British broadcasters ITV and the BBC unveiled plans for their combined streaming service, BritBox to be available in the UK.
NSO Group Tool Harvests Targeted iCloud Data
Israel-based NSO Group claims it can harvest iCloud data in targeted attacks. It’s said to be a version of the Pegasus spyware.
Attackers using the malware are said to be able to access a wealth of private information, including the full history of a target’s location data and archived messages or photos, according to people who shared documents with the Financial Times and described a recent product demonstration.
When questioned by the newspaper, NSO denied promoting hacking or mass-surveillance tools for cloud services, but didn’t specifically deny that it had developed the capability described in the documents.
YouTube Adds Seamless Switching Between Music and Videos
YouTube has added the ability for Premium and Music Premium users to jump seamlessly between a song and its video via a new button.
The Story of an Apple Intern and Her Emoji Designs
CNBC writes:
In 2008, Apple design intern Angela Guzman worked with her mentor to design around 500 of the original emoji. Originally intended for a Japanese audience, Guzman had no idea emoji would become so popular worldwide.
Guzman is no longer at Apple. Say what?
Apple Sells Exclusive Satechi USB-C Adapter
Apple is selling a Satechi USB-C adapter exclusively in its store. It has a USB-C power port, USB-A, SD, and microSD readers, and an HDMI port.
The Multiport Pro Adapter comes in space gray and is priced at $70, the same as what Apple’s first-party USB-C adapter normally sells for (but doesn’t have SD readers like Satechi’s new adapter). Notably, Satechi’s Multiport Pro Adapter is the only third-party USB-C hub that Apple is selling.
You Can Buy Diamond-Encrusted AirPods for $20,000
Do you have a spare US$20,000 lying around that you don’t know what to do with? Buy these AirPods decked out in diamonds with a marble stand.
Ian DeLucca’s Object No. 1 AirPods are part of his “New Materialism” series, focused on spotlighting the intersection of art and commerce. Twenty-five pairs of the earphones are being made with diamonds that are said to be VVS1-quality, and naturally mined rather than manufactured. Each white gold pair gets inscribed with its creation date and an edition number.
I just want stealth-black AirPods, thanks.
IK Multimedia Launches Desktop Reference Monitors for Home and Pro Recording
IK Multimedia launched a new line of reference monitors for desktop recording called iLoud MTM. Reference monitors are designed for recording to offer a flat response, which is ideal for finding a mix that sounds good on lots of end-user speakers. IK Multimedia said iLoud MTM also offers a linear phase response. They’re based on the larger iLoud Micro Monitors, being aimed specifically at desktop recording. And despite that smaller size, they offer a bass response down to a surprising 40Hz. iLoud MTM is priced at US$/€349.99 each, or $/€699.99 per pair—they’re available now.
Slope Universal Tablet Stand Holds Any Size iPad: $29.99
We have a deal on the Slope universal tablet stand. This device was designed to look good with Apple devices, and it will support any size iPad, including the large iPad Pro, as well as iPhones and other smartphones. It does so using pads comprised of a special type of nano-foam with thousands of microscopic air pockets across its surface that act like tiny suction cups. Those pads hold the stand to the surface it’s resting on and they hold your device. The unboxing video below shows Slope in action.
NVMe Patches to Allow macOS-Linux Dual Boot Under Review
Work is underway to support Linux on newer Macs, and NVMe patches are currently under review. This would make it easier to dual-boot Linux.
Apple Execs Visit Samsung Over iPhone Chip Shortages
According to a report, Apple has been sending executives to meet with Samsung to discuss possible iPhone chip shortages.