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John McAfee - Man, Myth, Legend, Dies by Suicide in Jail

Andrew Orr ·

John McAfee, founder of the antivirus software company McAfee, has died by an apparent suicide. He was held in a Spanish jail cell awaiting extradition to the U.S.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Spanish High Court had agreed to extradite McAfee, who has been charged with a number of federal financial crimes in two districts in the United States. McAfee was hit with a 10-count indictment in the Western District of Tennessee in October for allegedly evading taxes on millions of dollars in income. He was also charged in a separate indictment in Manhattan federal court in March for a pump and dump scheme involving cryptocurrencies that he was touting on social media.

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Apple Exec Says Users Who Want ‘Sideloading’ Move to Android

Andrew Orr ·

Apple released a whitepaper [PDF] about the safety of the App Store, and the company’s head of user privacy, Erik Neuenschwander, spoke to Fast Company about it.

Without iOS, users wouldn’t have a mobile operating system platform they could choose from that is impossible to be targeted by malicious sideloading. In Apple’s view, in other words: Do you want the best privacy and security possible? Your choice is iOS. Do you want sideloading? Your choice is Android.

First, “if you want X move to Android” is a bad argument. I like Cory Doctorow’s text on the subject. Second, it’s not “sideloading” it’s downloading your software from the internet like desktop users have enjoyed for decades. Apple has smart people and I’m sure they can figure out a way to bring Gatekeeper to iOS.

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Apple TV+: How The World of 'Physical' Was Created

Charlotte Henry ·

In a new video, the cast and crew of new Apple TV+ show Physical reveal how they recreated 1980s California. Writer and showrunner Annie Weismann explains how her own experience with eating disorders influenced the show. The stars, including Rose Byrne and Rory Scovel, also explain what it was like heading back to 1981. The first episodes are available to subscribers now, with new ones landing each Friday, and the show is very much worth watching.

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7,000 Crypto Mining Computers Seized in Iran

Andrew Orr ·

Police in Iran have recently seized 7,000 computers used as cryptocurrency miners, it’s biggest haul so far. These miners were located inside an abandoned factory.

In late May, Iran banned the mining of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin for nearly four months as part of efforts to reduce the incidence of power blackouts blamed by officials on surging electricity demand during the searingly hot and dry summer.

According to blockchain analytics firm Elliptic, around 4.5% of all bitcoin mining takes place in Iran, giving it hundreds of million dollars in revenue from cryptocurrencies that can be used to lessen the impact of U.S. sanctions.