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The Tenderness-and-Intimacy Edition Wednesday, July 19, 2023

I Love You, Let’s Stalk Each Other, by Jessica Roy, New York Times

Location sharing has long been the domain of parents with wayward teens or obsessive partners, but more and more, apps like Find My Friends are being used by young people who want to know where their friends are and what they’re up to, without actually having to ask them.

[...]

In 2019, [Apple] integrated its location-tracking capabilities into a single app, called Find My, which lets users see the location of their friends and Apple devices. Since then, Find My Friends has become a digital calling card of sorts, a way to express tenderness and intimacy between close friends and draw a distinction between them and the rest of their online acquaintances.

Apple Shares New 'The Underdogs' Video Focusing On Apple Security Features At Work, by Tim Hardwick, MacRumors

The eight-minute video follows the team’s attempt to retrieve the stolen Mac in time for the crucial presentation before the bumbling thieves can pawn it off.

The film showcases several Apple security features that aid the team and thwart the thieves, including Notify When Left Behind, Find My location tracking, Touch ID and Face ID, passwords and passkeys, Secure Enclave, end-to-end encryption, MDM Remote Lock and Remote Wipe, remote Erase This Device, and more.

On App Stores

Apple And Google Face Block On Taking Cut From In-app Purchases In Australia, by Josh Taylor, The Guardian

Apple and Google could soon face new rules that allow app developers to charge for in-app purchases without paying a cut to the app store, the head of Australia’s competition watchdog has said.

“If our country doesn’t take the step to empower this so that this obligation is there, it won’t be offered,” the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said.

Stuff

Sales Tax Holiday: Apple Details Available For First Six States, by Ben Lovejoy, 9to5Mac

Sales tax holidays are a great time to buy Apple products in some US states, providing worthwhile savings. Apple has now posted details for the first six states, and we’re expecting either three or four more to follow.

The Makers Of Halide Just Made Their Long Exposure Camera App Free For Everyone, by Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

The fine folks behind the great Halide camera app have given their long exposure-focused app, Spectre, a big new feature: It’s now free for everyone. There are also longer shooting modes and a new Halide-matching icon to unlock.

Leviton Brings Matter To Decora Dimmer, Switch, And Smart Plugs With Update, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

Leviton is out with a free firmware update that brings Matter to four of its smart home devices which will be welcome for both existing and new users. Included are the Decora Smart Switch, Dimmer, Mini Plug-In Dimmer, and Mini Plug-In Switch.

Mophie's 3-in-1 Travel Charger With MagSafe Temporarily Pulled From Apple Store Amid Widespread Charging Issues, by Mitchel Broussard, MacRumors

Beginning in late June, users in Apple’s discussions community began pointing out an issue where an iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods placed on the charger would fail to get a consistent charge. The devices would constantly ping as they disconnected and reconnected to the charging source.

Notes

Spain Antitrust Watchdog Fines Amazon, Apple $218 Million, by Inti Landauro, Reuters

The two contracts the companies signed on Oct. 31, 2018 granting Amazon the status of authorized Apple dealer included anti-competitive clauses that affected the online market for electronic devices in Spain, CNMC, as the watchdog is known, said in a statement.

[...]

Spokespeople from Apple and Amazon separately said their respective companies intend to appeal the fines.

Bottom of the Page

Okay, I am not that comfortable to find an Apple advertisement that encourages its customers to chase after thieves after your devices have been stolen. At least, all the chasing and encounters are taking place in mostly-public places. But, still.

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Thanks for reading.