Testing conducted by Apple in May 2019 showed as much as a 40 percent reduction in performance with tests that include multithreaded workloads and public benchmarks. Performance tests are conducted using specific Mac computers. Actual results will vary based on model, configuration, usage, and other factors.
And:
Although there are no known exploits affecting customers at the time of this writing, customers who believe their computer is at heightened risk of attack can use the Terminal app to enable an additional CPU instruction and disable hyper-threading processing technology, which provides full protection from these security issues.
No known exploits. Just the potential for exploits. Forewarned is forearmed.
A bit of a PR ding for Apple, but a mighty issue for Intel.
UPDATE: There is some question as to whether lack of hyper-threading support puts your Mac in safe harbor from the Intel vulnerability. The issue is, if you disable hyper-threading (and add that extra CPU instruction), you’ll be safe. But the question is, if your Mac doesn’t support hyper-threading in the first place, does that mean your Mac is not susceptible to the issue?
If anyone knows the definitive answer to this, please reach out.
Using manufacturing partner Wistron, Apple has produced the iPhone 6S in India since 2018 and the iPhone SE since 2017, and has expanded to include the iPhone 7 for local sale. Current plans include tapping Foxconn for a trial run of production for the iPhone X, which may be a precursor to manufacturing the 2019 iPhones in the market.
Presumably, many of the parts for these iPhones are all sourced elsewhere, and the assembly and testing happen in India. Wondering what parts (such as the midframes and cases), if any, are actually manufactured in India.
One of the biggest TV shows in recent history is about to end, after a long, hugely successful run. Viewers are sharply divided. Some have argued that the show is a massively enjoyable example of the power of the monoculture, complete with great character work and compelling storytelling.
But others believe its point of view is regressive and backward, playing off stereotypes and tropes that can be actively harmful if they aren’t handled with care — and which the show has often mishandled.
But look beyond its massive viewership and you’ll find a series that has won many Emmy Awards as well as several other honors. You’ll find a show that, at its height, was embraced enthusiastically by TV critics. You’ll find a show that made lots of people laugh and cry and maybe even feel better about life.
I enjoyed The Big Bang Theory immensely for what it was – a silly little comedy. While I’d never call it a “great” show, I looked forward to watching it each week and I’m sorry its run has come to an end.
When I first started watching the video embedded below, I just rolled my eyes.
But I kept going, and then got hooked. Not sure why this was built, but they sure put a lot of effort into this. I would pay big money to see a modern take on this, starring all the Apple folk we know and love.
Hackers have been breaking into iPhones allegedly using a powerful spy tool sold to governments and taking advantage of a previously unknown vulnerability in the popular messaging app WhatsApp.
The hacking tool, as well as the WhatsApp exploit, were made by the infamous Israeli hacking and surveillance tool vendor NSO Group, according to The Financial Times, which first reported the story on Monday.
And:
“The simple reality is there are so many 0-day exploits for iOS,” Stefan Esser, a security researcher that specializes in iOS, wrote on Twitter. “And the only reason why just a few attacks have been caught in the wild is that iOS phones by design hinder defenders to inspect the phones.”
And:
As of today, there is no specific tool that an iPhone user can download to analyze their phone and figure out if it has been compromised. In 2016, Apple took down an app made by Esser that was specifically designed to detect malicious jailbreaks. Moreover, iOS is so locked down that without hacking or jailbreaking it first, even a talented security researcher can do very little analysis on it.
Not clear to me if that “0-day exploits” comment is true. After all, if you don’t have the tools to break in, how would you know. But the article does make interesting points. Are there exploit-detecting tools running behind the scenes on iOS, reporting back to Apple if anything is amiss? Or is it more like, the vault is so secure we don’t need guards?
It truly feels like we’re starting to reach peak dongle: Anker has released an adapter that allows Lightning earbuds to work with the 2018 iPad Pro, Apple’s USB-C MacBooks, and some recent Windows 10 laptops. This $29.99 accessory is available from Amazon now and is certified under the iPhone maker’s MFi program.
Apple used to offer a maximum of $500 when doing a direct iPhone trade-in through its trade-in website, and just a few weeks ago, we tested trading in an iPhone X and were offered $500 by Apple. Today, Apple’s maximum price for the same iPhone X is $349.
And:
That same iPhone X that’s worth $349 when doing a direct trade-in with Apple is worth $450 if you trade it in while buying a new iPhone XR.
Wondering if there is a reliable web site that tracks best trade-in price for a particular iPhone model at the various trade-in web sites, including Apple.
In the last few years, Apple stopped opening new stores and focused on rebuilding or renovating existing spaces. Apple has about 400 or 500 million of customers more in 2019 that they did in 2014 when Angela Ahrendts took over Apple Retail.
And:
By 2010, when the iPad launched and the iPhone took off, Apple had 280 stores, or 1.4 per million of devices in their installed base. Now that figure is close to 0.36, four times fewer.
Have we hit peak Apple Store? Have the Apple Stores learned to be more efficient, allowing a store to serve many more people?
It’d be interesting to see the data showing number of Apple Store “floor” employees per active device. I do find my local Apple Stores more crowded than in the past, but I also find the process to be more organized as well. That said, I do find the wait to get a genius appointment to be getting longer, though that’s anecdotal, not based on any rigorous analysis.
The Verge’s Adi Robertson pulled together an excellent explainer on this week’s Supreme Court ruling with potentially huge implications for Apple.
The biggest takeaway is that this is allowing a lawsuit to move forward and not a specific finding against Apple itself. That fight will likely take a long time, and Apple might still prevail.
When did your Mac last start up? Mine’s only been running continuously now for nearly ten days, but unless something forces me to, I don’t intend restarting it for another couple of weeks, and only shut it down completely a couple of times a year. Which is better, then: a daily boot, or leaving your Mac on as long as possible?
Traditional arguments about this have been based on the last generation of computers, with internal hard drives. I’ve been leaving my desktop Mac running constantly for many years now, and started doing so largely to reduce the risk of hard drive failure. This iMac Pro no longer has internal storage which spins platters, so it’s time to reassess what I do.
This is a question as old as computers. For what it’s worth, my computer only gets shut down when it’s required by a software update.
The all-new Apple TV app, which brings together all the ways to watch TV into one app, is available starting today in over 100 countries across iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and select Samsung smart TVs.
With the free iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3 software update, customers around the world can now subscribe to Apple TV channels within the Apple TV app — paying for only the ones they want — and watch on demand directly in the app. In the US, Apple TV channels include popular services such as HBO, Starz, SHOWTIME, Smithsonian Channel, EPIX, Tastemade and new services like MTV Hits, with more to be added over time around the world.
Not to be confused with TV+, this new rev of the TV app was part of yesterday’s massive run of device updates.
My favorite part of the announcement:
Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share subscriptions to Apple TV channels using just their Apple ID and password. Subscribers can watch and download shows and movies both online and offline, making the Apple TV app the first and only place where HBO subscribers can download movies and shows such as “Game of Thrones” for offline viewing.
If I use my Apple TV app to subscribe to all my services, everyone in my family gets those services too, all under a single sign-in. This is how we use Netflix now, though with Netflix, you have a max of four simultaneous logins, unlike Apple’s six.
The offline viewing option and up to six simultaneous users does make this attractive. Looking forward to learning what TV+ adds to the equation, and what pricing model Apple settles on.
Amazon just rolled out Alexa Guard, a new feature that lets your Echo monitor all the sounds in your house while you are away. If it hears a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, or glass breaking, it will send you a smart alert, playing the sound on your phone.
On one hand, this is a clever idea and requires no extra purchase on your end. Just tell Alexa you are leaving the house and Alexa will vigilantly listen as instructed. This is great for Amazon, as I’m sure it’ll help them sell more Echo devices.
On the other hand, I’m not sure how I would feel about knowing that Alexa was always listening and, if the moment was right, always ready to record a sound for posterity, especially if you came home and forgot to turn Alexa Guard off.
This just strikes me as anti-privacy.
On the other, other hand, I can’t help but think this is a feature Apple could easily implement, if they so chose. Would I feel any different with Apple eavesdropping, vs Amazon? I’m not sure.
> On a warm night in May of 1969, a throng of awestruck gamblers crowded around a well-worn roulette table in the Italian Riviera. > > At the center stood a gangly 38-year-old medical professor in a rumpled suit. He’d just placed a $100,000 bet ($715,000 in 2019 dollars) on a single spin of the wheel. As the croupier unleashed the little white ball, the room went silent. He couldn’t possibly be this lucky… could he? > > But Dr. Richard Jarecki wasn’t leaving it up to chance. He’d spent thousands of hours devising an ingenious method of winning — and it would soon net him the modern equivalent of more than $8,000,000.
I love a good “smart rumpled underdog beats the bank” story, and this is a good one. Can’t help but think that, with all the machine learning power in the palm of your hand, this will happen again, albeit in a different way. But it’s essential to understand that roulette, whether played digitally on Daftar Slot88 Online or in a traditional casino, is primarily a game of chance governed by mathematical probabilities. There is no guaranteed method to defeat roulette consistently. However, players can employ strategies such as the Martingale system, where bets are doubled after each loss, aiming to recoup losses with a single win. Gamblers trust https://luxury777win.com/ for its reliability and consistent performance across different devices. This consistency contributes to a loyal customer base.
Another approach is the Fibonacci sequence, gradually increasing bets according to a mathematical pattern. If you’re looking for a trusted platform that blends excitement with user-friendly features, the betjili banglaesh website is a great place to explore. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to gamble responsibly, understanding that while strategies may offer short-term gains, the inherent randomness of roulette ensures that long-term success is uncertain. You can find the best bitcoin lister UK here if you want to start gambling using cryptocurrency.
Apple debuted a brand new Pride face in the middle of the WWDC 2018 keynote last year, pairing a rainbow colored watch face with a matching band. Now Apple’s Pride face is getting a new design on the Apple Watch with an updated style option. There’s also a new Pride Analog version with full screen and circular versions.
To see these for yourself, launch your iPhone Watch app and tap the Face Gallery tab.
Follow the headline link to the iFixit teardown page for the Google Pixel 3a. Lots of step-by-step images and details. This is one of the most easy to take apart phones on the market but, that said, it is still an incredibly complex puzzle to put back together.
Take a look if your inner nerd runs that way.
And, if video is more your thing, embedded below is the teardown of the Pixel 3a XL.
Users of older versions of Creative Cloud apps, including Photoshop, Premiere Pro and Lightroom Classic, have been told by Adobe that they are no longer licensed to use them, and anyone who continues to use these versions could face “infringement claims” from other companies.
Users of older versions of Adobe Creative Cloud apps including Photoshop have been told to stop using them or face potential “infringement claims” from third-party companies who are unnamed but suspected to be Dolby. Adobe cites only “ongoing litigation” as the reason for the abrupt announcement.
I got my “cease and desist” letter. Adobe continues to make decisions that hurt average customers. It’s unlikely individuals would “face potential “infringement claims” from Dolby and Adobe is just using the wording as a scare tactic.
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that an antitrust case against Apple could move forward effectively allowing iPhone users to sue the company. The crux of the argument is that Apple only allows apps to be sold on its store and that it takes a 30 percent commission, which inflates the prices.
When I first heard about the ruling, I thought about two things: 1. What is Apple providing to us with the App Store? 2. What would happen if you could download apps anywhere and install them on your iPhone?
I think most people believe Apple is merely providing a service with the App Store that gives us a convenient place to download the apps and for developers to sell their products. That’s undoubtedly true, but it goes a lot deeper than that.
Through its system of rigorous review of all apps submitted to the App Store, Apple makes sure that everything we download is safe and secure for us to use. That is the most significant benefit of the App Store for me.
We see every day how unsafe the Internet is in a lot of different ways. Being able to download a simple app and not have to worry about being spied on or having some malicious code installed that will make my device less secure is imperative to me and should be critically important to everybody.
It’s also essential to Apple as we’ve seen from their privacy stance over the years with their hardware and software products.
Apple does not dictate the price of apps in its store—the developers set prices. The App Store is a platform and Apple is providing a service that goes far beyond an e-commerce portal for developers to sell apps.
There are plenty of free apps available in the App Store and many others that are $0.99. If anything, the apps are priced too low, not too high, but developers are setting the price based on what people will spend and hope the volume of purchases make up the difference.
We’ve come to a point as consumers where many don’t value the work developers do daily to make the products we use. Consumers value free and scoff at paying $0.99 for an app, even if they find it useful.
Allowing apps to be downloaded and installed from anywhere may lower prices, but it will certainly raise security concerns. The sad thing is that when someone gets hacked because they installed one of these malicious apps, the headline won’t be that they voluntarily installed an app that wasn’t secure, it will be “iPhone Hacked” or some other stupidity.
I will always buy my apps from the App Store because I trust what Apple is doing with its ecosystem. I want to be secure, and I want a company that values my privacy to be in charge of the apps I download and use.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that consumers can press ahead with a lawsuit that accuses Apple Inc. of using its market dominance to artificially inflate prices at its App Store.
The 5-4 ruling May 13 could add to pressure the company faces to cut the 30 percent commission it charges on app sales. Lawyers pressing the case have said they will seek hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of overpaying consumers.
Want to read the ruling, get the story straight from the horse’s mouth? Here ya go.
Before you check out Mark Linsangan’s Apple Insider post/video, take a quick look at this tweet, which shows the focus of Google’s iPhone bashing Phone X (not a typo, they compare their new phone to the mythical Phone X) campaign.
Google is, rightfully so, focusing on the availability of Night Sight on the Pixel 3a and the lack of a night mode on modern iPhones. Fair dinkum.
But if you really want to compare the Pixel 3a to an iPhone, do what Mark Linsangan does and run the gamut. Compare all the things. Like blazingly fast speed, fit and finish, and other features missing from the 3a entirely.
I think the Pixel 3a is a good enough smartphone. But compare it side-by-side with the low end iPhone if you want to truly play fair.
“Music Skills: Creating Your First Podcast” is a 30-minute Apple Store session that uses GarageBand for iPhone to teach the basics of recording, editing, and refining a podcast trailer with music and audio loops. The session isn’t meant to be an end-to-end guide to publishing a show — Apple offers other resources for that — but it will help you decide if starting a podcast is something you want to pursue.
Currently only at the Michigan Avenue Apple Store, I’m hoping it’ll roll out to other Apple Stores over time.
Here’s a location free link you can check to see if it’s coming to your store anytime soon. I will definitely be signing up for this one.
Some Apple employees are getting Apple Card, so I received this photos, edited the name to protect the source and this also works as a watermark ??? https://t.co/UcSzcEDY3v
The obvious choice for a music-streaming service seemed to be Spotify since it works on both platforms. Or at least it seemed that way until we ran into the baffling and user-hostile way Spotify handles home postal addresses.
As Centers said on Twitter, “I don’t just love Apple Music, but after trying everything else, I’m convinced that it’s the least-awful streaming service.” Damning with faint praise.
Yes, you read that right, Dave and I kicked off this week’s episode talking about potatoes. We also talked about Google’s privacy stance.
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The mysterious, rainbow-colored stage erected inside Apple Park bears all the hallmarks of the company’s meticulous design, according to an Apple document provided to Cult of Mac.
It’s the latest creation by Jony Ive’s team — and it’s just as thoughtfully and intricately designed as you might imagine.
The Cult of Mac article is worth reading. But short answer (and don’t let it stop you from reading the CoM piece, it’s got much more):
Apple and its collaborators are supposedly rushing to complete the brightly colored stage prior to a May 17 special event for employees at Apple Park. That event reportedly will do double duty. It will serve as a celebration of the formal opening of Apple Park, the sprawling headquarters of the world’s most powerful tech company. And it will pay tribute to Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder whose vision drove the design of the unique Cupertino campus with the spaceship-like circular building.
Wish I could be there. I can only imagine it will be quite an event.
For those who use their iPad with an external keyboard, we’ve put together a list of more than 30 helpful iPad Keyboard Shortcuts to save you time and be more productive on your device. We’ve also included a cheat sheet of keyboard shortcuts to accompany some of our favorite iPad apps (such as Things, Ulysses, Lightroom, and more).
Use an iPad with an external keyboard? Have at it.
Take the screen design for Apple’s phones. The designers at Apple apparently believe that text is ugly, so it should either be eliminated entirely or made as invisible as possible. Bruce Tognazzini and I, both former employees of Apple, wrote a long article on Apple’s usability sins, which has been read by hundreds of thousands of people. Once Apple products could be used without ever reading a manual. Today, Apple’s products violate all the fundamental rules of design for understanding and usability, many of which Tognazzini and I had helped develop. As a result, even a manual is not enough: all the arbitrary gestures that control tablets, phones, and computers have to be memorized. Everything has to be memorized.
When Don Norman says he wrote the book on user-friendly design, he’s not kidding. Don is a former Apple VP and his book The Design of Everyday Things is a seminal work.
If you care about design, take the time to read the linked article. This strikes me particularly, because my mom is legally blind and I’ve been unable to find a solution that she can master (voiceover and other accessibility features are just too complex for her to grasp).
I’d love to see a simpler interface as an option, one that lets me eliminate all the clutter and reduce her choices to a few large, customizable buttons (perhaps backed by Shortcuts). And I’d love for that interface to servive reboot, an accessibility kiosk mode.
Fluttering like wind through the leaves of a tree, the ‘furry’ bark of the oyamel trees comes alive. One by one, and then in a kaleidoscope of flight, the monarch butterflies drop away from the trees to drink nectar and mate.
I’ve always wanted to visit this Monarch sanctuary in Michoacán, Mexico.
No one has ever been killed by a selfie. A lot of people have been killed by stupid behavior. No beautiful destination has ever been ruined by an Instagram post. A lot of beautiful places have been ruined by irresponsible assholes. When it comes to social media’s impact on the outdoors, all of us are getting mad about the wrong thing. And that anger is one of the reasons why we have a problem.
I don’t know if it was the poppies in California, or the tourists who died in the Grand Canyon, or the guy who fell off a cliff in Yosemite National Park, but it seems as if the social-media outrage cycle has come full circle. Now, rather than being mad at a dentist who shot a lion or a zoo that killed a gorilla, everyone is outraged at social media itself.
