“I wonder if I live in a place that’ll survive a nuclear bomb” is something we used to ask in the 1960s and 70s, and it seems to have come back into vogue. Back then, we had to do things like go to the library and do research. But now, we can sit in the comfort of our potentially safe homes and check the Would I Survive a Nuke website. Spoiler: I probably won’t in Boulder, but you might be more lucky. The site is getting hit pretty hard, so you may have to try a few times. Seems a lot of people are really interested in knowing their potential fate.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Brick Update Starts Rolling Out
The last few Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners won’t be able to use their fire-phones much longer because carriers are starting to push out an update that bricks the devices. T-Mobile is already remotely updating Note 7 phones, AT&T and Sprint are planning to start in the next few days, and even Verizon has reversed course and is going to push out the update, too.
5.8-inch iPhones, Apple's Original Crew - TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-29
We’re seeing more reports about a new iPhone screen size for 2017, so Bryan Chaffin and Mac Geek Gab’s John F. Braun join Jeff Gamet weigh in on what may be coming next year. They also look back on Apple’s first ten employees, and note the update of death for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone-of-fire.
Samsung Reportedly Supplying Apple with 5.8-inch Displays for Next iPhone
Samsung is making 5.8-inch AMOLED displays for next year’s iPhone, according to supply chain sources. If true, that makes rumors of a larger screen iPhone in 2017 more likely—and that next year Apple plans to add yet another screen size to its smartphone lineup.
iOS 10: How to Prioritize Downloads
If you’ve ever been stuck waiting for an important app to download when you’re doing a bunch at once, then you need to know about iOS 10’s “Prioritize Download” feature. It’ll let you tell your iPhone or iPad to push the one you need to the front of the line, pronto!
Disk Drill PRO 3 for Mac: $34.99
We have a deal for you today on Disk Drill PRO 3, a data recovery utility for the Mac. According to the company, you can “scan and recover data from virtually any storage device with just the click of a button.” Our deal is for a lifetime license for $34.99. You can find more information about the software on the deal listing.
Police Turn to Amazon Echo in Homicide Showing How Smarthome Devices Can Spy on Us
Police in Bentonville, Arkansas, obtained a search warrant for the audio captured by an Amazon Echo as part of a homicide investigation, raising concerns over just how much smarthome devices know about us. In the case of the Echo, Amazon says little is being recorded and stored, but that’s not much of a consolation for IoT device owners who’re worried their tech might be used against them by the government.
Bryan Gets Paranoid About the IoT - ACM 391
Bryan is totally paranoid about the Internet of Things, and he isn’t at all happy about the idea of having an Amazon Echo or Google Home listening in on everything in his house. Jeff laughs at him. Once the guffaws die down, they talk about how and why Apple is getting crushed by these good enough devices.
AirPod Alerts for Your Local Apple Store
When AirPods went on sale for preorder on December 13, Apple quickly became backordered. Customers found that delivery estimate for their order were up to 4-6 weeks out. Apple Stores have been receiving shipments of AirPods every day or so. Other stores like BestBuy and Target are also getting regular shipments. If you haven’t ordered AirPods yet, and don’t want to have to check with each store, you can use this handy website to get AirPod Alerts. You enter your email address and the physical address of your local Apple Store. Then, you’ll be notified whenever your store gets a new shipment of AirPods.
Amazon Echo, Police, and Privacy - TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-28
With police getting search warrants for Amazon Echo recordings questions about personal privacy are on the rise. Dave Hamilton and Kelly Guimont join Jeff Gamet to look at what Amazon’s Echo hears and records, what our other smarthome devices may be logging, and what that means for our privacy and police investigations.