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IMF: Credit Scores Should be Based on Browsing History

Andrew Orr ·

As if reality couldn’t be more dystopian, researchers for the International Monetary Fund proposed that credit scores should include data from peoples’ browsing, search, and purchase history.

Citing soft-data points like “the type of browser and hardware used to access the internet, the history of online searches and purchases” that could be incorporated into evaluating a borrower, the researchers believe that when a lender has a more intimate relationship with the potential client’s history, they might be more willing to cut them some slack.

What an insane, stupid idea. Too poor to afford a Mac? Sorry! Your credit score won’t be rising above 600.

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Coinbase Announces Phone Support for Account Takeovers

Andrew Orr ·

On Thursday, crypto exchange Coinbase announced phone support in the event of an account takeover.

Today, we’re beginning to roll out phone support for ATOs, to provide customers with a live agent to kick off an investigation. If you believe you’re a victim of an ATO, please call +1 888 908–7930 or visit our support page to protect your account and get help.

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Speed Testing iOS 15 Beta 6 and iOS 14.7.1

Jeff Butts ·

The latest beta of iOS 15 is available now for both developers and the public. The team over at Geeky Gadgets have put the newest build through its paces on a number of devices, both new and older. They’ve also compared boot-up times and app speeds to iOS 14.7.1 on the same devices. The results of speed testing iOS 15 Beta 6 and iOS 14.7.1 seem a bit surprising.

In the speed test with the iPhone XR the device running the new iOS 15 beta 6 was the first handset to boot up. There were no major speed improvements in the apps.

In the final speed test with the iPhone 11 the device running the iOS 14.7.1 softwarewas the first to boot up, there are no noticeable speed improvements in the apps.

 

‘Apple Music Electron’ is a Free, Open Source Alternative
Cool Stuff Found

‘Apple Music Electron’ is a Free, Open Source Alternative

Andrew Orr ·

Apple Music Electron is a free, lightweight, open source alternative to iTunes and other Apple Music applications based on Electron 13.1.0. Features include: Custom themes, language detection, customizable CSS, song notifications, auto updater, and your typical media controls like play/pause. There are multiple ways you can install it, and it’s even available on Linux.

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More Bitcoin-Linked Visa Cards Than We Thought

Jeff Butts ·

On Apple Context Machine, Bryan Chaffin and I briefly discussed credit and debit cards that are linked to cryptocurrency. It turns out, there are actually 54 such cards already, just in the Visa catalog.

These projects have gained traction — crypto-linked Visa debit cards facilitated over $1 billion worth of transactions across Visa’s 70 million merchants worldwide in the first half of 2021 alone. $1 billion is only a small fraction of the trillion-dollar payments industry, however retail interest in cryptocurrencies is picking up, suggesting the market has room to grow, especially with younger generations.

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Apple Music and Kanye West to Hold Third 'Donda' Listening Party

Jeff Butts ·

Kanye West fans have been clamoring for the artist to finally release his upcoming album, Donda. Unfortunately, the release date keeps changing. Maybe the album will drop next week, during or after the just-announced third listening party on Apple Music. The event is slated for Thursday, August 26 at 10pm EDT, from Soldier Field in Chicago.

While West has recorded and teased or even announced release dates for multiple unreleased albums over the years, “Donda” has had the most public gestation of them all — and of any album by a major artist in history. Some have speculated that he is setting up a release-date battle with Drake — who has said he’s finally finished his long-awaited “Certified Lover Boy” album — similar to his release-date face-off with 50 Cent in 2007.

 

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Since 2015 Cyber Attacks Have Cost Companies Over $25 Billion

Andrew Orr ·

A report on Wednesday shows that the damage from cyber attacks has reached over US$$25 billion since 2015.

The most costly attacks are credential attacks (the theft of an organization or individual’s passwords), which have accounted for $6.4 billion in company losses. Often, these credentials are stolen and then sold on the dark web, which happened in the recent T-Mobile breach. Backdoors, like what was used in the SolarWinds hack, have cost companies $5.6 billion.