CNBC:

When large tech companies including Apple and Facebook announced this week that they’d be donating stockpiles of protective masks to health workers around the world, some people may have wondered why they had them in the first place.

Executives said they had them in storage because of the recent spate of wildfires in California. They were required to have them by law.

In 2019, California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board adopted a regulation forcing employers to provide respiratory equipment, including N95 masks, for workers when the Air Quality Index, or AQI, reaches unhealthy levels.

After it was announced Apple was donating a large supply of masks, The Usual Suspects trotted out, conspiracy hats in hand, trying to figure out why Apple was “hoarding” masks. Well, here’s the explanation.

National Geographic:

Scattered amid a relentless barrage of news about COVID-19 case surges, quarantine orders, and medical supply shortages on Twitter this week, some happy stories softened the blows: Swans had returned to deserted Venetian canals. Dolphins too. And a group of elephants had sauntered through a village in Yunnan, China, gotten drunk off corn wine, and passed out in a tea garden.

These reports of wildlife triumphs in countries hard-hit by the novel coronavirus got hundreds of thousands of retweets. They went viral on Instagram and Tik Tok. They made news headlines. If there’s a silver lining of the pandemic, people said, this was it—animals were bouncing back, running free in a humanless world.

But it wasn’t real.

“Fake news” is everywhere, even in “good news” stories.

Matthew Panzarino, TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief, took his iPad Pro on a one-week trip to Brazil:

The trip changed my mind completely about whether I could run TechCrunch wholly from a tablet. It turns out that it was lighter, smoother and more willing than my MacBook at nearly every turn. I never went back.

Balance that comment with:

The new iPad Pro offers an attractive refresh for new buyers, but not current ones.

That last is not a complaint, as much as a note that the new A12Z Bionic processor appears to be in-line, power wise with the A12X in the previous iPad Pro, the so-called third generation, introduced in October 2018.

Obviously, there’s much more to this fourth gen iPad Pro, including the celebrated LiDAR Scanner (early days for AR, but a machine ready for those apps as they come), eight-core CPU and GPU, doubling of base storage to 128 GB and, of course, the soon-to-arrive Magic Keyboard.

Great, real world review. If you’re considering the new iPad Pro, this is worth reading.

If you’ve not visited Justin O’Beirne’s Apple Maps blog, bookmark this link and take a look around. A terrific Maps resource.

Note that you can subscribe both in RSS and email form (scroll all the way to the bottom).

DigiTimes:

Suppliers engaged in the supply chain for Apple’s new products featuring its redesigned scissor-switch Magic Keyboard are ramping up production and have seen no cutbacks in the orders despite concerns over the coronavirus, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

And:

So far, Apple has not cut any of its orders with the upstream supply chain for 2020, but related upstream suppliers are still closely monitoring the coronavirus development.

Note that the same Magic Keyboard scissor mechanism is used in the external Magic Keyboard, shipping in May, as well as internally in the new MacBook Air and the 16″ MacBook Pro.

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. told staff that some of its retail stores may reopen in April on a staggered basis and has extended remote work abilities for many employees through at least April 5.

And:

“For all of our retail stores outside of Greater China, we will reopen our stores on a staggered basis. At this time, we anticipate some stores may be able to open in the first half of April depending on the conditions in their community,” O’Brien wrote. “We will provide updates for each store as soon as specific dates are established.”

Take with a grain of salt, for many reasons, not the least of them being the unpredictable nature of the coronavirus spread.

That said, I’ll take it. A bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

BGR:

Ditching some or even all of the paid services you subscribe to now might mean missing out on some of your favorite new content as it airs, but some people might not have a choice right now. And keep in mind that this is a temporary solution — you can always cancel Netflix and all those other services for just a few months and then subscribe again when we make it to the other side of the coronavirus outbreak. In the meantime, we’re republishing our list of 10 free streaming sites that will help tide you over.

I certainly wouldn’t cancel Netflix for these alternatives but if you’re bored, there’s lots of options to “channel surf.” It also shows just how many streaming services are out there. I haven’t even heard of some of these.

I had a question: What’s the right way to disinfect my screens and keyboards without damaging them?

I did a lot of reading, found a lot of conflicting advice. Fortunately, I came across this Apple Support page, which offered this highlighted addition:

Is it OK to use a disinfectant on my Apple product?

Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don’t use on fabric or leather surfaces.

Good to know.

Launch your Music app, tap the For You tab, scroll that top row to the side, and you should see a “Get Up! Mix” slide into view. For me, it was the second item, right next to my Favorites Mix.

If you don’t see it, you can also ask Siri to:

Play Get Up Mix

Both worked for me, even on my HomePod.

As to the mix itself, I absolutely love it. Great selection of songs, all of them in line with music I love. Not a dud in the bunch. Definitely worth checking out.

Apple, on their developer site:

The macOS version of your app can now be included in a universal purchase, allowing customers to enjoy your app and in‑app purchases across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS by purchasing only once.

John Voorhees, MacStories:

Prior to universal purchase, Mac apps were treated as separate products by Apple’s stores, which meant developers had to either charge separately for apps and, in some cases, jump through complex receipt-checking hoops to bundle their apps. This change should make the process of charging a single price or signing up for one subscription for apps across the Mac, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS much simpler and will enable cross-platform In-App purchases too.

Universal purchase will certainly make life simpler, both for developers and for users.

Nikkei Asian Review:

Foxconn, the top assembler of Apple’s iPhones, said it has secured enough workers to meet “seasonal demand” at all major Chinese plants, stressing a steady recovery from the labor shortage caused by the novel coronavirus epidemic on the mainland.

And:

The company is expected to hit a peak production period after July to manufacture iPhones for release in the fall.

This is certainly good news for Apple and for the economy. But it only addresses the supply side of the equation. It remains to be seen when demand for electronics will recover, given the massive impact the coronavirus crisis has had on the stock market, jobs, and buyers’ budgets.

Over the weekend, Jeff Bezos sent out a memo to all employees. Follow the headline link to read the whole thing, but here are a few excerpts:

Across the world, people are feeling the economic effects of this crisis, and I’m sad to tell you I predict things are going to get worse before they get better. We’re hiring for 100,000 new roles and raising wages for our hourly workers who are fulfilling orders and delivering to customers during this period of stress and turmoil. At the same time, other businesses like restaurants and bars are being forced to shut their doors. We hope people who’ve been laid off will come work with us until they’re able to go back to the jobs they had.

And:

We’ve placed purchase orders for millions of face masks we want to give to our employees and contractors who cannot work from home, but very few of those orders have been filled. Masks remain in short supply globally and are at this point being directed by governments to the highest-need facilities like hospitals and clinics. It’s easy to understand why the incredible medical providers serving our communities need to be first in line. When our turn for masks comes, our first priority will be getting them in the hands of our employees and partners working to get essential products to people.

And:

My own time and thinking is now wholly focused on COVID-19 and on how Amazon can best play its role. I want you to know Amazon will continue to do its part, and we won’t stop looking for new opportunities to help.

Amazon is certainly filling a vital role during this crisis. I do worry about the fulfillment and delivery people at the front lines, in terms of potential exposure.

I also worry that Amazon is making further inroads on replacing mom and pop brick and mortar, shops that might never recover from this crisis, territory that Amazon might never give back. So the phrase “until they’re able to go back to the jobs they had” is a real question mark for me.

AppleInsider:

An occasional promotion has been relaunched by Apple, providing those who added credit to their Apple ID an extra bonus amount on top. Purchases will add an extra 10% of credit on top for a fund addition, worth up to $200 in the United States, 200 GBP in the United Kingdom, and up to 300 euro in some European territories, with similar offers provided in a number of other markets.

The bonus will only be applied to one purchase, according to the terms of the offer, meaning it will only apply on the first top-up purchased since the offer’s introduction. The offer stands until April 3, 2020, with eligibility of users varying based on their account information and purchase history.

If you use this promotion, it’s basically getting free money. And who can’t use a bit of extra money?

Stumbled on this Cake post over the weekend, wherein Cake co-founder Chris MacAskill talks about setting up a call with Intel CEO Andy Grove behind Steve Jobs’ back.

A tiny taste:

I got Andy’s assistant on the phone. His assistants were executives-in-training who spent 2 years mentoring under Andy. I explained that if Steve heard about this call I would be fired. I justified the call by saying sometimes history has shown you have to do the right thing and keep it secret from Steve until later, as the Mac team famously did when they hid a Sony engineer in the Apple building so Steve wouldn’t find out.

I said I had no idea what Steve’s relationship with Andy was. For all I knew, Steve thought Intel chips were shit (the word Steve would have used). But I knew Steve liked people at the top of their fields who admired and mentored him. Could I meet with Andy and explain our situation so Andy could call Steve?

Great read. If you’ve got some time on your hands.

In a nutshell, fire up Siri and ask:

Do I have coronavirus?

Siri will respond by running you through the current CDC protocol, asking about fever, dry cough, and exposure to other COVID-19 cases.

Works on HomePod Siri as well.

Interestingly, if you ask Siri if you have the Chinese virus, Siri will correct you, lead you down the path to learning about coronavirus.

Frank McShan, MacRumors:

Apple this past week had set purchase limits across several of its products. For example, the new ‌MacBook Air‌ and Mac mini were limited to five orders per customer, the new ‌iPad Pro‌ was limited to two 11-inch models per customer and two 12.9-inch models per customer, and iPhones were limited to two of each model per customer.

Why the limits? Could be a campaign to combat gray-market in response to supply chain shortages.

Why lift the limit? What changed? Not clear.

Jason Del Rey, Recode:

Amazon announced earlier this week that it would start prioritizing the most in-demand essential items in its warehouses, as the e-commerce giant struggles to keep up with customer demand during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Now the other shoe has dropped.

To be clear, there are definitely long shipping delays on certain items, but most Prime items I checked (as of this writing) still deliver in a few days. This is about demand and Amazon’s attempts to keep essential goods flowing.

One thing to keep in mind: Some delays don’t show up until checkout. On the product page, it might say 2 day shipping, but verify the arrival date on the checkout page before you complete your purchase.

Bradley Chambers, 9to5Mac:

Earlier today, the Apple Books app sent out a push notification offering a free Apple Book to users. The notification mentioned read-alongs for kids, cozy mysteries, and audiobooks for the whole family.

Welcome timing and worth checking out.

To get a sense of what’s free (limited time or not):

• Fire up the Books app on your iOS device
• Tap the Book Store tab
• Side scroll that first section to find “Free books for everyone, from kid…” (that’s what it says on my iPhone)
• Tap the image to take you to the Free Books collection
• Scroll down for other free content

TidBITS:

One of the best features of the Apple TV is its Aerial screen saver. That’s not hyperbole—Apple always makes a big deal out of the new scenes it adds to tvOS, often promoting them as a marquee feature of major tvOS updates. If you have liked these screen savers on your TV, you can get them on your Mac, thanks to the free and open-source app Aerial.

I’m not sure how the development team gets away with it (Aerial is currently maintained by Guillaume Louel), but Aerial has been available for five years without interference from Apple. Which is a good thing!

Many of these screen savers are spectacularly beautiful.

Ars Technica:

Microsoft Edge received the lowest privacy rating in a recently published study that compared the user information collected by major browsers. Yandex, the less-popular browser developed by the Russian Web search provider Yandex, shared that dubious distinction. Brave, the upstart browser that makes privacy a priority, ranked the highest.

The rankings were revealed in a research paper published by Trinity College Dublin computer scientist Doug Leith. He analyzed and rated the privacy provided by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Brave, Edge, and Yandex. Specifically, the study examined the browsers’ sending of data—including unique identifiers and details related to typed URLs—that could be used to track users over time. The findings put the browsers into three categories with Brave getting the highest ranking, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari receiving a medium ranking, and Edge and Yandex lagging behind the rest.

Not exactly surprising.

CNN:

Netflix and YouTube will reduce streaming quality in Europe for at least the next month to prevent the internet collapsing under the strain of unprecedented usage due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both companies said the measures will affect all video streams for 30 days.

The changes follow appeals from EU officials for streaming services and individual users to ditch high definition video to prevent the internet from breaking. With so many countries on forced lockdowns to fight the spread of the virus, hundreds of millions working from home and even more children out of school, the officials were concerned about the huge strain on the internet.

I’ve noticed this “slow down” (reduced quality) with YouTube videos here in Canada.

PPA:

Make the most of your downtime; over the next few weeks we are unlocking all of our education.

Times are tough – we need to be at our best. More kindness. More patience. More giving. And we at PPA want to pitch in to make things a little easier. What better way to spend your time at home than preparing your business for when things kick back into high gear?

That’s why PPA is opening ALL of our online education to ALL photographers and small business owners worldwide for the next two weeks.

All you need to do is create a free account to access over 1,100+ online classes. If you already have a PPA account, login to access all of PPA’s education.

More and more organizations are stepping up and helping out like this.

Oh You Pretty Things:

Filmmaker Gary Hustwit is streaming his documentaries free worldwide during the global COVID crisis. Each week we’ll be posting another film here. We hope you enjoy them, and please stay strong.

Helvetica is a feature-length documentary about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives.

It’s a bit dated but still a great film to watch.

Affinity:

With all that’s going on right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in response to the many stories we’re hearing from the creative community about how they’re being severely impacted, we felt it was our responsibility to try to offer as much support as possible during this incredibly difficult time.

That’s why we’ve put in place three new measures which we hope will help at least some of you out there. These are:

A new 90-day free trial of the Mac and Windows versions of the whole Affinity suite

A 50% discount for those who would rather buy and keep the apps on Mac, Windows PC and iPad

A pledge to engage more than 100 freelance creatives for work, spending the equivalent of our annual commissioning budget in the next three months (more details of this will be announced soon).

Your move, Adobe.