American Law Institute Votes on Rollback of Consumer Privacy

The American Law Institute (ALI) will vote tomorrow on a proposal that would make it easier for companies to bind you to contracts, even without visiting the website.

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably clicked “I agree” on many online contracts without ever reading them. Soon you may be deemed to have agreed to a company’s terms without even knowing it. A vote is occurring Tuesday that would make it easier for online businesses to dispense with that click and allow websites that you merely browse — anything from Amazon and AT&T to Yahoo and Zillow — to bind you to contract terms without your agreement or awareness.

Chtrbox Exposes Instagram Influencer Database

Chtrbox, a social media marketing firm based in Mumbai, India, exposed an Instagram influencer database online.

Each record in the database contained a record that calculated the worth of each account, based off the number of followers, engagement, reach, likes and shares they had. This was used as a metric to determine how much the company could pay an Instagram celebrity or influencer to post an ad.

At the time of the writing there were 49 million database records, but was increasing by the hour. The database has since been pulled offline.

The iPhone XS Max 256GB + AirPods Giveaway (Last Chance)

Check out today’s giveaway, the The iPhone XS Max 256GB + AirPods Giveaway. w00t! Sign up to receive deal emails to enter the giveaway—if you’re already signed up for those emails, simply enter. It’s that simple, so get to it! This is the last chance, as this giveaway is coming to a close.

Apple History: The Apple Credit Card From 2004, and the 90s

Apple Card, which will be released this summer, isn’t the company’s first Apple credit card idea. Steve Jobs first thought of it in 2004.

The year was 2004…Steve thought the time was right for Apple to offer its own credit card. He would call it … (drum roll)… Apple Card…Alas, the Apple Card never saw the light of day. Steve worked to create a partnership with MasterCard, but apparently he couldn’t get the terms he wanted—so he pulled the plug.

Interesting story. The article also includes marketing materials the company created at the time. Edit: As it turns out, this wasn’t the first Apple Card either. In 1992/1993, The Mac Observer’s Dave Hamilton worked on an Apple credit card during a previous career at Citibank.

MIT Just Opened a Time Capsule Full of Tech History

Staff at MIT opened a time capsule buried 20 years ago Monday. It contained a plethora of tech history, including Sir Tim Berners-Lees original proposal for the World Wide Web and the first Microsoft product, Fast Company reported.

Inside, they found Tim Berners-Lee’s original proposal for the World Wide Web, written in 1992. This document laid out the rules that governed the HTTP protocol and how the HTML language was supposed to work–describing the graphic appearance of content on the internet, and how links would connect everything in a web-like network of nodes that could take you from a page about the mating habits of penguins to one that describes how a steam locomotive work. Basically, the document is one of the primary reasons you’re able to read these lines right now. The capsule also included Microsoft’s first ever product, the BASIC interpreter that Bill Gates and Paul Allen coded for the Altair computer in 1975.

Mystery 23.7-Inch LG Monitor Appears in Apple Store

It is well known that customers can purchase a 21.5 in 4k LG monitor and a 27-inch 5K LG monitor in Apple stores. However, TidBits found a mystery 23.7-inch monitor during a recent visit, one marketed explicitly at Mac users. However, the box does not say that the monitor is 4k.

Here’s the weird thing: I could find virtually nothing about the 23.7-inch LG UltraFine Display online. It’s not listed on Apple’s online store or LG’s Web site. A Google search for its model number, 24MD4KL, turns up little, just a page showing an FCC ID and another showing Energy Star certification. The display is not to be confused with other LG displays that are well-documented online. But this new Apple Store model is different in that it’s explicitly intended for and marketed to Mac users—it says so right on the box. What it doesn’t say on the box is “4K.”

(Article Image: Via TidBits)

Google Suspends Some Huawei Business Following Trump Blacklist

Google suspended some of its business with Huawei following President Trump’s decision to blacklist the firm. Reuters broke the news Sunday. The suspension affects the transfer of some hardware, software and technical services involving the Chinese telecoms giant.

Google has suspended business with Huawei that requires the transfer of hardware, software and technical services except those publicly available via open source licensing, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, in a blow to the Chinese technology company that the U.S. government has sought to blacklist around the world…Holders of current Huawei smartphones with Google apps, however, will continue to be able to use and download app updates provided by Google, a Google spokesperson said.

We Are Digital Renters of Our Own Objects

I thought this was an interesting angle in the “Our technology controls” us narrative. It’s the idea that we are sort of digital renters of our technology.

Today, we may think we own things because we paid for them and brought them home, but as long as they run software or have digital connectivity, the sellers continue to have control over the product. We are renters of our own objects, there by the grace of the true owner.

 

New Tool Credder Will Rate News Media Credibility

A startup called Credder wants to offer a rating system like Rotten Tomatoes, but for news publications. The hope is to offer people a way to check the credibility of a particular website, and rate them.

Startup Credder is trying to solve this problem with reviews from both journalists and regular readers. These reviews are then aggregated into an overall credibility score (or rather, scores, since the journalist and reader ratings are calculated separately). So when you encounter an article from a new publication, you can check their scores on Credder to get a sense of how credible they are.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Corel AfterShot Pro 3 for Mac: $29.99

We have a deal on AfterShot Pro 3 for Mac from Corel. This photo editing software is designed specifically for RAW files, utilizing a built-in RAW converter that allows you to upload, edit, and manage extremely high quality photos without inflicting any damage. It’s $29.99 through our deal.

News+: The Lazy Person’s Guide to Backing Up Data

In PCMag’s latest issue, Jill Duffy writes about choosing backup services that you’ll actually use, as well as the lazy person’s guide to backing up data.

The joke goes that there are two kinds of people: those who back up their data and those who haven’t lost everything yet. It’s painfully true. Losing your files can be heartbreaking, career-ruining, and expensive if you need to hire an expert to help you recover them. Backing up your data is a preventive measure that avoids all those problems. It sounds like a tedious chore, but it doesn’t have to be. There’s a backup solution for every kind of person—the lazy, the diligent, and everyone in between.

This is part of Andrew’s News+ series, where he shares a magazine every Friday to help people discover good content in Apple News+.

Lady Gaga Rumored for Apple Park Opening

Rumors surfaced Friday that pop superstar Lady Gaga will perform at the opening of Apple’s new headquarters, AppleInsider reported. The grand opening of Apple Park is set to take place Saturday. A rainbow stage was recently erected on the site for use during the celebration.

“There are unconfirmed reports that Lady Gaga will be performing at Apple Parks’ [sic] formal opening event tomorrow, celebrating Steve Jobs,” said Lady Gaga Now on Friday. It didn’t identify sources, but did note that Gaga — whose real name is Stefani Germanotta — boarded a private jet in Los Angeles on Thursday. Her only current concert schedule involves a residency in Las Vegas, and there are no performance dates there this week. The company recently confirmed that a rainbow stage at the center of Apple Park was erected for a combined opening/Jobs event. It indicated that the event would take place on May 17, however, not Saturday.

UPDATE: 9to5Mac reports that Lady Gaga’s appearance is confirmed.

AR Game Minecraft Earth Launches This Summer

This summer Microsoft will be launching an augmented reality game called Minecraft Earth. And it wants to be bigger than Pokémon Go.

Microsoft says it will kick off a closed beta of Minecraft Earth this summer on iOS and Android. Naturally, there are going to be limited slots, and you’ll also have to be 18 or older to sign up. And while the plan is to get Minecraft Earth completely global, it’s going to start off with a gradual rollout in select locations. You can also expect it to support all the languages in the original game, at least.

I never got into Minecraft, but I look forward to trying this game out.

Architect I.M. Pei's Influence on Apple

Legendary architect I.M. Pei passed away Thursday, aged 102. Most famous for the glass pyramid at the Louvre, he also had a major influence on Apple, Cult of Mac reported.

I.M. Pei first got involved with Apple in the early 80s, before it even launched the first Macintosh. Jobs wanted to hire I.M. Pei to design a campus for Apple in Coyote Valley, San Jose. This didn’t end up happening, but Jobs and Pei did work together not long after. The first instance was an ongoing project to create an apartment in the San Remo, a Neo-Renaissance apartment building in New York City. Jobs hired I.M. Pei’s firm to work on the project, although Jobs never wound up living there.

Grumpy Cat: Viral Sensation Dies at Age 7

Grumpy Cat has died at age 7, reported Buzzfeed News. The pet went viral in September 2012 when a picture of it appeared on Reddit. After that, Grumpy Cat’s life was never the same again.

She died in the arms of her owner on Tuesday, according to an emotional statement posted on Twitter. “Despite care from top professionals, as well as from her very loving family, Grumpy encountered complications from a recent urinary tract infection that unfortunately became too tough for her to overcome,” it read.”She passed away peacefully on the morning of Tuesday, May 14, at home in the arms of her mommy, Tabatha.”

New ProtonMail Anti-Phishing Feature Makes You Confirm

For the past several days I’ve seen a new dialog box whenever I tap on a link in ProtonMail for iOS. It turns out that it’s a new ProtonMail anti-phishing feature.

Another security improvement is our new link confirmation modal, which is now enabled by default on all our apps. This anti-phishing feature helps you avoid opening a link by mistake or going to a different page than you intended.

macOS: New Details on the Music Player in 10.15

Cult of Mac reports:

Some sources previously stated that the [macOS 10.15 Music] app would be made using Marzipan, which lets developers easily port iPad apps to the desktop. But new information reveals that won’t be the case.

In fact,

The Mac’s next-generation Music app will be based on iTunes, not ported over from iOS.

This makes some sense. The legacy macOS iTunes has a lot of Mac-specific code, including iOS device syncing and encrypted backups. But it’s probably also just phase one in the evolution of iTunes/Music on the Mac.

Psst...You can Turn off Autocorrect for iPad Hardware Keyboards

OSXDaily has been a lifesaver lately. I’ve been annoyed at my Logitech Slim Folio Pro keyboard, because the rigid rubber bumpers on the corner make it difficult to take a screenshot using the buttons. Then came this article saying you can take screenshots with a keyboard shortcut, something I should’ve known because it’s the same shortcut on the Mac. Oh well.

Then last night, I was annoyed with yet another typo in an article. I blame them entirely on iOS’s aggressive autocorrection, because the iPad Pro is my daily work machine now. Literally a couple hours later, the website published a tip saying you can turn off autocorrect for hardware keyboards.

This is because the iPad has separate settings for the software keyboard onscreen, and a hardware keyboard if one is connected to the iPad…

 

How to Stop Wasting Money on Subscriptions

How much do you spend each month on subscriptions? Each year? The number is only is going up. In a recent Wall Street Journal column, Joanna Stern looked at ways we can all cut out the unnecessary subscriptions in our lives.

The assortment of services is harder to keep track of than the flavors of LaCroix sparkling water. And the number of subscriptions we pay for, and how much we pay, is only going to keep ballooning. Don’t get me wrong. I love subscriptions. I love that soon I’ll be able to pay $7 a month for the newly announced Disney+ instead of paying a la carte for each $3 episode of “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.” But we can’t just go on signing up for “free trials” that turn into years-long payments. We have to pay attention to where our money is going.

SpaceX Postpones Starlink Due to High Winds

SpaceX has postponed its Starlink project due to high winds Wednesday night. Starlink is Elon Musk’s plan to provide global, low-cost satellite internet.

Sixty Starlink satellites have been packed into the nose cone of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that’s waiting to launch. Over the next eight years, the company plans to deploy around 12,000 of the satellites into low-Earth orbit to create its widespread broadband network as part of a project said to be costing the company $10 billion.

Its first goal is to deploy 4,425 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit at an altitude of between 690 miles (1,110 km) and 823 miles (1,325 km). These will act as the backbone of Starlink’s internet service.

macOS: What is /private/var/db/fpsd/dvp and Why Doesn't it Get Backed Up?

Carbon Copy Cloner users recently noticed a warning that ONE file, /private/var/db/fpsd/dvp, isn’t being backed up. Here’s why. (tl;dr. It’s not a problem.) This Apple discussion explains the situation for this user:

Carbon Copy Cloner gives me an error when I finish backing up, saying I can’t copy this file to my backup drive because it didn’t have permissions. What is it, and is it safe to use the backup without this file? When I go to the file in Finder, the folder it’s in doesn’t give me access.

Trump Declares National Emergency Over Threats to American Tech

Today President Trump has issued a national emergency over threats against American technology. A ban is expected to follow that will stop U.S. companies from doing business with Chinese company Huawei.

In a statement, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote that the administration will “protect America from foreign adversaries who are actively and increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology infrastructure and services in the United States.”