Andrew Orr and Charlotte Henry join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the Software security audits and the Apple Product Treadmill.
The End of 'Beautygate'
The iPhone XS and XS Max came with a feature called SmartHDR that increased the dynamic range of photos. It also reduced the local contrast and the phone’s performance in low light. The lowlight issues were fixed by decreasing noise reduction, which, when combined with the lack of contrast created a smoothing effect. This was particularly noticeable in selfies and came to be known as ‘Beautygate’. With iOS 12.1 Apple tried to fix the problem. Did they succeed? A video from AppleInsider takes a look.
Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows 1-Year Subscription: $9.99
We have a deal on a 1-year subscription to Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows. This software features more than 30 tools accessible from a single interface, including: Airplane Mode, Alarm, Archive, Block Camera, Capture Area, Capture Screen, Capture Window, Clean Drive, Convert Video, Date Countdown, Download Audio, Download Video, Do Not Disturb, Do Not Sleep, Eject Volumes, Find Duplicates, Free Memory, Hidden Files, Hide Desktop, Lock Screen, Launch, Make GIF, Mute Microphone, Presentation Mode, Record Audio, Record Area, Record Screen, Record Window, Resize Images, Screenshot Page, Sleep Timer, Stopwatch, Switch Resolution, Take Photo, Take Video, Timer, Unarchive, Uninstall Apps, and World Time. Our deal is a 1-year subscription for $9.99, half off retail.
Unlock Your Volkswagen With Siri
Volkswagen is now letting iPhone users unlock their car with Siri. The VW Car-Net app has support for shortcuts.
iOS users can now use Siri to lock and unlock their car, check estimate mileage with the fuel or charge left in their vehicle, and enable alarms. Cart-Net isn’t free to all VW owners, though: the app costs a specific subscription fee per month. It allows vehicle owners to pinpoint their car’s location, set a geofence for it, and access diagnostics remotely.
Kids Are Being Raised in a Cashless Society
Contactless payments and bank apps are introducing kids to a cashless society. Some parents are using these apps instead of forking over cash allowances.
 «Young people are seeing less and less cash transactions, which just means that we have to be even more careful to talk about what is happening at each of those stages, because it has become more abstract,» said Winnard.
This is also how Apple seems to be marketing Apple Pay Cash in part. Parents can use iMessage to give their kids money.
Does Wiping an iPhone Count as Destroying Evidence?
An iPhone X seized as part of an investigation was remotely wiped by its owner. This begs the question: Does wiping an iPhone count as destruction of evidence?
Police believe Juelle L. Grant, 24, of Willow Avenue, may have been the driver of a vehicle involved in an Oct. 23 drive-by shooting on Van Vranken Avenue, near Lang Street, so they obtained her phone, according to police allegations filed in court.
No one was injured in the shooting. After police took her iPhone X, telling her it was considered evidence, «she did remotely wipe» the device, according to police.
This will be an interesting case to watch, and could set the tone for future phone-related incidents.
Bridge Mode, APFS, and Tips from MacTech – Mac Geek Gab 735
Dave’s back from MacTech and boy is his brain tired from absorbing as much knowledge as he could. He and John talk through a bunch of that, including some important new APFS knowledge, Cool Stuff Found, and a plethora of Quick Tips. Plus, of course, your two favorite geeks answer your questions. All this and more… press play and enjoy!
Advertising Fraud on Android Apps Uncovered
Buzzfeed News has discovered a sophisticated digital advertising fraud scheme targeting Android devices, in which ads were shown to bots, not real users. The article estimates that those behind the scheme «stole close to $10 million from advertisers who used Google’s ad network to place ads in the affected websites and apps». The fraudulent scheme operated across a large network of Android apps, including some aimed at children. It raises major questions about the reviews process used by Google. The article noted that «the Google Play store has a less rigorous app review process than Apple’s App Store.» Here’s some of what Buzzfeed News found:
An investigation by BuzzFeed News reveals that these seemingly separate apps and companies are today part of a massive, sophisticated digital advertising fraud scheme involving more than 125 Android apps and websites connected to a network of front and shell companies in Cyprus, Malta, British Virgin Islands, Croatia, Bulgaria, and elsewhere. More than a dozen of the affected apps are targeted at kids or teens, and a person involved in the scheme estimates it has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars from brands whose ads were shown to bots instead of actual humans.
Apple Headphones Might One Day Auto-Detect Right/Left
A new patent reveals that Apple is trying to use microphone to solve the problem of people wearing headphones the wrong way round. Typically our headphones are marked either L and R or having some other kind of indication as to which side is which. Apple has a new patent, reported by AppleInsider,  for a «system and method for automatic right-left ear detection for headphones.» It would use the microphone in the headset to discover the headphone’s orientation and alter the left and right channels accordingly. The patent details a system of five microphones per ear cup, including one inside. Here’s a little insight into what might be on offer in the future:
By listening to the voice of the user, and monitoring the volume of the voice by each microphone, the headphones can determine which edge is closest to the user’s mouth, and therefore which orientation the headphones reside. The offsetting of the top-side microphones also allows for just those two microphones to be used, with the logic the microphone of the two that has the louder volume is closer to the mouth.
CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand: $17.99
We have a deal on the CHOETECH Fast Wireless Charging Stand. It delivers up to 10 watts of wireless charging power to your Qi-compatible devices, including iPhone 8/Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. It also features over-charging, over-voltage, over temperature, and over-current protection. It’s $17.99 through our deal.
