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The Second-Confirmation Edition Friday, April 12, 2019

Apple Adds Extra Confirmation Step When Purchasing Subscriptions In Apps, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

Adding a second confirmation screen to subscription purchases will thwart app developers who have been using nefarious tactics to trick users into purchasing subscriptions or making subscription costs and terms unclear.

When 2FA Isn't 2FA: How Apple's iCloud Authentication System Fails To Protect Your Account, by Michael Simon, Macworld

While it appears as though Apple has all of the 2FA bases covered, its proprietary system of trusted devices isn’t without its flaws. For one, it works best when you have more than one iOS device. Not only does it add an extra layer of protection by bringing a second device into the mix, it’s true 2FA, pairing something you know (your password) with something you have (your device).

But if you only have a single Apple device, you’re kind of out of luck, and that’s where the trouble starts.

Deep Catalog

Disney+ Streaming Service Will Be Available Starting Nov. 12 For $6.99 A Month, by Sarah Whitten, CNBC

Disney said Thursday it will roll out its much anticipated Disney+ video streaming service on Nov. 12, drawing a its deep catalog of content and offering up new shows featuring favorite characters from "Monsters Inc." to Marvel to "Star Wars."

[...]

Disney+ will debut in the United States, but the company said it "plans to be in nearly all major regions of the world within the next two years."

Apple's TV Box Will Probably Get Disney+, Despite Rival Platform, by Anousha Sakoui, Bloomberg

The new Disney+ app will “in all likelihood be available through traditional app distributors, Apple being one of them,” Disney chief Bob Iger said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang. While the studio behind “Star Wars” and Marvel movies said during an earlier presentation that consumers will be able to subscribe on Roku and PlayStation, it held back from naming others.

Disney didn’t make announcements about other platforms because they “haven’t made deals with all of them yet,” Iger said. He also suggested that he isn’t planning to step down from the Apple board despite the companies going head-to-head in streaming.

Stuff

iPad Mini (2019) Review: The Best Small Tablet, But Not For Everyone, by Alex Kidman, Finder

You're not awash with high quality choices when it comes to small tablets, and within that context, the Apple iPad Mini 2019 stands truly alone and at the top of the pile. Most of the other small tablet options are budget devices with nowhere near the design flair or power of the iPad Mini 2019.

However, if you look at it from the context of Apple's existing iPad line-up, I think it's a much less compelling proposition.

Notes

Amazon Workers Are Listening To What You Tell Alexa, by Matt Day, Bloomberg

Amazon.com Inc. employs thousands of people around the world to help improve the Alexa digital assistant powering its line of Echo speakers. The team listens to voice recordings captured in Echo owners’ homes and offices. The recordings are transcribed, annotated and then fed back into the software as part of an effort to eliminate gaps in Alexa’s understanding of human speech and help it better respond to commands.

The Alexa voice review process, described by seven people who have worked on the program, highlights the often-overlooked human role in training software algorithms. In marketing materials Amazon says Alexa “lives in the cloud and is always getting smarter.” But like many software tools built to learn from experience, humans are doing some of the teaching.

Bottom of the Page

Question: Are Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, fine residents of Toontown, in Disney+ too?

Question: Where are the Muppets?

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