Canada Daily Deals: Jabra wireless earphones, AMD Ryzen processors, more

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on Jabra Elite Active 65t true-wireless earphones, AMD Ryzen processors, USB-C cables, Game of Thrones DVDs and much more!

View the rest of the deals

Each day, the Thrifter Canada team scouts out and shares amazing deals on products you know and love, helping you find the best prices on the ‘net.

For more Canadian deals coverage, be sure to keep an eye on Thrifter CA, sign up for the Canadian newsletter and follow the team on Twitter.

Apple Begins Selling Refurbished 2018 13-Inch MacBook Pro Models in United States and Canada

Apple has added 2018 models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to its refurbished store in the U.S. for the first time. Prices are discounted by roughly 15 percent compared to the equivalent brand new models.

A refurbished base model with a 2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB of flash storage, 8GB of RAM, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 is available for $1,529 in the United States, reflecting savings of $270 off Apple’s regular price of $1,799. Available finishes include Silver and Space Gray.

A refurbished maxed-out model with a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 2TB of flash storage, 16GB of RAM, and Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655 is available for $3,139 in the United States, reflecting savings of $560 off Apple’s regular price of $3,699. This configuration is currently limited to Space Gray.

A variety of other models, including built-to-order configurations, are currently available. Quantities are limited, however, so we recommend acting fast or using Refurb Tracker to monitor when inventory is replenished.

Apple says refurbished MacBook Pro models are thoroughly inspected, tested, cleaned, and repackaged, including the manuals and cables included in the box. In our view, a refurbished MacBook Pro is virtually indistinguishable from a brand new model, so this represents a good opportunity for savings.

Note that third-party resellers sometimes offer better deals than Apple’s refurbished prices, so be sure to monitor our deals roundup.

A refurbished MacBook Pro comes with Apple’s standard one-year warranty effective on the date the notebook is delivered. The warranty can be extended to three years from the original purchase date with AppleCare+ for Mac, which costs $269 for the the 13-inch MacBook Pro in the United States.

Apple has also added refurbished 2018 models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro to its Canadian store, also at a 15 percent discount.

2018 models of the 15-inch MacBook Pro are not available refurbished at this time.

Related Roundup: MacBook ProTag: refurbishedBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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Apple’s Privacy Website Updated to Reflect Latest Measures Taken in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave

Apple today updated its privacy website to reflect the latest measures it has implemented in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave to protect customers.

For example, the new page reflects that all apps submitted or updated on the App Store now require a privacy policy, a requirement that went into effect October 3. Apple already required a privacy policy for apps that accessed personal information, but even basic apps that do not share data must have one now.

In iOS 12 and macOS Mojave, Apple’s so-called Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature has been improved. Now, when third-party tracking sites attempt to create cookies or store data, they can do so only with your explicit consent.

In macOS Mojave, Apple has made it harder for trackers to create a unique device fingerprint. Meanwhile, automatic strong passwords in Safari on iOS and macOS, which are end-to-end encrypted in iCloud Keychain, make it easier to sign in to sites without using social media logins that can facilitate user tracking.

Apple has also added protections for private data, such as requiring user consent for access to the camera and microphone on macOS Mojave.

Apple has expanded its use of end-to-end encryption to include Group FaceTime and Screen Time on iOS 12, while its use of Differential Privacy now extends to the personalized Memoji features users select to help identify popular features, such as hairstyle, so Apple can expand its choices in the future.

The updated privacy website also indicates that location data sent to nearby emergency services using RapidSOS is deleted after 24 hours.

As always, Apple believes privacy is a “fundamental human right,” and aims to “minimize its collection of personal data.” Apple says “the customer is not its product,” and that its business model “does not depend on collecting personally identifiable information” to help targeted profiles marketed to advertisers.

Apple’s privacy page has been updated a week before Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to speak at the 2018 International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners next Wednesday, October 24 in Brussels.

Tag: privacy
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Apple Customers in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand Can Download a Copy of Their Data Starting Today

Apple today is extending its full-featured Data and Privacy portal to the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Apple customers in those four countries will now have the option to download a copy of any data associated with their Apple ID account that Apple maintains, such as calendars, reminders, photos, and documents stored in iCloud, purchase histories, Game Center activity, and AppleCare support history.

The portal has been available to customers in the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland since May to comply with Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Apple said the service would be made available worldwide in the coming months, starting with today’s expansion.

In the meantime, Apple customers who live in a country or region that’s not listed above can still contact Apple to request a copy of their data.

Apple promises to fulfill all portal-based data requests within seven days, and emails customers to let them know it is preparing their data. Read our how-to for step-by-step instructions on requesting a copy of your data.

Update: The data-download option doesn’t appear to be available immediately and may take some time to roll out to all users today.

Tags: Apple ID, privacy
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SoundCloud Go+ Subscription Plan Now Supports High Quality Audio Streaming at No Extra Cost

SoundCloud today announced that users on the SoundCloud Go+ subscription plan will now gain access to lossless audio streaming at no additional cost.

SoundCloud Go is the company’s enhanced streaming service, with three tiers that start at free with 120 million tracks to stream; $4.99/month with 120 million tracks, offline saving, and ad-free streaming; and SoundCloud Go+ with everything in the previous tiers plus 30 million “premium” tracks and high quality audio.

When you discover a track on SoundCloud, it’s all about connecting as closely as possible to the creator’s sound and vision. With high quality audio streaming now part of your SoundCloud Go+ subscription, you can experience what’s new, now and next in music on a higher level.

High quality audio means that content uploaded to SoundCloud in a lossless format doesn’t lose the integrity of its engineered recording. Go+ subscribers can opt into this feature in SoundCloud settings > “Streaming quality.”

SoundCloud has been expanding its streaming service over the years, launching “The Upload” playlist in May 2017 to personally curate a list of songs for each user. In December 2017, the company debuted a new home screen in the iOS app to further lean into user personalization. The revamped launch screen offers curated recommendations, personalized playlists, and “exclusive culture-focused audio content.”

High quality streaming is a feature that has been missing from Apple Music since its launch in 2015, and one that a few of its rivals already have. Tidal launched with “HiFi” streaming as one of its premiere features, offering lossless audio using FLAC at a resolution of 44.1 kHz/16 bit, and further expanding with “Tidal Masters” that has “the highest-possible resolution” of around 96 kHz/24 bit. Tidal’s plans with HiFi cost $19.99/month.

You can download the SoundCloud app from the iOS App Store for free [Direct Link].

Tag: SoundCloud
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Hulu Gains Support for Night Mode on the Web

Starting today, when watching Hulu through the Hulu website, Hulu users will be able to use a new Night Mode feature that turns the interface a dark shade.

Hulu’s new Night Mode options come just ahead of Halloween and are ideal for the streaming service’s Halloween-related content, and it’s also a feature that matches well with the Dark Mode introduced in Apple’s macOS Mojave update.

According to Hulu, the Night Mode feature can cut down on eye strain and glare when watching content on a desktop machine via a browser.

Hulu subscribers can enable Night Mode by clicking on their profile icon at the top of the website and selecting the new “Night Mode” option from the dropdown menu.

Night Mode is rolling out today and while it’s not yet available for all users on the desktop, it should be coming soon.

Tag: Hulu
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Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of macOS Mojave 10.14.1 to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave 10.14.1 update to developers, a little over one week after seeding the third beta and three weeks after releasing the macOS Mojave update.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after the initial beta has been installed using the appropriate profile from the Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded through opening up System Preferences and choosing the “Software Update” option.

The 10.14.1 update includes support for Group FaceTime, a feature that was removed during the beta testing period. Group FaceTime, which lets you chat with up to 32 people at once, is also present in the iOS 12.1 beta.

macOS Mojave 10.14.1 introduces more than 70 new emoji characters that are also available in iOS 12.1 and watchOS 5.1. There are new options for red hair, curly hair, no hair, and gray hair, along with characters to represent superheroes, cold face, party face, pleading face, and face with hearts.

There are a number of new animals and food items like kangaroo, parrot, lobster, mango, lettuce, and cupcake. Tweaks have been made to some existing emoji as well. The iPhone emoji, for example, has been updated to look like the iPhone X with no bezels or Home button.

We didn’t find any other significant new features in the first three developer betas of macOS Mojave, so it’s not clear if there are any additional changes. The update likely includes performance improvements and bug fixes for issues that have been discovered since the release of the Mojave update.

Should new features be found in the fourth beta, we’ll update this post.

macOS Mojave is a major update that brings features like a systemwide Dark Mode, stacks for organizing messy desktops, new Finder capabilities, new tools for taking screenshots, a Continuity Camera option for easily transferring photo scans and documents from iPhone to Mac, and more. For more on macOS Mojave, make sure to check out our roundup.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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TSMC to Remain Sole iPhone Chip Supplier, Could Provide ARM-Based Chips for Mac in 2020, Apple Car Chips in 2023

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company or TSMC is set to remain one of Apple’s most important suppliers in the years to come, according to a note to investors shared today by reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who now works for TF International Securities.

TSMC manufactures the A-Series chips that are used in Apple’s iPhones. The company has been Apple’s sole supplier for iPhone chips for a few years, and will continue to be Apple’s only supplier in 2019 and 2020 for the A13 and A14 chips Apple is expected to use in those devices.

According to Kuo, Apple will become increasingly dependent on TSMC in the years to come due to TSMC’s “superior design and production capabilities” compared to its competitors and the fact that TSMC, unlike Samsung and other Apple suppliers, does not compete with Apple in other markets.

In the future, Kuo believes TSMC will manufacture Apple-designed ARM-based processors for Mac models starting in 2020 or 2021. Rumors have suggested Apple is planning to transition away from Intel chips to its own custom-made chips starting as early as 2020, which Kuo reiterates in today’s report.

There are multiple benefits to custom-designed Mac chips, including no delays because of Intel’s manufacturing issues, better profits, more control over design, and differentiation from competitors’ products.

We also expect that Mac models will adopt Apple’s in-house-designed processor starting 2020 or 2021, which will create four advantages for Apple: (1) Apple could control everything about the Mac’s design and production and be rid of negative impacts from Intel’s processor shipment schedule changes. (2) Better profits thanks to lower processor cost. (3) Mac market share gain if Apple lowers the price. (4) It could differentiate Mac from peers’ products.

Kuo also suggests Apple will recruit TSMC to manufacture chips for its upcoming Apple Car starting in 2023 to 2025.

We believe that Apple Car’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) will support either Level 4 (high automation) or Level 5 (full automation). Only TSMC’s 3/5 nm process can meet Level 4 and Level 5 chip requirements.

In an August report, Kuo said that Apple will launch a full Apple Car in 2023 to 2025, reviving rumors about Apple’s work on a complete vehicle. Prior to that report, it was believed Apple had shelved plans for a vehicle and was instead focusing solely on autonomous driving software that could perhaps be integrated into partner vehicles.

Related Roundups: Apple Car, 2019 iPhones
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Huge Collection of Apple Computers Up for Sale as Longtime Austrian Repairman Goes Out of Business

Roland Borsky, an Apple computer repairman in Vienna, Austria, has amassed a private collection of 1,100 Apple computers that he’s picked up over the years.

At 1,100 machines, his collection dwarfs the collection of computers at the Apple Museum in Prague, which claims to have the world’s biggest private collection of Apple products. “Just as others collect cars and live in a little box to afford them, so it is with me,” he said.

There’s little detail on the full extent of his collection, but according to Reuters, Borsky is searching for a buyer as he can no longer afford the rent on the warehouse where the computers are held.

Borsky told Reuters that his business has dried up after Apple opened its first store in Vienna in February, taking over repairs that used to be done by repair firms like his. Parts have also become harder to replace on Apple devices.

Borsky is hoping to find a benefactor who will pay 20,000 to 30,000 euros ($23,000 to $35,000) for his collection and who will put it on display. “I would be pleased if it is simply put on display anywhere… so people can see it,” Borsky told Reuters.

Some of his computers are on display in temporary exhibits in Vienna, but he wants to find a permanent home for the equipment.

If he’s unable to find a buyer, Borsky fears that his collection could be discarded. “It’ll be shredded. That is what bothers me the most because I can’t currently rent a storage space that I can afford,” he said.
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Apple’s AirPods Out of Stock in Many European Countries [Update: Back in Stock]

AirPods are sold out and unavailable for purchase in many Apple retail stores across Europe and in Apple’s online stores in those countries, as noticed by French site Watch Generation.

It’s not clear when the AirPods went out of stock, but the earphones are listed as unavailable in countries that include the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Czech Republic, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Poland, Finland, Sweden, and others.

AirPods continue to be available for purchase in other countries in North America, South America, and Asia Pacific, with the shortage primarily limited to Europe.

There’s no word on why AirPods are suddenly unavailable in so many European countries, but Watch Generation claims that a retail source said French Apple Stores sold out of a recent shipment and are awaiting the restock of a new version that could perhaps be next-generation AirPods.

Given that the AirPods are unavailable only in Europe, there could be another explanation related to tariffs or currency adjustments, so the shortage is not a clear sign of an imminent refresh.

Apple is rumored to be working on second-generation AirPods with an improved wireless chip that will enable “Hey Siri” functionality, alleviating the need to activate Siri through a double tap on the earphones.

These updated AirPods could also include a wireless charging case that will allow them to work with the AirPower charging mat that continues to be in development, but there is no word on when these rumored AirPods (or the AirPower charging mat) might launch.

Update: AirPods are once again in stock on the Apple online store in many European countries, with retail locations set to have the earphones available for purchase on Friday, October 19.

Related Roundup: AirPodsBuyer’s Guide: AirPods (Caution)
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