We have a great deal for you today on not one, but two 10-foot MFi-certified Lightning cables. And the price? $14.99. Like I said, it’s a great deal. The image shows just one cable, but this deal is for a two-pack. Check out the details on the deal listing.
Tim Cook Tweets: Record July for App Store; Developers Have Earned $50 Billion
Tim Cook announced on Twitter Wednesday that July was a record month for the App Store, and that Apple has now paid more than $50 billion to developers. Both represent massive accomplishments, and the $50 billion paid out to developers would make the reputation of any other company for decades to come.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-08-03: iOS 10's Squirt Gun Emoji, Instagram Stories
Apple is replacing the pistol emoji in iOS 10 with a squirt gun. Kelly Guimont and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet share their take on the squirt gun and Apple’s apparent anti-gun stance, plus they look at Instagram’s Snapchat copycat feature, Instagram Stories.
Apple's Squirt Gun Emoji is a Subtle Dig on Gun Violence
Apple always adds new things to its big operating system upgrades, and sometimes it takes away things, too. When iOS 10 ships this fall it’ll be missing the handgun emoji icon and in its place we’ll get a bright green squirt gun. The change comes as gun-related violence and deaths are on the rise in the United States, and following a public campaign urging Apple to remove the gun emoji.
Cool Stuff Found
Facebook Targets Snapchat with Instagram Stories
Watch out, Snapchat. Facebook is taking you on with its new Instagram Stories feature in Instagram. Like Snapchat, Instagram Stories lets you draw on photos and videos then post them where followers can see your impromptu works of art before they disappear 24 hours later.
FBI Still Wants Encryption Compromise Where None is Possible
FBI Director Comey is still searching for a so-called compromise on encryption, even though no such compromise is possible. Mr. Comey wants America to discuss the issue before a terror or criminal event involving encryption makes rational discussion impossible.
The Complete iOS 10 Developer Course: $25
We have a deal for you today on the Complete iOS 10 Developer Course. It features 30 hours of content, including 217 lectures. You’ll learn SiriKit, Messages, Maps—all with new features for developers in iOS 10, as well as an in-depth look at the rest of the operating system. You can get this course through our deal for just $25.
TMO Daily Observations 2016-08-02: FBI Director Comey's New Encryption Debate
FBI Director James Comey says it’s time to restart the debate over whether or not government agencies should have back doors into our encrypted data. John Martellaro and Bryan Chaffin join Jeff Gamet to look at encryption and what should be kept private and out of the government’s hands. They also dive into how technology may be making people more machine like.
VAVA Voom 20 Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Full Sound & Water Resistant
VAVA’s new Voom 20 is perhaps my new favorite Bluetooth speaker, and that’s saying a lot. It’s the right size – a little taller than a can of soda – and has a full, warm sound that can fill a room or your outdoor deck. With dual 8W drivers, two passive subwoofers, 10 hours of battery life and an IPX5 water rating, this speaker will go anywhere you want to bring it, be that the beach, your hotel room, or the kitchen of your AirBnB. It’s even got speakerphone capabilities as well as a USB port for charging your iPhone from the Voom 20s internal 5200mAh battery. It supports the aptX Bluetooth codec, so if you’re using this with your Mac you can get top-quality Bluetooth sound to it. One note: the volume control on the speaker is set independently of your device’s volume, so be sure to crank up both of them. With a special 25% discount available through August 8, the VAVA Voom 20 can be yours direct from VAVA for $59.99 with coupon code GOVOOM20. That’s less than half of what I’ve found comparable speakers cost.
Judge Tosses Out VirnetX's $625M Patent Infringement Win Against Apple
VirnetX’s big US$625 million patent infringement win against Apple just became a big loss. Federal Appeals Court Judge Robert Schroeder tossed out the judgement and set a retrial saying VirnetX acted inappropriately during the trial and very likely prejudiced the jury.