Holy Bidirectional Thunderbolt, Mac-Man! – Mac Geek Gab 815

Did your Mac stop showing all your spotlight results? Do you have an external rotational drive on your Mac? Do you want to Add the Dark Menubar to your Light-themed Mac?

These answers are addressed in the opening Quick Tips segment. Can you imagine what happens when John and Dave, your two favorite geeks, start answering your questions? Good news: you don’t have to imagine. Just press play and all will be revealed!

Facebook Bought Giphy. What Does That Mean for Privacy?

Facebook announced today that it’s acquiring Giphy for an alleged sum of US$400 million.

Facebook characterized the acquisition—reportedly worth $400 million—as a way to help its millions of users “better express themselves.” […] Facebook says it will not collect information specific to individual people using Giphy’s API, but it will get valuable data about usage patterns across the web.

I definitely don’t believe them when they say that won’t collect individual data. That is Facebook’s raison d’être. This is exactly like its usage of the Onavo VPN spyware: Collect data on how people use GIFs everywhere, especially on competitor’s platforms. Mark Zuckerberg is furiously trying to beat Snapchat into submission. They rejected him once and he’s been out for blood ever since. GIFs may sound like a stretch when it comes to data collection, but keep in mind that web beacons exist.

Mythic Quest: Quarantine Coming to Apple TV+ on May 22

Sound the horn! As noted on Instagram Friday, Mythic Quest: Quarantine will drop on Apple TV+ on May 22. The trailer tells you all you need to know. You’ve got time to binge the Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet series (again, obviously). See you on the other side!

UPRIGHT GO 2 Posture Training Device: $89.99

We have a deal on Upright GO 2, a posture-training device with a companion app. You place the device directly on the skin of your upper back using hypoallergenic adhesive strips that come in the box. When you slouch, it buzzes, a reminder to stop slouching. Check out the promo video to see more about how it works. The Upright GO 2 is $89 through our deal.

Google Chrome Taking Action Against Resource-Draining Ads

Google Chrome will now take action to limit adverts draining battery and network resources. The changes were outlined on the Chromium blog on Friday.

We have recently discovered that a fraction of a percent of ads consume a disproportionate share of device resources, such as battery and network data, without the user knowing about it. These ads (such as those that mine cryptocurrency, are poorly programmed, or are unoptimized for network usage) can drain battery life, saturate already strained networks, and cost money.  In order to save our users’ batteries and data plans, and provide them with a good experience on the web, Chrome will limit the resources a display ad can use before the user interacts with the ad. When an ad reaches its limit, the ad’s frame will navigate to an error page, informing the user that the ad has used too many resources.

When Apple Reinvented the Computer Store

On May 15, 2001, Steve Jobs announced that 25 Apple Stores would open. Cult of Mac looked at how the company forever changed how we perceive computer stores.

When it came to retail, Jobs preferred high-end outlets that focused on “big ticket” items rather than bulk sales. This is exactly what the stand-alone Apple stores turned out to be when they debuted in 2001. With a newfound focus on sleek design — especially visible in the likes of the iMac G3 and iBook — Apple products looked especially exotic compared to the putty-colored plastic cases seen in typical computer stores… The Apple stores gave Cupertino an opportunity to apply its design-focused, “it just works” ethos to the retail experience…

How Sir Nick Clegg Changed How Facebook Plays Politics

It was somewhat of a surprise when Facebook hired Sir Nick Clegg to head its global lobbying efforts. The former UK Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Party tells reflects on his time so far in Silicon Valley with Politico Magazine.

“When I arrived here, Facebook was just constantly taking just endless incoming fire,” says Clegg during a 75-minute interview at Facebook’s California headquarters in November, the first of three conducted for this article over the course of six months. “If I felt we could just go quiet, boy, would I advocate for it. But I actually don’t think that’s possible,” he says. “I don’t believe in sitting here behind these lovely walls in Menlo Park and kind of just hunkering down.” It was something Clegg had picked up in the rough and tumble of British politics, where he often felt caricatured by the country’s aggressive press: “In the long run, it’s better to say your piece, have a point of view, be understood, even if you’re not liked.”

Meditation App ‘Headspace’ Offers Free Year of Premium Content

Headspace is offering Americans a free year of premium access of the full library of guided meditations and courses.

“The current state of unemployment in the US has become an alarming crisis,” the company website said. “To help those affected, we’re offering a full year of Headspace Plus for free. Discover meditation and mindfulness tools to help you feel less stressed, more resilient, and kinder to yourself.”

Nice move. Self-care is important.

Crusader Kings III Release Date on Macs Set for September 1

Paradox Development Studio announced the Crusader Kings III release date today. It comes to Mac, Linux, and Windows on September 1.

The new title focuses more on your ruling family’s personality, complete with character lifestyles and traits (acting against them can lead to stress or even breakdowns), earning Renown to boost your reputation and inducing Dread to keep people in line. Dynasties can split into individual houses, blackmail is an option, skilled fighters can become knights, and you can set Tenets and Doctrines for religions that deviate from the original.

Zerodium Pauses Purchases of iOS Exploits

Zerodium is temporarily suspending its purchasing of iOS exploits due to a high number of submissions, with the CEO saying ”iOS security is f**ked.”

Zerodium is an exploit acquisition platform that pays researchers for zero-day security vulnerabilities and then sells them to institutional customers like government organizations and law enforcement agencies. The company focuses on high-risk vulnerabilities, normally offering between $100,000 and $2 million per fully functional iOS exploit.