Disagreement Over How to Proceed with European Coronavirus Contact Apps

Apple and Google have teamed up to help build contact-tracing apps, aimed at helping reduce the spread of coronavirus. However, there is disagreement in Europe over how to progress, Reuters reported.

Scientists and researchers from more than 25 countries published an open letter on Monday urging governments not to abuse such technology to spy on their people and warning of risks in an approach championed by Germany. “We are concerned that some ‘solutions’ to the crisis may, via mission creep, result in systems which would allow unprecedented surveillance of society at large,” said the letter that gathered more than 300 signatures. Tech experts are rushing to develop digital methods to fight COVID-19, a flu-like disease caused by the novel coronavirus that has infected 2.4 million people worldwide and been linked to 165,000 deaths.

Xcode for iOS Might Mean You Can Write Software on Your iPhone

Developers may soon be able to code on their iPhone or iPad with Xcode on iOS/iPadOS 14. I don’t imagine many people are going to settle down to a big coding session on their iPhone, but I can imagine them doing it on an iPad. If Xcode does come to iPadOS it would cement a move we already saw with the latest iPad Pro – Apple is blurring the lines between a laptop and a tablet. Cult of Mac took a look at the latest rumors.

This report comes from Jon Prosser, founder of YouTube channel Front Page Tech, who recently correctly predicted the launch date of the 2020 iPhone SE. On Monday, Prosser said via Twitter “XCode is present on iOS / iPad OS 14. The implications there are HUGE”… Whenever anyone suggests that iPads have become as powerful as MacBooks, someone always asks, “Does it do Xcode?” The implication is that iPads are just toys — only Macs are real computers. But if Prosser is correct, then devs will be able to use iPad or Mac, whichever they prefer.

Leaks Claim AirTags Will Have Speakers, Activation Lock, Work With Non-U1 Devices

A report today claims that Apple’s rumored AirTags product will have speakers and will work with devices that don’t have the U1 chip. They will also require activation lock as a security measure.

Alongside the speaker, Fudge also says that the AirTags will come with an accelerometer, which detects motion. Fudge does not elaborate on this, so we don’t know entirely what it is for.

The most recent thing Fudge announced was that the AirTags may come in multiple different colours, which could be really cool. However, if AirTags are anything like AirPods, colours might not ever arrive.

I’m glad to know that they won’t require a U1 chip. It’s a “claim” by this leaker but if Apple required a chip for the tags to work, this would lock out a significant portion of its user base, so that part seems likely to me.

Bendy Suction Phone Mount: $23.99

We have a deal on a very interesting smartphone mount. It’s bendy and it has suction pads on it, which makes its name appropriate: Tenikle 2.0.  It’s essentially modeled after a three-tentacled octopus with suction pads on each of those limbs. You can then wrap one or two of the limbs around whatever you need—or use them as feet—and use the suction pads on the third limb to hold your iPhone (or Android device). And you can roll it into a ball for storage and portability. Tenikle 2.0 is $23.99 through our deal.

How The Colorful iMac Saved Apple

The iMac is credited with saving Apple during its darkest days. Designed by Sir Jony Ive, it is the first Apple machine I remember really being conscious of. The colorful range of computers first went on sale in the U.S in August 1998 and by April 2001 five million had been shipped. On AppleInsider, William Gallagher reflected on the device’s staggering success.

This machine took the innovation Apple had done before, it took the company’s ethos of strong design and a complete appliance-like tool, and it shouted about it all. Where the Mac had literally said “Hello,” the iMac figuratively said, “look at me.” And people listened. The iMac was announced by Steve Jobs on May 6, 1998, but it didn’t go on sale in the US until August 15 that year. Two weeks later, it was released in Europe and Japan. Two years, eight months, and four days later on April 19, 2001, Apple announced that it had shipped its five millionth iMac. That makes approximately 5,112 iMacs sold every day. It’s one iMac every 1.183 seconds. No wonder it saved the company.