Numi Power Mat Wireless Charging Mouse Pad: $32.99

We have a deal on the Numi Power Mat, a mouse pad with a built-in Qi wireless charger for your iPhone or Android device. The idea is to reduce desk clutter by combining these two surface-occupying devices. The surface is made from a smooth polyester designed to work with all mice. The Numi Power Mat is $32.99 through our deal.

Colorado Signs up to Apple COVID-19 Exposure Notifications Express

The state of Colorado has adopted the recently announced COVID-19 Exposure Notifications Express system recently announced by Apple and Google. The system is currently available on iOS 13.7 and will be released on Android in the near future.

Following the recent updated release of an Exposure Notifications Express system from Apple and Google, Colorado has announced that it will be adopting the technology. The state’s Governor says it will be available ahead of a September 27 Denver Broncos game. It’s part of what Governor Jared Polis called+ a return to “quote-unquote normalcy,” assuming that Coloradans use the technology and keep up social distancing. “”These are really the ways we can get back to enjoying the things we love,” he said.

Adobe Spark Adds Animations for Web Tools, New Asset Management

Adobe Spark introduced a couple of new updates. First, Animations is coming to Spark web tools, previously only available in the iOS and Android apps. It also gains new asset management features to its integration with Creative Cloud Libraries.

The trick to capturing attention on social media (and keeping it) is to add sensory, evocative triggers to your content, in the first two seconds that your viewer scrolls past your post. Second best to being able to scratch and sniff pixels, motion is one of those triggers that has the power to capture attention and make your audience feel something. When you evoke emotion in your audience, you’re that much closer to getting them to pay attention, swipe up, buy, or take some other desired action.

TMO Contributor Kelly Guimont (#13) - BGM Interview

Kelly Guimont is a long-time podcaster, Contributing Editor for The Mac Observer, the host of the Mac Observer’s Daily Observations podcast, and a tech support guru.

In her 13th appearance, Kelly and I chat about our favorite movies and TV shows of late. I open segment #1 with a rave review of the series Warrior Nun (Netflix). Kelly has seen all 10 episodes too, and also gives it a thumbs up. John then reviews the documentary series Still Standing. (Amazon). Kelly tells us, with enthusiasm, about Bill and Ted Face the Music (iTunes) and Lovecraft Country (HBO). In turn, John delves into a critical review of Upload (Netflix). And there’s bonus material. Join us as we explore together what’s great (and not so great) about these shows.

‘Data Jar’ is the Perfect App for Shortcut Dictionaries

Data Jar is a great app I discovered a while back and weirdly haven’t written about yet. This app helped me unlock my automations that require dictionaries. Data Jar lets you store key-value pairs and let them persist outside of Shortcuts. While I was trying to build a dictionary into my Shortcuts, I found that they couldn’t be updated using native actions; the data had to be stored elsewhere. The app lets you store text, numbers, Booleans, lists, dictionaries, and files. It’s free with an optional tip jar to support the developer Simon B. Støvring.

Data Fail Made UK banks And Councils Vulnerable to a Simple Google Search

Private details contained in over 50,000 letters sent out by UK banks and local authorities were indexed by Google when they should not have been. The error was the result of a London-based outsourcing firm leaving its system exposed, Wired reported.

Thousands of names and addresses – and the types of letters they were sent – were left exposed, affecting people in the UK, US and Canada. Virtual Mail Room, the firm responsible for the data breach, worked for clients including Metro Bank, 14 local councils, the publisher Pearson and insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor. The specific content of the letters sent to individuals were not visible. The privacy breach raises doubts about the due diligence carried out by companies and local authorities using outsourced mailing services to handle sensitive customer data. It also comes at a particularly painful time, with many of the names and addresses contained in the breach belonging to people who have been hit hard financially by the pandemic. Such missteps could fall foul of GDPR, with data controllers and processors potentially facing fines totalling tens of millions of pounds.

Chargeworx Motion-Activated Wireless Charging Car Mount: $39.99

We have a deal on the Chargeworx Motion-Activated Wireless Charging Car Mount. This car mount attaches to your air vent, dashboard, or windshield, and has a built-in Qi wirelesss charger. It also comes with a built-in infrared motion sensor so you can attach or remove your phone with one hand. This car mount is $39.99 through our deal.

Uber Pledges to be Zero-Emission's Platform by 2040

Uber has pledged to become a zero-emissions platform by 2040. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi made the announcement in a blog post on Tuesday.

Instead of going back to business as usual, Uber is taking this moment as an opportunity to reduce our environmental impact. It’s our responsibility as the largest mobility platform in the world to more aggressively tackle the challenge of climate change. We want to do our part to build back better and drive a green recovery in our cities. While we’ve taken some important steps in recent years, from expanding micromobility options to offering public transit in the Uber app, we know we’ve got a long way to go. That’s why we’re working with the World Resources Institute, Transport & Environment (T&E), and others to become a stronger partner in the fight against climate change by leveraging our innovation, technology, and talent to expedite the global transition to clean energy. Uber is committing to become a fully zero-emission platform by 2040, with 100% of rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or with micromobility.

Reboot Your iPhone Weekly as a Security Measure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has a tip for iPhone owners: Reboot it at least once a week as a security measure.

Not only does this clean the systems RAM and get it ready to do more work, it also helps protect against remote exploits by making it harder for hackers to keep control of your iPhone — hacks don’t survive reboots.

A good, practical, and easy tip for Apple users.