Link

MacFamily Tree 9 Introduces macOS Big Sur Support

Andrew Orr ·

Briefly shown off during Apple’s M1 Mac event, Synium Software announced the immediate availability of MacFamilyTree for macOS Big Sur and Apple’s just announced Macs with M1 chip. MacFamilyTree is a modern and sophisticated genealogy application for macOS and an easy way of recording cornerstones in your family history. Get an overview of where you hail from and maybe enthuse your relatives about exploring your family’s past at your upcoming family reunion. 

Synium Software announces the immediate availability of MacFamilyTree for macOS Big Sur and Apple’s just announced Macs with M1 chip. MacFamilyTree is a modern and sophisticated genealogy application for macOS and an easy way of recording cornerstones in your family history. Get an overview of where you hail from and maybe enthuse your relatives about exploring your family’s past at your upcoming family reunion.

Cool Stuff Found

macOS Big Sur Brings Thunderbolt Hubbing to All Thunderbolt 3 Macs

Dave Hamilton & John F. Braun ·

Larry O’Connor from Other World Computing joined us on Mac Geek Gab this week to share some news: macOS Big Sur makes Thunderbolt hubbing possible not just on the new M1-based Macs, but also on any Mac with Thunderbolt 3. Larry also explains the differences between Thunderbolt 3 and 4, and why, as Mac users, it doesn’t really matter for us. Watch the relevant segment in this clip and then go see the rest of Mac Geek Gab 844.

Link

Christmas 2020: Raspberry Pi Christmas Shopping Guide

Andrew Orr ·

The company behind Raspberry Pi has put together its Christmas shopping guide for 2020. It’s of course Pi-focused but the compact computer may already be a good gift for the techie in your life.

We’ve got ideas for the gamers in your life, what to get for the Raspberry Pi “superfan” who has everything, and options that allow you to keep giving all year round.

Link

An iPhone 12 mini Teardown is Here

Charlotte Henry ·

The iPhone 12 mini and Pro Max became available Friday. iFixit has published its teardown of the smaller device.

The two most common smartphone repairs—display and battery—are well-prioritized here. Most major components are modular enough to be accessed/replaced independently. Specialized screws complicate repairs, but remain preferable to overuse of glue. Waterproofing measures make many repairs more difficult, but safeguard against (extremely difficult) water damage repairs.  Glass covering the rear housing is fragile and impractical to replace—a single drop could necessitate replacing the entire body of the iPhone.

Podcast

Big Sur, Apple Outages, and Thunderbolt 4 Explained — Mac Geek Gab 844

John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · · Add Comment

There’s been a lot of confusion this week, beginning with what “Thunderbolt 4” really means for us Mac users. Thankfully OWC’s Larry O’Connor was able to join John and Dave this week to explain. That’s not all you get, though. Your two favorite geeks carry on with advice about Big Sur, more M1 thoughts, and simply answers to all your questions about everything Mac, Apple, and technological. Press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!

News

Was Your Mac Slow on Thursday? Apple's OCSP Server Was Likely the Cause

Dave Hamilton ·

On Thursday, October 12th, right around 3:30pm EST, Apple’s OCSP server stopped responding. On the surface that doesn’t sound like much, but when you stop and realize this is the server responsible for authenticating the certificates at the core of all your apps, it starts to matter.

And matter it did! For about an hour yesterday, Mac apps wouldn’t launch (or would launch slowly), rebooting was super-slow (for the same reason), and even Zoom connections took minutes to connect.

Link

Facebook Credit Card Scam Exposed via Data Leak

Andrew Orr ·

A phishing and credit card fraud operation has been targeting Facebook users and was recently uncovered due to an exposed database.

The fraudsters used the stolen login credentials to share spam comments on Facebook posts via the victims hacked account, directing people to their network of scam websites. These websites all eventually led to a fake Bitcoin trading platform used to scam people out of ‘deposits’ of at least €250.

However, the day after we discovered the database, it was attacked by the ongoing widespread Meow cyberattack, which completely wiped all its data.

Link

Vertafore Data Breach Affects 27.7 Million Texan Drivers

Andrew Orr ·

Insurance software company Vertafore disclosed a data breach in which an unknown third-party accessed the personal information of 27.7 million drivers in Texas.

The incident is believed to have taken place sometime between March 11 and August 1, and happened as a result of human error when three data files were inadvertently stored in an unsecured external storage service.

Exposed data included Texas driver license numbers, names, dates of birth, addresses, and vehicle registration histories.