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Russia Ponders Law Making Local Smartphone Software Mandatory

Charlotte Henry ·

Lawmakers in Russia are considering a proposal to make having locally made software on smartphones and other devices mandatory, Reuters reported. Apple is a key player in the Russian smartphone market, and I can’t see the company being happy with this idea.

The bill, tabled at the lower house of parliament on Thursday, would allow authorities to draw up a list of mandatory, locally-made software. If passed, it would come into force in July 2020. Russia’s cell-phone market is dominated by Apple, Samsung and Huawei products. The bill also proposes fining companies that sell devices without pre-installed Russian software from 50,000 to 200,000 roubles (£630.94-£2,531.75) starting from January 2021.

 

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NSO Group Tool Harvests Targeted iCloud Data

Andrew Orr ·

Israel-based NSO Group claims it can harvest iCloud data in targeted attacks. It’s said to be a version of the Pegasus spyware.

Attackers using the malware are said to be able to access a wealth of private information, including the full history of a target’s location data and archived messages or photos, according to people who shared documents with the Financial Times and described a recent product demonstration.

When questioned by the newspaper, NSO denied promoting hacking or mass-surveillance tools for cloud services, but didn’t specifically deny that it had developed the capability described in the documents.

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The Story of an Apple Intern and Her Emoji Designs

John Martellaro ·

CNBC writes:

In 2008, Apple design intern Angela Guzman worked with her mentor to design around 500 of the original emoji. Originally intended for a Japanese audience, Guzman had no idea emoji would become so popular worldwide.

Guzman is no longer at Apple. Say what?

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Apple Sells Exclusive Satechi USB-C Adapter

Andrew Orr ·

Apple is selling a Satechi USB-C adapter exclusively in its store. It has a USB-C power port, USB-A, SD, and microSD readers, and an HDMI port.

The Multiport Pro Adapter comes in space gray and is priced at $70, the same as what Apple’s first-party USB-C adapter normally sells for (but doesn’t have SD readers like Satechi’s new adapter). Notably, Satechi’s Multiport Pro Adapter is the only third-party USB-C hub that Apple is selling.

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You Can Buy Diamond-Encrusted AirPods for $20,000

Andrew Orr ·

Do you have a spare US$20,000 lying around that you don’t know what to do with? Buy these AirPods decked out in diamonds with a marble stand.

Ian DeLucca’s Object No. 1 AirPods are part of his “New Materialism” series, focused on spotlighting the intersection of art and commerce. Twenty-five pairs of the earphones are being made with diamonds that are said to be VVS1-quality, and naturally mined rather than manufactured. Each white gold pair gets inscribed with its creation date and an edition number.

I just want stealth-black AirPods, thanks.

IK Multimedia Launches Desktop Reference Monitors for Home and Pro Recording
Cool Stuff Found

IK Multimedia Launches Desktop Reference Monitors for Home and Pro Recording

Bryan Chaffin ·

IK Multimedia launched a new line of reference monitors for desktop recording called iLoud MTM. Reference monitors are designed for recording to offer a flat response, which is ideal for finding a mix that sounds good on lots of end-user speakers. IK Multimedia said iLoud MTM also offers a linear phase response. They’re based on the larger iLoud Micro Monitors, being aimed specifically at desktop recording. And despite that smaller size, they offer a bass response down to a surprising 40Hz.  iLoud MTM is priced at US$/€349.99 each, or $/€699.99 per pair—they’re available now.