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Revenue From Streaming Music Totaled $4.6 Billion in First Half of 2021

Andrew Orr ·

A mid-year report from the RIAA showed streaming music services have bounced back in 2021.

Within the overall streaming landscape, paid streaming subscription revenue totaled $4.6 billion — growing at the same 26% clip — and accounted for 78% of overall revenues in the first half of the year. Limited tier subscription revenue jumped to $452 million, accounting for 10% of streaming dollars, while ad-supported revenues — which took a large pandemic-related hit last year — grew 54% to $741 million. Digital and customized radio, including SoundExchange distributions, increased 3% to $585 million.

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Security Researcher Finds CloudKit Bug That Broke Apple Shortcuts

Andrew Orr ·

Security researcher Frans Rosén wrote about a CloudKit bug he accidentally found that affected Apple News, Shortcuts, and iCrowd+.

On the third day, I started to connect the dots, realized how certain assets connected to other assets, and started to understand more how things worked. This is when some of the first bugs popped up, finally restoring my self-esteem a bit, making me more relaxed and focused going forward.

I dug up an old jailbroken iPad I had, which allowed me to proxy all content through my laptop. I downloaded all Apple owned apps and started looking at the traffic.

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Coinbase Adds Option for Two-Factor Authentication Security Keys

Andrew Orr ·

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced an important update to its mobile app. Users can now secure their accounts with a two-factor authentication security key.

Hardware security keys are encrypted USB devices that you can register with your Coinbase account as a strong form of physical 2FA. Once registered, you’ll be prompted for your security key when logging in. You then plug in the key, or tap via near field communication (NFC), to your mobile device to securely access your account.

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Coinbase Adds Rari Governance Token (RGT) and XYO Network (XYO)

Andrew Orr ·

Starting today, Rari Governance Token (RGT) and XYO Network (XYO) are available on Coinbase.com and in the Coinbase Android and iOS apps.

Rari Governance Token (RGT) is an Ethereum token that powers Rari Capital, a decentralized protocol for lending and borrowing. The Rari Governance Token is used for fee discounts and protocol governance.

XYO Network (XYO) is an Ethereum token that powers XYO Network, a decentralized network of devices that anonymously collect and validate geospatial data. On the XYO World platform, XYO tokens can be traded for and staked against unique ERC-721 tokens representing real-world locations.

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Investor Tells Tim Cook - 'The Time Has Come to Change Apple’s Approach' to Antitrust

Charlotte Henry ·

One prominent tech investor has written to CEO Tim Cook urging the company to rethink its approach to antitrust cases and regulators. Roger McNamee had his letter published by Time.

Unless Apple rethinks its approach, regulators will likely have no choice but to undermine its advantage in privacy and security. As a customer, that will piss me off. As an activist trying to reform the tech industry, it will leave me wondering what might have been. I would like to suggest a path to a better outcome. Apple is no longer the plucky upstart it was when Steve Jobs returned two decades ago. The company has a market value bigger than the GDP of all but eight countries in the world. In the trailing four quarters, your firm enjoyed a tax rate of about 14%, which has attracted the attention of Senator Warren, among others, who believe it is too low. Apple has huge economic power, which it uses for competitive advantage. Some of the victims of that economic power are fighting back, not unreasonably, and Apple’s brand with policy makers has taken a beating. The company’s reaction? One of surprise and resentment, which is not working. The time has come to change Apple’s approach.

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Major Apple Maps Update Rolling Out in Italy

Charlotte Henry ·

A major update to Apple Maps is being rolled out in Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and Andorra. It includes a host of new data and features users in other countries have enjoyed for a while, MacStories reported.

In one update, the entire region is gaining features that were released elsewhere over the past two years, including: Look Around, More detailed road coverage, pedestrian data, and land cover, Improved navigation, 3D buildings. Siri Natural Language Guidance. Speed camera data. Lane guidance, and more… When iOS 15 is released, transit stations in Italy will be easier to find, and riders will be able to pin their favorite transit lines in Maps and track when they should disembark on an iPhone or Apple Watch. Drivers will gain the ability to report accidents, hazards, and speed checks using Siri too.

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CarPlay Support Coming to Microsoft Teams

Charlotte Henry ·

Microsoft Teams is getting CarPlay Support, the company announced in a blog post about hybrid working, released Thursday. Thankfully the meeting service will be audio-only for participants on the road.

Flexibility comes from knowing that no matter where you work from, you are connected to your colleagues and work. The latest innovations in Teams bring your favorite applications and experiences together to help you remain efficient, focused, and connected in hybrid work. With Apple Car Play coming to Microsoft Teams this month, you can now join Teams meetings and make calls hands-free on the road using Siri.

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Security Researchers are Fed Up With Apple's Bug Bounty Program

Andrew Orr ·

For five years Apple has invited ethical hackers to break into its products to look for flaws. But these security experts are tired of the program.

The best programs support open conversations between the hackers and the company. Apple, already known for being tight-lipped, limits communication and feedback on why it chooses to pay or not pay for a bug, according to security researchers who have submitted bugs to the bounty program and a former employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of a nondisclosure agreement.

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iRobot Releases J7+ Robot Vacuum With Upgraded Smarts

Andrew Orr ·

Tomorrow I’ll be publishing a review of an iRobot robot mop that I bought a few weeks ago. But today the company announced a new product, the j7+ robot vacuum.

Dozens of gradual improvements have resulted in the current operating system, the iRobot Genius 3.0. This system brings never-before-seen levels of A.I. personalization and control to robot vacuums. The system utilizes your phone’s location services to begin cleaning when you leave home and stop when you come home, ensuring a clean floor at all times.

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Microsoft President Brad Smith Says Government Agencies Need to Share Data

Andrew Orr ·

Microsoft President Brad Smith says intelligence agencies need to share information to better protect the nation against cyberattacks.

Repeatedly in late 2020 we found people in federal agencies asking us about information in other parts of the government, because it was easier to get it from us than directly from other federal employees. A culture of holding information tightly is so ingrained in the government that even its contracts with us forbid us from letting one part of the government know that another part has been attacked.

President Biden has taken a couple of steps so far.

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What Might be Next For Apple's CSAM Proposals?

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple’s proposals to tackle Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) have, you may have noticed, attracted some controversy. With the rollout of new features now delayed,  Wired had a look a at what might come next.

It’s unlikely the company can win over or please everyone with what follows – and the fallout from its plans have created an almighty mess. The technical complexities of Apple’s proposals have reduced some public discussions to blunt, for-or-against statements and explosive language has, in some instances, polarised the debate. The fallout comes as the European Commission prepares child protection legislation that could make it mandatory for technology companies to scan for CSAM. “The move [for Apple] to do some kind of content review was long overdue,” says Victoria Baines, a cybersecurity expert who has worked at both Facebook and Europol on child safety investigations. Technology companies are required by US law to report any CSAM they find online to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a US non-profit child safety organisation but Apple has historically lagged behind its competitors.

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SEC Threatens to Sue Coinbase Over its USDC Lending Feature

Andrew Orr ·

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced that the SEC is threatening to sue if it launches Lend. Lend is the platform’s feature that would give users 4% APY for USD Coin.

We shared this view and the details of Lend with the SEC. After our initial meeting, we answered all of the SEC’s questions in writing and then again in person. But we didn’t get much of a response. The SEC told us they consider Lend to involve a security, but wouldn’t say why or how they’d reached that conclusion.

They also asked for the name and contact information of every single person on our Lend waitlist.

That second part is particularly gross. Update: I think this is a nice write-up from Bloomberg on the matter.

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Graph Blockchain Aims to Create 3D NFTs for Augmented Reality

Andrew Orr ·

New World Inc, a subsidiary of Graph Blockchain, announced its intention to create NFTs using 3D scanning. These allow them to be viewed in an immersive environment using AR/VR.

For example, Contributors can create holograms of their favorite athlete, fabricate an unconventional piece of furniture, design a high-end piece of clothing, or create abstract pieces of art, all derived from objects in the tangible world.

Brazilian singer, songwriter, and dancer Naldo Benny is the most recent celebrity to team up with New World to create an NFT through 3D scanning. Naldo tracked his signature dance moves and mannerisms that were translated into a digital avatar by New World’s creative team and sold as an NFT.

This seems cool to me, and more of what I envision NFTs to be: Virtual representations of physical objects.

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BMW i4 Electric Vehicle Will Have Apple CarPlay Full Integrated

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple CarPlay is going to sit right at the heart of the forthcoming BMW i4 electric vehicle. MacRumors look a look at the promotional material that shows a fully integrated instrument cluster.

BMW describes the Apple ‌CarPlay‌ experience in the i4 as “even more seamless.” The i4 features two curved displays and a heads-up display. All three displays can display information from Apple ‌CarPlay‌ simultaneously. The BMW i4 features iDrive 8, which supports wireless Apple ‌CarPlay‌, turn-by-turn Apple Maps prompts in the heads-up display, and ‌Apple Maps‌ and directions in the instrument cluster.

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Apple Releases Another AirTags FirmWare Update

Charlotte Henry ·

For the third time in recent days, Apple released new AirTags firmware on Tuesday. AppleInisder reported that the software mainly contains bug fixes. It is automatically installed over the air.

It is unknown what the new firmware with version 1.0.291 (A1291e) brings, and Apple has released no documentation to support the revision. However, the update is expected to bring bug fixes and general improvements to the product. The past firmware was upgraded to the same version number but with a different build number — 1.0.291 (1A291c). The last firmware was released just five days after the previous one debuted.

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Bitcoin Becomes Legal Tender in El Salvador Today

Andrew Orr ·

El Salvador officially made Bitcoin a legal tender currency on Tuesday, September 7, the first country to do so. This move comes into effect three months after its parliament passed the vote.

The big advantage Bitcoin will have for these economies is that they will not have any debt to pay to anyone. It also means that these countries will offer excellent opportunities for the adoption of cryptocurrencies and for crypto startups. This will eventually boost taxation and can become a growth point for this country.

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Here are Steps to Take to Protect Your Privacy on Apple Devices

Andrew Orr ·

Macinstruct published a brief guide on protecting your privacy on Apple devices as a response to Apple’s CSAM detection plans.

We’re now encouraging readers to protect their privacy by disabling certain Apple features. In situations where privacy is a hard requirement, it may be necessary to consider using non-Apple hardware and software. This article provides an overview of our recommendations and your options.

It’s a decent guide except for the recommendation to disable iMessage in favor of SMS. iMessage is end-to-end encrypted, SMS is not. My advice for iMessage privacy is to prevent Messages from storing content in iCloud. When that happens, Apple has the capability to decrypt texts. On an iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Profile Name > iCloud, and turn off the toggle for Messages. Then go to Settings > Messages > Keep Messages. Change it to auto-delete old messages after 30 days. Or, use a private messenger such as Signal.

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The H.266 Video Codec is Coming. Here’s What it Promises

Andrew Orr ·

The next codec for video compression is H.266, or Versatile Video Codec (VVC). It promises up to 50% better compression than H.265, or High-Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC).

The JVET decided to build H.266 (VVC) for applications beyond video streaming. The standard has support for beaming 4K to 8K videos seamlessly, along with support for 360-degree videos. This could be useful in VR and AR applications.

Bross mentioned that H.266 is designed in such a way that that you can access different regions of a frame directly in the bitstream. So a video streaming service could choose to streams regions that are not very important in the scence in a lower resolution to save bandwidth.

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Great Suggestions For Repurposing an Older iPad Before You Recycle it

Charlotte Henry ·

It’s always somewhat sad to let an old iPad go to the great recycle bin in the sky, especially as they tend to still be fairly functional. Earlier this week, the Digital Story podcast offered some great suggestions for repurposing the device and getting a bit more life out of it. I really like some of these.

#1 – Fantastic Audio/Visual Remote and Channel Guide I’ve been using my iPhone to surf my Comcast channel guide. It worked fine. Then one day I had the bright idea to use an old iPad mini. Wow! What a difference screen real estate makes. I can can leave it right there on the coffee table. Plus it works nicely for Apple TV and other services. #2 – DIY CarPlay for Older Vehicles I love my 2007 Audi A3, and I doubt that I will ever sell it. But I do miss it having that handy LCD screen that every modern car sports these days. An iPad mini with cellular is a beautiful upgrade. I use a Padcaster for iPad Mini 1-3 frame that actually looks really nice with the interior of the car. And it’s quick release mounted so I can slide the device under the seat of the car when I’m not in it.