YouTube Replacing 'Trending' Tab With 'Explore'

YouTube is replacing its ‘Trending’ tab with a new ‘Explore’ one, Gizmodo reported. The feature was tested for nearly two years, and will now roll out across both iOS and Android.

It appears YouTube will feature videos in those destination pages based on content it already knows you like. When I click the gaming section, for example, I see videos about Age of Empires 2Teamfight Tactics, and clips from gaming channels I’m already subscribed to. So in a sense, destination pages are just a more targeted place to check out videos for stuff you already like, and maybe find new content that YouTube’s algorithm thinks you might enjoy. YouTube says it plans to continue adding new destination pages in the future, and while the initial lineup looks decent, there are a couple major topics, like sports, that didn’t make the roster.

PSA - Don't Buy Apple Products From Random People

It probably won’t come as a surprise to many reading this site, but you shouldn’t buy Apple products from total strangers. No. Really. iMore has details of a recent scam in the UK.

To be fair, the latest victim, Dylan Obeegadoo, was shown real Apple products before he handed over the cash; here’s his version of the events: “Dylan Obeegadoo told Black Country Live that two fraudsters, James and Frankie, approached him in a Churchill Shopping Centre in Dudley on Thursday, March 5, and offered the expensive products. After examining the two electrical items, which were real, he handed to the cash machine to withdraw £500 and met the duo outside their car. But the Dylan said the con artists managed to switch the bags during a convincing scam and said he was left with two bottles of fizzy pop and a cardboard box.”

This Safari Extension Can Clean Links With Trackers

A Safari extension called Clean Links can automatically remove tracking parameters from URLs. Blocked trackers include UTM by Google Analytics, FBCLID by Facebook, and others. It is a random app from GitHub outside of the App Store. I uploaded it to VirusTotal and it didn’t show anything weird. But the creator also makes the source code available.

To install Clean Links you can either download the latest prebuild extension from the releases tab, or you can clone the repository and build it yourself.

I also use a shortcut that can accomplish the same thing on iOS and iPadOS.

56 Apps Spy on Your Clipboard and Apple Doesn’t Care

Researchers found 56 apps that are spying on the iOS clipboard/pasteboard, like TikTok, New York Times, Fruit Ninja, and more. There are undoubtedly many more apps engaging in this behavior. And as I wrote in February, Apple doesn’t think it’s a problem.

We found that many apps quietly read any text found in the pasteboard every time the app is opened. Text left in the pasteboard could be as simple as a shopping list, or could be something more sensitive: passwords, account numbers, etc.

Data Caps Probably Won’t Go Away Permanently

Companies are making employees work from home because of the coronavirus. In a rare show of generosity, many ISPs are eliminating data caps. But I have to disagree with Devin Coldeway. Data caps are a way to make money from customers, and I don’t think they will go away permanently. They’ll be charging us up the wazoo like old times.

Pressure from the global pandemic has broadband companies loosening the arbitrary restrictions on the connections users pay for — and this may be the beginning of the end for the data caps we’ve lived in fear of for decades. Here’s why.

Sneak Peek: Here’s How a NordVPN Server Works

TechRadar Pro teamed up with NordVPN to give people an idea of what exactly goes on inside of a VPN server. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a technology ever-growing in popularity.

The session revealed that NordVPN’s Linux servers are configured with various tools that enhance security, privacy, and authentication. FreeRADIUS is used for authentication, while the squid proxy software is also used. SaltStack is used for correct server configuration, controlling the infrastructure.

Pixelmator Updates are Coming. Here’s a Sneak Peek

On its blog today Pixelmator shared that updates for all three of its apps are coming: Pixelmator Pro, Pixelmator Photo, and Pixelmator for iOS. I’m very excited to get an update to Pixelmator for iOS, it’s waaaaaay overdue. As the post mentions, two and a half years overdue. Hurry and sign up for the betas.

The answer is that, little by little, we plan to refresh and improve the app and, eventually, make it compatible with Pixelmator Pro. This is one very fundamental step towards that goal. We don’t have a timeline just yet for full compatibility and this will take a while but we’re very excited to get started on it!

How Worried Should You Be About Public USB Charging Stations?

Today DuckDuckGo published a post about the risks of using public charging stations. Technology exists that lets hackers install malware via these chargers. While I personally think the risk is a bit overblown, this is an argument I think can be added in favor of a portless iPhone.

Although it has become synonymous with charging, USB technology was initially developed with the aim of transmitting data. Thus, hackers can use these public charging stations to install malware on your smartphone or tablet through a compromised USB cable. This process, called “juice jacking”, allows hackers to read and export your data, including your passwords. They can even lock your device this way, rendering it unusable.

Crave PowerPack 2 - 50,000mAh Battery Charger: $189.99

We have a deal on a big boy portable battery, the Crave PowerPack 2. This 50,000mAh has two USB-C ports, one of which offers 60 watts for charging your laptop. The other USB-C port is an 18 watt port for mobile devices. It also has two QuickCharge USB charging ports for other mobile devices.

A Database of 500 iPhones Cops Tried to Unlock

Motherboard built a database of over 500 iPhones that law enforcement have tried to unlock. Many of them weren’t able to be unlocked at all.

Out of 516 analyzed cases, 295 were marked as executed. Officials from the FBI, DEA, DHS, Homeland Security and Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were able to extract data from iPhones in investigations ranging from arson, to child exploitation, to drug trafficking. And investigators executed warrants against modern iPhones, not just older models.

As mentioned, this provides useful data instead of the usual anecdotes. You can find the database here.

First ARM Macs Could Arrive in 2020

Apple is preparing to move its Macs to use ARM processors, starting with the MacBook. The first ones could arrive by the end of this year, according to a note by analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, seen by Cult of Mac.

In his latest note to investors, Kuo reveals that Apple could ship its first ARM-powered Mac by the end of 2020. It is believed a MacBook will make the switch first — ahead of Apple’s desktop machines. However, almost all Macs could use ARM chips eventually. The transition will obviously take time. Switching CPU architectures would require all software, including the macOS operating system itself, to be rewritten. Existing apps and games would not be compatible without some kind of emulator.

How TAG Huer is Trying to Compete With The Apple Watch

By any measure, the Apple Watch has won. The device helps Apple dominate the wearables market and outsells all its rivals by a significant margin. However, TAG Huer is hoping the 2020 version of its Connected smartwatch will help it stay in the game. Wired took a look at the device.

Its Monaco watches are square so it’s conceivable that we could one day see a square smartwatch from the brand, but the new TAG Heuer Connected shows that we’re unlikely to get a device that doesn’t look and act like a conventional watch. That’s unsurprising from a Swiss watchmaker, but it’s also notable in that it makes TAG Heuer one of the only genuine alternatives to Apple remaining. Five years after its first smartwatch, the 2020 edition of the TAG Heuer Connected isn’t dramatically different. The team of 30, up from four and now based in Paris, is doubling down on the idea of watch craftsmanship, both on the hardware and in the digital watch faces, and adding its own custom Sports app for golf, running and cycling.

Working From Home Isn’t For Everyone, But it’s Not Overrated

Writing for ˆThe New York Times, Kevin Roose says that working from home is overrated. Is it really though? I took umbrage at the sensational headline until I came to this part (emphasis mine):

But I’ve been researching the pros and cons of remote work for my upcoming book about human survival in the age of artificial intelligence and automation. And I’ve now come to a very different conclusion: Most people should work in an office, or near other people, and avoid solitary work-from-home arrangements whenever possible.

In other words, this article is an ad for his book. Moving on. To be fair, if you tend to fall on the extroverted end of the spectrum, maybe remote work isn’t best for your mental health. But calling it “overrated” just because you don’t care for it is simplistic.

Apple Seeds watchOS Beta Five

Apple seeded the fifth Beta of watchOS 6.2 to developers on Wednesday. MacRumors took a look at some of the new features on offer.

watchOS 6.2 introduces ‌Apple Watch‌ App Store support for in-app purchases, which will allow developers to create and sell ‌Apple Watch‌ apps that offer in-app purchase options and subscriptions. Code in iOS 13.4, the companion update to watchOS 6.2, suggests that both the ‌iPhone‌ and the ‌Apple Watch‌ will in the future have a “CarKey” feature that will let them be used in lieu of a car key to unlock NFC-capable vehicles. It’s not clear if this feature will be available when watchOS 6.2 launches, but it is in the works.

Yahoo Mobile Phone Service Arrives for $40

Yahoo Mobile is a new phone service that costs US$40/month. It uses Verizon’s network to give you unlimited texts, calls, and 4G data.

Times of high congestion will result in a slower connection, and tethering is limited to 5Mbits, with one tethered device permitted at time. Regular download speeds will range between 5-12 Mbps, with upload speeds of around 2-5 Mbps — not ground-breaking stuff, but reasonable enough.

It’s a direct competitor to Verizon’s other prepaid service, Visible (Which I use). Visible sounds like a better deal than Yahoo Mobile though since it removed its data cap.

Careless ‘Whisper’ Leaks Years of User Data

Whisper, an app for people to share their secrets, exposed user data like age, location, and more for years.

The records were viewable on a non-password-protected database open to the public Web. A Post reporter was able to freely browse and search through the records, many of which involved children: A search of users who had listed their age as 15 returned 1.3 million results.

The cybersecurity consultants Matthew Porter and Dan Ehrlich, who lead the advisory group Twelve Security, said they were able to access nearly 900 million user records from the app’s release in 2012 to the present day.

You can never be 100% secure but at least put a damn password on your server.

These Children Accidentally Racked up a £600 Bill on Their iPads

We’ve heard stories about children inadvertently running up huge bills on their parent’s credit cards before, but it never gets less painful for those involved. One parent shared their story with The Guardian after their children spent £600 ($764) on online gaming platform Roblox. Apple apparently did eventually refund the money, spent via the children’s iPads, after being contacted by the newspaper.

My nine and eight-year-old kids spent £602 via my iTunes account buying merchandise from the online gaming platform Roblox. I hadn’t realised my bank card would be available to use on my children’s iPads. When I discovered the spending spree I contacted Apple for a goodwill refund. The answer was: “Sorry we can’t help you but do have a nice day.” I then explained my predicament to Roblox. Their response was to terminate my children’s accounts, without any warning on the grounds that they “take fraud very seriously”.

Do You Own a Tesla? It’s Vulnerable to Hacking

Security experts found that Teslas are vulnerable to certain kinds of hacks. One expert, Brian DeMuth, said there are no easy ways to prevent it, but you can take some measures.

There are a few things that can reduce the risk if you are willing to accept diminished functionality in the car. For example, the telematics unit can be removed from the vehicle to eliminate attacks over the cellular network, but this also will prevent mobile apps and other remote functionality from working. Removing the telematics unit could also trigger warnings and other errors to appear in the instrument cluster or infotainment system.

Things for Apple Watch Gets Major Update

Good news for those who use the Things task manager app – the Apple Watch version has been given an overhaul. 9to5 Mac reported that not only does it now work with multiple Apple Watches, it also syncs directly with the Things Cloud.

The new version of the task manager finally works with multiple Apple Watches. This limitation previously made Things for Apple Watch unusable when using a second Apple Watch for sleep tracking. The bigger story is under-the-hood. Things for Apple Watch has been completely rewritten to sync directly Things Cloud. The major overhaul to the watchOS app now means Things for Apple Watch no longer requires the iPhone for syncing tasks. The new watch app sync is independent just like Mac, iPhone, and iPad versions.

CleanMyMac X Junk Cleaner for Mac: $67.99

We have a deal on CleanMyMac X, software that cleans the junk out of your Mac. I love and use this app regularly, and I’m delighted we’re offering a deal on it. Speaking of which, that deal is for the one-time purchase version of CleanMyMac X for one Mac. (MacPaw also offers a yearly subscription version). It’s $67.99 through our deal, more than $20 off the regular price. Our deal listing also has an option for the 2-Mac  version.

App Store Guidelines For Developers Get an Update

On Tuesday, Apple announced updated App Store guidelines for developers. Amongst other things, the updated guidelines cover reviews, spam, push notifications, Sign in with Apple, data collection and storage, and mobile device management. MacRumors has a good breakdown of some the key changes.

1.4.4 – Apps used to commit or attempt to commit crimes of any kind by helping users evade law enforcement will be rejected. (This previously was a rule limited to apps about DUI checkpoints). 4.3 – Apple has added new content types to its “Spam” list of app categories it considers already saturated. Fortune telling and dating apps join fart, burp, flashlight, and Kama Sutra apps as apps that will be automatically rejected unless they provide a “unique, high-quality experience.”

 

Apple Employee at Cork Campus Tests Positive For Covid-19

An employee at Apple’s Cork campus in Ireland has tested positive for the Coranavirus, the Irish Independent reported. The company confirmed the case of Covid-19. Over the weekend, Apple encouraged employees who were able to to work from home at a number of global locations, although Cork does not appear to be one where this policy was initially implemented.

“One of our employees in Cork has been confirmed to have Covid-19,” the company said in a statement. “We are closely coordinating with the local health authorities who feel the risk to others is low, and the individual remains in self-isolation. As a precaution, we have asked some of our team members to stay at home while we work with the Health and Safety Executive to assess the situation. We are continuing to regularly deep clean all our offices and stores and will take all necessary precautions in accordance with guidance from health authorities.” The Apple campus employs over 6,000 people.

Australia Takes Facebook to Court Over Privacy Violations

Australia’s privacy regulator is taking Facebook to court over Cambridge Analytica. It could impose a fine of AUD$1.7 million (US$1.1 million) for every privacy violation.

“Facebook failed to take reasonable steps to protect those individuals’ personal information from unauthorised disclosure,” the Australian commissioner’s office said.

Big companies like Facebook need fines in the billions of dollars for them to start paying attention.