MyAppleMenu - Tue, Oct 6, 2015

Tue, Oct 6, 2015The Collect-Manage-Analyze Edition

Europe’s Highest Court Strikes Down Safe Harbor Data Sharing Between EU, US, by Sebastian Anthony, Ars Technica

Europe's top court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), has struck down the 15-year-old Safe Harbour agreement that allowed the free flow of information between the US and EU. The most significant repercussion of this ruling is that American companies, such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter, may not be allowed to send user data from Europe back to the US.

It's important to note that the CJEU's ruling will not immediately prevent US companies from sending data back to the motherland. Rather, the courts in each EU member state can now rule that the Safe Harbour agreement is illegal in their country. It is is very unlikely, however, that a national court would countermand the CJEU's ruling in this case.

No Safe Harbor: How NSA Spying Undermined U.S. Tech And Europeans' Privacy, by Danny O'Brien, Eleectronic Frontier Foundation

The spread of knowledge about the NSA's surveillance programs has shaken the trust of customers in U.S. Internet companies like Facebook, Google, and Apple: especially non-U.S. customers who have discovered how weak the legal protections over their data is under U.S. law. It should come as no surprise, then, that the European Court of Justice (CJEU) has decided that United States companies can no longer be automatically trusted with the personal data of Europeans.

Porsche Opts For CarPlay Only With Latest Carrera Models, by MacNN

Porsche has opted to support only Apple's CarPlay infotainment technology in its latest 911 Carrera and Carrera S models, blocking Android Auto support chiefly because Google demands detailed information from the vehicle's onboard diagnostics unit that is then sent to Google, compared to Apple's need only for the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) to tell CarPlay if the car is in motion. The carmaker was reportedly unhappy with Google's need to collect intricate data on the car's performance for no apparent reason.

Apple Today, Tomorrow

Apple’s Official Statement On The YiSpecter iOS Malware, by Dave Mark, The Loop

“This issue only impacts users on older versions of iOS who have also downloaded malware from untrusted sources. We addressed this specific issue in iOS 8.4 and we have also blocked the identified apps that distribute this malware. We encourage customers to stay current with the latest version of iOS for the latest security updates. We also encourage them to only download from trusted sources like the App Store and pay attention to any warnings as they download apps.”

Apple Shares Six New Apple Watch Ads Showcasing Health Capabilities, Navigation, And More, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

All six of the ads have different focuses, but all of them center around what Apple Watch is useful for and in what instances it can be used effectively.

iOS 9 App Slicing Feature Once Again Available For Developers, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

Apple today updated developers on the status of app slicing, noting that it's once again available for use following the iOS 9.0.2 update and the recent Xcode 7.0.1 update.

Apple’s Healthkit Leaving Researchers ‘Delighted’, by James Rogers, Fox News

“We are delighted with the initial results we’ve seen after six months of using Apple’s ResearchKit framework for our Asthma Health app,” said Eric Schadt, professor of genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine, in a press release. “We recruited and enrolled over 8,600 research participants in our study, remotely via the Asthma Health app without direct, in-person, contact.”

[...]

The app broke the geographic barrier that typically limits traditional research to the local area of a university or medical centre, according to a spokesman for the Icahn School of Medicine. “For our study, 87 per cent of participants live outside of NY and NJ,” he told FoxNews.com, in an email.

Young App Developer Has Caught The Eye Of Apple, by David Pierini, Cult of Mac

Few things could excuse a kid from skipping his middle school graduation. Connor Chung had a note from Apple.

It explained he would be needed in San Francisco for the WWDC. Once there, he would meet important people like Tim Cook, take part in brainstorming sessions with developers and engineers and lay the groundwork for an Apple Watch app that would be among the first in iTunes on the day OS 2 launched.

Faster Actions Or Less Distractions

Hiding The Menubar, by Ben Brooks

Hiding the menubar makes looking at the menubar a conscious decision and therefore I can add the clock back in. I have to not only look at the menubar, but move my mouse to the menubar to see anything. And that is great for productivity, because it is more challenging than just glancing.

My focus has gone through the roof. I do lose track of time really easily now, but I’d rather lose track of time, and rely on reminders, than be distracted by all the little things I could add to the menubar.

On the other hand, I suspect selecting menu items will be slower. If the menu bar is visible, you have a general impression on how to move the mouse cursor. If the menu bar is not visible, you are basically aiming for a menu item blindly.

Stuff

The Beats Solo2 Headphones Don’t Deserve Their Bad Rap, by Josh Centers, TidBITS

You can probably find “better” headphones for the same price or less, but that depends on your definition of “better.” The Beats Solo2s are ideal for a college student: someone often on the go, who needs excellent sound isolation, and who prefers the newer, compressed music that the Beats sound is designed around.

Dragon 5.0.1 Review: Speech Recognition For The Mac Gets Improved Accuracy, Better Interface, by Kirk McElhearn, Macworld

This new version offers not only improved accuracy but a much better interface that doesn’t get in the way. If you’re used to dictating, you’ll definitely want to update to Dragon 5. If you’ve never used this software before, this is a great time to check it out. The fact that you can get excellent results without buying a specific microphone makes it more affordable, and easier to use.

iClipboard Is A Must Have Accessory For OS X El Capitan, by Dennis Sellers, Apple World Today

iClipboard automatically keeps a history of everything a user copies to the system clipboard in any application. It then provides five different ways to paste clippings from the history. iClipboard also features an interface that shows previews of each clipping.

Siri Can Now Control Your Philips Hue Lights, by Tim Moynihan, Wired

The Hue app is still only designed to operate Philips’s bulbs, but Yianni says the new HomeKit integration will help the lighting system interact with other HomeKit-compatible wares. For instance, you could tie a certain thermostat temperature to a certain lighting scheme. Things like that will likely need to be done through Apple’s upcoming Home app, or a similar “hub” built to control several devices from several manufacturers at once.

Beddit Launches Apple Watch Sleep Tracking App As Smart Sleep Tracker Comes To Apple Stores, by Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

Sleep tracking accessory maker Beddit is out with a new watchOS 2 app for Apple Watch today. Because Beddit offers a dedicated sensor for tracking your sleep duration and quality each night, Apple Watch is able to charge overnight as needed and still present sleep data in the morning. Thanks to hardware access granted to native software, Beddit’s watchOS 2 app lets Apple Watch double as a sleep tracker during the day for measuring naps and creating silent alarms.

Never Forget To Download That Important App With Lookmark, by Brent Dirks, AppAdvice

As the name suggests, think of it as a bookmarking service for apps. For example, if you’re away from a Wi-Fi connection, you can only download apps smaller than 100MB. If you find one larger than that and want to save it for later, simply add it to Lookmark with the share extension.

Review: Chromecast Audio Brings New Life To Dated Speakers For Just $35, by Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

As it stands now, Chromecast Audio is an easy, cheap recommendation if you spend any time in the apps it already supports like Spotify, NPR One, and Pocketcast and want to modernize as standard speaker with a line-in, RCA, or optical input. The result is very similar to what Sonos offers through its all-in-one speakers, priced at $199 and above, only you don’t need to replace the speakers you already own.

YouTube For iOS Updated W/ Material Design Interface, In-App Video Editing Tools, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

Develop

Sorry, Unix Fans: OS X El Capitan Kills Root, by Paul Venezia, InfoWorld

Apple may be trying to protect and simplify life for its casual users, but it's doing so at the expense of high-end users and developers. Considering the vast numbers of Macs used for high-end video and audio production, photography, and software and hardware development of every stripe, it may be best not to upset that applecart.

Microsoft Serves Up Taco For Cross-Platform Mobile Dev, by Paul Krill, InfoWorld

Microsoft's tools provide command line utilities that make hybrid app development easier and faster, a Microsoft representative said. Mac OS X and Windows users can develop for Android, iOS, and Windows.

MediaTek Announces Two Software Development Kits For Apple HomeKit, by MacTech

The MT7688, for smart appliances runs on Linux and powers higher performance, more complex use cases, such as wireless speakers and webcams. The MT7687 is a low-power WiFi SoC, which enables any home appliance from garage doors, power switch to thermostats, and runs on the FreeRTOS operating system.

Notes

Adobe Backpedals On Commitment To Bring Metal To After Effects, by Joe Rossignol, MacRumors

"I am the person who makes the commitments for After Effects. The person who did the demonstration was a member of of our engineering team demonstrating the results of an experiment," said Kopriva. "I certainly agree that the engineer who spoke on the Apple stage sent a confusing message. At this point, the best that I can do---as the leader of the After Effects team---is to clarify the reality, which I have done above on this thread."

The New York Times Says It Has More Subscribers Than Ever, by Julia Greenberg, Wired

Times may have more subscribers than ever before, but, now more than ever, it needs them.

Report: Butt Dials Are Clogging The 9-1-1 System, by Mary Beth Quirk, Consumerist

While it’s good for personal safety that mobile phones can call 9-1-1 without being unlocked, it’s creating a headache for call centers.

Thinness

If Apple stops pushing to make ever thinner phones and tablets and computers, we will never get to paper-like computers that I can fold up and put in my pockets.

Thanks for reading.