How TiVo Changed the World: An Oral History

OneZero writes: “… in 1999, two former employees of Hewlett-Packard and Silicon Graphics (SGI), Jim Barton and Mike Ramsay, introduced a revolutionary new product: a digital video recorder, or DVR. The product, named TiVo, seamlessly recorded shows, paused live television, and allowed users to fast-forward through the commercials.”

The TiVo set the stage for all our modern TV viewing habits.  It changed television forever. This is a fascinating story.

Have You Seen iPad Screen Stuttering on Your Pro?

iPad screen stuttering is a growing concern among iPad Pro owners. Some 2017 and 2018 models may be affected. Juli Clover shares some reader stories.

Affected users have iPad Pro models that sometimes refuse to register touch gestures, stutter when scrolling, miss keystrokes, and have other similar issues. We here at MacRumors have not been able to replicate this issue, but the sheer number of complaints suggests something may be going on with the iPad Pro’s display.

I haven’t been able to replicate this issue either. *knocks on aluminum*

Clips 2.0.6 Updated With ClassKit Support

Apple has released an update to Clips, which lets people create short video clips to share on social media. Clips 2.0.6 brings the following features: Use the new camcorder filter to give your videos a retro video camera look; Choose from 8 new posters including options with solid backgrounds, colorful vintage designs, a classic blue camcorder recording screen, and an animated globe to celebrate Earth Day; Create titles and captions with 3 new Live Titles styles featuring static text that appears all at once or animated text that highlights each word as it’s spoken; Apply new 8-bit and 3D-styled stickers to add emphasis to your videos; Create songs in GarageBand and other music apps, then add them directly to new or existing Clips projects; Duplicate and rename projects; Share projects with friends via AirDrop or email, save them to Files, or upload them to cloud storage services with share extensions; ClassKit support lets students deliver video assignments to teachers using the Schoolwork app. App Store: Free

An Inside Look Into a Recent Spam Operation

Millions of people were affected for 10 days in March by a spam email operation. But the spammer didn’t set a password for their server (via TechCrunch). [Apple Support Scam is a new Voice Phishing Trick] Email Spam It’s a fascinating story. Security researcher Bob Diachenko found the server after the operation. The spammer had…

Inside the iPad Mini 5

iFixit‘s teardowns are always worth a read, and its look at the iPad Mini 5 is no different. It showed that the device’s battery flex connector is now adhered to the cover bracket. This means it automatically disconnects when the bracket is removed. This should help prevent damaging the backlighting when fixing the new iPad Mini. Amongst other things, the teardown also revealed an upgraded front-facing camera module and updated battery connectors.

A single Phillips driver takes care of all the screws. Many components are modular and can be replaced independently, but the Lightning port is soldered to the logic board. Battery replacement is possible, but still unnecessarily difficult. Gobs of adhesive hold many parts and cables in place, complicating all repairs. Removing the home button is tough, and will be required for display replacement if you want to keep Touch ID functionality.