Enter our new international giveaway for a chance to win the brand new iPhone 16 Pro.
Huawei Equipment Backdoor Found in HiSilicon Chips
Hardware researcher Vladislav Yarmak found a Huawei equipment backdoor used in video recorders and security cameras.
To be clear, this security vulnerability is said to be present in the software HiSilicon provides with its system-on-chips to customers. These components, backdoor and all, are then used by an untold number of manufacturers in network-connected recorders and cameras.
It’s not a major threat, or anything people need to fret about, it’s just another indicator of Huawei’s piss-poor approach to security.
AKA do not let Huawei build your 5G infrastructure.
DOJ Questioning App Developers as Part of Apple Investigation
A number of iOS developers have been questioned by the DOJ as part of its ongoing antitrust investigation into Apple.
RelaxMyDog Video Streaming 2-Year Subscription: $39.99
We have a deal for dog owners today for a streaming video service called RelaxMyDog. RelaxMyDog provides music and videos specifically designed to help dogs overcome anxiety, loneliness, stress, boredom, and hyperactivity. The company claims more than 7 years of research and a formula they say helps 87% of dogs. A 2-year subscription is $39.99 through our deal.
Join the Mimeo Photo Contest to Win a Signed Print From Photographer Nigel Barker
Last year I reviewed Mimeo Photos on macOS, and I was pleased with the photo printing service. The company announced a photo contest judged by Nigel Barker, and winners can receive one of his signed prints and more.
The top 9 finalists will win a 20in x 30in print of their own image and a $25 Mimeo Photos voucher towards prints.
One lucky winner will get to choose from one of the below 20in x 30in signed Nigel Barker prints, a 20in x 30in print of their own image, and a $50 Mimeo Photos voucher.
4 Cloud Services to Torrent Files on iPad
Andrew found four cloud services that let you torrent files on iPad. All of them have free accounts and with two you don’t need an account.
Music Production, New Hardware – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-04
Dave Hamilton and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss Neil Young’s comments, and Charlotte’s latest trip to the Apple Store.
Publish VSCO Videos With New This App Feature
After I published my list of VSCO presets I thought I’d send it to the folks at the company. As it turns out they had something to share with me too. As part of the VSCO X membership (US$19.99/year), users can how publish their videos to the feed, which was previously limited to photos.
We know this is something our community has been asking for and we can’t wait to see how you bring your stories to life with the new tools we’re making available for our members. We’ve rounded up some tips for how to take advantage of the new video features with your VSCO membership.
AirPods Pro and Naturespace is a Great Meditation Technique
Andrew recently started meditating as a healthy, daily habit. He found that AirPods Pro used with Naturespace is a great meditation technique.
Apple Gets New Project Titan In-Vehicle Device Location System Patent
Apple received a new patent related to its Project Titan automated vehicle project. Patently Apple reported it is for a device location system for vehicles.
In this Project Titan granted patent, Apple notes that passengers in vehicles may carry mobile devices into the vehicles. Once inside, a passenger may place the mobile device at a location inside the vehicle cabin. Occasionally, the mobile device may move, fall onto the floor, or slide into a location on the vehicle that is difficult to see or access. As a result, mobile devices are often lost inside vehicles. Current methods for locating a mobile device in a vehicle require some degree of manual intervention, which can be tedious and cumbersome.
2020 iPhone Rumor Roundup: It Can Do Everything Except Perform Surgery (Update)
A new 2020 iPhone rumor today says that it could have a 120Hz ProMotion display. We’ve taken all of the rumors so far and rounded them up.
ZAGG Introduces 10.2 iPad Keyboard Case ‘Messenger Folio’
During CES 2020 ZAGG introduced three keyboard cases for the 10.2-inch iPad, and today the Messenger Folio is available for purchase. It has laptop-style keys with optimal travel, backlighting, Apple Pencil holder, a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 2 years between charges, and a built-in stand.
The Messenger Folio combines protection and productivity in a slender case that fits neatly in your bag or backpack. Laptop-style keys, a long-lasting battery, and a tab for the Apple Pencil let you get down to work, and the protective case and magnetic lock let you get back up and on the move again.
It’s available for US$59.99 with free shipping.
Every VSCO Preset and What Photography They’re Best For
Over the past two years Andrew has collected information on every VSCO classic preset and the kind of photography each one works best with.
Negotiations to Launch Apple Pay Taking Place in Israel
Apple has begun talks with Israeli banks and credit companies in Israel, as it works to bring Apple Pay to the country. However, the commission fee could cause a problem.
Israeli financial institutions were not keen on Apple’s commission fee, which falls somewhere between 0.15% and 0.25% of each transaction. This works out to roughly one quarter to one-third of the credit card issuer’s revenue from the transaction, a hefty cut from an already relatively small fee. “It is disproportionate, and constitutes an exploitation of its status and power,” says a source familiar with the situation. While this may slow down talks, it should not be seen as definitive in any way.
Google Facing Another Privacy Probe in Europe
The Irish Data Protection Commission has launched probes into both Google and Tinder over data privacy concerns.
FCC Unsure Whether to Punish Carriers for Selling Location Data
Two years ago we found out that US carriers were selling real-time location data of its customers. The FCC has wrapped up its investigation, and maybe it will punish the carriers…or maybe not. Who knows? Chairman Ajit Pai doesn’t.
Pai’s statement went on: “Accordingly, in the coming days, I intend to circulate to my fellow Commissioners for their consideration one or more Notice(s) of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in connection with the apparent violation(s). We are unable to provide additional information about any pending enforcement action(s) beyond what is stated in the letter.”
If that seems unusual vague: that “one or more” mobile operators “apparently violated” the law by selling location data, you’re not the only one.
Anonymized Data May Be Less Anonymous Than You Thought
Students at Harvard built a tool to analyze datasets from data breaches. They could identify an individual despite promises of anonymized data from companies.
Science Communicator Dr. Kiki Sanford (#8) - TMO Background Mode Interview
Dr. Kiki Sanford makes her eighth appearance on Background Mode. Kiki is a neurophysiologist with a B.S. in conservation biology and a Ph.D. avian neurophysiology from the University of California. She’s a popular science communicator and creator/co-host of This Week in Science (TWIS) podcast and radio show.
In this episode, we spend the entire first segment discussing the coronavirus. Kiki fills us in on the details you don’t hear about on the nightly news. In segment #2, Kiki tells us the real reason why people under stress get grey hair, how Mars used to have surface water, how the Earth’s sea level is rising faster than expected, and how zebra strips seem to provide good protection against biting insects. As always, Kiki makes science fun and interesting.
‘Sudo’ Flaw Found and Patched in macOS Terminal
A flaw with the Sudo command used in macOS Terminal let non-privileged users and programs run commands as Root.
Apple At-Home Device Repair Could Arrive to Your City
Through Go Tech Services Apple at-home device repair is arriving for select cities for customers who can’t visit a repair shop or Apple store.
Amazon Will Sell Your Face for as Low as 40 Cents for Facial Recognition
Reporters at The California Sunday Magazine recently published an overview of facial recognition technology. It’s a long read and it provides a lot of information on this technology and how it works. Among the tidbits that caught my eye I wanted to share this one:
Why has the use of facial recognition become such a hot-button issue now? The most obvious answer is that the technology has been improved, streamlined, and commercialized to the point that it has become widely accessible, available for purchase for as low as 40 cents an image if you opt for Amazon’s facial-recognition software plan.
Ten Years of iPad – TMO Daily Observations 2020-02-03
Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss a decade of iPad, how it surprised the Windows team, and how it has evolved.
This Tech Gear Bag Has Multiple Compartments, Durable Construction, Cable Port, More: $59.99
We have a deal on the Incase ICON Backpack, a bag designed for all your tech gear. The main compartment provides space for larger items and organization for flat documents and small accessories, the secondary compartment offers a series of organizer pockets to hold tech accessories, the dedicated side-access pocket is for your iPad, and the hip-side power pocket with integrated cable port to allow access to portable power or audio. This backpack is $59.99 through our deal.
Microsoft Cancels Launch of Surface Hub 2X
Microsoft has cancelled the launch of the Surface Hub 2X, The Verge reported. However, it has insisted it will rollout many of the previously announced features.
In a leaked webinar to Surface Hub 2 sellers, Microsoft says it’s still committed to developing tiling and rotation but it’s not clear when these features will arrive. “They might not require an upgrade for Surface Hub 2S customers, or they might not require a paid compute cartridge swap,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in the webinar. “We don’t have plans to release a compute cartridge in 2020, because the best way to release those capabilities — tiling and rotation — may not require us to take that path.”
Wistron to Assemble iPhone Parts in India
Wistron, a key Apple supplier, is set to assemble iPhone components in India, Reuters reported. It is part of a bid from Apple to expand its manufacturing in the country.
The local assembly of PCBs by Wistron’s India unit will be a first for the contract manufacturer, which began making Apple’s low-priced SE model in the southern tech hub of Bengaluru in 2017. It currently assembles the 6S and 7 iPhone models there as well. A PCB is a bed for key components such as processors, memory and wireless chip sets that are the heart of an electronic device. Once assembled, or populated with components, PCBs account for about half the cost of a smartphone. Wistron’s second iPhone plant, some 65 km (40 miles) from Bengaluru, is expected to become operational by April, the sources said, adding that it will make iPhone 7 and 8 models, some of which will be exported.