In honor of Independence Day—a U.S. holiday—The Mac Observer is taking off Friday, July 3rd. We will return Monday, July 6th, with our usual Apple, Mac, iPad iPhone, and Apple Watch news. TMO’s Daily Observations podcast is taking off the holiday, too. Enjoy the holiday, keep those masks on, and stay safe!
A New iMac Seems Imminent
We’ve been expecting a new iMac with an Intel 10th generation CPU, Comet Lake. It wasn’t announced at WWDC, but reports suggest this new iMac seems imminent.
Double-Spending Flaw Found in Major Bitcoin Wallets
Israeli researchers at wallet startup ZenGeo have found a vulnerability affecting at least three major crypto wallets – Ledger Live, Edge, and Breadwallet. The flaw allows hackers to spend Bitcoin more than once, Coindesk report,Ed.
The bug, which the Tel Aviv-based firm calls BigSpender, allows a hacker to double-spend a user’s funds and possibly prevent them from ever using their wallet again. It works by exploiting how certain wallet’s handle Bitcoin’s replace-by-fee (RBF) function, a failsafe that enables users to swap an unconfirmed transaction with one that has a higher fee. “[BigSpender] can lead to substantial financial losses and in some cases to make the victim’s wallet totally unusable, with no way for the victim to protect themselves,” ZenGo CEO Ouriel Ohayon said in an email. “So this can be seen as a high severity attack.”
Foxconn Imports Disrupted by India-China Tensions
Imports to India by key Apple supplier Foxconn have been slowed as a result of escalating tensions between the country and China. Reuters reported that Apple is amongst the companies seeking to free its shipments.
Customs officers at Indian ports have held back shipments from China and sought additional clearances after deadly clashes at the disputed Himalayan border last month. The checks have been imposed without any formal order. While several companies such as Apple (AAPL.O) and Dell (DELL.N) have been battling to free stuck shipments, hundreds of employees at Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn’s two plants in the south had no major work to do this week as shipments were delayed, sources said.
Researcher Finds Mac Flaw That Lets Apps Read Protected Files
Security researcher Jeff Johnson is going public with a flaw found in a macOS privacy protection system. Apple is still investigating the issue.
Facebook Social Widgets May Be Considered Wiretaps, Court Ruling Says
In an order issued this week, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling in which Facebook social widgets may be considered wiretaps.
Clario Makes Digital Security Easy
Digital security is crucial, but often confusing. Clario has just launched a new product that solves that problem without compromise.
Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Anti-Privacy ‘EARN IT Act’
Today the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the EARN IT act, a bill that weakens Section 230 protections for social media companies in an attempt to fight online child abuse.
Tim Cook Agrees to Appear at House Antitrust Probe
Tim Cook will appear in front of the House Judiciary Committee during antitrust hearings alongside other key tech CEOs.
Apple Arcade Shakeup – TMO Daily Observations 2020-07-02
Charlotte Henry and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss a reported Apple Arcade shakeup, and the future of the service.
The Complete Cartoon Animator 4 PRO Mac Bundle: $69.99
We have a deal on the Complete Cartoon Animator 4 PRO Mac Bundle, which includes Cartoon Animator 4 PRO and 6 hours of training on 2D animation, including 55 lectures. The bundle is $69.99 through our deal.
Pay Your Apple Card Bill Online With the New Web Portal
Apple has finally created a web page to let you pay your Apple Card bill online. It has the same features as the iOS Wallet app.
macOS Big Sur and the Return of Whimsical Design
Designer Michael Flarup writes about how macOS Big Sur will bring back “fun in visual design.”
With this approach Apple is legalising a visual design expressiveness that we haven’t seen from them in almost a decade. It’s like a ban has been lifted on fun. This will severely loosen the grip of minimalistic visual design and raise the bar for pixel pushers everywhere. Your glyph on a colored background is about to get some serious visual competition.
I don’t miss pre-iOS 7 skeuomorphism, but I don’t think I’ll mind some of that era’s icons coming back (just without the gloss). I also wonder if we’ll see them on iOS, or just macOS.
[Update July 2] These Apple Stores Are Now Open
Further U.S. Apple Stores have had to reclose following a spike in COVID-19 cases. This includes all stores in Florida shuttering once again.
How to Search in Apple Music by Lyrics Not Song Title
One of Charlotte’s favorite features in Apple Music is that you can search for a song using the lyrics, without knowing the title.
Sony Veteran Joins Apple TV+ in Senior Programming Role
Top Sony exec Chris Parnell, who worked on Apple TV+ series ‘For All Mankind’, is joining the streaming service in a senior programming role.
Apple Silicon, Target Mode, iOS Apps Coming to Mac, with John Kheit - ACM 533
Bryan Chaffin is joined by John Kheit to talk about Apple Silicon and the Mac moving to Apple-designed ARM processors. They also talk about Target Mode’s demise and something John Kheit predicted years ago: iOS apps coming to the Mac.
Best iPhone 11 Price
If you need an iPhone 11 right now, here are the places that have the best iPhone price.
About Intel and Moving Macs to Apple Silicon – TMO Daily Observations 2020-07-01
John Martellaro joins guest-host Bryan Chaffin to discuss what may have driven Apple’s timeline for moving its Mac computers to Apple silicon.
Albaro Air Posture Corrector: $99.95
We have a deal on the Albaro Air Posture Corrector, a device designed to help you improve your posture. It uses a patented ergonomically-designed air pressure cell to fit your unique body, it adjusts the air pressure and creates the most comfortable back support while effectively realigning your balance. The Albaro Air is $99.95 through our deal.
