We have a deal on Typesy Typing Trainer, software designed to help you learn how to push your typing speed from 50 words per minute (WPM) to over 100. It includes games, activities, and an in-app coach. A lifetime subscription to this service is $19.99 through us.
Mozilla Calls on Retailers to Avoid Insecure Smart Devices
The Mozilla Foundation published its Minimum Security Guidelines and urged retailers stop selling insecure smart devices.
Dear Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon –
The advent of new connected consumer products offers many benefits. However, as you are aware, there are also serious concerns regarding standards of privacy and security with these products. These require urgent attention if we are to maintain consumer trust in this market.
Sorry, Facebook Messenger Decryption is Secret
Yesterday a U.S. judge ruled that a secret government effort to compel Facebook to decrypt Messenger voice conversations won’t be revealed.
Groups including the American Civil Liberties Union argued that the public’s right to know the state of the law on encryption outweighed any reason the U.S. Justice Department might have for protecting a criminal probe or law-enforcement method.
One word: PRISM.
Next to a Crate Full of Chickens – TMO Daily Observations 2019-02-12
Today Dave Hamilton and John Martellaro join Kelly Guimont to discuss Angela Ahrendts’ departure and the implications of Amazon buying Eero.
Hiding Your Unborn Child From Facebook and Google
When writer James Temperton and his partner found out they were having a child, they resolved to keep it hidden from the internet. It proved even more difficult than you might think. Changes to how the couple used technology were just the start of it, as Mr. Temperton’s story in Wired revealed.
Completely relearning how to use the internet is one thing, but becoming a social pariah is something else entirely. And then, when the baby is born, a new problem arises. How on Earth can you stop anyone who takes a photo of your child from storing that image on Google Photos, thus opening it up to Google’s machine learning algorithms? That’s my child. Why should Google be allowed to sink its algorithmic claws into his beautiful face and use that data to better personalise its products and services?
Nebia - the Luxury Shower Head Backed by Tim Cook
It is not all that often that Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google founder Eric Schmidt come together on a product. However, they both invested early on in the Nebia luxury shower head. The product launched its second iteration on Kickstarter Tuesday, and Mark Wilson tested it out for Fast Company. The idea of Nebia, as well as being luxurious, is to reduce water consumption in a shower by between 50% and 65%. Version 2 has received investment from the likes of Joe Gebbia (co-founder, Airbnb), James Park (CEO, Fitbit), and Barry Sternlicht (CEO, Starwood Capital Group).
So what’s new with the Nebia 2.0? For the most part, it’s the same system it always was. Its core is an aluminum tower that slides up and down depending how tall you want your shower to be. It still features a wand that sticks to the shower wall with a powerful magnet, serving as a body sprayer most of the time. And it’s the only shower system on the market that can be installed without screws or drilling.
WWDC 2019: June 3-7 in San Jose, California
I still count this as a rumor until Apple officially provides the dates, but MacRumors found something they believe confirms the dates.
While we were already confident the WWDC 2019 dates would fall on June 3-7, we confirmed with a source that a large annual event of some kind will be taking place during that week at McEnery. Meanwhile, the second and fourth weeks of June are ruled out due to the already-announced O’Reilly Velocity conference on June 10-13 and the Sensors Expo on June 25-27 at McEnery.
International Authorities Bust Cryptocurrency Fraud Cartel
U.S. and international law enforcement agencies combined to bust an international cryptocurrency fraud cartel. In total, 20 people were charged, The Next Web reported. 16 of those came from outside the U.S., and 12 of them will be extradited. Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski said that «the defendants allegedly orchestrated a highly organized and sophisticated scheme to steal money from unsuspecting victims in America and then launder their funds using cryptocurrency.”
The criminal conspiracy had defrauded Americans by listing products – usually cars – on online auction websites like eBay and Craigslist, only the item being sold didn’t exist. To make this scam seem more believable, the fraudsters had help from people based in the US. After the victims were convinced to pay, money was sent to the US-based associates who then converted the money to cryptocurrency before sending it on to their predominantely Romanian-based counterparts.
Apple Cloud Gaming and Augmented Reality
Rumors point to Apple creating a gaming subscription service. This Medium post suggest it might be something called «cloud gaming» where you don’t download anything. Sounds perfect for a thin client like Apple Glasses, although gaming is more of a VR thing. Speaking of AR though, there’s a new executive for that.
Between, Apple, Sony, and many other large tech companies (or startups comprised of people from these companies), we’re bound to soon have a reality with fast and reliable cloud gaming.
Touch Bar & The Terminal – Mac Geek Gab Podcast 748
Do you need an elbow connector? You might after listening to this episode! That, after all, is what Cool Stuff Found segments are all about: discovering stuff you didn’t know existed, and now you need! In addition to that, of course, your tips are shared and questions are answered, including some about iCloud Archives, CarPlay, and Watch Notifications. Hosts Dave Hamilton and John F. Braun guide you through all of this and more, just press play and enjoy learning at least five new things!
