"Inside the secret meeting where Apple revealed the state of its AI research" ["One presentation slide that summarized the company's research featured two pictures of cars, to illustrate 'volumetric detection of LiDAR' and 'prediction of structured outputs.' Both LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging (similar to radar but with lasers), and prediction of physical events are important building blocks of today's self-driving car technologies. However, two attendees of the presentation, who asked not to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the content, both stressed that the company made no mention of cars or automotive ambitions."] Quartz 1:12 PM
"Supreme Court leaves gap in Samsung-Apple patent ruling: The court did not provide guidance on a test for 'article of manufacture' for determining damages" IDG News Service 6:54 AM
"Samsung triumphs over Apple in US Supreme Court patent row" BBC 7:01 AM
"Americans Are Paying Apple Millions to Shelter Overseas Profits: Over the years, Apple Inc. has become the poster child for U.S. multinationals accused of sheltering overseas profits to avoid the IRS. What's gone largely unnoticed is that it's been paid more than half a billion dollars by the U.S. government to do just that." Bloomberg 7:55 AM
"US paid Apple at least $600M on foreign cash held as bonds since 2012" AppleInsider 7:14 PM
"iOS Share Driven Higher by iPhone 7/7 Plus Sales" ["In the US, iOS grew 7% points year-over-year, from 33.5% of smartphone sales to 40.5% in the three months ending October 2016. This represents the strongest rate of growth for the OS in more than two years, as well as the highest share seen since the three months ending January 2015 (42.8%)."] Kantar Worldpanel 6:57 AM
"iPhone grabs a bigger slice of US phone market in wake of Note 7 debacle: Missing headphone jack is apparently a 'non-issue' for Americans" The Verge 6:58 AM
"Apple on two-year high thanks to iPhone 7" Financial Times [Paid Membership Required] 12:55 PM
"Apple supplier Foxconn is in talks to invest in the U.S." ["The company was responding to the appearance of Foxconn's name on a document carried by a top Japanese tech CEO in a meeting Tuesday with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. After the meeting, Trump took credit for a planned $50 billion investment in U.S. startups by the Japanese company, Softbank (SFTBF), that he said would create 50,000 jobs."] CNNMoney 6:53 AM
"iPhone supplier Foxconn mulls US expansion: Foxconn tells The Wall Street Journal it's in talks to build out its current stateside operations." CNET 3:04 PM
"Apple is still thinking about replacing 'everything in your wallet', says Apple Pay boss Jennifer Bailey: Credit cards, transit passes — are digital ID cards next?" Recode 7:14 AM
"Trio of new AMD GPU references for possible Mac refresh found in latest macOS Sierra beta" AppleInsider 7:18 AM
"New MacBook Pros plagued by complaints about battery life and graphics glitches: Craig Federighi promises that macOS Sierra 12.2.2 will fix the MacBook Pro's GPU problem." Macworld 1:16 PM
"Apple Releases Safari Technology Preview 19 With Touch Bar Support for Webkit" MacRumors 12:25 PM
AppleCare/Troubleshooting
"macOS 10.12.2 Fixes Time Machine Backup Crashing Issue on New MacBook Pro" MacRumors 6:43 PM
"How to deal with Mac irritations: 2016 edition" Mac Kung Fu 12:25 PM
Reviews/How-To/Tips
"The indispensables: Essential software for your working Mac and iOS device" Macworld 7:17 AM
"Apple Said in Talks With Film Studios for Early Movie Rental: Apple Inc. is pressing Hollywood studios for earlier access to movies, according to people with knowledge of the matter, a move that would bolster the company's iTunes business." Bloomberg 1:17 PM
"An oral history of 'Get a Mac,' Part 2" Campaign US 1:48 PM
"November set App Store's 'highest monthly sales ever,' says Apple's Schiller" AppleInsider 10:54 AM
"Apple and Spotify are generating $7 billion a year in streaming music revenue: 60 million subscribers a year." Recode 7:14 AM
"Apple Music Hits 20 Million Subscribers; Execs Want 'More, Faster -- We're Hungry!'" Billboard 6:50 AM
"Apple Music attracts 20 million subscribers in 18 months" BBC 6:56 AM
"Apple Music now has 20 million subscribers" Business Insider 6:56 AM
"Apple Music now has 20M paid subscribers, half that of Spotify" Digital Trends 7:15 AM
"Apple Music is gaining steam, but it can't catch Spotify" Business Insider 2:30 PM
"Apple Music surpasses 20 million subscribers" CNET 6:52 AM
"Apple, Square Announce New Payments Partnership" Investopedia 7:55 AM
"Discounts, advertising spur brisk Apple Watch sales" Reuters 7:30 AM
"35 percent of US merchants accept Apple Pay" The Verge 7:17 AM
"One of Amazon's most 'underappreciated' businesses is already way ahead of Apple and Google" Business Insider 3:02 PM
"Slow Uptake for Apple's Deep Learning Tools" The Information [Subscription Required for Full Article] 11:22 AM
"Apple's single sign-on for Apple TV and iOS is live: A limited number of cable subscribers across the nation can now forget about signing in to endless apps with their cable provider credentials." Macworld 11:22 AM
"ABC and Disney add support for Apple's new single sign-on feature" The Verge 7:08 PM
"Apple's Single Sign-On feature gains support for Disney and ABC apps" 9to5Mac 7:57 PM
"iPhone is the camera used most in millions of photos on Flickr" Cult of Mac 8:10 AM
"Again, iPhone is the default camera" Om Malik 12:22 PM
"Plans for future Apple Store at Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. moving forward with 10-year lease proposed" 9to5Mac 3:12 PM
"Apple is going start publishing its AI research: The notoriously secretive organisation is going to start sharing its research into AI in a move that may help advance its efforts." CNET 6:49 AM
"Digitimes Research: Global tablet shipments in 4Q16 to reach 51.29 million" DigiTimes 6:59 AM
"Glassdoor Announces Winners Of Its Employees' Choice Awards Recognizing The Best Places To Work In 2017" ["Glassdoor's 50 Best Places to Work in 2017 list features winning employers across diverse industries spanning technology, consulting, travel and tourism, consumer goods, retail, food services and more. Bain & Company is the first company to rank No. 1 three times (2017, 2014 and 2012), and is among only three employers that have made this list for nine consecutive years. The other two employers include Google (No. 4, 4.4 rating) and Apple (No. 36, 4.2 rating)."] PRNewswire 7:38 AM
"These were Apple's most popular apps of 2016" AFP Relax News 6:57 AM
"Today in Apple history: Apple opens its first three-story retail store" Cult of Mac 8:33 AM
Non-Apple News
"Bluetooth 5 With 4x Longer Range and 2x Faster Speed is Officially Approved" MacRumors 9:14 PM
"AT&T touts Time Warner merger at U.S. Senate hearing" Reuters 4:27 PM
"AT&T and Time Warner accidentally argue against their own merger" The Verge 3:38 PM
"AT&T CEO defends Time Warner merger from critics in Congress" Ars Technica 3:32 PM
"Bluetooth 5's faster, longer-ranged wireless is here: The standard, that is: it'll be a few months before devices show up." Engadget 2:04 PM
"Automated Assistants Will Soon Make a Bid for Your Finances" New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required] 12:01 PM
"T-Mobile launches iMessage-incompatible 'Digits' virtual phone number service beta test" AppleInsider 2:30 PM
"T-Mobile announces Digits: one phone number for all your devices" The Verge 11:43 AM
"With new 'Digits' technology, T-Mobile eyes a new target for disruption: the phone number" GeekWire 11:34 AM
"AT&T CEO: Time Warner Deal Would 'Disrupt' Cable TV Model" Dow Jones Newswires 8:40 AM
"Everysight's smartglasses give cyclists a fighter jet display" VentureBeat 8:10 AM
"Pebble Is Dead, and Its Customers Are Completely Screwed" Gizmodo 12:35 PM
"Fitbit Buyout Will See Pebble's Time 2 and Core Wearables Canceled, Refunds Issued" MacRumors 7:17 AM
"Jack Dorsey has done a good job of hiring women into positions of power" Recode 7:14 AM
"Samsung set to remove headphone jack on Galaxy S8" Telegraph 7:10 AM
"Malicious online ads expose millions to possible hack" IDG News Service 6:54 AM
Publications/Podcasts
"Living with Apple's Touch Bar, the Reverse Toaster Fridge -ACM 388" The Mac Observer 9:13 PM
"MacBook Pro USB-C Donglegate -TMO Daily Observations 2016-12-07" The Mac Observer 1:17 PM
"Episode 150: 'State of Automation'" The Committed 7:11 AM
"Let's Talk Jailbreak 156: It gets better" iDownload Blog 7:10 AM
"iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus rumored to come in a brand new Red color option" iDownload Blog 10:52 AM
"Apple reportedly introducing a red chassis color option with new 'iPhone 7s' in 2017" 9to5Mac 10:55 AM
"A red iPhone? Rumors say it could be one of three new iPhones" CNET 1:27 PM
"Apple 'iPhone 7s' rumored to retain iPhone 7 design, debut without wireless charging" AppleInsider 6:44 PM
"Gene Munster predicts Apple will release folding iPhone" Business Insider 11:24 AM
"Apple says iPhones safe despite China fires" BBC 7:00 AM
"iPhone sudden shutdown problem expands as Apple reacts to Chinese watchdog: Company to include diagnostic tools in next week's iOS 10.2 update in attempt to figure out cause" Computerworld 3:04 PM
"Apple Admits iPhones Have A Problem: It had to happen. In the face of overwhelming pressure from users and a stark warning from China's Consumer Association government watchdog, Apple AAPL +0.75% has gone on record and admitted iPhone battery problems are more widespread than it initially claimed. But there's a twist..." Forbes 6:48 AM
"Apple admits that iPhone 6S battery issue is more widespread than it initially thought" V3 7:11 AM
"Apple Points Finger At External Physical Damage As Root Cause Of iPhone 6 Battery Fires In China" HotHardware 4:25 PM
"Could Apple Dump Intel as a Supplier?" Investopedia 10:53 AM
"Apple adds ability to schedule third-party service appointments online for Mac, iPhone, iPad" AppleInsider 12:54 PM
"Apple customers can now schedule Authorized Service Provider appointments along side Genius Bar" 9to5Mac 2:51 PM
"Apple Seeds Seventh Beta of iOS 10.2 to Developers and Public Beta Testers" MacRumors 12:01 PM
"Apple releases iOS 10.2 beta 7 for developer + public beta iPhones and iPads" 9to5Mac 12:01 PM
AppleCare/Helps
"2016 MacBook Pro battery complaints grow for both 13- and 15-inch models" 9to5Mac 10:54 AM
"Apple believes 2016 MacBook Pro graphics issues are addressed in macOS 10.12.2 update, according to Craig Federighi email" 9to5Mac 8:10 AM
"Apple blames MacBook Pro graphics issues on bad software" BGR 7:28 PM
Price Trackers/Deals
"15" MacBook Pro Prices & Sales" MacPrices 7:15 AM
"13" MacBook Pro Prices & Sales" MacPrices 7:15 AM
"2016 MacBook Pro with Touch Bar vs. 2015 MacBook Pro" Cult of Mac 2:04 PM
"Review: Netgear's Nighthawk X10 may just be the $500 router you need" The Next Web 7:53 AM
"Review: Comparing Google Wifi to other mesh networking heavyweights/Which should you use to drench your house in sweet, sweet Wi-Fi signals?" Ars Technica 7:02 AM
"NuPower 60W USB-C Power Adapter review: Simultaneously charge your MacBook and iPhone with one adapter" Macworld 8:34 AM
"Review: QardioArm & QardioBase bring modern, attractive, and portable health tracking home" 9to5Mac 3:01 PM
"olloclip kicks iPhoneography up a notch with Connect interchangeable lenses" Apple World Today 7:08 AM
"Twelve South's HiRise Duet keeps your iPhone and Apple Watch charged simultaneously" iDownload Blog 7:15 AM
iPad/iPhone/iPod touch Apps
"'Pianista' Review - A Music Game That Goes Bach to the Basics" Touch Arcade 2:41 PM
"Nicki Minaj's mobile game is about the music, not just the Kardashian-style fame perks" Macworld 8:33 AM
How-To/Tutorial
"How to Use Safari Split View on iPad for Side-by-Side Web Browsing" OS X Daily 3:01 PM
"Everything at Apple Watch is awesome, insists Tim Cook" The Register 7:50 AM
"Did Tim Cook Really Dispute Reports of Poor Apple Watch Sales?" The Tech Night Owl 7:45 AM
"Apple's Ordinary, Extraordinary Day Shows Both Its Power And Limits" Forbes 7:34 AM
"Apple's new Single Sign On feature needs an asterisk" Six Colors 7:11 AM
"Apple Music hits 20 million subscribers by focusing on Hip-Hop" ["I've said this since the launch of Apple Music, but it seems very clear now. 'Music' is no longer in Apple's DNA—hip-hop is what's important to Apple. Again, it's a numbers game."] The Loop 7:05 AM
Non-Apple
"Pebble is Kickstarter's worst failure" BGR 6:35 PM
"This chart shows how Amazon could become the first $1 trillion company" Business Insider 1:59 PM
"Neural Networks Can Now Turn a Single Photo Into a Creepy 3D Face Render" Gizmodo 1:18 PM
"Softbank-Trump Meeting Means Sprint/T-Mobile Is a Done Deal: Softbank president Masayoshi Son says he'll create 50,000 new jobs, but they may just be the jobs T-Mobile already has." PC Magazine 12:05 PM
"Can Sprint Lure You to Stores With Pokemon?" PC Magazine 12:05 PM
"Microsoft partners with Cray to run deep learning algorithms on supercomputers: Microsoft and Cray recently unveiled a collaborative work scaling the Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit to run on a Cray XC50 supercomputer, getting results faster then before." TechRepublic 12:13 PM
"Why Is Microsoft Showing So Much Interest In Linux?" Quora 12:13 PM
"Microsoft, Cray claim deep learning breakthrough on supercomputers" ZDNet 6:36 AM
"Microsoft-LinkedIn Deal Gets EU Approval; Now the Heavy Lifting Can Begin" TheStreet 10:53 AM
"Microsoft's LinkedIn acquisition gets green light in Europe" V3 7:11 AM
"Microsoft, LinkedIn Deal Cleared By EU Regulators" Investopedia 7:19 AM
"Microsoft says LinkedIn will make Trump, Brexit, voters feel great again: We can't make this stuff up – Microsoft said this after Europe okayed its LinkedIn acquisition" The Register 6:52 AM
"Microsoft looks to plug skills gap with Azure training freebies" CRN UK 12:12 PM
"Microsoft rolls out free channel traning in Azure skills drive" ComputerWeekly 12:13 PM
"Microsoft Delivers Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14986 for PC" Thurrott 7:05 PM
"Microsoft wants to enable cellular PCs, but will carriers bite? The company wants to offer cell plans for sale through the Windows Store, but that might not fly" IDG News Service 9:18 PM
"Dell EMC launches VMware-powered VxRack system with PowerEdge servers" ZDNet 11:27 AM
"Two top EMCers bail from Dell EMC" The Register 6:52 AM
"How IBM Watson saved the life of a woman dying from cancer, exec says" Business Insider 1:28 PM
"HP Inc: The difference a year makes" ComputerWeekly 12:14 PM
"Intel may use AMD GPUs to challenge Nvidia's rising power: Intel needs graphics power. AMD needs cash. Both need to fight Nvidia." PCWorld 7:01 AM
"Intel's next processor might come with AMD inside" Digital Journal 12:14 PM
"Intel Corporation Executive Defends Company's Big Spending Plans" The Motley Fool 7:29 AM
"Intel's (INTC) Management on Barclays Global TMT Conference - Brokers Conference Transcript" Seeking Alpha 5:35 PM
"Qualcomm's new chip may be too late as ARM server market fades: Qualcomm's Centriq 2400 server chips are based on ARM architecture, which hasn't set the server world on fire" IDG News Service 5:35 PM
"Qualcomm Unveils Chip to Attack Intel Server Stronghold" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 7:19 AM
"Qualcomm Enters Server Sector with 10nm Centriq Chip" eWeek 8:24 PM
"USB-Type C solution provider Good Way to sell convertible bonds to Intel Capital" DigiTimes 6:59 AM
"Cisco CEO: If we could repatriate, we'd do a combination of dividends, buybacks, M&A" CNBC 7:19 AM
"Cisco CEO: Tech looking forward to talking with Trump [Video] CNBC Videos 7:19 AM
"Cisco CEO: Bringing cash back to U.S." CNBC Videos 7:20 AM
"Cisco's In For a Rough Time as Public Cloud Takes Over, Says JP Morgan" Barron's 1:28 PM
"Trump is planning to sit down with US tech leaders at a roundtable next week" Business Insider 6:56 AM
"Silicon Valley gets ready to meet its newest and most important customer: President DonaldĀ Trump" VentureBeat 7:29 AM
"Apple is the 'big test case' for Trump offshoring policy" CNBC 3:02 PM
"Credit Suisse: Apple's December quarter iPhone builds could reach 87 million" Apple 3.0 [Subscription Required for Full Article] 11:43 AM
"Billionaire Ray Dalio Sells Off Major Gold Stock Position, Loads Up On Intel, Apple, Microsoft" Insider Monkey 7:53 AM
Industry News
"Dow zooms over 1,000 points since Trump victory" CNNMoney 2:30 PM
"Stocks close at new records as investors shake off Trump-inspired health-care drop: Dow tops 300-point gain in final hour of trade, then retreats" MarketWatch 4:29 PM
"Dow Scores Another Record for Third Consecutive Day; S&P 500 Also Hits New High: The Dow Jones Industrial Average's winning streak continued after closing higher for the 18th time in 22 sessions. The S&P 500 also hit a new record high." TheStreet 4:29 PM
"Dow, S&P Hit Highs; Trump Comment Hammers Drug Stocks" Reuters 4:29 PM
"U.S. Stocks Post Biggest One-Day Rally Since Election: Broad rally eludes health-care shares, which slide after Trump vows to cut drug prices" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 4:28 PM
"Bank stocks surge as Asian markets post gains: Australian shares rise despite first drop in GDP in 5 years" MarketWatch 8:39 AM
"Banks push Stoxx Europe 600 toward highest level since September: PostNL rejects bid offer; BMPS rallies" MarketWatch 8:39 AM
MacSurfer Headline News Staff
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: P. Pearson
Managing & Weekday Editor: D. Mahaffy
Evening Editors: S. Siegling and
D. Mahaffy
Weekend Editors: S. Siegling , A. Spaulding and
D. Mahaffy
CEO: T. Jefferson
CFO: K. Midas
Editor Emeritus: W. Shakespeare
Writers Emeritus: W. Lewis, R. Chandler, W. Morris, G. Simenon, C. Vallejo, F. Garcia Lorca,
P. White, R. Adams, P. Valery, C. Aiken, R. Bradbury, F. Pessoa, S. Bellow, F. O'Connor
Art Directors: V. Van Gogh, C. Monet
Advertising Managers: C. Chaplin, H. Marx
Public Relations Firm: Bits & Bytes
Bomb Squad: Type 11 Errors
Chief Scientists: I. Asimov, S. Hawking
Road Crew: R. Petty, J. Cooper
Mechanics: Tom and Ray
Fishing Crew: A. Lindner, D. Stange, K. VanDam
Head Chef: Mom
Head Travel Guru: D. Pearson
Mascots: Cyberdog, Clarus the Dogcow
General Counsel: #%@*$$$$!