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An HTTPS Site Could Have a Green Padlock and Still be Insecure

Andrew Orr ·

If a website uses HTTPS, Safari will display a green padlock next to the domain in the address bar. But in some cases it could still be insecure.

In analysis of the web’s top 10,000 HTTPS sites—as ranked by Amazon-owned analytics company Alexa—the researchers found that 5.5 percent had potentially exploitable TLS vulnerabilities. These flaws were caused by a combination of issues in how sites implemented TLS encryption schemes and failures to patch known bugs (of which there are many) in TLS and its predecessor Secure Sockets Layer. But the worst thing about these flaws is they are subtle enough that the green padlock will still appear.

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We Need an Apple Prime Bundle

Charlotte Henry ·

One thing we were expecting but didn’t get at the event Monday was a bundled packed of all Apple’s services. Macworld‘s Leif Johnson noted that if both TV+ and Arcade cost $9.99, like Music and News+  do, then that is 4 different payments totalling $40. Not only is that expensive, but it is also more complicated for customers than it needs to be. The obvious model to be emulated is that of Amazon Prime – a monthly payment with everything included. It is not too hard to implement, so it might yet happen.

It’s a problem that a good subscription bundle from Apple would help solve, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to predict that we’ll see such a bundle when Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade both drop sometime in the fall (possibly alongside the release of the next version of iOS). Indeed, if we look at its competitors, Apple appears to be dragging its feet…”

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A Paper Book is Better Than an eBook for Kids

John Martellaro ·

It’s just one study, but it feels right.

Researchers find that toddlers verbalize and interact more with their parents when reading sessions feature print books, not tablets.

I think many of us suspected that the tactile feel of a paper book stimulates a child better than a digital display. Here’s some evidence that it’s true. (Image credit: BigThink.)

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FTC Shuts Down Four Robocall Groups

Andrew Orr ·

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shut down four robocall groups responsible for billions of robocalls.

Four separate operations responsible for bombarding consumers nationwide with billions of unwanted and illegal robocalls pitching auto warranties, debt-relief services, home security systems, fake charities, and Google search results services have agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that they violated the FTC Act and the agency’s Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), including its Do Not Call (DNC) provisions.

I feel like this will be a hydra situation. Four get shut down and eight new ones take their place.

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A Few Details About Apple Exec Peter Stern

Andrew Orr ·

We’ve got a few details about Peter Stern, a former cable TV executive who now leads Apple’s new subscriptions.

Stern will not be able to rest on his laurels. Though some of the services announced Monday are brand new, and some, such as Apple TV+, are months away from even launching, observers are already expecting that Stern will eventually cobble them together into an Amazon Prime-esque bundle.

TMO Deals

The Epic Mac Bundle Featuring Fantastical 2, PDF Expert, iStats Menu 6, More: $29.99 (Ending Soon)

Bryan Chaffin ·

We have a deal on a solid Mac bundle called the Epic Mac Bundle. It includes Fantastical 2, PDF Expert, Pagico 8, Flux 7, Command-Tab Plus, iLocker Pro, Ultdata Recovery, and one my all-time favorite Mac utilities, iStats Menu 6. As I said, that’s a solid collection of apps, and you can get all of them for $29.99 through our deal, but it ends in a few days. Check the deal listing for its status.