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I love my iPads and I use them all the time for work, and while I’m lounging around, but still want to stay connected. There is no doubt that the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is very powerful, but there are some things, for me, that made this a standout release. […]

Here is the statement Apple provided to me tonight. I think it says all that needs to be said:

From the beginning, we objected to the FBI’s demand that Apple build a backdoor into the iPhone because we believed it was wrong and would set a dangerous precedent. As a result of the government’s dismissal, neither of these occurred. This case should never have been brought.

We will continue to help law enforcement with their investigations, as we have done all along, and we will continue to increase the security of our products as the threats and attacks on our data become more frequent and more sophisticated.

Apple believes deeply that people in the United States and around the world deserve data protection, security and privacy. Sacrificing one for the other only puts people and countries at greater risk.

This case raised issues which deserve a national conversation about our civil liberties, and our collective security and privacy. Apple remains committed to participating in that discussion.

Though Apple hasn’t announced any official sales figures, preorders for the iPhone SE are said to have exceeded 3.4 million so far in China alone, according to data from local retailers.

These aren’t official numbers, but they are very strong preorder sales.

I received a pitch for this product last week and as soon as I saw the email, I thought it was BS even though I’d love for it to be real. I’m not an expert in scuba diving but I have done it often in the past and I know companies have been trying to make this technology work for decades, with little to no success for the reasons mentioned in the article. Sadly, I’d be willing to be the 2,000 backers who have put up over $800,000 so far will be out of luck and will never see an actual functioning product. It once again brings to mind the old adage, “If it seems to good to be true, it is”.

For those of you affected by this bug, Apple says this new build should solve the issue for you.

The guys at Pro Tools Expert take a look at Pro Tools 12.5 and its new Cloud Collaboration feature. It seems to work better than they expected.

“We need your help!” the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a confidential “Flash” advisory that was dated March 25 and obtained by Reuters over the weekend.

Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts a victim’s data so they cannot gain access to it on their computers, then offers to unlock the system in exchange for payment.

Sometimes I get confused. The FBI wants us to be safe and secure, but other times they want a dangerous master key which would make us all less secure.

This week, Jim and Merlin talk about the recent Apple event, including Apple’s messaging on environmental improvements and user privacy. Also, some talk about the evolution of Apple’s Health initiatives, why Merlin’s wearing two watches, and why your hosts like sitting down.

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links

• Apple, the environment, and our health
• Apple – Press Info – Apple Advances Health Apps with CareKit
• “TED CRUZ” — A Bad Lip Reading – YouTube
• Heaven & Hell (band) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath album) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Imagine you are at a baseball game and a science fiction level of clouds appeared overhead. Click the headline link and take a look at these pictures from Friday’s Braves/Astros game. Holy cow.

I really miss the New York Auto Show. The Vancouver version is on now and it’s more of a “car dealer show”. Sadly, we get few of the “cool cars” the Detriot, LA and New York shows are lucky enough to see. I’d give up body parts for that 2017 Nissan GT-R.

This is one of my favorite tips to show to those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the iPhone’s OS. It’s really helpful because you can set customized vibrations so you don’t even need to look at the screen or hear the ringer to know who’s calling.

The line, “to protect viewers”, feels like a load of bull. If that’s what they were doing, why not be transparent about it and let the users make the decision whether or not they wanted to be throttled?

I find this whole story fascinating. Not just Microsoft’s seeming cluelessness about how this would turn out (entirely predictably) but how Twitter reacted to Tay (offensively and again, entirely predictable) and the hows and whys of AI chatbots in general.

Conan does a great job expressing what many people feel about Shandling. He really was special.

I took this picture in the hands on area after the Apple event on Monday. It’s actually the Space Black watch with the Space Black Milanese band, but the way the lighting was in the room, it turned into total gold. I thought it was interesting.

Apple Inc said the U.S. Justice Department’s new attempts to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters without the tech giant’s help could eliminate the government’s need for its assistance in a similar dispute in New York.

And

“On the other hand, if the DOJ claims that the method will not work on the iPhone here, Apple will seek to test that claim, as well as any claims by the government that other methods cannot be used,” Apple said in the letter.

If there is a flaw in its encryption, Apple wants to know what it is so it can lock it down. Makes perfect sense.

My Thanks to Marketcircle for sponsoring The Loop this week. Marketcircle develops small business apps exclusively for Mac & iOS. Daylite is a CRM & Project Management app. Billings Pro is a time-tracking and invoicing app. Daylite and Billings Pro are great for solopreneurs and SMBs from freelance designers to consultants and law firms. Work offline. Sync in the cloud. Visit Marketcircle’s website to learn more.

The Journal quoted Netflix as saying it had limited its videos to most wireless carriers across the globe, capping them at 600 kiliobits-per-second, to “protect consumers from exceeding mobile data caps.”

Okay, certainly not good without letting people know, but if you’re watching on a phone, you probably wouldn’t notice a quality difference.

“We’re outraged to learn that Netflix is apparently throttling video for their AT&T customers without their knowledge or consent,” Jim Cicconi, AT&T senior executive vice president of external and legislative affairs wrote in an email.

That made me laugh out loud. AT&T would probably do the same thing if they thought they could get away with it.

Apple, in a statement given to Rene Ritchie:

Updating some iOS devices (iPhone 5s and earlier and iPad Air and earlier) to iOS 9.3 can require entering the Apple ID and password used to set up the device in order to complete the software update,” an Apple spokesperson told iMore. “In some cases, if customers do not recall their password, their device will remain in an inactivated state until they can recover or reset their password. For these older devices, we have temporarily pulled back the update and will release an updated version of iOS 9.3 in the next few days that does not require this step.”

There’s also a support article.

I never really considered all of the data these cars would collect and how it would be used.

I’ve used these plu-gins in the past and they are very good. At the low, low price of free, they are even better. You can download them here.

I remember beta testing OS X. That first demo that Steve Jobs did on stage was amazing, but it took a few versions to reach its full potential.

U.S. officials said on Thursday that they are hopeful they will be able to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters without help from Apple Inc, but said the national debate over privacy and encryption must still be resolved.

I still think that if the government thought it could have won the case, it wouldn’t have vacated the court date. Either way the judge rules, it will set a precedent. It seems to me the government wasn’t confident enough to move forward.

One of my favorite bands of all time. Dave Mark sent this to me this morning and I couldn’t stop watching it.

This is another of those things that Apple does because it makes economic sense but has the additional benefit of making environmental sense.

Like most people on Monday, I was focused on the hardware product announcements at Apple’s special event, but there were some other very significant announcements by Apple executives, Lisa Jackson and Jeff Williams. […]

Apple has posted this really cool “Interactive Apple Watch Gallery”. You choose the size and style of the Apple Watch, then choose a strap, then a watch face. It’s a great way to see what different cases and straps look like in combination without having to go to the Apple Store. The only thing its missing is pricing of your choices.

You can now watch yesterday’s keynote address on Apple’s Website.

iOS 9.3 also adds support for playing video encoded with Dolby Digital Plus audio streams with support for multichannel output using the Apple Lightning® Digital AV Adapter.

This is significant news that slipped my attention yesterday. Listed in the iPad Pro press release under “Pro audio” is support for Dolby. I love Dolby and always have—I can’t wait to see how this sounds.

During a conference call with reporters late this afternoon, Apple lawyers confirmed that the court hearing schedule for tomorrow has been vacated. In addition, the order compelling Apple to assist the government in hacking the iPhone used in San Bernardino has been stayed. […]