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The Verge:

Adele’s 25 is the biggest album in the world right now, and it’s made it there all without a single stream on Spotify. In fact, it might have made it there because there hasn’t been a single stream on Spotify: Adele and her label made the decision not to stream 25 anywhere online, encouraging people to actually buy the album or its songs outright. But despite the ban, some services have songs from 25 up streaming.

25 isn’t on Pandora because Adele specifically wanted it there. It’s on Pandora because Adele and her label don’t have a say.

This is a great example of the giant hairball that is streaming services and the confusion that consumers have with regards to which service does what and how they play you music.

Alphr:

With the teetering stack of virtual reality headsets coming to market over the next year, eyes in the tech sector are being consistently turned towards facial recognition software. While Facebook has made moves to develop facial mapping technology for the Oculus Rift, news has now emerged of an intriguing buy up by Apple.

The company has announced that it has acquired Faceshift, a Zurich-based startup responsible for developing technology capable of real-time facial-capture and avatar creation. The tech boasts plenty of high-profile use, having even been used in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens to give alien characters an extra semblance of reality.

Could Apple really be interested in any aspect of Virtual Reality? I think this buy is fascinating but I don’t think it’s use inside the company will be as obvious as many are assuming.

Softorino:

We — as indie developers of these 4 apps, have gathered together to deliver the most essential event for movie lovers in 2015. Each one of our apps is a blockbuster itself. Each of us has its own story, but we all share the same goal — enhance your movie viewing experience as much as possible, on any device.This Black Friday, for the first time ever — we unite together to bring you the best of experiences in a single Blockbuster Kit.

I use Waltr and Beamer all the time and love the apps. I don’t usually recommend this kind of deal because you often end up with filler apps but all four of these apps are really useful and, at a pre-order price of $25, it’s a really great deal in my opinion.

CBC:

Wormholes, warp speed, space-time anomalies — science fiction wouldn’t be the same without Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. And in the real world, we would probably also notice a few things missing from our lives.

The German-born physicist finished presenting his groundbreaking theory to the scientific world at the Prussian Academy of Sciences exactly 100 years ago today.

It was a simple, elegant set of equations that described space-time as a stretchy, flexible fabric, and gravity as deformations in space-time rather than a “force.”

I remember first learning about the general theory of relativity in school and being completely blown away by it. I have never fully understood it but the ideas, concepts and things it made possible opened my young mind to the power of the universe and the utter brilliance of Einstein.

California Sunday Magazine:

Over the years football coaches have found on the island a ready inventory of large, big-boned, and nimble Samoans, with the kind of solid base that football coaches love: massive from the waist down but still able to move their feet. Samoans’ facility with footwork is often attributed to tribal dances and the common practice of going barefoot. Their love of combat is derived from a fierce warrior culture that goes back hundreds of years.

With an upbringing that stresses hard work, discipline, and devotion to authority, both heavenly and earthbound, Polynesians have come to be considered the ultimate clay from which to mold a football player. It is as if a childhood of gentle obedience translates into a passion for ferocious violent contact, the kind of collisions that resonate through a stadium and electrify the crowd.

If you are a football fan, the men of Samoa are familiar to you. Even if you’re not a fan, it’s an interesting story and one common among Blacks in America regarding basketball and Dominicans regarding baseball. There’s often nothing else to do and it’s seen as the only way to a better life.

Daily Dot:

When a movie’s license expires or the work ceases to be owned by a corporation or a private individual, it’s essentially a public good and is freely distributable. Thus, while you can always briefly find studio classics like All About Eve, The Palm Beach Story, or Rebecca on the site, posters are often breaking copyright laws to do so, and the films are likely to be removed as quickly as they went up.

Luckily though, you don’t have to commit a crime to watch good movies for free—and maybe get a bit of a film history lesson in the process. All you need to know is what to watch and where to watch it.

There are some great movies on this list and they run the gamut from screwball comedy to film noir to scifi to horror.

Apple:

The Godfather stands alongside classics like Citizen Kane in the ranks of the greatest American movies of all time. Director Francis Ford Coppola and author Mario Puzo adapted Puzo’s 1969 novel with an incredible degree of skill, patience, and emotional depth. It’s an old-fashioned gangster film that offers a probing look at the American dream. Marlon Brando invests the centerpiece role with the essence of his knowledge of what’s right. The movie contains so many great scenes and so much memorable dialogue–from its opening line, the heavily accented, “I believe in America,” to the final shot of a shutting door–that it’s impossible to name its finest moment. it was the high-grossing film of all time until Jaws, and it won three Oscars, including Best Picture.

You lucky US-based readers can grab the trilogy for only $10 on the iTunes Store. Don’t wait – no telling how long this deal will be available. If you’ve never seen these movies, I can’t recommend them highly enough, although the third is the weakest link in the chain.

Forbes:

Once upon a time in a land called Hollywood, casting a big star was an investment that paid for itself in box office returns. That financial fairy tale is now pure fiction: The biggest box office flops of 2015 include vehicles fronted by Bradley Cooper, George Clooney and Johnny Depp, among others.

Topping the turkey pile is Bill Murray’s Rock The Kasbah, an offbeat and off-color comedy in which a washed-up tour manager (Murray) finds himself in Kabul trying to turn a young Afghani woman into a TV singing competition winner. The fish out of water story was universally panned by critics and flailed like an asphyxiating goldfish, grossing just $2.9 million on an estimated $15 million production budget. With a dismal 19% return on production costs–and just an 8% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes–Rock The Kasbah leads our list of 2015′s biggest flops.

How many of these flops did you contribute to by not going to see them?

Pete Smith:

I’m very lucky to have a fantastic family and a some seriously good friends despite the fact that I have neglected our relationships at times. They are, without exception, highly emotionally intelligent and can empathise with my current situation.

The key thing that I am doing differently right now is talking to those around me. I am trying to maintain a constant dialogue about my progress so that I cannot simply slip off the radar and assume the bad habits I desperately want to avoid. But like I say, I’m not great at asking for help so even though I know how approachable my circle is, that’s no guarantee that I’ll vocalise it when I begin to slip.

With all of this in mind, the following seemed a great solution to me.

Smith has created an app that will help him and his friends and family be aware of his depression and reach out to them in times of trouble. It’s an interesting idea and he is looking for input. If you or someone you know struggles with depression, check out the story and tell Smith whether or not you’d be interested in a full blown app as he describes it.

Christian Science Monitor:

Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian, who doesn’t exactly struggle to afford a plane ticket, can now likely fly free, in first class, with his whole family, anywhere in the world, for the rest of his life.

All because he bought a painting.

Liu was the winning bidder for Amedeo Modigliani’s “Reclining Nude” at a Christie’s auction earlier this month— offering $170.4 million— and when the sale closes he’ll be putting it on his American Express card.

I saw an Amex Black Card once many years ago. Guy bought a package of cigarettes at a gas station. I wanted to punch him.

Glance is the first conference dedicated to the business of Apple Watch.

With more than seven million units sold in its first six months, the Apple Watch platform has already grown larger than the iPhone did in its first year. Given its rate of software updates and unique hardware extensibility, the Watch offers new dimensions for developers to consider.

I’ll be going to this.

What’s your plan when your Mac’s hard drive dies? Plan ahead and get back to work in minutes with a Carbon Copy Cloner bootable backup. CCC—the app that saves your bacon.

Jim’s Note: I’ve used this app for many years. I trust and love it.

Guinness World Records:

Taking place in Erfoud, Morocco, the blast had a total yield of 68.47 tonnes of TNT equivalent and was the result of detonating 8,418 litres of kerosene with 33 kg of powder explosives – and it lasted for over 7.5 seconds.

I saw and enjoyed this movie and, while watching this scene, I thought, “That seems like a very big, long explosion!” I didn’t realize it was a world record-setting stunt.

MIC:

Nestled in west Brooklyn beside the charmingly putrid Gowanus Canal and the hip Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club is a massive, ramshackle warehouse. Stretching nearly halfway down the block, it announces its presence with a homemade sandwich board and a brightly painted exterior.

Officially, it’s called the Lower East Side Ecology Center Electronic Waste Recycling Warehouse. Casually, it’s known as the Gowanus E-Waste Warehouse, and it’s the place that thousands of pieces of discarded electronics — old and new, junky and shiny, big and small — call home.

Don’t lie – some of you are planning a trip to there right now, aren’t you?

CBS News:

The holidays bring out Americans’ philanthropic impulses. That may be an understatement for Carol Suchman.

Suchman told CBS MoneyWatch that she often buys birthday gifts for children in the foster system, and so always is on the lookout for toy stores. When she recently walked by a toy store in her West Village neighborhood in Manhattan that had closed down, she said she was inspired to take action.

“The toys in there looked so sad, and they were gathering dust,” she said. “It occurred to me we should bring those toys to where they should be going — to all the homeless kids in the city.”

As a kid, my mom had to use these social services on several occasions to make sure we had one or two toys under our Christmas tree. You might be surprised how important these kinds of gifts are to children in need at this time of year. Reading stories like this brings a tear to my eye and almost reaffirms my faith in humanity. Almost.

New plastic money coming from Bank of England, and an illustrated history of American money design.

This is a great post, especially when he brings in the conversation from “Good Will Hunting”.

The New York Times:

For those who own Japanese toilets, there is a cultish devotion. They boast heated seats, a bidet function for a rear cleanse and an air-purifying system that deodorizes during use. The need for toilet paper is virtually eliminated (there is an air dryer) and “you left the lid up” squabbles need never take place (the seat lifts and closes automatically in many models).

When I was in Tokyo and had to use one of these, I was completely embarrassed by my inability to figure out how to use it. I literally had to ask my host how to operate the toilet.

I laughed and nearly spit out my coffee when I read Gruber’s comment about Jimmy Iovine.

Thanks to Pad & Quill for sponsoring The Loop this week. Pad & Quill is offering beautiful wood and leather accessories for iPhone, Apple Watch and more. I have one of their Backpacks and absolutely love it! They are offering Loop readers a 10% discount on any order including the new Minneapolis made Lowry Leather Cuff and Lowry Leather Band for Apple Watch. Code: LOOP15.

Lowry Leather Band Features

• USA made leather strap for Apple Watch
• Each craftsman personally signs your strap’s interior
• Full-grain vegetable-tanned leather from Horween Tannery
• Rugged Stitching that is hand tied off
• Velvet soft suede interior finish
• 3 beautiful color options
• 25 Year Leather Warranty
• 30 Day Money Back Promise

I’ve mentioned how much I love their products before—now you can get quality cases for the iPad Pro.

There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not the iPad Pro can replace your Mac as a primary device. I think the simply answer to that question is, yes, it can. However, for me, the bigger question is do I want the iPad to replace my Mac? The answer to that question is, no.

I own a lot of Toontrack products and they are all fantastic. This company gets music creation for all genres, but especially Metal.

Brilliant.

Some of these are really great. Definitely worth making your way through the post.

Amazon:

Amazon’s Two-Step Verification adds an additional layer of security to your account. Instead of simply entering your password, Two-Step Verification requires you to enter a unique security code in addition to your password during sign in.

You’ll enter your sign in information like you normally would, but then you’ll be prompted to enter a security code. You can receive this security code in a variety of ways depending on the option you select during sign up, including text message, voice call, or authenticator app.

Some folks will think this kind of security is inconvenient. But any time I give a company my credit card info and I want that info stored on their site, I feel more comfortable if the site offers this additional level of security.

Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. and Google Inc. face renewed calls to create a workaround for smartphone encryption in the wake of the Paris attacks as Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. proposed a compromise that seeks to mollify privacy advocates.

Vance and FBI Director James Comey echoed recent comments by CIA and Justice Department officials who cite the need for access to stay a step ahead of terrorists who may use encryption to hide planned attacks. Underlining their point, French authorities said predawn raids in a Paris suburb were triggered by information gleaned from a discarded mobile phone.

“The line to protect the public should not be drawn by two companies who make smartphones,” Vance said Wednesday at a cybersecurity conference in New York where he unveiled a 42-page white paper on the issue. His plan would require companies to download data for investigators with a warrant, rather than providing the government with a “backdoor.”

Let’s hope these companies continue to push back against the government’s desire to use our devices against us.

You know how when you turn your face up into the bright sunlight, even on the coldest winter day, it can totally lift your mood? Well, that’s what our latest limited-edition, seasonal release is all about.

I love Field Notes. I’ve had them with me for years for jotting notes and doing interviews.

Dan and Jim talk about the Australian Apple Store incident, a converged iPad/Mac, the iPad Pro, setting up an iMac for guitar jams, and more.

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Longreads:

The job of pilots like Royal is to fly directly at monstrous thunderstorms—something most pilots diligently avoid, given that the turbulent airflow in these storms occasionally brings down commercial jetliners—and discharge chemicals into a particular part of the cloud, a technique called “cloud seeding” intended to suppress the storm’s ability to produce hail.

But on this late June day, the storm racing across the prairie is outmaneuvering the 22-year-old Texan pilot. “I started approaching from the east, which is the front of the storm and should have been kind of calm,” says Royal, “but it was so turbulent that my seatbelt wouldn’t even stay fastened.”

I’m not a good flyer at the best of times. There’s not enough money in the world to get me to get into one of those little planes on a good day, let alone to fly deliberately into a thunderstorm.