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The Extensions-Library Edition Saturday, January 16, 2021

Safari 14 Added WebExtensions Support. So Where Are The Extensions?, by Jason Snell, Six Colors

Months after Safari 14’s release, are developers “bothering with Safari?”

The answer seems to be largely no—at least, not yet. The Mac App Store’s Safari extensions library seems to be largely populated with the same stuff that was there before Safari 14 was released, though there are some exceptions.

Apple Highlights Students Shooting Movies With iPhone In New Video, by Mike Peterson, AppleInsider

The behind the scenes video shows off four films being made using the unique aspects of iPhone, like its small size and vertical aspect ratio. From stop motion using homemade props to full Hollywood-level productions, the video highlights how students can achieve beautiful shots with just an iPhone.

Automating Homes

HomeKit For The Holidays (And Home Troubleshooting Tips), by Adam Engst, TidBITS

Throughout all of iOS 12 and iOS 13, I was never able to turn on personal requests in the Home app—I’d tap the appropriate link, but the next screen would just be blank. I tried various things to no avail, but it wasn’t enough of a problem that I was willing to spend significant time on the phone with Apple support. I just assumed there was something wonky with my iCloud account. With iOS 14, personal requests finally work, but I’ve run into other issues that I’ll discuss at the end.

How I Used Open Source To Extend Apple’s Home Automation To More Devices, by Simon Bisson, ZDNet

If you're worried about privacy and want voice-controlled IoT in your home, the combination of Siri, HomePod, HomeKit, and Homebridge is well worth investigating.

Stuff

Apple Again Extends Apple TV+ Free Trials, Subscribers Now Get Free Access Until July 2021, by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac

This means customers who took advantage of the ‘year free’ deal back when the service first launched will now be getting an additional 9 months of free access to Apple original shows and movies.

Apple Adds 'Privacy' Collection To iOS Tips App, by AppleInsider

The new Privacy collection consists of nine tips covering Sign in with Apple, Safari passwords, system-wide password security, camera and mic usage indicators, Messages previews, location, Photos, Private Browsing in Safari, and Safari's Privacy Report feature.

The Best Budgeting App For People Serious About Getting Out Of Debt, by Elizabeth Gravier, CNBC

The big perk with using the YNAB app is that it forces you to be thoughtful about your money and it makes you allocate funds toward saving and investing. For these reasons, the app is favorable for anyone trying to get out of debt.

Notes

Apple Fails To Overturn VirnetX Patent Verdict, Could Owe Over $1.1 Billion, by Jonathan Stempel, Reuters

A federal judge denied Apple Inc’s bid to set aside or reduce a $502.8 million patent infringement verdict favoring VirnetX Holding Corp, and awarded interest and royalties that could boost Apple’s total payout in two lawsuits above $1.1 billion.