Link

Apple Card Rolls Out to Select Users Today

Andrew Orr · · Add Comment

Apple Card preview is rolling out today to a select group of users who signed up to be notified of the release, although we don’t know if it’s all users who signed up or a small group.

Apple Card is getting its first group of public test users today. A limited amount of customers that signed up to be notified about the release of Apple Card are getting the ability to apply for the card in their Wallet app today — as well as the option to order their physical Apple Card. A full rollout of Apple Card will come later in August. It requires iOS 12.4 and up to operate.

Link

Spotify Results Show Full Extent of Its Podcast Purchasing

Charlotte Henry · · Add Comment

Spotify was amongst the tech firms that revealed their financial results last week. After a deep dive into the numbers, Music Business Week found that that the streaming service spent a total of $375 million in cash on podcast companies so far in 2019. The deals are valued at $404 million. They demonstrated just how seriously Spotify wants to challenge Apple in the podcast game, and they company might not be finished yet.

Spotify has previously confirmed that, in February, it spent approximately €300m ($343m) on two US-based ‘cast firms: distribution software company Anchor, and independent content producer Gimlet Media. Now we know exactly how much Spotify spent on these two firms, in addition to true crime podcast maker Parcast (trading as Los Angeles-based Cutler Media LLC) which it bought in April. The upshot: if Spotify sticks to its previously-announced plan of spending between $400m and $500m on acquisitions this year, it has about $100m left in the tank.

Link

The Cloud is Good for Mac Backups - Except Time Machine Files

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Many Mac users also back up everything to a cloud service. Glenn Fleishman at Macworld explains why Time Machine files should not be on your list.

Now you might think that on top of that … Time Machine or a local copy plus cloud archives … you should back up your Time Machine volume to an online cloud service too.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t play out in practice.

Glenn explains, in detail, why you shouln’t even think about that practice.

Podcast

ZDNet Sr. Technical Editor Jason Perlow - TMO Background Mode Interview

John Martellaro · · Add Comment

Jason Perlow is a a well-known technical journalist. He is also also a technologist with over two decades of experience in cloud computing, IoT, mobility, security, open source, enterprise systems architecture, Microsoft technology, and Software as a Service. Today, he is a Senior Technical Editor at ZDNet and an Information Security Threat Writer at Proofpoint.

Jason started his tech life at age 12 with an Apple II Plus thanks to a very technical father. But after college, Jason was hired by IBM and years later by Microsoft. The result was a standoffish approach to Apple. Today, however, Jason is all in with Apple, and he told me the story of how that happened. In fact, Jason thinks Apple and Microsoft should be working more closely together, and we explored his recent article about that.

Link

Netflix Cancels 'The OA'

Bryan Chaffin · · Add Comment

Netflix canceled The OA on Monday. And that sucks. It was a fascinating show that used unconventional story-telling structures. While I’m bummed, I’m not necessarily surprised. See the afore-mentioned note about unconventional story-telling structures. Netflix has cut a couple of other shows in the wake of a worse-than-expected quarterly earnings report for the June quarter. TechCrunch covered the cancelation, and here’s their description:

Created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, “The OA” begins with the reappearance a young woman named Prairie Johnson (played by Marling), who disappeared several years earlier. The ensuing story goes in some pretty wild directions to explain where the previously blind Johnson has been for the past few years, how she regained her sight and why she now calls herself The OA.

TMO Deals

Power Up to 6 Devices at Once with 3 USB Ports and 3 AC Outlets: $19.99

Bryan Chaffin · · Add Comment

We have a deal on the NTONPOWER 3-Outlet & 3-USB Port Surge Protector. As the name shows, it features three USB charging ports and three standard AC outlets. And, it has a tray designed to hold your iPhone (or other smartphone), putting its footprint to better use. It’s just $19.99 through our deal. We’ve linked to the white model, but there’s a black option on the deal listing, too.

Link

Microsoft Launches Azure Security Lab and Doubles Bug Bounty

Andrew Orr · · Add Comment

Announced at Black Hat 2019 today, Microsoft launched the Azure Security Lab, as well as doubling its top Azure bug bounty to US$40,000.

The Azure Security Lab takes the idea to the next level. It’s essentially a set of dedicated cloud hosts isolated from Azure customers so security researchers can test attacks against cloud scenarios. The isolation means researchers can not only research vulnerabilities in Azure, they can attempt to exploit them.

The Azure Security Lab isn’t open to the public — you have to apply. Microsoft is promising quarterly campaigns for targeted scenarios with added incentives, including exclusive swag. Security researchers will also be able to engage directly with Azure security experts.

Link

Apple Previews Apple Card Sign Up Process

Andrew Orr · · Add Comment

Apple’s wallet.apple.com website gives people a video on how to apply for Apple Card, which consists of opening the Wallet app and tapping the plus (+) button on the upper right.

Before you start, there are a few things to check: You are a US citizen or lawful resident at least 18 years of age or older. Make sure you’re on the latest version of iOS. Learn here how to update. Applying for Apple Card requires an iPhone that can use Apple Pay. Check here to see if your device is compatible.

I can’t wait for the launch, and will be signing up.