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How to Get Around macOS Security Using App Installers

Andrew Orr ·

Tenable Research found security issues related to macOS app installers, and they can be used to bypass default Mac security protections. So far, Apple hasn’t fixed it (emphasis mine).

Frustrated by the prevalence of these issues, we decided to write them up and make separate reports to both Apple and Microsoft. We wrote to Apple to recommend implementing a fix similar to what they did for CVE-2020–9817 and explained the additional LPE mechanism discovered.

We wrote to Microsoft to recommend a fix for the flaw in their installer. Both companies have rejected these submissions and suggestions.

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What Having Apple TV on the Nvidia Shield Tells us About Apple's Services Business

Charlotte Henry ·

Earlier this week, Nvidia announced that SHIELD users can purchase or rent movies and shows and access Apple TV+ through the Apple TV app on the device. At iMore, Oliver Haslam neatly outlines how this underlines a significant shift that has been going on in Apple’s services business.

Apple’s services business isn’t what it once was. It’s no longer a way to keep people tethered to Apple and is instead just another way for Apple to make money. If people insist on using Android phones, they might as well give Apple $10 each month to listen to its music. People really don’t want to buy an Apple TV 4K? No problem, Apple will take their $4.99 per month and let them watch on their crappy smart TV instead. The idea of an Apple TV app running on the Nvidia Shield – of all things! – would have been insane just a few short years ago. Call me an old romantic, but who knows – maybe it gives us all hope that one day, on an indefinite timescale, we’ll see iMessage break free of Apple’s chains as well.

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Might Apple buy a Hollywood Studio? Analysts Think it Should

Charlotte Henry ·

The lack of content on Apple TV+ compared to its rivals is a regular source of discussion and criticism against the service. According to The Hollywood Reporter, some analysts want it to fill this gap by following Amazon in purchasing a major Hollywood studio.

CEO Tim Cook has described streamer Apple TV+’s ambition “to be one of the most desired platforms for storytellers,” singling out comedy series Ted Lasso, drama The Morning Show and the miniseries Defending Jacob as its titles with “significant buzz.” But the streamer is seen by some Wall Street analysts as lacking multiple, regular breakout hits, which has led some to argue for a studio acquisition. Morgan Stanley research released in April found only 8 percent of U.S. respondents said they use Apple TV+, a figure that lags far below Netflix (58 percent), Amazon Prime (45 percent) and Disney+ (31 percent).

Cool Stuff Found

Apple Music Celebrates Black Music Month

Charlotte Henry ·

June is Black Music Month. Apple Music will be celebrating and exploring the contribution Black artists have made with playlists and other content. It also released a new video celebrating “creators and the cross-cultural dialogues that bring the world so much texture, light, and joy.”

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Will Apple Ever Give More Than 5GB iCloud Storage For Free?

Charlotte Henry ·

Steve Jobs unveiled iCloud in June 2011 and, a decade on, the amount of free storage offered has still not increased beyond 5GB. 9to5Mac has published a good history lesson of the service, including speculation on how the paid tiers could change to help both Apple and users.

There is an argument to be made that Apple’s services revenue would actually benefit from giving away slightly more upfront to reel people in and entice customers into paid plans. 5 GB isn’t enough to even try out iCloud Photos in any meaningful capacity. If instead the free tier was matching Google’s at 15 GB, it would enable Apple users to get a reasonable amount of photos backing up to iCloud, experience some of the benefits of cloud sync, and then be more likely persuaded into committing to a paid plan. To pull this off, you’d have to adjust the paid tiers accordingly. Maybe a lineup of 15 GB free, 100 GB for $0.99/month, 300 GB for $2.99/month and 2 TB for $9.99/month could be compelling. An even cheekier approach could be to only increase the storage offered as part of Apple One, making the higher-value subscriptions more attractive for consumers migrating from the free plan.

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Firefox 89 Gets Design Overhaul and ‘Total Cookie Protection’ Feature

Andrew Orr ·

Mozilla has released Firefox version 89 on Tuesday, bringing a new design for desktop users and a privacy feature called Total Cookie Protection added to private browsing.

We’ve enhanced the privacy of the Firefox Browser’s Private Browsing mode with Total Cookie Protection, which confines cookies to the site where they were created, preventing companies from using cookies to track your browsing across sites. This feature was originally launched in Firefox’s ETP Strict mode.

More information on Total Cookie Protection can be found on Mozilla’s blog.

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You Have One Week to Opt Out of Amazon’s ‘Sidewalk’ Network Service

Andrew Orr ·

Amazon Sidewalk is the company’s network mesh service that shares your internet bandwidth with Amazon devices. You must opt out by June 8 if you don’t want this because the setting is turned on by default.

The new wireless mesh service will share a small slice of your Internet bandwidth with nearby neighbors who don’t have connectivity and help you to their bandwidth when you don’t have a connection.

By default, Amazon devices including Alexa, Echo, Ring, security cams, outdoor lights, motion sensors, and Tile trackers will enroll in the system.