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IRS Investigated for Location Data Usage Without Warrant

Andrew Orr ·

The IRS is being investigated for its use of location data collected from apps without obtaining warrants.

The IRS’ attempts were not successful though, as the people the IRS was looking for weren’t included in the particular Venntel data set, the aide added.

But the IRS still obtained this data without a warrant, and the legal justification for doing so remains unclear. The aide said that the IRS received verbal approval to use the data, but stopped responding to their office’s inquiries.

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HomePod Mini, But Not Second Generation, on Way

Charlotte Henry ·

Rumors picked up on by Cult of Mac indicate that a HomePod mini could be on the way at Apple’s October 13 event, a topic discussed on Tuesday’s Daily Observations podcast. However, the same source suggests we may have to wait a bit longer for the second generation of the full-size version.

L0vetodream made the claim Tuesday on Twitter after Apple issued invites to its October 13 “Hi, Speed” event. Apple likely will unveil its final new hardware products of the year at that time… Given that Apple hasn’t updated the HomePod since 2017, it seems to be on Cupertino’s back burner. Perhaps that’s because a lot of smart speaker functionality, outside playing music, can be done on other Apple devices. But many people could be keen to buy a cheaper HomePod. Apple could find success, essentially following the model laid out by the iPhone SE and Apple Watch SE. HomePod SE, anyone?

Cool Stuff Found

MacBook Pro SuitCase from Twelve South

Charlotte Henry ·

Accessories-maker Twelve South has released a SuitCase for the MacBook. This rather stylish case has a thermoformed hardshell case covered by a quilted, textile exterior and a leather handle. It has room for paperwork and cables, so you can just have one bag if all you need is your laptop. The SuitCase fits a 13-inch MacBook Pro or Air ($69.99) and a 16-inch Pro ($79.99).