Hundreds of companies are participating in this because of the arrest of Huawei’s CFO in Canada.
News
Why Parents Should be Cautious of TikTok
Millions of teenagers are using a new social app called TikTok. It focuses on creating short videos to upload, but it might leave kids open to predators.
Reminder: iPhone Battery Program Ends Dec. 31
After it was revealed that older iPhone batteries were throttled, Apple created a battery replacement program for customers.
Happy Holidays from Everyone at The Mac Observer
Regardless of the holiday you’re celebrating, The Mac Observer hopes this weekend is a wonderful time for you, and that you get to take a day or two off to relax. We’re taking Tuesday off, but we’ll be back on Wednesday, December 26th, with our iPhone, iPad, and Mac coverage, along with a fresh TMO Daily Observations episode, too.
iOS 12.1.2 Stopping Users Accessing Cellular Network
iOS 2.1.2 is causing major problems for users around the world, with many reporting to have been cut off from thier cellular network.
Apple Expands iPhone Trade-in Program
Apple extended a promotional trade-in program to countries around the world, so more people can get more money off a new iPhone XS or XR.
Elon Musk's SpaceX Conducts first Mission for U.S. Military
SpaceX took the U.S. Air Force’s new GPS III satellite into orbit, completing its first launch for the U.S. military.
WireGuard VPN now Available on iOS
WireGuard, the supposedly faster and more secure VPN protocol, is now available for free on iOS devices via the App Store.
Apple Exec Dan Riccio Dismissed Bent iPad Pro Criticism
In a leaked email, Apple exec Dan Riccio hit back at complaints that a number of 2018 iPad Pros arrived with customers bent.
U.S. Government had 4,570 Device Requests for Apple in 2018
Apple has redesigned its transparency website to make it easier to understand the number of government device requests the company receives.
HomePod Getting Smarter but Still Trails Google Home
Apple’s HomePod is getting smarter, according to a new report by analysts at Loup Ventures, but it still trails Google Home.
Drone Flights Shut Down UK's Gatwick Airport
One of the UK’s busiest airports has been brought to a standstill by rogue drone flights, just days before Christmas.
Qualcomm Wins Against Apple, This Time in Germany
Apple said it will stop selling iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 phones in retail stores in the country.
Touch Twitter's Sparkle and Something Wonderful Will Happen
That’s not a euphemism, it’s Twitter’s terminology for the option to enable a chronological timeline, now available.
Apple Elevates Machine Learning to Senior Video President Role on Executive Leadership Team
Apple announced Thursday that John Giannandrea was being promoted to the company’s executive team as senior vice president of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
The Latest App Store Phishing Scam is Tough to Spot
People have reported getting a fake receipt claiming to be a purchase confirmation by Apple.
You Can Now Gift In-App Purchases To Others
There is no option to do so in the App Store, so it’s not clear how Apple will handle this. Maybe there will be a new option when you tap the three dots icon next to an app.
Recent, Notable Guests on TMO's Background Mode Podcast: Jeff Gamet, Dr. Kiki Sanford
John has had some very interesting and inspiring guests on his Background Mode podcast recently. Here are a few in case you missed them.
Apple Shares Shot on iPhone XR and iPhone XS Photos
Apple shared some Shot on iPhone XR and iPhone XS photos for the holidays. New camera features in these phones include Smart HDR and more.
Waze Throws Shade at Apple by Celebrating Tim Cook Day
Waze attributes much of its success to Apple, because of the Apple Maps debacle back in 2012, and celebrates an annual Tim Cook day.
Facebook Gave Tech Firms Access to Your Data
Facebook allowed other tech firms to access user’s personal data to a far greater degree than was known by them.
New Apple Patent Outlines Work on Wraparound Display
Apple received approval for patents relating to a wraparound display and a variety of other features, including “multi-device charging”.
Elcomsoft Can Now Extract Your iPhone Health Data
Phone Breaker breaks into iPhones to extract the data, encrypted or not. And now it has the capability to extract iPhone health data.
Swiss Apple Pay Issue Resolved
Apple has offered an unspecified technical fix to a problem with Apple Pay in Switzerland that disrupted the use of a local alternative.
