TidBITS

With so many online options for digital movie rental, which service offers the best deal or the longest time to watch a film? Glenn Fleishman sorts through the options to recommend four services for different situations.

Updates app icons and makes small improvements throughout the productivity suite. ($149.99 new for one-time purchase, $99.99/$69.99 annual subscription options, free update)

Maintenance update with improvements and bug fixes for the image editing app. ($39.99 new, free update, 170 MB)

Maintenance update to the personal finance app provides improvements to its online banking infrastructure and QIF file imports. ($49.99 new, free update, 122 MB)

Addresses an important security vulnerability that could allow attackers to run malicious code. (Free update, 72.2 MB)

Billions of email addresses and other bits of data have been revealed in security breaches this year alone. There’s nothing you can do about what’s already out there, but read on for advice on preventing future problems.

Do you want content from your iOS notes app to show up on your Apple Watch? You’re out of luck with Apple’s Notes, but Google Keep now has watchOS support. It won’t likely trigger defections from Notes, but iOS users invested in Google’s ecosystem will…

In a strange twist, the second-generation Apple Pencil’s charging mechanism can interfere with car key fobs. Luckily, it’s easy to avoid the problem.Read original article

After years of patent battles, Apple and Qualcomm have suddenly dropped all legal action and are now partnering up again, with Apple paying Qualcomm an unspecified licensing fee. Intel dropping its 5G modem development was probably related.Read original…

Major upgrade for the note-taking assistant and information manager adds new features to help you visualize and analyze your data. ($249 new, free update, 33.7 MB)

Disney has finally announced the details of its upcoming Disney+ streaming service, which will offer a breathtaking amount of old and new content for a mere $6.99 per month. How will Netflix respond?Read original article

Due to security-related changes in Google’s permissions, Golden Hill Software has discontinued the CloudPull utility for making local backups of data in Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts, and Google Drive.

Yardwork season is here, and loud gas-powered mowers and trimmers can both damage your hearing and make it impossible to enjoy audio. The 3M WorkTunes headphones can solve both problems.

Adds the Space Lens visual storage analysis feature. ($89.95 new, free update, 44.2 MB)

Provides bug fixes and new versions of the predefined English and TidBITS auto-correction sets. (€24.99 new, free update, 6.7 MB)

Bloomberg has revealed that Amazon pays people to listen to a subset of Alexa recordings for the purpose of improving the technology. Do you trust Amazon with recordings of everything you say within an Echo’s earshot?Read original article

As of 2 April 2019, Apple has eliminated the $99 fee for migrating user data to a newly purchased or repaired Mac.

The new Apple News+ service seems like a bonanza for news junkies and magazine aficionados who get access to nearly 300 periodicals for just $9.99 a month. But would-be subscribers need to take a close look before plunking down money because Apple News+ still…

Netflix has removed AirPlay support from its iOS app, citing “technical limitations” that outside observers suspect have more to do with the competitive landscape than anything else.Read original article

Designer Arun Venkatesan has published a detailed study of the physical Apple Card, due later this year. A lot more thought has gone into it than you might have realized.Read original article

It’s time to report on the results of our most recent surveys, which polled TidBITS readers about streaming music services and Apple News+.

Introduces optional subscription pricing and patches several bugs. ($39.99 new, free update, 34.1 MB)

Maintenance release with bug fixes, and a return to the Mac App Store. ($49.99 new, free update, 13.9 MB)

Audio recording utility updated with several bug fixes and version 10.0.1 of the Audio Capture Engine. ($49 new, free update, 17.1 MB)

Maintenance update brings several new features and improvements to the graphic conversion and editing utility. ($39.95 new, free update, 196 MB)

Apple has permanently lowered the price of its HomePod smart speaker by $50, from $349 to $299. Was it just overpriced or is Apple clearing the decks for a new model?Read original article

Apple's custom T2 chip brings better security to recent Macs—and we all like security! But the T2 also makes Macs harder to repair or use with non-Apple operating systems, and it can create nightmares for DJs and musicians. So is a T2 Mac right for you?

Looking for a faster and easier way to start phone calls, text conversations, or email messages with people in your contacts list? Cardhop for iOS from Flexibits brings the Mac version’s speed and elegance to the iPhone and iPad. Adam Engst takes a look.

Adds an import option via the Share button in Apple News and fixes various bugs. ($40 new, free update, 24.4 MB)

Fixes bugs and updates Audio Capture Engine to version 10.0 to improve the reliability of audio capture. ($29 new, free update, 12.3 MB)