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The Annual-List Edition Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Zoom, Disney+ Named Apple's 'App Store Best Of 2020', by AppleInsider

Apple on Tuesday announced its annual list of App Store winners, highlighting 15 apps that reflected user trends in a year shaped by a global pandemic and political unrest.

Apple Recognizes Best Books, Audiobooks, And Podcasts Of 2020, by Alex Guyot, MacStories

Today Apple updated its Books and Podcasts apps with recognition of the most popular, and Apple’s selection of the best books, audiobooks, and podcasts of the year. There are ten different groups of selections, some just being the most popular items based on Apple’s metrics, and others being Apple’s own subjective favorites.

MagSafe Duo Charger For iPhone 12 And Apple Watch Now Available For Purchase, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

Apple today began selling the MagSafe Duo Charger that was announced alongside the new iPhone 12 models back in October. Priced at $129, the ‌MagSafe‌ Duo offers a ‌MagSafe‌ charging puck for the ‌iPhone 12‌, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, and 12 mini, along with an Apple Watch charger.

On Security

iPhone Zero-click Wi-Fi Exploit Is One Of The Most Breathtaking Hacks Ever, by Dan Goodin, Ars Technica

Earlier this year, Apple patched one of the most breathtaking iPhone vulnerabilities ever: a memory corruption bug in the iOS kernel that gave attackers remote access to the entire device—over Wi-Fi, with no user interaction required at all. Oh, and exploits were wormable—meaning radio-proximity exploits could spread from one near-by device to another, once again, with no user interaction needed.

This Wi-Fi packet of death exploit was devised by Ian Beer, a researcher at Project Zero, Google’s vulnerability research arm. In a 30,000-word post published on Tuesday afternoon, Beer described the vulnerability and the proof-of-concept exploit he spent six months developing single handedly. Almost immediately, fellow security researchers took notice.

Stuff

HomePass For HomeKit Now Available On Mac App Store As A Universal App, by Filipe Espósito, 9to5Mac

HomePass was introduced in 2018 as an easy way to store and manage all HomeKit accessories setup codes, and since then, the app has been updated with more useful features. For those who like to use the app on iOS, HomePass for HomeKit is now available for macOS on the Mac App Store.

Zens Launches Modular Wireless Charging System For iPhone, AirPods, And Apple Watch, by Mitchel Broussard, MacRumors

Zens today announced a new modular charging station for iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch, and more. There are five separate pieces that you can buy individually, and attach together via magnets to build your preferred charging station.

Sony Debuts New ‘Visual Story’ iOS App With Cloud Storage And More For Pro Photographers, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

Along with cloud storage, the app features automatic transfer from Sony cameras, gallery creation, and easy web delivery to photographers’ clients.

Notes

Apple Watch StrapGate Is Not Over. You Still Need To Return Your Entire Watch In Some Cases, by John Koetsier, Forbes

In response to further questions, it became apparent that the PR rep was referring to the Solo Loop policy and actually for my band I needed to go to an Apple Store in person, or fall back to the default send-the-watch-in policy. That’s not a great option for a lot of people, myself included.

Apple Adds First iMac Models With Retina 5K Display To Vintage Products List, by Joe Rossignol, MacRumors

In the past, vintage Apple products were no longer eligible for repairs at the Genius Bar or at Apple Authorized Service Providers, but Apple began offering extended repairs of select vintage products in 2018. Many of the iMac models listed below will likely remain eligible for service for the foreseeable future, subject to parts availability.

Apple Sued In Europe Over Software Update That Slowed Old iPhones, by Patrick McGee, Financial Times

The legal actions mirror a class action in the US that led to a proposed settlement there worth up to $500m, following allegations that Apple engineered the software updates to induce users to buy newer models. Apple agreed to the US settlement in March, admitting no wrongdoing but saying it wanted to avoid protracted litigation.

Bottom of the Page

Before these strange times, I mostly listened to my audiobooks during my daily rlong-ish commute. So when I started working from home, and my daily commute reduced to about half-a-minute each way, I thought I will be listening to much less audiobooks.

As I've discovered, I still listened to quite a few audiobooks. Listening to audiobooks in the morning while I get ready, as well as some bedtime listening before sleep are now my routines. I guess I really do like audiobooks now, and is not just something to fill my commute time.

Here are some audiobooks that I greatly enjoyed in the past year.

Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke, read by Chiwetel Ejiofor
Writers & Lovers, by Lily King, read by Stacey Glemboski
My Year of Rest and Relaxation, by Ottessa Moshfegh, read by Julia Whelan
The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebek, read by Ken Jennings and Alex Trebek
The Shapeless Unease: A Year of Not Sleeping, by Samantha Harvey, read by Samantha Harvey.

And, one more that I haven't finished yet:

A Promised Land, by Barack Obama, read by Barack Obama.

~

Thanks for reading.