Governments Are Terrible at Securing Data

It absolutely infuriates me when agencies like the FBI, and governments like Australia, the U.S., Germany, and more want us to break encryption or circumvent it with a back door. As Mathew Gault writes, they are completely inept at securing data. Even the NSA, which likes to think it’s the “world leader in cryptology” got hacked.

Regular phone and internet users remain vulnerable, forced to take individual protective measures, like a poor wage-worker without health insurance who’s told to secure her nest egg by cutting out morning lattes.

Portable 10,000mAh Power Bank: $15

We have a dal on a very inexpensive 10,000mAh portable power bank. This orange and white device has two USB ports for charging two devices at the same time—and both ports push 2.4 amps. This device is just $15 through our deal.

Google Pixel 4 Gives us a Hint of iPhone XI

Google just shared a photo of its upcoming Pixel 4 phone, and I think it gives us a hint of what the iPhone XI will look like. Android manufacturers are notorious for copying the appearance of iPhones, like the notch. The Pixel 4 shows a square camera module on the back, so I think it’s likely the rumors and mockups of a square iPhone XI camera module with three cameras are probably correct.

Well, since there seems to be some interest, here you go! Wait ‘til you see what it can do. #Pixel4

Behind the Scenes of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is an upcoming AR game from Niantic and WB Games San Francisco. The Dev Diaries are a new series that will feature a behind the scenes look at the people who created the game and stories that inspired it.

«It’s what everyone imagines when you read the Harry Potter books,» said Marigold. «You imagine the characters and world coming to life around you. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite takes this a step further and brings it to life in your world so that you can actually see all the magical characters and fantastic creatures all around you. It’s almost like you can reach out and touch them.»

Really neat to hear from the team, and I can’t wait for the game.

The 2019 Mac Pro Features Custom SSD Connectors

Apple promised the 2019 Mac Pro would be modular, making it easy to upgrade with new components. But AppleInsider found that it will have custom SSD connectors you’ll have to buy from Apple.

The information Apple provides isn’t enough detail to confirm what kind of SSDs are being used by the Mac Pro, but what the image reveals is that it isn’t any standard SSD that is in use with other devices…Sources inside Apple not authorized to speak on behalf of the company say the drives do not use a standard M.2 pinout, but declined to speak about the slot’s pin compatibility with older Apple SSD modules. This does leave open the possibility Apple is using a connector it previously created or has since modified.

Oh people are going to love this.

Twitter Co-Founder Laments Rise of Instant Feedback

Twitter co-founder and Medium CEO Ev Williams described preparing to post on the social network he helped create as «armoring up for battle.» He told the Recode Code conference that he misses the day’s when bloggers did not get instant feedback.

“Part of the beautiful thing about blogging was you were always looking for feedback but you didn’t get it as momentarily — things could marinate,” said Williams, who was speaking onstage at Code Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Tuesday with Vox founder and editor-at-large Ezra Klein. “Now, there’s an addiction to short-term feedback that is detrimental sometimes to thought.” Williams, who is now leading Medium, compared the mindset of getting ready to post on social media platforms like Twitter as “armoring up for battle.” This isn’t the first time Williams has expressed regret over what some view as the potentially negative effects of Twitter.

Bolt's Cut Price Offer to Challenge Uber in London

Ride-hailing service Bolt is back in London, and ready to take to on Uber. It will find doing so a tough challenge. However, as Wired noted, the service previously known as Taxify has one big advantage – it is much cheaper.

Bolt has spent the last two years going through the licensing process properly, and now it’s ready for action. But it is not new to ride hailing. The company was founded in 2013 by 19-year-old Estonian Markus Villig, and began by targeting markets – such as his home town of Tallinn – where Uber was slow to expand. It now operates in more than 30 countries, and has found particular success in Africa, where it offers rides on mopeds as well as in cars – the continent makes up about half of its revenue. But Uber is already deeply embedded into London’s transport system. It accounts for 80 per cent of all ride-hailing journeys, and is integrated into Google Maps and Citymapper.

iMovie 2.2.7 Brings Green Screen Editing, New Soundtracks, More

iMovie 2.2.7 is here, and it brings some cool features. Transform your video with the new green screen effect that lets you instantly remove the background of clips shot in front of a green or blue screen. Adjust the green screen effect with a 4-point mask and strength slider. Choose from 80 new soundtracks in genres including pop, chill, and sentimental that automatically adjust to match the length of your movie. Drop in still images with transparent backgrounds to use as logos or custom graphics on top of your video. Add photos as overlays to create picture-in-picture and split-screen effects. Choose to hide the border that surrounds picture-in-picture and split-screen effects. Instantly return to the edit screen of your project when switching back to iMovie from other apps. ClassKit support lets students deliver video assignments to teachers using the Schoolwork app. For users with videos in iMovie Theater, the Theater window is now accessible from the *** menu at the bottom of the Projects careen. Sharing to iMovie Theater is no longer supported; save your movies and trailers to iCloud Photos to watch them on other devices including Apple TV. Resolves an issue that could lead to a black viewer when previewing your video full screen on an external display. App Store: Free

New Mogul App Empowers Women to Reach Their Goals

The Mogul app was created to empower you to take control of your day. It’s time to focus on making each day matter and take action, small or large, everyday to get closer to your goals. At the heart of Mogul are two rituals to help you own your day. One in the morning and one in the evening. We believe the key to success lies in daily reflection and proactive planning to turn each day into an investment in yourself. So in the evening, check in and reflect on your day. Then, plan out your next day. The next morning, start your day on the right foot with an overview of the previous day that gets you in a positive mindset. See what your day looks like at a glance so that you can be ready to own the day. One of the great features of Mogul is that it integrates with your calendars, so you never have to exit the app to check any other commitments- everything can live in one place. Your goals also live alongside your day-to-day and your to do’s, so you can see what your working on is impactful and leading to success. A success that you care about. App Store: Free