Linode allows you to instantly deploy and manage an SSD server in the Linode Cloud. Get a server running in seconds with your choice of Linux distro, resources, and choice of 10 node locations.
They are giving all new Maccast customers a $20 credit.
I've been wanting to set up a Minecraft server and Linode offers One-click installs including gaming installs
They have Minecraft, Ark, Terraria, and more.
Also one-click installs for things like Wordpress, Drupal, GitLab, OpenVPN and more.
Plus a whole bunch of distros. If it runs on Linux, it runs on Linode.
Most Linux distributions available out of the box, but you can upload custom images or create your own
Basically you can build whatever server you want.
Featuring native SSD storage, a 40 Gbit network, with industry leading processors
Pick from any of our 10 worldwide data centers
They just opened their newest one in Toronto, Canada
Built using their most up to date hardware and their Next Generation Network backbone
Allows users to comply with in-country data protection requirements while taking advantage of all Linode's technology and tools.
Additional datacenter opening in Mumbai India by end of 2019
Pricing is simple with no surprise fees. Pay for what you use with hourly billing across all plans and add-on services
Can get what you need from a $5/month Nanodes plan to high power Dedicated CPU plans
Their dashboard makes it easy to manage your Linodes and upgrading your plan is easy.
Can add-on backups, large storage volumes, and load balancing
And if you need support they have 24x7 live customer support and a large documentation library which provides a great resource when you get stuck.
Visit: linode.com/maccast to set up your first Linode and get a $20 credit when you use promo code: maccast2019
News
The Mac Pro is here.
Can cost as much as a luxury car. We’ll if you max it out
And really it’s just available to order today, they’ll still need to build it for you
At least that happens in Texas!
The price starts at a much more “reasonable?” USD $5,999.00
That’ll net you a system with
a 3.5GHz Xeon W processor, 32GB RAM
Radeon Pro 580X with 8GB memory
256GB SSD
For 52K you can have:
2.5 GHz 28‑core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz
1.5 TB (12 x 128 GB) of DDR4 ECC memory
4 TB SSD storage
Two Radeon Pro Vega II Duo with 2 x 32 GB of HBM2 memory each
Apple Afterburner Card
Stainless steel frame with wheels
$400 wheels!!
There is an 8TB SSD option still coming.
Oh, and add the Apple Display Pro XDR and you’re at $52K
If you get the higher end Pro Display XDR with nano-texture glass be careful how you clean it
The glass must be cleaned only with the dry polishing cloth that Apple provides according to Apple’s tech support documentation.
No water or liquids should be used to clean the glass.
Instructions for washing the polishing cloth include ‘/using dish soap and water, rinsing thoroughly, and then letting it air dry for at least 24 hours.
Updates to all the OS things
iOS and iPadOS 13.3
Communications Limits for ScreenTime
Can limit it also only when in downtime
Disable Memoji and Animoji stickers from always appearing on the emoji keyboard
Support, finally, for FIDO2 security keys
Along with bug fixes and improvements
tvOS 13.3
Can now choose if you want “Up Next” or “What to Watch” in your top shelf
watchOS 6.1.1
Performance improvements and bug fixes
HomePod OS 13.3
Improves family member voice recognition
Fixes issue that could prevent music playback from resuming on a stereo pair after a phone call
macOS Catalina 15.2
New layout for Apple News+
Stocks improvements
Photos and Mail bug fixes
Music bug fixes
Adds support for using an iPhone to remotely control Music and TV apps on a Mac.
Apple may bundle AirPods in 2020
From DigiTimes, so take with a grain of salt.
Citing unnamed industry sources.
The arguments against
The price of AirPods at $159.00 is high
Apple is having no trouble selling AirPods
The arguments for
Could be a “Pro” feature and could justify the cost
Gets more AirPods info the market
Nikki Asian Review reports that Apple has asked their supplier Luxshare Precision to double production of AirPods Pro
That would bring production to two million units
For now Apple holds a commanding lead in the wearables market thanks to AirPods and Apple Watch
Numbers from IDC in Q3 of 2019 indicate that Apple’s wearable shipments were up 200 percent at 29.5 Million million units
That means Apple commands a 35 percent share wearables industry.
Apple may move to Mini-LED in 2020
According to Ming-Chi Kuo
Apple is planning four to six products with mini-LED displays over the next two to three years
Starting with a new high-end 12.9-inch iPad Pro with an A14X chip in the third quarter of 2020
Also, a refreshed 16-inch MacBook Pro in the 4th quarter of 2020
He says the displays could use as many as 10,000 200 micron LEDs
That’s compared to the 576 LEDs in Apple’s Pro Display XDR
Mini-LEDs have the advantage of:
Allowing for thinner and lighter designs that are more power efficient.
Can match the wide color gamut performance, high contrast and dynamic range of OLED.
Also provide local dimming for deep blacks
Mini LEDs are also not prone to burn-in like OLED
Could Apple stagger 2021 iPhone releases?
Apple is expected to keep their “normal” Fall release schedule in 2020, launching 4-5 iPhone models
A JPMorgan analyst thinks they could switch that up in 2021 releasing models throughout the year.
The theory is it could help Apple better compete with other smartphone makers who release updated models throughout the year.
I think they could easily start staggering the “consumer” and “pro” models.
In 2021 Ming-Chi Kuo also believes Apple may dump the Lightning port in some models
But not for USB-C. For no port at all
He also thinks Apple will create an “iPhone SE 2 Plus” with a full screen design, no Face ID, but Touch ID built into the Side button.
For 2020 Kuo thinks we’ll see 5 iPhone models
A 4.7-inch single rear camera LCD model with Touch ID
5.4-inch and 6.1-inch OLED model with dual lens read cameras
6.1-inch and 6.7-inch OLED ‘Pro’ models with Triple-lens rear cameras
All with 5G connectivity
The “Pro” could feature the time-of-flight 3D sensing technology.
Strange rumor from Mac Otakara that the iPhone SE 2 could be called the iPhone 9.
Is expected to be possibly introduced in the first quarter of 2020.
Pricing likely starting around USD $399 w 64GB of storage.
A Korean website The Elec is reporting Apple May switch to a 50 percent smaller battery protection module in 2020
The module is what keeps your iPhone from over charging or over discharging.
The smaller module would allow for a slight increase in battery capacity.
Rosenblatt Securities analyst pointing out the what happens this time every year
Apple cuts iPhone production
This time by up to 25 percent for December through March quarters
He cites waning interest in 4G phones and the anticipation for 5G iPhones in 2020.
Is your iPhone 11 Pro tracking you?
Security researcher Brian Krebs noticed the iPhone 11 Pro would continues to collect GPS data for some apps and system services even when Location Services for those apps were turned off (set to “never”)
The same issue did not work on an iPhone 8
Completely disabling Location Services in Settings did stop all location activity on the iPhone 11 Pro.
Apple confirmed that certain ‘system services’ continue to collect location data even when the user has selected Never for all individual system services and apps.
Apple later provided more details which explained why this phenomenon was only appearing on newer devices
It was to due with international regulatory requirements that require the new Ultra wide and technology to be turned off in certain locations
“iOS uses Location Services to help determine if iPhone is in these prohibited locations in order to disable ultra wideband and comply with regulations.” an Apple Spokesperson told TechCrunch
Use of the location data is kept to the device to control this functionality and is not sent to Apple.
Apple says they will add a toggle in a future iOS update to totally block location services on the iPhones 11.
I would assume this would also disable the UWB technology at the same time.
Guess what’s not tracking you and having an impact, Safari
In a report, The Information, they say Safari’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature is working to thwart advertisers in some demographics
The prices for ads in Safari have dropped 60 percent because the ads are less desirable because they can’t be targeted.
Apple shows Billie Eilish a lotta love
Now they awarded her with a three Apple Music awards
Artist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year (with her brother), and most streamed song of the year
A custom designed award that has a 12-inch disc of Apple’s custom silicon chips.
Then according to Billboard Apple has paid $25 million to the rights to a Billie Eilish documentary they plan to air on Apple TV+
The film supposedly follows Eilish after the release of her debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?”
Apple’s The Morning Show received three Golden Globe nominations
That includes a Best Drama series nomination along with nominations for both Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama
Apple was quick to point out that they were the first streaming service to earn Golden Globe noms in their launch year
The show also got three SAG award nominations.
Two for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for both Steve Carell and Billy Crudup
And one for Jennifer Aniston for Outstanding Performance by Female Actor in a Drama Series.
Apple gets first commercial batch of carbon-free aluminum
We don’t know what it’s going into, but the product, was developed via a collaboration between two of the world's largest aluminum producers, Alcoa and Rio Tinto that Apple helped coordinate
They formed a company called Elysis to co-develop and patent the technology
The aluminum is produced in Pittsburg and is the first to deviate from the the 130 year old aluminum production process that uses Carbon.
By removing carbon from the process when fully developed and implemented, it will eliminate direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional aluminum smelting process developed
Alcoa and Rio Tinto hope to commercialize and license the carbon-free smelting process beginning in 2024
They also plan to open up further manufacturing facilities in Quebec Canadas in the second half of 2020.
Sponsor: Masterclass
Masterclass
Masterclass offers online classes that let you learn from the best. They offer exclusive access to online classes taught by masters of their craft.
For a limited time… buy one Masterclass All-Access Pass, and another All-Access Pass to give away as a gift.
One of my favorite things about Masterclass is the amazing depth and variety of the courses taught by the masters in their fields.
No place else do you have access to this kind of talent.
The quality and presentation of the courses is the best I've ever seen and they're each unique in their style which keeps them interesting.
Plus they are presented in small chunks, typically 10-15 minutes so I can easily fit then into my schedule
That's made even easier by the fact I can access them on any device iPhone, iPad, Mac, and best of all my Apple TV.
What I'm finding as I take more and more classes on Masterclass is that a lot of what I'm learning I can adapt and apply to the things I do even when maybe the course isn't specifically about my field
I'll give you an example
I'm love games and gaming, but I don't make games (I want to)
So I started Will Wright's, game designer of the Sims, Masterclass and the lesson on early prototyping really got me thinking about the ways I work with clients on developing and prototyping websites for my clients.
While you can get courses individually I really love having the all-access pass because here's what happens…
You'll want one course, like Documentary Filmmaking with Ken Burns
But if you're like me… you'll see Aaron Franklin will show you how to make Smoked Pork Ribs (I love ribs)
I'm not kidding I watched this and learned how to trim up and prep ribs and why it's important. Something I've never even thought was part of cooking ribs
And then I've always been fascinated with wanting to learn magic. I've tried other videos, but the Pen & Teller one was hands down the best
They went though the concept, then teaching to a group, then detailed step by step
Also supplemental downloadable PDF with photos and instructions.
With over 65 wide-ranging class offerings, there’s something for everyone.
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Feedback, commentary, opinions
Download old OS installers via Terminal
The discussion surrounding getting older macOS versions goes on
There are also now great USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 hubs you can get.
Protecting your privacy or annoying?
iOS 13 has a new privacy feature that alerts you periodically to apps that are using your location in the background
" [App] has been using your location in the background. Do you want to continue allowing this?"
You have options to say "Change to Only While Using", "Always", or "Just Once"
Even if you say (or set) it to "Always" the alerts will pop-up again sometime in the future as a reminder that the app is still sending location in the background.
Seems this is a feature, not a bug, and you can't control if you get the pop-ups or not.
How do we feel about this?
Accessing old deleted messages
Jeremy was wondering if it was possible to use Time Machine to go back and get old deleted messages from your Mac.
Messages are stored locally in `~/Library/Messages`
Under the Archive folder there are messages (.ichat) files stored in date folders. You can open these files in iChat.
You can recover them from Time Machine, but it will NOT add them back into "Messages"
The Attachments are also in a folder in `~/Library/Messages`, but they are all under cryptic folder names so finding them is next to impossible.
Another possibility is recovery from iOS backups
Of course you'd need to have done backups in iTunes (not iCloud)
In the folder `"~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/`
Again the folders in there are cryptically named
You can recover old backup folders from Time Machine
Then use a tool like [iMazing](https://imazing.com) to open the backups and view or extract the messages
iMazing can also export any attachments in the Messages.
