We have a deal on a powerful portable battery, the 20,000mAh (Practically) Crush-Proof Portable Power Bank. In addition to massive capacity, this device features passthrough charging via USB-0C or microUSB, and it has USB-C and regular USB out. It also features a very durable enclosure. I’m linking to the silver option, but there’s also a black option available on the deal listing. It’s $79.95 through our deal, but coupon code MERRY15 at checkout will take 15% off to bring it down to
Voice of Hebrew Siri Sues Apple for Illegitimate Usage
Ms. Gura-Sini performed the voice for Nuance Communications, which Apple acquired in 2016. She said she only authorized the use of her voice for “legitimate” purposes.
Bent iPad Pros Aren't Slowing Down Sales
Data from Best Buy show that bent iPad Pros aren’t slowing down sales. Both the 12.9-inch and 11-inch model have remained strong sellers.
It’s still early, of course, and as “bend-gate” continued to gain news tractions — and as consumers return to work next week — it’s entirely possible that consumers will revolt. We’ll keep an eye on the iPad Pro’s sales as things develop. But, for now, it appears that Apple’s in the clear.
This is good for Apple but it doesn’t excuse their awful gaslighting.
This Brand New Patent Troll is Suing Apple Over Mobile Payments
Fintiv was founded this year, and its a patent troll suing Apple over mobile payments. Apple allegedly infringes upon three patents.
Reset Facebook: Have Fewer Friends
2018 has been a difficult year for Facebook. There are lots of suggestions from lots of people about how the company can fix its own problems. Kurt Wagner on Re/Code made a suggestion for us users – have fewer friends. He said that “it’s time for Facebook to build a new feature: A reset button.” This reset button would get rid of all your current friends so you can start again and build a more intimate experience. He thinks this would help us share and consume better information.
Fewer friends won’t just change what you consume, but it might encourage you to share more yourself. Anthropologist Robin Dunbar famously suggested people could maintain just 150 “meaningful relationships” at any one time, a number that’s been put to the test thanks to services like Facebook.
Sony Boosts 3D Camera Chip Production after Customer Interest
Interest from tech companies, including Apple, has led Sony to increase the production of next-generation 3D sensors.
The Mac Observer Turns Twenty – TMO Daily Observations 2018-12-28
Today is all about history, as The Mac Observer turns 20 years old! Bryan Chaffin and Dave Hamilton join Kelly for a look back.
Personal Information Management Part 1: Universal File Naming Scheme
Andrew has finally created a universal file naming scheme, something he has been working on for a while. Here’s how he did it.
Personal Details of 997 North Korean Defectors Stolen by Hackers
Hackers stole the personal details of nearly 1000 people who defected from North Korea to South Korea, officials in Seoul have revealed.
Google and Facebook Ads Helped Support Illegal WhatsApp Groups
Google removed third-party apps that guided people to WhatsApp groups sharing child pornography after a Techcrunch report highlighted the issue. In a powerful follow-up, the site revealed how Google and Facebook’s advertising networks inadvertently helped finance the apps and the associated WhatsApp groups.
New research provided exclusively to TechCrunch by anti-harassment algorithm startup AntiToxin shows that these removed apps that hosted links to child porn sharing rings on WhatsApp were supported with ads run by Google and Facebook’s ad networks. AntiToxin found six of these apps ran Google AdMob, one ran Google Firebase, two ran Facebook Audience Network and one ran StartApp. These ad networks earned a cut of brands’ marketing spend while allowing the apps to monetize and sustain their operations by hosting ads for Amazon, Microsoft, Motorola, Sprint, Sprite, Western Union, Dyson, DJI, Gett, Yandex Music, Q Link Wireless, Tik Tok and more.
