Mobile World Congress to Take Place in Barcelona in June

It was one of the first major events cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, but Mobile World Congress looks set to go ahead in Barcelona in 2021.  Indeed, 50,000 could attend, Bloomberg News reported.

The GSMA trade body said everyone present will have to show a negative Covid-19 result to access the Fira Gran Via venue and repeat the test every 72 hours. Rapid testing centers will be made available on site and organizers are considering using hotels for more. Additional measures being put in place for one of Europe’s most important business gatherings include a new contact tracing mobile app, real-time occupancy monitoring, improved air conditioning at the venue, and an increased number of on-site medical staff. “We believe that we can have around 45,000 to 50,000 attendees, as of today,” Stephanie Lynch-Habib, the GSMA’s chief marketing officer, said in an interview on Monday, adding that visitor interest is expected to be strong.

Ming-Chi Kuo: US$1000 AR headset expected in 2022, With Glasses and Contact Lenses to Follow

Users can expect an Apple AR headset next year, with glasses following in 2025 and contact lenses during the next decade. That’s according to a note by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by AppleInsider.

In outlining an expected roadmap for Apple’s AR efforts, Ming-Chi Kuo claims AR and MR will be the “next critical technology that defines the innovative human-machine interface of electronics products.” However, while virtual reality devices will be niche, MR and AR hardware is reckoned to become mainstream down the line. Apple is thought to deploy products in AR and MR in three phases, with the first being a “helmet type” in 2022. It will be followed by a “glasses type” product in 2025, then contact lens-based hardware between 2030 and 2040. This is a little push back of the expected schedule for Kuo, as a January note floated the idea of AR hardware releasing in 2021. However, earlier notes from TF securities proposed a 2022 launch.

Some Very Good Dogs Watching Snoopy on Apple TV+

Whether it is releasing groundbreaking products, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, or developing powerful content for Apple TV+ with the likes of Malala Yousafzai, Apple often does big picture, serious things. However, sometimes we all need some light relief. So please enjoy some very good dogs taking in the latest episodes of The Snoopy Show. You can share your own clips on social media using #DogsWatchingSnoopy​.

Cryptee Adds DOCX Support for File Editing

Hot on the heels of its big 3.0 update, the next announcement for Cryptee is support for DOCX uploading and editing. You can also export documents as DOCX, making Cryptee a viable cloud-based private alternative to Microsoft Word and Google Docs. However, there is an extra security bonus to Cryptee:

A little known fact about docx files is that, due to the fact that they support macros, and other ways to execute code in them, they are commonly used by malicious third parties to distribute and spread malware viruses. Cryptee does not run / execute macros while opening docx files, allowing you to open / edit / save DOCX files safely, without having to worry about your computer getting infected.

Vinyl, AirPods, and More! — Mac Geek Gab 860

Connecting two pieces of technology together should be easy, right? Not always! Listen as John and Dave scratch their collective heads over all your questions. Topics include, audio, SSDs, M1 Macs, bookmarks, and more. There’s time for a few Quick Tips and Cool Stuff Found, too! Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things along with your two favorite geeks!

Mac App Electrum Wallet With Backdoor Spotted in Wild

An Electrum wallet with a backdoor has been spotted in the wild by ConfiantIntel. They noticed that it’s another example of a piece of malware notarized by Apple. Link to tweet thread below.

These fake wallets were introduced during a Malvertising attack our security team discovered early this week, involving the hacking of a Major SSP. The hackers redirected the victims to https://electrum-4.github[.]io/ asking them to install an update of the electrum wallet.

In a separate tweet, it looks like one of Patrick Wardle’s tools can detect it.

Microsoft Adds M1 Support to Visual Studio Code

Microsoft announced on Friday support for M1 Macs for its Visual Studio Code software.

We are happy to announce our first release of stable Apple Silicon builds this iteration. Users on Macs with M1 chips can now use VS Code without emulation with Rosetta, and will notice better performance and longer battery life when running VS Code. Thanks to the community for self-hosting with the Insiders build and reporting issues early in the iteration.

Jamf Sees Boost From Strong Apple Enterprise Demand

Jamf, the Apple-focused device management firm, reported strong revenue for both Q4 2020 and the year as a whole. It follows increasing enterprise demand for Apple products. Furthermore, the company is now manager over 20 million devices, 9to5 Mac reported.

One of the key financial figures Jamf has been reporting is annual recurring revenue (ARR). Jamf’s Q4 recurring revenue grew 40% year-over-year to $70 million; its fiscal year recurring revenue rose 42% to $249.2 million. “We finished 2020 with high growth across every product, geography, and the top 10 industries we serve, demonstrating the strength and diversity of our platform,” said Dean Hager, CEO of Jamf. “As we look to 2021, we’ll continue to expand the breadth and depth of our Apple Enterprise Management platform to enhance our value to customers and accelerate further penetration of Apple in the enterprise.” Jamf had set a goal of managing 20 million Apple devices by the end of 2020 way back in 2015. The company ended the year with 20.4 million Apple devices on its platform with more than 47,000 customers.

Find Where You Can Buy Girl Scout Cookies With This App

It is, (I’m told by U.S. colleagues!) the time of year for Girl Scout Cookies. Obviously, fewer people are out and about to buy them in front of stores and the like this year. However, there is an official iPhone and iPad app to help you find where they are being sold available in the App Store, so you don’t have to miss out.