Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekend Web Wrapup

The iPhone Turns 8 Years Old Today

The iPhone changed our idea about what a smartphone should be.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3040700/fast-feed/the-iphone-turns-8-years-old-today



Apple is making world travelers -- and some domestic customers -- happy this New Year by selling unlocked iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones to the masses. That means customers can use the device on any wireless carrier without signing on the dotted line of a two-year contract.

http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/Apple-Unlocks-Its-iPhone-6-Models/story.xhtml



The many superpowers of Apple's Preview app, part 2

http://www.macworld.com/article/2865527/the-many-superpowers-of-apples-preview-app-part-2.html



Apple 2014 Mac mini isn't as good as the 2012 model

http://www.macworld.co.uk/review/mac-desktops/best-apple-mac-mini-late-2014-review-3592891/



Apple won't let EFF release a DRM-free app

EFF has released its mobile app to help people join in important, timely struggles, but you can't get it for your Iphone or Ipad, because Apple insists that EFF use DRM, and this is contrary to everything it stands for.

Remember: any time someone puts a lock on something that belongs to you, and won't give you the key, that lock is not for your benefit."

http://boingboing.net/2015/01/09/apple-wont-let-eff-release-a.html

http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/08/the-effs-new-app-is-android-only-as-organization-calls-out-apple-for-outrageous-developer-terms/



Is Apple's quality slipping?

http://www.tuaw.com/2015/01/05/is-apple-slipping/



Apple's Software Is In A 'Nosedive' That Is Deeply Concerning, Longtime Apple Supporter Says

Respected developer Marco Arment is worried about Apple's future. 

In a blog post he writes: "Apple's hardware today is amazing — it has never been better. But the software quality has taken such a nosedive in the last few years that I'm deeply concerned for its future."

http://www.businessinsider.com/apples-software-is-in-a-nosedive-says-respected-developer-2015-1



Apple Has Patched A Hole In iCloud That Let Hackers Access Anyone's Account

iDict was a hacking tool released online on New Year's Day. It used a hole in Apple's security to repeatedly guess user passwords, allowing hackers to access any account given enough time.

http://www.businessinsider.com/icloud-hack-idict-patched-by-apple-2015-1



New Apple malware is undetectable, unstoppable, and can infect any Thunderbolt-equipped device

The exploit, dubbed Thunderstrike, currently can’t be detected or removed by any known process without using specialized hardware.

The exploit package is injected from the infected Thunderbolt device’s Option ROM.

http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/197005-new-apple-malware-is-undetectable-unstoppable-and-can-infect-any-thunderbolt-equipped-device

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/11335810/Apple-laptops-vulnerable-to-virus-that-cant-be-removed.html



New York Prosecutor Calls for Law to Fight Apple Data Encryption

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2015-01-06/new-york-prosecutor-calls-for-law-to-fight-apple-data-encryption.html



The Conventional Wisdom About Android Has Just Been Destroyed By iPhone 6

http://www.businessinsider.com/android-market-share-taken-by-iphone-6-2015-1



Almost Nobody Is Using The Latest Version Of Android

http://www.businessinsider.com/android-lollipop-adoption-is-abysmal-2015-1



Android Still Has A Massive Piracy Problem

UsTwo Games, the developer behind the wildly popular mobile game “Monument Valley,” revealed an interesting fact: Only 5% of Monument Valley installs on Android are paid for, vs. 40% on Apple's iOS.

http://www.businessinsider.com/android-piracy-problem-2015-1



New ‘Super Cookies’ Can Track Your Private Web Browsing — And Apple Users Can't Get Rid Of Them

A security flaw means that users of almost every modern web browser can be surreptitiously tracked online without their knowledge, Ars Technica reports, even when they make use of “private browsing.”

http://www.businessinsider.com/super-cookies-hsts-security-private-2015-1



95% Of Americans Risk Eye Problems By Staring At Screens All Day
To counteract them:

• Blink. When we stare at screens, we forget to blink, which dries out our eyes. It's hard to remember, but trying to make sure you keep blinking can help.

• Increase the size of text when needed. Staring at small text can make you squint and put your face closer to a screen, leading to fatigue and headaches, among other issues — so boost text size and color contrast to make things easier to read.

• The 20-20-20 rule: After 20 minutes of work, take 20 seconds to look at something 20 feet away. Your eyes have muscles that help them move and focus on different objects, but if we stare at a screen the same distance away for hours at a time, those muscles have a hard time adjusting once we move again. This is what can cause that end-of-the-day fuzziness, so prevent it by looking around every so often.

• Limit blue-light exposure in the first place. This can be a tough one, but there are a few things that can help. Simply taking breaks from the screen is useful, by scheduling meetings or organizing some of your work so that it can be done on paper. In some cases, anti-glare filters, computer glasses, and apps that block some blue light can help as well.

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-staring-at-a-screen-hurts-your-eyes-2015-1



Technologies that have stood the test of time: in pictures

The original Macintosh computer is one of them.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/picture-galleries/11303109/12-technologies-that-have-stood-the-test-of-time-in-pictures.html