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The Welcoming-and-Enthusiastic Edition Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Building More Than Apps: The Welcoming Community At WWDC 2018, by Michael Steeber, 9to5Mac

“What did you think of the keynote?” was the default greeting last week in San Jose. This year’s WWDC was the second to return to the McEnery Center, and the first I had the opportunity to be in town for. I’ve spent the last few days collecting my thoughts on the week’s events, and more than any new software feature, what stood out to me was the welcoming and enthusiastic Apple community around WWDC.

Simple Technique Bypassed macOS Signature Checks By Third-party Tools, by Dan Goodin, Ars Technica

For almost 11 years, hackers have had an easy way to get macOS malware past the scrutiny of a host of third-party security tools by tricking them into believing the malicious wares were signed by Apple, researchers said Tuesday.

[...]

The technique worked using a binary format, alternatively known as a Fat or Universal file, that contained several files that were written for different CPUs used in Macs over the years, such as i386, x86_64, or PPC. Only the first so-called Mach-O file in the bundle had to be signed by Apple. At least eight third-party tools would show other non-signed executable code included in the same bundle as being signed by Apple, too. Affected third-party tools included VirusTotal, Google Santa, Facebook OSQuery, the Little Snitch Firewall, Yelp, OSXCollector, Carbon Black’s db Response, and several tools from Objective-See. Many companies and individuals rely on some of the tools to help implement whitelisting processes that permit only approved applications to be installed on a computer, while forbidding all others.

Beta Track

Siri Shortcuts: The Next Leap Forward In Push Interface, by Rene Ritchie, iMore

Combined with Lock screen, there will be a ton of Shortcuts suggested for a ton of users, and the same hundreds of millions of people who learned to download apps, and all the initial overhead that involved, will learn how to take advantage of Shortcuts.

And we'll be another step closer to the next big revolution in human interface.

On macOS Mojave’s Dark Mode, by Stephen Hackett, 512 Pixels

There’s a reason that pro apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic come with dark modes; now everyone can enjoy the UI fading into the background.

Stuff

There's An App For That, by Palak Jayswal, Daily Utah Chronicle

Organization is one of the many keys to making it through college and perhaps the most essential. Since we’re always on the go, smartphone and desktop applications have become essential to any college experience. With more educational tools coming out, it’s important to obtain a set of applications that will help guide you to success. Here are a few applications that do exactly that.

Develop

Apple Bans Cryptocurrency Mining On The iPhone And iPad, by Stephen Silver, AppleInsider

Apple has added new language to its App Store review guidelines related to cryptocurrency. Under the Hardware Compatibility section, Apple now states that "apps, including any third party advertisements displayed within them, may not run unrelated background processes, such as cryptocurrency mining."

How To Make Trustworthy Apps, When No One Trusts Tech Anymore, by Suzanne LaBarre, Fast Company

Great design is a key ingredient in building trust for users, though not as a “one-and-done” proposition. Rather, designing for trust requires a holistic view, and constant (and I really mean constant) reexamination to ensure a successful and healthy relationship with your users. Reflecting on my own work and those of designers I admire, I’ve found that there are four tenets that guide designing for trust.

Notes

Apple Killed Fun, by Mike Murphy, Quartz

Something changed over the last decade. Perhaps it was the hiring of Angela Ahrendts from Burberry to run Apple’s retail division and her increasing influence within the company. Perhaps it’s just because metal looks more premium than plastic does. For whatever reason, Apple looks and acts far more like a luxury brand than a consumer-technology brand in 2018.

There's A Special Place In Hell For Apple's Suppliers, by Alex Webb, Bloomberg

If you supply parts for the iPhone, there are two ways to mitigate the risk of Apple Inc. dumping you: create a component that’s difficult to replicate, or find some new customers.

Bottom of the Page

I am looking forward to Shortcuts. I'm pretty sure I will have tons of use for it.

I am also looking forward to Dark Mode. But I don't think I'll be using it.

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Thanks for reading.