Apple on Friday launched both an app (iOS and iPadOS) called Apple COVID-19 and a website screening tool for COVID-19, the disease that can develop from exposure to Coronavirus.
[UPDATED] How to Customize Control Center on Your iPad
You can transform Control Center on your iPad from being something quite dull into something exceptionally useful.
There’s a Cyber Defense Force Fighting Coronavirus Hackers
An international group of roughly 400 cybersecurity experts are fighting hacking related to the coronavirus.
One of four initial managers of the effort, Marc Rogers, said the top priority would be working to combat hacks against medical facilities and other frontline responders to the pandemic. It is already working on hacks of health organizations.
Also key is the defense of communication networks and services that have become essential as more people work from home, said Rogers, head of security at the long-running hacking conference Def Con and a vice president at security company Okta Inc.
At least there’s some good news.
Nintendo Fixes 'Animal Crossing' Infinite Items Glitch
A lot of people have been getting into the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game since it launched last week. But there was a glitch that allowed players to get infinite items, something many were happily taking advantage of. However, Kotaku reports that the game’s makers managed to fix it with the first update… sorry if you’ve been enjoying the freebies!
If you weren’t aware, the item involved two players. While one of them rotated an item, the other would pick it up at the same moment, suggesting to the game that two different versions of that item existed – one which had been rotated, and the other which had been placed in the other player’s pocket. This would generate an awful lot of items in a short space of time, which could then be sold back to Timmy and then used to pay off your Nook Loans.
Apple Extends App Store Deadlines Like Sign In with Apple
Apple published an announcement for developers saying deadlines for certain App Store requirements have been extended to June 30, 2020.
A Bug Existing Since iOS 13.3.1 Interferes With VPNs Encrypting Traffic
There’s a bug that’s been in iOS since version 13.3.1 that prevents VPNs from encrypting network traffic and could leak some of your data.
How to Block Unwanted Text Messages on Your Mac (and iPhone/iPad)
These days, its even more likely that we’ll be getting more text messages, and many of those may be unwanted. Here’s how to block a message sender on a Mac.
Why is Zoom Sending Our Data to Facebook?
As people are required to work from home, apps like Zoom help us with video conferencing. But why is the iOS app sending our data to Facebook?
Upon downloading and opening the app, Zoom connects to Facebook’s Graph API, according to Motherboard’s analysis of the app’s network activity. The Graph API is the main way developers get data in or out of Facebook. The Zoom app notifies Facebook when the user opens the app, details on the user’s device such as the model, the time zone and city they are connecting from, which phone carrier they are using, and a unique advertiser identifier created by the user’s device which companies can use to target a user with advertisements.
I’ll add this to my #DeleteFBSDK endeavors.
Apple Music Shows New Music From Artists in Your Library
Apple is rolling a feature that will tell you when new music is released from an artist in your library, making it easier to stay on top of the latest hits.
Review: The GorillaPod Mobile Vlogging Kit is Great for Content Creators
Well known for its GorillaPod, JOBY recently introduced the GorillaPod Mobile Vlogging Kit. It has a tripod, microphone, and LED light.
Luminar 4 is the Best Luminar Yet
Bob “Dr. Mac” says that Luminar 4 has all of those things he loved so much in previous releases, but that adds several “stunning” new features.
Automate Tedious Text Document Cleanup with TextSoap for Mac: $19.99
We have a deal on TextSoap for Mac, software that removes unwanted text, fix-up carriage returns, tabs, and any other text-based formatting you might come across. It features more than 100 built-in cleaners, and lets users design custom solutions for their own text-cleanup challenges. TextSoap for Mac is $19.99 through our deal.
Google Podcasts Arrives on iOS
Google Podcasts is now available on iOS and it has also had a design refresh, which is currently rolling out to Android users.
The New iPad Pro Still Bends
We’re starting to get the first wave of reviews for the new iPad Pro. Given it is meant to be a device you can take anywhere, people want to know about durability. Well, according to YouTuber EverythingApplePro, it still bends. And cracks. In lots of different places. I personally don’t think these kinds of tests, that basically have the intention of breaking a device in not very realistic circumstances, give a totally fair picture. They prove you need a case, obviously, and show some weak spots, but I’m not sure much beyond that. It is though interesting to see some of the new parts within the iPad Pro.
More Online Resources, Privacy PSA – TMO Daily Observations 2020-03-26
Andrew Orr joins host Kelly Guimont to discuss the latest resources available for online work and fun, and include a PSA about a fitness app.
Apple TV+ Trails As Streaming Services Get New Subscriber Boost
Disney+, HBO Now, and Showtime had huge spikes in new subscribers last week, but it was just a 10% improvement for Apple TV+.
Tracking COVID-19 Symptoms Across The UK
A new app is seeking to track the spread of COVID-19 symptoms across the UK, in order to highlight those most at risk and monitor how the disease is spreading, has been released. It was built by the developer Zoe Global in partnership with various UK medical research institutions, including the NHS National Institute for Health Research. It asks users to update their symptoms once a day, whether they feel well or not. Doings only takes a minute or two. The app is available through the iOS App Store.
T-Mobile Now Supports Apple Pay for Paying Bills
T-Mobile added Apple Pay as an option for customers to pay their bills with, available on its website and in the app.
Kernel Extensions Won’t Work in macOS 10.16
If you updated to macOS Catalina 10.15.4 recently, you may have seen a warning message about kernel extensions. They’re going away.
Dell Mobile Connect App Now Lets You Mirror Your iPhone on Windows
Dell updated its Dell Mobile Connect app to enable users to mirror their iPhone on their Windows PC. This means your iPhone’s screen is displayed on the PC, where you can see notifications, drag and drop files, and otherwise control the phone using your PC. Requirements: A Dell laptop from 2018 or later from the Alienware, G Series, Inspiron, Vostro, or XPS line of models.
