We have a deal on a subscription to Call Control Premium. This AI-based service lets you block calls based on your own criteria and a community-driven database, and it provides blacklists, reverse-lookup tools, and a variety of other tools that let you take greater control over your calls. A one year subscription is $19.99 through us. You can find all the details in the deal listing.
iPhones With Third-Party Batteries Now Eligible for Official Apple Repairs
If you got a battery replacement from a repair shop, it’s now eligible for official Apple repairs at Genius Bars and Apple Authorized Service Providers.
Cord Cutting Arguments, Apple's Policy Stance – TMO Daily Observations 2019-03-05
Bryan Chaffin & John Martellaro join host Kelly Guimont to discuss arguments about cord cutting and Apple’s policy (not political) decisions.
Swift Playgrounds 3.0 Beta 1 is Out
If you use Apple’s TestFlight app and signed up to beta test Swift Playgrounds app, you’ll be pleased to know that Swift Playground 3.0 beta 1 is out.
The full extent of what’s new in Swift Playgrounds 3.0 isn’t clear as of yet, but Apple’s release notes for the beta update provide a bit of detail. The new version of the app allows Playground Books to contain directories of Swift code and resources that can be imported for use by any page in the book.
Apple Podcasts is Popular Worldwide Except South America
Apple Podcasts dominate the world as the most popular podcasting platform…except South America where Spotify is already dominant.
Apple Sold 10.4M Apple Watches in 4Q18
Apple sold 10.4 million Apple Watches in quarter 4 of 2018 (4Q18). The Series 4 remains a strong seller and should remain the market leader as more healthcare organizations utilize the device.
The worldwide market for wearable devices grew 31.4% during the fourth quarter of 2018 (4Q18), reaching a new high of 59.3 million units according to data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.
Apple has the number one spot in a list of five companies. Other companies include Xiaomi #2, Huawei #3, Fitbit #4, and Samsung #5.
GitHub Code Ring Promotes Over 300 Apps With Backdoors
Researchers uncovered a GitHub code ring made up of 89 accounts promoting 73 repos that contain over 300 apps with backdoors.
This NSFW Teen Film is a Must Watch
I know, “NSFW teen film” is a phrase not usually found in the media. But this one is enlightening. It’s a short, 17-minute film called Pocket, directed by Mishka Kornai and written by Zach Wechter. It’s an attempt to show a day in the life of a teenager, specifically from the point of view of a 15-year-old named Jake. It’s NSFW because of occasional swearing, sexting, and Instagram models. Millennials may have experienced technology like the iPhone in their teenage years, but Generation Z grew up with it. As the quote from Douglas Adams goes,
Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. Anything that’s invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. Anything invented after you’re thirty-five is against the natural order of things.
Uber Rewards Comes to All U.S. Cities
Uber Rewards is a loyalty program for frequent riders. It launched in nine cities in November 2018 and now it is available across the U.S.
Tim Cook Made Sure Apple Won in the US-China Trade War
A new in-depth report on Politico revealed the full extent of Apple’s involvement in the U.S.-China trade dispute, And how it was it was successful. A key factor was that CEO Tim Cook remained one of the few tech-leaders who engaged directly with President Donald Trump after comment’s from the President’s caused others to stop doing so. Mr. Cook was also aided by having strong business connections in China.
In the U.S., Cook has made a point of directly engaging with Trump, even as the president’s immigration policies and remarks about minorities have scared off other executives from liberal-leaning Silicon Valley. And in China, Cook — who knows some Mandarin — has actively cultivated government and business leaders during his frequent visits to a country where Apple’s supply chain supports an estimated 3 million jobs. “Among the tech titans, he’s probably the one who is best placed to deal with both sides at the same time,” said James Lewis, a former State and Commerce department official who dealt with China trade issues and now directs the technology policy program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
