We have a deal on the 2019 FlexSafe Portable Travel Safe. This is a clever little device designed to keep your valuables secure on the go. It features a reprogrammable lock, is cut-resistant, and it’s made with RFID blocking material to help keep your digital assets secure, too. It’s $59 through our deal.
Spotify vs Apple, Journalism vs Spoilers – TMO Daily Observations 2019-05-06
Andrew Orr and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to talk about the EU investigation into Apple Music, and journalism versus surprises.
Tim Cook: Apple Buys a Company 'Every Two to Three Weeks'
Apple acquired between 20 and 25 companies in the last six months and makes a purchase every two to three weeks, Tim Cook revealed.
Amazon Fired Pregnant Women. Now They Are Suing.
Working conditions in Amazon’s fulfillment centers have long been a matter of controversy. Now, a number of pregnant women who worked in the warehouses are filing lawsuits. CNET looked into the cases.
CNET reviewed seven lawsuits against Amazon filed by pregnant warehouse workers who were fired over the last eight years and alleged that the company failed to accommodate their needs. The requests included longer bathroom breaks and fewer continuous hours on their feet, according to the lawsuits, but in all of the cases the expectant mothers were fired after telling their managers they were pregnant. Six of the cases were settled out of court. These cases fuel the perception that Amazon and CEO Jeff Bezos have created grueling conditions at their US fulfillment centers in the rush to build the online marketplace for everything.
macOS: How to Disable Homebrew Analytics
Homebrew has recently started to collect data, which helps the developers. But if you don’t like this you can disable Homebrew analytics.
App Usage Can Predict Cognitive Decline in Older Adults
An Apple research paper called “App Usage Predicts Cognitive Ability in Older Adults” says that iPhone usage can help predict cognitive decline in older adults [PDF].
To characterize smartphone usage among older adults, we collected iPhone usage data from 84 healthy older adults over three months. We find that older adults use fewer apps, take longer to complete tasks, and send fewer messages. We use cognitive test results from these same older adults to then show that up to 79% of these differences can be explained by cognitive decline, and that we can predict cognitive test performance from smartphone usage with 83% ROCAUC. While older adults differ from younger adults in app usage behavior, the “cognitively young” older adults use smartphones much like their younger counterparts. Our study suggests that to better support all older adults, researchers and developers should consider the full spectrum of cognitive function.
After Spotify Complains, EU Launches Apple Music Probe
The European Union is launching an Apple Music probe after Spotify accuses Apple of antitrust since it owns both Apple Music and the App Store.
How to Charge Your Smartphone Correctly
Antonio Villas-Boas says there is a right way and a wrong way to charge our smartphones.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you might be reducing your phone battery’s lifespan with certain charging behaviors.
Specifically, if you often charge your phone overnight or keep it plugged in for hours after it’s reached 100%, you’re accelerating the aging process of lithium-ion smartphone batteries.
I don’t think this is entirely correct though. Most smartphones have something called trickle charge, which helps extend the battery life by slowing the charge rate and pulsing the electric current on and off to reduce battery load once it reaches 80%. Apple explains here.
New vs. Used/Refurb, USB Disconnects, Notifications, and Ethernet Locations – Mac Geek Gab 760
This week your two favorite geeks tackle your questions about USB disconnects, “no Internet connection” reports, creating short video clips from long segments, and when (and whether!) to buy new or look for refurb/used. Listen as John and Dave talk you through all of this and much, much more. Press play, download, and enjoy learning at least five new things!
The Death of Apple's Magic Touch
Perspectives by different people vary. Sometimes a unique, idiosyncratic view is wrong but thought provoking. And it takes courage to write anyway. This is one of those.