Do Attachments Last Forever? — Mac Geek Gab 829

What happens to Mail attachments in your archive? Have you ever done a three finger drag? How do you manage your trash can? We mean *really* manage it? All these questions — and a lot more — are answered for you this week as Dave and John pour through the mailbag and help you learn at least five new things. Press play and enjoy listening as your two favorite geeks help make it all happen!

Prerecording Yourself so it Looks Like You Care About That Zoom Meeting

While there are some benefits to the WFH, let’s be honest, endless video meetings and Zoom calls are not one of them. CNet’s Jesse Orrall decided to see if he could prerecord himself  and fool his colleagues for a whole week.

Ecamm Live lets me prerecord various «Scenes» to play on demand. The audio and video from those scenes were routed through the virtual camera and microphone and into whatever video conferencing application we were using for a particular meeting (Zoom, Hangouts, etc.). Ideally, it would be a step up from the dummy and audio system used in Ferris Bueller’s Day OffFor one whole week I used my prerecorded videos in video meetings instead of my live feed

Only Epic Games Would Benefit From Changing the App Store Model

Attacking Apple’s App Store policies and Google’s equivalent is relatively easy. Over on Pando, Aimee Pearcy takes the counterview – that while the model is not perfect,  changing it drastically would be to the benefit of hackers and fraudsters, not users.

While Apple and Google have wildly inconsistent policies for their stores — Netflix got a free pass from paying Apple Tax on its $853 million U.S. annual iOS revenue back in 2018 — their payment features are a major asset for developers. Credit card-stealing malware is already a huge problem. If anyone could link to their own third-party checkout page, Hacker groups like Magecart would shit themselves with excitement. Every checkout page would have to be manually checked. It would be a huge ask for users to unknown developers with side payments. And Epic certainly isn’t a shining example. Its game Fortnite has been described as a ‘money laundering paradise’, with money launderers using stolen credit cards to buy V-bucks.If third-party side payments were allowed and credit card fraud became a problem –and make no mistake, it would become a problem — Apple and Google would have zero transparency.

CleanKey Bundle - KeySmart Pro with Tile and CleanTray: $129.99

We have a deal today on the CleanKey Bundle. This bundle includes the KeySmart Pro, a key sleeve that holds up to 10 keys. That also comes with a Tile so you can track it down if you misplace it. The bundle also comes with the CleanTray UV Light Sterilization Case for sterilizing your stuff, and the CleanKey Antimicrobial Brass Hand Tool for opening doors and pushing buttons. The whole kit and caboodle is $129.99 through our deal.

What Would Happen if Apple Was Forced to Allow Sideloaded Apps?

Some people want Apple to let users download sideloaded apps. These are apps that can be installed outside of the App Store, like the current situation on macOS. One counter argument is security:

“It’s not that iOS is full of holes,” he said, but that “the App Store is a natural second layer that [Apple] can filter through and decide if something would be harmful.” He agreed it wasn’t foolproof, but that it can help screen out “undesirable” apps.

My worry with sideloaded apps isn’t about the device security itself. It’s that Apple probably couldn’t control what goes on inside these apps, like SDKs that harvest our data, or developers only letting people use non-private logins like Facebook and Google. I want to use technologies like Sign In with Apple and Apple Pay, because I trust Apple with my data. To be fair, App Store apps already use trackers. As a side note, I’m linking to Apple News because of Engadget/Verizon’s new consent form when you visit the website.

Facebook, Twitter Increase Efforts to Fight U.S. Election Misinformation

Both Twitter and Facebook have announced new measures to fight misinformation, Reuters reported. The moves from the social media giant’s come in the run-up to the U.S. election.

Twitter’s move will involve coming up with new policies “that emphasize accurate information about all available options to vote, including by mail and early voting.” “We’re focused on empowering every eligible person to register and vote through partnerships, tools and new policies,” Jessica Herrera-Flanigan, Twitter’s vice president for public policy in the Americas, told Reuters in an email. Facebook, meanwhile, launched a Voting Information Center to help users with accurate and easy-to-find information about voting wherever they live.

AirFly Pro Bluetooth Transmitter Available Exclusively at Apple

TwelveSouth has released AirFly Pro. The device gives users a wireless connection to items such as an iPhone for 3.5mm audio jack. The AirFly Pro also acts as a wireless headphone splitter, allowing users share audio between two sets of headphones from one source. There is also a Receive Mode that means users can play music wirelessly through any car stereo. The item is exclusively available from Apple Store and costs $54.95.