Mac Observer

Digital Trends writes: “While it’s been clear for quite some time that modern A.I. is getting pretty darn good at generating accurate human faces, it’s a reminder of just how far we’ve come…”  The face shown here is just one of many created by an…

Apple agreed to acquire voice app startup PullString, in what could prove to be a big boost for the future of Siri.

The internet is all over the map trying to figure out whether Apple’s service and hardware strategies for 2019 are going to work well together.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced the company is considering adding a feature that would let you explain tweets by adding new or additional context (via Mashable). [Touch Twitter’s Sparkle and Something Wonderful Will Happen] Clarification This sounds like…

Last year Apple Music got its very own classical music section, but it seems as if it has languished ever since.…

The FTC is in negotiations with Facebook to settle its investigation into the social media giant, with a record-breaking fine likely.

John Martellaro and Andrew Orr join Kelly Guimont to discuss webcams and security measures, as well as AI that freaks out even Elon Musk.

Advertisements on Facebook promoted by anti-vaxxer organizations have been specifically targeting pregnant women.

Louise Matakis put together a guide on how to manage your online personal data, and figuring out who buys, sells, and barters it.…

Children under 14-years-old should not have access to a smartphone, an adviser to the German government has recommended.

Sir Tim Berners Lee, the inventor or the World Wide Web, has a new, a project. Called Inrupt, it wants to develop a new web structure to put people back in control of their data. Data would be stored on an individual’s “pod” instead of a company’s…

We have a deal on a 7-in-1 MacBook Pro USB-C hub. This device has one Thunderbolt 3 Type-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and SDXC, micro SDXC, and TF card ports. You can get it through our deal for $34.99.

Spotify spent close to $340 million on its recent purchases of Gimlet and Anchor, making a good return for investors.

Apple is being sued because a faulty iPad battery caused a New Jersey apartment fire in 2017, killing the occupant. 

OpenAI, an AI research institute cofounded by Elon Musk and Sam Altman, built an AI text generator that its creators worry is dangerous.…

Insurance company Allstate’s purchase of repair firm iCracked Tuesday confirmed its position as a key player in the right to repair movement. Malcolm Owen on AppleInsider commented that the deal could help Allstate speed up device repairs claims process. In…

As part of Apple’s commitment to supplier responsibility the company has released its 2018 conflict minerals report.

This week, Amazon scrapped plans for a New York headquarters. However, it is not just in Queens where local residents don’t want a tech giant setting up a campus. As Rick Noak pointed out in the Washington Post, there is growing opposition from people in…

I think it’s great if you can do business with companies that align with your personal values. This can go both ways. I like Apple’s stance on environmentalism and privacy. Other people boycott Starbucks because its cups don’t mention the word Christmas,…

In this week’s episode (#318 for those keeping track) Dr. Mac explains why he loves Apple User Groups and why you’re missing out if you’re not part of one. 

There is a certain practice, born, perhaps, of obsolete data and just plain paranoia. People place a sticky note over their Mac’s webcam when not in use. Is this a valid, efficacious practice? There are even commercial products that have a nicer look to…

Does Apple have the infrastructure it needs for a cohesive future? Once that seemed clear, but Bryan Chaffin and guest-host John Martellaro say it’s become harder to see, if so. They then pivot to how augmented reality will figure into Apple’s future plans…

We have a deal on the ProBASE X Laptop/Monitor/iMac stand. This jet black stand features a storage drawer on the left and a 6-port hub on the right. It connects to your computer via USB 3.0, and for output, it has two USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, a…

You can buy the 32GB model as it appears the 128GB model is sold out.

Lee Clow, the man behind 3 decades worth of iconic Apple adverts, including “1984”, has announced his retirement.

Kelly Guimont has Andrew Orr and John Martellaro on to discuss updates to the DuckDuckGo iOS app, and the current(c) state of NFC payments.

Remember that story about the iPhone hacking tool called Karma? Lawfare published a good piece detailing the consequences of U.S. spies working for a foreign intelligence agency.…

The decision sounds a bit confusing at first, but makes sense once you learn about the number of Chinese tourists in the U.S.

Software pirates are using enterprise developer certificates to put hacked versions of popular apps on iPhones. An investigation by Reuters found illegitimate versions of apps such as Spotify, Angry Birds, Pokemon Go, and Minecraft have been distributed away…

Amazon announced Thursday it has canceled its plans to build a corporate campus in New York City. The proposal had faced opposition from some unions and lawmakers, such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Times reported. In particular,…