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Chrome and Firefox Ending Notification Permission Pop-Ups
Fed up of getting pop-ups from your web browser asking for permission to send notifications? Chrome and Safari are looking to end that, Wired reported.
Chrome project manager PJ McLachlan wrote in a blog post this week that the company would start limiting the notifications in one of the next versions of the browser, version 80. “Chrome 80 will show, under certain conditions, a new, quieter notification permission UI that reduces the ‘interruptiveness’ of notification permission requests,” McLachlan says. So what does this look like? If you usually block browser notifications, Chrome will put permission requests from websites behind a small notification symbol at the right end of your browser’s URL search bar. On mobile there will be a small alert at the bottom of your browser window, which vanishes after a few seconds, saying that notifications are blocked.
‘Cable Haunt’ Flaw Leaves Millions of Modems Vulnerable
A flaw in cable modems called “Cable Haunt’ puts hundreds of millions at risk from hackers. It requires a patch from ISPs.
The Original iPod Was Created and Released in Less Than a Year, Ex-Apple SVP Tony Fadell Reveals
The original iPod was designed, engineered, and released all in the same year, according to Ex-Apple SVP Tony Fadell.
Build an Apple I Replica With This $99 SmartyKit
Steve Wozniak built the Apple I computer by hand, and it sold at US$666.66 when it went on sale July 1976. And with a product called SmartyKit you can build a replica of it.
Besides a cool DIY project, the company behind SmartyKit also proposes it as an educational tool for those interested in knowing what are the main parts of every computer, what a processor is and how it works, how a video signal is formed and how a simple operating system works.
CES – Solo New York Recycled Hybrid Backpack
LAS VEGAS – Solo New York was showing off their Re:cycled backpack series at CES 2020, all of which are made from recycled water bottles and other biodegradable materials. The Hybrid backpack here easily converts between being a briefcase and a backpack, perfect for that on-the-go lifestyle where you’re not sure what mode you’ll need to be in throughout the day.
CES Wrap-up, Quick Tips, Cool Stuff Found – Mac Geek Gab 797
John and Dave are back from CES with new stuff they’ve learned, Cool Stuff Found, Quick Tips, and more. Of course, your questions are featured, as well, including analyzing USB power draw, fast external drives, folder permissions, and more. Press play to learn five new things with your two favorite geeks!
CES – Elliptic Labs Virtual Smart Sensors
LAS VEGAS – Elliptic Labs has developed software that uses a smartphone’s speakers and microphones to do motion sensing – and a lot more – without adding any hardware to the phone. I happened to meet CEO Laila Danielsen on a bus where she showed us just one demo application of their tech.
CES – OWC Mercury Elite Pro Thunderbolt 3 Dock adds RAID, Ports, and Power
OWC Founder and CEO, Larry O’Connor, takes us through the details of their Mercury Elite Pro Dock. This is a Thunderbolt 3 Dock and Dual-Drive RAID all-in-one. RAID 0 or 1 is done in hardware, or you can configure it as a JBOD and manage it yourself. With seven ports, including Ethernet, two USB 3.1 Gen 1, DisplayPort 1.2, SD Card, and Gigabit Ethernet, this US$299.99 device might be exactly what you need to complete your setup.
14 Years Ago Steve Jobs Introduced the First MacBook Pro
14 years ago today Steve Jobs unveiled the first MacBook Pro at Macworld 2006. Most of the keynote is focused on other products, like Aperture, iLife, iMove, iWeb, iWork, and more. The MacBook Pro’s introduction came as a “one last thing” announcement. In this segment, he discusses the performance per watt of various Apple microprocessors like the PowerPC G4 and PowerPC G5. But Intel’s Core Duo processor was better at energy efficiency, and that’s what the MacBook Pro used.
Trade In Values, Cryptocurrency Attacks – TMO Daily Observations 2020-01-10
Charlotte Henry and Bryan Chaffin join host Kelly Guimont to discuss trade-in values dropping in Apple Stores, and a new malware attack.
FCC Urged to Do Something About SIM Swapping
Lawmakers are urging the FCC to do something about SIM swapping attacks, which have been responsible for the theft of tens of millions.
SIM swapping is an insidious form of mobile phone fraud that is often used to steal large amounts of cryptocurrencies and other items of value from victims. All too frequently, the scam involves bribing or tricking employees at mobile phone stores into seizing control of the target’s phone number and diverting all texts and phone calls to the attacker’s mobile device.
BenjiLock Introduces BenjiLock TSA, Updates Original Product
LAS VEGAS, NV — BenjiLock is introducing BenjiLock TSA, the latest version of their fingerprint lock at CES 2020. Robbie Cabral, Inventor and CEO, highlighted the features of this lock.
Pixelmator Pro: Image Magic via Machine Learning
Dr. Mac has discovered something approaching the holy grail of image-processing—a way to enlarge (or reduce) an image with fewer visible artifacts and jagged edges, and less blurriness and other unwanted elements.
This Smart Trainer Improves Your Posture in Just 2 Weeks: $89
We have a deal on Upright GO 2, a device and companion app designed to help you improve your posture. Essentially, you place the device directly on the skin of your upper back using the hypoallergenic adhesive strips that come in the box. It then buzzes when you’re slouching. Check out the promo video to see more about how it works. The Upright GO 2 is $89 through our deal.
Review: Satechi Type-C Aluminium Stand And Hub For Mac Mini
A computer stand is not the most exciting accessory, but Satechi has made one for the Mac mini that is both useful and rather stylish.
Android Devices to Get Ultra Wideband Tech Like iPhone 11
Apple introduced Ultra Wideband technology with the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Barclays Analysts believe Android smartphones are going to in their footsteps, according to a note seen by MacRumors.
In a research note obtained by MacRumors, the analysts said Android smartphones will be equipped with an all-in-one Ultra Wideband, NFC, and Secure Element chip introduced by Dutch chipmaker NXP Semiconductors last year. It is unclear which Android smartphones will adopt Ultra Wideband first, but Samsung did join a consortium with NXP last year to help develop the technology. In a press release last year, NXP said Ultra Wideband will give mobile devices several new and interesting capabilities, such as being able to unlock a car’s doors when the device comes in close proximity of the vehicle, potentially foreshadowing a feature that could come to the iPhone down the road.
Pokémon Go Just Had Its Best Year Ever
The initial hype may have died down, but people are still playing Pokémon Go. Lots of people. Cult of Mac outlined why the game has just enjoyed its best year yet.
According to new data from mobile app analytics firm Sensor Tower, Niantic’s Pokémon Go pulled in a massive $894 million in player spending during 2019. (Based on both iOS and Android numbers.) That puts it ahead of 2016, 2017 and 2018 in terms of revenue. It also means that the game has earned a whopping $3.1 billion in player spending during its time on the market. Last year alone, the game received 55 million installs worldwide. 10 million of these took place in the United States, representing 19% of the total.
Apple Pencil Three Could Have Rolling Gesture For Zooming, Patent Reveals
The Apple Pencil 3 looks likely to have more gestures available than previous models, according to a new patent.
Apple Collects Donations for Australian Fires With Red Cross
Apple started a donation campaign with the Red Cross so that users can donate to relief efforts for the fires in Australia.
Microsoft Skype and Cortana Transcription Program Run With "No Security Measures"
A system transcribing and vetting audio from Skype and Cortana was run for years with “no security measures,” according to a former Microsoft contractor. The Guardian revealed that workers could access recordings through a simple Chrome web app.
The recordings, both deliberate and accidentally invoked activations of the voice assistant, as well as some Skype phone calls, were simply accessed by Microsoft workers through a web app running in Google’s Chrome browser, on their personal laptops, over the Chinese internet, according to the contractor. Workers had no cybersecurity help to protect the data from criminal or state interference, and were even instructed to do the work using new Microsoft accounts all with the same password, for ease of management, the former contractor said. Employee vetting was practically nonexistent, he added.
Apple Slashes Trade-In Values of Many Devices
Apple appears to have slashed the estimated trade-in value of a number of products overnight, most noticeably to the iPhone XS Max.
CES - IEVA Introduces Stylish Twin.C Environmental Sensors
LAS VEGAS, NV — IEVA is introducing their line of stylish Twin.C Environmental Sensors at CES 2020. Fatima Sall, Public Relations, told us about what the stylish but functional sensors can do for you.
CES - Moovy Shows Moovy Go Hub, a 12-in-1 USB-C Dock
LAS VEGAS, NV — So you have a new USB-C Mac, PC or tablet, and want to plug your stuff into it—Moovy claims to have “the most advanced USB-C dock with wireless charging.”
Luxitude Tablet and Phone Holder Stand: $33.99
We have a deal on Luxitude, a tablet and smartphone holder and stand, combined. It features adjustable arms that fit most tablets and phones from 4″ to 11″. It rotates 360° for the best viewing, and has suction cups that make it easy to pop off and fold up to move from surface to surface. A padded holder protects the device from scratching, falling, or slipping. It’s $33.99 through our deal.