s first official appearance on Apple’s mobile devices and was first teased this fall, and if the hype is any indication productivity is going to take a serious hit for the rest of today.
News
1B User Accounts Compromised in Massive Yahoo! Data Breach
If you have a Yahoo! login, it’s time to go change your password again. The company says personal information for more than a billion users was stolen, including names and passwords. The security breach happened in August 2013, and is likely the largest ever.
Apple Pay Expands with Causemo And GoDaddy
On Wednesday, Apple added domain registrar GoDaddy and startup Causemo to Apple Pay. Apple has steadily expanded the list of retailers and other companies who accept Apple Pay online, increasing the service’s footprint.
Great Gifts for Groovy Geeks:Part II
It’s Part II of Dr. Mac’s annual gift guide, with four more reasonably-priced gadgets that make perfect gifts for the geeks you love.
Podcasts
![4 Apps for Seeing Your Mac’s Battery Time Remaining [Updated]](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/macos-battery-menu.jpg)
4 Apps for Seeing Your Mac's Battery Time Remaining [Updated]
Apple took away the time remaining estimate from its Battery menu bar widget in macOS 10.12.2 presumably because it was inaccurate and confusing. That’s a problem because a lot of MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook users rely on the time estimate to get an idea of how long they can go before they have to find a power outlet. Even though Apple deemed the time remaining estimate unnecessary, other developers get that it’s an important feature. Read on to see some of TMO’s favorite battery monitoring apps.
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.
Apple Addresses MacBook Pro Video Issue with macOS Sierra 10.12.2
Apple released macOS Sierra 10.12.2 on Tuesday with a fix for the video artifacting issue many Touch Bar MacBook Pro users have been experiencing. The update also ensures System Integrity Protection is enabled on the new laptop model, and improves Auto Unlock reliability, too.
Cool Stuff Found
Trump Tech Summit to Include Tim Cook, Larry Page, More
President-elect Donald Trump is hosting an invitation-only technology summit on December 14th and Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with Alphabet CEO Larry Page, are reportedly attending. The event will be hosted at Trump Tower in Manhattan and will include several other tech industry leaders, although exactly what will be discussed is still unclear.
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.
Podcasts
Apple Brings Calendar Spam Invitation Filtering to iCloud
The ongoing problem of spam invitations in Apple’s Calendar app finally has a fix, at least on iCloud. Users can now report invitations as junk with the click of a button, but they need to log into Apple’s iCloud web interface, which limits the fix to desktop and laptop users for now.
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.
Super Mario Run Requires an Internet Connection to Because Nintendo is Afraid of Piracy
If you’re planning on playing Super Mario Run on your next flight the plane better have WiFi because it requires an always-on internet connection. Nintendo says that’s by design because they want to prevent game piracy.
2017 iPhone Rumor Roundup
iPhone 7 is still wet behind the ears, but Rumors are already flying over 2017 iPhone. It will be the iPhone’s tenth anniversary, and expectations are high for Apple’s next model. It’s still early in the rumor cycle, but here are some of the highest-profile rumors and supposed leaks so far, as well as what they might really mean.
Apple May Expand iTunes Movie Footprint with Theater-Run Movies
Apple is rumored to be in talks with three movie studios to offer movie rentals in iTunes: 21st Century Fox Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures. But these aren’t just any rentals. If the deals go through, iTunes customers will be able to rent movies two weeks after they debut in theaters, a move that could significantly expand Apple’s footprint in the streaming movie market.
Bluetooth 5: It's All About the Internet of Things
Get ready for Bluetooth 5 because the Bluetooth Special Interest Group officially ratified the specification for the wireless protocol this week. Bluetooth 5 promises twice the speed and four times the range compared to the current Bluetooth standard, and will start showing up in devices soon.
