David Marcus, the founder of Facebook’s Libra digital currency, is in front of the Senate Banking Committee. He is taking questions about the plans. In particular, lawmakers are expected to focus on data privacy issues. It comes as the project is facing evermore scrutiny, including from Democratic members of House. Mr. Marcus’s hearing is available to watch via CSPAN.
Ajit Pai's Proposal Would Limit Local Power to Regulate Internet
A proposal by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai would limit local authority to regulate internet access by killing fees and other rules.
iOS 13 Password Bug Gives Unauthenticated Access in Settings
An iOS 13 password bug was discovered in the latest betas that give unauthenticated access to Website & App Passwords in Settings.
As detailed by iDeviceHelp on YouTube, you can access all of the saved usernames and passwords in Settings by repeatedly tapping the “Website & App Passwords” menu and avoiding the Face ID or Touch ID prompt. After several tries, iOS 13 will show all of your passwords and logins, even if you never successfully authenticated with Face ID or Touch ID.
I haven’t been able to replicate the issue, but I’ll keep trying to see.
For All Mankind Apple TV+ Teaser Drops to Mark Apollo 11 Anniversary
Apple released a teaser video for For All Mankind to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch.
How the Spacecraft, Kepler, Discovered Over 4,000 Exoplanets
CNET writes:
In just a few decades, we’ve gone from knowing of no planets beyond the solar system to thousands. Here’s how it happened.
The now retired spacecraft, Kepler, has been instrumental in the discovery of over 4,000 planets beyond our solar system. Referenced here: CNET article and NASA video.
SuperTank 27,000mAh Portable Charger: $134.99
We have a deal on a beast of portable battery, the 27,000mAh SuperTank. This device can charge up to four devices at a time with 2 USB-C and 2 USB-A ports—plus one of those USB-C ports can put out 100 watts of power. It’s TSA-compliant and is crush-proof, too. The SuperTank is $134.99 through our deal.
Get eero Mesh Wi-Fi for up-to-50% Off for Amazon Prime Day
eero, one of our favorite consumer mesh Wi-Fi systems, is available for up-to-50% off Monday and Tuesday as part of Amazon Prime day. Deals include:
- eero Pro – $99. Normally US$199, this is the tri-band, flagship model in the eero lineup.
- eero Pro and 2 Beacons – $199. Normally $399, and is probably what most homes need.
- eero Pro and 1 Beacon – $149. Just spend the extra $50 and get the 2 Beacon bundle.
- eero Pro 3-Pack – $299. Normally $499, this is a great deal. But you can save $2 if you buy three standalone units.
All of these deals are only available for Amazon Prime members, and only while supplies last, of course. Go now!
Science Fiction Author Darren Beyer (#2) - TMO Background Mode Interview
Darren Beyer is a former NASA Space Shuttle engineer at Kennedy Space Center who worked on launching and recovering more than a dozen missions. He also conducted astronaut training and had the honor of working onboard every Space Shuttle orbiter except Challenger. In late 1998, he left NASA to become an author.
The result was the Anghazi series of novels, Casimir Bridge, released in 2016 to rave reviews thanks largely to his commitment to putting the science back in science fiction. The second installment, Pathogen Protocol was released in October, 2018. In this second show with Darren, we continue our previous discussion: Back to the Moon first or off to Mars first? With robot companions? Industrializing the Moon. Plus: Darren’s approach to the third novel in the Anghazi series and an explanation of how his characters achieve interstellar travel.
2019 MacBook Air Has Slower SSD Than 2018 Model
The 2019 MacBook Air released last week has a slower SSD than the 2018 MacBook Air. The 128GB and 256GB models were tested.
Twitter Web Redesign Rolls Out For All Users
A Twitter web redesign is rolling out for all users, simplifying navigation, a sidebar, profile switching, and more.
The update is designed to make it easier to move around Twitter. Before, you’d have to click on your Profile icon to access features like Lists, Themes, Settings, and other options. Meanwhile, getting to Moments was available both in this Profile dropdown menu and in the main Twitter navigation at the top of the screen, next to Notifications and Messages.