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GitHub Preserves its Code in the Arctic World Archive

Andrew Orr ·

GitHub plans to store all of its open source code in the Arctic World Archive to prepare for possible doomsday scenarios.

The data is stored on reels of film coated with iron oxide powder. It can be read by a computer or — in the event of a global power outage — a human with a magnifying glass. Crucially, this film will last for 1,000 years. Among the first data deposit at the vault is the source code for Android and Linux operations systems, as well as a range of programming languages, web platforms, cryptocurrencies and AI tools. GitHub is planning on having all active public repositories stored by February 2020.

This sounds like a neat project. It also sounds like the Arctic World Archive is “around the corner” from the Doomsday seed vault, another preservation project. Note: The photo I chose for the featured image is of that seed vault.

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The 16-Inch MacBook Pro Provides Plenty of Reasons to go Back to Mac

Charlotte Henry ·

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro has certainly generated a lot of excitement. Cult of Mac‘s Charlie Sorrell said the device will be the first new Mac he has bought in six years.

The thing that really makes me want a new Mac right now is that macOS and iOS are now very tightly integrated. Handoff means you really can switch between devices at will, even when working on the same article. And Sidecar means that I can use touch, and the Apple Pencil, on Mac apps like Ableton Live and Logic. And all the while, I can enjoy the superior customization options of the Mac. It’s a win-win. Albeit a really expensive one. If I wasn’t in a hurry to move (partially) back to the Mac, I’d wait for the MacBook Air to get its keyboard replaced, or for the first ARM Mac to appear. As it is, I’m happy buying the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Finally a Way to Batch-Rename Files on iOS
Cool Stuff Found

Finally a Way to Batch-Rename Files on iOS

Andrew Orr ·

Every since I bought an iPad Pro I’ve been able to conduct most of my work and personal life on my iPad. But I still need my MacBook Pro for a couple things, like using Automator to batch-rename files (renaming multiple files simultaneously). This isn’t possible to do on iOS, until now. A shortcut I found on RoutineHub lets you do this. It lets you rename your files in custom formats, like alphabetically, prepending text, sorting by date modified, etc.

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A Major New Security Feature is Coming to iOS 13.3

Charlotte Henry ·

iOS 13.3 is heading our way soon, and it is set to contain a powerful new security feature. Forbes reported that it will support NFC, USB, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys in Safari.

The move is revealed in Apple’s release notes for the second developer beta, which says iOS 13.3 supports NFC, USB, and Lightning FIDO2-compliant security keys in Safari. In other words, when the iOS 13.3 update drops, you will able to use physical security keys such as Yubico’s iPhone compatible YubiKey 5Ci–which was previously unavailable to browsers such as Apple’s Safari and Google’s Chrome. However, it could be used with some password manager apps such as 1Password.

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Facebook is Fine With Political Lies But Bans Pro-Vaccination Ads

Andrew Orr ·

Facebook is happy to let politicians lie in advertisements on the platform, but it bans pro-vaccination ads that are rooted in science.

The study, published today in the journal Vaccine…found that a small group of “well-connected, powerful people” promoting broad anti-vaccination messages had successfully leveraged the platform’s targeted advertising service to reach select audiences…Meanwhile, those behind pro-vaccine messages well far less well funded and centralised, with their advertising often focusing on inoculating against specific conditions.