Makers of the Snuggie blanket and other products sold mainly on TV have sued Amazon.com Inc, accusing the internet retailer of trademark infringement for letting an “astronomical” number of counterfeit products to be sold through its website.

I’m glad to see that someone finally stepped up and is holding Amazon’s feet to the fire. The amount of counterfeit products being sold on Amazon is outrageous and they are doing nothing about it. If this lawsuit is successful, Amazon better watch out because the floodgates will open.

The California Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said Apple Inc agreed to pay $450,000 to settle state claims that it had mishandled hazardous electronic waste at facilities in Silicon Valley.

I’ll be honest, everything about this story seems so unlike Apple. It’s like the opposite of Apple.

Wait a minute. Didn’t Samsung just ridicule Apple for getting rid of the headphone jack? Yes they did. At the time they did that, I said:

I’m saving this video for later because Samsung is pretty quick to copy everything Apple does.

I also said:

Pay your debt to Apple, Samsung, you thieving bastards.

Which I still stand by.

The Fairchild 670 and 660 are the most coveted vintage compressor/limiters in the world, with good reason. These 20-tube tone titans — which now fetch upwards of $50,000 — impart an unmistakable silky warmth heard on hundreds of hit records from the Beatles and Pink Floyd to countless Motown classics.

I love the sound of the Fairchild. The UA emulation of this classic compressor is amazing.

Om Malik:

I applaud that Facebook has taken the first step. However, I have doubts that the $20 million it is contributing toward affordable housing in East Palo Alto and Menlo Park is the answer. It is a perfect example of short-term thinking and trying to assuage your internal guilt with a check to charity.

I don’t know what the answer is here, but I do know how real the problem is in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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My thanks to Secrets for sponsoring The Loop this week.

Secrets is now Free on the App Store! Secrets is a simple, secure password manager for Mac and iOS. It leverages industry standard encryption algorithms to provide secure storage and macOS and iOS native features to facilitate automatic filling of logins in the browser.

Version 2.0 is the culmination of months of testing in the real world. Bugs have been squashed, important features have been added and polish has been applied throughout. With this new version you can use Secrets and all of its features for Free with up to 10 items.

Download it now on the App Store or the Mac App Store.

Nokia smartphones are poised for a comeback after former managers at the Finnish company licensed the handset brand from Microsoft and struck up partnerships with Google and phone manufacturer Foxconn.

I agree that Nokia had a strong brand at one time, but this will be a tough sell.

Wearable action-camera maker GoPro Inc said on Wednesday it would cut about 15 percent of its workforce and shutter its entertainment business, as the one-time Wall Street favorite cuts costs to help it return to profitability.

I hate seeing people lose their jobs.

You see, traditional virtual instruments are sample-based, meaning that sound is produced by triggering recorded samples of instruments. MODO BASS isn’t a sample-based instrument, but rather a completely new technology where sound is generated by recreating the physical properties of a real instrument — everything that makes an instrument create sound is physically modeled and sound is synthesized in real time.

I’m looking forward to seeing this at NAMM in January.

“When we catch you, and we will catch you,” the department added, “on top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a years driving suspension we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the offices copy of Nickelback in the cruiser on the way to jail.”

In honor of World AIDS Day, Apple is offering more ways than ever for customers to join (RED) in its mission to create an AIDS-free generation. Apple is the world’s largest corporate contributor to the Global Fund, and this year marks its 10th anniversary of supporting (RED) in the fight to end AIDS.

Apple is really turning up the support this year. Respect.

I love a great compressor in my mixes. Universal Audio has the best audio plug-ins on the market and the new API 2500 Bus Compressor is no exception. There is a video on the page, as well as audio examples.

The ride-hailing app, which expanded into Europe five years ago, has come under attack from established taxi companies and some EU countries because it is not bound by strict local licensing and safety rules which apply to some of its competitors.

Uber’s dispute with Barcelona’s main taxi operator, which in 2014 accused it of running an illegal taxi service via its UberPOP service, is seen as a landmark case which could lead the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) to label it a transport company rather than a digital service.

That is the crux of the argument—is Uber a transport or digital company? Arguments can be made for both sides. I haven’t used a taxi since Uber and Lyft started offering their service. All the legal arguments aside, the app-based services are much better, friendlier, and professional than any taxi service I’ve ever used.

Shoppers spent $3.45 billion on Cyber Monday on Samsung 4K TVs, PlayStation 4s and Barbie dolls among other products, marking the largest online sales day in U.S. history.

Top-selling electronics by units on the day include Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Microsoft’s Xbox gaming consoles as well as Samsung 4K TVs, Apple iPhones and Amazon’s Fire tablets.

Wow, that is a lot of money. I find it interesting that many of the electronic items are in the high-end category, but yet Amazon’s Fire tablet made the list. It makes me wonder how consumers view the tablet category.

Some fun from The New Yorker.

I haven’t been able to find a list of channels the new service will offer, but it seems clear they are going after PlayStation Vue and Sling TV.

Secrets is now Free on the App Store! Secrets is a simple, secure password manager for Mac and iOS. It leverages industry standard encryption algorithms to provide secure storage and macOS and iOS native features to facilitate automatic filling of logins in the browser.

Version 2.0 is the culmination of months of testing in the real world. Bugs have been squashed, important features have been added and polish has been applied throughout. With this new version you can use Secrets and all of its features for Free with up to 10 items.

Download it now on the App Store or the Mac App Store.

MY thanks to Hullo for sponsoring The Loop this week.

This Holiday season, give the gift of good sleep with Hullo buckwheat pillow. Hullo is a unique and thoughtful gift that even the most discerning sleeper can appreciate.

Hullo buckwheat pillow:

• allows air to move freely through the pillow’s buckwheat hull fill, preventing uncomfortable heat build up.
• is manufactured in the USA with organic and all-natural materials.
• is biodegradable.
• has a high level of customer satisfaction.

Avoid the Black Friday crowds and save money—every Hullo order ships fast and free. Order today at hullopillow.com.

This is hilarious and sad all at the same time. An entire generation that expects everything to be handed to them.

I see why some people think Designed by Apple in California could be Ive’s goodbye to Apple. But it feels to me like Ive’s heartfelt goodbye to his best friend and colleague, five years gone. I don’t think Jony Ive is going anywhere.

I agree with Gruber on this. Although, I do think Jony is taking a higher level view of design for Apple these days.

According to industry sources on Nov. 21, the Korean tech giant plans to launch a new glossy black version of the flagship smartphone early next month.

Of course they will.

This is very cool. I need one of these.

This Holiday season, give the gift of good sleep with Hullo buckwheat pillow. Hullo is a unique and thoughtful gift that even the most discerning sleeper can appreciate.

Hullo buckwheat pillow:

• allows air to move freely through the pillow’s buckwheat hull fill, preventing uncomfortable heat build up.
• is manufactured in the USA with organic and all-natural materials.
• is biodegradable.
• has a high level of customer satisfaction.

Avoid the Black Friday crowds and save money—every Hullo order ships fast and free. Order today at hullopillow.com.

Om had some interesting things to say in the article. Personally, I use both iPad and Mac, but I use them in different ways. I think each device is suited for, and excels at, their own set of unique tasks.

Today we are pleased to announce PlayStation Vue’s expansion to Apple TV. As one of the most highly requested devices by our fans, the PlayStation Vue experience on Apple TV will provide viewers with a better option to watch your favorite live TV programming, with unique streaming features such as cloud DVR, simultaneous streaming, and no long-term contract commitments.

I wonder how popular services like this are for people. There are still channels missing that I would like to watch, but Vue and SlingTV are making strong plays for customers.

My thanks to Timing for sponsoring The Loop this week.

When was the last time you were frustrated with your time tracking app,
for example because you had forgotten to set a timer?

Or when you wondered what you spent all your time on today?

Timing solves this problem. Instead of making you do all the work, Timing automatically tracks how you spend your time. It logs which apps you use, which websites you visit, and which documents you edit.

Timing is essential for anyone serious about their time — power users and freelancers alike. Download the free trial now and on Friday review exactly what you did this week, down to the second.

Use coupon code THELOOP to get a 25% discount till next Monday.

Good ad/idea.

So Apple has been syncing call log history and some people have been reporting this as a major problem. Here’s Apple’s statement:

This is hilarious.