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An Interview With the COO of the Recently Acquired Private Internet Access VPN

Andrew Orr ·

Popular VPN Private Internet Access (PIA) was recently acquired by a company called KAPE, now called Private Internet. PIA COO did an interview.

Private Internet is positioned to lead the movement for a private and secure online experience for all. The internet as we now know it is a place where data is harvested and identities do not belong to the users but are traded by privileged few. Private Internet changes that. The new name also reflects the fact that we will now be offering four new privacy products to our product suite.

I’m interested, and wary, of the future of PIA. I’ve seen accusations of KAPE that include malware, but Mr. Sagi does say the app will be open-sourced. Although this quote sounds odd to me: “We’re building an internal roadmap to create a transparent and verifiable infrastructure, in which no one, including ourselves, is permitted access to the servers through which VPN traffic flows.” They had shown in court they can’t produce information regarding user data, so they already shouldn’t be able to access server traffic.

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MusicBot is the Shortcuts Companion to Apple Music

Andrew Orr ·

Federico Viticci recently announced his shortcut called MusicBot, which he says is the all-in-one assistant to Apple Music.

I created MusicBot for two reasons: I wanted to speed up common interactions with the Music app by using custom actions in the Shortcuts app; and I also wanted to build a series of “utilities” for Apple Music that could be bundled in a single, all-in-one shortcut instead of dozens of smaller, standalone ones.

I haven’t used this yet but Mr. Viticci is a master of shortcuts so I’m confident it’s a great tool to use.

TMO Deals

amplify Hi-Fi Wireless Headphone Amplifier: $60.35

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the amplify Hi-Fi Wireless Headphone Amplifier. This device offers up to 12 hours of playback and supports current Bluetooth audio codecs such as LDAC, aptX HD, aptX, aptX Low Latency, AAC, and SBC. It’s $71 through our deal, but coupon code MERRYSAVE15 brings the checkout price down to $60.35. I’m linking to the black model, but there’s a silver option available in a pulldown menu in the deal listing.

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A Look at The Inside And Outside of the New Mac Pro

Charlotte Henry ·

Everyone is intrigued at the engineering of the new Mac Pro. AppleInsider looked at the insides, and the outsides, of the device.

Apple’s new Mac Pro arrives in a massive box, copiously covered in warning stickers due to the overall weight. Even at this scale, Apple’s unboxing experience is wonderful. Velcro straps hold together the paper packaging which lifts free, revealing the tower inside. The largest Apple logo we’ve seen on a product is stamped on either side of the aluminum housing, sitting between the two polished stainless steel handles that make up the frame. Much has already been said about the unique lattice grille on the front of the machine. Behind the 3D mesh is a matte black grille, to prevent objects or large debris from getting into the interior.

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Facebook Thinks California Privacy Law Doesn’t Apply To It

Andrew Orr ·

The California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) goes into effect January 1. Despite it being state-created it’s expected to affect all Americans. Some companies have been following Microsoft’s example and plan to voluntarily apply it to all states. Facebook however, disagrees (to no one’s surprise).

Facebook is taking a different tack for its web tracker, Pixel. Pixel’s name comes from its physical appearance on a website that installs it: literally, one square pixel. But behind that pixel is a code that that installs cookies on your browser, allowing it to track your activity across the internet.

Facebook provides this code to businesses free of charge, and those businesses can then purchase ads based off the information that Pixel collects…According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook will claim that it doesn’t sell the data that its web trackers collect; it simply provides a service to businesses and websites that install Pixel on their sites. Because of this, it believes its web trackers are exempt from CCPA’s regulations…

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How an iPad And a Laser Uncovered a Way to Hack Smart Home Devices

Charlotte Henry ·

In spring 2018, cybersecurity researcher Takeshi Sugawara found that point a laser at an iPad’s Microphone converted the light into sound. Then, according to Wired, he discovered the same technique could hack smart home devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home.

Sugawara pointed a high-powered laser at the microphone of his iPad—all inside of a black metal box, to avoid burning or blinding anyone—and had Fu put on a pair of earbuds to listen to the sound the iPad’s mic picked up. As Sugawara varied the laser’s intensity over time in the shape of a sine wave, fluctuating at about 1,000 times a second, Fu picked up a distinct high-pitched tone. The iPad’s microphone had inexplicably converted the laser’s light into an electrical signal, just as it would with sound. Six months later Sugawara—visiting from the Tokyo-based University of Electro-Communications—along with Fu and a group of University of Michigan researchers have honed that curious photoacoustic quirk into something far more disturbing.

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VICE Tests Amazon Ring’s Security, and it’s Not Good

Andrew Orr ·

Journalists at VICE tested the security of Amazon Ring security cameras, and they call it “awful.”

Ring is not offering basic security precautions, such as double-checking whether someone logging in from an unknown IP address is the legitimate user, or providing a way to see how many users are currently logged in—entirely common security measures across a wealth of online services.

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Apple Removes ‘Rewound’ App That Made Your iPhone Look Like an iPod

Andrew Orr ·

Apple has removed the music app called Rewound that let people download skins to make the app look like old iPods.

To be fair, the iPod skins didn’t come pre-installed with the Rewound app—users had to download them separately once the app was installed. Though, you only have to look at tweets from users to see that the skins did in fact, look very much like the iPod Classic. However, Apple also reportedly took issue with the fact Rewound charged users for Apple Music features. Rewound says this was “less unreasonable” but noted that Apple had already approved in-app purchases before click wheel skins became popular.

”Less unreasonable.” I’d say that charging people for another company’s service is a big NO NO.

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Walt Mossberg Looks Back on a Decade of Tim Cook

Andrew Orr ·

Apple journalist Walt Mossberg looks back at the past decade of Apple and how it fares under the leadership of Tim Cook.

Apple remains what it has been for many years: the single most important consumer tech hardware company, a major force not only in its industry but in society at large. And now, it is huge and rich to boot. But it’s still unclear if it can be anybody’s favorite music provider, TV network, or news service.

Or if it can launch another blockbuster device.

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Camera+ 2 Adds 12 Features for the Holidays

Andrew Orr ·

Camera+ 2 is a good camera for iOS, and LateNiteSoft added 12 new features just in time for the holidays. Here’s one feature that I like:

Sometimes the mood just isn’t quite right, and a bit of lighting makes all the difference. Enter, torch mode. But sometimes that little light on your device is just too bright. We want mood not glare right? Well we’ve got mood to spare now that we’ve given you a wheel to customize the brightness of your torch anywhere between 10 and 100%. So whether you’re roasting chestnuts by the fire or skating in the park, you’ll always have perfect lighting.

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The Pop-Up Store That is The Set For Apple TV's 'Helpsters'

Charlotte Henry ·

A pop-up shop appeared in New York City. It turns out it is the set of Apple TV+ kids show Helpsters, according to 9to5Mac.

Apple is continuing to expand the reach of its Apple TV+ content. In addition to various book partnerships, Apple is also opening a pop-up in New York to promote its “Helpsters” live-action puppet series. Update: This is actually the set and filming location for the show. This was spotted by Parker Ortolani on Twitter. The pop-up, located at 220 W 16 St, is free of Apple branding aside from a “Watch on Apple TV” badge on the window. The window displays showcase the characters from the show with the tagline “Four problems, big or small, we’re here to help solve them.”

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A WhatsApp Bug Could Crash the App And Delete Group Chats

Charlotte Henry ·

Security firm CheckPoint revealed a flaw in WhatsApp. It could repeatedly crash the messaging service and permanently delete group chats and associated media, ZDNET reported.

In order to launch the application-crashing attack, the attacker first of all needs to gain entry to the WhatsApp group they intend to target – although given that the chat app allows up to 256 users per group, this might not prove too difficult. An attacker would need to have some hacking skills in order to carry out the attack, with the ability to browse WhatsApp Web and open Chrome’s DevTools, as well as gaining access to the secret parameters used by the application as part of how group chats operate.

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Mac Pro Gets High Score in iFixit Teardown

Andrew Orr ·

iFixit recently completed its teardown of the Mac Pro, giving it a repairability score of 9 out of 10.

The Mac is back and more Pro than ever, throwing away the cylindrical “trash can” design in favor of something that resembles a computer. Its appearance may harken to the original Mac Pro from 2006, but can it compare in the repairability department? We dropped six thousand dollars and one block of hard cheddar to find out. Let’s tear it down.

They listed two negative things: The SSD cards are modular and custom-made by Apple. This could make replacing them a bit complicated. And it could be expensive to replace a part that isn’t on Apple’s already-limited list of approved repairs.

TMO Deals

Last Chance for the 2020 Limited Edition Mac Bundle w/Parallels, iMazing, TextExpander, More: $48

Bryan Chaffin ·

You have one last chance at the 2020 Limited Edition Mac Bundle. This bundle has 13 Mac apps, including Parallels, iMazing, and TextExpander. You’ll also find PDF Expert, Windscribe VPN Pro, RapidWeaver 8, Disk Drill Pro, Aurora HDR 2019, and more. The 2020 Limited Edition Mac Bundle is $59.99 through our deal, but coupon code MACSAVE20 brings it down to $48. And the deal officially ends December 16th at 11:59 PM PST.

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New Keyboard ‘Typewise’ Claims 80% Fewer Typos

Andrew Orr ·

Typewise is a new keyboard that claims to reduce typos by 80% thanks to its hexagonal design. The developers invited me to test the app, and while there is a learning curve it does have a tutorial to follow. I haven’t given up the default keyboard though, but if you’re looking for an alternative I recommend you at least try Typewise out.

Typewise has been completely redesigned to provide an optimal typing experience on the smartphone. The layout was optimized for typing with two thumbs, because, according to the Cambridge study, 74% of users write this way and achieve the highest typing speed. Two space buttons placed in the middle of the keyboard allow these most frequently used keys to be reached as easily as possible.

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Steve Jobs' Estate Wins Back Ownership of stevejobs.com Domain

Charlotte Henry ·

Steve Jobs’ estate has won back ownership of the stevejobs.com domain, Cult of Mac reported. A man going by the name Steve Jobs Kim since 1999 previously owned it.

The Steve Jobs Archive, LLC made the case against Steve Jobs Kim. Steve Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs set up this organization after her husband’s death. It filed a complaint with Forum, a group formerly known as the National Arbitration Forum. This organization provides arbitration and mediation services to businesses. A three-person National Arbitration Forum panel looked into the case and decided that the owner of the site was trading off Steve Jobs’ name. The group concluded that the site gave the impression that it was authorized by the Steve Jobs or his successors. It offered consulting and technology news.

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Disney+ Has Been Downloaded on 22 Million Devices

Charlotte Henry ·

Disney+ is off to a very good start. According to a report by Apptopia, picked up by Marketwatch, it has been downloaded on 22 million devices.

The streaming service, which made its debut Nov. 12, has been downloaded 22 million times to mobile devices in what is probably the most successful launch in the nascent industry’s history, according to app-tracking firm Apptopia. The report says the app has averaged 9.5 million daily active mobile users, landing the top spot on Apple Inc.’s and Alphabet Inc.’s Google’s app stores. “I can’t imagine anyone topping this start,” Adam Blocker, who wrote the report, told MarketWatch. He says the combination of Disney+’s inexpensive price ($6.99 a month), the allure of a $12.99-per-month bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu, and the marketing muscle of Walt Disney Co. preordained its success.

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FaceID Not Fooled By Masks, Unlike Other Facial Recognition Systems

Charlotte Henry ·

Intelligence company Kneron tested out a number of facial recognition systems used in payments and banking. It found many could be fooled by photographs or masks. However, not Apple’s FaceID, reported Fortune.

Kneron conducted the experiments to learn about the technology’s limitations while developing its own facial recognition technology. The company, which is led backed by high-profile investors including Qualcomm and Sequoia Capital, is creating what it calls “Edge AI,” an artificial intelligence tool that does the job of recognizing individual entirely on devices rather than though cloud-based services. Kneron also noted that its experiments could not fool some facial recognition applications, notably Apple’s iPhone X. The company’s experiment comes at a time of intense debate over how broadly to deploy facial recognition.

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How Social Media Warps Democracy

Andrew Orr ·

Here’s a long read to put on your list as you head into the weekend. It examines social media and its impact on democracy and our psyche.

The problem may not be connectivity itself but rather the way social media turns so much communication into a public performance. We often think of communication as a two-way street. Intimacy builds as partners take turns, laugh at each other’s jokes, and make reciprocal disclosures. What happens, though, when grandstands are erected along both sides of that street and then filled with friends, acquaintances, rivals, and strangers, all passing judgment and offering commentary?

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Cellebrite Now Uses iOS Exploit Checkm8

Andrew Orr ·

Checkm8 is an iPhone flaw in the bootrom that can lead to a jailbreak. It can’t be patched via software, and it affects the iPhone 4s through iPhone X. But attackers need physical access to your device, and the jailbreak can only be tethered, meaning that if the iPhone is restarted it disappears.

The Cellebrite UFED team is working quickly to provide users with support for the above-mentioned scenario.  This will be included with the launch of our iOS extraction agent in an upcoming release. The team is committed to providing a comprehensive, forensically-sound solution that adheres to Cellebrite’s high standards, is fully tested, and is admissible in court.

Speaking about recent rumors, if Apple did remove the Lightning port from future iPhones, I wonder if it would defeat companies like Cellebrite. I’m not sure if they could still extract data via the wireless charger.

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Defense Department: We Need That Encryption You Want to Break

Andrew Orr ·

Everyone from the Department of Justice, the FBI, and politicians like Senator Lindsey Graham are attacking encryption, calling for backdoors for the “public good.” But people who understand security are cautioning against such a move. This week Representative Ro Khanna forwarded a letter to Lindsay Graham from the Defense Department’s Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy.

As the use of mobile devices continues to expand, it is imperative that innovative security techniques, such as advanced encryption algorithms, are constantly maintained and improved to protect DoD information and resources. The Department believes maintaining a domestic climate for state of the art security and encryption is critical to the protection of our national security.

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Pro Display XDR works on iMac Pro, But Only at 5K

Charlotte Henry ·

There has been much excitement and discussion around the new Pro Display XDR for the new Mac Pro – $1000 for a stand, anyone? AppleInsider reported that it works with iMac Pro too,  but only at 5K.

On supported systems, the Pro Display XDR has 6K resolution, at 6,016 by 3,384 pixels, but not everyone will be able to achieve that resolution. In a posting to Twitter, Thomas Grove Carter advises the Pro Display XDR connected to an iMac Pro is only capable of running at a 5K resolution, not 6K. According to the product specifications page, Apple advises the Pro Display XDR is compatible with a variety of Mac models, including the new Mac Pro with an MPX Module GPU, the 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 2019 21.5-inch iMac, and the 27-inch iMac from the same year. Any Mac model is also supported if it has Thunderbolt 3 ports and is paired with either the Blackmagic eGPU or Blackmagic eGPU Pro. The support page discussing the setup process for the display further says that the named Macs and the Blackmagic eGPU setups are able to support the 6K resolution with 10-bit color.