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The Resets-Counter Edition Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Apple's iOS 11.4.1 Update Makes USB Restricted Mode Active, by Roger Fingas, AppleInsider

With iOS 11.4.1, Apple has quietly turned on USB Restricted Mode, a feature designed to make it harder for hackers — as well as spy and law enforcement agencies — to gain physical access to iPhones and iPads.

Apple’s iOS Passcode Cracking Defense Can Be Bypassed Using A USB Accessory, by Nick Statt, The Verge

Researchers at cybersecurity firm ElcomSoft have found a loophole that resets the one-hour counter so long as you plug a USB accessory into the iPhone’s Lightning port, regardless of whether the phone has ever connected to that accessory in the past. [...] This seems not so much a severe vulnerability as just a mistake on Apple’s part. Afonin says as much, calling it “probably nothing more than an oversight.”

Apple Releases macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, Highlights AirPlay 2 For iTunes, by Peter Cao, 9to5Mac

This means that you’ll now be able to officially play audio through multiple AirPlay 2 enabled devices, as well as get a proper list of Stereo-paired HomePods.

Sweet Solution

Before The App Store: The “Sweet Solution” Of Web Apps And Developers’ Relentless Passion, by Ryan Christoffel, MacStories

Developers, understandably, were excited about the potential of what they could do with the first product that lived up to its name as a true smart_phone. Yet between the iPhone's unveiling in January 2007 and its release nearly six months later, there was nary a hint of an iPhone SDK (software development kit). Instead, Apple shared what it infamously called a "sweet solution" for third-party apps on iPhone: web apps.

Every now and then Apple executives recite phrases that the tech community never lets them live down: the iPhone headphone jack removal took "courage," the later-proven-faulty 2013 Mac Pro design evoked Phil Schiller's boast, "can't innovate anymore, my ass," and, of course, there are Steve Jobs' words from WWDC 2007 to a crowd of developers pining for tools to make iPhone apps.

The Revolution Steve Jobs Resisted: Apple's App Store Marks 10 Years Of Third-party Innovation, by Stephen Silver, AppleInsider

As Apple demonstrated in an "oral history" it released a few days before the anniversary, the App Store has not only grown exponentially in its ten years of existence, but it's also been at the forefront of all sorts of innovations in technology, culture and entertainment over the course of the decade.

The App Store has helped facilitate major growth in the content streaming revolution, as well as geolocation, e-commerce and even online dating, while also forever changing what it means to be a software developer.

All that, and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was reportedly resistant to the idea at first.

Develop

Apple Makes Searchable WWDC 2018 Session Video Transcripts Available, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

Apple’s transcripts are linked directly with each video, meaning developers can search in the transcript and then immediately jump to that part of the video. You can also see al instances where a keyword is mentioned and share time stamped links.

Notes

Apple's Adware Problem, by Tom Brossman

Apple users have an adware problem. Specifically, Apple fails to label adware in their App Store, which means that iOS users are unable to make informed decisions when choosing apps. Even advertising giant Google gets this right, being transparent about the issue and clearly labelling apps in their competing Google Play Store.

Disney Promotes Creative Young Women Filmmakers With Video Series Shot On iPhone X, by Lory Gil, iMore

For the past few years, Disney has been putting its princesses into more empowering roles in both the make-believe and real-life world. Continuing the #DreamBigPrincess social campaign started in 2017, Disney has upped the ante with a new campaign that lets young women make short films starring women that have inspired them.

With the help of Apple and Summerjax, 21 aspiring filmmakers will learn how to shoot, edit, and publish a short film for the DreamBigPrincess campaign.

People Are Using Fitbits And Apple Watches To Monitor Their Heart Rate When Binging On Drugs, by Christina Farr, CNBC

Ethan Weiss, a cardiologist and associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said heart rhythm and blood pressure are also impacted by cocaine use and aren't currently trackable by most consumer smart devices. Even most heart rate monitors aren't foolproof. Many studies in recent years have found that popular heart rate trackers are less accurate than a standard chest strap.

"Taking drugs is always a risk, whether you're monitoring a tracker or not," Weiss said. "It's possible this is leading people to do more cocaine."

Bottom of the Page

I sure hope there isn't any bugs in the latest iOS version that will prevent me from backing up my iPhone to my Mac via an USB cable.

Of course, now that almost everything I do on my iPhone is sync-ed up via the different clouds (and servers), I am not sure if I need to continue to back up my iPhone onto my Mac.

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Thanks for reading.