This week: Apple just made it harder for the Gov to spy on your phone, iOS 17.3 makes your iPhone a lot harder to steal, and our picks for best (& worst!) gear (& stuff!) of 2023!

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This week’s stories:

You can now buy stand-alone USB-C case for AirPods Pro 2… for $99!

• In September, Apple introduced a tweaked version of AirPods Pro 2 that comes with a charging case with a USB-C port. The MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C) for AirPods Pro (2nd generation) joined the online Apple store Wednesday.

Apple makes ‘push notification spying’ more difficult

• Governments will find push notification spying harder to do now that they no longer enjoy easy access to records of push notifications sent to iPhone users. Apple changed its policy so that law enforcement and other government agencies need a court order to obtain this data.

How Apple plans to ramp up iOS security for stolen iPhones

• The just-released iOS 17.3 beta 1 includes a surprise feature: Stolen Device Protection. The option makes it harder to reset the passcode on a stolen device if the thief already knows the current passcode. There are also new password protections.

Why Google Play courtroom loss could hurt Apple, too

• Epic Games convinced a federal jury that the Google Play store for Android applications is an illegal monopoly. The decision might have wide repercussions.

Apple reportedly offers to open iPhone NFC to other payment systems

• The days of the iPhone’s NFC capabilities being limited to just Apple Pay could be coming to an end. Apple is reportedly open to allowing other systems to use the wireless payment system.

Best of 2023:

• Erfon: Matter is the best new smart home technology that brings all your devices together seamlessly.
• Lewis: The Last of Us is a show on Max about a hardened survivor (Pedro Pascal) taking care of a 14-year-old girl (Bella Ramsey) who may be humanity’s last hope.
• Griffin: Music, a great way to experience art in the form of rhythmic sounds, vocalizations and instruments. The Roland Cube 30X was designed for listening to music.

Worst of 2023:

• Griffin: The KUXIU X55 is a garbage cheap plastic version of my favorite 3-in-1 charger, the KUXIU X40.
• Lewis: Apple predictive text makes confusing and erratic changes as you type.
• Erfon: The second-generation HomePod fails to live up to the premium listening experience of the original.