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Apple to Fix macOS Mail Vulnerability That Leaves Text of Some Encrypted Emails Readable

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There's a vulnerability in the macOS version of the Apple Mail app that leaves some of the text of encrypted emails unencrypted, according to a report from IT specialist Bob Gendler (via The Verge).

According to Gendler, the snippets.db database file used by a macOS function that offers up contact suggestions stores encrypted emails in an unencrypted format, even when Siri is disabled on the Mac.

mailencryptionissue

In this email, Gendler demonstrates that the private key has been made unavailable in Mail, rendering the message unreadable. It continues to be available in the database, though.

Gendler initially discovered the bug on July 29 and reported it to Apple. Over the course of several months, Apple said that it was looking into the issue, though no fix ever came. The vulnerability continues to exist in macOS Catalina and earlier versions of macOS dating back to macOS Sierra.

Let me say that again... The snippets.db database is storing encrypted Apple Mail messages...completely, totally, fully -- UNENCRYPTED -- readable, even with Siri disabled, without requiring the private key. Most would assume that disabling Siri would stop macOS from collecting information on the user. This is a big deal.

This is a big deal for governments, corporations and regular people who use encrypted email and expect the contents to be protected. Secret or top-secret information, which was sent encrypted, would be exposed via this process and database, as would trade secrets and proprietary data.

Apple told The Verge that it has been made aware of the issue and will address it in a future software update. Apple also said that only portions of some emails are stored, and provided Gendler with instructions on preventing data from being stored by the snippets database.

This issue affects a limited number of people in practice, and is not something that macOS users should generally worry about. It requires customers to be using macOS and the Apple Mail app to send encrypted emails. It does not impact those who have FileVault turned on, and a person who wanted to access the information would also need to know where in Apple's system files to look and have physical access to a machine.

Still, as Gendler points out, this particular vulnerability "brings up the question of what else is tracked and potentially improperly stored without you realizing it."

Those concerned about this issue can prevent data from being collected in the snippets.db database by opening up System Preferences, choosing the ‌Siri‌ section, selecting ‌Siri‌ Suggestions & Privacy, choosing Mail and then turning off "Learn from this App." This will stop new emails from being added to snippets.db but won't remove those that have already been included.

Apple told The Verge that customers who want to avoid unencrypted snippets being read by other apps can avoid giving apps full disk access in macOS Catalina. Turning on FileVault will also encrypt everything on the Mac.

Full details on the vulnerability can be read in Gendler's Medium article.

Tag: Apple Mail
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Adam Scott Cast as Lead in Upcoming Apple TV+ Thriller 'Severance'

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Actor Adam Scott has been cast as the lead in Apple's latest project for Apple TV+, called "Severance" (via The Hollywood Reporter). The show is described as a workplace thriller set at a company "looking to take work-life balance to a new level."

Apple TV Plus Severance Season 2
"Severance" is being produced by Ben Stiller, and was created by Dan Erickson. The show comes from Endeavor Content, which also produces ‌Apple TV‌+ shows like "See" and the upcoming "Truth Be Told."

Apple has yet to announce a launch date for "Severance," but it has been ordered straight-to-series with a 10-episode first season. Recently, all of the major launch shows for ‌Apple TV‌+ received second season orders from the company.

Head to the MacRumors Apple TV+ forum to join in discussions for all of the new shows that have launched, and will soon launch, on Apple's streaming service.

Tags: Apple TV Plus Guide, Apple TV Shows
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Review: Pad & Quill's $495 Gladstone Leather Briefcase is an Ultra Luxe MacBook Bag That Could Use a Bit More Document Organization

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Pad & Quill is a company known for its leather accessories, crafted mainly with Apple devices in mind. The company offers iPhone cases, iPad sleeves, Apple Watch bands, and even paper journals and full leather bags and briefcases.

For the past week, I've had a chance to check out Pad & Quill's Gladstone Leather Briefcase, which is priced at $495.00 on the company's website (although you can get it for 15 percent off with the coupon code PQ15). The accessory is made of full-grain, American-sourced leather with a Herringbone fabric lining and a classic ultra-wide briefcase-style hinged opening.

gladstone 8
In terms of space for accessories, you'll find a pocket that can hold up to a 15-inch laptop, a slightly smaller zipper pocket, two accessory pockets that I found to be perfect for portable batteries, and two pen holders. The outside holds a slip pocket on the rear that can fit a few papers, while the front has a smaller pouch with a secure buckle fastener.

Overall, the Gladstone Leather Briefcase is exceedingly luxe, with a super sturdy construction and high-quality stitching on everything from the included shoulder strap to the barely-seen internal accessory pockets. I've carried numerous messenger bags and backpacks around over the years, with an endless array of material construction, but this is easily one of the most handsome and eye-catching that I've ever owned.

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The optional luggage strap attaches to the rear of the case and helps secure the briefcase to rolling luggage, available as a $39.99 add-on

Day-to-day use has been solid so far; I've found the Gladstone's interior compartment offers a nice balance between being spacious and compact. I was able to fit my 12-inch MacBook, iPad mini, AirPods, book, Beats Studio3 headphones, chargers, and still have some room on the bottom of the bag left over.

Because it's a briefcase-style case, the bag sports a solid six-inch footprint, and measures 12 inches tall and 16 inches wide. The leather construction, rigid paneling, and eventual interior contents add up to a bag that isn't entirely light to carry around, but over short distances this wasn't too big of a problem for me.

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The biggest issue with its weight comes in how it's distributed when using the shoulder strap, which is hooked to the back of the briefcase instead of directly at the center top of the bag. This means that when it's full, the bag becomes slightly top-heavy and tilts forward away from your body, making it easier to bounce against your torso as you walk. It's not a huge issue, but when you carry it around daily it's something you quickly become aware of.

The briefcase sports a swivel opening that uses hinged copper rivets for a smooth, easy-to-open central compartment. I found that the bag was a bit tough to open at the start, but over the course of a few days the leather and the hinges became a bit less stiff, but still retained enough rigidity that I felt like it would never open on its own. If you still want more security, the main compartment also includes a second line of defense with an overarching buckle and notch strap.

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If you like the look of classic briefcases you'll be able to quickly get over how it takes ever-so-slightly longer to open Pad & Quill's bag to get to your contents. If you prefer your work bags to be more economical with your time in a sacrifice to style, you'll likely wish for a simpler zipper system, which would also make the bag easier to access when it's placed on its side.

The other issue I had with the Gladstone Leather Briefcase was its overall lack of interior dividers. There are thousands of leather briefcases on the market that hit below Pad & Quill's $495.00 price tag and offer a bit more focus on work documents over housing electronics. It's big enough to house legal-sized papers and roomy enough for a lot of documents to fit inside, but it can quickly become messy without proper built-in organizational pockets.

gladstone 6
While it's obvious that an Apple accessory company would likely lean toward securing placement of your MacBook or ‌iPad‌ (a strategy all of Pad & Quill's leather bags use), I would have preferred a bit more balance between the two. As it stands, the Gladstone Leather Briefcase doesn't offer any specific placement for paper documents, outside of ones you might be able to stuff next to your MacBook on the internal compartment, or feel safe enough placing in the external rear compartment (which lacks any form of latch or security).

The briefcase is big enough to slip in a few folders of your own between the MacBook slot and accessory pouches, however, so it isn't an insurmountable problem. But people with a job that relies on extensive organization of paper documents might find the accessory to be insufficient.

Bottom Line

Thanks to an attractive design, adequate interior compartment space for electronic devices and accessories, and leather construction that's sure to age well the more you use it, Pad & Quill's Gladstone Leather Briefcase makes for a reliable and striking laptop bag.

gladstone 4
It does have a few downsides: the high price and lack of truly spacious paper document compartments mean you'll have to be on the hunt specifically for a high-quality MacBook bag that has room for a few accessories and a small number of work-related documents, but not much else.

How to Buy

You can purchase the Gladstone Leather Briefcase on Pad & Quill's website for $495.00 in Chestnut and Whiskey. Use the code PQ15 to take 15 percent off and get the bag for $420.75.

Note: Pad & Quill sent MacRumors one Gladstone Leather Briefcase for the purposes of this review, and no other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Pad & Quill. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Tag: Pad & Quill
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Apple Arcade Now Has 100 Games With Addition of New Titles Today, Including 'Guildlings'

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Apple Arcade today added six new games to the subscription service, all available to play on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV (via Engadget):

apple arcade nov 8

  • Discolored by Shifty Eye: A surreal, first-person puzzle adventure game that tasks you with restoring the color to a once-vibrant world.

  • Guildlings by Sirvo Studios: A story-driven episodic adventure from the maker of Threes, telling a lighthearted coming-of-age fantasy story about a group of friends on a mythical quest.

  • Sociable Soccer by Rogue Games: A fast-paced, cross-platform soccer game that includes gameplay on the soccer field and also a full team management system.

  • UFO on Tape: First Contact by Revolutionary Concepts: An AR game that puts you in the shoes of a UFO hunter.

  • Takeshi & Hiroshi by Oink Games: A 1-hour long short story about two brothers, taking place in the real world and inside of a role playing game that one of the brothers is making.

  • Marble It Up: Mayhem! by The Marble Collective: A puzzle game where you have to safely navigate a marble across vast and treacherous landscapes.

All six games are available to play on ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and ‌Apple TV‌, with Discolored, Guildlings, and Sociable Soccer also available on Mac.

With the addition of these six games, ‌Apple Arcade‌ has now reached 100 total games on iOS and tvOS, and 92 on macOS. Apple has been adding new games to ‌Apple Arcade‌ over the weeks, following the service's launch on September 19.


With a $4.99/month subscription to ‌Apple Arcade‌, you can gain unlimited access to these 100 games for ‌iPhone‌, ‌iPad‌, and ‌Apple TV‌ (as well as many on the Mac). If the game is on ‌Apple Arcade‌, it does not have any in-app purchases or ads of any kind.

Tag: Apple Arcade Guide
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'The A-List: Country' is the Next Apple Music Playlist to Receive a Name Change, Now 'Today's Country'

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After updating its "The A-List" playlists for genres like alternative and hip-hop, Apple Music has now changed "The A-List: Country" to "Today's Country." This playlist will essentially be the same, keeping track of all of the latest songs coming out of the country music genre, updated every day, while simply ditching "The A-List" moniker that has been around essentially since ‌Apple Music‌ launched in 2015.

am country playlist today
Apple began a large-scale playlist rebranding earlier in 2019, switching "The A-List: Dance" to "danceXL," "The A-List: Hip-Hop" to "Rap Life," "The A-List: Alternative" to "ALT CTRL," and "Best of the Week" to "New Music Daily." One of the few remaining playlists to retain the "A-List" branding is for the pop genre, which now has a simple "A-List Pop" title.

More niche sub-genres are still using the original A-List name style, like Bollywood, K-Pop, Classical, Mandopop, and Russian Hip-Hop. Apple has also launched brand-new playlists this year, like the Shazam Discovery Top 50, which is powered by shazams made around the world to highlight up-and-coming songs and artists that users are discovering any given week.

Tag: Apple Music Guide
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The Virtuous Circle of Product Placement in Apple's TV+ Shows

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Apple products are visible in an average of 32 camera shots in each episode of "The Morning Show," and an Apple logo is visible in roughly one-third of those shots, based on a tally count by The Wall Street Journal.

the morning show apple product placement

Reese Witherspoon's character sleeps beside her iPhone and MacBook in 'The Morning Show'

In one four-second scene in episode one of the flagship Apple TV+ series, nine Apple products are shown as two characters walk and talk through a newsroom, according to WSJ's report.

As far as product placement goes, it's an impressive count for the newsroom drama, which debuted last week to a mixed critical reception but a generally favorable audience reaction, according to review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

"The Morning Show" stars Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell, and reportedly costs more than $15 million per episode, but as a vehicle to push Apple's own products, it could be worth tens of millions of dollars. WSJ:

"The Morning Show" wastes little time giving Apple screen time. The first scene of the first episode opens with the character of executive producer Chip Black, played by Mark Duplass, sprawled on the floor of his office in the dark, feet away from a Mac computer, when the iPhone next to him lights up with an incoming call. About 20 seconds later, Steve Carell's soon-to-be-disgraced anchor, Mitch Kessler, is awakened by his iPhone. In total, there are 31 shots of Apple devices in Episode 1, including eight with the company's logo.

Other Apple products that get decent screen time in the series include MacBooks and iMacs, iPads, and AirPods and Apple Watches. Even the HomePod speaker makes a cameo on a producer's office desk.

Spending on product placement has doubled since 2012 to about $10 billion, according to PQ Media, a media research firm that tracks the industry. However, Apple has said it doesn't pay for product placement, and people close to "The Morning Show" told WSJ that producers weren't under pressure to include Apple products in the shows.

Of course it helps that Apple products are very popular – the ‌iPhone‌ has a 35 percent share of the U.S. smartphone market – so it stands to reason that Apple products will appear in shows depicting modern life. Apple products often show up in other TV series not affiliated with Apple, too. But as WSJ notes, the ‌iPhone‌ appears in "The Morning Show" so much that it can seem like an appendage.

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The office of 'The Morning Show' character Chip Black, played by actor Mark Duplass

Some viewers may consider the flagship series to be overzealous in its product placement, but the very fact that Apple is able to promote its hardware in a subscription service that was designed to help lessen the company's dependency on its ‌iPhone‌ business at a time of slowing sales, is a sweet sort of irony. If the service is a success, it could well be a virtuous circle for Apple's long-term product revenues.

"In a changing world where people watch less traditional television, especially younger audiences, how do you reach them?" said Patrick Quinn, president of PQ Media. "One way to do that is to launch your own streaming service and show off your product. Not everyone can do that, but Apple can."

Apple is providing customers with a free 7-day trial for ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+, which is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Apple is also offering all customers who purchased an ‌‌Apple TV‌‌, ‌iPhone‌, iPad, Mac, or iPod touch after September 10 one free year of access to ‌‌Apple TV‌‌+.

Tags: Apple TV Plus Guide, The Wall Street Journal
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Apple Watch Sales Grew to 6.8 Million Units in Q3 2019, up 51% From Last Year

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Apple shipped an estimated 6.8 million smartwatches in the third quarter of 2019, according to research firm Strategy Analytics.

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Apple doesn't disclose Apple Watch sales in its earnings reports, grouping the wrist-worn device under its "Other Products" category, so we have do go from estimated figures, which can vary between research firms.

If Strategy Analytics' figures are accurate, Apple Watch shipments are up 51 percent compared to the third quarter of last year.

Apple shipped 6.8 million smartwatches worldwide in Q3 2019, rising an above-average 51 percent from 4.5 million in Q3 2018. Apple Watch remains a long way ahead of the chasing pack and its global smartwatch marketshare has grown from 45 percent to 48 percent in the past year. Apple Watch continues to fend off strong competition from hungry rivals like Fitbit and Samsung. Apple Watch owns half the worldwide smartwatch market and remains the clear industry leader.

stategy analytics apple watch sales q3 2019
The figures suggest Apple's closest wearables rival remains Samsung, which shipped 1.9 million smartwatches in Q3 and took 13.4 percent of the global market share. Fitbit, which was recently acquired by Google, dropped to third place, losing just under 4 percent of its market share (11.3 percent).

According to the report, the global smartwatch market grew considerably, with shipments reaching 14 million units in total, up 42 percent year on year. Notably, Apple Watch growth outpaced overall market growth, indicating that Apple is eating an increasingly bigger slice of the burgeoning wearables sector.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Tag: Strategy Analytics
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)
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Disney+ to Launch in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK on March 31, 2020

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Disney+ is coming to Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom on March 31, about four months after it launches in the U.S. on November 12.

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Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the launch date for the European markets yesterday during an earnings call, the same day it was revealed that the streaming service would be available on Amazon Fire TV streaming devices.

Disney+ will also be on LG and Samsung smart TVs, Roku's streaming devices, Apple TV, iOS, Android, Xbox One, and PS4 at launch.

Disney+ is already available in the Netherlands, where it launched as a free pilot trial back in September. Iger said on Thursday that Disney+ is coming to more countries and additional launch dates will be announced soon.


Iger didn't mention how much European customers would have to pay to access its 500 feature films and over 7,500 shows, including the entire Pixar library and a raft of original content.

The service will cost $6.99 per month in the U.S. and will cost 6.99 euros per month in the Netherlands from November 12.

Tags: Disney, Disney Plus, Europe
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YouTuber Compares Original 2007 iPhone to New iPhone 11 Pro

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Popular YouTuber MKBHD today shared a video that compares Apple's original iPhone released in 2007 with the new 2019 ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, which was released 12 years later.

The video goes over details like camera quality, design, feature set, and more, offering an interesting look at just how much the ‌iPhone‌ has changed over the course of the last decade.


There are no surprises here given the impressive number of technology updates that have been implemented over the years, but it's still a fun look back at how different things were in 2007.

Compared to the 5.8-inch ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro, the 3.5-inch original ‌iPhone‌ almost looks like a toy because of its small size, though there are undoubtedly some ‌iPhone‌ fans who miss the tiny screen and the ability to easily use a device one-handed.

Some of the biggest ‌iPhone‌ upgrades have come in the form of camera improvements. The single-lens 2-megapixel camera available in 2007 was decent back in the day and can still put out web cam-quality photos, but today we have 12-megapixel triple-lens cameras with features like Portrait Mode and Night Mode that can rival some DSLRs.

As MKBHD points out, the comparison between the original ‌iPhone‌ and the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro is also interesting because it leaves us imagining what kind of technology changes we might be seeing in another 12 years. It's impossible to see that far ahead, but folding technology, super fast 5G connection speeds, and more could be coming in the not too distant future.

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Apple Shares Featurette on the Creation of Apple TV+ Show 'See'

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Apple this evening shared a behind the scenes look on how the world behind one of its new Apple TV+ shows, "See," was created.

"See" is one of the ‌Apple TV‌+ launch shows, starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard. It features a postapocalyptic setting where much of the world has been wiped out by a virus, and the survivors are all blind.


Enough time has passed that sight has become a myth, and it is forbidden to speak of, though two children are born with the capability.

The video features Francis Lawrence, who directed the series, talking about how the buildings and environments in "See" were constructed. The "See" crew had a team of advisors who are blind providing instruction on everything from how buildings would be built to how people would live and interact.

‌Apple TV‌+ is available for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year, but Apple has also made it available for free to everyone who purchased an ‌Apple TV‌, Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad after September 10, 2019.

Tags: Apple TV Plus Guide, Apple TV Shows
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Apple Pay Promo Offers $5 Off Uber Eats Orders

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Apple today sent out emails highlighting the latest Apple Pay promo, which offers a $5 discount on an order of $10 or more placed through the Uber Eats app.

The discount can be applied when checking out with ‌Apple Pay‌ after the promo code APPLEPAY5 is entered.

ubereatspromo
The $5 Uber Eats discount will be available from November 8 through November 10, and is only valid when spending over $10 before taxes or fees. The offer is limited to one discount per customer, and delivery fees and service fees still apply.

Tag: Apple Pay Promo
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Apple Renews 'See,' 'For All Mankind,' 'Dickinson,' and 'The Morning Show' for Season 2

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Apple TV+ has been out for less than a week, but Apple has already renewed several of the first TV shows that launched on the service.

As noted by Variety, "See," "For All Mankind," "Dickinson," and "The Morning Show" will all get a second season. Of those, "The Morning Show" already had a two-season order and second season episodes are being filmed, but the other renewals are new.

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Several of Apple's TV shows like "The Morning Show" and "See" received less than stellar reviews from critics, but they seem to be faring better with viewers. On Rotten Tomatoes, for example, "See" has a critic score of 41 percent (rotten), but an audience score of 83 percent. "The Morning Show" has a critic score of 62 percent and an audience score of 95 percent, and similar scores can be seen for most of Apple's TV shows.

Apple has not provided details on how many people have signed up for an ‌Apple TV‌+ subscription nor how many views its shows have received so far, but Variety says that sources "close to Apple" claim the service has drawn "millions of users" spending more than an hour on the ‌Apple TV‌+ platform.

Apple insiders are said to be impressed by the "volume of activity" on the platform and that most viewers who watched one episode of one of the four main series watched at least one or two more. Apple is said to believe that those metrics suggest viewers are responding well to the shows, leading to the renewals.

Apple on Friday will release new episodes of "See," "For All Mankind," and "The Morning Show" as these shows launched with just three episodes available. All of "Dickinson" has been made available to watch on the platform.

Apple is providing customers with a free 7-day trial for ‌Apple TV‌+, which is priced at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Apple is also offering all customers who purchased an ‌Apple TV‌, iPhone, iPad, Mac, or iPod touch after September 10 one free year of access to ‌Apple TV‌+.

Tags: Apple TV Plus Guide, Apple TV Shows
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Black Friday Spotlight: Best Buy's Apple Doorbuster Event Kicks Off Early With Sales on Everything From HomePod to MacBook Pro

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We've begun keeping a track of early Black Friday deals in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup, and in an effort to prepare our readers for the big shopping event we're highlighting sales store-by-store in the lead-up to November 29.

Today we're starting with Best Buy, which announced its Black Friday sales today while simultaneously kicking off a notable early sale on Apple doorbusters.

Apple Doorbusters - Live Now

Ahead of Black Friday, Best Buy has opened up numerous discounts on Apple devices and accessories today, with a sale that will last through Sunday, November 10 at 11:59 p.m. CT. All of the discounts found below will be live through that time, unless they sell out.

Best Buy November Deals AppleNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Highlights in the sale include HomePod for $199.99, lowest-ever prices on the 2019 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, and solid discounts on both storage capacities of the new 10.2-inch iPad. Check out all of the discounts below and if you're interested be sure to make your purchase before Sunday night.

Macs

iPhones and iPads

  • 10.2-inch iPad - My Best Buy members save $80 or $100 on select models / starting at $249.99 with lowest-ever prices

  • iPad Pro - My Best Buy members save $150 or $200 on select models / starting at $649.99

  • iPhone 11 - Save up to $500 with activation and in-store trade-in

  • iPhone 11 Pro - Save up to $500 with activation and in-store trade-in

Apple Watch, HomePod, and Accessories

Best Buy Black Friday - Doors Open 11/28 at 5 p.m.

Best Buy November Random2
Like in years past, Best Buy's Black Friday sales include a lot of markdowns on quality TV sets, Blu-Rays, smartphones, Dyson vacuums, smart speakers, video games, and much more. The sales listed below will not be live until Thanksgiving, unless otherwise noted.

Bluetooth speakers

Streaming Devices

Computer Accessories

Storage

Headphones

Miscellaneous

Video Games

There are quite a few solid video game deals set to hit Best Buy this Black Friday, including a headlining Nintendo Switch bundle that we've already seen pop up at places like Target. Best Buy is also offering the Nintendo Switch with a free copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundled in, but will throw in a free screen protector for the console as well.

You'll be able to get Joy-Cons for $20 off, as well as a handful of first-party Nintendo games for $39.99, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Party, and Splatoon 2.

Best Buy November Deals Games
Moving over to Sony, another popular gaming bundle this year will see a discount at Best Buy this Black Friday: the 1TB PlayStation 4 console bundle with The Last of Us Remastered, God of War (2018), and Horizon Zero Dawn will be $199.99, down from $299.99. DualShock 4 controllers will be $39.99 ($20 off) and the official Sony Gold Wireless Headsets will be $30 off.

There are a few Xbox One bundles, with the lowest priced being the 1TB Xbox One S All-Digital Console for $149.99, down from $249.99. Those interested in the upcoming Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game can also get the 1TB Xbox One X Deluxe Edition bundle with the game at $349.99, down from $499.99. Xbox One Controllers will also be $39.99 ($20 off).

We've rounded up some notable game discounts below:

To keep track of these Black Friday sales and more, head to our full Black Friday Roundup as well as our separate Deals Roundup.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
Related Forum: Community Discussion
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Apple Seeds First Beta of Upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.2 Update

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Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Catalina 10.15.2 update to developers, one week after releasing the macOS Catalina 10.15.1 update.

The new ‌macOS Catalina‌ beta can be downloaded using the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences after installing the proper software from the Developer Center.

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There's no word yet on what improvements the second update to macOS Catalina will include, but it most likely focuses on performance improvements, security updates, and fixes for bugs that weren't able to be addressed in the macOS 10.15.1 update.

When we find out what's new in the macOS Catalina 10.15.2 beta, we'll update this article.

‌macOS Catalina‌ is a major update that eliminates iTunes in favor of new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps, nixes support for 32-bit apps, adds a new Find My app, brings a new Photos interface, and includes multiple privacy enhancements and other app refinements.

For full details on what's new in ‌macOS Catalina‌, make sure to check out our macOS Catalina roundup.

Related Forum: macOS Catalina
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Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 13.2.2 With Fix for Background Refresh Bug

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Apple today released iOS and iPadOS 13.2.2, updates to the iOS 13.2 software that was released on October 28.

The iOS and ‌iPadOS‌ 13.2.2 updates are available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update.

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iOS and iPadOS 13.2.2 are minor updates focusing on performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that were not able to be addressed in iOS 13.2 rather than major outward facing changes.

According to Apple's release notes, the update fixes an issue that could cause apps running in the background to unexpectedly quit, which led to background apps refreshing more often than normal. These frequent app refreshes of Safari, YouTube, and other media apps, led to multiple user complaints. Apple has addressed this problem in the iOS 13.3 beta too.

The update also resolves an issue where the iPhone could lose cellular service after a call, and it fixes a bug that caused cellular data to be temporarily unavailable. Apple's full release notes for the update are below:

iOS 13.2.2 includes bug fixes and improvements for your iPhone. This update:

- Fixes an issue that could cause apps to quit unexpectedly when running in the background
- Resolves an issue where iPhone may temporarily lose cellular service after a call
- Addresses an issue where cellular data may temporarily not be available
- Fixes an issue that caused replies to S/MIME encrypted email messages between Exchange accounts to be unreadable
- Addresses an issue where using Kerberos single sign-on service in Safari may present an authentication prompt
- Resolves an issue where charging may be interrupted on YubiKey Lightning-powered accessories

The release notes for the iPadOS 13.2.2 update are the same, with the exception of the fix for cellular issues.

iPadOS 13.2.2 includes bug fixes and improvements for your iPad. This update:

- Fixes an issue that could cause apps to quit unexpectedly when running in the background
- Fixes an issue that caused replies to S/MIME encrypted email messages between Exchange accounts to be unreadable
- Addresses an issue where using Kerberos single sign-on service in Safari may present an authentication prompt
- Resolves an issue where charging may be interrupted on YubiKey Lightning-powered accessories

Apple has also seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 13.3 update that brings Communication Limits in Screen Time, and a toggle for turning off Animoji and Memoji stickers on the emoji keyboard.

Related Forum: iOS 13
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EU Hearing 'Many Concerns' About Potential Anticompetitive Issues With Apple Pay

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European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager today acknowledged that her department has received "many concerns" over Apple Pay and potential anticompetitive issues, noting that "people see it becomes increasingly difficult to compete in the market for easy payments," reports Reuters.

apple pay terminal
Vestager's comments come after the European Commission sent a questionnaire to a number of companies in August seeking information on whether Apple was restricting online payment options.

The questionnaire asked if companies were under a contractual obligation to enable a certain payment method and also if such contracts included conditions for integrating Apple Pay in their apps and websites.

Regulators wanted to know if Apple has rejected merchant apps as incompatible with the terms and conditions for integrating Apple Pay in their apps.

Apple touts the safety and security of ‌Apple Pay‌, but critics have claimed that Apple stifles competition by locking down the NFC chip in iOS devices to only work with ‌Apple Pay‌, making it difficult for other payment services to compete.

Antitrust concerns over ‌Apple Pay‌ are not the only issue for Apple and the EU at the moment, as the European Commission is also still dealing with Spotify's complaint that Apple's App Store unfairly disadvantages third-party app developers in favor of its own apps and services.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Related Forum: Apple Music, Apple Pay/Card, iCloud, Fitness+
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Deals: Amazon Discounts 2019 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to New Low Prices (Starting at $900)

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Amazon today opened up new sales on the latest models of the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, with discounts starting as low as $899.99 for the MacBook Air and $1,099.99 for the MacBook Pro.

macbook pro 13 inch 2019Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Across the board, all models listed below are the lowest price that we have ever tracked among the major Apple resellers online. Be sure to head to Amazon to check out the discounts before they expire.

13-Inch MacBook Pro

For the MacBook Pro sale, Amazon is discounting the new models from Mid 2019, all focused on 13-inch sizes. Best Buy is matching the prices of these models, and offers a few discounts on alternate color options as well.

13-Inch MacBook Air

You can also save on a few models of the latest MacBook Air, starting as low as $899.99 for the 128GB configuration.

macbook air 2019

Visit our full Deals Roundup to stay up to date with all of the latest Apple-related sales.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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DuckDuckGo's Safari Privacy Browser Extension Now Available for macOS Catalina

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Privacy oriented search engine DuckDuckGo today released an updated version of its browser extension for desktop Safari users running macOS Catalina.

safari duckduckgo privacy extension
The launch comes after DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials had to be removed from the Safari extensions gallery following major changes introduced in Safari 12 that made the extension incompatible. From the DuckDuckGo website:

As you may be aware, major structural changes in Safari 12 meant that we had to remove DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials from the Safari extensions gallery. With Safari 13, new functionality was thankfully added that enabled us to put it back. Consequently, you'll need Safari 13+ on macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer to install the updated version.

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials blocks hidden third-party trackers on websites and features a Privacy Dashboard, which generates a Privacy Grade rating (A-F) information card whenever a user visits a site. The rating aims to let them see at a glance how protected they are, while providing additional options to dig deeper into the details of blocked tracking attempts.

While the extension doesn't include private search, DuckDuckGo Search is built into Safari as a default search option, and they work together to help users search and browse privately.

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials is only available for desktop browsers, however DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser is available for iOS and uses the same privacy protection technology.

Tags: Apple Privacy, DuckDuckGo, Safari
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