If you haven’t installed Apple’s iOS 10.3.1 update yet, now would be a good time because it fixes a big security flaw in the Broadcom WiFi chips in your iPhone. The security flaw could let attackers who are in WiFi range inject and run code on your smartphone.
Don't Look for iPhone 8 Until October or November
Apple’s iPhone 8 may not ship until October or November instead of the September window we usually see. The reason for the later launch may be tied to production problems with the smartphone’s curved OLED display.
Kanye West Carries Streaming Music Across Another Milestone
Kanye West has carried the streaming music industry past another milestone. His most recent album, The Life of Pablo, was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). What’s new and different is that it did so through streams only. Pablo wasn’t made available as a digital download on iTunes or other online music stores. It was instead offered as a streaming product through first Tidal, and then Apple Music, Google Play, Spotify, and other services. Pitchfork reported that Pablo has been streamed a staggering 3 billion times, with 1.5 billion of those streams in the U.S. It’s the U.S. figures that earned it Platinum status, and that certification did not include the copies of Pablo sold direct by Kanye. Streaming music—including Apple Music—are clearly the near-term future of the music industry. Earning Platinum certification through streaming only is symbolic of that tidal shift. It’s also further validation for Apple’s investment in Apple Music.
iOS 10.3 May Have Reenabled Some iCloud Settings - Here's How to Check
iOS 10.3 may reset some iCloud settings for users. MacRumors reported that Apple sent out emails to some customers alerting them about the problem. Specifically, the update might “inadvertently reenable” some iCloud services that were disabled. Bryan Chaffin shows you how to check.
APFS in iOS Isn't Any Faster Than on the Mac
After analyzing the new file system under macOS, Jeff Butts and Dave Hamilton decided to test APFS in iOS. What they discovered is both surprising and disheartening. Read on to get the full details.
This Robot Will Toss Your Salad for $30,000
Have you ever prepared a salad and thought to yourself, “I wish a robot could do this!” Well you’re in luck, because a company called Chowbotics Inc. created a salad robot called Sally. The robot is more of a tosser than a chef, as a human must load the device with prepared ingredients. (A word of caution though: the robot apparently can’t handle avocado very well.) It’s main selling point is that the customer can specify their ingredients and even the calorie count of a salad. Plus, the jack-a-nape in front of you doesn’t get to graze on the salad bar with his grimy fingers. The salad robot costs US$30,000 right now and is aimed towards small businesses and grocery stores. Eventually Chowbotics hopes to shrink the technology down to a household-friendly size. Sally is really little more than a stepping stone towards our robot welfare state (as John Kheit says), but it’s interesting to see those steps laid out in front of us.
TMO Staff Share their Favorite VPN Services
Thanks to a new law green lighting ISPs selling our personal web browsing data, along with restrictions prohibiting the FCC from stopping the activity, there’s a lot of talk about VPNs, or Virtual Private Networks. With so many VPN services to choose from it’s hard to decide which is best for you, so I asked the TMO staff what they rely on.
Apple's Surprise Mac Pro Announcements - TMO Daily Observations 2017-04-04
Apple gave the Mac Pro a minor processor and GPU refresh after only three years, but also surprised us by talking about the plans for its pro-level desktop computer. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to share their thoughts and reactions to Apple’s out of character announcements.
Apple Second Quarter 2017 Earnings Report Set for May 2
Apple’s 2017 second fiscal quarter earnings report is scheduled for Tuesday, May 2nd. The iPhone and iPad maker will host its usual conference call with analysts after the market closes at about 5PM eastern time.
G-BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Boombox: $84.99
Check out the G-BOOM Wireless Bluetooth Boombox. As the name implies, it’s a bluetooth boombox. It has a battery life of up to 6 hours of playback time using two full-range speakers and one tweeter. It also has on-device controls, or you can control it from your smartphone app. It’s $84.99 through our deal.
