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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Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Senior Correspondent Arnold Woodworth's Weekly Web Wrap-Up for Wednesday 7-25-2018
Video:
This live spider stuck inside an iMac is the most literal kind of bug
Bill Gates Mug Shot Used in Advertisement on a Web Site – To Hilarious Effect
The ad appeared on a web site that covered most kinds of personal computers – Windows, Linux and Mac – along side an article about four thieves who stole stuff from an Apple store.
Notice that the name of the city was changed to "Manhattan".
It was "Albuquerque" in the original photograph.
Here's a link to the original photo:
Video:
A diehard Mac user switches to PC
In the United States, if you have an Apple iPhone or iPad, it's a strong sign that you make a lot of money.
Researchers found that "no individual brand is as predictive of being high-income as owning an Apple iPhone" based on 2016 data.
Apple Releases New 11.4.1 Update for HomePod
The new HomePod software will be installed automatically on the HomePod after you update to iOS 11.4, but you can also manually update and check your software version.
According to Apple's release notes, the 11.4.1 update for the HomePod includes "general improvements for stability and quality," with no further details provided
Today in Apple history:
July 22, 1997 – Mac OS 8 becomes an instant smash hit
Apple introduced its next-gen operating system, Mac OS 8, the first major OS refresh for Macintosh since System 7’s release in 1991.
Retailing for $99, Mac OS 8 came at a very important time for the money-losing Apple. Sales exceeded expectations by a factor of four, and 1.2 million copies sold in the first two weeks after it became available. This made Mac OS 8 the most successful Apple software product at the time.
Apple updates MacBook Pro with faster performance and new features for pros
MacBook Pro: Features, specifications, and prices for Apple’s high-end laptop
The current version of the MacBook Pro was released in July 2018. The new laptops have the same design as the previous version, but the laptops feature new processors that provide a speed boost.
Apple has six standard configurations of the MacBook Pro. Four of those models have the Touch Bar, a strip that’s located where the function keys are usually at the top of the keyboard.
This article has a list of models and prices.
Apple 15-inch 2.9GHz MacBook Pro review: A laptop that pro app users will love
The jump from four to six processing cores makes the new 15-inch MacBook Pro a beast of a performer.
2018 MacBook Pro Benchmarked After Bug Fix: It's This Much Faster
Bottom Line
The MacBook’s overall CPU performance is impressive, and it’s SSD in particular is over-the-top fast. You’ll notice a big leap in performance if you’re upgrading from a 2016 MacBook Pro and even an impressive jump from last year’s model.
The MacBook’s overall CPU performance is impressive, and it’s SSD in particular is over-the-top fast. You’ll notice a big leap in performance if you’re upgrading from a 2016 MacBook Pro and even an impressive jump from last year’s model.
These 2018 MacBook Pro models are the best values
For the 15-inch MacBook Pro, the version with the 4.1GHz Core i7 processor provides the best performance-per-dollar ratio. For the 13-inch version, it’s the 3.8GHz Core i7 version. In both these cases, it’s the slower models that are preferable for those looking for value.
Someone who actually needs the fastest MacBook Pro available should buy the most expensive device. But for anyone who doesn’t have to have the best and the brightest, and wants to be sure they are getting their money’s worth, the Geekbench per dollar figure is a good indication of where that is.
No matter the value, the 2018 MacBook Pro models are all dramatically faster than their predecessors.
No matter the value, the 2018 MacBook Pro models are all dramatically faster than their predecessors.
Top nine features of the 2018 MacBook Pro
Better keyboard, faster processors, improved speakers and more RAM – just to name a few.
2018 MacBook Pro models feature the biggest yearly CPU performance gains since 2011, according to Geekbench founder John Poole.
Geekbench 4 scores indicate the latest 15-inch models have a 12 to 15 percent increase in single-core performance, while multi-core performance is up 39 to 46 percent, compared to the equivalent 2017 models.
iFixit Tests Silicone Membrane on 2018 MacBook Pro Keyboard With Dust Exposure
iFixit tore apart the 13-inch version and discovered the presence of a new silicone membrane underneath the keyboard's butterfly keys that Apple internal documents have since confirmed has been added to prevent dust and other small particulates from causing key failures.
iFixit has done a much deeper dive, exposing the keyboard to debris to test it out.
Test results indicate that keyboard failure is less likely than with a 2017 MacBook Pro, but still possible.
Some MacBook Pro users complain about throttling issues
Dave Lee found out that the top-performing MacBook Pro can’t operate at full speed for a long time because it gets too hot.
According to him, a video export in Adobe Premiere Pro is taking longer on a brand new MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 CPU than on a 2017 MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i7 CPU (previous Intel generation).
Sure, if you look at benchmarks, the new MacBook Pro destroys previous models, and even many iMacs. But Apple is throttling the speed of the CPU so that it doesn’t get too hot under the heavy load.
Why Apple’s Best MacBook Pro Is Too Powerful for Its Own Good
The problem, it seems, is that Apple simply dropped Intel’s Core i9-CPU into the existing 15-inch MacBook Pro chassis, but didn’t do much to improve the system’s cooling or thermal management. So that means when people asked to peform more intensive tasks, heat quickly builds up inside a Core i9 MBP, and before long, it’s forced to throttle the CPU to prevent the system from overheating, which negatively impacts overall performance.
So for people considering buying a new high-spec MacBook now that the 2018 models are out, unless something changes, you’re probably better off ignoring the Core i9 option for now. Not only is a 15-inch Core i7 MacBook Pro just as fast, it costs hundreds less too.
Consumer Reports says MacBook Pro thermal throttling is a feature not a bug
The top-of-the-line MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 processor has gotten some bad press. The new laptop reportedly is subject to thermal throttling, which is a fancy way of saying that its CPU gets so hot that it slows itself down before burning up.
But before anyone criticizes Apple too much, Consumer Reports came to the company’s defense. The consumer-testing organization points out that other laptops with top-tier processors are also subject to thermal throttling.
Apple Says 2018 MacBook Pro Throttling is a Bug, Fix Available Now in New macOS Update
Apple released a new supplemental update to macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, which is designed to address a bug that caused the new eighth-generation quad-core and 6-core Intel processors in the 2018 MacBook Pro models to throttle inappropriately.
According to Apple, the throttling seen in the higher-end 2018 MacBook Pro with Core i9 chip and other 2018 MacBook Pro models is unintentional.
In a call with The Verge, representatives said that the throttling was only exhibited under fairly specific, highly intense workloads, which is why the company didn’t catch the bug before release.
The admission caps off a full week of drama over these new MacBook Pros.
When did Apple’s built-in apps get so good?
It used to be that the first-party iOS apps were only used by people who didn’t care enough to download something better. Mail, Notes, Contacts, the Calendar — all of these were immediately dumped into a junk folder by experienced users, to be replaced with a proper app. But something happened along the way to 2018. Now, Apple’s apps are every bit as good as third-party apps. (Well, mostly. The Contacts app is still awful.)
Read the list of Apple's best iOS apps.
The best paid Apple Watch apps of 2018
They'll cost you but they're worth it.
They'll cost you but they're worth it.
Here are 10 of our favorite paid apps you need to have on your Apple Watch.
The most expensive app in the list costs $9.99.
These are the 18 best iOS apps with dark mode, according to Apple
Remember to check this web site every day for new bargains on apps for iPhone and iPad.
http://bgr.com/apps-on-sale/
http://bgr.com/apps-on-sale/
Microsoft Surface Go vs. Apple iPad: Inexpensive Tablets Compared
Microsoft's new $399 Surface Go notebook/tablet is an affordable way to jump into the Surface ecosystem. Apple's $329 iPad is an inexpensive tablet that's stood on top of its field for years. Let's see how they compare.
The iPhone’s Face ID Struggles in the Morning
Thanks a lot, Apple.
Thanks a lot, Apple.
Unlike Beyoncé, we do not all wake up flawless—at least not according to the iPhone X.
Several iPhone X–owning Twitter users have taken to the latter (probably using the former) to complain that Face ID—the phone’s facial recognition technology—fails to recognize their face first thing in the morning. Like a drunken one-night stand, the iPhone X doesn’t quite know who they are in the morning light.
Several iPhone X–owning Twitter users have taken to the latter (probably using the former) to complain that Face ID—the phone’s facial recognition technology—fails to recognize their face first thing in the morning. Like a drunken one-night stand, the iPhone X doesn’t quite know who they are in the morning light.
While our fingerprints never vary, it seems our faces do, dramatically.
iPhone X sets new record for resale value
The average resale price is only at 85 percent of the original, and even those who buy the phones in bulk are paying about 75 percent of the original price — these are much higher percentages than even previous iPhone models, which sold at around 65 percent of the original price half a year after they hit the market.
iOS 11.4.1 is here, and the police may not be happy
Cops may have a hard time cracking your iPhone after this.
Cops may have a hard time cracking your iPhone after this.
While it appears to merely be a set of bug fixes, an Apple support page confirms it includes a brand-new, much talked-about feature: a USB Restricted Mode to keep police departments, governments and bad actors from breaking into your iPhone.
Apple characterizes the new mode as closing a security hole, not a way to lock out the cops, but either way, it shuts off data to new USB accessories that plug into your iPhone's Lightning port if it's been more than an hour since you last unlocked your iPhone.
How to Make Sure iCloud Is Backing Up, Syncing Your Data
If you've felt the pain of losing all the photos, videos, and documents saved on your iPhone, or want to avoid it, iCloud is your friend. Here's how to make sure everything's set up and syncing.
Apple’s iCloud user data in China is now handled by a state-owned mobile operator
If you’re an Apple customer living in China who didn’t already opt out of having your iCloud data stored locally, here’s a good reason to do so now. That information, the data belonging to China-based iCloud users which includes emails and text messages, is now being stored by a division of China Telecom, the state-owned telco.
Apple itself has said it was compelled to make the move in order to comply with Chinese authorities, and that hardly eases the mind.
Today in Apple history:
July 1, 2012 – MobileMe gets to R.I.P.
Launched in 2008, MobileMe was a subscription-based suite of online services and software created by Apple.
Apple’s ill-fated iCloud precursor was an early attempt at running a cloud-based subscription service.
On paper, it sounded great. In practice, it never lived up to its promise.
Apple releases 11.4.1 bug-fix updates for iOS, tvOS, and HomePod, plus watchOS 4.3.2
These are point releases that don’t add new features, but rather fix bugs and optimize performance.
The 2018 six-core MacBook Pro with eGPU gives the iMac Pro a run for its money
The six-core MacBook Pro is as close to having an iMac Pro in a laptop computer as you can get.
This great stand turns your iPad into a tiny iMac [Review]
Sturdy and stylish, this stand is also super-adjustable.
There’s no way to recover data from the new MacBook Pros if something breaks
A powerful reason to back up often (Apple's Time Machine is the easiest way).
Since 2016 when Apple launched the first MacBook Pro with a Touch Bar, the solid-state drive (SSD) has been soldered directly to the logic board. That means that in the case of a logic board failure, there was only one way to extract data from the SSD. Apple kept a tiny proprietary port on the logic board, and by taking your laptop to a Genius Bar and having them use proprietary equipment, you could oftentimes retrieve data from the SSD.
But thanks to a teardown from iFixit, we now know that the data recovery port has vanished.
Today in Apple history:
July 17, 2002 – iMac G4 gets super-sized screen
The iMac G4 is the author's favorite iMac in Apple history.
2018 MacBook Pro review roundup: Apple unleashes a speed demon
This article has links to other reviews of the new super-powerful MacBook Pro.
The author's own conclusion?
"Deciding whether to upgrade to the 2018 MacBook Pro is easy. Do you need a quieter keyboard? Do you need a faster notebook? If you answered no to those questions, there’s no need to fork out for Apple’s most powerful machine. If you said yes, it’s time to open your wallet."
Apple MacBook Pro 2018: Everything you need to know
Lots of hardware details in this article.
How to avoid losing media when working with iCloud Photo Library
What you should know about how iCloud Photo Library works, and how not to lose anything.
Apple's 2018 MacBook Pro changes everything except the things you want
Apple just unveiled a new MacBook Pro. And I've got some good news and some bad news.
Apple is a luxury goods maker
Being an Apple fan is an expensive hobby.
Earlier this week, Apple refreshed its MacBook Pro lineup, and as The Verge pointed out, the most expensive model now costs just shy of $6,700. It’s the most expensive MacBook Pro the company has ever released, if likely not the most popular.
Apple is no longer just an electronics company. It is, and has been for quite a while, a luxury company. It sells an aesthetic, a design ethos, that many have tried to replicate, and few have done so with success. It markets its products more as lifestyle items than tech gadgets now, and Apple is one of the few brands that has been strong enough to buck the downward sales trend at physical retail stores in the last few years. Consumers have shown time and again that they are willing to pay for Apple’s premium.
Best antivirus for Mac: Protect yourself from malicious software
This is the second update of an article published earlier.
Macs may be a far less tempting target for malware and viruses, but they’re not immune from attack. Even if you don’t care about adware or being used as a means to infect users on other platforms, it’s still possible to fall victim to ransomware, password theft, or stolen iPhone backups.
Accordingly, good antivirus software will protect your Mac on all of these fronts.
Accordingly, good antivirus software will protect your Mac on all of these fronts.
Archive Offers Up All Past Mac and iOS Wallpapers
Over the weekend, Reddit user Nucleam shared photo albums containing archives of all of the different wallpapers that Apple has offered for iOS and macOS, providing an interesting trip down memory lane.
See small size versions of the pictures by clicking the link below.
Inside 'the reality distortion field': An early Apple employee told us what it was like having Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as his bosses
Sometimes even the great Steve Jobs made a big mistake.
How to fix fingerprint registration issues on MacBook Pro with Touch ID
Mac telling you that it has no room for more fingerprints when you know that's not the case? Here's what's going on and how to fix it.
Mac telling you that it has no room for more fingerprints when you know that's not the case? Here's what's going on and how to fix it.
Step by step instructions.
Apple is rolling out iOS 11.4.1 for iPhones and iPads everywhere. There isn't anything in the way of new features, instead delivering on some bug fixes and stability improvements.
This article has detailed instructions for downloading the update.
How to subscribe to a podcast on your iPhone or iPad
Step by step instructions.
14 mind-expanding TED Talks to watch if you have 20 minutes to spare
Test Tube Born Artificial Neural Network Reads “Molecular Handwriting”
Researchers at Caltech have developed an artificial neural network made out of DNA that can solve a classic machine learning problem: correctly identifying handwritten numbers. The work is a significant step in demonstrating the capacity to program artificial intelligence into synthetic biomolecular circuits.
Artificial neural networks are mathematical models inspired by the human brain. Despite being much simplified compared to their biological counterparts, artificial neural networks function like networks of neurons and are capable of processing complex information.
“Humans each have over 80 billion neurons in the brain, with which they make highly sophisticated decisions. Smaller animals such as roundworms can make simpler decisions using just a few hundred neurons. In this work, we have designed and created bio-chemical circuits that function like a small network of neurons to classify molecular information substantially more complex than previously possible,” says Qian.
Inside WikiLeaks: Working with the Publisher that Changed the World
Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi has worked with WikiLeaks for nine years on the Podesta emails and other revelations. Here’s an insider’s view of the publisher that has incensed rulers around the world, desperate to hide their corruption.
I began working as one of WikiLeaks’ media partners in 2009, before Assange and WikiLeaks published such bombshells as the “Collateral Murder” video.
Like its work or not, WikiLeaks is an independent media organization that doesn’t have to rely on traditional media to publish its scoops. Indeed it was founded to bypass the legal qualms traditional media may have about publishing classified information.
With its 5.5 million followers on Twitter, WikiLeaks has a huge social media presence that gives its work immediate impact. But WikiLeaks has published most of its revelations in collaboration with a number of media partners.
With its 5.5 million followers on Twitter, WikiLeaks has a huge social media presence that gives its work immediate impact. But WikiLeaks has published most of its revelations in collaboration with a number of media partners.
I have no idea who WikiLeaks’ sources were for the Podesta emails: the whole concept of WikiLeaks is based on the submission of secret or otherwise restricted documents by anonymous sources. Assange said numerous times that his source for the Clinton emails was not the Russian government nor a state party.
Google has been fined a record breaking €4.34 billion (~$5BN) by European antitrust regulators for abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system.
Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has tweeted to confirm the penalty ahead of a press conference about to take place. Stay tuned for more details as we get them.
Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has tweeted to confirm the penalty ahead of a press conference about to take place. Stay tuned for more details as we get them.
“In 2012 and 2013 Amazon tried to license to device manufacturers its Android fork, called Fire OS. It wanted to co-operate with manufacturers to increase its chances of commercial success. And manufacturers were interested but due to Google’s restrictions, manufacturers could not launch Fire OS on even a single device,” she said.
I Was the Mob Until the Mob Came for Me
I once had a well paid job in what might be described as the "social justice industry". Then I upset the wrong person, and within a short window of time, I was considered too toxic for my employer’s taste. I was publicly shamed, mobbed, and reduced to a symbol of male privilege. I was cast out of my career and my professional community. Writing anything under my own byline now would invite a renewal of this mobbing—which is why, with my editor’s permission, I am writing this under a pseudonym. He knows who I am.
In my previous life, I was a self-righteous social justice crusader. I would use my mid-sized Twitter and Facebook platforms to signal my wokeness on topics such as LGBT rights, rape culture, and racial injustice. Many of the opinions I held then are still opinions that I hold today. But I now realize that my social-media hyperactivity was, in reality, doing more harm than good.
The only causes I was actually contributing to were the causes of mobbing and public shaming. Real change does not stem from these tactics. They only cause division, alienation, and bitterness.
Social justice is a surveillance culture, a snitch culture. The constant vigilance on the part of my colleagues and friends did me in. That’s why I’m delivering sushi and pizza.
Facebook says it will begin removing misinformation that leads to violence
Under the new policy, Facebook will begin reviewing posts that are inaccurate or misleading, and are created or shared with the intent of causing violence or physical harm. The posts will be reviewed in partnership with local organizations including threat intelligence agencies, which Facebook says are in the best position to evaluate threats.
Did WhatsApp messages lead to killing of 22 people across 10 states in India?
Did viral WhatsApp messages lead to the killing of 22 people across 10 states in India? Why are people being killed because of viral WhatsApp message? Why does a mob turn into a 'gang of killers' after reading WhatsApp message?
The wide spread of rumours and misinformation has never been easier before the massive growth of social media. The law enforcement agencies haven't yet figured out an effective way to deal with such a decentralised phenomena.
Mobs are killing people in India based on false rumors spread through WhatsApp
Despite efforts by the company to intervene, innocent people in India are being murdered by aspiring vigilantes who are falling prey to false information spread through the popular messaging application WhatsApp.
India is WhatsApp’s largest market, where more than 200 million people use it, often as their main form of communication and sending billions of messages a day. But many of its users are also inexperienced with smart phones and vulnerable to misinformation that spreads fast through the app.
“Even after these efforts … these mob lynchings are continuing.” – Annie Gowen, India bureau chief for the Washington Post
More
India is WhatsApp’s largest market, where more than 200 million people use it, often as their main form of communication and sending billions of messages a day. But many of its users are also inexperienced with smart phones and vulnerable to misinformation that spreads fast through the app.
“Even after these efforts … these mob lynchings are continuing.” – Annie Gowen, India bureau chief for the Washington Post
More
More than a dozen people have been killed since May by mobs convinced by messages that the people they are lynching are guilty of child trafficking, organ harvesting or other egregious acts.
The company WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, is publishing newspaper advertisements about fake news and disclosing when a post is forwarded, which can help indicate whether it is real.
The company WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, is publishing newspaper advertisements about fake news and disclosing when a post is forwarded, which can help indicate whether it is real.
Marketing Firm Exactis Leaked a Personal Info Database with 340 Million records
The United States has about 340 Million citizens.
Security researcher Vinny Troia discovered that Exactis, a data broker based in Palm Coast, Florida, had exposed a database that contained close to 340 million individual records on a publicly accessible server. The haul comprises close to 2 terabytes of data that appears to include personal information on hundreds of millions of American adults, as well as millions of businesses. While the precise number of individuals included in the data isn't clear—and the leak doesn't seem to contain credit card information or Social Security numbers—it does go into minute detail for each individual listed, including phone numbers, home addresses, email addresses, and other highly personal characteristics for every name. The categories range from interests and habits to the number, age, and gender of the person's children.
"It seems like this is a database with pretty much every US citizen in it," says Troia, who is the founder of his own New York-based security company, Night Lion Security.
"It seems like this is a database with pretty much every US citizen in it," says Troia, who is the founder of his own New York-based security company, Night Lion Security.
Aside from the sheer breadth of the Exactis leak, it may be even more remarkable for its depth: Each record contains entries that go far beyond contact information and public records to include more than 400 variables on a vast range of specific characteristics: whether the person smokes, their religion, whether they have dogs or cats, and interests as varied as scuba diving and plus-size apparel. WIRED independently analyzed a sample of the data Troia shared and confirmed its authenticity, though in some cases the information is outdated or inaccurate.
Smart Technology That Tracks People Through Walls Raises Privacy Concerns
A team of researchers from MIT have developed and tested a technology called RF-Pose, which uses artificial intelligence to track and identify the postures and movements of individuals through solid walls.
By analyzing radio signals which are bounced off people’s bodies, the technology can create stick figure interpretations of the subject with an accuracy of about 83%.
The developers say that RF-Pose could be used by healthcare practitioners to monitor diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s. However, the technology has been a call to concern for privacy advocates.
By analyzing radio signals which are bounced off people’s bodies, the technology can create stick figure interpretations of the subject with an accuracy of about 83%.
The developers say that RF-Pose could be used by healthcare practitioners to monitor diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and Parkinson’s. However, the technology has been a call to concern for privacy advocates.
Largest Voting Machine Vendor in US Admits Its Systems Had Remote-Access Software Installed
A bombshell revelation on the security of voting in the United States has just surfaced in the form of a letter from the country’s largest voting machine manufacturer. The company, Election Systems and Software (ES&S) admitted that despite denying previous allegations of its voting systems coming installed with remote-access software, their systems did, indeed, allow for remote connections.
In a letter to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), written in April, but only released this week, the company acknowledged that it had installed software that made the systems remotely accessible from anywhere.
In a letter to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), written in April, but only released this week, the company acknowledged that it had installed software that made the systems remotely accessible from anywhere.
For those who may be unfamiliar, pcAnywhere was a remote-access software by Symantec which allowed people to remotely access other computers from anywhere in the world. In 2012, Symantec issued a press release telling all users to disable and uninstall the software after admitting that it had been hacked years prior in 2006 — at the same time ES&S was selling voting systems with pcAnywhere pre-installed on them.
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