Although it initially received poor reviews, the Canon EOS M is now a bargain of a camera, and easy enough for a “C” photography student to take great pictures during emergency surgery.

Josh Centers fixed an annoying problem with Netflix on his Apple TV with a solution as old as computers themselves.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has announced that he will retire within the next year, contingent upon selection of his successor. In the meantime, Ballmer will continue leading Microsoft’s effort to become a device and services company. Ballmer has been with Microsoft since 1980, when Bill Gates hired him as the company’s first business manager. Ballmer took the reins in 2000 when Gates retired and has overseen numerous major products (of varying success), including multiple versions of Windows and Office, Xbox, Zune, Windows Phone, and Surface. Despite many criticisms of his leadership, he doubled Microsoft’s profits during his tenure as CEO.

PRSM is a brand-new way to share everything: credit card purchases, Internet searches, email messages, photos, phone calls, and more! PRSM has partnered with Google, Apple, Facebook, Skype, AT&T, and many other companies to secure your information in the world’s largest datacenters. You probably even already have an account, whether or not you signed up! The site is actually a parody of the NSA’s PRISM spying program. Designed by Datacoup — a company that aims to help you convert your personal data into a form of currency so you control how it’s used — the PRSM parody site links to the Electronic Freedom Foundation when you click Sign Up Now and then Contact Technical Support.

Apple’s annual iTunes Festival returns in September 2013 with some big-name musical acts, including Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Elton John, and Robin Thicke. The festival is free to all users of iTunes, iOS, and Apple TV, and the shows can be streamed live or watched later. Other notable acts include The Lumineers, Paramore, Kings of Leon, Vampire Weekend, and two favorites: the Pixies and Queens of the Stone Age. Apple goes all-out for the iTunes Festival, and there’s sure to be a performance for everyone.

Typographer Matthew Butterick, who helped design fonts for Apple, Microsoft, and others, has released an exceptional online book, called “Butterick’s Practical Typography,” that is a must-read for anyone who works with text. The book revolves around a few simple rules that will dramatically improve your understanding and implementation of typography. While the book can be read for free, you can pay him back by purchasing his fonts or his “Typography for Lawyers” book, making a donation, or just telling people about the site.

TidBITS Senior Editor and photography expert Jeff Carlson joined David Sparks and Katie Floyd on the Mac Power Users podcast to talk about his latest book, “The iPad for Photographers.” The trio discusses the best iPad companion apps for photographers, editing and managing your photos, and (gasp!) even how to take photos with your iPad.

Researchers from Georgia Tech have discovered an alarming iOS security hole, and even managed to sneak malware past Apple’s App Store review process. Called Jekyll, in a nod to Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, the malware was disguised as a Georgia Tech news app. Once installed, it could post tweets, send messages, take photos, retrieve personal information, and even direct Safari to install more malware. The researchers could also control the app remotely, adding more commands and capabilities. It even phoned home, revealing that Apple spent only a few seconds reviewing the app before approval. After testing the app briefly on their own devices, the researchers pulled it from the App Store.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn sent Apple’s stock price soaring after tweeting to his 59,000 followers on 13 August 2013 that he has purchased a “large” stake in the company. (Imagine what Warren Buffet could do, given that he has 570,000 followers, despite having tweeted only three times!) Since the announcement, the stock has risen over 12 percent. Over the past year, Apple’s stock price had dropped by nearly half. While Apple investors are relishing the surge, it remains to be seen what effect the outspoken Icahn will have on the company.

Blogger Shawn Blanc has released his first book, “Delight Is in the Details,” about how to create work that delights your audience, whether you’re a designer, developer, or writer. The $29 package includes an ebook in PDF, EPUB, and Mobipocket (Kindle) formats, an audiobook version, and individual interviews with creators such as Federico Viticci of MacStories, developer Marco Arment, and designer Jory Raphael. After reading it and listening to some of the interviews, I can say that it’s a great source of advice and inspiration for anyone who creates products. You can also purchase the ebook alone for $20, but I recommend spending the extra $9 for the interviews.

On 9 August 2013, President Obama addressed concerns about the National Security Agency’s (NSA) domestic spying programs, but stopped far short of promising to curtail them. The president announced that the NSA will be launching a new Web site to better explain the program. While Obama stated that, “it’s right to ask questions about surveillance,” he said that Edward Snowden, who revealed the programs to the world, was not a “patriot.” Meanwhile, Obama has reportedly been in secret talks with technology executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook, to discuss the surveillance programs.

Are you a professional user who feels abandoned by Apple? Ken Segall, a long-time adviser to Apple, argues that Apple isn’t leaving pros behind, but is instead changing its professional tools to be accessible to more users. Segall reveals that, at one point, Steve Jobs considered killing Apple’s professional products due to them requiring a lot of resources for a small, niche market — as opposed to the consumer market, which is larger and less demanding. While Segall acknowledges that Apple will drive away some pros, he believes the company will succeed in advancing the market and empowering more users.

We’re at last seeing the first fruits of Betaworks’ acquisition of Instapaper, the read-it-later service started by Marco Arment. Betaworks has unveiled a redesigned Web site for the service, sporting a new, more modern look. The company is encouraging users to give it a look and offer feedback. One feature that remains notably absent is the capability to sort saved articles into folders.