Apple News chief Liz Schimel has left the company amid rumors that the News+ subscription service struggles to acquire subscribers.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
Sanho Corporation Announces HyperDrive GEN2 USB-C Hub
Sanho Corporation is back with another USB-C hub. This one is called HyperDrive GEN2 and it promises twice the power and twice the speed than GEN1.
Location is One of The Big Factors in Advertising
Jennifer Jolly wrote an article wondering if Siri was spying on her because she began to see ads in Spanish after her husband began speaking Spanish at home, within “earshot” of her iPad. The answer is, of course, no. In her buried lede she tells us that she had just moved to a predominantly Spanish-speaking part of Oakland California. It seems reasonable to me that you would see Spanish ads in a Spanish area. Although I’m sure the device’s language is a factor. We did have news last year that contractors listened to some snippets of Siri recordings, but that was to improve the service and not sell ads. Meanwhile, if you turn on Limit Ad Tracking in Settings, your advertising identifier is zeroed. After that, location becomes one of the big factors in advertising.
And Apple says it engineers its devices to protect user privacy. When it comes to Siri, which is integrated in nearly every Apple device, the assistant is designed to activate only after the wake word (“Hey, Siri”) or a waking action is completed, Apple says.
CERN Replaces Facebook Workplace With Open Source
CERN is ending its trial of Facebook Workplace and replacing it with open source alternatives, like Mattermost and Discourse.
Facebook Workplace is Facebook’s corporate-focused product for internal real-time communication and related communication needs within organizations. CERN had been making use of Facebook Workplace and in addition to data privacy concerns, they were recently confronted with either paying Facebook or losing administrative rights, no more single sign-on access, and Facebook having access to their internal data. But now they have assembled their own set of software packages to fill the void by abandoning Facebook Workplace.
I hope to see more of this. Facebook is the Fox News of social media. Like The Mac Observer’s editor-in-chief Bryan Chaffin says: “Death by a thousand paper cuts.”
Lindsey Graham’s Draft Bill Punishes Companies Using End-to-End Encryption
Senator Lindsey Graham is drafting a bill [PDF] that could penalize companies using end-to-end encryption.
Although the measure doesn’t directly mention encryption, it would require that companies work with law enforcement to identify, remove, report and preserve evidence related to child exploitation — which critics said would be impossible to do for services such as WhatsApp that are encrypted from end-to-end.
If technology companies don’t certify that they are following the best practices set by the 15-member commission, they would lose the legal immunity they currently enjoy under Section 230 relating to child exploitation and abuse laws. That would open the door to lawsuits for “reckless” violations of those laws, a lower standard than contained in current statutes.
Of all the dumb things this administration has done, attacking encryption is a doozy. It’s not clear how much this would impact Apple, since the company does in fact scan for child abuse images. But iMessage and a few other services are end-to-end encrypted.
Apple TV+ ‘Foundation” is Ireland’s Biggest Production
Foundation, a drama for Apple TV+ based on Isaac Asimov’s book trilogy, is set to become Ireland’s biggest production with over 500 jobs.
11 New Apple TV Screensavers Feature Jellyfish, Whales, and More
Apple added 11 new Apple TV screensavers and they all feature underwater scenes, like jellyfish, dolphins, whales, and more.
WebKit Team Proposes a Way to Secure SMS Two-Factor Authentication
Apple’s WebKit team has a proposal to standardize and secure SMS two-factor authentication codes with URLs.
Amazon’s 2019 Transparency Report Shows Slight Decline in Government Requests
Amazon’s 2019 transparency report says it received 1,841 subpoenas, 440 search warrants, and 114 other court orders in the second half of 2019.
We previously reported on how Amazon’s transparency reports have purposefully become more vague over the years rather than clearer — bucking the industry trend. At just three pages, the company spends most of it explaining how it responds to each kind of legal demand rather than expanding on the numbers themselves.
Two other notable findings: Apple was the only other company to report a decline in government requests. And Amazon’s Ring surveillance product hasn’t released a transparency report.
PETA Wants to Replace Punxsutawney Phil With AI
Animal rights group PETA wants to replace famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil with an animatronic AI.
The way the group sees it, not only would an AI be better at estimating when the winter will end, but it would also attract an entirely new generation of visitors to the western Pennsylvanian town. “Today’s young people are born into a world of terabytes, and to them, watching a nocturnal rodent being pulled from a fake hole isn’t even worthy of a text message,” Newkirk said. “Ignoring the nation’s fast-changing demographics might well prove the end of Groundhog Day.”
TiVo GameSkip Will Let You Watch Pure Commercials for Super Bowl LIV
TiVo’s GameSkip feature lets people record Super Bowl LIV and jump right to the commercial breaks, which are nearly as big as the game itself.
Here’s how GameSkip works: Set your TiVo to record during the game, an hour after it’s over, look for the onscreen SKIP icon. Once the icon appears, you can jump right to the commercial breaks.