The MacValley blog
Welcome to the MacValley blog, your first stop for all the latest MacValley news and views.
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The MacValley blog Editor: Tom Briant
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly Web Wrap-up for Sunday 6-11-2017
Slide Show
Here's everything Apple announced on Monday at its biggest event of the year
Here's everything Apple announced on Monday at its biggest event of the year
Slide Show:
The 17 most useful new features coming to your iPhone and iPad this fall
New iPads, Apple Homepods, iMac Pro And More At WWDC 2017
The Apple Worldwide Developers’ Conference was a treat for fans and an awesome hangout for tech connoisseurs of the Silicon Valley. There were more vital announcements than one can count on the fingers of one’s hand, and some of them were really exciting. My personal favorite is the new iMac Pro. What’s yours?
Video:
Apple's Next Moves: HomePod, iOS 11 and iPad Pro
In a 2.5-hour keynote, Apple announced a slew of new hardware and software products.
1. HomePod — competes with Google Home and Amazon’s Echo
2. iOS 11
3. iPad Pro with a 10.5 inch screen
4. New Macs — iMac Pro ($5000), and new updated iMacs.
5. Watch OS 4
Hardware Steals the Show at Apple’s Software Confab
I'd like to highlight a few issues that Apple has announced that they will be fixing in the next versions of macOS and iOS.
A number of the new features Apple announced will fix long-standing issues.
After 30 Days of Android, I Went Back To Apple
About a month ago I scored a Samsung S7 Edge at Wally World (Walmart) for $399 as they were clearing them out because the S8 came out. My iPhone 4 was slowly dying (home button was flaky and cant update the software) so I knew it was time for a new phone - cant complain after having it for 6 years.
I will say that Android is flexible and you can do what you want with it but it has LOTS and LOTS of problems.
I will say that Android is flexible and you can do what you want with it but it has LOTS and LOTS of problems.
On top of this Google is extremely invasive ... They want to suck your whole life into their cloud.
After a month of constantly trying to get it to work smoothly and not have a dead battery all the time I said the hell with it. I dont have time for this bull****, I just want it to work.
I walked into an Apple store and bought an 128GB iPhone 7. The Apple tards told me to just take it home, plug it in and tell it to restore my last back up from iCloud. 20 minutes later my phone was working like nothing happened. My phone was talking to my Mac like it was never gone. Only thing I lost was the text messages from the last month which I dont care about.
I walked into an Apple store and bought an 128GB iPhone 7. The Apple tards told me to just take it home, plug it in and tell it to restore my last back up from iCloud. 20 minutes later my phone was working like nothing happened. My phone was talking to my Mac like it was never gone. Only thing I lost was the text messages from the last month which I dont care about.
The primary problem that I see with Android is its for tinkerers. Its the equivalent of Windows only worse.
If you want to spend your time debugging your phone, trying to figure out why it doesn’t work, than good for you. For me, I want it to be an appliance and just work. And Apple is as close to that as you are going to get.
Video:
This is Apple’s best iPad ever — here's why
REVIEW: Apple's new iPad Pro is the best tablet
Even with its faults, the iPad Pro is the best tablet of the bunch.
iMac Pro, the most powerful Mac ever, will arrive this December
Workers in China detained for selling Apple user information: Report
Police in Zhengjiang -- a wealthy Chinese province adjacent to Shanghai -- has recently cracked down on an underground network which has obtained personal information associated with iPhone accounts and traded them for huge profits.
Twenty-two suspects, who were spread across several Chinese provinces including Guangdong, Jiangsu and Fujian, have been detained for suspicion of obtaining computer information and invading citizen's personal information.
Twenty-two suspects, who were spread across several Chinese provinces including Guangdong, Jiangsu and Fujian, have been detained for suspicion of obtaining computer information and invading citizen's personal information.
Total income in the case has exceeded 50 million yuan, it is alleged.
Apple legalizes and taxes in-app tipping for content creators
Apple’s newly published update to its App Store policies officially designates voluntary tipping via virtual currency as in-app purchases that Apple taxes 30 percent. By taking tipping out of the grey area, more app developers might institute digital tip jars as an alternative way to get creators paid without having to offer ad revenue sharing.
How to set up your iPhone to avoid expensive surprises on your phone bill
You can even see which apps are consuming the most data
7 ways to seriously cut back on iPhone data usage
1. Restrict iTunes and App Store downloads
2. Disable background app refresh
3. See which apps are using the most data
4. Disable Wi-Fi Assist
5. Download music, don't stream
6. Fetch mail less frequently
7. Use Safari's Reading List
If you're always running out of space on your iPhone, try these six tricks
10 basic iOS tricks every iPhone owner should know
5 things to do before giving an old iPhone or iPad to your kid
1. Wipe your old data
2. Create a child’s iCloud account
3. Control what your kid can—and can’t—do on her iPhone or iPad
4. Hide Settings, Mail, and other Apple apps
5. Turn on Airplane mode
iOS 11 release date, news and features
New iOS 11 features are changing your iPhone and iPad, and Apple's update is either out now (for the unfinished beta version) or three months away (for the finished version), depending on who you are.
It's an especially big upgrade for the iPad.
Which iPhones & iPads are compatible with iOS 11?
This article has a list of every device that works with iOS 11,
and another list of every device that works with iOS 10.
iOS 11 latest news - release date and new features
This article also has a list of devices compatible with iOS 11.
The next big iPhone update is going to save you some serious storage space
When your iPhone gets the next major software upgrade, iOS 11 ... iMessages, for instance, is getting a particularly huge change: All iMessages will be stored in iCloud from now on.
Apple doubles its $10/month iCloud storage plan to 2TB, adds family sharing
10.5-inch iPad Pro vs 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2017): What's The Difference?
Apple has made both its new iPad Pros more compact. The scene stealer is the enlarged 10.5-inch iPad Pro which fits into virtually the same footprint as its 9.7-inch predecessor.
Early Verdict:
Apple has made sensible upgrades - particularly to the iPad Pro 10.5 which is now large enough to be a proper productivity device without piling on the pounds. The displays will Wow, the performance should be enough for even the heaviest power users and the cameras deliver a dramatic improvement on their predecessors.
Combined with the significant changes for iPads in iOS 11, the new iPad Pros once again look set to lift the benchmark for tablets across the industry.
Combined with the significant changes for iPads in iOS 11, the new iPad Pros once again look set to lift the benchmark for tablets across the industry.
Three Videos:
Apple boasts that iPad Pro is, um, powerful
The New iPad Pro: You can feel the Power!
iPad Pro 2 release date, news and features
Cut to the chase
• What is it? The latest high-end tablets from Apple
iPad Pro 2 price
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro 2
• What is it? The latest high-end tablets from Apple
• When is it out? Now!
• What does it cost? 10.5-inch starts at $649, 12.9-inch starts at $799
• 10.5-inch iPad Pro 2
64GB: $649, 256GB: $749, 512GB: $949
• 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2
64GB: $799, 256GB: $899, 512GB: $1,099
64GB: $799, 256GB: $899, 512GB: $1,099
Which Apple iPad is best for you? iPad mini vs iPad Air vs iPad vs iPad Pro
Apple offers a number of iPad options - iPad mini 4, iPad 9.7, iPad Pro 10.5 and a spec-upgraded iPad Pro 12.9. The tablets range from 7.9-inch displays to 12.9-inches in size.
The iPad mini 2, iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro 9.7 have been officially discontinued by Apple but are still available elsewhere, so we've included them all so you can see the differences between them and the new models to help you decide which is the right one for you and your budget.
The iPad mini 2, iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro 9.7 have been officially discontinued by Apple but are still available elsewhere, so we've included them all so you can see the differences between them and the new models to help you decide which is the right one for you and your budget.
The Apple iPad 10.5 and the iPad 12.9 are identical in terms of specifications, except for size.
The iPad Pro 12.9 is quite a bit larger and heavier.
The iPad Pro 10.5 on the other hand, will be better for working on the go.
Apple MacBook Pro (2017) vs MacBook Pro (2015): What's the difference?
Apple's new MacBook Pro arrived in October 2016, with a Touch Bar in place of function keys and a hefty price tag. It was then updated in June 2017 with new specs, as was the MacBook Air, while the company also announced new iMacs.
Which Apple MacBook is best for you? MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?
This feature rounds up all the MacBooks models offered through Apple, from the 12-inch MacBook to the 15-inch MacBook Pro, to help you work out what each model offers, how much they cost, how they can be configured and what their pros and cons are.
Read on to find out which Apple MacBook is the one for you.
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/139319-which-apple-macbook-is-best-for-you-macbook-macbook-air-or-macbook-pro
Read on to find out which Apple MacBook is the one for you.
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/139319-which-apple-macbook-is-best-for-you-macbook-macbook-air-or-macbook-pro
New MacBook Pro: 6 Reasons to Buy, 3 Reasons Not To
We’ll focus on the new MacBook Pro with USB C and a new design that includes a Touch Bar on most models. Apple started selling the 2016 Macbook Pro late last year and now sells the updated 2017 MacBook Pro with a Kaby Lake processor and better discrete graphics on the 2017 MacBook Pro 15-inch. There’s also a better entry level price on the 13-inch MacBook Pro, that start at $1,299 now.
While there are definitely some reasons to hate the new MacBook Pro design there are also plenty of reasons to buy it — and the latest macOS Sierra updates help with battery life and functionality. All of the new MacBook Pro models get a free macOS High Sierra update later this year.
While there are definitely some reasons to hate the new MacBook Pro design there are also plenty of reasons to buy it — and the latest macOS Sierra updates help with battery life and functionality. All of the new MacBook Pro models get a free macOS High Sierra update later this year.
New MacBook Pro Details Reveal Apple's Hidden Goal
Apple announced a number of updates to its MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. The macOS powered laptops now come with Intel’s seventh-generation processors, finally bringing them up to parity with the Windows 10 competition.
Tim Cook and his team are trying to change the nature of the MacBook market place.
How Much Dirt Does Siri Have on You?
How much transparency will we get from our voice assistants?
Any time I ask Siri, “What data do you send to Apple?” I get the response, “Who, me?” That’s not cute. Whenever I ask, “Do you save the questions I ask you?” I get the reply, “I can’t answer that.” Again, not cute. I’d like Siri to come back with a concise explanation of what it sends to Apple’s servers and how long my queries stay there.
I don’t make a point of culling life lessons from Harry Potter books but there’s a moment in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets where a character is chided, “What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can’t see where it keeps its brain.” That’s a good ground rule for any smart assistant.
Apple announces watchOS 4 with a Siri watchface, better coaching & more
Why Siri is the best app to have on your next international trip
When Apple’s next operating system, iOS 11, premieres this fall, it will come loaded with new Siri features that could be helpful for travelers going abroad.
When traveling in a country where English is not the first language, iPhone users will be able to ask Siri for anything from restaurant recommendations to the nearest pharmacy. Siri will be able to look at map results in a different language and translate them back to English.
Users will also be able to ask Siri how to translate phrases and sentences. Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Italian will be the first languages released with this feature, and Apple plans to add more.
When traveling in a country where English is not the first language, iPhone users will be able to ask Siri for anything from restaurant recommendations to the nearest pharmacy. Siri will be able to look at map results in a different language and translate them back to English.
Users will also be able to ask Siri how to translate phrases and sentences. Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Italian will be the first languages released with this feature, and Apple plans to add more.
Voice recognition has been the biggest drag on Siri since the assistant’s introduction in 2011.
Apple now feels confident enough in Siri to put it front and center on every device; Apple even went so far as to build a whole piece of hardware around it with HomePod. When iOS 11 updates roll out to a billion devices, and the HomePod starts arriving in people’s living rooms, we’ll see if Siri has managed to catch up to the competition, or if it continues to leave users with the impression that Apple doesn’t have a handle on today’s cutting-edge AI.
Amazon Just Killed the Best Deal in Tech
This article compares the cost of Amazon’s “Cloud Drive” to the costs of its competitors:
Google Drive, Apple’s iCloud, Microsoft’s One Drive, and Dropbox.
Services that provide only a few GB of cloud storage are free.
Services that provide one TB or more of cloud storage cost a small monthly fee.
Amazon’s fee is the cheapest.
AW Comment:
Although the above services have different names, using them is nothing more than storing your personal information on a corporation hard disk — and sometimes paying for the privilege.
All these services are targets for hackers. And hackers have successfully stolen personal information for some (though not all) users of those services.
Many people are using these services without knowing it (because some of the services are free) and without knowing how much of their personal information is stored on the corporate computers that provide the services. For example, copies of all your E-mails are probably stored on corporate computers.
Mark Cuban's Wrong About Bitcoin's "Bubble," but Right About Its Future
Cuban "isn't entirely wrong," David Zeiler said this morning (Wednesday). "The price of Bitcoin has raced ahead of itself. But what we're seeing is a lot of demand pressure on a fixed supply. That isn't changing unless people suddenly get bored with Bitcoin."
Cuban followed up his Bitcoin-skeptic tweetstorm by tweeting “I think blockchain is very valuable and will be at the core of most transactions in the future. Healthcare, finance, etc., will all use it."
Why Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) Raise Millions of Dollars in Seconds
Initial coin offerings (ICOs) have become shockingly popular in a very short time.
ICOs have begun to rival venture capital in the realm of blockchain-based startups.
But while ICOs are an intriguing innovation that shows promise, the utter lack of regulation of this new investment tool means it's fraught with risk.
ICOs are built on the same blockchain technology that powers Bitcoin. But these tokens, or "coins," are custom cryptocurrencies offered by startups to raise capital for their business.
ICOs are built on the same blockchain technology that powers Bitcoin. But these tokens, or "coins," are custom cryptocurrencies offered by startups to raise capital for their business.
ICOs are a form of crowdfunding that uses digital currencies as the investing mechanism.
On April 25, the Gnosis ICO raised $7 million in the first 30 seconds and $12.5 million within 10 minutes.
The worst example so far is the decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) fiasco. The ICO was conducted in May of last year and raised $168 million from 10,000 investors. But a computer whiz noticed a programming flaw that allowed him or her to siphon out $50 million before the project ever got off the ground.
Why the Ethereum Price Is Rising So Fast
The Ethereum price is rising like a missile because of these five powerful catalysts…
• Business Support
• Initial Coin Offerings
• China and South Korea:
• Russia
• Fear of missing out (FOMO)
AW Comment:
Betting on price changes in digital currencies is pure speculation, as far as I’m concerned.
Video:
I freaked out several people by showing them how much of their personal info I could find on the internet.
And it wasn’t hard.
For example, it’s easy for anyone to get a map of where you live on the internet. Including criminal stalkers.
And web sites also reveal your income to ANYONE.
Google is keeping a dossier on you that would make any spy jealous.
At least Google shows you what it’s got and allows you to SOME power to delete it.
There are NO privacy laws to control what corporations (or anyone else) does with all the info about you that’s on the web.
Europe eyeing direct access to cloud services for police data requests
In the wake of a spate of terror attacks across Europe, regional interior ministers have been talking tough on tech. Encryption is one technology that’s been under fire from certain quarters.
There also has been renewed discussion about ways to speed up how law enforcement agencies request data from tech companies — so called e-evidence.
There also has been renewed discussion about ways to speed up how law enforcement agencies request data from tech companies — so called e-evidence.
Three options are being discussed, with Jourová telling the news agency that one is the possibility for police to copy data directly from the cloud — aka direct access. Albeit, she couched this as an “emergency possibility” — such as for situations where authorities do not know the location of the server hosting the data or if there is a risk of data being lost.
Another option would see companies obliged to turn over data if requested by law enforcement authorities in other member countries.
While the third, least intrusive option would involve allowing law enforcement authorities in one EU member state to ask an IT provider in another to turn over electronic evidence without having to ask that member state first.
Another option would see companies obliged to turn over data if requested by law enforcement authorities in other member countries.
While the third, least intrusive option would involve allowing law enforcement authorities in one EU member state to ask an IT provider in another to turn over electronic evidence without having to ask that member state first.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Everything old is new again and other thoughts
And Everything Old is New Again…
Welcome to the era of 64-bit Apple computing, starting in 2018. According to 9to5 Mac, Apple will tell developers they must submit 64-bit versions of their software to the App Store. Even more ominously, the news is that macOS 10.13 will be the last version to unreservedly run 32-bit software such as Microsoft Office 2008 and 2011.
So Apple moves forward like a shark, leaving the carcasses of past systems in its wake. I now have at home a G4 eMac, a 32-bit 2006 MacBook, a late 2011 Mac Mini which is 64-bit, and a 2014 MacBook Air. So I can cover the gamut of Apple’s operating systems for the 21st Century.
What can you do to avoid the shock of realizing you can’t run that old piece of software you depended upon? Well, for starters, don’t throw out your previous Mac. Of course, a lot of us have closets and cabinets full of old Macs. I’ve even seen the original 128K Mac at a friend’s house!
But what do you do if you don’t have an older Mac anymore? You should consider the virtualization route. Parallels, makers of the full-fledged Parallels Desktop virtualization app which I used for Windows 10, recently introduced without a lot of notice, Parallels Desktop Lite. It’s free, you have to go through the Mac App Store, and it’s not intended for Windows, only Mac and Linux and other Intel x86 operating systems.
I’ve tried it with an old Windows XP Pro SP2 DVD that I have and it put up a warning banner that PD Lite would only run Windows for 10 days for free. PD Lite then requires the purchase of a license. So if you want to virtualize Windows on your desktop for free, try Virtual Box. I use it with that old Windows XP Pro DVD to run an old version of WordPerfect 11 that won’t run under Windows 10. Otherwise, break down and spend the money for a full version of Parallels Desktop or VMWare.
Getting back to PD Lite, I find it perfect for running versions of OS X 10.8 and up. I have 10.10 Yosemite and 10.12 Sierra running with virtual machines on my Mac Mini. So I’ll always be able to run a version of OS X that can run 32-bit versions of necessary software.
As for the old PowerPC OS X software needing 10.4, 10.5 and 10.6 on Intel hardware, get thee to PowerMax to get an old MacBook or iMac that runs those versions! You can look on eBay as well, but be careful!
If you need to reinstall your original operating system, you can use the Internet Recovery Mode. Hold down Command+Option+R after you reboot and hear the start-up “bong” Read the article I just linked to in the above sentence for full illustrated instructions.
Will Monitors start getting heavy again after years of featherweight LCD monitors?
Apple announced it would include support for external Graphic Processing Units in 10.13. Of course, enthusiasts have figured out how to run these external Graphic Processing Units in 10.13 in 10.12 and before with various bits of Terminal wizardry. See this article for details.
So what constitutes an external Graphics Processing Unit? It refers to those massive, very expensive graphics cards used primarily by Windows gamers to play realistic games at very high frame rates. They often require their own connection to the computer’s power supply and they require their own set of software drivers. So you can buy a box with its own power supply and some circuitry to connect the graphics card from its PCI-e interface to a Thunderbolt 3 cable and back to the Mac. Apple will start selling developers a complete kit to start developing Virtual Reality for the highest-end Macs.
I have read article which suggest that monitor makers should move the graphics card into the monitor case with just a USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 cable running to the computer. That increases the monitor’s weight. I remember the days of 70 pound 17” CRT monitors that gave me back pain from just unpacking the darn things! I hope that’s not coming back as the standard!
Tom Briant
Editor, MacValley Blog
Monday, June 5, 2017
Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly Web Wrap up for June 4 2017
Video:
Steve Wozniak tells us what he wants to be remembered for
He said “ ‘Happiness = smiles - frowns,’ would be the best thing on my tombstone.”
Video:
Here's why Steve Wozniak used to wait in line overnight for new Apple products
Our 9 favorite Apple ad campaigns, ranked
AW comment: Apple’s 1984 ad should have been #1, not #9.
Surface Pro vs iPad Pro
We compare two of the best hybrid devices to see which can replace both your laptop and tablet. It's Surface Pro v iPad Pro.
We compare two of the best hybrid devices to see which can replace both your laptop and tablet. It's Surface Pro v iPad Pro.
The greatest difference is what software you can use with them.
If you treat both devices as a tablet then the iPad Pro is the hands-down winner, no question. Not only does it have access to the huge selection of games, media, and productivity apps that has been the hallmark of iOS for years, but everything is bigger.
But switch the devices into laptop mode though and the Surface Pro comes into its own.
The Surface Pro isn’t trying to replace your laptop, it is one. Running a full blown version of Windows 10 means you can do practically anything you want on it.
They’re both great devices, but how useful they’ll be will come down to how you wish to employ them.
Here are 3 things you should do if you want to start buying bitcoin
1. Start small — don’t buy more than one bitcoin. Better, buy only a fraction of a bitcoin.
2. Write everything down — especially the password to your bitcoin wallet. If you forget your wallet password, it will be useless and all the bitcoins in it will be lost forever.
3. Don’t store your bitcoin(s) at the exchange. Some exchanges were hacked and robbed. The safest place to store your bitcoin(s) is a “bitcoin wallet”.
iPad Pro 12.9 vs Surface Pro 5: Which is the best laptop-replacement tablet?
The two devices start at a similar price point in the UK, but the Surface tops out at a much more expensive top end if you select the highest processor, memory and storage allocations.
The specifications indicate that the Microsoft Surface — should — be better than the iPad Pro. It will go on sale on 15 June, 2017.
A later review will tell us if the performance of the Microsoft Surface is as good as its specs indicate.
Another page on the BGR web site that has a daily list of bargain apps.
The Micro Phone Lens lets your iPhone see and photograph the world up close
Finding Missing Notifications [on your iPhone]
An iPhone user asked "I thought I had turned on iPhone notifications for a couple of my favorite news apps, but I don’t seem to be getting any alerts — especially when I know there are headlines all over the place these days and my phone isn’t locked. How can I fix this?”
The iPhone can alert you to breaking news and other events, as long as the settings are correct.
Read this article for instructions on how to fix the settings.
Slide Show:
The 15 best iPhone hidden features you never knew existed
Smartphones, both iPhone and Android, have been around for the past 10 years. The first Android was released in 2008 and the first iPhone in 2007. Since, they’ve replaced countless things we once used on daily basis. Now, instead of carrying a backpack, we just carry our phones in our pockets.
In honor of the iPhone’s ten-year anniversary in June, Vocativ has compiled a list of some of the basic items and activities that smartphones (or sometimes just cell phones) have supplanted.
In honor of the iPhone’s ten-year anniversary in June, Vocativ has compiled a list of some of the basic items and activities that smartphones (or sometimes just cell phones) have supplanted.
How to install two of the best call blocking apps for iOS 10
1: Hiya
Hiya was one of the first call blocking apps available on the App Store at the launch of iOS 10, and despite a few hiccups at the beginning, it has become the go-to free call blocking app for iOS 10.
2: Nomorobo - Robocall Blocking
Nomorobo - Robocall Blocking gets regular updates to its blacklists and the app itself; in fact, the developers claim that the paid subscription model adds more than 1,000 numbers to its blacklists every day.
29 Super Simple iPhone Hacks You Need to Know
Audio Podcast:
iCloud Syncing is the Bane of my Existence
This issue is discussed 4 minutes and 30 seconds into the audio.
Tips for working out with Apple Watch
Apple Watch is an excellent fitness tracker and has proved to be an effective workout coach.
Apple Piles On the Features, and Users Say, ‘Enough!’
As Apple prepares to show off new features for the iPhone and other devices at its developer conference on Monday, the company is grappling with an uncomfortable issue: Many of its existing features are already too complicated for many users to figure out.
“A lot of people will think it’s their fault, but it’s really the designer’s fault,” Chalen Duncan said. “People want apps to be easy to use.”
Sales of the Apple Watch have been hampered by the steep learning curve it requires of users, who must master pushing, turning and tapping various parts of the watch and a related iPhone app.
With Apple adding fewer major features in recent years, customers have been slower to upgrade their devices.
App developers are also pausing in what had been a race to embrace Apple’s latest innovations. Eliran Sapir, chief executive of Apptopia, an analytics firm, said that new apps were being introduced at half the rate they were a year ago.
App developers are also pausing in what had been a race to embrace Apple’s latest innovations. Eliran Sapir, chief executive of Apptopia, an analytics firm, said that new apps were being introduced at half the rate they were a year ago.
Video:
4 keys to launching a successful business, according to this entrepreneur who sold Siri to Steve Jobs
Also, read the article about Adam Cheyer, the guy who created Siri.
Who can see my iCloud photos? How to stop your pictures from being hacked
Make sure your iPhone isn’t uploading your photos to iCloud by switching off the “My Photo Stream” feature.
Use two-step authentication.
Don’t activate services that you don’t use. Or deactivate them if they are already active.
Android vs. iOS: Are iPhones Really Safer?
In a new Apple ad, a thief breaks into “your phone” but struggles to get into an iPhone. Here’s how it plays out in the real world.
In a new Apple ad, a thief breaks into “your phone” but struggles to get into an iPhone. Here’s how it plays out in the real world.
The iOS versus Android security debate has been playing out for years, but Applethinks it has enough of an edge now to make it part of the iPhone’s marketing campaign -- a reason for consumers to switch, presumably from an Android device to an iPhone.
Last year, Wired magazine reported that one security firm was offering up to $1.5 million for the most serious iOS exploits and up to $200,000 for an Android one, a sign that iOS vulnerabilities are rarer.
Android vs. iOS security: Compare the two mobile OSes
Google pushes out Android security patches every month. Only Nexus and Pixel users get the update immediately, and other manufacturers might delay or skip the update all together.
Apple's most well-known security feature is its App Store, where any app passing through must not only meet Apple's security requirements, but also pass the tests.
Did Google screw up by not giving Apple the concessions it wanted to keep Google Maps as the default Maps application on iOS?
In retrospect, it is clear that they did.
In retrospect, it is clear that they did.
Google’s actions in negotiating with Apple post-2012 are very telling. Google continues to pay Apple over $1 billion a year to maintain their status as the default search engine and not only do they no longer cripple iOS versions of their apps, they often have more features and run better than on Android. In spite of Android’s growing market share, iOS users are still vastly more valuable than Android users when it comes to ad revenue, with a single iOS user being anywhere from 4–8 times more valuable than an Android user, depending location.
Apple App Store Earned Developers $70 Billion Since Launch
Apple says that in the last nine years it has passed more than $70 billion to developers.
App developers are reaching the million-dollar status almost twice as often on Apple’s App Store than on Google Play.
The figures show that 66 publishers hit the $1 million revenue figure in 2016, against 39 doing the same on Google Play. That’s 1.7 times as many, not bad when you think that Apple’s market share is way less than Android.
App Store mints more $1 million publishers than Google Play
Sixty-six iOS publishers met or passed $1 million in app revenue in 2016 — that’s 1.7 times the 39 publishers on Google Play that achieved the same feat, and double the number of App Store publishers that made $1 million or more in 2015. Though not representative of all publishers’ experiences, the results highlight the higher earning potential of App Store publishers; this could attract more publishers to the iOS platform.
How Congress dismantled federal Internet privacy rules
Congressional Republicans knew their plan was potentially explosive. They wanted to kill landmark privacy regulations that would soon ban Internet providers, such as Comcast and AT&T, from storing and selling customers’ browsing histories without their express consent.
So after weeks of closed-door debates on Capitol Hill over who would take up the issue first — the House or the Senate — Republican members settled on a secret strategy. While the nation was distracted by the House’s pending vote to repeal Obamacare, Senate Republicans would schedule a vote to wipe out the new privacy protections.
On March 23, the measure passed on a straight party-line vote, 50 to 48. Five days later, a majority of House Republicans voted in favor of it, sending it to the White House, where President Trump signed the bill in early April without ceremony or public comment.
Fifteen Republicans voted against the bill, but the measure still passed 215 to 205.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-congress-dismantled-federal-internet-privacy-rules/2017/05/29/7ad06e14-2f5b-11e7-8674-437ddb6e813e_story.html
But the focus on Facebook let another social network off the hook. I speak of my daily addiction, Twitter.
Twitter has become a place where many journalists unconsciously build and gut-check a worldview — where they develop a sense of what’s important and merits coverage, and what doesn’t.
This makes Twitter a prime target for manipulators: If you can get something big on Twitter, you’re almost guaranteed coverage everywhere.
This chart spells out in black and white just how many jobs will be lost to robots
When robots come for our jobs, the first people to fall will be those working in retail and fast food restaurants as well as the ubiquitous secretaries who are an indispensable part of the corporate world.
It may not happen overnight but slowly, machines are gaining on man’s turf and in a decade or two, about 50% of jobs in existence today will have gone the way of dinosaurs, or in this case, automation, according to Henrik Lindberg, chief technology officer at Swedish fintech company Zimpler.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-chart-spells-out-in-black-and-white-just-how-many-jobs-will-be-lost-to-robots-2017-05-31
Why we shouldn’t fear that artificial intelligence will steal our jobs
As amazing as robots are, humans still do many tasks better.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-we-shouldnt-fear-that-artificial-intelligence-will-steal-our-jobs-2017-05-31
Marc Andreessen says the idea that robots will steal our jobs is a ‘total fallacy’
Marc Andreessen ... took specific aim at concerns over self-driving cars, arguing that rather than putting people out of work, they will create many subsidiary industries and, therefore, jobs.
That robots will replace people en masse is simply a “fallacy,” he said.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/marc-andreessen-says-the-idea-that-robots-will-steal-our-jobs-is-a-total-fallacy-2017-05-31
Congressional Republicans knew their plan was potentially explosive. They wanted to kill landmark privacy regulations that would soon ban Internet providers, such as Comcast and AT&T, from storing and selling customers’ browsing histories without their express consent.
So after weeks of closed-door debates on Capitol Hill over who would take up the issue first — the House or the Senate — Republican members settled on a secret strategy. While the nation was distracted by the House’s pending vote to repeal Obamacare, Senate Republicans would schedule a vote to wipe out the new privacy protections.
On March 23, the measure passed on a straight party-line vote, 50 to 48. Five days later, a majority of House Republicans voted in favor of it, sending it to the White House, where President Trump signed the bill in early April without ceremony or public comment.
Fifteen Republicans voted against the bill, but the measure still passed 215 to 205.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-congress-dismantled-federal-internet-privacy-rules/2017/05/29/7ad06e14-2f5b-11e7-8674-437ddb6e813e_story.html
How Twitter Is Being Gamed to Feed Misinformation
After last year’s election, Facebook came in for a drubbing for its role in propagating misinformation — or “fake news,” as we called it back then, before the term became a catchall designation for any news you don’t like.
But the focus on Facebook let another social network off the hook. I speak of my daily addiction, Twitter.
Twitter has become a place where many journalists unconsciously build and gut-check a worldview — where they develop a sense of what’s important and merits coverage, and what doesn’t.
This makes Twitter a prime target for manipulators: If you can get something big on Twitter, you’re almost guaranteed coverage everywhere.
For determined media manipulators, getting something big on Twitter isn’t all that difficult. Unlike Facebook, which requires people to use their real names, Twitter offers users essentially full anonymity, and it makes many of its functions accessible to outside programmers, allowing people to automate their actions on the service.
As a result, numerous cheap and easy-to-use online tools let people quickly create thousands of Twitter bots — accounts that look real, but that are controlled by a puppet master.
As a result, numerous cheap and easy-to-use online tools let people quickly create thousands of Twitter bots — accounts that look real, but that are controlled by a puppet master.
If Facebook’s primary danger is its dissemination of fake stories, then Twitter’s is a ginning up of fake people.
Bots give us an easy way to doubt everything we see online. In the same way that the rise of “fake news” gives the president cover to label everything “fake news,” the rise of bots might soon allow us to dismiss any online enthusiasm as driven by automation. Anyone you don’t like could be a bot; any highly retweeted post could be puffed up by bots.
This chart spells out in black and white just how many jobs will be lost to robots
When robots come for our jobs, the first people to fall will be those working in retail and fast food restaurants as well as the ubiquitous secretaries who are an indispensable part of the corporate world.
It may not happen overnight but slowly, machines are gaining on man’s turf and in a decade or two, about 50% of jobs in existence today will have gone the way of dinosaurs, or in this case, automation, according to Henrik Lindberg, chief technology officer at Swedish fintech company Zimpler.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-chart-spells-out-in-black-and-white-just-how-many-jobs-will-be-lost-to-robots-2017-05-31
Why we shouldn’t fear that artificial intelligence will steal our jobs
As amazing as robots are, humans still do many tasks better.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-we-shouldnt-fear-that-artificial-intelligence-will-steal-our-jobs-2017-05-31
Marc Andreessen says the idea that robots will steal our jobs is a ‘total fallacy’
Marc Andreessen ... took specific aim at concerns over self-driving cars, arguing that rather than putting people out of work, they will create many subsidiary industries and, therefore, jobs.
That robots will replace people en masse is simply a “fallacy,” he said.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/marc-andreessen-says-the-idea-that-robots-will-steal-our-jobs-is-a-total-fallacy-2017-05-31
Andy Rubin’s Essential Phone vs. Apple’s iPhone 7
Android co-founder Andy Rubin's The Essential Phone joins a crowded field of smartphones competing for the same Android enthusiast base of customers. Let's see how the Essential Phone compares to Apple's behemoth across the aisle, the iPhone 7.
Their specifications are very similar.
Their prices are also very similar.
But the Essential Phone is not yet for sale, so the author is not able to compare actual performance yet.
Andy Rubin's Essential phone is trying to revive an idea smartphone makers keep failing to pull off
Modular phones are a great pitch, but a tough sell
Modular phones keep coming back because they’re a great elevator pitch. If you could keep the skeleton of a phone, but upgrade and customize its various components to your liking, it’d mean you wouldn’t have to pay for a new device every other year.
In other words, it'd make upgrading a smartphone more like upgrading a desktop PC. Instead of shelling out $700 for a whole new device, you could just buy the bits that actually need upgrading — a new battery here, a better camera there, and so on.
The highest-profile bust was Google’s Project Ara. That phone started out with the idea of making its core components hot-swappable, but later transitioned to focusing on external, attachable accessories. The team behind Ara said it made that switch because it found that most buyers “couldn’t care less” about upgrading the internals of a phone. Four months later, the project was scrapped entirely.
Modular phones keep coming back because they’re a great elevator pitch. If you could keep the skeleton of a phone, but upgrade and customize its various components to your liking, it’d mean you wouldn’t have to pay for a new device every other year.
In other words, it'd make upgrading a smartphone more like upgrading a desktop PC. Instead of shelling out $700 for a whole new device, you could just buy the bits that actually need upgrading — a new battery here, a better camera there, and so on.
The highest-profile bust was Google’s Project Ara. That phone started out with the idea of making its core components hot-swappable, but later transitioned to focusing on external, attachable accessories. The team behind Ara said it made that switch because it found that most buyers “couldn’t care less” about upgrading the internals of a phone. Four months later, the project was scrapped entirely.
Americans have to stop doing this idiotic thing with their personal information
94 million store their credit or debit card information online.
Two-thirds of Americans who shop online have stored their credit or debit card information online, typically on an online shopping site so they don’t have to pull out their card later on when they shop on that site. And 1 in 10 say they store their card information online on a website any chance they can.
That’s not smart, says CreditCards.com senior industry analyst Matt Schulz: It can make it easier for fraudsters who hack into websites to steal your credit card numbers.
https://moneyish.com/ish/americans-have-to-stop-doing-this-idiotic-thing-with-their-personal-information/
https://moneyish.com/ish/americans-have-to-stop-doing-this-idiotic-thing-with-their-personal-information/
We are all one smart-phone video away from being fired
Bad publicity can happen if you are not on your best behavior whenever you’re in public.
Being under surveillance changes our behavior — and not for the better
It is not just celebrities who have to worry about personal recordings anymore — it’s everybody.”
As surveillance become increasingly intrusive and sophisticated, so do the effects of potentially being watched.
‘Math isn’t so hard’ for women post backfires for financial planning organization
The CFP Board’s Center for Financial Planning, a unit dedicated specifically to attracting new advisers of all backgrounds, recently posted on Instagram a quote by an unnamed female CFP saying the math required in the job wasn’t so hard, and that using a financial calculator was just like using an iPhone. The post sparked outrage from some advisers, specifically women advisers who said it degraded the profession and perpetuated the stereotype that all women fear math.
“It dumbed down what we do,” said Mary Beth Storjohann, a financial adviser and founder of Workable Wealth in San Diego, Calif.
The intention of the post was to break down “math anxiety,” or the desire to avoid number-crunching, so many women have, said Marilyn Mohrman-Gillis.
“I understand the CFP Pro campaign, trying to make the industry trendy and more relatable,” Storjohann said. But “where they’re going with this [post] is a disservice to those who worked so hard to get in.”
Here are 3 things you should do if you want to start buying bitcoin
1. Start small — don’t buy more than one bitcoin. Better, buy only a fraction of a bitcoin.
2. Write everything down — especially the password to your bitcoin wallet. If you forget your wallet password, it will be useless and all the bitcoins in it will be lost forever.
3. Don’t store your bitcoin(s) at the exchange. Some exchanges were hacked and robbed. The safest place to store your bitcoin(s) is a “bitcoin wallet”.
How to Buy Bitcoins - Your Guide to Digital Profits
Bitcoin is so resilient, and so technologically advanced, it's going to revolutionize the world's currency system.
While there will be inevitable pullbacks, Bitcoin is built to continue appreciating over time…
As time goes on, the supply of new bitcoins will get smaller and smaller, becoming a trickle until the very last Bitcoin is mined in 2140.
And that's it. No more new bitcoins. The Bitcoin supply will never grow beyond 21 million.
And that's it. No more new bitcoins. The Bitcoin supply will never grow beyond 21 million.
Now contrast this to fiat currency, such as the U.S. dollar.
The central banks that print fiat money have no limits. They just print more to pay the bills run up by free-spending governments.
The central banks that print fiat money have no limits. They just print more to pay the bills run up by free-spending governments.
Another key aspect of Bitcoin is that it benefits from something known as the "network effect."
Simply put, the more people adopt a technology, the more useful it becomes. In other words, having e-mail back in the 1990s wasn't very useful when only a handful of people had it. But once a critical mass of people had it, e-mail became a virtual necessity to communicate.
Because part of Bitcoin's utility rests on the number of people using it, growth in its adoption rate feeds on itself, drawing more and more people in. And that will supercharge the already rising demand within the Bitcoin market.
It means that despite tremendous gains so far, the Bitcoin revolution is in its infancy. You still have time to add this unique investment to your portfolio.
https://moneymorning.com/active-premiums/how-to-buy-bitcoins-your-guide-to-digital-profits/
Simply put, the more people adopt a technology, the more useful it becomes. In other words, having e-mail back in the 1990s wasn't very useful when only a handful of people had it. But once a critical mass of people had it, e-mail became a virtual necessity to communicate.
Because part of Bitcoin's utility rests on the number of people using it, growth in its adoption rate feeds on itself, drawing more and more people in. And that will supercharge the already rising demand within the Bitcoin market.
It means that despite tremendous gains so far, the Bitcoin revolution is in its infancy. You still have time to add this unique investment to your portfolio.
https://moneymorning.com/active-premiums/how-to-buy-bitcoins-your-guide-to-digital-profits/
How Much Is A Tulip Worth?
In this article, the author compares current stock prices to the tulip mania of centuries ago. He wrote:
“At some point people will realize this [stock prices] is just tulip mania, as it is with Bitcon. Yes, there are a deflating number of Bitcoins but there are an infinite number of real and potential digital currencies!”
A False Facial Recognition Match Cost This Man Everything
Denver resident Steve Talley files $10 million lawsuit after face-matching technology ruined his life
Computer software mistook his face for the face of a bank robber. The software and approach that was used, it has been shown, only garners a subjective estimate as to whether two images show the same person. It’s meant to serve as an investigative tool not evidence.
Take an individual who has a normal life and now it’s destroyed. All because they relied upon facial recognition so much. Maybe someday it will be extremely accurate but at this point in time, it needs more oversight. It needs to be more accurate before they haphazardly use it to screen people.
How Uber Drivers Are Helping Detect Cellphone Surveillance
With 'SeaGlass,' researchers are creating city-wide sensor networks that detect secretive police surveillance tools.
Police use “stingrays”, which they use to to intercept cell phone calls. The stingrays mimic cell phone towers, causing nearby cell phones to automatically connect with them, with people none-the-wiser.
Researchers at the University of Washington have devised a network of sensors — called SeaGlass — to detect unusual "cell phone tower" activity.
They caution that unusual cell tower activity doesn’t necessarily indicate the use of a stingray. But while confirming the use of stingrays with total certainty remains an elusive goal, researchers’ ability to detect the infamous devices is slowly improving.
Researchers say “We think that SeaGlass is a promising technology that — with wider deployment — can be used to help empower citizens and communities to monitor this type of surveillance.”
Slide Show:
Disturbing photos of the toxic graveyards where your old gadgets go to die
It is believed that less than one-sixth of the e-waste was properly recycled.
Researchers expect the volume of e-waste to increase 21% to 50 million metric tons in 2018.
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly Web Wrap-up for May 19th 2017 (This is tom's fault, not Arnolds!)
Video:
15 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do
Try to remember all these tricks after you read the article.
The new iPad review: This is the best couch computer ever
Apple's newest iPad reminded me that for iPhone users, a big tablet that does the same things can be a huge luxury. Browsing the web, playing games, and checking social media is all more pleasant with a bigger screen.
I paid $329 for mine.
I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It can't do anything new compared with other iPads, but it's a great value, and it's clear Apple has refined the iPad over the past seven years to be a great tablet for most people.
For nearly everybody, Apple's newest iPad is the best value if you know you want an iPad.
A little-known service makes it easy to get money for old Apple gadgets you don't want anymore
If you'd rather get some money for your out-of-date gadgets instead, you should consider using Gazelle.
Gazelle is a trade-in service that removes a lot of the friction from selling your tech online.
Gazelle is a trade-in service that removes a lot of the friction from selling your tech online.
Refurbished iPhones: What to check before buying a second-hand iPhone
1. Ask for an original receipt or a proof of purchase
2. Check the IMEI number
3. Check the seller’s return policy
4. Check for an iCloud account, reset and setup the iPhone
5. Always meet in a public place that’s safe
This article also has a few ideas on the best placed to buy a used iPhone.
Could the Apple iPad Pro and Apple Pencil FINALLY make one of the most annoying bits of technology redundant?
I’ve been fiddling with Apple’s iPad Pro for a few months now and I’m glad to report it has shown me we are stepping ever closer to an era where you may never have to print anything ever again.
The iPad Pro has one key accessory that – I hope – might finally stop me having to struggle with a printer ever again: the Apple Pencil.
The iPad Pro has one key accessory that – I hope – might finally stop me having to struggle with a printer ever again: the Apple Pencil.
24 apps you need on your phone right now
10 Essential Apple Watch Apps
Surprise: Google Reveals Apple's iOS Market Share Is 65% to 230% Bigger Than We Thought
"There are now 2 billion monthly active Android devices globally," Google VP Dave Burke wrote.
Over a year ago, Apple announced that there were more than one billion iOS devices in active use.
If generally-accepted sales statistics suggest 10 to 20% iOS market share in global devices sold, these activity statisticssuggest 33% global market share in devices used.
Apple Extends Warranty For This Problem-Plagued Product
Problems with a popular accessory for iPad Pro tablets has prompted Apple to extend the free warranty for it.
The extended warranty is for Apple's Smart Keyboard device that people can connect to their iPad Pro tablets.
The extended warranty is for Apple's Smart Keyboard device that people can connect to their iPad Pro tablets.
Apple admits multiple faults with iPad Pro Smart Keyboard
Because of problems with sticking/repeating/unresponsive keys, connectivity and other ’functional’ issues, Cupertino will now provide free repairs for three years after purchase.
The new policy affects the Smart Keyboard for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro from late 2015 and the Smart Keyboard for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro from early 2016.
Because of problems with sticking/repeating/unresponsive keys, connectivity and other ’functional’ issues, Cupertino will now provide free repairs for three years after purchase.
The new policy affects the Smart Keyboard for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro from late 2015 and the Smart Keyboard for the 9.7-inch iPad Pro from early 2016.
Apple will fix busted iPad Pro Smart Keyboards for up to three years
Apple's Smart Keyboards are a key selling point for both the 12.9-inch and 9.7-inch iPad Pros, as they're official first-party accessories that help to differentiate the devices from the cheaper tablets in the lineup. If you bought one, good news: Apple will now repair most problems with both sizes of Smart Keyboard for up to three years from the date of their release.
iPhone Bug:
Some users experience rapid battery drain after upgrading to iOS 10.3.2
This bug only seems to affect iPhones. Not a single complaint that I have read so far has mentioned these problems occurring on an iPad or iPod touch. Is it a renaissance of the 30% Bug which Apple claimed it has quashed in iOS 10.2.1?
As such my upgrade advice still stands: iOS 10.3.2 is an important update because it patches numerous security flaws, many of which are now public knowledge following its release and this makes them far more dangerous.
Some people think Google's virtual assistant beats Siri in reliability and capability. That may be true on Google's own devices, like the Pixel smartphone, but the Assistant is hobbled on the iPhone.
HTC U11 vs. Apple iPhone 7 Plus: Can Android Champ Beat Apple’s Flagship?
The author’s verdict?
He says the overall winner is the HTC U11.
Third-Party Apps Will Need App-Specific Passwords for iCloud Access From June 15
App-specific passwords are set to become a mandatory requirement for third-party apps that access iCloud user data, according to an Apple Support email.
The policy change basically means that users who want to continue using third-party apps with their iCloud account will have to enable two-factor authentication and generate individual passwords for each app.
How to use iCloud
iCloud Drive: How to See the Status of Uploads
WhatsApp conversations backed up in Apple’s iCloud are now protected by encryption.
WhatsApp conversations are protected by end-to-end encryption, a technique that scrambles content and ensures that nobody but the sender and the intended recipient can decipher it.
Before the update, WhatsApp conversations backed up by iPhone owners using iCloud were stored in readable form.
Though iCloud accounts were encrypted, cyber criminals and authorities could have potentially accessed a WhatsApp user’s private messages by hacking or issuing a court order to Apple, which hold the decryption keys.
That avenue is now blocked by a second layer of protection.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-backup-icloud-iphone-messages-encryption-apple-messaging-app-a7728116.html
Though iCloud accounts were encrypted, cyber criminals and authorities could have potentially accessed a WhatsApp user’s private messages by hacking or issuing a court order to Apple, which hold the decryption keys.
That avenue is now blocked by a second layer of protection.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-backup-icloud-iphone-messages-encryption-apple-messaging-app-a7728116.html
WhatsApp Quietly Boosted Its iCloud Encryption -- FBI Contractors Think They Can Already Break It
Forbes only learned about the most recent improvement last week after a supplier of mobile and cloud hacking tools, Oxygen Forensics, claimed to have added a feature that allowed the company to circumvent the added encryption.
A balance, if such a thing exists, between privacy and security is far from being found.
The news emerged after a company called Oxygen Forensics claimed to be able to get around the security measure, though only if it has access to a SIM card with the same mobile number as that of the targeted user.
WhatsApp quietly added encryption to iCloud backups
WhatsApp has quietly beefed up the security of an iCloud backup feature for users of its messaging service — potentially closing a loophole that could enable otherwise end-to-end encrypted messages to become accessible in a readable form. Such as via a subpoena of Apple, which holds the encryption keys for iCloud, or by a hacker otherwise gaining access to a WhatsApp user’s iCloud account.
A third party company which supplies mobile and cloud hacking tools claimed to be able to circumvent the security measure.
Baltimore Police on Tuesday released an image of a burglary suspect after it and other "selfies" taken by the man on a stolen iPad were automatically uploaded to the victim's iCloud account.
Police had released the image to identify the suspect. They later said they had done so, thanking the public on Twitter for "all the tips."
New Apple iCloud Phishing Scam Targets Local Consumers
Local consumers reported receiving phone calls and multiple messages from “Mollie” claiming that there was a problem with their Apple iCloud account. Consumers were instructed to call back so that Tech Support could help troubleshoot and repair the problem.
Thankfully the consumers were savvy and did not fall for the scam.
To learn more about the FTC crackdown, go to FTC Tech Support Crackdown.
'Your iCloud ID has been deactivated' - another text message scam which is trying to catch you out
Scammers are reportedly sending text messages to users requesting their personal information. It begins with a personalised text from a number purporting to be "iSupport" and warns owners their iCloud account has been deactivated.
An app designed by a pilot helped me get over my crippling fear of flying
When I first heard about SkyGuru, an app designed by a professional pilot to help calm down nervous flyers, I was skeptical. It's an app, how useful could it be?
http://www.businessinsider.com/skyguru-flying-app-2017-5
When I first heard about SkyGuru, an app designed by a professional pilot to help calm down nervous flyers, I was skeptical. It's an app, how useful could it be?
http://www.businessinsider.com/skyguru-flying-app-2017-5
How Google Took Over the Classroom
“Between the fall of 2012 and now, Google went from an interesting possibility to the dominant way that schools around the country” teach students to find information, create documents and turn them in, said Hal Friedlander, former chief information officer for the New York City Department of Education.
Google, and the tech economy, is at the center of one of the great debates that has raged in American education for more than a century: whether the purpose of public schools is to turn out knowledgeable citizens or skilled workers.
Chatfield Senior High School in Littleton, Colo., sent out a notice urging seniors to “make sure” they convert their school account “to a personal Gmail account.”
That doesn’t sit well with some parents. They warn that Google could profit by using personal details from their children’s school email to build more powerful marketing profiles of them as young adults.
That doesn’t sit well with some parents. They warn that Google could profit by using personal details from their children’s school email to build more powerful marketing profiles of them as young adults.
“Unless we know what is collected, why it is collected, how it is used and a review of it is possible, we can never understand with certainty how this information could be used to help or hurt a kid,” said Bill Fitzgerald of Common Sense Media, a children’s advocacy group, who vets the security and privacy of classroom apps.
Mr. Bout of Google said that the tech company had “always taken the compliance needs of our education users seriously.” He added that “even early versions” of the company’s agreements for its education apps had “addressed” the federal education privacy law.
A Russian security software company is raising eyebrows among officials in the US
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) Director Vincent Stewart on May 11 told a Senate committee that "we are tracking Kaspersky and their software."
He added there is "as far as I know, no Kaspersky software on [DIA] networks," although it was possible it was being used by intelligence contractors.
Kaspersky Lab products are widely used in US homes, businesses, and government agencies. The company has contracts with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and segments of the Defense Department.
He added there is "as far as I know, no Kaspersky software on [DIA] networks," although it was possible it was being used by intelligence contractors.
Kaspersky Lab products are widely used in US homes, businesses, and government agencies. The company has contracts with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and segments of the Defense Department.
How gaming in the classroom prepares children for life in a surveillance state
This increase in mass surveillance is also happening in the classroom – through the use of online games that keep score and report back to the teacher in real time about a pupil’s behaviour and abilities.
“Gamification” in schools teaches children that they should expect their every move to be watched, rated and possibly shared publicly. It makes a lack of privacy appear normal and prepares young people to accept mass surveillance in their adult lives.
“Gamification” in schools teaches children that they should expect their every move to be watched, rated and possibly shared publicly. It makes a lack of privacy appear normal and prepares young people to accept mass surveillance in their adult lives.
If surveillance cameras are to be kept in line, the rules will have to keep pace with technology
It has been said that Britain has more surveillance cameras than any other country in the world. This proliferation of CCTV cameras led the government to establish a surveillance camera commissioner responsible for overseeing their governance – the only country in the world to do so.
The global ransomware attack has made $49,000 — but the attackers will have a hard time claiming it
computers around the world were hit with a devastating piece of ransomware, malicious software that encrypts the victim's data then demands a bounty — $300 in this case — to unlock it.
With the help of a leaked software exploit developed by the National Security Agency, a US intelligence agency, the ransomware spread to at least 150 countries, wreaking havoc on Britain's National Health Service — where it shut down hospitals and cancelled operations — and the Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica.
With the help of a leaked software exploit developed by the National Security Agency, a US intelligence agency, the ransomware spread to at least 150 countries, wreaking havoc on Britain's National Health Service — where it shut down hospitals and cancelled operations — and the Spanish telecommunications giant Telefónica.
So has the unknown attacker just made a cool fifty grand? Not necessarily. Information-security professionals across the globe are watching the three wallets like hawks, and law-enforcement officials are likely motivated to get to the bottom of the attack because of its sheer scale.
The WannaCry attack has, in a strange way, been TOO successful.
Had it been just another moderately effective ransomware campaign, it might have flown under the radar. It certainly wouldn't be receiving the global coverage this weekend's attack has. But once it started forcing children's ambulances to get redirected, it changed the game.
The UK government stopped funding Windows XP support to try and force people to upgrade
Organisations around the world were hit with ransomware, nicknamed WannaCry, which encrypted their information and then demanded payment in exchange for decryption.
In the UK, the NHS was particularly badly hit, with at least 48 organisations affected. Hospitals turned non-urgent cases away, cancelled patient operations, and doctors had to work using pen and paper rather than online systems. This chaos continued over the weekend and into Monday morning.
In the UK, the NHS was particularly badly hit, with at least 48 organisations affected. Hospitals turned non-urgent cases away, cancelled patient operations, and doctors had to work using pen and paper rather than online systems. This chaos continued over the weekend and into Monday morning.
The NHS did have one safeguard — the UK government was still paying Microsoft for extended security support after the cut-off date. That means it still had vital security updates and patches to avoid being hacked.
Until 2015, that is, when the government decided to stop paying for that support.
Until 2015, that is, when the government decided to stop paying for that support.
Some people feel the government is to blame for that decision, because that resulted in the NHS' systems being more vulnerable.
James Stewart told Business Insider the group felt continuing to pay for Windows XP support would have been "pulling a rug over the problem.”
There is no one body that is responsible for technical standards across the NHS, according to Stewart, which is why it's hard to pin the blame on one individual or organisation.
Microsoft publicly attacked the US government for 'stockpiling' exploits after a massive global cyberattack
Microsoft has criticised the US government following a massive ransomware cyberattack that hit computers around the world Friday, after it emerged that the malware made use of a software exploited developed by the NSA.
Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, wrote a strongly worded statement that read in part: "This attack provides yet another example of why the stockpiling of vulnerabilities by governments is such a problem ... Repeatedly, exploits in the hands of governments have leaked into the public domain and caused widespread damage.”
Microsoft's president and chief legal officer, Brad Smith, wrote a strongly worded statement that read in part: "This attack provides yet another example of why the stockpiling of vulnerabilities by governments is such a problem ... Repeatedly, exploits in the hands of governments have leaked into the public domain and caused widespread damage.”
He once again called for a "Digital Geneva Convention" that would regulate how software vulnerabilities and cyberweapons be handled globally, specifically one that would force governments to disclose vulnerabilities in a responsible manner.
The need for urgent collective action to keep people safe online: Lessons from last week’s cyberattack
this attack provides yet another example of why the stockpiling of vulnerabilities by governments is such a problem. This is an emerging pattern in 2017. We have seen vulnerabilities stored by the CIA show up on WikiLeaks, and now this vulnerability stolen from the NSA has affected customers around the world. Repeatedly, exploits in the hands of governments have leaked into the public domain and caused widespread damage.
Repeatedly, exploits in the hands of governments have leaked into the public domain and caused widespread damage. An equivalent scenario with conventional weapons would be the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen. And this most recent attack represents a completely unintended but disconcerting link between the two most serious forms of cybersecurity threats in the world today – nation-state action and organized criminal action.
We need governments to consider the damage to civilians that comes from hoarding these vulnerabilities and the use of these exploits.
Fears Google Hire could allow employers to see your entire search history
Technology website Axios reports the tool is currently under testing, and that it will let employers post job listings, and accept and manage applications.
It was apparently developed by Google’s enterprise and cloud division, headed up by Diane Greene, whose start-up was acquired by Google in 2015.
The login page is currently live, however as the service hasn’t officially been announced it’s not yet possible to actually check the website out.
Just make sure when it does go live, you don’t do any X-rated browsing.
It was apparently developed by Google’s enterprise and cloud division, headed up by Diane Greene, whose start-up was acquired by Google in 2015.
The login page is currently live, however as the service hasn’t officially been announced it’s not yet possible to actually check the website out.
Just make sure when it does go live, you don’t do any X-rated browsing.
How to Protect Your Privacy as More Apps Harvest Your Data
If you’ve lost trust in a company, make the cleanest break possible: Delete your account.
Robocalls Flooding Your Cellphone? Here’s How to Stop Them
Rule No. 1
The most simple and effective remedy is to not answer numbers you don’t know, Mr. Quilici said.
The most simple and effective remedy is to not answer numbers you don’t know, Mr. Quilici said.
Turn the tables
And then there is the Jolly Roger Telephone Company, which turns the tables on telemarketers. This program allows a customer to put the phone on mute and patch telemarketing calls to a robot, which understands speech patterns and inflections and works to keep the caller engaged.
And then there is the Jolly Roger Telephone Company, which turns the tables on telemarketers. This program allows a customer to put the phone on mute and patch telemarketing calls to a robot, which understands speech patterns and inflections and works to keep the caller engaged.
Amazon has introduced a "new" Echo device.
If I see one of these in your house I know for a fact that you're stupid -- and I'm immediately leaving, never to return.
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