Lit Apple Mac, iPhone, iPad User Group

[sultrysandy]

Link Previews in Popular Messaging Apps May Lead to Security Vulnerabilities

.
A new report by security researchers Talal Haj Bakry and Tommy Mysk has revealed that link previews in messaging apps can lead to security and privacy issues on iOS and Android. Through link previews, Bakry and Mysk discovered that apps could leak IP addresses, expose links sent in end-to-end encrypted chats, download large files without users' consent, and copy private data.

Link previews offer a peek at content such as web pages or documents in many messaging apps. The feature allows users to see a short summary and preview image inline with the rest of the conversation without having to tap on the link.

Apps such as iMessage and WhatsApp ensure that the sender generates the preview, meaning that the receiver is protected from risk if the link is malicious. This is because the summary and preview image are created on the sender's device and sent as an attachment. The receiver's device will show the preview as it was transmitted from the sender without having to open the link. Apps that do not generate a link preview at all, such as TikTok and WeChat, are also unaffected.

The issue arises when the receiver generates the link preview, because the app will automatically open the link in the background to create the preview. This occurs before users even tap on the link, potentially exposing them to malicious content. Apps such as Reddit generate links in this way.

For example, a malicious actor could send a link to their own server. When the receiver's app automatically opens the link in the background, it would send the device's IP address to the server, revealing their location.

This approach can also cause issues if the link points to a large file, whereupon the app may attempt to download the whole file, draining battery life and hemorrhaging data plan limits.

Link previews can also be generated on an external server, and this is how many popular apps such as Discord, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Instagram, LinkedIn, Slack, Twitter, and Zoom work. In this case, the app will first send the link to an external server and ask it to generate a preview, and then the server will send the preview back to both the sender and receiver.

However, this may pose a security threat when the contents of the sent link are private. Using an external server allows these apps to potentially create unauthorized copies of private information and retain it for a period of time.

Although many of the apps had implemented a data limit on how much of any link content to download, the researchers discovered that Facebook Messenger and Instagram were particularly notable for downloading the entirety of any link's contents to its servers, regardless of size. When questioned about this behavior, Facebook reportedly said that it considers this to be "working as intended."

Copies kept on external servers could be subject to data breaches, which may be particularly concerning for users of business apps such as Zoom and Slack, and those who send links to sensitive private data.

The research offers an appreciation of how the same exact feature can work in different ways, and how these differences can have a significant impact on security and privacy. See the full report for more information.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Tip = How to remove HP printer driver 'malware' from Mac

Your Mac does not have malware, it's just got printer drivers that HP mistakenly asked Apple to block. Here's how to work around the problem.

Hewlett Packard has now explained the recent spate of Mac printer problems that saw users being warned of "malware" — but it hasn't yet solved it. While HP and Apple are reportedly working together to resolve the issue, users are still being prompted with warnings saying it "will damage your computer."

"We unintentionally revoked credentials on some older versions of Mac drivers," said a HP spokesperson. "This caused a temporary disruption for those customers and we are working with Apple to restore the drivers. In the meantime, we recommend users experiencing this problem to uninstall the HP driver and use the native AirPrint driver to print to their printer."


How to remove the HP printer driver

1. Go to System Preferences
   
   
2. Click on Printers & Scanners
   
   
3. Choose your HP printer from the Printers list on the left
   
   
4. Click the minus sign at bottom left
   
   
5. In the Finder, go to ~/Library/Printers/hp
   
   
6. Drag the printer driver to the trash
   
   
7. Go back to System Preferences
   
   
8. Click on Printers & Scanners if it doesn't open at that
   
   
9. Click the plus sign at bottom left and re-add the printer

To go the ~/Library/Printers/hp folder, go to the Finder and choose Go, Go to folder... from the menus. Or press Command-Shift-G.

This will clearly delete the printer driver, but what it then does is force your Mac to download a new copy. Once you've re-added the printer, it will be using the new, updated driver and should work correctly.


If you still have problems


These steps should fix the issue because HP has effectively undone its mistake. But the problem was that what HP asked Apple to do was revoke its security certificate for the file "HPDeviceMonitoring.framework." In theory, then, this can just be un-revoked.

However, some users are still reporting what appear to be related problems. If you're in that situation, there currently seems no better alternative than contacting HP support.






Sandy note - if you don't know, on Unix-based systems like OS X, the tilde, "~" also serves as a reference to the user's home directory.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

More than a billion people are using an iPhone today

A new estimate claims that the number of current, active, iPhone users passed one billion in September 2020, fewer than 5,000 days since the first one went on sale.

Even if it weren't for the coronavirus, Apple might not be having party at Apple Park to celebrate reaching a new iPhone milestone. The company hasn't publicly released sales figures for some time, and it only occasionally trumpets how many users it has.

But according to Above Avalon, Apple got to one billion active iPhone users at some point in September 2020.

If it were on September 30, then that would be 4,842 days since the original iPhone went on sale. That's what makes the iPhone the most successful product ever, although the rate of sales appears to be slowing.

"In recent years, the pace of growth in the iPhone installed base has slowed," writes the analyst company. "Much of this slower growth is due to high smartphone penetration and Apple having already successfully targeted the premium end of the smartphone market."

"With that said, Apple is still bringing in approximately 20M to 30M new iPhone users per year," the company continues. "These users are prime candidates for moving deeper into the Apple ecosystem by purchasing other Apple devices and services."

They don't just buy other Apple devices like an Apple Watch, or an iPad, at least some users eventually buy another iPhone.

That's one reason it's been hard to be sure when Apple passed not just a billion sold, but a billion in active use.

In September 2018, as he launched the iPhone XS, Tim Cook gave one of his reasonably rare sales figure announcements. "We are about to ship our two billionth iOS device," he said.

That's the number of iOS devices ever sold, and not only does it include iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, it also of course includes every time an iPhone user upgraded to a new iPhone. AppleInsider worked the numbers to see when Apple might sell its two billionth iPhone.

We're now long past the point in late 2018 where we calculated that would happen. And we're even further past the point in July 2016 where Cook told employees that the company had sold its billionth iPhone.

"Last week we passed another major milestone when we sold the billionth iPhone," Cook said at the time. "We never set out to make the most, but we've always set out to make the best products that make a difference. Thank you to everyone at Apple for helping change the world every day."

That was the one billionth iPhone — and Apple had long before sold its one billionth iOS device. "On November 22 [2014], we shipped our one billionth iOS device," Cook said during an earnings call. "It was a space-gray 64GB iPhone 6 Plus, which we've saved here at Apple."


A billion pockets

You may feel that Cook's line about how "we never set out to make the most," is either true or disingenuous, but crossing the billionth sold of anything is significant. Crossing the billionth of active iPhone users is something else, something that changes Apple.

Quite literally. Back in March 2019, Oprah Winfrey signed a deal to make television for Apple TV+ and she gave one very clear reason why. "A billion pockets, y'all," she repeatedly said.

With Apple, she can reach a billion people in one go. It is why she's with Apple and not Samsung. It's why there can be Apple TV+, and as yet not a Samsung TV+.


What comes next

Above Avalon's analysis is focused on just what is left for Apple to do with the iPhone. Even looking at that alone, though, raises issues of how a billion active users affect the whole of Apple.

"It is in Apple's best interest to have the iPhone take over an increasing number of roles once given to laptops and desktops in addition to handling entirely new roles," argues Above Avalon. "By increasing our dependency on iPhone today, Apple ends up being in a better position to sell various wearable form factors tomorrow."

"Wearables are designed to not only handle entirely new tasks, but also take over tasks given to the iPhone," it continues

Maybe Apple will throw a party when there are a billion active Apple Watch users.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Analysts optimistic about AAPL Q4 2020 earnings despite iPhone delay

Analysts appear optimistic about tomorrow’s AAPL Q4 2020 earnings report, despite the fact that it won’t include any flagship iPhone sales this year …

Apple will tomorrow report its earnings for fiscal Q4/calendar Q3, running from July to September. Last year, the quarter included initial sales of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, which went on sale on September 20. This year, however, the iPhone 12 didn’t go on sale until the following quarter, with two models available in October, and two more coming in November.

Despite this, the analyst consensus is that revenue will be flat, at around $64B, the same as last year.

It’s likely that they believe the loss of iPhone sales from the quarter will be balanced out by continued increased demand for MacBooks and iPads thanks to the pandemic. This was a factor Apple acknowledged back in July.

CFO Luca Maestri mentioned in the call that working and studying from home meant people bought Macs and iPads to facilitate that.

“It’s clear to us our products are very relevant to our customers lives and the pandemic has them more relevant than ever before. Working from home, online learning — both trends are helpful.”

CEO Tim Cook echoed this in an interview with Bloomberg, [saying that] the pandemic likely boosted iPad and Mac sales due to lockdown rules and an increase in remote learning.

Yahoo! Finance has a roundup of 27 analysts, with estimates ranging from a low of $52.55B to a high of $70.55B, with an average of $64.16B, marginally up on last year’s $64.04B.

Without the high profit margins from the latest iPhone, however, Wall Street does expect earnings per share to be down, at $0.71 versus last year’s $0.76.

It will be three months before we see the impact of iPhone 12 sales, and CNET notes that analysts will be eager for any clues during the conference call.

What that all means for most of us is that no matter what results Apple reports for the calmer sales period between July and September — before the iPhone launch — investors will instead be looking for any verbal cues that indicate how the first few days of sales actually went.

Apple may again refrain from offering any revenue guidance due to continued coronavirus uncertainties, so there may be rather a lot of reading between the lines involved.





Sandy note - working on a possible trade in Apple for when they report in three months, breaking the psychological $100B revenue for the quarter.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

French advertisers file complaint over Apple's iOS 14 privacy plan

.
Do you remember when began posting Mark Zuckerberg going at Apple when Apple announced iOS 14 prompting users before or as they were being tracked and being alerted as it happened. Later a coalition contacted Apple about it. Then Apple put the features on hold until next year?

A collection of advertisers and publishers in France have filed a complaint with the country's competition authority, claiming that iOS 14's blocking of automatic ad tracking will severely affect revenues.

Following months of complaints, a coalition of French advertisers and publishers have taken their case to France's French Autorite de la Concurrence (ADLC).

The coalition includes Interactive Advertising Bureau France, Mobile Marketing Association France, Syndicat des Regies Internet, and Union Des Entreprises de Conseil et Achat Media. They reportedly hope France will force Apple to further delay the changes, which had originally been set for September 2020.

Apple now intends to introduce the feature in 2021. When it's in place, all iPhone users will be specifically asked permission before any ad is allowed to track them.

The companies in the French consortium have previously pointed out that because of European regulations over GDPR data protection, iOS 14 users are effectively going to be asked twice, every time.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the coalition argues that this creates a barrier that will mean most users choosing to refuse ad tracking.

"At the highest level, this is a novel case — a truly important case— because it deals with the use of privacy as a sort of fig leaf for anticompetitive conduct," said Damien Geradin, the competition lawyer who represents the coalition. "We think that this is the sort of thing that will arise increasingly in the future."

"Particularly at the moment of a global pandemic crisis, it's not a good time to have another hit," said Nicolas Rieul, chair of Interactive Advertising Bureau France.

In response, an Apple spokesperson has reportedly repeated the company's stance that, "privacy is a fundamental right."

"A user's data belongs to them and they should get to decide whether to share their data and with whom," continued the spokesperson.

The coalition has pointed out that users will not be asked to accept ad tracking when using Apple apps. Apple, however, argues that because it does not share user data with other companies, it is not ad tracking in the industry's traditional sense.

Users know that the data is going to Apple, that it is not being sold to other firms to help target people with advertising. "These rules apply equally to all developers — including Apple," said the spokesperson.

The new ad-tracking feature is part of Apple's plan for increased privacy, which also includes Sign In with Apple, which was announced at the same time.






Sandy notes - Here's the headline, bi-line, and first paragraph from the Wall Street Journal article


Apple Faces Antitrust Complaint in France Over Privacy Changes in iPhones
Publishers, advertisers file complaint over new measure requiring apps to obtain permission from users for data collection

Advertising companies and publishers have filed a complaint against Apple Inc. with France’s competition authority, arguing that privacy changes the smartphone maker plans to roll out are anticompetitive.



Mind you, all these people and firms complaining and going after Apple for helping users with their privacy are those taking it without users knowledge, much less users approval.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple invites macOS developers to special labs ahead of 1st Apple Silicon Mac announc

Apple is now inviting macOS developers who are part of the Universal App Quick Start Program to join Apple engineers on special labs next week. The program is intended for developers who have access to the Developer Transition Kit in order to prepare apps for Apple Silicon.

Back in June, when Apple announced the transition from Intel processors to its own Apple Silicon on the Mac, the company offered a custom Mac mini with the A12Z chip to some developers. These developers were able to prepare their apps for Apple Silicon Macs even in advance of this new hardware being available to the public.

Now, the same developers are being invited to one-on-one labs with Apple engineers so they can learn more about how to prepare apps for the Apple Silicon platform on the Mac. Developers who have a Developer Transition Kit can request an appointment with Apple until November 1 at 5 p.m. PST, while the labs are scheduled for November 4 and 5.

As a member of the Universal App Quick Start Program, you can receive one-on-one code-level guidance from an Apple engineer on optimizing your iPhone, iPad, and Mac apps for Apple silicon Macs.

Although the company doesn’t mention any specific reason for these labs, there may be another Apple Special Event that will be held sometime in November in which the first Apple Silicon Macs will be officially announced. It’s easy to imagine that Apple now wants developers to have apps ready for new Macs once they become available in a few weeks.

Yesterday, the first developer beta of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, even though macOS 11 Big Sur hasn’t yet even been released to the public. One likely possibility is that Apple is holding the public release of macOS Big Sur 11.0 until Apple Silicon, similar to what it did with iOS 14.1 earlier this month, which could help prevent leaks.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple releases first public beta of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 with new wallpapers

.
Lots coming out from Apples Q4 announcement. Will post what think is worthwhile

Apple surprisingly released yesterday the first developer beta of macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, which came even before macOS Big Sur was officially available to the public. Today, the company released macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 as a public beta.

macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 doesn’t bring any new features compared to the previous macOS Big Sur beta, but Apple has included several new wallpapers — which you can download all here.

Apple is presumably holding the first public release of macOS Big Sur for its rumored event in November, in which the company is expected to introduce the first Apple Silicon Mac.

Public beta users can update to the latest beta by heading to the System Preferences application, then looking for the Software Update option. If you want to install macOS Big Sur beta on your Mac for the first time, you must register with Apple Beta Software Program through beta.apple.com.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

iOS 14 beta users are being notified with a constant message about a non-existent upd

.
iOS 14 beta users are being notified with a constant message about a non-existent update

It’s not just you. Once again, iOS beta users are facing an annoying message about a non-existent update. This time, users with iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 beta installed on the iPhone and iPad are being prompted with erroneous messages informing them to update to the latest beta release, even though there are no updates available.

The popup mentions that there’s a new iOS 14 beta available, but there’s not. This bug is not exactly new, as something extremely similar happened during the iOS 12 beta period in 2018.

A new iOS update is now available. Please update from the iOS 14 beta.

On Twitter, several users have been complaining about this message in the last few days, which seems to have affected even more device tonight.

The reasons behind this message are still unknown, but back in 2018 the wrong message was caused due to a bug in the system that calculates when an iOS build is about to expire. Most likely this same bug is now affecting the iOS 14.2 beta.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Notes of interest from Apple's Q4 2020 and annual earnings report

.
Literotica is an adult social media web site, however this thread would be described being geeky, but I don’t keep it solely on Apple’s products and services, but now we’re going to Wall Street.



Apple reported fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday that slightly exceeded Wall Street expectations. Here’s how Apple did versus analyst expectations:

For the fourth fiscal quarter of 2020, Apple has announced revenue of $64.7 billion with $12.67 billion in profit. This compares to revenue of $64 billion and profit of $13.69 billion in the same quarter last year.

• EPS: 73 cents vs 70 cents estimated
  
  
• Revenue: $64.7 billion vs $63.70 billion estimated, up 1% year-over-year
  
  
• iPhone revenue: $26.44 billion vs. $27.93 billion estimated, down 20.7% year-over-year (down from $33.36 billion in Q4 2019)
  
  
• Services revenue: $14.55 billion vs. $14.08 billion estimated, up 16.3% year-over-year (up from $12.5 billion in Q4 2019)
  
  
• Other Products (Wearables, Home, and Accessories) revenue: $7.88 billion vs. $7.40 billion estimated, up 20.9% year-over-year (up from $6.52 billion in Q4 2019)
  
  
• Mac revenue: $9.0 billion vs. $7.93 billion estimated, up 28% year-over-year (up from $6.99 billion in Q4 2019) note - a new all-time revenue record, and without new products.
  
  
• iPad revenue: $6.8 billion vs. $6.12 billion estimated, up 46% year-over-year (up from $4.66 billion in Q4 2019)
  
  
• Gross margin: 38.2% vs. 38.1% estimated

But wait, there's more!

Increased demand for Apple products are despite:

Tim Cook: Apple working ‘really hard’ to solve supply constraints affecting iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch
During yesterday's earnings call, Cook was asked what Apple is doing to prepare its supply chain as we approach the busy holiday season, which often brings increased demand for every product:

If you look at iPhone, we’re constrained today. That’s not a surprise at the front end of the ramp, and how long we’ll be constrained is hard to predict. We haven’t taken orders yet for *iPhone 12* mini or Pro Max, so those are coming and we shall see. Right now we are supply-constrained, and for avoidance of confusion, we’re constrained on Mac and iPad and some Apple Watches.

A fair number of areas of focus right now, and we’re working really, really hard to remedy those as quickly as we can. But at this point, I can’t estimate when we’ll be out of that.

Apple has faced supply problems for the iPad and Mac lineups throughout all of 2020, likely due to increased demand as schools and businesses shift to remote learning and remote work.



And the the bottom line:

Apple now has $191.83 billion cash on hand, according to the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings report released Thursday.

That’s down from the company’s fiscal third quarter of 2020, when it reported $193.8 billion in cash. It’s also down from Apple’s fiscal fourth-quarter 2019 earnings, however, when it reported $205.9 billion in cash.

Apple regularly has one of the largest cash piles among U.S. companies and hit a $2 trillion market cap in August, although it has fallen below that number.

Google and Amazon had $121.08 billion and $71.77 billion, respectively, at the end of the second quarter. Microsoft had $137.98 billion at the end of its fiscal first-quarter 2021 results were released earlier this week.

And do you know why? Because they have had the shit sued out of them and Congress is even now investigating them for unfair practices. They make the repairs so expensive that it's cheaper(hahahaha) to by a new one.

I agree regarding Apple being sued. And it is to be expected since they're the most valuable company, ever, with marker capitulation is appearing to reach $2 trillion dollars today. Also having $193.817 billion cash on hand, according to their fiscal third-quarter earnings report released Thursday July 30, they're a target for both copyright and patent trolls.


Do you have facts to support what you claim regarding Apple's business practices? Or are you again hiding behind your anonymity flexing your internet muscles and yet again behaving as a troll? Which appears to be the case.
.

And that my friend is why Apple "have had the shit sued out of them", not for legal or moral, but money.

.

 

[sultrysandy]

I swear that I'm Telling The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth, So Help Me God
(I"m crying laughing so hard)



Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has claimed that a pending version of Apple’s ad-tracking policy will hurt small businesses when it is introduced next year. Further, he says Apple could damage the economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

Zuckerberg’s attack relates to a privacy change Apple originally made in iOS 14 and subsequently agreed to delay to give the ad industry time to react …


Background

We explained previously how ad-tracking works, and why advertisers, websites, and developers like it.

Advertisers like to measure the effectiveness of their ads by working out how many people who purchase a product have seen an online ad for it. To do this, a cookie is dropped on the user’s device when they see an ad, and the website where the purchase is made can check for the presence of that cookie.

Conversely, if you visit a website about (eg) drones, the site can drop a cookie, and ad networks like those run by Google and Facebook can check for that cookie and then serve you ads for drones. This is why you often see ads relating to topics you’ve recently been researching.

This type of tailored advertising is more likely to be effective, so ad networks can charge more for displaying personalized ads on websites and within apps. This means websites and app developers earn more money from ads.

Advertisers don’t know who you are – they don’t know the identity of the person who saw the ad or visited the website – they just know that the same person (actually, device) did both.
Sandy note - this last paragraph is not true. If someone is interested, have something can post about companies figure out when a consumer is on their website and possibly contact them via email or phone

Apple initially let users go into Settings > Privacy > Tracking and set a toggle allowing or denying permission for tracking. That kept everyone happy, as users who object to tracking could opt out, while most wouldn’t bother.

With iOS 14 betas, however, Apple switched to proactively seeking permission when an app wanted to use ad-tracking. That upset the ad industry as the language made it sound scarier than it is, so most people were likely to deny permission. Apple agreed to delay implementation of that until sometime next year.


Apple’s ad-tracking policy under attack by Zuckerberg

Zuckerberg earlier warned investors that the new policy was likely to hit its ad revenues hard. Noting that most people responded to this by searching for the world’s smallest violin, it seems he has now decided to up the rhetoric.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took aim at Apple on Thursday over its plans to limit advertisers’ ability to track iPhone users, suggesting the proposed changes could hurt small businesses and, by extention, the broader economy.

During Facebook’s quarterly earnings call, Zuckerberg told investors that “actions planned by platform companies like Apple could have a meaningful negative effect on small businesses and economic recovery in 2021 and beyond” […]

Zuckerberg argued that “personalized advertising is helping small businesses find customers, grow their businesses and create jobs,” and that measures to limit targeted ads, such as those by Apple and lawmakers in the European Union, would hurt those businesses’ ability to reach customers.

Even after the policy takes effect, the battle between Apple and ad networks will continue in new ways. The ad industry is already switching to a new method of tracking, known as device fingerprinting: using the large variety of data reported by your device to try to uniquely identify a device. Apple is hitting back against that by limiting the amount of data Safari reveals when you visit a website. That game of whack-a-mole is likely to continue for many years to come.





Sandy note - so according to Zuckerberg, Apple's iOS 14 prompting users about being tracked is going to cause all this damage. But wait, he didn't say anything about Facebook stealing user info and tracking them, then selling that data to analytic firms. Oh that's right. Apple is the criminal offering users ability to help protect their privacy and Facebook is the victim of stealing peoples info without their knowledge, , much less their authorization.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

AirPods Pro service program covers sound, noise cancellation issues

Apple on Friday initiated a service program for AirPods Pro models that exhibit sound reproduction issues or noise cancellation problems, offering free replacement of affected units.

Called the "AirPods Pro Service Program for Sound Issues," Apple's repair initiative covers a limited number of devices manufactured before October 2020.

In a post detailing the program, Apple says it discovered a "small percentage" of AirPods Pro devices exhibit so-called "sound issues" that result in crackling or static sounds, as well as Active Noise Cancellation faults.

According to the support document, offending sounds might increase in loud environments, while a user is exercising or during phone conversations. A number of users have for complained about similar problems since the first firmware update for the headphones was released late last year, saying popping or crackling noises present when ANC is activated. Others have complained of humming noises or distorted audio. It is not clear if current program is designed to address those exact issues.

As for ANC, the program covers apparent faults such as a loss of bass or an unexpected increase in background sounds like airplane noise.

Those impacted can take their AirPods Pro unit to Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for free service. Coverage includes replacement of individual earbuds or a complete set, depending on results of an authorized examination.

The program covers affected AirPods Pro for two years after first retail sale, Apple says. The company notes no other AirPods models are covered by the repair initiative.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Akamai: Malicious net traffic doubles as remote world bad actors boom

.
Akamai sees doubling in malicious internet traffic as remote world's bad actors boom, too



Akamai Technologies’ CEO Tom Leighton is impressed by the amazing traffic levels on the internet during the coronavirus pandemic, and the world technology infrastructure’s ability to handle it. But during the stay-at-home boom, the web and cybersecurity expert also has been closely watching a boom in bad actors.

With so many people working from home, hackers are taking advantage, and massively increasing the number of attacks as daily routine changes caused by the pandemic are prolonged, and become potentially permanent.

“I think the threat actors are trying to take advantage of the pandemic, and of course, the prize is greater now that so much business has moved online,” Leighton said.

Quarter-over-quarter — Akamai reported its Q3 results this week — the cybersecurity and cloud computing company has tracked a doubling of what Leighton called “malicious traffic” as telecommuting makes for easier targets.

“People are working remotely, and are less secure, and lots of enterprises still haven’t totally caught up with security,” he said. “The threat actors are working very hard,” said the Akamai Technologies CEO

Akamai Technologies

Companies have figured out how to enable employees to work remotely, but not how to be secure.

Tom Leighton - Akamai Technologies CEO​

Leighton also said that in the last couple of months, Akamai Technologies has seen an “enormous increase” in DDoS extortion attacks, mostly threatening financial institutions and national stock markets. One recent example was New Zealand’s stock market, which was targeted in September.

DDoS stands for distributed denial-of-service. According to the Department of Homeland Security, these attacks are designed to target multiple machines and are used to render key resources unavailable. A classic DDoS attack, for example, disrupts a financial institution’s website and temporarily blocks the ability of consumers to bank online. But it doesn’t have to be a bank. It can be an attack that targets any network or servers within an enterprise and sends so much traffic that services are slowed or taken offline.

While a DDoS attack is not a new approach, and is one of the least sophisticated categories of cyber threat, it has the potential to be one of the most disruptive and most powerful by taking websites and digital services offline for significant periods of time that can range from seconds to even weeks at a time.

Overall, denial-of-service attacks are considered preventable, and Leighton said that Akamai is making enormous investments in terms of security to be able to stay ahead. He also said that over 95% of Akamai’s employees are working remotely.

The Akamai CEO said various forms of cyberattack beyond DDoS are occuring, from “application layer attacks” where a hacker tries to corrupt content on websites; to inserting malware on employee devices as a way to facilitate a data breach at a major enterprise; and even top-tier websites hacked with “magecart” attacks, which can start by compromising a third-party site that partners with a larger web business and access their users as a result.

Leighton said companies operating in the new remote world of work need to keep the threat in mind at all times.

“Zero trust and security in the cloud. Your employees are no longer ‘on prem,’” he said, referencing the term for being physically located at a worksite that has its IT infrastructure on-premises as well. “You can’t secure with on-prem anymore, and that’s why we’re seeing data breaches. ... Companies have figured out how to enable employees to work remotely, but not how to be secure.”

Beyond the pandemic, the challenges of securing technology will grow as new innovations, such as 5G network technology, come to market. Leighton said 5G will lead to more devices being connected and a true internet of things (IoT) revolution, but this will come with new security factors as well.

“Billions of devices will get connected and there will be very low latency at the last mile, and higher throughput, and lower cost, and new applications, much like when broadband was first deployed,” he said.

But figuring out how to support those new applications with computing at the edge — bringing computing and data storage closer to the actual location of devices — will be a challenge tied to making 5G network use secure. “A lot of devices are not secure,” Leighton said.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Sticky details hold up digital privacy protections

.
This is from an article how Congress has failed to pass Big Tech legislation in 4 years leading up to the next election. Not posting the entire article IMO is too political for this thread and forum.



Democratic Federal Election Commissioner Ellen Weintraub said that when consumers sign up for social media profiles, they don’t really think about the personal data that will be used to target them later on. That touches on another area that has seen even broader support than that for digital ad reform, though with equally little movement: digital privacy laws.

Listening to Republican and Democratic lawmakers talk about the need for a national digital privacy law, it’s at first hard to understand why a bill hasn’t been passed. But deeper into their arguments, there are two sticky details that have delayed privacy protections for millions of Americans.

Many Democrats believe individuals should have the right to sue companies they believe violate their digital privacy rights. They also believe a national privacy law should be a baseline for the states, rather than prevent them from adding additional protections. Republicans object to both of those arguments, saying a so-called private right of action would result in countless petty lawsuits. They also say that if states can supersede a national law, it would make compliance virtually impossible for smaller players.

Lawmakers have introduced several bills in both the House and Senate attempting to address digital privacy rights, but the gulf remains. At a hearing last month before the Senate Commerce Committee, former Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz, a Democrat, said it’s worth letting at least one of these points go to move forward.

“t would be a tragedy if we let a fight over private rights of action kill the far more important protections for American consumers that you can otherwise put in place,” Leibowitz said in his written testimony.

Tech industry executives are anxious for a law to be installed. At the same hearing, Julie Brill, a former Democratic FTC Commissioner and chief privacy officer at Microsoft, said the U.S. “will lose our edge in terms of competitiveness on the global stage” if it failed to pass privacy legislation.

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., who introduced a privacy bill in the House last year with Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., is already looking past the current legislative session for her digital privacy bill.

“If the Congress doesn’t take this up in 2020, I believe that this will become a template for a new administration,” she said.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple confirms outages affecting multiple iCloud services

.

Users of Apple's online services are enduring a number of issues, with outages affecting a variety of iCloud features, including iCloud Drive, the iCloud Keychain, and the Find My app, among others.

Visible on Apple's System Status dashboard, the current problems commenced at approximately 9:02am eastern time, across 14 different areas that include iCloud connectivity in some form. Across the collection of services, Apple advises "some users are affected," with the main issue for each being an inability to access the service itself or aspects within each.

Apple isn't listing any of the services as enduring an "Outage," as it did in September, but describes each as having an "Issue" instead. It is unclear how many users are affected, but Apple's description and avoidance of using the outage term suggests it is a small section of its total user base.

For example, iWork for iCloud's issues relate to users being "unable to share new files or add people to shared files. Meanwhile the Find My app isn't allowing some users to find the location of people or devices, to list registered devices, play sounds, remotely wipe devices, or place them into lost mode.

The appearance on the System Status page is a confirmation that Apple is aware there's problems, and is working to rectify the issues. Typically such outages last a few hours, and are quickly fixed by Apple's support teams.

The list of services affected are:

• Find My
  
  
• iCloud Account & Sign In
  
  
• iCloud Backup
  
  
• iCloud Bookmarks & Tabs
  
  
• iCloud Calendar
  
  
• iCloud Contacts
  
  
• iCloud Drive
  
  
• iCloud Keychain
  
  
• iCloud Mail
  
  
• iCloud Storage Upgrades
  
  
• iWork for iCloud
  
  
• Mail Drop
  
  
• Photos
  
  
• Screen Time

.

 

[sultrysandy]

.

Users of Apple's online services are enduring a number of issues, with outages affecting a variety of iCloud features, including iCloud Drive, the iCloud Keychain, and the Find My app, among others.

Visible on Apple's System Status dashboard, the current problems commenced at approximately 9:02am eastern time, across 14 different areas that include iCloud connectivity in some form. Across the collection of services, Apple advises "some users are affected," with the main issue for each being an inability to access the service itself or aspects within each.

Apple isn't listing any of the services as enduring an "Outage," as it did in September, but describes each as having an "Issue" instead. It is unclear how many users are affected, but Apple's description and avoidance of using the outage term suggests it is a small section of its total user base.

For example, iWork for iCloud's issues relate to users being "unable to share new files or add people to shared files. Meanwhile the Find My app isn't allowing some users to find the location of people or devices, to list registered devices, play sounds, remotely wipe devices, or place them into lost mode.

The appearance on the System Status page is a confirmation that Apple is aware there's problems, and is working to rectify the issues. Typically such outages last a few hours, and are quickly fixed by Apple's support teams.

The list of services affected are:

• Find My
  
  
• iCloud Account & Sign In
  
  
• iCloud Backup
  
  
• iCloud Bookmarks & Tabs
  
  
• iCloud Calendar
  
  
• iCloud Contacts
  
  
• iCloud Drive
  
  
• iCloud Keychain
  
  
• iCloud Mail
  
  
• iCloud Storage Upgrades
  
  
• iWork for iCloud
  
  
• Mail Drop
  
  
• Photos
  
  
• Screen Time

.

Apple's System Status show all as Resolved Issue.

.

 

[sultrysandy]

As Sean Connery passes, fake letter to Steve Jobs recirculates

A fake letter to Steve Jobs, supposedly sent by the late Sean Connery back in the 1990s, is recirculating after the sad passing of the actor over the weekend …

The satirical letter was dated 1998 and widely circulated back in 2011, fooling many. It was purported to be Connery turning down repeated offers from Steve Jobs to appear in Apple ads.

Mr Jobs:

I will say this one more time. You do understand English, don’t you? I do not sell my soul for Apple or any other company. I have no interest in “changing the world” as you suggest. You have nothing that I need or want. You are a computer salesman – I am f***ing JAMES BOND!

I can think of no quicker way to destroy my career than to appear in one of your crass adverts. Please do not contact me again.

Best,

Sean Connery

In fact, as was explained in debunks at the time, the letter was created by the satirical Apple-focused site, Scoopertino.

First, the bad news. Sean Connery never actually sent a typewritten letter to Steve Jobs in 1998 refusing to be in an Apple ad. But the awesome news is that quite a few people believe Connery owns personalized stationery with a “007” vanity stamp in the corner and that he would have no qualms using it to dash off a letter dressing down Jobs by declaring “…you are a computer salesman. I am f%$^ing JAMES BOND!”

The letter was actually part of a satirical article on the previously little known (and very specific) humor site, Scoopertino, which peddles Onion-style and tongue-in-cheek “Unreal Apple News.”

But when British marketing exec John Willshire took the letter seriously and posted it on Twitter and his blog, it started rocketing around Twitter and beyond.

At one point early today, Willshire was among the top trending topics on Twitter, beating out even Wimbledon in the U.K. Willshire has since posted an update clarifying that the Connery-to-Jobs letter was in fact a fake and explaining that he had been duped.

The Verge notes that there should have been one clue for anyone familiar with Connery.

So, it does sound like something Connery might have said/typed, but I think the first giveaway is the little “007” watermark in the lower right corner of the letter. Connery tried for years to break free of James Bond, and by 1998 he had moved on to other roles.

June 19, 2011
EXPOSED: The iMac disaster that almost was
https://scoopertino.com/exposed-the-imac-disaster-that-almost-was/
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple announces special event for November 10: ‘One more thing’

Apple has officially announced its third event in three months. The event will take place on November 10 at 10 a.m. PT, and Apple has invited everyone to tune in remotely with the tagline “One more thing.”

This event is expected to focus on the upcoming transition to Apple Silicon in the Mac lineup, with Apple having promised its first Apple Silicon machine would come before the end of the year.


Apple November event details

This marks Apple’s third event in as many months. In September, Apple held a special event focused on the Apple Watch alongside a new iPad Air and the 8th generation. Last month, Apple held its “Hi, Speed” event to unveil the iPhone 12 lineup alongside new MagSafe accessories and the HomePod mini.

This November event is expected to focus on the upcoming transition to Apple Silicon in the Mac lineup, with Apple having promised its first Apple Silicon machine would come before the end of the year. The “One more thing” tagline is a classic Apple reference from previous keynotes.

Apple’s November event will be live-streamed across Apple’s website, in the Apple TV app, and likely on YouTube.


What to expect from Apple Silicon

Apple announced its transition from Intel to custom Apple Silicon processors in the Mac earlier this year at WWDC. At the time, Apple promised that its first Apple Silicon Mac would be released sometime in 2020, and a special event in November seems like the last real opportunity Apple has to do so before the lucrative holiday shopping period.

A connected item that could be prominent in the event is macOS Big Sur, the next major release of macOS that will work on both Intel-based and Apple Silicon-based Macs and MacBooks. While Apple has released the milestone versions of its other operating systems, it has considerably delayed the release of macOS Big Sur, and there's a chance it may be released alongside the Apple Silicon devices.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple eyes historic mark of $100 billion in revenue this quarter

Sandy note - working on a possible trade in Apple for when they report in three months, breaking the psychological $100B revenue for the quarter.
.

A week ago before Apple announced their Q4 earnings, was working on this trade, and some on Wall Street are beginning to agree.






Apple, along with Amazon, are both expected to report revenue above $100 billion in 2020’s holiday quarter, putting them into rarefied air and underlining their market dominance.

Apple Park in Cupertino, California


Ryan Vlastelica for Bloomberg:

Amazon forecast revenue of $112 billion to $121 billion for the period ending in December. Wall Street is looking for revenue of almost $119 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. While Apple didn’t give a forecast in its most recent report, the average analyst sales estimate is for $101.6 billion.

Amazon is expected to continue seeing a tailwind from the pandemic-driven shift to online shopping, as well as from its Prime Day shopping event, while the release of the iPhone 12 is expected to be a catalyst for Apple sales. Amazon came close to $100 billion in sales for its most recent quarter, when revenue topped $96 billion, while Apple broke above $90 billion in the holiday quarter of 2019.

Hitting this level of revenue is infrequent but not unprecedented. Among U.S. companies, Exxon Mobil Corp. surpassed that mark several times, although not since 2013. In its most recent quarter, Exxon revenue was below $50 billion as fuel demand wallows amid pandemic lockdowns. Walmart Inc., on the other hand, has hit it consistently for about a decade, and that streak is expected to continue, with analysts looking for more than $130 billion in sales in the current quarter.

Just a note about margins: For their quarter ended September 30, 2020, Amazon reported net sales of $96.1 billion with net income (profit) of $6.3 billion. Apple, for their quarter ended September 26, 2020, reported revenue of $64.7 billion with net income of $12.673 billion. Two-thirds the revenue to generate double the profit.







Sandy note - merely plugged the numbers into a spreadsheet.

This is not a projection or forecast.

Nor am I recommending or suggesting Apple as a trade or an investment.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple Silicon Macs are needed for consumers and pro users alike

.

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering



Apple Silicon Macs are taking their design and technology cues from the iPhone — and that's a move which will benefit all Mac users.

Speaking in June 2020 at WWDC, Apple CEO Tim Cook was clear that it's going to take two years before every Mac is running on Apple Silicon. That also means it will be at least two years and probably a little more before every type of Mac user will see the change.

From the casual consumer, especially ones used to iOS, to the pro user, every customer is going to gain — eventually. People who've just spent $50,000 on a Mac Pro might have cause to grumble, but they really don't need to, as that powerhouse isn't going to light on fire spontaneously after the Apple Silicon arrives, and it will still be supported for years to come.

So do expect some complaints, and also expect some bargain Intel-based Mac Pro machines to turn up on eBay. However, it's not that anyone need ditch their current Intel Mac, nor should anyone should put off buying one if they need it now.

"We plan to continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come," said Cook in his WWDC 2020 keynote segment about Apple Silicon. "In fact, we have some new Intel-based Macs in the pipeline that we're really excited about."

Doubtlessly that's true, it's not something Apple would make up, but equally doubtlessly any new Intel Mac is going to have a hard time competing with the promise we've just been shown of Apple Silicon. We won't truly know the real-world benefit of the move until machines are available, but that promise is huge.

"When we make bold changes," said Cook, "it's for one simple and powerful reason. [It's] so we can make much better products."


The promises being made for Apple Silicon

Some of Apple's WWDC promises are marketing, and some are not. Which are which will vary greatly depending on the user, but Apple is trying to make sure that everybody is going to be served.

"We want to make sure that users can run all of their apps on day one, even if some apps haven't yet been updated," said Craig Federighi. Consequently, macOS Big Sur on Apple Silicon will include Rosetta 2, a system for making Intel apps work on the new processor.

"Rosetta 2 automatically translates your existing Mac apps, so they work on new Macs, with Apple Silicon," continued Federighi. "It translates the apps when you install them, so they can launch immediately and be instantly responsive."

This works with any Intel Mac app, it is not confined to ones you download from the Mac App Store. So Apple is trying to cover everyone's needs — and that includes power users who want more than macOS on their machines.

"We're also introducing a new virtualization technologies in Mac OS Big Sur," said Federighi. "So for developers who want to run other environments like Linux or tools like Docker, we have you covered."

There are still a lot of questions about how well Rosetta 2 will work, beyond the practical demonstrations of Maya, and "Rise of the Tomb Raider" during the WWDC keynote, and a few other titles in the State of the Platform presentation afterwards. The full tale is still yet to be told, and we'll be discussing it far more detail as things evolve.


Apple and Apple Silicon fundamentals

"When we look ahead," said Tim Cook, "we envision some amazing new products and transitioning to our own custom silicon is [what] will enable us to bring them to life. At Apple, integrating hardware and software is fundamental to everything we do. That's what makes our products so great, and silicon is at the heart of our hardware. So having a world-class silicon design team is a game changer."

Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Technologies



If straight power is the headline, though, Apple insists that there is much more to the new Apple Silicon than that. Specifically, performance comes from more than just the power of the new System on a Chip (SOCs), it comes from the company's ability to leverage what it has learned from the iPhone and iPad.

"Much better performance is reason enough to transition the Mac to Apple SOCs," says Johny Srouji, senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. "But that's just part of the story. Our scalable architecture includes many custom technologies that will integrate with our software to bring even more innovation to the Mac."

"With our advanced power management," he continued, "we will maximize performance and battery life better than ever before... and our high-performing GPU is going to bring a whole new level of graphics performance to every Mac, making them even better for pro applications."

If a single glance at the macOS 10.16 Big Sur redesign doesn't make it clear that the iPhone has heavily influenced the Mac, Srouji does. While the original iPhone was not just inspired by the Mac, it actually ran Mac OS X, the Mac is now borrowing back from the phone in both design and technology.

Apple's macOS Big Sur takes a lot of design cues from iOS



"It all started with the iPhone," says Srouji. "The iPhone demanded performance and capabilities that were seen as impossible [in] any device that small. This is where we developed our relentless focus on performance per watt. Generation after generation we push the boundaries of technology would enable us to improve performance and energy efficiency, while building advanced and industry leading features."

"[The next opportunity] was the iPad," he continued. "While iPhone chips could drive our missing iPads, we wanted to push the iPad, even further. It began with the iPad's Retina display which demanded a custom chip. So the teams scaled our architecture and designed the most optimised and highest performance ship possible for the iPad."


An Apple Silicon Mac is still a Mac

Apple's presentation didn't just keep finding new ways to say that the future will be better and faster with Apple Silicon. It also looked to the past, and it did so in part to underline that this is still going to be the Mac we all know.

"From the very beginning," said Tim Cook, "the mac redefined the entire computer industry. The Mac has always been about innovation and boldly pushing things forward, embracing big changes to stay at the forefront of personal computing."

It's really been the iPhone that has been at the forefront of personal computing for the last decade, though. Plus, having designed generation after generation of processors for the iPhone and iPad, those Apple devices consistently outperform apparently similarly powered rivals.

Consequently, when Intel was falling behind on its own road map plans, the fact that Apple had such high performance and low energy-using chips had to make the new transition appealing.

Once upon a time, the iPhone was sold because people liked the iPod and the Mac. That was a long time ago, and Apple says that the road to an Apple Silicon Mac started at about the same time that the iPhone started bringing people to the Mac, instead of the other way around. Now, the very technologies and the very design principles that make the iPhone so successful are coming to make the Mac better.

And it looks like we'll get our first full look at that on November 10 during Apple's "one more thing" event.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

iPhone 12 takes speed test crown from Samsung Note 20 Ultra with A14 Bionic and 50%

.
iPhone 12 takes speed test crown from Samsung Note 20 Ultra with A14 Bionic and 50% less RAM

After launching back August, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra with the Snapdragon 865+ chip and 12GB RAM has been the fastest smartphone when it comes to app-loading style speed tests. However, now that Apple’s released its iPhone 12 and 12 Pro with the new A14 Bionic chip, it’s regained its crown.

PhoneBuff notes that it’s been 20 months since an iPhone was the fastest smartphone in his tests. And the A14 Bionic chip that is Apple’s first built on the 5nm process brings the performance gains to put the iPhone 12 Pro (same chip on all four models) ahead of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Funny enough, after Apple launched the iPhone 12 lineup, along with mocking the company for ditching the charging brick, Samsung said its Galaxy phones had the “best camera, battery, performance, memory” and more.

While app loading-style speeds tests like these aren’t a reason alone for which smartphone to pick, it’s a good illustration of how competitive the market is and how efficient iPhones are with Apple making both the hardware and software.

For example, Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro beat the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra by a touch over 17 seconds across the two rounds of testing and has 6GB RAM compared to the Note’s 12GB RAM. The tight integration Apple can do with the new A14 chip, the rest of the iPhone 12 hardware, and iOS remains a strong advantage.

Another interesting aspect is the iPhone 12 Pro starts at $300 less than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra list price ($200 less if comparing to the 12 Pro Max). And the iPhone 12 and 12 mini that both feature the A14 chip cost even less.

Check out the full speed test below by PhoneBuff:

iPhone 12 Pro vs. Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Speed Test - 4:30

https://youtu.be/wBHtF9ZaUFk

.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple, Facebook & Google - How California's new privacy measures apply

California voters passed a new privacy law that would strengthen and close loopholes in existing regulatory protections. Here's what it could mean for Big Tech and consumers elsewhere.

On Nov. 3, Californians voted on a new privacy measure called Proposition 24 that would strengthen current privacy regulations in the state. As of Nov. 4, projections indicate that consumers have voted to pass the law. It's set to take effect in 2023.

Unlike past regulatory privacy pushes in California and elsewhere, Proposition 24 isn't building anything from the ground up. Instead, it revises and amends provisions of existing privacy law in California.

Here's what Proposition 24 does, what it doesn't do, and how it may affect companies and consumers in other states and countries.


What does California Privacy Rights Act do?

The California Privacy Rights Act, or Proposition 24, essentially adds and amends some provisions in the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which took effect in the state in January.

Compared to the CCPA, Proposition 24 gives Californians the right to tell businesses not to share their data, as opposed to just prohibiting companies from selling it. That closes a loophole in CCPA that businesses used to skirt current regulations.

Proposition 24 also adds more specific protections for certain sensitive data, allowing users to tell businesses not to use information categories like race, genetic information, sexual orientation, and geographic location.

It also will create a standalone agency with a $10 million budget tasked with enforcing California privacy laws, and also enables district attorneys from county and state governments to get involved. Currently, the task of privacy regulation enforcement is left up to the state's attorney general's office, which has said that it can only handle a few cases per year.

Additionally, the measure triples the fines for privacy violations if an affected consumer is under 16 years of age, requires that companies obtain permission from the parents of consumers who are younger than 13 before they start collecting data.


What are some criticisms of Proposition 24?

Like the CCPA, Proposition 24 requires that consumers explicitly opt out of data collection. Research shows that many people don't bother to change the default settings on their platforms, devices, or apps.

Additionally, the Electronic Frontier Foundation warns that Proposition 24 could further "pay for privacy" schemes by exempting "loyalty clubs" from the CCPA's existing regulations on businesses charging different prices when they exercise privacy rights.

Additionally, the proposition gives companies a bit more power when it comes to refusing to comply with a consumer's request to delete their data. A section of Proposition 24 allows businesses to refuse data deletion if the retention of that data could "help to ensure security and integrity."

There are other privacy advocates who suggest that the proposition doesn't go far enough to protect the privacy of consumers. But it's worth noting that the measure includes language that prevents future legislators from weakening any existing privacy protections. If changes are made in the future, they must "further protect consumers' rights."


How Proposition 24 affects Big Tech

Big Tech companies, including Google and Facebook, have been uncharacteristically silent about the proposed privacy changes in Proposition 24. That's likely because some of its included provisions may make regulatory compliance easier.

Kristen Mathews, a partner at law firm Morrison & Foerster who focuses on privacy regulations, told Fast Company that many businesses are likely in favor of some of Proposition 24's provisions.

For example, the proposed California Privacy Protection Agency is required by the measure to create specifications for an "opt-out signal," or a piece of code that alerts companies that a user doesn't want to be tracked. Although that could affect ad revenue, it would make it easier for companies to remove consumers from their data collection practices.

Of course, since Prop 24 closes existing loopholes and introduces more stringent privacy protections in some data categories, it's still incredibly likely that it'll impact advertising revenue for companies like Facebook and Google. One expert said that if advertising technology doesn't evolve, the business model of advertising may become obsolete.

Because Apple doesn't rely on advertising as a revenue source, Proposition 24 may not have much effect on the company. The data types that Proposition 24 goes further to protect are already ones that Apple doesn't use.


What will consumers notice in California and beyond?

Proposition 24 goes further to protect certain types of data for California users, but it doesn't represent as massive of a change as the GDPR or the previously passed CCPA in 2018.

Because of that, it's likely that existing privacy policies and pop-ups won't need much tweaking to be Proposition 24-compliant. Most major websites and internet companies have already overhauled their policies for the GDPR and CCPA, and the provisions included in Prop 24 isn't likely to require as big of changes.

Of the changes that will take place, they're likely to be applied broadly. Many companies opted to implement GDPR-compliant policies across their platforms.

For California residents, browsers or devices that automatically tell websites and platforms not to track their users will act as an "automatic" opt-out. That could be important with upcoming iOS 14 privacy changes that make it much easier for users to tell apps not to track them across the web.


Will Proposition 24 inspire federal privacy regulations?

California currently has some of the toughest — and only — privacy regulations in the United States. With the passage of Proposition 24, those protections are only going to get stronger across many categories. Some privacy advocates believe this could signal a sea change across the U.S.

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, for example, told ABC7 in October that he believes that Proposition 24 could empower lawmakers and consumers in other states to follow through.

"After this becomes the law in California, I believe other states are going to look up and say 'why do Californians have all these data and privacy rights that we don't have'," Yang asked. "So as usual, California could end up leading the way."

Amid increased scrutiny of Big Tech, lawmakers may see California's lead as a signal to strengthen consumer privacy protections at the federal level. Past bills that focused on privacy legislation had bipartisan support, but there hasn't been much headway in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

And if federal legislators don't take action soon enough, other large U.S. states could introduce their own privacy laws, according to Alastair Mactaggart, the founder of the group behind Proposition 24.

"This is a new reality for one in eight Americans, it ain't going away. I think you'll start to see more of a push to get good protections in the country. And if that doesn't work, I think other big states will adopt something like ours," Mactaggart told Vox.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

Apple releases macOS Catalina 10.15.7 supplemental update with security fixes

Alongside a slew of other releases today, Apple has also quietly released a supplemental update to macOS Catalina 10.15.7. Apple says the update includes important security fixes.

Apple says the supplemental update to macOS Catalina 10.15.7 includes the following fixes:


FontParser

• Available for: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
  
  
• Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted font may lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of reports that an exploit for this issue exists in the wild.
  
  
• Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved input validation.
  
  
• CVE-2020-27930: Google Project Zero

Kernel

• Available for: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
  
  
• Impact: A malicious application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Apple is aware of reports that an exploit for this issue exists in the wild.
  
  
• Description: A type confusion issue was addressed with improved state handling.
  
• CVE-2020-27932: Google Project Zero

Kernel

• Available for: macOS Catalina 10.15.7
  
  
• Impact: A malicious application may be able to disclose kernel memory. Apple is aware of reports that an exploit for this issue exists in the wild.
  
  
• Description: A memory initialization issue was addressed.
  
  
• CVE-2020-27950: Google Project Zero

If you’re running macOS Catalina 10.15.7, you can find today’s supplemental update in the System Preferences app on your Mac.
.

 

[sultrysandy]

App privacy 'nutrition labels' coming to App Store on Dec. 8

.
Apple says new ‘nutrition labels’ for app privacy will be required starting December 8

Apple has announced today that developers will be required to provide new privacy details to users in the App Store starting December 8. These privacy “nutrition labels” were first introduced at WWDC over the summer, with Apple saying the goal is to better inform consumers of the privacy practices of individual applications.

In a post on the Apple Developer webpage today, Apple confirmed that the new privacy details will be required for new apps and app updates to the App Store starting on December 8. And starting today, the details can also be submitted by developers through App Store Connect:

Later this year, the App Store will help users understand an app’s privacy practices before they download the app on any Apple platform. On each app’s product page, users can learn about some of the data types the app may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them. You can now enter your app’s privacy information in App Store Connect. This information will be required to submit new apps and app updates to the App Store starting December 8, 2020.

Apple has emphasized that there are several different pieces of important information that developers should remember while preparing the App Privacy “nutrition labels” for their applications:

• You should identify all possible data collections and uses, even if certain data will be collected and used only in limited situations.
  
  
• Your answers should follow the App Store Review Guidelines and any applicable laws.
  
  
• You’re responsible for keeping your responses accurate and up to date. If your practices change, update your responses in App Store Connect.

Again, starting on December 8, developers will be required to have this information completed for new apps and app updates. This is also when we will likely see the new details appear in the App Store.

A transparent overview of an app’s privacy practices is key to building trust with potential users. Developers now have the opportunity to detail their app’s privacy practices right in the App Store for users to review, including the types of data the apps might collect, whether that data is shared with third parties, and the option for users to opt out.

 

[sultrysandy]

What's Behind MLB's Fake Crowd Noise? A Conductor With an iPad

.
Inside MLB's effort to streamline artificial crowd noise, with the help of a video game and an iPad.



When MLB settled on its structure for coronavirus gameplay—in home stadiums but without fans—it knew it would need to provide a remedy for the unnatural quiet of empty ballparks.

The league found its answer in the form of 30 iPads, one for each team, loaded with various crowd reactions so that a little tapping and scrolling was all it took to play the proper noises. But an artificial crowd is as an art as much as it is a science. And it’s harder than it looks (or sounds).

“You’re a conductor of sorts,” says Oakland A’s executive producer for ballpark entertainment Amelia Schimmel. “You’re controlling a symphony.”

The crowd noise is crucial to producing an environment that seems, if not normal, then at least normal-ish. It’s important for the players, who aren’t used to performing in dead silence. It’s important for the managers, who don’t want their conversations overheard in the opposing dugout. And it’s important for the broadcasters, who want to create a familiar experience for those watching at home. But normal-ish crowd noise is difficult to approximate—a sea of sound that changes with each pitch.

Think about all the sounds you hear at the ballpark, says Seattle Mariners senior director of productions Ben Mertens. Each game starts with a typical crowd murmur that works as background noise for the whole evening. But even a feature as basic as that murmur is variable—it’s slightly louder when the home team is at bat, and even louder if the game is particularly close, or in the later innings. The stadium crew is constantly adjusting this background noise. And then they get into the work of producing reactions to specific plays.

“You have that base level noise that you’re working with,” Mertens says, “And then on top of that, you start layering other effects.”

He gives an example of a Mariners player making hard contact. “There’s that initial reaction of the ball hitting the bat,” he says, but that’s not a full-throated cheer, because the crowd wouldn’t know if it’s going to be a home run or a foul or a ball that dies in the outfield. So the stadium will layer an anticipatory ohhh on top of the basic murmur. (There is no limit to the number of different sounds that can be layered on at one time.) As the ball carries farther and farther, that anticipatory noise will get louder, perhaps with a few yells mixed in. And when it lands, the tablet operator will have to adjust the sound in an instant, peeling off all the layers to switch to a sound of disappointment if the ball is robbed on the track, or ramping them up with cheers to celebrate a home run.

It’s difficult. Not least because no one has ever had to do it before.

“’When exactly does the noise level elevate when our offense is threatening?’ and 'What does a run scored sound like when it’s off a base hit compared to a sac fly?’ are questions we never really needed to ask ourselves until this season,” Milwaukee Brewers senior vice president of brand experience Teddy Werner wrote in an email.

Before the start of the season, Milwaukee’s sound crew watched a few games from last year with the crowd noise isolated, in order to have a better sense of how fans reacted to actual situations. Seattle’s operators, meanwhile, took turns bringing the tablet home to try practicing their crowd noise with old games played on mute. While everyone in these jobs is used to paying close attention to the sounds of the stadium—in a typical season, they would be the people organizing the music, or managing details on the scoreboard—this was completely new.

Part of the trick comes from the fact that stadiums are trying to mimic the noises of an actual crowd. That's a bit different than an ideal crowd.

“When you see a fly ball that’s clearly not going out for a home run, but everybody does that oooh? That still has to happen,” says the A’s Schimmel. “Because we’re not trying to make it sound just like how we’d want it to sound. We’re trying to make it sound real.”

The end result of all those layered noises is somewhere north of 1,000 individual sounds per game in Oakland, Schimmel estimates. (It's common to have several different ones layered for each at-bat, she notes, as they try to adjust the background murmur a bit for every individual pitch in the count.) “It’s almost like playing the piano,” she says, with some buttons pressed together like chords and others on their own, all blended into one greater body of sound.

But the crew has more to consider than the sounds themselves. There’s also the overall noise level—which has to work for both the team in the stadium and the fans at home with the broadcast.

“First, we heard from our baseball department that they thought it was too loud, so we brought it down,” says Colorado Rockies senior director of in-game entertainment and broadcasting Kent Krosbakken. “And then it was a little bit too low for TV. But we found a happy medium.”

The dozens of sounds that came loaded on the tablet for each team were originally made for the PlayStation game MLB: The Show. Each noise has three levels—small, medium, and large—and layering can create additional ones. (An extra-loud cheer can be done by playing all three levels at once.) And teams can choose to customize the program with noises of their own, too. The A’s, for instance, added a recording of their super-fan The Banjo Man. The Brewers remixed some of the sounds to fade in and out more gradually.

It's little touches like that can make a difference. And, of course, nothing beats the simple act of paying attention.

“That’s what’s going to make it the most believable for the fans at home,” Krosbakken says. “It’s not just reacting on the big plays, but it’s the little things, like a throw over to first. That really sets the tone for the broadcast.”
.

 

[sultrysandy]

What the PowerPC to Intel transition tells us about Apple Silicon release dates

The past is another country, and the old Apple of a decade and a half ago has been long replaced by the behemoth it's become. Yet, the decisions Apple made over Intel in 2005 are being repeated now — and they give us a guide to what we'll get and when we'll see Apple Silicon Macs.

Not including entire platform migrations, Apple has gone through a major processor transition in the Mac twice before, but the company in 2020 is barely recognizable from what it was in 1994 or 2005. For all the resources it has now, for all the far greater pressure its own success has put Apple under, the job of transitioning requires the same steps it did — and Apple is following them in sequence.

There is a historical interest in seeing how Apple is able to pull off these moves when other firms can't, and it is fascinating to see how carefully Tim Cook uses the same phrases Steve Jobs did. But we can also compare what each man said and what Apple's first moves then were.

If you're currently hesitating over whether to buy an Intel Mac, or if you're wondering just what Apple is going to release with Intel processors, look at your own workflow first, to see how reliant on Intel you are. Then, after that, looking at the history may help you decide when to jump.


Apple's PowerPC to Intel pipeline

"We plan to continue to support and release new versions of macOS for Intel-based Macs for years to come," said Cook at the Apple Silicon announcement in June 2020. "In fact, we have some new Intel-based Macs in the pipeline that we're really excited about."

"We've got some great PowerPC products in the pipeline yet to be introduced," said Steve Jobs at the Intel launch in 2005. "But starting next year we will begin introducing Macs with Intel processors in them and over time this transition will occur."

Both men settled on this same language in their need to balance getting people interested in the new transition and reassuring them that they shouldn't pause buying Macs. And both men unquestionably talked about bringing out Macs with the older processor. Macs. Plural.

So far Tim Cook's Apple has released one Intel Mac since the announcement, the 27-inch iMac. Arguably it's released two, with the 21.5-inch iMac getting updated base storage options, but even Apple reserves the "new" badge for the 27-inch model.

That new Intel Mac was released 43 days after Apple Silicon was announced.

You can argue that this is one measure of how different Apple is today, that it's got the resources to move quicker. What you can't argue, though, is what happened next.

"We've got some great PowerPC products still to come," repeated Jobs during the 2005 transition announcement. After a series of other refreshes, the Power Mac G5 dual-core was the last PowerPC Mac to be released.

Both men unquestionably knew what they needed to say — because of the Osbourne effect. Apple today isn't going to fall over if everyone stops buying Macs while they wait for Apple Silicon, but it was different in 2005.

Maybe even Steve Jobs's Apple wasn't in as delicate a situation as the Osbourne Computer Corporation, whose early announcement of a superior product doomed it. Osbourne had just the one product and Apple had the iPod.

But it didn't have the iPhone, the iPad, the Apple Watch, the Apple Pencil, or Apple TV. The only real service it had then was .Mac, one of the failed iCloud precursors.


The first new Intel machines

It took Steve Jobs's Apple 218 days from the announcement to the reveal of the first-ever Intel Mac, a iMac Core Duo on January 10, 2006. Assuming all goes well, we know that Tim Cook's Apple is going to deliver its first Apple Silicon Mac faster, at no more than 192 days between announcement and the end of the year, with an amplification of plans on Tuesday.



Apple does really like to push up against the limits of any timeframe it sets. The iMac Pro was announced on June 5, 2017, and didn't ship until 192 days later on December 14.

Oddly similarly, the cylindrical Mac Pro was announced on June 10, 2013, and you couldn't get it until 192 days later on December 19. Apple was slightly faster with the 2019 Mac Pro, which went 190 days between its announcement and shipping on December 10.

By chance, if Apple just happens to like the figure of 192 days, that would put the first Apple Silicon Mac as being released on December 31, 2020.


Apple's big end to 2020

If there are presumably production reasons why the first Apple Silicon Mac will take until the end of the year, there are certainly marketing ones too. Apple already has a pretty heavy slate for the rest of 2020.

So far, Apple has already launched theiPhone 12 range, the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE, the iPad Air, the 10.2-inch iPad, and the HomePod mini since September.

And that's before you take into account other products that may be on the horizon, including the long-rumored "AirTags," an updated Apple TV, and a swathe of audio products like the "AirPods Studio."

Even a company with the resources of Apple today would not find it easy to handle the logistics of all those releases and the millions of devices involved. But it's not just about the physical processes, either.

Apple is extremely good at picking the right moment to release a product so that it gets maximum attention for itself and doesn't detract from any other Apple device. The Apple Watch kept getting announced at iPhone events because it needed the lift the bigger launch gave it, but the iPad has had its own events for years.

Of course, this year the launches have been spread across three separate events, and naturally some products have been bunched together, but Apple did so carefully. The iPhones practically had its event held separately from the iPad and Apple Watch-centric one, eliminating any real loss of attention for its main product.

Tim Cook is famous for managing supply lines and relying on just-in-time manufacturing, but even if Apple's suppliers could physically manufacture all the devices they needed to, they wouldn't get anywhere. The sheer volume of iPhones being released means that this device alone has a stranglehold on international shipping in October and November.

So just the weight of other considerations means that Apple isn't going to bring out a new Apple Silicon Mac before December. In the time left before then, and the time between the iOS launches, Apple's also not going to bring out an Intel Mac that has some head-turning new design.

It won't do that now even if it had more months before its own Apple Silicon Macs are coming out. Apple is championing this Apple Silicon and you don't champion something by making its design be a copy of the previous machine.

So Cook can say he's excited about the new Intel Macs coming but at the very most, they are going to be spec-bump releases. There will not be a launch event for any of them, or at least during the upcoming event, much mention at all.

That combination of unremarkable updates and having to slip out releases alongside much bigger announcements, makes it less likely that there will even be any more Intel Macs. What would make that certain is if the transition happened faster than Apple promised.


Promise two years, deliver in one year

A faster transition is likely, too. Jobs promised the same thing, even down to saying it would take two years, just as Cook did. Instead, it was barely over one year from his announcement to when the last PowerPC Mac was replaced by an Intel model. Under-promise and over-deliver.

It could well be that things just went far better and easier and smoother than Apple had expected. It's more likely that Apple was easing the transition by managing expectations and giving itself room for unforeseen issues.

Tim Cook (left) and Steve Jobs



It's certain that part of reassuring people that their investment is so solid that they should continue buying new Macs was to also insist that there would be new Macs with the older processor. That's why Jobs said it, that's why Cook said it.


The Mac Pro will likely be Apple's last standing Intel Mac

The current announced timescale and schedule of other Apple launches would be enough to convince us that we've seen the last-ever Intel Mac. Except for one thing.

As fast as Apple Silicon is likely to be, it's not going to beat the current Mac Pro for some time. If that time is the full two years of the advertised transition, Mac Pro users are going to be a bit unhappy without any updates.

Mac Pro users have been unhappy often enough before, but that 2019 model appeared to show a new commitment to power users. If Apple leaves this one as long without updates as, say, the iMac Pro, then it's going to have a harder sell the next time it promotes a Mac as being for power users.

No company can do everything, not even a $2 trillion Apple can. So maybe Apple has decided to let the Mac Pro go stale, maybe there are Apple Silicon Mac Pro models in testing right now.

This is likely to be the part of the transition that takes the longest, because an Apple Silicon Mac Pro must exceed the current Intel one's performance — and probably considerably. There's also the marketing sting of telling pro users that the $50,000 Mac Pro machine you promised was for them is now out of date.

Perhaps this is really where Tim Cook means there will be new Intel-based releases. Not necessarily new machines and not anything that would compete with its Apple Silicon models. But, likely ones that keep the current Intel Mac Pro going for longer.
.