Apple and Walgreens are teaming up to offer a deal for new Apple Card customers: Spend US$50 and get US$50 in Daily Apple Cash.
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.
Articles by Andrew Orr
Apple Pay Rolls Out Support for Hong Kong Octopus Card
Apple is rolling out Apple Pay support for Octopus Card, Hong Kong’s popular card for transit and retail.
Amtrak Data Breach Affects Guest Rewards Accounts
Discovered on April 16, 2020, Amtrak suffered a data breach that affects its Amtrak Guest Rewards accounts.
The attack vector involved was compromised usernames and passwords, which may suggest the use of credentials previously leaked or stolen, or the use of brute-force methods.
Amtrak says that some personal information was viewable, although the company has not specifically said what data may have been compromised. However, Amtrak was keen to emphasize that Social Security numbers, credit card information, and other financial data was not involved in the data leak.
Italy Launches ‘Immuni’ Contact Tracing App
Italy has launched its contact tracing app called Immuni. It uses Apple and Google’s exposure notification API. Find it on the App Store here.
‘Hybri’ Can Create a Virtual Companion Based on Real People
A company called Hybri is creating virtual AI companions that live in augmented and virtual reality. But a feature that may prove to be controversial is letting users scan a photo of a real person to superimpose on the avatars.
But the creepiest feature of Hybri is its Photoscan, which allows you to add a real person’s face to the avatar. That means your unrequited love or celebrity crush could soon become your virtual partner — whether they want to or not.
It sounds like a cool idea to me, but it probably won’t pass the App Store review team.
iOS 13.5.1 is Out Today With Security Patches
Today Apple released a 13.5.1 OS update for iPhones and iPads. It contains important security patches although details aren’t yet known about what was patched.
Patched Sign In with Apple Zero Day Netted Hacker $100,000
Security researcher Bhavuk Jain found a zero day vulnerability with Sign In with Apple in April. Apple has already patched it.
New Zane Lowe Interview Series on Apple Podcasts
“The Zane Lowe Interview Series” is a new podcast where the Apple Music host interviews artists like Lady Gaga, Hayley Williams, and others.
How to Create Custom Icons for Home Screen Shortcuts
Last week Andrew shared how to add a shortcut to your home screen. Today he writes how to create custom icons for home screen shortcuts.
Apple Reveals First Look of ‘Ted Lasso’ Comedy Series
Set to debut on August 14, Apple revealed a first-look from its upcoming comedy series “Ted Lasso” starring Jason Sudeikis.
Apple Releases PowerBeats Pro in Four New Colors
Apple is releasing four new colors to Powerbeats Pro: Cloud Pink, Glacier Blue, Lava Red, and Spring Yellow.
How to Safeguard Your Privacy at a Protest
Motherboard has a short guide to protecting your privacy in case you join a protest. Rule number one: Get a burner phone, don’t use your personal phone.
Naturally, law enforcement will likely be heavily surveilling these protests and others with all sorts of tech and spying gear. And it’s not just the cops: when much of a protest is broadcast via tweets or live-steaming, those watching may also want to digitally target protesters, perhaps by identifying them publicly.
Apple Orders ‘Hedy Lamarr” Series Starring Gal Gadot
Apple gave a straight-to-series order for a “Hedy Lamarr” series starring Gal Gadot who will also serve as an executive producer.
Raspberry Pi 4 8GB Option Launches for $75
The Raspberry Pi 4 was released last year in 2GB and 4GB models. Today an 8GB model is being released for US$75.
The BCM2711 chip that we use on Raspberry Pi 4 can address up to 16GB of LPDDR4 SDRAM, so the real barrier to our offering a larger-memory variant was the lack of an 8GB LPDDR4 package. These didn’t exist (at least in a form that we could address) in 2019, but happily our partners at Micron stepped up earlier this year with a suitable part.
‘Miary’ is a Minimalist Diary App That Syncs to iCloud
Miary is a new app on the App Store and it’s a beautiful, minimalist diary. It’s fully accessible, supporting features like VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, and Reduce Motion. It provides over 100 color themes, Dark Mode, and over 50 fonts. You can listen to soothing nature sounds while you journal, with mood and activity tracking for a variety of activities. You can add unlimited photos and videos to your journal entries, and add location tags to entries, too. A feature that caught my eye is that Miary syncs to iCloud. Many journal apps I’ve seen want to keep users in their own cloud, but with Miary you can trust that your journal is kept in iCloud. It has a simple privacy policy saying that no data is stored on Miary’s servers, and data is not shared with third parties. The app is free, with optional subscriptions starting at US$0.99/month for premium features.
How to Spot Online Scams Using Google’s New Tool
Partnering with the Cybercrime Support Network, Google has a new tool called Scam Spotter. It gives you a quiz to help you spot online scams. It simplifies advice from experts into three golden rules:
- Slow it down: Are they telling you it’s urgent? Take your time and ask questions to avoid being rushed into a bad situation.
- Spot check: Are they claiming to be from a specific institution? Do your own research to double check the details you’re getting.
- Stop! Don’t send: Are they asking you to go to the store and get gift cards? If you think a payment feels fishy, it probably is.
How to Update Apps on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch
Wondering how to update apps on your Apple devices? It’s easy to do manually and there’s an option to do it automatically.
macOS 10.15.5 APFS Bug Affects Bootable Backup Drives
An APFS bug was found in macOS Catalina 10.15.5 and it affects bootable backups created by software such as Carbon Copy Cloner.
Apple Acquires Machine Learning Startup Inductiv to Improve Data Siri Uses
Apple has acquired machine learning startup Inductiv, Inc to improve Siri, machine learning, and Apple’s data science endeavors.
Export Apple Card Transactions to Quicken and QuickBooks
Apple customers can now export Apple Card transactions as Quicken and QuickBooks formats. Here’s how to do this.
Anker Debuts 24K Gold USB-C to Lightning Cable
Anker’s latest product is a 24-karat gold USB-C to Lightning cable. It’s part of the company’s Powerline+ III product line and designed with a 35,000 bend lifespan. Additionally, Anker says “We’re so confident in PowerLine+ III that we are offering a hassle-free replacement for all quality issues.“ Each cable is partially assembled by hand in a 51-step production process. Need I say more? It’s US$99.99 on Amazon, and it’s the perfect accessory for your gold-plated iPhone 11 from Roberto Escobar.
Apple to Reboot Classic ‘Fraggle Rock’ Series
Apple announced a new partnership with The Jim Henson Company to reboot “Fraggle Rock”, following the success of “Fraggle Rock: Rock On!” on Apple TV+.
Roberto Escobar Sues Apple for $2.6B Over iPhone Security
Roberto Escobar, brother of Pablo Escobar, is suing Apple for US$2.6 billion. He claims someone hacked his iPhone and found his email through FaceTime. As a way to fight the company he’s also launching a limited edition iPhone 11 Pro 256GB, gold plated, for US$499.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Pablo’s brother bought an iPhone X back in April 2018, and he claims the security promise fell horribly flat. One year after buying the X, Roberto claims he got a life-threatening letter from someone named Diego, who said he found Roberto’s address through FaceTime.
In the suit, Roberto says he conducted his own investigation after receiving the letter, and found his iPhone had been compromised due to a FaceTime vulnerability.
Go to Settings > FaceTime. You can choose which address and phone number you let people contact you with, if you have multiple numbers and emails associated with your Apple ID. This won’t stop people from obtaining your address elsewhere.
Apple Updates Schoolwork, Classroom Apps
Apple updated its apps for education—Schoolwork and Classroom—with new features and a new design for Schoolwork. Version 3.2 for Classroom:
Automatically access classes set up through Apple School Manager by signing into your device with a Managed Apple ID; Use AirPlay to project class details to Apple TV when inviting students to join a teacher-created class; Easily adjust the size of students’ screens by pinching to zoom in or out.