The Epic Mac Bundle is back for a couple of days, and we have a coupon code for it, too. This bundle 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. This deal ended a couple of weeks ago, but Stack Commerce brought it back for a limited time. It’s $29.99 through our deal, and coupon code LAST25 at checkout brings the price down to $22.49.
AI-based Malware is Coming For Our Networks
Security Week writes:
The threat of a HAL-9000 intelligence directing malware from afar is still the realm of fiction, so too is the prospect of an uber elite hacker collective that has been digitized and shrunken down to an email-sized AI package… However, over the next two to three years, I see six economically viable and “low hanging fruit” uses for AI infused malware – all focused on optimizing efficiency in harvesting valuable data, targeting specific users, and bypassing detection technologies.
Author Gunter Ollmann describes six ways networks will be attacked.
Buy a New Mac and Migrate Your Data for Free
Now when you buy a new Mac at an Apple Store they will migrate your data over for free. Previously this service cost US$99.
Digital Legacy, Online Security Measures – TMO Daily Observations 2019-04-09
Host Kelly Guimont chats with Andrew Orr and Bryan Chaffin about your online data after you die, and plugging weird stuff into your computer.
Opera Launches Reborn 3 With VPN and Crypto Wallet
Today Opera is launching its Reborn 3 browser. It comes with a VPN and cryptocurrency wallet built in, and it’s also ready for Web 3.0, which is defined as a more intelligent web with machine learning, natural language search, data-mining, and more. You could make a strong argument that we’re already in Web 3.0, although Opera defines “Web 3” as a blockchain-based internet. In any case, the Reobrn 3 browser is ready for it. The crypto wallet syncs between the desktop browser and the Android app, and will be added to the iOS in the future. The update also brings a new, borderless design with light and dark modes. Opera created a short sci-fi film “in which a woman travels through a futuristic world in search of regaining control of her digital life.” You can watch that film here, and download Opera here.
iOS 12.2: What Does AQI in Apple Maps Mean?
Yesterday Andrew discovered something new in iOS: AQI in Apple Maps. It’s a new feature that came with iOS 12.2. Here’s what it means.
T2 Chip Makes a Big Difference When Encoding Video
AppleInsider ran an experiment to test the effect of a T2 chip on video encoding. It found that a Mac Mini with a T2 chip encoded video in nearly half the time an iMac without one did.
Considering the possibility that the slow hard drive was the problem, we re-ran the test to both a USB 3.1 type C SSD on the iMac 4K with identical results. Additionally, running the test on an i7 Mac mini with an external 4200RPM laptop hard drive connected by USB 3.1 type A provided identical results with a higher speed encode, effectively eliminating the slow drive on the entry-level iMac 4K as a bottleneck. So, 100 percent of the difference between the iMac 4K and i3 Mac mini with the basic Video Toolkit is because of the T2.
Major Ransomware Attacker Jailed In UK
A UK ransomware attacker who ran a global blackmail scam worth many millions of pounds has been jailed and suspected U.S. associates arrested.
Yahoo! Proposes New Settlement For Data Breach Victims
Yahoo! has proposed an updated settlement package worth $117.5 million for millions of users who were victims of data breaches.
When I Die I Want You to Delete My Facebook Account
When I die I want you to delete my Facebook account. Don’t parade my digital corpse around in Facebook’s new Tributes feature.
Facebook is rolling out several updates for memorialized accounts, which are profiles that remain active for people who have passed away. A dedicated tributes tab will let friends and family share stories and memories of their loved one, allowing the late person’s timeline to stay as it was before they passed away.