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.
Tim Cook: Apple Able to Source Ten-Million Masks to Help in Fight Against Coronavirus
Tim Cook announced that Apple has been able to source 10 million masks for medical staff in the U.S., and “millions” for those in Europe.
Trailer For Apple TV+ Mini-Series 'Defending Jacob' Drops
Apple released the official trailer for its forthcoming mini-series Defending Jacob on Wednesday. It is based on the bestselling novel that tells the story of a boy accused of murdering his classmate. The show starts Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones, Pablo Schreiber, Sakina Jaffrey, Betty Gabriel, and J.K. Simmon. It will go live on Apple TV+ on April 24.
HouseParty: Stay at Home, See Your Friends
We are all looking for ways to stay in touch with friends and family as the coronavirus pandemic continues. One great app I’ve found for this is HouseParty. It allows you to easily have conversations – either one-to-one or a group. Once you’re in a conversation you can also play games with people – things like heads-up and trivia quizzes. You can ‘say hi’ to people to let them know you are there and even jump into conversations with people (if they haven’t locked the chat)! It all makes you feel close to your friends even when you have to be apart. HouseParty a free app, available in the iOS App Store.
Zoom Video Meeting Tips – TMO Daily Observations 2020-03-25
Just in time for social distancing, Bryan Chaffin is joined by Charlotte Henry to go over her tips for using Zoom for video meetings.
The FBI is Collecting Your Data Through its ‘FitTest’ App
The FBI has been promoting its fitness app called FitTest to help people exercise at home. It’s also collecting your data.
…an FBI spokesperson reiterated the app’s privacy statement, adding that “the app does not gather or save any personal information other than what you select for your profile.”
But the app’s privacy statement makes room for some tracking: When FitTest accesses pages from the official FBI website, it says, “fbi.gov’s privacy policy applies.” The fbi.gov privacy policy states that “individuals using this computer system are subject to having all of their activities monitored and recorded.”
I can’t wait for the FBIPhone and FBIMessage apps.
Watch Season One of 'Picard' For Free
Lots of shows have had to suspend shooting due to the coronavirus outbreak. If you need something new to watch in the meantime, you can watch Picard for free. Entertainment Week reported that there is a 30-day free trial for CBS All Access, with a coupon code making all episodes of the Star Trek spin-off available.
You’ll still have to sign up for the CBS streaming service to watch the show, but now there’s a coupon code that unlocks Picard: “GIFT.” The will unlock a one month free trial which includes all shows on the service (so if you want to check out Star Trek: Discovery or old episodes of Next Generation, you can do that too).
KeepSolid VPN Unlimited Adds DNS Firewall for Customers
KeepSolid’s VPN Unlimited added a new feature for its customers. This DNS firewall can block domains associated with malware, porn, drugs and alcohol, gambling, games, and more.
This benefit of KeepSolid DNS Firewall is closely connected with the previous one. If you don’t open a malicious website, you won’t get infected with malware. Better prevent than cure, agree? And there is really much to avoid, as malware attacks are exponentially increasing over time.
Great news for KeepSolid customers. And if you’re not a customer, I recommend reading my roundup of DNS services to use.
Zoom: How to Setup an Account, Join and Host Video Meetings
Charlotte guides you through how to set up a Zoom account, join a meeting on the platform, and host one yourself.
Use Text Expansion to Save Time While You Type
Text expansion is kind of an overlooked feature of iOS and macOS but it can save you a lot of time if you type repetitive things a lot.
Safari Now Blocks All Third-Party Cookies by Default
In an update on the WebKit blog, we learned that Apple now blocks third-party cookies by default in Safari.
Internet Archive Releases National Emergency Library With 1.4 Million Books
As of March 24 the Internet Archive suspended wait lists for its collection of books by creating a National Emergency Library.
This suspension will run through June 30, 2020, or the end of the US national emergency, whichever is later.
During the waitlist suspension, users will be able to borrow books from the National Emergency Library without joining a waitlist, ensuring that students will have access to assigned readings and library materials that the Internet Archive has digitized for the remainder of the US academic calendar, and that people who cannot physically access their local libraries because of closure or self-quarantine can continue to read and thrive during this time of crisis, keeping themselves and others safe.
Jamf Offers Same-Day Support For Apple Operating System Upgrades
Across its range of products, Jamf supports new features rolled out in the latest Apple operating system updates.
A Tale of Two GarageBands
Find out why Dr. Mac says GarageBand on an iDevice is so different from GarageBand on a Mac that it should have been called something else like, “GarageBand Touch” or “GarageBand Mobile.”
The Social Distancing Lifetime Subscription Bundle Featuring Rosetta Stone: $199
Our friends at Stack Commerce have put together a timely deal called the Social Distancing Lifetime Subscription Bundle. It features lifetime subscriptions to Rosetta Stone (24 languages), 12min (the micro book library), and KeepSolid VPN. Just the thing, or things, for being stuck at home. This bundle is $199 through our deal.
