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The Actively-Exploited Edition Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Apple Says iOS 14.4 Fixes Three Security Bugs ‘Actively Exploited’ By Hackers, by Zack Whittaker, TechCrunch

It’s not known who is actively exploiting the vulnerabilities, or who might have fallen victim. Apple did not say if the attack was targeted against a small subset of users or if it was a wider attack. Apple granted anonymity to the individual who submitted the bug, the advisory said.

Apple Releases OS Updates With Better Music Hand Off For HomePod Mini, Improvements To QR Code Scanning And Bluetooth Settings, The Unity Watch Face, And More, by John Voorhees, MacStories

HomePod 14.4 adds a few new features that work in concert with the iPhone’s U1 chip. There is new visual, audible, and haptic feedback when music is handed off from an iPhone to a HomePod mini.

How To Label Bluetooth Devices On iPhone And iPad, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

First, correctly identifying your devices will offer improved audio notifications. Second, Apple notes “Specifying the type of device can ensure your Headphone Audio Level measurements are accurate.”

Stuff

Apple Unveils Limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6 And More For Black History Month, by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac

Apple has published a new press release this morning detailing the multiple ways it will be celebrating Black History Month in February. The company is launching new editorial collections, Apple Maps Guides, limited-edition Apple Watch hardware, and more.

Apple Teams Up With Fragment Design For Special Edition Monochromatic Powerbeats Pro, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

Apple has collaborated with revered artist and designer Hiroshi Fujiwara and his company fragment design on new pair of special edition Powerbeats Pro. This version comes with a minimal, monochromatic design on the black Powerbeats Pro.

Develop

Apple Invites Developers To Attend Special Online Event On Improving Apps Widgets, by Filipe Espósito, 9to5Mac

Developers are being invited by email to register for the “Building Great Widget Experiences” event, which will take place live on February 1, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event will be conducted entirely online, which gives developers from all over the world the chance to attend the conference.

Notes

I Love Reading 1980s Computer Magazines, And So Should You, by Samuel Arbesman, Wired

I love the wordiness of the old advertisements, with whole paragraphs devoted to the details of their products. I love when an article describes concepts and ideas that we take for granted now, like the nature of uploading and downloading. And I love the nostalgia these magazines evoke, that sense of wonder and possibility that computers brought to us when they first entered our lives.

But there’s much more to it than mere delight. I’ve found that excavating old technology often points the way to something new.

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I remember enjoying reading the early issues of PC/Computing magazine. And I also remember the expensive price tags of these U.S. magazines in Singapore. Buying a single issue in Singapore then were more expensive than subscribing for an entire year in U.S then.

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Thanks for reading.