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Disney+ Has Been Downloaded on 22 Million Devices

Charlotte Henry ·

Disney+ is off to a very good start. According to a report by Apptopia, picked up by Marketwatch, it has been downloaded on 22 million devices.

The streaming service, which made its debut Nov. 12, has been downloaded 22 million times to mobile devices in what is probably the most successful launch in the nascent industry’s history, according to app-tracking firm Apptopia. The report says the app has averaged 9.5 million daily active mobile users, landing the top spot on Apple Inc.’s and Alphabet Inc.’s Google’s app stores. “I can’t imagine anyone topping this start,” Adam Blocker, who wrote the report, told MarketWatch. He says the combination of Disney+’s inexpensive price ($6.99 a month), the allure of a $12.99-per-month bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu, and the marketing muscle of Walt Disney Co. preordained its success.

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FaceID Not Fooled By Masks, Unlike Other Facial Recognition Systems

Charlotte Henry ·

Intelligence company Kneron tested out a number of facial recognition systems used in payments and banking. It found many could be fooled by photographs or masks. However, not Apple’s FaceID, reported Fortune.

Kneron conducted the experiments to learn about the technology’s limitations while developing its own facial recognition technology. The company, which is led backed by high-profile investors including Qualcomm and Sequoia Capital, is creating what it calls “Edge AI,” an artificial intelligence tool that does the job of recognizing individual entirely on devices rather than though cloud-based services. Kneron also noted that its experiments could not fool some facial recognition applications, notably Apple’s iPhone X. The company’s experiment comes at a time of intense debate over how broadly to deploy facial recognition.

Podcast

Be Good and Don't Get Caught – Mac Geek Gab 793

John F. Braun · · Add Comment

macOS Catalina might finally be ready for prime-time with 10.15.2. Your two favorite geeks discuss. Then it’s on to your tips and questions. Listen as John and Dave talk through Keyboard Shortcuts, third-party display issues, full-page screenshots, watching TV in multiple locations, outbound VPN, Mail, Bluetooth, and more! We guarantee you’ll learn at least five new things before the band plays you out for the week.

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How Social Media Warps Democracy

Andrew Orr ·

Here’s a long read to put on your list as you head into the weekend. It examines social media and its impact on democracy and our psyche.

The problem may not be connectivity itself but rather the way social media turns so much communication into a public performance. We often think of communication as a two-way street. Intimacy builds as partners take turns, laugh at each other’s jokes, and make reciprocal disclosures. What happens, though, when grandstands are erected along both sides of that street and then filled with friends, acquaintances, rivals, and strangers, all passing judgment and offering commentary?

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Cellebrite Now Uses iOS Exploit Checkm8

Andrew Orr ·

Checkm8 is an iPhone flaw in the bootrom that can lead to a jailbreak. It can’t be patched via software, and it affects the iPhone 4s through iPhone X. But attackers need physical access to your device, and the jailbreak can only be tethered, meaning that if the iPhone is restarted it disappears.

The Cellebrite UFED team is working quickly to provide users with support for the above-mentioned scenario.  This will be included with the launch of our iOS extraction agent in an upcoming release. The team is committed to providing a comprehensive, forensically-sound solution that adheres to Cellebrite’s high standards, is fully tested, and is admissible in court.

Speaking about recent rumors, if Apple did remove the Lightning port from future iPhones, I wonder if it would defeat companies like Cellebrite. I’m not sure if they could still extract data via the wireless charger.

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Defense Department: We Need That Encryption You Want to Break

Andrew Orr ·

Everyone from the Department of Justice, the FBI, and politicians like Senator Lindsey Graham are attacking encryption, calling for backdoors for the “public good.” But people who understand security are cautioning against such a move. This week Representative Ro Khanna forwarded a letter to Lindsay Graham from the Defense Department’s Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy.

As the use of mobile devices continues to expand, it is imperative that innovative security techniques, such as advanced encryption algorithms, are constantly maintained and improved to protect DoD information and resources. The Department believes maintaining a domestic climate for state of the art security and encryption is critical to the protection of our national security.

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Pro Display XDR works on iMac Pro, But Only at 5K

Charlotte Henry ·

There has been much excitement and discussion around the new Pro Display XDR for the new Mac Pro – $1000 for a stand, anyone? AppleInsider reported that it works with iMac Pro too,  but only at 5K.

On supported systems, the Pro Display XDR has 6K resolution, at 6,016 by 3,384 pixels, but not everyone will be able to achieve that resolution. In a posting to Twitter, Thomas Grove Carter advises the Pro Display XDR connected to an iMac Pro is only capable of running at a 5K resolution, not 6K. According to the product specifications page, Apple advises the Pro Display XDR is compatible with a variety of Mac models, including the new Mac Pro with an MPX Module GPU, the 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, the 2019 21.5-inch iMac, and the 27-inch iMac from the same year. Any Mac model is also supported if it has Thunderbolt 3 ports and is paired with either the Blackmagic eGPU or Blackmagic eGPU Pro. The support page discussing the setup process for the display further says that the named Macs and the Blackmagic eGPU setups are able to support the 6K resolution with 10-bit color.

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Broadband Companies Want FCC to Hide Data on Internet Speeds

Andrew Orr ·

Internet providers have successfully persuaded the FCC to remove unfavorable data that shows their advertised speeds are typically higher than their actual speeds.

Internet experts and former FCC officials said the setup gives the internet companies enormous leverage. “How can you go to the party who controls the information and say, ‘please give me information that may implicate you?’ ” said Tom Wheeler, a former FCC chairman who stepped down in January 2017.

Jim Warner, a retired network engineer who has helped advise the agency on the test for years, told the FCC in 2015 that the rules for providers were too lax. “It’s not much of a code of conduct,” Mr. Warner said.

So it seems these companies regularly lie about their internet speeds. Shocking, I know.

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Apple Arcade’s Sayonara Wild Hearts Arrives on Steam

Andrew Orr ·

One of Apple Arcade’s headlining games was stylish rhythm game Sayonara Wild Hearts. It also spread to other platforms like PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. And today it’s on Steam for Macs and PCs.

“As the heart of a young woman breaks, the balance of the universe is disturbed. A diamond butterfly appears in her dreams and leads her through a highway in the sky, where she finds her other self: the masked biker called The Fool,” it says.

“Journey through a custom-written pop soundtrack, chase scores, and set out to find the harmony of the universe, hidden away in the hearts of Little Death and her star-crossed allies: Dancing Devils, Howling Moons, Stereo Lovers and Hermit 64.”

TMO Deals

SlimJuicer 4,500mAh Wireless Charging Case for iPhone 11/Pro/Max: $21.25

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on the SlimJuicer 4,500mAh Wireless Charging Case for iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. It’s a charging case with built-in Qi charging, meaning your iPhone charges from the case wirelessly, and the case can also charge through a Chi charger, or through a Lightning cable. It’s $24.99 through our deal, but coupon code MERRYSAVE15 brings it down to $21.25 at checkout. The deal link goes directly to the iPhone 11 model. There’s a pulldown menu if you want to get one for either pro model, and the coupon code works on all three models.