The MacValley blog
Welcome to the MacValley blog, your first stop for all the latest MacValley news and views.
|
The MacValley blog Editor: Tom Briant
|
|
Tuesday, August 21, 2018
Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly Web Wrap-up for Tuesday, August 21, 2018
12 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your iPhone on iOS 11
Your iPhone can do more than you know. With these iOS tricks, you’ll increase your battery life, get access to exclusive apps, connect your phone to a surround-sound system, and figure out who’s calling by the way it vibrates.
Your iPhone can do more than you know. With these iOS tricks, you’ll increase your battery life, get access to exclusive apps, connect your phone to a surround-sound system, and figure out who’s calling by the way it vibrates.
Video:
Apple and Tim Cook Say
"No, your iPhone isn't eavesdropping on you. Apple respects your privacy."
The Best Truly Wireless Earbuds To Buy In 2018
If you’re judging by sound quality alone, these products won’t fully measure up to several-hundred-dollar audiophile headphones. But they sound plenty good in their own right.
There are trade-offs for this newfound freedom, though. The main compromise you make is battery life. Bluetooth earbud batteries last several hours longer than the batteries in the gadgets rounded up here.
And their convenient compactness has an ugly side: sometimes they’re easier to lose.
But the shortcomings are overwhelmingly beaten out by the plus side of eliminating all wires.
Apple’s AirPods remain the best truly wireless earbuds you can get because of their seamless user experience, long battery life, good sound, and best-of-the-bunch carrying case.
But there are earbuds made by other companies that are still very worthwhile.
AirPods are lost easily and, in some cases, miraculously found
Find my iPhone feature sometimes helps locate AirPods.
Jonathan Lieberman, a 42-year-old product designer at Uber who lives in San Francisco, recently tested out the AirPod finding feature of Find My iPhone only to discover that it would only locate his AirPods when the charging case was open.
There's an easy trick for locating your lost AirPods — here's how to use it
There's one important thing to know before you get started: This feature will not work if your AirPods are dead, out of range, or if they're in their case with the lid closed.
This feature also won't work if you didn't turn on the Find My iPhone app before you lost your AirPods.
Step by step instructions.
A simple $9 accessory has me using my AirPods again for the first time in months
I had ditched my AirPods for a long time as a result, but I’m back to using them again thanks to the EarSkinz AirPod Covers. These silicone covers slip over your AirPods to keep them securely in your ears. You’ll have to take them off to charge, but that’s a small price to pay for infinitely better sound quality.
Apple's AirPods work great with Android phones
Just because Apple makes the AirPods doesn't mean that they don't work beautifully with Android devices.
Who would've thought?
12 tips and tricks for Apple's AirPods
There's more to the tiny wireless earbuds than meets the eye. Here's how to get the most out of your AirPods, and a few things you may not know.
There's more to the tiny wireless earbuds than meets the eye. Here's how to get the most out of your AirPods, and a few things you may not know.
If you have an Apple Watch, this will be the best $37 you’ve ever spent
It’s certainly possible to own an Apple Watch without also owning a Pantheon Portable Wireless Apple Watch Charger, but we strongly advise against it. This tiny little gadget the size of a keychain has a built-in magnetic charging disc that charges your Watch just like the charger it came with in the box. It also has a 700 mAh battery, so you can charge your Apple Watch on the go. Apple’s first wearable is awesome but it doesn’t have the best battery life, so this gadget is a must-have for any Apple Watch owner. It’s also so much easier to carry than that mile-long charger that came with your Watch.
Six Months With the Apple HomePod Almost Convinced Me It Was Good
After spending the last few months with the HomePod some things have become quite clear. This thing is still incredibly overpriced, and AirPlay is so good it almost makes the HomePod worth it.
HomePod is gorgeous, and AirPlay is often times fantastic, and Siri seems like... a thing that might become a useful thing one day. But the HomePod is still not worth its price—especially, when the Sonos One is so good and so cheap.
MacBook: Features, specifications, and prices for Apple’s lightest laptop
What you need to know about Apple’s lightest laptop
What you need to know about Apple’s lightest laptop
How to Output Your Mac's Audio to Two Pairs of Headphones at the Same Time
Step-by-step instructions.
Henry Ford Museum celebrates iMac G3 birthday by exhibiting all 13 ‘flavors’
Do you know your Sage from your Grape? How about your Bondi Blue from your Graphite? And who in their right mind could forget Flower Power or Blue Dalmatian?
If you know your Apple trivia, you’ll recognize all of those as “flavors” of the iconic iMac G3, which launched twenty years ago (1998-08-15).
If you know your Apple trivia, you’ll recognize all of those as “flavors” of the iconic iMac G3, which launched twenty years ago (1998-08-15).
To celebrate the occasion, the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan is showing off all 13 colors of the iconic “computer that saved Apple.”
If you’re in the Michigan area, we’d heartily recommend a visit to the Henry Ford Museum.
8 ways the iMac changed computing
Apple's most iconic desktop computer.
Apple's most iconic desktop computer.
Important Note:
This article was originally published on August 15, 2008.
The iMac made an instant impression when Apple first unveiled it in May 1998. But it didn’t start to really shake things up unitl it began to ship—which happened on August 15, 1998. Arguably the most influential desktop computer of the last decade, the original iMac’s specifications seem quaint by today’s standards.
The iMac saved Apple.
The 20 most important Macs of all time
How to copy a discontinued iOS app to another iOS device
The circumstances have to be just right for any of this to work.
How to install Windows on your Mac using Boot Camp
How to control the order of images in a Photos for Mac slideshow
The feature is broken, but there are workarounds.
The feature is broken, but there are workarounds.
Slide Show:
How to use Apple Pencil: 21 features, tips, and tricks
Ever wonder what you can do with an Apple Pencil -- or why it is so useful to creators, professionals, and business users? Turns out, there are several features that help make Apple's stylus so unique for iPad owners and different from anything else. Here's a few of them, plus some tips and tricks.
Why I Ditched the Apple Watch for the Fitbit Charge 2
I wanted a smartwatch so I could get in shape.
The wearable that helped me do that was the last one I expected. It's a purple, plastic band with a narrow, nondescript face and a single gold button on the side: the Fitbit Charge 2.
How to Switch Between Google Maps and Apple Maps in iOS
How to share Apple iCloud storage with Family Share
Step by step instructions.
iPhone X outperforms Samsung’s brand new 6.4-inch Galaxy Note 9
Samsung officially unveiled its brand new (and oft-leaked) Galaxy Note 9 with a 6.4-inch display.
As highlighted by Tom’s Guide, who tested the Galaxy Note 9 with 6GB of RAM, the iPhone X was able to come out on top in the majority of benchmark tests.
In Geekbench 4 testing, the iPhone X was able to outperform all other devices with a score of 10,357. That compares to the Galaxy Note 9 at 8,876 and the OnePlus 6 at 9,088.
In Geekbench 4 testing, the iPhone X was able to outperform all other devices with a score of 10,357. That compares to the Galaxy Note 9 at 8,876 and the OnePlus 6 at 9,088.
How to Browse the Internet on Apple Watch Through watchOS 5's WebKit Integration
With watchOS 5, Apple has added support for WebKit, which is designed to allow you to view content from the web right on your wrist, something that's entirely new to the Apple Watch.
There's no full web browser so you're not going to see a Safari app for Apple Watch anytime soon, but you can now click on and open web links in apps like Mail and Messages.
There's no full web browser so you're not going to see a Safari app for Apple Watch anytime soon, but you can now click on and open web links in apps like Mail and Messages.
Some content will not load on the Apple Watch. You can't watch YouTube videos, for example, nor will other types of video content load. Complicated websites with a lot of content, such as news sites, can take awhile to load or can refuse to load all together, so simple browsing is best on the Apple Watch.
Using Apple Watch running cadence and pace alerts in watchOS 5
Inside the iPhone Repair Ecosystem: Where Do Replacement Parts Come From and Can You Trust Them?
There's a thriving market for unofficial, aftermarket iPhone parts, and in China, there are entire massive factories that are dedicated to producing these components for repair shops unable to get ahold of parts that have been produced by Apple.
The entire Apple device repair ecosystem is fascinating, complex, and oftentimes confusing to consumers given the disconnect between Apple, Apple Authorized Service Providers, third-party factories, and independent repair shops, so we thought we'd delve into the complicated world of Apple repairs.
The entire Apple device repair ecosystem is fascinating, complex, and oftentimes confusing to consumers given the disconnect between Apple, Apple Authorized Service Providers, third-party factories, and independent repair shops, so we thought we'd delve into the complicated world of Apple repairs.
While aftermarket parts are NOT as good as Apple parts, they are often surprisingly close.
In a nutshell, as with the aftermarket automotive part industry, there are good quality components and there are bad quality components, which is something that customers who might seek third-party repairs need to be aware of.
There's also a big market for reused iPhone components. Some repair shops will take the LCDs from broken iPhones that are repaired and sell them in bulk to a company that refurbishes them and attaches new digitizer components so they can be reused again.
The only way for a repair shop to get access to genuine Apple components for repairs is through the Apple Authorized Service Program (AASP). While there are many thousands of independent repair shops in the United States, there are far fewer AASPs -- approximately 4,800 worldwide.
Apple Sold Fewest Macs in Any Quarter Since 2010 as Nearly Entire Lineup Was Outdated
Apple reported that it sold 3.72 million Macs in its third quarter, which spanned April 1 through June 30, the fewest in any single quarter since it sold 3.47 million in the third quarter of 2010.
It's also the first time Apple has sold fewer than four million Macs in a quarter since the third quarter of 2013, a span of five years.
Apple reported sales of 4.29 million Macs in the same quarter a year ago, so this is a pretty significant 13 percent decline on a year-over-year basis.
Beyond the iMac Pro, released four months before the quarter began, no other Mac had been updated since 2017 or earlier.
Why Macs matter to Apple, even when they aren’t selling well
They're another platform for Apple's real growth driver: services.
They're another platform for Apple's real growth driver: services.
Over the past three years, revenue from services has grown from $5 billion to $9.5 billion, making it Apple's second-largest product category behind the iPhone.
Among the products Apple considers services are iCloud storage, Apple Pay, Apple Music and all the digital content it sells from the iTunes Store, the Mac and iOS app stores, iBooks and so forth. None of these products require a Mac, but if you use an iPad or iPhone and still want a traditional desktop or laptop, you'll have a much better experience with a Mac than a Windows machine or Chromebook.
Generally Apple has done a good job at making macOS and iOS work closely together without having to merge the two different operating systems.
Apple Offers Rare Look Inside Mesa, Arizona Data Center
Apple doesn't often allow people to visit its data centers, which are located across the country, but The Arizona Republic was recently given a tour of Apple's Mesa Arizona data center, formerly the site of GT Advanced.
The Mesa Arizona facility spans 1.3 million square feet, with long, sparse hallways equipped with servers. Apple calls the Mesa site its "global data command" center.
The Mesa Arizona facility spans 1.3 million square feet, with long, sparse hallways equipped with servers. Apple calls the Mesa site its "global data command" center.
The Mesa data center, and others like it, house data from Apple apps and services that include iMessage, Siri, and iCloud.
Steve Wozniak Trusts Math and Bitcoin Over Humans and Fiat, Backs Blockchain Startup
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, a computer engineer and inventor, is explaining why he trusts Bitcoin and its underlying technology over our current financial system.
“Bitcoin caught my attention. It had so many unusual aspects for any technology I had ever heard of. Nobody is really known to be the creator. It doesn’t have any centralized [component]. It’s based on mathematics. There’s a certain number of Bitcoin that can ever exist… Mathematics to me is like nature. It’s much better than human beings… I trust those things of nature more than what man makes up. Man makes up currencies, controls them, issues new US dollars every year. Bitcoin was immune to that.”
“Bitcoin caught my attention. It had so many unusual aspects for any technology I had ever heard of. Nobody is really known to be the creator. It doesn’t have any centralized [component]. It’s based on mathematics. There’s a certain number of Bitcoin that can ever exist… Mathematics to me is like nature. It’s much better than human beings… I trust those things of nature more than what man makes up. Man makes up currencies, controls them, issues new US dollars every year. Bitcoin was immune to that.”
Apple sued over claims website is inaccessible to visually impaired users
Apple has become the target of a new lawsuit, one that claims the iPhone producer's website is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not being fully accessible to blind or visually-impaired consumers, due to the way the website itself is coded.
The filing provides a long list of issues with the website that it believes needs fixing, in order to comply with the ADA, in relation to screen readers.
8 Online Subscriptions That Don't Actually Suck
The iPhone doesn’t spy on your conversations, Apple tells lawmakers
Apple sent a letter, seen by Reuters, saying that iPhones do not record audio while listening for Siri commands and Siri doesn’t share spoken words. The company added that it requires users to approve microphone access explicitly and apps need to display a clear signal that they are listening.
It’s unclear whether Alphabet, the parent company of Google, replied to US lawmakers, but a spokesperson House Energy and Commerce Committee said “both companies have been cooperative thus far. The Committee looks forward to reviewing and analyzing the responses as we consider next steps.”
It’s unclear whether Alphabet, the parent company of Google, replied to US lawmakers, but a spokesperson House Energy and Commerce Committee said “both companies have been cooperative thus far. The Committee looks forward to reviewing and analyzing the responses as we consider next steps.”
What’s interesting is that the lawmakers only focused on smartphones, but they should widen their scope to encompass smart speakers.
How hackers can get past one of macOS’s best defenses against malware
The old line about Macs not getting viruses is sadly just a bad joke these days. Mac malware is alive and well, and just as with Windows, Apple’s software developers play a fun game of hide and seek with hackers when it comes to defenses.
One of the most ubiquitous defenses in all operating systems are user warnings, the pop-up boxes that sometimes appear and prompt you for confirmation that yes, this is a thing you want to do. It’s a defense against one rogue click accidentally installing all manner of software and giving it new permissions or access.
One of the most ubiquitous defenses in all operating systems are user warnings, the pop-up boxes that sometimes appear and prompt you for confirmation that yes, this is a thing you want to do. It’s a defense against one rogue click accidentally installing all manner of software and giving it new permissions or access.
But according to Ars Technica, “a former National Security Agency hacker and macOS security expert” has found a way to get around user warnings.
"What is the point of displaying an alert, if malware can simply dismiss it?" he asked.
'Synthetic Click' attack re-emerges in macOS High Sierra at Deacon
A vulnerability has been discovered in macOS that could allow an attacker to impersonate a mouse click, enabling for it to bypass security prompts and completely compromise a Mac, a flaw that was found by accident.
While Apple has attempted to fix the flaw, the new discovery means synthetic clicks are still capable of working in certain circumstances.
Brand new Macs at risk of hacking during setup process
The researchers say they notified Apple about the issues. Apple fixed the vulnerability in macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, but devices that shipped with an older version of macOS may be vulnerable.
High school student hacked into Apple servers and downloaded 90GB of ‘secure files’
The teen – who is said to be well-known in the hacking community – used VPNs and other tools to try to avoid being traced, but Apple’s systems logged the serial numbers of the MacBooks used to carry out the attacks.
Amusingly, the downloaded material was saved in a folder named ‘hacky hack hack.
Apple followed up by confirming that no personal data from users was accessed by the hacker.
Apple Reportedly Kills Off Thousands of Apps in China Because They're 'Illegal'
Apple has reportedly pulled thousands of apps from its App Store in China, possibly in response to pressure from government-run media outlets in recent weeks.
Apple seems to be bowing to pressure. According to new reports from the Journal and Bloomberg, CCTV claims Apple has taken down 25,000 apps, and at least 4,000 of the removed apps were “tagged with the keyword ‘gambling.’”
Last year, Apple removed all major virtual private network apps from its App Store in China, responding pressure from China’s government, which does not want citizens using VPNs to bypass internet censorship.
Following a scathing rebuke of supposedly lax App Store policy enforcement from Chinese state media, Apple on Monday confirmed the removal of thousands of deemed-illegal titles from the online storefront in compliance with local regulations.
The confirmation and expedited takedown underscores China's importance to Apple's bottom line.
Cook addressed the issue in a public statement in August 2017, saying Apple would "rather not remove" App Store content, but notes the company adheres to the laws of each country in which it operates.
Want to delete Facebook? Read what happened to these people first
Person 1:
"It’s like a crazy ex that never forgets about you."
Person 2:
"So much of social life is tied to Facebook."
Person 3:
"I was simply sick of seeing nonsense."
Person 4:
Deactivated Facebook account in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but revived it after feeling isolated from friends and family.
The U.S. government wants Facebook's help to wiretap Facebook Messenger
The U.S. government is trying to force Facebook Inc to break the encryption in its popular Messenger app so law enforcement may listen to a suspect's voice conversations in a criminal probe, three people briefed on the case said, resurrecting the issue of whether companies can be compelled to alter their products to enable surveillance.
The previously unreported case in a federal court in California is proceeding under seal, so no filings are publicly available, but the three people told Reuters that Facebook is contesting the U.S. Department of Justice's demand.
The previously unreported case in a federal court in California is proceeding under seal, so no filings are publicly available, but the three people told Reuters that Facebook is contesting the U.S. Department of Justice's demand.
Law enforcement agencies forcing technology providers to rewrite software to capture and hand over data that is no longer encrypted would have major implications for the companies which see themselves as defenders of individual privacy while under pressure from police and lawmakers.
The Grand Irony of RussiaGate: The U.S. Becomes More Like the U.S.S.R. Every Day
The current clampdown on social media and alternative media in America is ripped right from the playbook of the Soviet regime. We must "protect" you from "fake news," lest you start questioning the official narratives of strong growth, prosperity, low inflation, etc.
Video:
Facebook Now Targeting Left Wing Pages As Predicted
... the key points that differentiate adhering to principles versus the misguided adherence to political outcomes. This is crucial to understand as it is becoming obvious that the entire concept of media and journalism is being upended as we engage in distractions from the core issue: all media that is in any way critical of establishment ideology is being targeted. If we celebrate the demise of any voice we disagree with, we are really celebrating the demise of own own right to choose the voices we support or reject.
Facebook has been shutting down dozens of alternative health pages.
Global Freedom Movement
recently compiled a list of 82 major alternative health pages that have been taken down by Facebook.
Beware the Slippery Slope of Facebook Censorship
The social network is too big and broken to properly function, and these “fixes” will only create more problems
The social network is too big and broken to properly function, and these “fixes” will only create more problems
The death-pit for civil liberties is usually found in a combination of fringe/unpopular people or ideas and a national security emergency.
This is where we are with this unsettling new confab of Facebook, Congress and the Trump administration.
This is where we are with this unsettling new confab of Facebook, Congress and the Trump administration.
Facebook was “helped” in its efforts to wipe out "dangerous" accounts by the Atlantic Council, on whose board you’ll find confidence-inspiring names like Henry Kissinger, former CIA chief Michael Hayden, former acting CIA head Michael Morell and former Bush-era Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff. (The latter is the guy who used to bring you the insane color-coded terror threat level system.)
These people now have their hands on what is essentially a direct lever over nationwide news distribution. It’s hard to understate the potential mischief that lurks behind this union of Internet platforms and would-be government censors.
The First Amendment, after all, only addresses the government’s power to restrict speech. It doesn’t address what Facebook, Google, YouTube and Twitter can do as private companies, enforcing their terms of service.
So it’s true, there was no First Amendment issue with the Alex Jones [infowars] ban. But that’s the problem.
When Facebook works with the government and wannabe star-chamber organizations like the Atlantic Council to delete sites on national security grounds, using secret methodology, it opens the door to nightmare possibilities that you’d find in dystopian novels.
The sheer market power of these companies over information flow has always been the real threat. This is why breaking them up should have long ago become an urgent national priority.
Politicians are more interested in using than curtailing the power of these companies. The platforms, for their part, will cave rather than be regulated. The endgame here couldn’t be clearer. This is how authoritarian marriages begin, and people should be very worried.
Censorship Does Not End Well
How America learned to stop worrying and put Mark Zuckerberg in charge of everything
How America learned to stop worrying and put Mark Zuckerberg in charge of everything
This is the nuance people are missing. It’s not that people like Jones shouldn’t be punished; it’s the means of punishment that has changed radically.
For more than half a century, we had an effective, if slow, litigation-based remedy for speech violations. The standards laid out in cases like New York Times v. Sullivan were designed to protect legitimate reporting while directly remunerating people harmed by bad speech. Sooner or later, people like Alex Jones would always crash under crippling settlements. Meanwhile, young reporters learned to steer clear of libel and defamation. Knowing exactly what we could and could not get away with empowered us to do our jobs, confident that the law had our backs.
If the line of defense had not been a judge and jury but a giant transnational corporation working with the state, journalists taking on banks or tech companies or the wrong politicians would have been playing intellectual Russian roulette. In my own career, I’d have thought twice before taking on a company like Goldman Sachs. Any reporter would.
Now the line is gone. Depending on the platform, one can be banned for “glorifying violence,” “sowing division,” “hateful conduct” or even “low quality,” with those terms defined by nameless, unaccountable executives, working with God Knows Whom.
Americans are not freaking out about this because most of us have lost the ability to distinguish between general principles and political outcomes. So long as the “right” people are being zapped, no one cares.
But we should care. Censorship is one of modern man’s great temptations. Giving in to it hasn’t provided many happy stories.
Video:
Internet Censorship and how to fix it
Important Note:
The first picture in the web page looks like the video, but it isn't.
Scroll down a bit for an identical picture that really is the video.
The creator of this video talks a lot before getting to his major points.
The first picture in the web page looks like the video, but it isn't.
Scroll down a bit for an identical picture that really is the video.
The creator of this video talks a lot before getting to his major points.
Those points can be summarized as:
1. The current debate is a false dichotomy.
The liberal side says censorship by kicking people (especially Alex Jones)
off platforms (e.g. Facebook) is necessary to protect people from "fake news".
The conservative side is that censoring Jones (and others) for their political
beliefs is an outrage.
2. These two opposing beliefs have something important in common:
The desire for more government regulation.
The liberal side says government regulation of Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.
is necessary to censor conservatives and other "fake news".
The conservative side is that we need an internet bill of rights to prevent
censorship, which will be regulated by the government.
3. The author of this video says that the real solution is more competition
so that people can dump their accounts on Facebook, Twitter, etc.,
and move on to other platforms. This has happened in the past.
Remember MySpace.com? Digg.com? 10 years ago, they were powerful.
4. The existing monopolies (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.) WANT to be
regulated. Why? They are frightened of becoming the next MySpace or
Digg — whose users left them for other platforms. Regulation will
become a barrier to competition. If the government had regulated
MySpace and Digg, they would still be big today and Facebook would never
have stood a chance.
5. The purpose of the false dichotomy is to trick people into believing that
government regulation is the answer to all internet problems and
competition is not.
6. Good alternative media platforms already exist. Start using them!!
The author is already using some of them. If enough users migrate
to other platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc., will become the
MySpace and Digg of the internet 10 years from now.
7. As Facebook and Twitter fade in popularity, new platforms will grow
and replace them. Unless government regulation stops them.
Here are direct links to James Corbett's alternative social media videos that he mentioned only briefly in the above video.
Social Media Alternatives: Jonathan Brown Introduces Mix-Blockchain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKwaWh6CFjA
Social Media Alternatives: Jonathan Brown Introduces Mix-Blockchain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKwaWh6CFjA
Social Media Alternatives: Steemit and DTube with Dan Dicks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50IZSxYi68k
The Social Media Exodus Has Begun. Here's Where Everybody's Going.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhactAB37YI
Social Media Alternatives: Yours.org with Ryan X. Charles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk1f2ZtsRCg
Conservatives Banned From Social Media? Here's What They Can Do About It
Not long ago, CEOs tended to keep their political views mostly in the closet. Companies remained publicly neutral because their goal was first and foremost to make money. When they wanted to influence politics or social norms, they bought politicians — you know, the good old-fashioned way. The big banks still do this by funneling cash to both Republicans and Democrats alike
Some people will argue that the media has always been leftist in its orientation and that this trend is nothing new. But media companies at least pretended to be “fair and balanced” by tolerating a certain level of participation by conservatives. No longer.
With the advent of the internet and social media, participation in political discussion has become more open to the common citizen than ever before. This is apparently an intolerable side effect that corporate elites would like to do away with.
First, companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter are not honest in the presentation of their own image. They initially depicted themselves as bastions of social commerce without any interest in ideological battles. If they had come right out in the open from the beginning and admitted they are running their platforms based on social justice lunacy, then perhaps conservatives would not have bothered to join in the first place. Then Facebook and others could keep their forums “ideologically pure” without misleading people.
Second, while these companies do have standards of behavior and rules for participants, the rules are deliberately broad and vaporous. They claim their rules focus on more abhorrent behaviors like overt racism, but then go on to define almost EVERYTHING that they disagree with as “racist.”
Second, while these companies do have standards of behavior and rules for participants, the rules are deliberately broad and vaporous. They claim their rules focus on more abhorrent behaviors like overt racism, but then go on to define almost EVERYTHING that they disagree with as “racist.”
So then, what is the solution?
I would first advocate for the end of the legal protections afforded under “corporate personhood.”
I am also a proponent of the breakup of corporate monopolies.
Under Adam Smith’s model of free markets, corporations (or joint stock companies as they were called in his day), were not acceptable. As mentioned, they are not a function of free markets. Partnerships are, though. Reducing corporations down to partnerships and removing corporate welfare and government protections would go a long way in solving the dangers of business elites and their control of entire swaths of public communication (among many other sectors).
U.S. Tech Giants Are Too Big, Too Powerful and Now Are Running Into Serious Trouble
One person said:
“I’m against large companies and governments collaborating in the oppression of their people, and feel like transparency around what’s being done is in the public interest,” the source said, adding that they feared “what is done in China will become a template for many other nations.”
I think the U.S. tech giants are in the early stages of destroying themselves. I will focus on Facebook and Google. Both face serious issues that are only now truly coming to a head and rooted in two primary factors, size and politics.
Facebook executives have recently shown signs of an increased eagerness to grovel to politicians still cranky about Hillary’s loss.
Facebook has been under intense pressure to validate the theory that Russia and fake news led to Hillary’s loss, especially from Senator Mark Warner of Virginia. Executives feel a need to comply.
This is pure political theater and Facebook is now an eager participant.
Headline: Google Plans to Launch Censored Search Engine in China, Leaked Documents Reveal
Google executives realize how completely and utterly evil this is, which is why they’re apparently actively hiding the initative from their own employees. Not a good look.
The China initiative seems even more problematic from a political perspective. It’s one thing to help the U.S. government, it’s another to actively help the primary strategic rival of U.S. imperial dominance maintain its authoritarian government in the name of profit, which is exactly what Google would be doing.
This is the sort of thing that happens when you get too big, too powerful and too desperate for growth at all costs.
Challenging Silicon Valley's "Lords Of The Internet"
Facebook, Twitter, Google and Apple have all been engaging in censorship of people that American politicians don't like.
Facebook, Twitter, Google and Apple have all been engaging in censorship of people that American politicians don't like.
The Communications Decency Act immunizes these companies against any torts that may arise from activities conducted on their platforms: they can’t be sued or prosecuted for defamation, libel, or indeed for any criminal activity that is generated by these Internet domains. That’s because they claim to be mere “carriers,” like the old phone company, and therefore they can’t be held responsible for conversations, postings, or other online materials that involve illegal or otherwise dubious actors.
On the other hand, content-providers like Fox News, CNN, and Antiwar.com are not so privileged: this site, for example, can be sued or held legally responsible by the authorities for any illegal activities supposedly generated on or by Antiwar.com.
This two-tiered system is responsible for the cartel-like conditions enjoyed by Facebook, Google, Twitter, and the rest of the Silicon Valley crowd. The vast wealth poured into this new technology by investors buoyed by historically low interest rates, plus the special government-granted advantages granted to them by their friends in Washington, has resulted in the enrichment of Big Data beyond the dreams of Croesus.
In short, Silicon Valley is a creature of the State.
In recognition of the government-granted privileges handed out to the Zuckerbergs of this world, the lords of the Internet have agreed to become the regime’s enforcers. That’s why Alex Jones is out in the cold, and others will soon follow.
So what’s the solution? Should we turn the Internet over to the government to be run as a public utility? That would only make the problem much worse: censorship by the government would then be direct, rather than masked as it is now.
The answer to this seeming conundrum is simply to abolish the special privileges enjoyed by the Silicon Valley crowd: make them legally liable for the consequences of their actions, just like everyone else. Abolish the Communications “Decency” Act and start all over with a free market bill: no special privileges for anyone, and a level playing field at last.
This would eliminate Big Data’s deal with the devil, and put them on the same level as their would-be competitors. The developing Big Data cartel would be smashed, and new companies would arise to challenge the hegemony of the Zuckerbergs.
https://original.antiwar.com/justin/2018/08/08/challenging-the-lords-of-the-internet/
On the other hand, content-providers like Fox News, CNN, and Antiwar.com are not so privileged: this site, for example, can be sued or held legally responsible by the authorities for any illegal activities supposedly generated on or by Antiwar.com.
This two-tiered system is responsible for the cartel-like conditions enjoyed by Facebook, Google, Twitter, and the rest of the Silicon Valley crowd. The vast wealth poured into this new technology by investors buoyed by historically low interest rates, plus the special government-granted advantages granted to them by their friends in Washington, has resulted in the enrichment of Big Data beyond the dreams of Croesus.
In short, Silicon Valley is a creature of the State.
In recognition of the government-granted privileges handed out to the Zuckerbergs of this world, the lords of the Internet have agreed to become the regime’s enforcers. That’s why Alex Jones is out in the cold, and others will soon follow.
So what’s the solution? Should we turn the Internet over to the government to be run as a public utility? That would only make the problem much worse: censorship by the government would then be direct, rather than masked as it is now.
The answer to this seeming conundrum is simply to abolish the special privileges enjoyed by the Silicon Valley crowd: make them legally liable for the consequences of their actions, just like everyone else. Abolish the Communications “Decency” Act and start all over with a free market bill: no special privileges for anyone, and a level playing field at last.
This would eliminate Big Data’s deal with the devil, and put them on the same level as their would-be competitors. The developing Big Data cartel would be smashed, and new companies would arise to challenge the hegemony of the Zuckerbergs.
https://original.antiwar.com/justin/2018/08/08/challenging-the-lords-of-the-internet/
How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions
Jerome Jacobson and his network of mobsters, psychics, strip club owners, and drug traffickers won almost every prize for 12 years, until the FBI launched Operation ‘Final Answer.’
More than 50 defendants were convicted of mail fraud and conspiracy.
Scam robocallers are getting so creative, they stole nearly $1 billion last year
Over 1,500 robocalls were placed every second last month, but how do you know if they’re fake?
Last month, 1,591 robocalls were placed every second, amounting to 137.5 million calls for every day of the month, according to a report published by YouMail, which provides a free robocall blocking service.
Along with the elderly, millennials are much more likely to respond to a robocall since they don’t get calls often.
Criminal Activity in Cryptocurrency Has Dropped 80 Percent Since 2013
An agent of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has noted that Bitcoin’s (BTC) role in crimes has dropped to just 10 percent of transactions, while transactions themselves have “grown tremendously,” Bloomberg reports August 7.
As Bitcoin’s popularity has grown, however, it is now legitimate trading which forms the overwhelming majority of activity, with Infante noting that the “majority of transactions are used for price speculation.”
Bitcoin Speculators, Not Drug Dealers, Dominate Crypto Use Now
The ratio of legal to illegal activity in Bitcoin has flipped, according to Lilita Infante at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“The volume has grown tremendously, the amount of transactions and the dollar value has grown tremendously over the years in criminal activity, but the ratio has decreased,’’ she said in an interview at her office in Weston, Florida. “The majority of transactions are used for price speculation.’’
Monday, August 6, 2018
"That's Capitalism!"
Those holding Apple stock have wide grins behind their Wall Street Journals, thinking of how they can finance another yacht or swimming pool.
Actually, they want to get the plumbing fixed first.
Those of us who bought Apple hardware think we got a good deal. Sure, it cost more than the Windows PC with Pentium™. But it’s lasted a lot longer.
And some stamp their feet in dismay. “What! Those greedy capitalists! What about the people?”
I won’t go into the ethics of capitalism here. What I will do is suggest those of you who disparage the success of Apple…start looking into Linux.
Want to support a hardy band of explorers on the digital frontier? Then head over to elementary.io to buy their distribution of Linux, called Elementary OS! Right now it stands at version 4.1, but the beta is out of version 5! Soon to be followed by the final release!
Just give them $5 right now to download the live installer of version 4.1. See how nice it looks, how Mac-like it is? How easily it connects to your wireless printer right off the bat?
I can’t claim Elementary OS will replace Mac OS. But an anonymous donor just gave them a million bucks, enabling them to hire a full-time developer.
Stamping your feet outside the Apple Store at the Topanga Mall and shouting anti-capitalist slogans will only get you shooed away by Mall Security. Spend your time finding and hiring the next Andy Hertzfeld and Jef Raskin to start up the next Apple.
Get to work! If work isn’t a dirty word to you!
Tom Briant
Editor, MacValley Blog
A Short Course in Why Apple is worth roughly a trillion bucks
A Short Course in Why Apple is supposedly worth a trillion bucks.
By the editor
In my past life, I studied a semester’s worth of macro and micro-economics each. I also studied a lot of accounting. That is why I feel competent to state why Apple is valued at a trillion dollars.
First of all, it is not Apple’s physical assets that are worth all that dough. As fancy as their new headquarters is, it is not worth a trillion dollars, along with all the Apple stores. It is not all the machinery that goes into manufacturing Apple’s products. I don’t know what Foxconn values its machine inventory at, but I am sure it’s not a trillion dollars.
What, then, does Apple own that is worth a trillion dollars?! Nothing. It is what the stockholders of Apple would pay today for the shares of Apple.
If they bought them in 1997, those shares have increased in value many times over. Just like the value of my condo has increased. It’s not what I have done to my condo that makes it more valuable. What people would pay for it today makes it more valuable.
We should remember that 21 years ago, Apple flailed in all directions like a turtle on its back. Steve Jobs managed to right the turtle to set it on the path to commercial glory.
What if Apple flails again like a turtle on its back in 21 years again? Stay tuned…
Tom Briant
Editor, MacValley Blog
Finding Fault with El Jobso
Steve Jobs’ eldest daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, has a memoir of her childhood coming out September 4th. To whet our appetites, Vanity Fair magazine has published excerpts from it.
I haven’t read it. I may read it and her mother’s memoir of her life with Steve at some later date.
I certainly do not dispute the facts of their accounts or the truth that Steve Jobs often behaved as a Grade-A Asshole. I suspect many of those who idolize him secretly carry the fear in the pit of their stomachs that the price of such business accomplishment is to behave like a Grade-A Asshole toward family and colleagues.
Woody Allen’s aphorism, “As an artist, you couldn’t touch him. As a person, who would want to?” applies to Mr. Jobs.
Having said that, I suspect many of us would prefer the answer to: “How in the Hell did he manage to turn UNIX into a commercially viable product?” Everyone acknowledged that the UNIX operating system, developed at Bell Labs, was far superior to Windows. No one had figured out how to market it to the retail market. Least of all AT&T.
It was the genius of Steve Jobs and his team from Next Computing that turned Apple’s Classic OS, a visually beautiful but technically flawed operating system, along with the reliable guts of BSD Unix into the reliable, beautiful macOS of today. It was the genius of those individuals that turned the guts of macOS into the world-beating operating system iOS for iPhones and iPads.
That’s how you make a trillion bucks worth of company.
I would hope Mr. Jobs arranged for Chrisann Brennan and Lisa Brennan-Jobs to share in that bounty. I am glad that neither one has sought to involve themselves in Apple’s management.
Yes, Tim, you and your team are doing a splendid job. No, we don’t want to know the details of your private life.
Tom Briant
Editor, Macvalley Blog
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
