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US Reportedly Gave Allies Evidence of Huawei Backdoors
Although the U.S. hasn’t shared it publicly, it claims to have found actual evidence of Huawei backdoors.
The United States has long claimed that Huawei can secretly access networks through the networking gear it sells to telcos, but the goverment previously argued that it doesn’t need to show any proof. US officials still are not providing such evidence publicly but have begun sharing their intelligence with other countries.
The best part is that, according to The Wall Street Journal, the origin of this report, these backdoors were intentionally put into place for law enforcement. And yet, the DoJ wants Apple to put backdoors in iOS that they swear can only be accessed by law enforcement, and definitely not foreign state hacking groups.
Clearview AI vs Everybody, iPhone 9 Rumors – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-11
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Clearview AI’s business model and a new wave of iPhone 9/SE rumors.
Apple Card Supports OFX to Export Transactions
Apple Card now supports the ability to export financial transactions to Open Financial Exchange (OFX). This is what apps like Mint support.
Babbel Language Learning 1-Year Subscription (14 Languages): $119
Our deal for 1 year of Babbel Language Learning with access to all 14 languages is back. You’ll get to practice with 10-15 minute bite-sized lessons, and Babbel uses speech recognition technology to keep your pronunciation on point. And, it comes with 10,000 hours of online language education. 1 year through our deal is $119. There’s also a 2-year option available in the deal listing.
Mac Malware Threats Are Now Growing Faster Than Those For Windows
A new report from Malwarebytes reveals that malware threats against Macs outpaced those for Windows for the first time ever in 2019.
Remember Neopets? It’s Being Turned Into a TV Show
Virtual pet website Neopets is being turned into a television show aimed at 8-12 year olds.
As part of the agreement, Singapore-based Beach House will develop new stories and characters, with Blue Ant’s Canadian studio providing animation services.
The show is still in the early stages of development and its format and style aren’t finalized, but Beach House plans to target the series at eight to 12s. The pair are seeking co-production and broadcast partners for the project.
I wish I still had my login information for Neopets.
A Curved Laptop Stand is Twelve South’s Newest Product
Twelve South just announced its newest product: A metal, one-piece curved laptop stand called Curve SE. It’s a white (or black), minimalist stand that matches well with Apple’s aesthetic. It has a fixed height of 6.5-inches, which the company says is an ergonomic standard.
Desktop accessories – especially MacBook stands – are inherently home decor. They should match your room, your style, your desk and complement (not copy) your MacBook. Our latest solution, while deceptively simple, is a beautiful matte white MacBook stand we call Curve SE.
You can buy the Curve SE stand for US$59.99.
Search Warrant Reveals Apple Scanning Emails for Child Abuse Images
Andrew wrote that Apple scans uploaded iCloud content for child abuse imagery, and a search warrant reveals it scans emails too.
Apple Joins FIDO Alliance, an Authentication Group
The FIDO Alliance is an industry group to develop authentication standards as an alternative to passwords. Apple recently joined the group.
We May Have a Sneak Peek of the iPhone 9
Case maker totallee is back with another prediction for the new affordable iPhone, and it’s not a design that matches the iPhone SE.
Firefox Working to Eradicate 'Weak" TLS 1.0 & 1.1 HTTPS Standards
Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, announced it is moving to “eradicate” the weak TLS 1.0 and 1.1 HTTPS standard, The Register reported. Apple made a similar announcement in October 2018.
From next month, users hitting a site running TLS 1.0 or 1.1 will not connect immediately, but see a warning screen stating: “Secure connection failed.” There is an option to override this, in which case it will be overridden for all sites. Thyla van der Merwe, cryptography engineering manager at Mozilla, said: “We plan to keep the override button for now; the telemetry we’re collecting will tell us more about how often this button is used. These results will then inform our decision regarding when to remove the button entirely. It’s unlikely that the button will stick around for long. We’re committed to completely eradicating weak versions of TLS.”
T-Mobile-Sprint Merger Gets go Ahead
The proposed T-Mobile-Sprint merger got the go-ahead on Tuesday, Yahoo Finance/Reuters reported. A judge approved the deal, rejecting antitrust concerns raised by some states.
During a two-week trial in December, T-Mobile and Sprint argued the merger will better equip the new company to compete with top players Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, creating a more efficient company with low prices and faster internet speeds. The states, led by California and New York, had said the deal would reduce competition, leading to higher prices. The decision by U.S. District Court Judge Victor Marrero clears the path for the deal, which already has federal approval and was originally valued at $26 billion.
Snapchat’s ‘Here For You’ Promotes Mental Health
Snapchat has a new tool called Here For You. Whenever the app detects you’ve searched for topics like “depression” it will present Here For You with mental health content written by experts.
“Sometimes people come in and search for this kind of content, be it anxiety or depression,” says Jen Stout, vice president of global policy at Snap. “Instead of being served up maybe nothing, or meme accounts, or something like that, we’re looking for a healthy alternative to provide young people with tools that would be readily available in the app.”
It’s nice to hear about a company doing something good for a change. It seems like it happens all too rarely.
AirPods Dominate Earbuds Market
AirPods dominated the growing wireless earbuds market in the last quarter, thanks, in part, to the release of the AirPods Pro in October.
The Woman Who Got Netflix to Let Users Turn Off Autoplay Videos
Last week, Netflix introduced the ability to turn off those annoying autoplay videos. Recode spoke to Sarah Hollowell, the woman who made it happen.
A week after her volley of tweets, Netflix retweeted Hollowell and announced the updated settings. This is a big deal, if you follow Netflix Twitter much. People reviled these autoplay previews so much that there’s a dedicated Twitter account collecting the complaints, including one widely circulated smirk from Knives Out director Rian Johnson. Outrage like this has spilled over to seemingly every corner of the internet. If you click through any of those links, you’ll also realize that people have been yelling at Netflix about this for years. There’s even a Change.org petition started by a Melissa Bryant, a passionate Netflix user from Maine, that racked up nearly 125,000 signatures in the past two months.
AmazonSmile Available on Android App, But Not iOS
Amazon has introduced AmazonSmile to its Android app, making it easier to donate to charity, but the feature is not yet available on iOS.
TMO UK Associate Editor Charlotte Henry (#4) - TMO Background Mode Interview
Charlotte Henry is a London-based technical journalist. A self-described media junkie, she writes about Apple — and now for the Mac Observer as well as our UK Associate Editor. She has also written for City A.M. (London’s daily business tabloid,) Computer Business Review, the Independent on Sunday and CapX. Her new book is: Not Buying It.
In this special episode, Charlotte and I discuss the various streaming TV services: Apple TV+, Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, CBS All Access, Britbox, Peacock, and Quibi. We chat about our favorite shows, our experiences viewing, the pricing, and the prospects of success for the new guys on the block. Charlotte loves The Bold Type (Netflix). John waxes poetic about The Mandalorian and Star Trek: Picard.
Chinese Military Charged With Equifax Data Breach
Four Chinese military hackers have been charged with breaking into Equifax’s network and stealing the data of tens of millions of Americans.
The accused hackers exploited a software vulnerability to gain access to Equifax’s computers, obtaining log-in credentials that they used to navigate databases and review records. The indictment also details efforts the hackers took to cover their tracks, including wiping log files on a daily basis and routing traffic through dozens of servers in nearly 20 countries.
Reminder that Equifax executives did insider trading based on the breach. They are criminals.
Google Fighting $9 Billion Worth of EU Fines
Google will commence its efforts to have over $9 billion of fines from the EU overturned this week. Bloomberg News looked at the impending legal battle.
The EU’s General Court in Luxembourg will host a three-day hearing starting on Feb. 12 as the Alphabet Inc. unit seeks to topple a 2.4 billion-euro ($2.6 billion) penalty in 2017 for thwarting smaller shopping search services. Lawyers say the court clash will help set the scene for a broader crackdown on U.S. tech giants by Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner. Apple Inc. is separately battling her massive back-tax order and Amazon.com Inc. is currently being investigated for potentially favoring its own products over those of third-party sellers on its platform.
Judges Reject Apple Bid to Appeal VirnetX Patent Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has rejected Apple’s bid to have it reconsider a patent infringement case with VirnetX.
Edison Mail Uses Your Emails For Market Research
Popular Apple Mail alternative Edison Mail scans your emails for market research so companies can make “better investment decisions” among other uses.
On its website Edison says that it does “process” users’ emails, but some users did not know that when using the Edison app the company scrapes their inbox for profit. Motherboard has also obtained documentation that provides more specifics about how two other popular apps—Cleanfox and Slice—sell products based on users’ emails to corporate clients.
I did write about Edison Mail coming to the Mac last year, and noted that the company calls it “interesting research.”
TV+ Trials, Taika vs Apple Keyboards – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-10
Charlotte Henry and John Martellaro join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the fate of Apple TV+ trials, and Taika Waititi’s keyboard review.
iPadOS, iOS 13.4 Public Beta 1 is Now Out
iPadOS and iOS 13.4 public beta one is now available today. Changes include the return of iCloud folder sharing, and more.
Wikipedia War Rages Over Coronavirus Disinformation
Whenever a topic dominates the headlines it blows up on Wikipedia with users and editors battling to have proper information on the site. The coronavirus outbreak has been no different, Wired reported.
Over a few weeks, the English-language version of Wikipedia witnessed the creation of at least six articles about the outbreak. Since the beginning of January, over 18 million people have read those entries. Countless others have found their way to articles indirectly related to the coronavirus, including those for Sars, Wuhan, “bat as food” – and even Corona beer, which has seen an uptick in editing. This frenetic surge in interest is a challenge for Wikipedia’s community of volunteer editors, who have to deal with a firehose of information about the health crisis constantly flooding the website, and inevitably fight off rumours and misinformation.