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The Care19 Contact Tracing App Gives Your Location Data to Foursquare

Andrew Orr ·

Care19, a contact tracing app used by North and South Dakota, violates its own privacy policy. Notably, the creator of the app, ProudCrowd, made sure that location data from the app is shared with Foursquare, although it claims it’s not used for commercial purposes. It’s a violation of its privacy policy because users are told their location data is private:

This location data is private to you and is stored securely on ProudCrowd, LLC servers. It will not be shared with anyone including government entities or third parties, unless you consent or ProudCrowd is compelled under federal regulations.

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Some Online College Exams Don’t Support Apple’s HEIC Format

Andrew Orr ·

Apple’s HEIC photo format isn’t widely supported and that causes problems when students upload photos during online exams.

But the testing portal doesn’t support the default format on iOS devices and some newer Android phones, HEIC files. HEIC files are smaller than JPEGs and other formats, thus allowing you to store a lot more photos on an iPhone. Basically, only Apple (and, more recently, Samsung) use the HEIC format — most other websites and platforms don’t support it. Even popular Silicon Valley-based services, such as Slack, don’t treat HEICs the same way as standard JPEGs.

I wish more websites would support HEIC/HEIF. It should be a no-brainer since the file size is smaller than JPG and supports a wider color gamut.

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‘Mythic Quest: Quarantine’ Was Shot With 40 iPhones

Andrew Orr ·

Hollywood Reporter talked with Rob McElhenney, creator and star of Mythic Quest, about the newest quarantine episode.

McElhenney pitched the idea to his bosses at Apple, who were immediately on board. To pull it off, he told a team in Cupertino, California, that the production would need 40 new iPhones and 20 sets of earbuds later that week.

“This was a Monday, and I said, ‘If we have them by Friday, I think we could pull this off. Is that possible?'” he recounts by phone. “There was a rep on the call who didn’t skip a beat. She said, ‘I already have them tracked down. They’re in L.A. and I can have them to you by this afternoon.'”

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AT&T Advised to Discontinue Misleading ‘5Ge’ Moniker

Andrew Orr ·

A panel of the National Advertising Review Board is recommending that AT&T stop its “5G Evolution” label for its network. If you’re at AT&T customer and notice a “5G E” label on your iPhone, that is what this is referring to. (Hint: It’s not actually 5G).

The NARB Panel agreed with NAD’s analysis and concluded that the term “Evolution” is not likely to alert consumers to the fact that the service is not 5G […] AT&T stated that it “respectfully disagrees with the reasoning and result reached by the Panel majority,” […] As a supporter of the self-regulatory process, it will comply with the NARB’s decision.

No comment from me is needed, other than surprise that AT&T is capable of self-regulating

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Apple TV+: Why Purchasing Old Movies And Shows Might Not be The Answer

Charlotte Henry ·

Apple is reportedly looking to purchase a catalog of older movies and series to bolster its Apple TV+ offering. As we discussed on the Daily Observations podcast on Tuesday, this is going to be difficult and might not even work. Luke Filopwicz expressed a similar view on iMore.

The great thing about Apple TV+ having only original content (especially brand-new content) is that it allowed Apple to launch its programming in every country that could access Apple TV+. Licensed content doesn’t let you do that without some headaches…. The best thing that could happen for Apple is if they somehow produce a mega-hit show — think Game of Thrones level of fandom — that becomes part of popular culture. Of course, doing that is pretty damn hard and every other network and streaming service is trying to do the exact same thing.

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In Update to Privacy Policy, Twitter Gives More Data to Advertisers

Andrew Orr ·

Twitter updated its privacy policy on Monday to reflect that more of your data will be shared with advertisers.

To help us understand if these ads are effective, we share device-level data, like IP address, with our advertising partners. We don’t share things like your name, email, phone number, or Twitter username.

To help mobile app advertisers understand if the ads they run on Twitter are effective, Twitter shares some device-level data, like which ads your device may have seen or clicked on, with them. We don’t share your name, email, phone number, or Twitter username.

It doesn’t matter if they don’t share details like your phone number if it gets leaked anyway.

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Please Don’t Disable FileVault Encryption Like Logitech Wants

Andrew Orr ·

Logitech has a support article that mentions problems customers may have with Bluetooth mice and keyboards not reconnecting under certain conditions (Brought to my attention from Reddit).

If your Bluetooth mouse or keyboard does not reconnect after a reboot at the login screen and only reconnects after the login, this might be related to FileVault encryption. When FileVault is enabled, Bluetooth mice and keyboards will only re-connect after login.

One of the potential solutions is to disable FileVault. I personally think this is a terrible idea. FileVault encryption is an important security and privacy feature. I don’t know if the bug lies with macOS or Logitech, but my potential solution is to ditch the product instead of disabling your hard disk encryption.

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Google Fi Introduces eSIM Support for New iPhone Customers

Andrew Orr ·

First introduced last month, Google Fi is rolling out eSIM support for new iPhone customers.

This capability is tied to version 2.5 of the Google Fi companion app, which rolled out yesterday. The release notes mention how “You can now activate Fi via eSIM on select iPhone devices.”

The official help document still notes how “iOS eSIM activation only works for new users who sign up for Google Fi.”

Find the Google Fi app here.

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How Sundar Pichai is Managing Google Through a Pandemic

Charlotte Henry ·

Top tech CEOs are not exactly renowned for giving long, insightful, interviews. But hey, we live in strange times, so Google boss Sundar Pichai has sat down with The Verge‘s Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn and discussed guiding his company through a pandemic.

I think the irony of the Google Meet team working remotely to make and iterate the product to get it to where they wanted it to be was very interesting to see. Javier has a very, very long commute, and one of his biggest concerns was the commute when he was joining. He’s doing it all virtually now. But it is an important moment. Many schools, many organizations already use Google Meet. So we are doubling down. Obviously, COVID has blurred the lines between consumer and enterprise, and people are using products in all kinds of contexts. And so definitely, we are using it as an opportunity to make Google Meet and Google Chat, scale it up and make it more available.

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Ubisoft Sues Apple Over ‘Rainbow Six: Siege’ Copyright

Andrew Orr ·

Ubisoft is suing Apple and Google over a Chinese game it calls “a near carbon copy” of its game Rainbow Six: Siege.’

It says it has raised the issue with both Apple and Google, which both take a cut of sales on their respective app stores.

“But rather than take any measures to stop or curtail the infringement… Google and Apple instead decided that it would be more profitable to collect their revenue share from AF2 and continue their unlawful distribution,” Ubisoft says in its court filing.

Do they expect the App Store review team to be able to spot copyright  infringement related to a company that is definitely not their own company, Apple?

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iPhone Hacking Company GrayKey Reinvents the Keylogger

Andrew Orr ·

A report from NBCNews mentions a tool from GrayKey called Hide UI, and until now has been kept secret from the public.

But another tool, previously unknown to the public, doesn’t have to crack the code that people use to unlock their phones. It just has to log the code as the user types it in.

Software called Hide UI, created by Grayshift, a company that makes iPhone-cracking devices for law enforcement, can track a suspect’s passcode when it’s entered into a phone, according to two people in law enforcement, who asked not to be named out of fear of violating non-disclosure agreements.

This is called a keylogger, and it is neither new nor revolutionary. It would be cheaper for police to use pen and paper to write down a suspect’s passcode, although there is that pesky fifth amendment.

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What Will The Next Ten Years of Apple Design Look Like?

Andrew Orr ·

“The next decade of Apple design has nothing to do with its most popular product of all time (so far)” is a weird stance to take. Author Sophie Charara seems to only make two points in favor of her argument.

Lisa Jackson […] has said that Hankey and her colleagues “ask tough questions” on sustainability; critics are looking for substantive progress that will require Apple’s new design chiefs to adapt some core principles while maintaining their aesthetic standards.

One possible cultural challenger to the new Apple duo is Ivy Ross […] Ross is a proponent of softer colour palettes and warmer materials, as seen in Google’s Pixel and Home product lines, and believes that aesthetics are less about making devices look pretty than “enlivening your senses”.

Apple critics always looking for the next big thing are not and have never been a source of design inspiration. I wouldn’t look to Google for that either. The final sentence: “And we haven’t seen the end of Jony Ive’s contributions just yet: Tim Cook says that Apple will be one of LoveFrom’s primary clients.”

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Facebook Bought Giphy. What Does That Mean for Privacy?

Andrew Orr ·

Facebook announced today that it’s acquiring Giphy for an alleged sum of US$400 million.

Facebook characterized the acquisition—reportedly worth $400 million—as a way to help its millions of users “better express themselves.” […] Facebook says it will not collect information specific to individual people using Giphy’s API, but it will get valuable data about usage patterns across the web.

I definitely don’t believe them when they say that won’t collect individual data. That is Facebook’s raison d’être. This is exactly like its usage of the Onavo VPN spyware: Collect data on how people use GIFs everywhere, especially on competitor’s platforms. Mark Zuckerberg is furiously trying to beat Snapchat into submission. They rejected him once and he’s been out for blood ever since. GIFs may sound like a stretch when it comes to data collection, but keep in mind that web beacons exist.

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Meditation App ‘Headspace’ Offers Free Year of Premium Content

Andrew Orr ·

Headspace is offering Americans a free year of premium access of the full library of guided meditations and courses.

“The current state of unemployment in the US has become an alarming crisis,” the company website said. “To help those affected, we’re offering a full year of Headspace Plus for free. Discover meditation and mindfulness tools to help you feel less stressed, more resilient, and kinder to yourself.”

Nice move. Self-care is important.

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Crusader Kings III Release Date on Macs Set for September 1

Andrew Orr ·

Paradox Development Studio announced the Crusader Kings III release date today. It comes to Mac, Linux, and Windows on September 1.

The new title focuses more on your ruling family’s personality, complete with character lifestyles and traits (acting against them can lead to stress or even breakdowns), earning Renown to boost your reputation and inducing Dread to keep people in line. Dynasties can split into individual houses, blackmail is an option, skilled fighters can become knights, and you can set Tenets and Doctrines for religions that deviate from the original.

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Zerodium Pauses Purchases of iOS Exploits

Andrew Orr ·

Zerodium is temporarily suspending its purchasing of iOS exploits due to a high number of submissions, with the CEO saying ”iOS security is f**ked.”

Zerodium is an exploit acquisition platform that pays researchers for zero-day security vulnerabilities and then sells them to institutional customers like government organizations and law enforcement agencies. The company focuses on high-risk vulnerabilities, normally offering between $100,000 and $2 million per fully functional iOS exploit.

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A Great Way to Get out of Another Zoom Meeting

Charlotte Henry ·

Everyone is fed up of Zoom meetings now, right? Well, LifeHacker found one smart kid who came up with an ingenious way to get out of them.

Reddit). If you want to skip out on a Zoom meeting, or at least give the impression that connection difficulties are making it impossible for you to attend, do two things. First, get your fingers positioned over the ALT + V and ALT + A keys to turn off your webcam and audio, respectively. (Command + Shift + V and Command + Shift + A on your Mac.) Then, right-click on yourself and select “Rename,” if it’s available. Once you’re ready to “depart” the meeting, replace your name with “Reconnecting…” but don’t click OK just yet. Hit ALT + V and then ALT + A to drop your video and audio, and then click on OK to change your name. With luck, it’ll all appear pretty seamless—your mic and webcam suddenly cut out, and you’re now struggling to “reconnect” with great difficulty.

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Senate Vote Lets FBI View Your Browsing History Without Warrant

Andrew Orr ·

As part of a reauthorization of the Patriot Act, the Senate voted to let the FBI access Americans’ web browsing history without a warrant. I could say a lot of bad things about this, but this is the part that disappoints me the most:

Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT) attempted to remove the expanded powers from the bill with a bipartisan amendment.

But in a shock upset, the privacy-preserving amendment fell short by a single vote after several senators who would have voted “Yes” failed to show up to the session, including Bernie Sanders. 9 Democratic senators also voted “No,” causing the amendment to fall short of the 60-vote threshold it needed to pass.

Just one vote.

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Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun Caught Using iPhone

Andrew Orr ·

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun was caught using an iPhone after he posted a message on Weibo using the device.

In all fairness, Lei Jun is reported to have stated in the past that officials and staffs of Xiaomi are not banned from using competing brands. But some hold the opinion that it is distasteful and disrespectful to fans for the Xiaomi founder to use an iPhone. Guess we don’t have to wonder anymore why the MIUI interface looks so much like iOS.

Reminds me of the multiple occasions where an Android manufacturer posted a picture on social media to boast how great their camera was, only for people to find out it was shot on an iPhone. In 2018 Vladimir Putin’s goddaughter was caught on camera using an iPhone. She was a Samsung ambassador and was sued by the company for 108 million rubles.

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Twitter CEO Says Employees Can Work From Home Indefinitely

Andrew Orr ·

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that employees can continue to work from home indefinitely, even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

“We’ve been very thoughtful in how we’ve approached this from the time we were one of the first companies to move to a work-from-home model,” a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. “We’ll continue to be, and we’ll continue to put the safety of our people and communities first.”

I hope more companies do this. Depending on the job, it may be harder to do for some people than others, but it also seems like a great way to help with housing crises like those in California.

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Your Financial Transaction Data is the Holy Grail for Advertisers

Andrew Orr ·

Over the past decade, our financial transaction data has become one of the most sought-after data sets. Credit card processors like American Express, Mastercard, and Visa are at the center of it.

All of this is happening under a veil of secrecy. Credit card companies may acknowledge that they make money from analyzing transactions, but they are vague about what data they actually share […] Even Apple, which prohibits Goldman Sachs from using its card data for marketing purposes, couldn’t get the same concessions out of Mastercard, its card network.

Here’s a link to the study mentioned in the article, where MIT researchers successfully de-anonymized financial data that these companies claim had privacy protections.

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White House in Talks With Intel, TSMC to Build U.S. Chip Foundries

Andrew Orr ·

Officials at the White House are reportedly in talks with Intel and TSMC to build semiconductor facilities in the United States.

U.S. tech companies and the government have been trying to reduce the country’s dependence on chip factories in Asia for years, underscored by national security concerns […]

In an April 28 letter obtained by the WSJ, Intel CEO Bob Swan told Defense Department that the company is willing to build a commercial foundry in partnership with the Pentagon “given the uncertainty created by the current geopolitical situation.”

The newspaper reports that TSMC has been in talks with Commerce and Defense department officials and Apple, one of the biggest clients, about building a semiconductor factory in the U.S.

Corporations have spent the last 30 or so years moving manufacturing to China in search of cheap labor. Did they not expect China to start competing with them?

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Tile Partners With Intel to Track Laptops

Andrew Orr ·

Tile is partnering with Intel to bring its location tracking technology directly to laptops. These devices will be available later in 2020.

The Intel tie-up builds on Tile’s existing partnerships with Bluetooth chipmakers such as Qualcomm, Dialog Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, and Toshiba — allowing manufacturers to develop devices that work with Tile’s tracking smarts out of the box.

Tile has been working hard to expand its business from just the physical tiles it sells to consumers. I haven’t heard a whisper of Apple’s competing product AirTags for roughly a month, but Tile scrambling to get partners makes me think AirTags are still coming (and we probably won’t see them until the iPhone 12 launch).

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Look How Cool the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard Looks Under X-Ray

Andrew Orr ·

The folks at iFixit examined the iPad Pro Magic Keyboard with X-rays. It looks cool and shows the product’s complexity.

What makes this the Magic Keyboard instead of a Smart Keyboard? Scissor switches, which proved much smarter than butterfly switches over (too) many years. This is the least complicated thing we can see on the Magic Keyboard, and it’s probably the biggest improvement.

I think this looks great. Right now I’m not sure if I’ll get the Magic Keyboard or not. Brydge plans to send me their keyboard accessory. However, I’m definitely a fan of how thin the Smart Keyboard is, and it looks like the Magic Keyboard shares that trait.