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Andrew Orr

Since 2015 Andrew has been writing about Apple, privacy, security, and at one point even Android. You can find him most places online under the username @andrewornot.

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Articles by Andrew Orr

iFixit Shares New Teardown Wallpapers for iPhone 13 Pro Models
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iFixit Shares New Teardown Wallpapers for iPhone 13 Pro Models

Andrew Orr ·

iFixit has recently shared teardown wallpapers for the iPhone 13 Pro | Pro Max. These wallpapers show the internals of the devices, including the remixed Face ID system, a combo digitizer and display, and a “parts replacement nightmare.” Apple has thoughtfully labeled your processor and the Pro-exclusive L-shaped battery text now has a chic minimalist look.

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The 'Wayforward Machine' Raises Awareness by Simulating Internet Threats

Andrew Orr ·

The Internet Archive has created the Wayforward Machine. It transports you to 2046 to simulate potential threats to internet freedom we could face.

And then it becomes clear: the whole purpose of the satirical Wayforward Machine is to raise awareness about the ongoing threats to the Internet and to libraries like the Wayback Machine, which plays a prominent role in preserving historic content and the truth, as it appeared in the past.

It’s a fun, important project. I typed in The Mac Observer and one of the messages says the website has been temporarily suspended pending the outcome of legal proceedings. Likely because we published something that Emperor Zuckerberg II, Glorious Commander of the United States of Facebook, didn’t like.

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The FCC Proposes Suggestion to Stop SIM Hijacking

Andrew Orr ·

The FCC announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to start discussions on ways to stop SIM hijacking.

The FCC’s proposal would update existing Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) and Local Number Portability rules to require wireless carriers adopt secure methods of confirming the customer’s identity before porting out a customer’s phone number to a new device or carrier.

‘Total War: ROME REMASTERED’ Now Available for M1 Macs
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'Total War: ROME REMASTERED' Now Available for M1 Macs

Andrew Orr ·

On Thursday, Feral Interactive announced that Total War: ROME REMASTERED is now available on the Mac App Store, complete with native support for Apple silicon. A rebirth of the genre-defining strategy game, ROME REMASTERED comes with an extensive graphical overhaul and improvements to almost every aspect of gameplay. High definition models, textures and visual effects bring the game world to life on modern displays, with 4K optimization, ultra-widescreen and UHD resolution setting the stage for empires to rise again. Also included are two expansion packs which have been given the same remastering treatment as the main game. Recreate history’s most ambitious military campaign in Alexander, or re-write history as marauders encroach on the gates of Rome in Barbarian Invasion.

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Phone Companies Must Block Carriers That Don't Follow FCC Rules

Andrew Orr ·

Phone companies must now block traffic from voice service providers that don’t comply with new FCC robocall rules.

Specifically, phone companies must block traffic from other “voice service providers that have neither certified to implementation of STIR/SHAKEN caller ID authentication standards nor filed a detailed robocall mitigation plan with the FCC.”

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Visa Announces Layer 2 Blockchain for Stablecoins and CBDCs

Andrew Orr ·

Visa has announced a Layer 2 project for cryptocurrency that aims to be a universal exchange hub for stablecoins and central bank digital currencies (CBDC).

The idea is to create a digital currency equivalent of the existing international payment experience—one that lets you pay for something in another country with a debit or credit card that draws funds from an account in your home country.

Also: “Visa, for instance, says the proposed base layer for its universal payments channel is Ethereum.”

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Twitch Adds Verification Tool as a Way to Fight Bots

Andrew Orr ·

Starting today, Twitch will let streamers require their viewers to verify their phone number via SMS before they can start chatting.

Twitch’s approach so far has been to offer streamers more control over who can and can’t chat. Streamers already have the option to make their chats subscriber-only, or slow down their chat so moderators can approve messages. There’s also the option to force all chatters to verify their email on Twitch. That hasn’t been enough, though.

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'FinSpy' Spyware is Adept at Hiding Itself With a Four-Layer Method

Andrew Orr ·

FinSpy, a well-known piece of spyware from German company FinFisher, is good at hiding. Researchers at Kaspersky have reverse-engineered the malware.

In addition to a four-layer obfuscation method, the spyware also now employs a UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) bootkit for infecting its targets, and it also encrypts the malware in memory, according to the researchers. The Kaspersky team’s research began in 2019, and they are finally sharing their findings today at Kaspersky’s online Security Analyst Summit.

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AirTag Zero Day Found That Could Steal Your iCloud Password

Andrew Orr ·

A security researcher found a zero-day bug with AirTag that could let an attacker potentially steal your Apple ID.

Apple’s “Lost Mode” allows a user to mark their Airtag as missing if they have misplaced it. This generates a unique https://found.apple.com page, which contains the Airtag’s serial number, and the phone number and personal message of the Airtag owner.

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So What is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization Anyway?

Andrew Orr ·

David Shuttleworth wrote a nice write-up to explain decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO). These are blockchain-related entities where power is shared by everyone.

Ultimately, a DAO is governed entirely by its individual members who collectively make critical decisions about the future of the project, such as technical upgrades and treasury allocations.