Instagram Testing New Messaging App Called Threads

Instagram is testing a new messaging app as it looks to challenge Snapchat. The Verge got hold of some screenshots. It reported that the new product from the Facebook-owned picture-sharing service is called Threads.

Screenshots reviewed by The Verge show an app that’s designed to promote constant, automatic sharing between users and the people on their “close friends” list on Instagram. Opt in to automatic sharing, and Threads will regularly update your status, giving your friends a real-time view of information about your location, speed, and more. At the moment, Threads does not display your real-time location — instead, it might say something like a friend is “on the move,” according to sources familiar with the matter. You can also update your status manually, with statuses appearing in the main feed along with messages. It’s the latest effort to automate status sharing using mobile phone sensors and one-tap status sharing.

Comparing Apple Card's Privacy to Other Credit Cards

Geoffrey Fowler compared an Amazon credit card with Apple Card to see which one is more private. The knee jerk response is to say Apple, and it’s true that Apple does have more privacy than others. But when it comes to the Apple Card, that privacy only appears under certain circumstances.

Despite a federal privacy law covering cards, I found that six types of businesses could mine and share elements of my purchase, multiplied untold times by other companies they might have passed it to. Credit cards are a spy in your wallet — and it’s time that we add privacy, alongside rewards and rates, to how we evaluate them.

Bottom line: Neither Apple nor Goldman Sachs collects or shares your data. But retailers and card networks like Mastercard can still collect and sell your purchase data.

What a Mid-Range iPhone Might Look Like

Over on MacWorld, Jason Cross gave his wish-list for a mid-range iPhone. I am not totally convinced Apple is going to give him what he wants, but he makes some interesting arguments.

Simply put, the potential value to Apple’s bottom line of bringing new users to iPhone is much higher than it has ever been, and it is probably worth making significantly less money on each iPhone sold (at least on the cheapest model) in order to expand the reach of the ecosystem. What’s more, the competition is heating up. Android phones that cost $400 or less are getting quite good, and in many parts of the world, consumers simply don’t see the value in paying 50 percemt more to get last-year’s iPhone. Apple needs a new product that, while not necessarily as inexpensive as some Android competitors, at least feels within reach, and delivers on the core experience of the iPhone.

VideoLAN Looks for iOS Beta Testers for VLC App

VideoLAN is looking for iOS beta testers to start testing is VLC app for iOS. The company’s tweet said it will have a new UI.

We’ve been working really hard here @videolan the past months to redesign the VLC iOS app and before rolling it out to everyone, we would love to get your feedback and for you to try it out and participate in our public beta.

Autographed Steve Jobs Pixar Poster Going up for Auction

A Pixar poster that Steve Jobs autographed is going up for auction this week with a starting bid of US$25,000.

Extraordinarily scarce Pixar Animation Studios poster signed by its co-founder Steve Jobs, sometime after 1995 when ”Toy Story”, the first computer-animated feature film, debuted. Jobs’ legendary vision is evident in his backing of Pixar, whose potential was immediately realized in the success of ”Toy Story”, earning three Academy Award nominations, breaking box office records and securing its reputation as one of the finest animated movies of all time. Poster measures 24” x 36”, signed by Jobs in black fiber-tip marker. In near fine condition. With JSA COA.

You Could be Fined up to $15,000 For Sharing Memes

The Senate is moving a bill forward that could impose fines of up to US$15,000 for people who share memes.

The Senate Judiciary Committee last week approved the “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019,” which “creates a voluntary small claims board within the Copyright Office that will provide copyright owners with an alternative to the expensive process of bringing copyright claims, including infringement and misrepresentation …. in federal court,” according to the Copyright Alliance.

“This new board, called the Copyright Claims Board (CCB), would allow recovery in each case of up to $30,000 in damages total, with a cap of $15,000 in statutory damages per work infringed,” according to the alliance, an advocacy group for the copyright industry.

Apple Pauses iPhone Offline Messaging Project

According to a report (paywall) Apple has reportedly paused an iPhone offline message project, dubbed a ‘walkie-talkie’ feature.

The report claims Apple was working with Intel on the project, which supposedly would have enabled iPhone users to send messages directly to other iPhone users over long-distance radio waves that bypass cellular networks, adding that the technology was designed to run over the 900 MHz radio spectrum.

The project is said to have been suspended in part because the Apple executive heading it, Rubén Caballero, left the company earlier this year. The technology also relied on Intel modems, according to the report, and Apple is expected to start using Qualcomm modems in iPhones again starting in 2020.

Hopefully Apple considers starting the project again in the future. I could’ve used offline messaging this weekend.

Anniversary of Rare Apple-1 Selling at Auction

A very cool “Today in Apple History” from our friends over at Cult of Mac. Sunday marked the three year anniversary of the extremely rare “Celebration” Apple-1 being sold at auction for $815, 000. Made by Steve Wozniak, it featured blank “green” PCB board that never appeared in public production models.

The Apple-1 was Apple’s first computer. It launched in July 1976, a year before the better-known, vastly superior Apple II. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak started working on the Apple-1 as a hobby, with no goal beyond showing it off to the people at the local Homebrew Computer Club, which he attended. “I did this computer … to show the people at Homebrew that it was possible to build a very affordable computer — a real computer you could program for the price of the Altair — with just a few chips,” Wozniak recalled in his autobiography, iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon. Steve Jobs convinced Woz they should build and sell the Apple-1 rather than giving away the designs.

Laurene Powell Jobs' The Atlantic Introducing Paywall

The Atlantic is set to introduce a paywall, The Wall Street Journal reported. The move follows a delayed instigated by majority owner Laurene Powell Jobs. She invested in the 162-year-old magazine through her Emmerson Collective in July 2017. The widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, she reportedly wanted to focus on improving its platform and business events first.

Atlantic President Bob Cohn said that when Ms. Powell Jobs explained the details of her investment plan to the magazine’s managers, they felt delaying the paywall launch made sense. “We were about to make dozens of hires that would ultimately lead to the creation of an even better paywall,” said Mr. Cohn, who is leaving in early September for a fellowship at Harvard. People at the Atlantic said Ms. Powell Jobs has taken a mostly hands-off approach to day-to-day matters, but weighs in on key decisions.

Don't Let Your Kids Download These Apps

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s office compiled a list of 15 apps that they believe pose a danger to young children. Here are the apps on the list:

MeetMe, Grindr, Skout, WhatsApp, TikTok, Badoo, Bumble, Snapchat, Kik, LiveMe, Holla, Whisper, Ask.fm, Calculator%, Hot or Not.

Emmanuel Macron Says its Crazy That Apple Gets Tax Haven

French President Emmanuel Macron says it’s crazy that companies like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google get a “permanent tax haven status.”

The reference to ‘tax haven status’ relates to practices used by Apple and others to funnel profits on European sales through Ireland, and then to claim large deductions for R&D costs incurred in the US. There have also been accusations that Apple assigns most of its European profits to a subsidiary which exists only on paper and which pays no taxes anywhere.

This Real-Time Map Shows You the Amazon Forest Fires

Ever since Jair Bolsonaro proclaimed that economic growth was more important than protecting the Amazon, there have been 74,155 fires. For the past three weeks, a giant fire has been blazing its way through the forest, and an interactive map lets you watch it.

Many of the fires are set by farmers to clear land. In early August, farmers in the Amazon self-declared a “fire day” to burn trees, emboldened by the fact that the government isn’t enforcing rainforest protections that are part of national law.

“It’s very rare to have fires starting naturally in the Amazon,” says Weisse. “And so almost everything that we’re seeing is a result of human activity, and it’s mostly happening along roads or in farms or where people are.”

Study Claims iPhone 7 Exceeds Radiation Limit

The Chicago Tribune claims that its study of iPhone 7 and other smartphones exceed the safety limit for cellphone radiation. Using a “tub of clear liquid, specially formulated to simulate human tissue” it found radiation exposure from the iPhone 7 was more than double what Apple reported from its own testing. Apple disputes the study, and the FCC will conduct further studies.

Cellphones use radio waves to communicate with a vast network of fixed installations called base stations or cell towers. These radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, in the same frequency range used by TVs and microwave ovens.

This kind of radiation, also known as radiofrequency energy, shouldn’t be confused with ionizing radiation, such as gamma rays and X-rays, which can strip electrons from atoms and cause serious biological harm, including cancer.

Of course, there is no conclusive evidence that non-ionizing radiation is powerful enough to have a measurable effect on the human body. John Kheit and I agree to disagree 😉

Facebook Document Sheds Light on Cambridge Analytica Scandal

NBC’s Dylan Byers had a fantastic scoop this morning. He got hold of an internal Facebook document that indicated Facebook learned about the potential Cambridge Analytica issue in September 2015. That is contrary to what Mark Zuckerberg said in his testimony.

The document reveals that Facebook first learned about unconfirmed reports of a potential data violation in September 2015 and sought to address the issue but was not made aware of the full scope of the problem until a Guardian report was published in December 2015. Mark Zuckerberg has testified that Facebook learned from The Guardian report that developer Aleksandr Kogan sold user data to Cambridge Analytica, a violation of Facebook’s policy prohibiting researchers from selling or sharing data with third parties.

If There Really is an iPhone 'Pro' Coming, Just How Will it be so?

Once you name a product “Pro,” you have a lot of explaining to do. At 9to5Mac, Ben Lovejoy explains, referring to a previous post.

Just the idea of a ‘Pro’ iPhone is a little annoying.

Don’t misunderstand me. Modern iPhones are amazing devices. There was a time when such a powerful and flexible pocket computer would have stretched the credibility of science fiction stories, yet we now take them totally for granted.

And they are sometimes used for professional purposes. There are, for example, all those ‘Shot on iPhone’ movies and ads. But let’s not kid ourselves about those. The reasons for shooting on iPhone have little to do with it being a ‘pro’ device.

6-Month Scribd Subscription for Books, Audiobooks, Magazine Articles: $35

We have a deal today on a six month subscription for Scribd, which gives you access to bestselling and award-winning books and audiobooks, plus articles from leading magazines, newspapers, even sheet music. It requires iOS 10 and later, Android 4.4 and later, or Kindle Fire OS 4 or later. You can get a 6-month subscription for $35 through our deal, and there’s a one year option available in the deal listing, too.

Google Privacy Sandbox Probably Won't Protect Your Privacy

Advertising company Google wants to build a “Google privacy sandbox” as a way to improve personalized ads while attempting to remove the “personalized” part.

The goal of these proposals is to promote a dialog on ways browsers could advance user privacy, while still ensuring publishers can earn what they need to fund great content and user experiences, and advertisers can deliver relevant ads to the right people and measure their impact.

Or, if you want to support websites with ads while also protecting your privacy, stick to Safari.

Uber and Lift Drivers Heading Across California Protesting

A protest caravan of Uber and Lyft drivers is preparing to make its way across California, Techcrunch reported. It will launch in SoCal Monday, August 26, before finishing in Sacramento on August 28.

Yesterday, California-based advocacy organizations Gig Workers Rising and Mobile Workers Alliance announced that a caravan of Uber and Lyft drivers will drive from SoCal through San Francisco to Sacramento, next Monday, August 26 through Wednesday, August 28th. Over 200 drivers in more than 75 cars plan to drive south to north, with more drivers joining along the way, to take dramatic action in advocating for California State Legislature bill AB5, and for a drivers union. With AB5 almost certain to pass the CA Senate, this coming week presents a crucial moment in the history of gig work and tech more broadly: an opportunity for drivers to demonstrate the efficacy of 21st century labor modes of organizing, even as Uber and Lyft continue ramping up efforts to kill AB5, drop pay rates, and generally mistreat drivers.

 

5G Could Revolutionize Home Broadband

Most of use are excited about what 5G will enable us to do on a smartphone, and how fast it will enable to us to do it. However, as CNET noted, the effect could be just as significant in the home broadband space.

Consumers often see prices rise in areas where there’s only one provider, yet many Americans continue to lack competitive home internet options. Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint have all hyped up home broadband as one of the many uses of 5G to solve this problem by offering a viable and speedy alternative. Verizon’s first 5G network rollout focused on the home, while T-Mobile CEO John Legere railed against “big cable” while pitching regulators on his company’s $26.5 billion merger with Sprint.

Apple Blocks Spying Kazakhstan Root Certificate

The Kazakhstan government is trying to spy on citizens with a government-issued root certificate for websites. Apple, Google, and Mozilla are blocking it in their browsers.

The root certificate in question, labeled as “trusted certificate” or “national security certificate,” if installed, allows ISPs to intercept, monitor, and decrypt users’ encrypted HTTPS and TLS connections, helping the government spy on its 18 million people and censor content.

Once installed, the certificate allowed the Kazakh government to decrypt and read anything a user visiting popular sites—Facebook, Twitter, and Google, among others—types or posts, including intercepting their account information and passwords.

The Demise of Apple Music Connect And What Might Have Been

In June 2015 Apple unveiled its music social network, to great fanfare. However, it killed-off the service in December 2018. Music Business Worldwide looked at what might have been.

In a world where every streaming service is desperate to differentiate itself, Apple had something really unique. Connect could have been hugely influential… At its core, Apple Music Connect was a social media platform embedded into the Apple Music ecosystem. Artists could use it to share lyrics, exclusive photos, videos or even release their latest song directly to fan followers from their iPhone. As such, Connect was sort of an Instagram-SoundCloud-Facebook-Twitter-YouTube hybrid. This is why Jimmy Iovine, Apple’s former Head of Music Operations, described Connect at the time as one of Apple Music’s three key differentiating elements, alongside human-curated music streaming and the 24-hour Beats 1 radio station.

And Now For the Downside of the Apple Card

There have been some rave reviews of the Apple Card. But, in the end, it’s a credit card with the usual, attendant downsides. Michael Simon at Macworld brings us back to earth.

While the Apple Card might be filled with the delightful little details that we’ve come to expect from Apple—beautiful spending trackers, an animated digital card that reflects light as if you were holding it, privacy and security at the forefront—at its core, Apple Card is still a credit card backed by a bank that will charge you interest if you don’t pay on time….

With Apple Card, Apple may be selling you something that could end up costing you way more than an iPhone—or a Mac Pro for that matter.

Driving App Waze Adds YouTube Music Integration

Driving app Waze is adding YouTube Music integration for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium subscribers.

Rolling out from today and soon available to all 50 markets where both YouTube Music and Waze are accessible, subscribers can now easily play music as they drive safely. Check out these YouTube Music playlists to queue up while on the road, and happy cruising!