Microsoft has pledged to abide by California’s privacy law in the rest of the United States, saying it is a strong supporter for the law.
Tech Columnist and Author Mike Elgan - TMO Background Mode Interview
Mike Elgan writes a popular weekly column for Computerworld, contributes news analysis pieces for Fast Company and SecurityIntelligence and also writes special features, columns, and think pieces for a variety of publications.
Mike tells a career story that started in newspaper publishing with QuarkXPress. Soon, he realized that what he loved was not covering local politics but rather the technology of the Mac, networking and printing. That launched his career writing about computer tech. In the 2nd segment we chatted about some of our favorite topics: dealing with information overload, Apple’s amazing U1 chip, Augmented Reality glasses replacing iPhones, and cars that sense driver emotions. Mike has an amazing vision of our tech future. Join us.
Is Facebook Secretly Accessing Your Camera? This Man Found a Bug
For years there have been anecdotes from people saying that Facebook secretly uses their phone’s microphone and/or camera for targeted advertising. Joshua Maddux tweeted about a bug he found within the Facebook app. By tapping on a profile picture and slowly sliding it down the screen, you can see his rear camera being accessed on the left hand side. He tested it using five iPhones running iOS 13.2.2.
Found a
@facebook#security &#privacy issue. When the app is open it actively uses the camera. I found a bug in the app that lets you see the camera open behind your feed. Note that I had the camera pointed at the carpet.
Deirdre O'Brien Interview, Apple and Veterans – TMO Daily Observations 2019-11-11
Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss a new Deirdre O’Brien interview and Apple showcasing apps for Veterans Day.
Private Press Briefings Suggest New Apple Products This Week
Writing for 9to5Mac, Zac Hall says that Apple could be holding private press briefings this week. If this is the case then we could see new Apple product announcements as early as the middle of the week.
This week appears to be one of those occasions based both on what 9to5Mac is hearing privately and suggestions by multiple public disclosures. If Apple is holding private press meetings at the start of this week, that suggests we could see the subject of those meetings announced publicly by the middle of the week.
I’m looking forward to the release of Apple’s ‘Tag’ Bluetooth beacons.
Windscribe VPN Pro 1-Year Subscription: $49
We have a deal for you on a subscription to Windscribe VPN Pro. It works with iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android. The Canadian company features a strict no-logging policy and anonymous sign-up that doesn’t even require an email address. The pro subscription comes with unlimited downloads, unlimited data, and unlimited connections. A 1 year subscription is $49 through our deal, with longer subscriptions available on the full listing.
Google’s Project Nightingale Collects Health Data on Millions of Americans
Teaming up with Ascension, Project Nightingale aims to collect health data from millions of Americans, without telling patients or doctors.
macOS Mail Stores Encrypted Emails in Plain Text
IT specialist Bob Gendler found that macOS Mail was storing encrypted emails in plain text. He first notified Apple on July 29, but only got a temporary fix from the company 99 days later on November 5.
The main thing I discovered was that the snippets.db database file in the Suggestions folder stored my emails. And on top of that, I found that it stored my S/MIME encrypted emails completely UNENCRYPTED. Even with Siri disabled on the Mac, it *still* stores unencrypted messages in this database!
Mr. Gendler shard a fix in his blog post.
Apple Removes Instagram Stalking app ‘Like Patrol’
Apple has removed a stalking app called Like Patrol from the App Store after Instagram sent a cease-and-desist order to the developers.
Wall Street Watchdog Opens Probe Into Goldman Sachs and Apple Card Credit Limits
An investigation into Goldman Sachs has been opened following accusations that the Apple Card credit offered a higher credit-limit to men.
How AR App Healium Helps Veterans Manage Anxiety
Apple shared the story of an AR app called Healium. It helps veterans manage their anxiety using a blend of storytelling, neuroscience, and game design.
iPhone 11 Pro and Max Storm Alibaba Singles Day
It’s Singles Day in China – Alibaba’s equivalent Amazon Prime Day. Apple did exceptionally well out of the event, so-called because of all the 1s in the date. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max were two of the best selling items during the event, Cult of Mac reported. As trade tensions ease, the new devices seem to be proving very popular in the country.
This year’s 24-hour shopping event has surpassed last year’s 213.5 billion yuan (more than $30 billion) record for gross merchandise value sold. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max were reportedly two of the top-selling items during Singles Day. 2019 marks the 11th Singles Day event. It’s a 24-hour period, held every November 11, in which Alibaba offers big discounts on its e-commerce site. Last year, Singles Day exceeded spending by consumers on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Next Apple Watch May Have Touch ID in The Display
The next generation of Apple Watch might have antennas in the band and Touch ID in the display. That’s according to a new patent uncovered by Patently Apple. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the Patent on Thursday.
Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published yet another patent application from Apple that covers moving the internal watch antennas to a future Apple Watch band – and possibly adding Touch ID to the display. Apple’s invention generally relates to antenna assemblies for watch bands, and, more particularly, to stretchable antenna elements embedded into watch bands. The watch band provides wireless communication via an antenna embedded within the watch band in a manner that protects the structural integrity and operation of the antenna. The watch bands described provides antenna assemblies that adaptably stretch, bend, and flex with the bodies of the watch bands. The embedded antenna assemblies avoid damage from applied forces while also maintaining the compliance and comfort of the watch band while worn by a user.
How Everyone Ignored it When Steve Jobs' Shared The Secrets of iPad Success
During the 2010 media event unveiling the iPad, Steve Jobs revealed much of Apple’s strategic thinking behind the product. However. as an editorial on AppleInsider, points out, much of the industry ignored it.
It was as if Jobs were giving the industry a Xerox PARC style tour of the secret labs inside Apple. He not only revealed the next big thing that would radically change the computing landscape but also detailed exactly what was going to make it commercially successful. To compete for relevance and fill a valuable niche between a regular PC and a phone, Jobs said iPad would need to be much simpler to use than a PC. And to stand apart as useful next to a smartphone, it would be critical to have tablet-optimized mobile apps that were more sophisticated than a phone. These ideas may seem obvious today, but were once opposed and defied by competitors and critics.
If Your YouTube Account Isn’t ‘Commercially Viable’ Google Will Delete It
According to YouTube’s new terms of service, your YouTube account can be terminated if it isn’t commercially viable enough. The phrasing is broad enough that some people think this means Google will take action against people using adblockers.
YouTube may terminate your access, or your Google account’s access to all or part of the Service if YouTube believes, in its sole discretion, that provision of the Service to you is no longer commercially viable.
I’m personally not sure if that’s the case. You don’t need a Google account to watch YouTube, nor does Google need you to have an account for it to track you.
This is Where You Cut Me Off – Mac Geek Gab 788
Cleaning up your Photos libraries, Protecting against ransomware, remapping keyboard shortcuts, and Catalina’s USB drive crashes are just a few of the important questions your two favorite geeks hit in this week’s show. There’s more, including some Cool Stuff Found and some Quick Tips that will blow your mind. Listen as John and Dave share each of these, helping you learn at least five new things this week!
Jack Dorsey Stops Trolling Facebook And Praises Latest Instagram Experiment
Jack Dorsey has rather gleefully mocked Facebook recently, but was right behind it the company’s experiment of not showing Instagram ‘Likes’.
The (New) Mouse I Love…
Dr. Mac says the new Logitech MX Master 3 mouse is, “closer to perfection than any other pointing device he’s ever used… find out why in episode #356 of Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves.
Mondly Lifetime Subscription (1 Language): $39.99
We have a deal on a lifetime subscription to Mondly, the language-learning platform. Mondly uses speech recognition and only gives positive feedback if you speak clearly and correctly. The deal I’m linking to is for one language for $39.99. There are deals available in the listing for 5 and all languages, too.
Spotting Fake News, MacBook Complaints – TMO Daily Observations 2019-11-08
Charlotte Henry and John Martellaro join host Kelly Guimont to talk about finding misinformation in your news, and Apple’s laptop situation.
Deidre O'Brien Admits: 'At Apple, Most People Had Written us Off' in Early 2000s
In a recent interview with InStyle, Deidre O’Brien talked about the influence of Steve Jobs, and some of Apple’s darkest days.
Disney+ Coming to European Countries, But Not Until March 2020
Disney+ is coming to the UK and other European countries, but not until March 31st, 2020, nearly five months after its launch in the U.S.
How to Use the Brand New VSCO Snapchat Lens
Today VSCO announced the launch of a VSCO Snapchat lens called Analog, giving people a chance to unleash their creativity. Here’s how to use it.
Judge Rules Cops can Search Through DNA Database GEDmatch
A judge recently ruled that law enforcement have the ability to search through DNA database GEDmatch, overriding the choice of its over one million users.
In the wake of that attention-grabbing case, GEDmatch changed its policies in May 2018 to make it less easy for police to access their data. Users now have to opt in to having their data made available to police; information they upload is set to private by default. Rogers told the NYT that as of October, less than 15% of current users, 185,000 out of 1.3 million, have opted in to sharing their data with police.