Edit HDR Videos in iMovie With the 2.3 Update

With the version 2.3 update it’s now possible to edit HDR videos in iMovie, just in time for iPhone 12 models that support shooting video in Dolby Vision. Other new changes include: Customize any title by selecting from dozens of built-in fonts; Adjust the color of any title by selecting from a grid or spectrum of presets, adjusting numerical sliders, or using the eyedropper in the viewer; Quickly change a title’s default style, capitalization and duration; Pinch and drag to adjust the size and location of any title; Choose from three new animated titles: Slide, Split and dual-color Chromatic; Add solid, gradient, and patterned backgrounds to your movie; Use the color picker to customize the colors of any background; Drag the slider to change the intensity of any filter applied to your photos and videos; Import and share 4K videos at 60 frames per second; View, edit, and share High Dynamic Range (HDR) videos from your Photos library.

Recreation Time From NextDNS Mimics Apple’s Screen Time

I’ve written about NextDNS before; it’s my personal DNS service of choice. The company recently added a feature called Recreation Time.

Introducing Recreation Time — only allow some websites, apps and games during a specific time period each day of the week.

E.g., only allow Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Fortnite on Wednesdays and Fridays between 6:30pm and 8pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays between 1pm and 8pm.

Examining the Feud Between Apple and Facebook

James Titcomb has a op-ed in The Sydney Morning Herald where he pieces together the Apple-Facebook feud.

Over the past six months Facebook has become Apple’s chief antagonist, airing its gripes with investors, the media, its own employees and even the regulators writing the rules that will govern digital services for the next decade.

That is despite the companies not being traditional rivals: Apple sells hardware and runs subscription services; Facebook gets 98 per cent of its income through advertising.

I think the fundamental difference is that Facebook is doing everything in its power to become a mediator for reality. But so far it’s a mediator on platforms that it can’t control, and Apple is chipping away at some of the tools Facebook relies on, like targeted advertising.

Some Peanuts Fans Are Not Happy The Holiday Specials Are Only Going to be on Apple TV+

It emerged earlier this week that Peanuts holiday specials, as wells as Snoopy in Space, will be exclusive to Apple TV+. NBC News reported that some fans of the comic strip and shows are not happy with the special being off traditional TV for the first time.

The popularity of the beloved characters — such as Snoopy, Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty — have spanned generations in large part due to the annual specials. But despite the limited free access to the content, many fans took to social media and shared their distaste for the move, with some noting that many families do not have access to streaming. Others felt the move ended a beloved, shared American tradition. “The point of having them on network TV is the country coming together and watching at the same time. That’s being taken from us,” one Twitter user wrote. “The Peanuts specials are one of the very FEW things that brings US together.”

Apple Needs Its Own Version of Google's 'Don't be Evil' Policy

In its early days, Google famously touted its ‘don’t be evil’ policy. Now, it’s being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice. Ed Hardy at Cult of Mac thinks Apple should adopt its own version of that policy, to avoid ending up in similar legal and political difficulties.

When deciding how to handle something, Apple must ask itself, “Even if this will make us money, will it also make us look like jerks?” That doesn’t mean it can’t remain a very profitable enterprise. But it seems like many of the changes that would polish Apple’s image wouldn’t cost that much, relative to current profits. And they’d help head off government oversight. The Department of Justice and Congress, along with the E.U. Commissioner for Competition, are watching Cupertino closely. Apple doesn’t want any of these governmental bodies forcing major changes on its business.

Thousands of Law Enforcement Agencies Use Phone Cracking Tools

Upturn, a non-profit focused on the use of technology by police, used over 110 public records filed with law enforcement departments across the country to figure out how many of them use phone cracking tools, or mobile device forensic tools (MDFTs).

Based on 110 public records requests to state and local law enforcement agencies across the country, our research documents more than 2,000 agencies that have purchased these tools, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. We found that state and local law enforcement agencies have performed hundreds of thousands of cellphone extractions since 2015, often without a warrant.

Kelly and I will definitely share our thoughts in this week’s Security Friday.