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Apple has released a Web site and free iOS app to help you screen yourself for COVID-19 and learn more about the disease.

The media company O’Reilly has announced that it is not just canceling its in-person conferences, it’s exiting the entire in-person conference business. The world has been forced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus to change, and it may never return to its previous…

Numerous brick-and-mortar stores are closed, and you’re likely stuck at home, perhaps without some gear you need to do your job. Josh Centers offers some advice about package precautions, why you may need to look beyond Amazon, and how Best Buy is adapting…

Patches a variety of security vulnerabilities for those running Apple’s last two operating systems. (Free, various sizes)

Patches security vulnerabilities in Apple’s last two operating systems. (Free, various sizes)

Although Apple focused most of its operating system update work on iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4, the integration of the company’s platforms means that everything else received updates as well. Here’s the rundown.

iPadOS 13.4 brings dramatically improved support for mice and trackpads, iOS 13.4 provides a return to always-visible controls in Mail, and both gain the long-promised support for iCloud Drive folder sharing, along with a variety of bug fixes.

Location tracking, facial recognition, and app-based tracking have become tools in fighting the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. But will these uses start a conversation about how to safeguard personal privacy or result in it being further exploited?Read…

Brings bug fixes and improved performance when loading large sheets to the writing app. ($39.99 annual subscription, free update, 18.9 MB)

Brings macOS 10.15 Catalina-related improvements to the keyboard-driven launcher. (£23 new, free update, 3.1 MB)

Stops text from being bolded when pasted into the snippet editor from Google Docs. ($40 annual subscription, free update, 20.9 MB)

Adds the AI Augmented Sky tool for blend objects seamlessly into a photo's sky. ($89 new, free update, 18.8 MB)

Do you like the Aerial screen savers on your Apple TV? A free, open-source app brings them to your Mac’s screen as well.

SARS-CoV-2 is wreaking havoc on the world, and Hollywood is no exception. “Take Control of Apple TV” author Josh Centers explains how film distribution is changing.

No, it’s not April Fools Day. Apple has stunned the world by not only introducing a new iPad Pro in the midst of a global pandemic but also announcing that it will have an optional trackpad. But hang on to your wallet because the prices will be eye-watering.

Following last year's release of the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the new Magic Keyboard, Apple has now brought that keyboard to the MacBook Air. The updated model also features faster performance, more storage options, and a lower entry-level price of $999.

Apple announced that the Mac mini standard configurations now have twice as much storage as before, while prices remain the same. There are no other changes.

Brings improvements and bug fixes to the date-focused note-taking app. (Free with $24.99 premium purchase option, free update, 48.8 MB)

In an effort to help those who have suddenly been told to work from home, Take Control Books is giving away the new 55-page book, “Take Control of Working from Home Temporarily.” If you or anyone you know falls into that category, download a copy!

Brings bug fixes and important security patches to the standard and Pro editions of the virtualization package. ($79.99/$159.99 new, free update, 519 MB)

Updates the built-in Lagutin Equalizer to tweak its animation and improve how it saves and edits user presets. ($29 new, free update, 13.9 MB)

Major upgrade for the vector illustration app with new AI-powered tools and enhanced collaboration features. ($249.99 annual subscription, 2 MB)

Apple has issued a statement outlining its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most notable new addition being the closure of all Apple retail stores outside of China.

AppleInsider reports on the troubles it had getting a new Mac Pro repaired, stumping both Apple phone support and Apple Store technicians.Read original article

Cloud backup service Backblaze has released its hard drive reliability statistics for 2019, factoring in data for over 100,000 drives.Read original article

Brings several linking enhancements to the note-taking assistant and information manager. ($249 new, free update, 35.6 MB)

Like other big tech companies, Apple has canceled the in-person part of its developer conference. However, in a textbook case of putting the best face on a bad situation, Apple has cast the change as a new online format that will let many more developers…

We’re having trouble paying attention to anything outside the COVID-19 news, so here’s what we think we can contribute at the moment. Let us know what else you might like to hear from TidBITS on this topic.

What better day than Friday the 13th to check that your backups are actually working by restoring some critical files?

Don’t waste precious time manually repositioning and resizing macOS windows. You can automate that task to a large extent using native macOS controls, and third-party utilities give you even more power. Julio Ojeda-Zapata looks at two of the top…