Lit Apple Mac, iPhone, iPad User Group

[Bramblethorn]

The quickest way to see whether your MacBook's battery is in good health is by clicking the battery icon in the upper-right corner of your computer's screen while holding the option key. But if you want a deeper dive on your battery's status, the System Report will provide an overview with information like the number of cycles your battery has left and its full capacity.

Does it actually show cycles remaining? I can only see cycles already used. IIRC the batteries are usually good for about 1000 cycles but obviously there's variation in that; my first battery on this laptop only lasted about 300 before needing replacement under warranty.

 

[sultrysandy]

This is not Apple related, but rather more Facebook lack of caring about users security or privacy.
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While the lack of privacy concerns by Facebook are troubling, it is far out shadowed by Facebook's desire to make our world a worse place to live by connecting like-minded assholes.

I don't consider it their desire, but rather with their business practices, their greed for money.



Saw this in an article this morning:


New Zealand's privacy commissioner lashes out at Facebook, calling those behind the company 'morally bankrupt pathological liars'

In a since-deleted tweet, New Zealand Privacy Commissioner John Edwards lashed out at Facebook, calling those behind the company “morally corrupt pathological liars.” Screenshot/Twitter
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[sultrysandy]

How to use Apple’s MacOS on an iPad

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This isn't a How-To, Tutorial, or Tip, but just something could be considered geeky.



a way to use Apple's Mac software on an iPad

For years, one of the biggest desires among iPad owners is that they wish it could run Mac software.

The iPad is an excellent device for doing things like watching movies or reading books, but a handful of limitations keep it from being a real work computer, mainly that it runs iOS instead of a more robust desktop operating system like Apple's macOS.

Apple insists that iPads and Mac computers will always be separate devices and that we will never see desktop software on an iPad. Apple's Craig Federighi, who leads software efforts for both Mac and iOS devices, told Wired earlier this year that he was "not into touchscreens" on PCs and doubts he will change his mind.

But thankfully there's a way to experience macOS on an iPad, even without Apple's blessing. The iPad isn't technically running MacOS in this setup, but with a near-instantaneous connection between the tablet and the Mac Mini, and the fact all of the iPad features still work, this may be the closest we ever get to seeing MacOS actually running on an iPad.

Here's how Morrison made macOS run on an iPad Pro — and how you can do it too:


Rigging up a 2018 iPad Pro to a 2018 Mac Mini to make this work.

All of macOS — from the Finder to apps like Safari and Final Cut Pro — still works on the iPad Pro with this setup. And iPad-specific functions still work too, including the touchscreen and the Apple Pencil.

It seems like magic, actually seeing a functioning version of macOS running on an iPad.

It's all made possible by the Luna Display, a tiny compact adapter that turns your iPad into a secondary display. It was designed for MacBook Pros or iMacs, but it works with the 2018 Mac Mini too.

The Luna Display, which costs $80, has two variants: one that works with USB-C, and one that works with DisplayPort. It's important to buy the right version. You need to use your computer's native port, as this will not work with a dongle or adapter. Also, this will work only on Macs, not PCs.

You can buy the Luna Display here »

 

[sultrysandy]

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Here's what's nice about this setup: If iOS on the iPad Pro isn't cutting it for you, you can rig up your iPad Pro to your Mac Mini to use as your main external display, or as your left or right screen on a main external display.

This also means you can finally use your iPad with a traditional keyboard, trackpad, or mouse.

You can even use Apple's own Smart Keyboard for iPad Pro, which gets its charge from the iPad itself and connects to the tablet magnetically. It's incredible how both iPad and Mac functions all still work with this setup.

What's most surprising is the lack of noticeable lag. "It's almost instantaneous,"

Still, Morrison warning against buying an iPad Pro just to use it as a monitor for your Mac Mini. "If you happen to have both, then it makes sense, because the adapter itself is relatively inexpensive,"

 

[sultrysandy]

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The main limitation of this setup is your WiFi connection. If you don't have speedy WiFi, you may experience a poor and laggy connection between your Mac Mini and your iPad Pro, which sounds like a bad time. The Mac Mini and the iPad Pro must be connected to the same network for this to work.

There are a few other drawbacks. Audio doesn't come through the iPad Pro; it will still come through the Mac Mini. So you'll probably want to connect your Mac Mini to external speakers, or headphones, or maybe even your HomePod, which worked surprisingly well here.

The other issue is that you need an external display to connect the two in the first place, because you'll need a monitor to set everything up.

In order for this to work, you'll also need to use your Mac without a password, or be good at typing your password without seeing what you're doing, because you won't have an opportunity to see what you're typing until your iPad is actually on. (This is because the iPad is acting as a display in this setup, not as your main computer.)

Still, this setup "works way better than could have imagine." To prove the point, Final Cut Pro, Apple's high-end video software for Macs, running smoothly on the iPad Pro.

While this setup has some obvious limitations, it gives you an idea of how well Mac software might work on an iPad, since this particular iPad Pro was running Mac software like Safari and Final Cut Pro using a traditional mouse and keyboard, though the touchscreen (and Apple Pencil) could still work too.

It's incredible to see it all actually perform the way you'd want it to, with no apparent lag, even though this type of iPad ability isn't officially sanctioned by Apple.



Check out full video to see this setup in action.

the wireless iPad Pro touchscreen Mac Mini Setup!
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[sultrysandy]

Last week Apple stealthily introduced a new feature that’s truly helpful to customers

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You don't always need to make a show of it.

Sometimes, you'll create something useful and get it out there as soon as you can.

This, it seems, occurred with Apple last week.

One of the more irritating aspects of online life is signing up for things that you've no idea you've signed up for.

You click a button, in the belief that you'll still have a chance to see what it means and then, a month later, you'll realize you've already been charged for some fine subscription or other.

Yet last week, in an iOS 12 update, Apple inserted a truly clever and useful thing.

Instead of you just confirming something with Touch ID, Face ID or your passcode and not realizing what you're confirming, a popup appears to ask you if you really know what you're doing.

Yo. Are you sure you want to do this? It could be sketchy.

That's what it should say, of course.

First spotted by developer David Barnard, the popup asks you if you're really, really sure that you want to sign up for, say, a subscription to an esoteric Anglo-Saxon culture app.

Is there any other kind?

The sad truth is that some app creators have been deliberately designing apps to fool people into subscribing.

Imagine that many people don't even realize they've bought a free 3-day trial and then dedicated $2.99 a month to something they really don't want.

Weather apps, documents scanners and translators are said to be among the worst offenders.

Now, a little consumer-focused sanity can prevail.

The timing is, of course, propitious. Apple is keenly -- some might say desperately -- trying to push its services business, as iPhone sales begin to slow a little.

It's also trying to make sure people trust it above its competitors.

This new little touch, therefore, expresses excellent intentions and a spirit of consumer protection.

You don't often see that from a tech company.
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[sultrysandy]

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Sneaky subscriptions are plaguing the App Store

Subscriptions have turned into a booming business for app developers, accounting for $10.6 billion in consumer spend on the App Store in 2017, and are poised to grow to $75.7 billion by 2022. But alongside this healthy growth, a number of scammers are now taking advantage of subscriptions in order to trick users into signing up for expensive and recurring plans. They do this by intentionally confusing users with their app’s design and flow, by making promises of “free trials” that convert after only a matter of days, and other misleading tactics.

Apple will soon have an influx of consumer complaints on its hands if it doesn’t reign in these scammers more quickly.

However, the company’s focus as of late has been more so on getting developers to give subscriptions a try — even holding “secret” meetings where it evangelizes the business model that’s earning developers (and therefore Apple itself) a lot of money. In the meantime, a good handful of apps from bad actors have been allowed to flourish.

Utilities Top Grossing Apps are worst offenders

Today, the majority of the Top Grossing apps on Apple’s App Store are streaming services, dating sites, entertainment apps or games. But when you get past the market leaders — apps like Fortnite, Netflix, Pandora, Tinder, Hulu, etc. — and down into the top hundreds on the Top Grossing chart, another type of app appears: Utilities.

How are apps like QR code readers, document scanners, translators and weather apps raking in so much money? Especially when some of their utilitarian functions can be found elsewhere for much less, or even for free?

This raises the question as to whether some app developers are trying to scam App Store users by way of subscriptions.

We’ve found that does appear to be true, in many cases.

After reading through the critical reviews across the top money-making utilities, you’ll find customers complaining that the apps are too aggressive in pushing subscriptions (e.g. via constant prompts), offer little functionality without upgrading, provide no transparency around how free trials work and make it difficult to stop subscription payments, among other things.

Here are a few examples. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but rather a representative one, just to illustrate the problem. A recent Forbes article listed many more, if you’re curious.

Scanner App – This No. 69 Top Grossing app is raking in a whopping $14.3 million per year for its document scanning utility, according to Sensor Tower data. It has an unbelievable number of customer reviews, as well — nearly 340,000 as of today, and a rating of 4.7 stars out of 5. That will lead most customers to believe this is a good and trustworthy app. But when you parse through the critical reviews, you’ll see some valid complaints.

Tap around in the app and you’ll be constantly prompted to subscribe to a subscription ranging from $3.99 a week to $4.99 per month, or start a free trial. But the subscription following the free trial kicks in after only 3 days — something that’s detailed in the fine print, but often missed. Consumers clearly don’t understand what they’re agreeing to, based on their complaints. And many of the negative reviews indicate customers feel they got duped into paying.

Update, 10/19/18: Following this report, this app disappeared from the App Store. It returned after updating its payment screen with clearer language about its free trial and subscriptions. (We understand that Apple has been working with the app makers to make their subscription screens less misleading.)

The app maker claims all its reviews are real, and notes canceling a subscription is not hard. It says that all major apps will have critical reviews.

“We are using a weekly subscription when offering a trial as most people use one of the premium features and then cancel the subscription to continue using the free app,” the developer says. “Those who are using our premium features on daily basis prefer to purchase the annual subscription.”

Scanner App is representative of a range of subscription scanners making large amounts of money. BP Mobile, the developer of this app, operates a number of subscription utilities, including, a second non-US version of Scanner App.

Scanning apps are a popular categories for utility subscriptions. Scanner PDF makes around $800K per month, as does Scanner for Me. Again, many of these companies negative reviews include those from people who think they were tricked into subscriptions.

QR Code Reader — Forbes recently found that TinyLab’s QR Code Reader was tricking users into a ridiculously priced $156 per year subscription. This has now earned the app the rank of No. 220 Top Grossing across the App Store, and annual revenue of $5.3 million.

Again, this “free” app immediately starts pushing you to upgrade by starting a “free trial.” And again, this trial converts to a subscription after only 3 days. Can you imagine paying $156 per year for QR code scanning — something the iPhone camera app now does natively?

Weather Alarms – With a 4-star rating after hundreds of reviews, this weather alerting app seems to be handy. But in reality, it’s been using a “dark pattern” to trick users into pushing a button that will start a free trial or sign them up for subscription. And it’s working — to the tune of over a million in annual revenue.

A full screen ad appears in the app, offering two buttons — try for free or pay. The small “X” to close the ad doesn’t even immediately appear! Users then end up paying some $20/month for weather alerts. That seems… excessive.

Legitimate developers have complained about this app for months, but Apple even featured it on its big screen at WWDC.

*After speaking to Apple about this app, Weather Alarms was removed from the App Store over the weekend. The developer runs several apps businesses with other potentially suspect apps, like Color Your Call app which is making $3 million per month. We have not investigated their full suite of apps, but the numbers alone make them worth a second look.

Translate Assistant – The same developer behind Weather Alarms offers this real-time translation app promising instant translations across more than 100 languages and has 4.7 stars after nearly 4,000 ratings.

But the app is also super aggressive about pushing its subscriptions. With every app launch, a splash screen appears with three different boxes — 1 month ($12.99/mo), 12 months ($44.99/year) or the “free trial,” which converts users to a pricey $7.99/week plan after only 3 days.

Meanwhile, the option to “continue with a limited version” is in small, gray text that’s intentionally been designed to be hard to see.

The app is making $1.3 million a year, per Sensor Tower data.



As you can tell, the issue with many of these scammy apps is that they capitalize on people not reading the fine print, or they allow an app’s design to guide them to the right button to tap. Trickery like this isn’t anything new — it’s been around on the web as long as software has been sold. It’s just that, now, subscriptions are the hip way to scam.

These developers also know that most people — especially if they’ve just downloaded a new app — aren’t going to immediately subscribe. So they push people to their “free trial” instead. But that “free trial” is actually just an agreement to buy a subscription unless you visit the iTunes Settings and cancel it right away.

Many of these “free trials” convert almost immediately, too, which is another way developers are cashing in. They don’t give you time to think about it before they start charging.

“It’s incredibly frustrating how little has been done to thwart these scams,” says Contrast founder and longtime developer David Barnard, whose apps include Weather Atlas and Launch Center Pro. “It erodes trust in the App Store, which ultimately hurts Apple and conscientious developers who use subscriptions,” he says.

Apple also buries Subscription management

The issue of scam apps may not always be the failure of App Store review. It’s possible that the scammy apps sneak in their tricks after Apple’s App Review team approves them, making them harder to catch.

But for the time being, users have to take it upon themselves to cancel these sneaky subscriptions.

Unfortunately, Apple isn’t making it as easy for users to get to their subscriptions as it could be.

Compare Apple’s design with Google Play, where the option to manage Subscriptions is in the top-level navigation:

On the iPhone, it takes several more taps and a bit of scrolling to get to the same area in iOS Settings:

3,744px × 2,203px

4,998px × 2,204px


Above: Getting to subscriptions in the iPhone Settings (click links to view larger)


In the App Store itself, you can navigate to subscriptions in fewer taps, but it’s not obvious how. You first tap on your profile icon on the top right of the Home page, then your Apple ID, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. It’s still buried further than need be, considering how critical it is to manage these auto-payments.

“I firmly believe this is not the future we should be aspiring for in terms of user experience,” says Denys Zhadanov, VP at Readdle, makers of Scanner Pro, Spark, PDF Expert and other productivity apps, speaking about these scam apps. “Apple as a platform, as an ecosystem, has always been a symbol of trust. That means people can rely on it for personal life and work needs,” he continues.

“The App Store has always been a great place, overseen and curated by highly intelligent and ethical people. I believe the App Store can stay as it always has been, if the right measures are taken to deal with those developers who trick the system,” Zhadanov adds.

Today, most subscription-based businesses thriving on the App Store come from legitimate developers. But they know how scammers could easily ruin the market for everyone involved. If allowed to continue, these scams could lead to consumer distrust in subscriptions in general.

In a worst-case scenario, consumers may even go so far as to avoid downloading apps where subscriptions are offered as in-app purchases in order to protect themselves from scams.

For now, Apple is largely relying on user and developer reports via reportaproblem.apple.com — a site most probably don’t know exists — to help them fight scammers. It needs to do more.

In addition to making access to your subscriptions easier, it also needs to better police “Top Grossing” utilities and productivity apps — especially if the service’s value is questionable, and the 1-star reviews are specifically calling out concerns like “sneaky billing” or mentions other subscription tricks.

We reached out to the app developers mentioned in the piece, but did not give them time to update their apps to remove their tricky screens before the post went live. Comments, if provided, have been added.

Apple declined to comment on the matter, but its Developer Guidelines clearly prohibit fraudulent behavior related to subscriptions, and insist that apps are clear about pricing. In other words, Apple has grounds to clear out these scammy subscription apps, if it chose to focus on this problem more closely in the future.

 

[PWilton]

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Sneaky subscriptions are plaguing the App Store

Good heads up Sandy. I have bitten into that 'apple' a couple of times and the reminder is timely.

 

[ontoit2]

Wondering if anyone has signed up for the subscription to Apple News. Being somewhat of a news junky I’m interested in it.

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Here's what Apple announced at its big March event


Apple kicked off the event with a video from what it called "A Think Different Production." It appeared to be a mock trailer showcasing Apple's products throughout the years, and was filled with a lot of fun references to Apple products and its history.

Apple CEO Tim Cook then took the stage to explain what the audience was in for: "We've also been growing our collection of world class services, and that is what today is all about," Cook said. "Hardware, software and services. This is something Apple does better than anyone else."

First up: Apple News Plus, Apple's new magazine service. It will offer access to 300 magazines, all of which will be available in a single package.

Apple News Plus will include Live Covers, which turn the cover photos into what appears to be short videos. You can browse articles within the issue by swiping, and there's a "My Magazines" section for your favorite publications. You'll also see suggestions for magazines you might like.

Apple News Plus also includes digital news outlets and newspapers like Vulture, TechCrunch, the Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal.

It will cost $9.99 per month and you can share it with family members.




Next up: Apple is launching a new service called Apple Card, which will be coming to the Wallet app in the US this summer.

Apple Card is backed by Goldman Sachs and MasterCard.

Users will be able to sign up on their phones and, within minutes, be able to use their Apple Card. If users need help with their cards, they can contact Apple directly through the Messages app.

There will be an interface that shows recent transactions that leverages Apple Maps to show where the transaction occurred.

Apple Card will also have a rewards program called Daily Cash, where users will get 2% of the purchase amount when they use Apple Pay in Daily Cash.

Apple is also touting no fees — no international fees, no over limit fees, etc. They also won't charge a penalty if you miss a payment.

Apple Card will use a secure element to protect transactions. Every purchase is authenticated with Touch ID or Face ID. And information about your transactions is processed on device, not on Apple's servers. It's designed with your privacy in mind, Apple's Jennifer Bailey said on stage.



Apple is also launching a physical credit card with no card number and no security code on the card. "It's the most beautifully designed card ever," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay.

Next up: Apple is launching Apple Arcade, a new gaming service. The service is launching in the fall with pricing and more details to come.

Apple Arcade will offer access to more than 100 new and exclusive games that Apple says you won't find these games on any other mobile platform.

Games will work across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. You'll be able to pick up from where you left off across devices, and games will be playable offline.



Now, on to Apple TV. Apple designed a new TV experience called Apple TV Channels, which lives inside the new Apple TV App.

Apple TV Channels will let you pay only for what you want, all in one app, that's on-demand and ad-free. It's available online or off. The service will include HBO, Showtime, Starz, and more.

"This is how TV should work," Apple's Peter Stern said.



Apple has also redesigned the Apple TV app.

The new Apple TV app starts with Watch Next, which lets you pick up from where you left off. Everything from your cable providers and services like Hulu and Prime Video are housed within the app.

There's also a dedicated Kids section for child-friendly content.

Apple announced that the Apple TV app is coming to the Mac for the first time this fall, as well as smart TVs made by Samsung this spring, followed by Sony, LG, and Vizio. The app is coming to Roku and Amazon, too.



Apple is also launching a new service called Apple TV Plus. Apple described it as a new service dedicated to "the best stories ever told." This service is ad-free and will be available in more than 100 countries coming this fall.

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[sultrysandy]

Wondering if anyone has signed up for the subscription to Apple News. Being somewhat of a news junky I’m interested in it.

Sorry, haven't even tried it. But do have this post



How to cancel your free trial of Apple News+ before it charges you $9.99

• If you signed up for Apple News+ on launch day, March 25, you’re about to be billed for the first time when your 30-day trial ends.
  
  
• The subscription is easy to cancel if you don’t want to use it.
  
  
• This guide walks you through how to cancel Apple News+ so that you don’t get billed $9.99 if you decide against using it any longer.

Apple launched its new all-you-can-eat magazine and news subscription service, Apple News+, on March 25.

If you started to use it on that day, your free 30-day free trial is almost finished, and you’ll automatically be billed $9.99 on Thursday to continue using it for another month. It’s easy to cancel if you don’t want to continue.

Apple News+ is great for people who read a lot of magazines and newspapers and who might otherwise have paid much more per month for individual subscriptions. Access to The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair and other magazines makes it more than worth the cost.

But it isn’t for everyone, especially folks who don’t want magazine subscriptions or who don’t want to be restricted to reading stories within the app.

So, if you want to cancel it, here’s what to do:

• Open Apple News+ on your iPad, iPhone or Mac.
  
  
• Tap the menu button on the top-left side of the app.
  
  
• Scroll to the bottom and choose “Manage subscriptions.”
  
  
• Scroll to the Apple News+ subscription and click it.
  
  
• Tap “Cancel free trial.”

You’ll immediately lose access to Apple News+ when you cancel it, but you can always subscribe again.

You’ll still be able to access all of the free content in Apple News, but you will lose access to hundreds of magazines and premium access to stories from The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.

Just remember to do this before Thursday if you don’t want to be billed $9.99 per month.
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[ontoit2]

Thanks, saw that. One nice feature is you can share the whole News with up to 6 family members on Family Share. I’m going to keep it for a while and see if I get my money’s worth.

 

[sultrysandy]

Hackers access McDonald;s Canada MyMcD’s app, spend thousands on food

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This is not Apple specific, but rather security and privacy.

Working on another post want to up shortly about Apple and Apps.



McDonald's app customers are getting their accounts hijacked by hackers who spent as much as $2,000 on enormous orders of Big Macs and nuggets

• McDonald's app users are being targeted by hackers who order more than $2,000 worth of meals and leave no trace.
  
  
• The "My McD's" app in Canada can be used to pre-order food and drink for collection, and stores credit card information for payments.
  
  
• So far in 2019 there have been dozens of reports on Twitter, App Store reviews, and Reddit that the app is often the target of hackers.
• McDonald's says it is "aware" of the reports but is "confident in the security of the app."
  
  
• On some occasions, McDonald's Canada has refused to refund fraudulent transactions and urged users to contact their banks for compensation.

Mod's please let me know if you want this image removed as it contains ™ symbol.
I used it as it's relevant to this post, not stealing from, and credit's the owner.

A promotional advert for Canada's MyMcD's app. McDonald's



Users of a McDonald's app in Canada are having their accounts commandeered by hackers who are using the accounts to order food for themselves, racking up bills in excess of CAD $2,000.

The scammers appear to quietly access the accounts and then make many regular-sized orders costing around $20 a time. Victims say they didn't notice the money leaving their accounts, sometimes for weeks.

Over several months, users of the My McD's app say they've been scammed and charged for orders they didn't make, and have posted screenshots of the receipts online.

It is not clear how hackers are accessing people's accounts. McDonald's has said it is confident in the security of the app.

Most recently, Patrick O'Rourke, a technology journalist, was charged for 100 separate meals, totalling $2,000, at a branch in Montreal between April 12-18.

"McDonald's should at least be sending out a mass email to everyone that has the account [to say], 'Hey, you should reset your password'," he told CBC.

On many occasions, including with O'Rourke, McDonald's Canada has said it would not refund the transactions, and has urged app users to seek compensation from their bank instead.

The number of people who say their accounts have been breached is increasing by the day.

McDonald's in Canada serves poutine.McDonald's Canada/Facebook



In February 2019, a hacker bought $484 of McDonald's products via the account of a woman named Lauren Taylor.

Taylor lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but the food was ordered from a restaurant in Quebec, more than 550 miles away. "It's amazing to see how quick someone can just breach your privacy," she told CBC,.

MyMcD's app user Patty Duke from Ontario had $100 worth of McDonald's meals — mainly filets-o-fish — bought with her card through the app in February, she told CTV.

MyMcD's app user Brett O'Donnell was the target of scammers on January 17. He only lost $50, but told CBC that he missed the rogue transactions because receipt emails were landing in his spam inbox.

Ontario resident Brian Coleman told CBC he had $267 worth of McDonald's charged to his credit card from a branch miles away in Montreal.

"I expected them to do the refund because it was their fault," he stressed. "It's their application. If it's not secure, they should take responsibility."

Many others complained to McDonald's online.

—Justin Amaker (@JustinAmaker) April 20, 2019

https://www.reddit.com/r/canada/comments/bgrl7n/canadian_mcds_app_is_not_safe/?utm_content=body&utm_medium=post_embed&utm_name=040d206a6a4f4d2c801b6316591a1c7e&utm_source=embedly&utm_term=bgrl7n


—Jasna Todorović (@JasnaTod) April 23, 2019

—Kyle Hatt (@KnightofNightz0) April 25, 2019

—Ian (@i_g_miller) April 8, 2019



McDonald's Canada spokesman Adam Grachnik told Business Insider:

"While we are aware that some isolated incidents involving unauthorized purchases have occurred, we are confident in the security of the app. We do take appropriate measures to keep personal information secure."

"Similar to other apps, we are constantly improving the My McD's App and updating it with enhancements to make the user experience as strong and safe as possible."
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[sultrysandy]

Apple removed parental control apps over security and privacy concerns

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Apple says it pulled a bunch of screen time apps because they were using 'highly invasive' technology

• Apple published a blog post on Sunday defending its decision to take down several apps that helped people limit their screen time.
  
  
• The New York Times reported Saturday that Apple pulled the apps after it introduced its own Screen Time feature, and two of the apps filed an antitrust complaint to the EU.
  
  
• Apple claims it removed the apps because it discovered they were using a technology called MDM, which it described as "highly invasive."

Apple has defended itself after a New York Times report said the that tech giant was shutting down third-party screen-time-limiting apps that were in competition with its newly introduced Screen Time feature.

Two of the most popular apps that Apple pulled from the App Store, Kidslox and Qustodio, have filed an antitrust complaint to the European Union, The Times said in a report on Saturday.

But in a blog published Sunday, Apple said it had removed the apps in question because they violated the company's security standards.

Apple said it became aware that these apps were using "highly invasive" mobile device management, or MDM, software. MDM allows third parties to monitor and control what happens on a device, and is sometimes used by businesses to keep control over things such as proprietary data to give them the ability to wipe devices remotely.

Apple's argument is that MDM should not be used on consumers, especially in the case of apps targeted at parents trying to limit their children's screen time.

"It is incredibly risky — and a clear violation of App Store policies — for a private, consumer-focused app business to install MDM control over a customer's device," it said.

Apple said it gave the app developers a 30-day grace period to get rid of the MDM technology. Several released updates that complied with Apple's ruling; those that didn't were removed from the App Store.

"Contrary to what The New York Times reported over the weekend, this isn't a matter of competition" Apple said.
"It's a matter of security."

In the original Times report, an Apple spokeswoman said Apple removed or required changes to the apps in question because "they could gain too much information from users' devices," in the words of reporter Jack Nicas. Otherwise, detail was scant.






I haven’t read the complaints filled with the EU, but from what I understand neither company didn’t say they were doing as Apple stated. Their filings only placed blame with Apple and taken no responsibility with their products or them denying Apple’s statement.


This is another example of how the company is walking a tightrope given its control of the App Store and its safety and security priorities along with new accusations from politicians and rivals that Apple uses its power over the software distribution platform to favor its own apps.

Apple can't praise the security of its walled garden while not even looking at apps that make it on the App Store. I've posted criticizing Apple allowing Apps that compromise customer's security and privacy while at the same time it lambastes other firms (i.e. Facebook and Google) for selling consumers private information.


And if you think what I've been posting during the past year is bad, you should see the crap in the Android, Windows 10, and social media worlds, with how they track, harvest, mine, scrape users personal information and data to sell.

.

 

[sultrysandy]

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How to see which apps are draining your iPhone battery the fastest

• Apple has a tool that lets you see the health of your battery and which apps are draining your battery the fastest.
  
  
• If your iPhone battery seems to die quicker than it used to, try some of these tricks.
  
  
• You’ll be able to see which apps drain your battery, and if your battery needs to be replaced.

A lot of things can cause your battery to drain quickly. If you have your screen brightness turned up, for example, or if you’re out of range of Wi-Fi or cellular, your battery might drain quicker than normal. It might even die fast if your battery health has deteriorated over time. Some of those things are out of your control, but there are ways to better manage your battery on your iPhone, and Apple makes it easy.



Here’s how to quickly see which apps are draining your iPhone battery

• Open Settings on your iPhone.
  
  
• Choose Battery.
  
  
• Tap “Battery Health.” Make sure this says that your iPhone is at “Peak Performance Capability.” If not, consider going to the Apple Store to get a new battery. You might want to do this if your battery’s maximum capacity is below 90%.
  
  
• Now go back to the main battery screen and scroll down.
  
  
• You’ll see a list of the apps that have used the most battery life. In my case it’s Safari, but yours might be different. You might even spot an app that’s draining your battery far faster than anything else.
  
  
• Tap “Show Activity.”
  
  
• Now you can see how long you’ve spent using each app. If there’s one that drains your battery a lot with just a little bit of usage, then you may want to consider uninstalling it.
  
  
• Tap “Last 10 Days.” This shows the apps that used the most battery over the last 10 days. This is where you might find some surprises:

That’s the gist of it. It’s simple to see the apps that are using up your battery. This is particularly useful if you download a new app and notice that your battery starts draining really quickly. Sometimes bugs might cause this to happen, and you’ll know what’s causing the problem and to delete the app until it’s fixed. Or you might discover that your battery health isn’t as good as it once was, and that it’s time to get a new battery at the Apple Store.
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[PWilton]

iPad Too

Thanks Sandy. This applies to my iPad as well. I just looked at mine. A lot of my iPad battery usage goes to apps that I forget to close when I am done with them, they just sit there in the background. A big one for me is iBooks, as I read a lot on my iPad. I need to be more diligent about closing apps not in use at the time.

Also, my iPad is an iPad 4 which I bought in 2013. It seems to take much longer to charge and runs down faster than my iPhone 8 which I just bought last year. So age is a factor also I think.

 

[sultrysandy]

.
Apple CEO Tim Cook talks protecting customers' private data, limiting screen time: 'You are not our product'



Apple CEO Tim Cook is worried – about the protection of personal data, kids’ relationships with their devices, and the amount of time consumers are spending on devices.

In an exclusive interview, Cook told ABC News’ Diane Sawyer that Apple is working hard to promote increased regulation of the use and storage of consumer data, empower parents to control their kids’ relationship with devices and enable customers to be more aware of how much time they’re spending on their phones.

He explained why he doesn’t want customers to use Apple products too much and why, and shares his take on children’s usage of devices.


‘We’ve never had a goal for you to use your iPhone a lot’

About a year ago, Apple started telling users how much time they spend on their devices.

“We make money if we can convince you to buy an iPhone… but I don't want you using the product a lot,” Cook said. “What we want to build are products ... to enrich your life. … Do something you couldn't do without it. … That’s what gets us excited.”

Cook said he was surprised at how much even he picked up his phone – “around 200” times a day.

“I would have guessed less than half” of that amount, he said.

Even still, Cook said, it hasn’t spurned him to use less screen time. He said he had changed his notification habits.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, sat down with ABC News' Diane Sawyer to discuss the importance of digital privacy, kids' relationship with tech and more.



Online privacy crisis: ‘This is fixable’

The Apple executive said that while growing up, “one of the worst things, other than… something like hurting somebody or something, was the Peeping Tom. You know, somebody looking in the window.”

“The people who track on the internet know a lot more about you than if somebody's looking in your window. A lot more,” he said.

Cook said he believes that online privacy in our society has become a major issue but believes “This is fixable.”

“Like we've done every other point in time, when we get together it's amazing what we can do,” he said.

Cook said that Apple is an “ally” in that fight to protect consumers’ personal information.

“You are not our product,” he said about the more than a billion consumers who use Apple products. “Our products are iPhone and iPads. We treasure your data. We want to help you, keep it private and keep it secure. We’re on your side.”

In an op-ed published in Time Magazine in January, Cook wrote that he was calling on Congress to pass “comprehensive federal privacy legislation — a landmark package of reforms that protect and empower the consumer.”

In his proposal, he outlined four principles he believes the law should protect: the right to have personal data collected by companies minimized; the right to knowledge about what data is being collected and why; the right to access, correct and delete personal data; and the right to data security.



Parenting in the age of smart devices: ‘A fix is defined differently for you and me and everyone’

Cook also addressed the worries of parents concerned with the amount of time their children are spending on their devices and what long-term effects that screen time could have.

Half of all parents say they’re worried their children are actually becoming addicted to their gadgets, according to an online poll by Common Sense and Survey Monkey.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, sat down with ABC News' Diane Sawyer to discuss the importance of digital privacy, kids' relationship with tech and more.



Ultimately, Cook said, it’s up to the parent to decide when and how much their child is on a device.

“What we're trying to do is give the parent the controls,” he said. “There's no standard for parenting, as we both know. People have different views about what should be allowed and not,” he said.

He said his company is working on ways to empower parents to control their child’s access including creating age limits for apps as well as parental approval for apps, and labeling music with explicit lyrics.

“A fix is defined differently for you and I and everyone. … You know, what might be reasonable for me might be totally unreasonable for my neighbor.”

As for parents with suggestions for Cook, he said he welcomed emails. (You can email him at tcook@apple.com)

“I get notes from parents all the time,” he said. “They have great ideas. And I'm sure there will be more things that we will do.”
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[sultrysandy]

.
This is the op-ed published in Time Magazine. I posted this instead of providing the link, the irony as is common when visiting a newspaper, magazine, or TV station web page, I lost track of the of the number of web beacons, trackers, et cetera that attempted to load for me to view the page.



You Deserve Privacy Online. Here’s How You Could Actually Get It
Tim Cook Jan. 16, 2019

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during an event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park on September 12, 2018 in Cupertino, California.



We all deserve control over our digital lives. That’s why we must rein in the data brokers


In 2019, it’s time to stand up for the right to privacy—yours, mine, all of ours. Consumers shouldn’t have to tolerate another year of companies irresponsibly amassing huge user profiles, data breaches that seem out of control and the vanishing ability to control our own digital lives.

This problem is solvable—it isn’t too big, too challenging or too late. Innovation, breakthrough ideas and great features can go hand in hand with user privacy—and they must. Realizing technology’s potential depends on it.

That’s why I and others are calling on the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive federal privacy legislation—a landmark package of reforms that protect and empower the consumer. Last year, before a global body of privacy regulators, I laid out four principles that I believe should guide legislation:
First, the right to have personal data minimized. Companies should challenge themselves to strip identifying information from customer data or avoid collecting it in the first place. Second, the right to knowledge—to know what data is being collected and why. Third, the right to access. Companies should make it easy for you to access, correct and delete your personal data. And fourth, the right to data security, without which trust is impossible.

But laws alone aren’t enough to ensure that individuals can make use of their privacy rights. We also need to give people tools that they can use to take action. To that end, here’s an idea that could make a real difference.

One of the biggest challenges in protecting privacy is that many of the violations are invisible. For example, you might have bought a product from an online retailer—something most of us have done. But what the retailer doesn’t tell you is that it then turned around and sold or transferred information about your purchase to a “data broker”—a company that exists purely to collect your information, package it and sell it to yet another buyer.

The trail disappears before you even know there is a trail. Right now, all of these secondary markets for your information exist in a shadow economy that’s largely unchecked—out of sight of consumers, regulators and lawmakers.

Let’s be clear: you never signed up for that. We think every user should have the chance to say, “Wait a minute. That’s my information that you’re selling, and I didn’t consent.”

Meaningful, comprehensive federal privacy legislation should not only aim to put consumers in control of their data, it should also shine a light on actors trafficking in your data behind the scenes. Some state laws are looking to accomplish just that, but right now there is no federal standard protecting Americans from these practices. That’s why we believe the Federal Trade Commission should establish a data-broker clearinghouse, requiring all data brokers to register, enabling consumers to track the transactions that have bundled and sold their data from place to place, and giving users the power to delete their data on demand, freely, easily and online, once and for all.

As this debate kicks off, there will be plenty of proposals and competing interests for policymakers to consider. We cannot lose sight of the most important constituency: individuals trying to win back their right to privacy. Technology has the potential to keep changing the world for the better, but it will never achieve that potential without the full faith and confidence of the people who use it.

 

[sultrysandy]

.
Multiple class actions target US carriers over selling location data

All four major U.S. carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint — are facing proposed class action lawsuits over their selling of real-time customer phone locations to data brokers.

The four major US wireless carriers are facing proposed class-action lawsuits accusing them of violating federal law by selling their customers' real-time location data to third parties.

The complaints seeking class action status and financial damages were filed last week against AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint in US District Court for the District of Maryland. The four suits, filed on behalf of customers by lawyers from the Z Law firm in Maryland, all begin with text nearly identical to this intro found in the suit against AT&T:

This action arises out of Defendant's collection of geolocation data and the unauthorized dissemination to third-parties of the geolocation data collected from its users' cell phones. AT&T admittedly sells customer geolocation data to third-parties, including but not limited to data aggregators, who in turn, are able to use or resell the geolocation data with little or no oversight by AT&T. This is an action seeking damages for AT&T gross failure to safeguard highly personal and private consumer geolocation data in violation of federal law.

The proposed classes would include all of the four carriers' customers in the US between 2015 and 2019. In all, that would be 300 million or more customers, as the lawsuits say the proposed classes consist of at least 100 million customers each for AT&T and Verizon and at least 50 million each for Sprint and T-Mobile. Each lawsuit seeks damages for consumers "in an amount to be proven at trial."



Carriers promised to stop data sales

In June 2018, all four major carriers promised to stop selling their mobile customers' location information to third-party data brokers after a security problem leaked the real-time location of US cell phone users. The promises came after revelations that prison phone company Securus offered a service enabling law enforcement officers to locate most American cell phones within seconds. Securus' service relied on data from LocationSmart, a data aggregator that received location information from the carriers.

Despite the carriers' promises, an investigation found in January 2019 that "T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T are [still] selling access to their customers' location data and that data is ending up in the hands of bounty hunters and others not authorized to possess it, letting them track most phones in the country."

All four lawsuits against the major carriers discuss the Securus case, while the three lawsuits against T-Mobile, Sprint, and AT&T also cite Motherboard's reporting on the subsequent data sales. The lawsuits reference letters between Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and the carriers—Wyden had demanded information from the carriers and pushed them to end their sale of customer data.

The lawsuits accuse the carriers of violating Section 222 of the US Communications Act, which says that carriers may not use or disclose location information "without the express prior authorization of the customer." The lawsuits also say that each carrier failed to follow its own privacy policy and "profited from the sale and unauthorized dissemination of Plaintiff and Class Members’ [private data]."

While it wasn't mentioned in the lawsuits, the carriers' data sales may have also violated Federal Communications Commission rules against misusing data intended for 911 emergency location services.


Separately last week, Federal Communications Commission member Jessica Rosenworcel sent letters to the four carriers asking if they have fulfilled their promises to stop selling real-time location information to data aggregators.

Rosenworcel, one of two Democrats on the Republican-controlled FCC, also blasted the commission's leadership for inaction. "The Federal Communications Commission has said it is investigating, but—almost a year after this news first broke—the agency has not provided the public with any details," Rosenworcel's announcement said. "Nor has it taken any public action to ensure this activity has stopped."

The Federal Trade Commission in March began investigating the privacy practices of top mobile and home Internet service providers, and the organization ordered ISPs to disclose whether they share user Web browsing histories, device location information, and other sensitive data with third parties.
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[PWilton]

Robo calls

Wish they would put as much effort into stopping Robo calls! These one-ring phone calls to my iPhone are driving me nuts. Fortunately I can sleep at night because I put them on ‘do not disturb’ except for my favorites.

 

[sultrysandy]

Wish they would put as much effort into stopping Robo calls! These one-ring phone calls to my iPhone are driving me nuts. Fortunately I can sleep at night because I put them on ‘do not disturb’ except for my favorites.

F.C.C. Warns About the ‘One Ring’ Robocall Scheme

The Federal Communications Commission warns of a robocall that can lead consumers to be billed toll charges similar to calling a 900 number.
May 6, 2019

Your phone rings once and the caller leaves no message. Thinking you missed a call, you call the number back.

Someone answers or maybe you get a recording. You stay on the phone listening to the person or trying to decipher what the recording is saying.

Unknown to you, though, you have been connected to a line with high interconnect fees, similar to calling a 900 number, and a bloated phone bill is on its way.

The Federal Communications Commission warned consumers about this “one ring” scheme in an alert last week. It’s also known as a wangiri scam — Japanese for “one ring and cut.”






FCC “fined” robocallers $208 million since 2015 but collected only $6,790

Both FCC and FTC fail to collect vast majority of robocall fines, WSJ reports.
3/28/2019

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai on December 14, 2017, in Washington DC, the day of the FCC's vote to repeal net neutrality rules.



The Federal Communications Commission has issued $208.4 million in fines against robocallers since 2015, but the commission has collected only $6,790 of that amount. That's because the FCC lacks authority to enforce the penalties, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal learned of the $6,790 figure by making a Freedom of Information Act request. "An FCC spokesman said his agency lacks the authority to enforce the forfeiture orders it issues and has passed all unpaid penalties to the Justice Department, which has the power to collect the fines," the Journal report said. "Many of the spoofers and robocallers the agency tries to punish are individuals and small operations, [the spokesman] added, which means they are at times unable to pay the full penalties."
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[PWilton]

F.C.C. Warns About the ‘One Ring’ Robocall Scheme
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Thanks Sandy. So far I have avoided calling any of these goobers back and have seen no charges on my bill. I have put their numbers on block, but they just change one digit and it is a new one. Today has been quiet so far.

 

[sultrysandy]

.
Facebook announced its Q1 2019 financial results two weeks ago. It also announced that it was setting aside $3 billion for what is expected to be a record-breaking, multi-billion dollar settlement with the FTC over privacy issues. It expects to be fined up to $5 billion, though it noted that a deal with the agency wasn't yet done, by US regulator and sounds big, but for the company it really isn’t. The social network has $45 billion in cash and securities on hand and generates $5 billion in cash each quarter, so it can more than afford the fine. The fine isn't likely to change Facebook's behavior; instead, the company is likely to see it as just a simple cost of doing business.

The settlement that Facebook may have violated was reached in 2011 over separate charges of privacy violations. As a part of that agreement — aka consent decree — it agreed to get users' consent before sharing their data with third parties, such as Cambridge Analytica. It also agreed to take steps to better protect users' data.


Then in a letter Monday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Facebook’s expected FTC fine of between $3 billion and $5 billion a “bargain” that does not go far enough in holding the social media company accountable. “We are deeply concerned that one-time penalties of any size every few years are woefully inadequate to effectively restrain Facebook,” the senators wrote in a letter to the FTC.



Since Cambridge Analytica we hear not only of them being hacked once or twice, but they’re continuously being caught doing something with people’s personal information they shouldn’t be doing. And I don’t know how long Identity Theft has been a major problem, this is a step to regulating this industry, albeit more than a decade too late. Than again we see how well regulating works with cable companies and cell phone carriers.
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[sultrysandy]

Thanks Sandy. So far I have avoided calling any of these goobers back and have seen no charges on my bill. I have put their numbers on block, but they just change one digit and it is a new one. Today has been quiet so far.

Goobers?

Well, this is Gomer and Goober

not exactly humor, but I tried.






But the reason for this post

How to stop robocalls and other spam calls on iPhone

Keep your iPhone from being inundated by robocalls and other spam.

• There are several ways to stop your iPhone from receiving robocalls, which are on the rise in part because the technology is cheap for spammers to operate.
  
  
• Though the following options will help mitigate robocalls and other spam calls on your iPhone, no single remedy is a perfect solution.
  
  
• Be sure to add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry, but you should also use a call-screening app.
  
  
• Other options include blocking specific numbers and using Do Not Disturb.

It's not your imagination; robocalls are on the rise.

According to research from the communications security firm First Orion, as recently as 2017, just 3.7% of all cellphone calls placed were automated "spam" calls, but by 2018, spam calls represented 29.2% of all calls. In 2019, nearly half of all cellphone calls will be scams, unless the telecom industry adopts measures to curb the trend, according to First Orion.

Robocalls are so ubiquitous in part because they're cheap for spammers to operate. To the average iPhone user inundated by spam calls, these calls may seem unavoidable, but the good news is that they aren't.

While you can't completely inoculate yourself from robocalls, there are a number of steps you can take to minimize the number of annoying spam calls that arrive on your iPhone.


Put your number on the Do Not Call Registry

Your very first stop should be to add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry. The Federal Trade Commission maintains this database and marketers are legally compelled to avoid calling any phone numbers it contains.

Add yourself to the National Do Not Call Registry to stop getting spam calls from reputable marketers.



Is this a perfect solution? Absolutely not: There are many unscrupulous marketers who completely ignore the registry, so adding your name to this list simply protects you from the honest ones.

Also, keep in mind that it can take a month for your phone number to be removed from spammer call lists, and many organizations (such as charities and political groups) are still free to contact you.
Let an app screen your calls

The good news is that you don't have to bear the burden of robocalls alone. Your next stop should be to see if there's an app or service offered by your iPhone's service provider — in most cases, there will be one. The apps that carriers offer for free include:

• T-Mobile Scam Block
  
  
• Sprint Premium Caller ID
  
  
• Verizon Call Filter
  
  
• AT&T Call Protect (pictured below).

Anti-robocall apps, like AT&T's Call Protect (pictured), will block known spam callers and try to flag suspected robocalls as "suspicious," dramatically reducing the number of marketing calls you answer.



If you want better protection than what the apps from your service provider can offer, there's also a plethora of third-party apps designed to smartly block spam calls on your behalf. YouMail is completely free, though other apps offer free features with in-app purchases to unlock additional capabilities. Some of the most popular options include Truecaller, Hiya, and RoboKiller.


Block specific phone numbers on your iPhone

One way to reduce the number of calls flooding your phone is to block them; they can't bother you if they can't get past your phone's built-in virtual bouncer. The downside is that this is a manual process: You will need to block each unwanted phone number, one at a time. But it may be worth it, especially if you find the same number calling you over and over again. The good news: It's easy to block a phone number on your iPhone with just a couple of taps.

You can block all future calls from known spam calls by blocking individual numbers.


Rely on iPhone's 'Do Not Disturb' feature

If you are still annoyed by a seemingly constant barrage of robocalls, your last line of defense is to rely on your iPhone's "Do Not Disturb" feature. When Do Not Disturb is turned on, your phone won't ring or notify you about incoming calls — except for those you specifically allow. That means you can use Do Not Disturb as a sort of filter that allows people you know — your own contacts — through, but sends unknown numbers directly to voicemail. And since most robocalls don't leave messages, you won't be bothered by them.


Here's how to configure Do Not Disturb to help you avoid robocalls:

1. Tap the Settings icon and then tap "Do Not Disturb."

2. Tap "Do Not Disturb" to turn on the feature.

3. Tap "Allow Calls From" and choose "All Contacts." Of course, if you prefer, you can narrow the range of callers who can get through to you — you can select "Favorites" instead, for example.

Put "Do Not Disturb" to work full time by allowing only calls from your contacts to ring through; everything else can go to voicemail.



4. Tap "Back" and close the Settings app.

It's important to remember that you'll need to leave Do Not Disturb turned on all the time in order to screen your robocalls, and you'll want to check your missed calls more frequently because any calls from people who aren't in your contacts will go straight to voicemail.
.

 

[PWilton]

Goobers and Robocalls

Goobers?
not exactly humor, but I tried.

But the reason for this post

Keep your iPhone from being inundated by robocalls and other spam.

Thanks Sandy, helpful as always. I am using most of those tricks and think they are helping.

Goobers: just my Texas slang for people I think are stupid or moronic; seems more a more civilized term than dumb-ass or worse.

 

[sultrysandy]

.
WhatsApp hacked and attackers installed NSO Group spyware on people's phones

WhatsApp was hacked, and attackers installed sophisticated spyware on an unknown number of people's smartphones.

The Facebook subsidiary, which has 1.5 billion users, said it discovered in early May that "an advanced cyber actor" infected an unknown number of devices with the malware.

The issue was first reported on Monday, said bad actors exploited a vulnerability to install the surveillance technology by calling the target through WhatsApp, giving them access to information including location data and private messages. Even if the target didn't pick up, the malware was able to infect the phone.

"This attack has all the hallmarks of a private company known to work with governments to deliver spyware that reportedly takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems," WhatsApp said in a statement.

A notice on Facebook said the issue affected Android phones, iPhones, and Windows phones. An update to resolve the issue was released on Monday, and users are being urged to update regardless of whether they have had any suspicious call activity.






WhatsApp users are being urged to update the app immediately after it was hacked — here's how to update on an iPhone


Here's how to check your version of WhatsApp if you have an iPhone.

• Open the App Store
  
  
• Tap the "Updates" tab
  
  
• Scroll until you see WhatsApp, either under "Pending" or "Updated recently"
  
  
• Hit "More" to see your most recent version number

If you have version 2.19.51, again, you're in luck!

But if you have version 2.19.50, as in the screenshot above, you need to update to the latest version.



Finally, here's how to update WhatsApp on your iPhone.

• Open the App Store
  
  
• Tap "Updates"
  
  
• Find WhatsApp Messenger and hit "Update"

Alternatively, you can search for WhatsApp in the App Store and hit "Update." To be protected, you want version 2.19.51.

And that's it:
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