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The Crypto-Scams Edition Wednesday, March 31, 2021

He Believed Apple’s App Store Was Safe. Then A Fake App Stole His Life Savings In Bitcoin., by Reed Albergotti, Washington Post

Apple acknowledged that there have been other cryptocurrency scams on the App Store but wouldn’t say how many. Apple wouldn’t say why, when fake Trezor apps had sneaked into the App Store in the past, new apps called “Trezor” were not flagged as potentially fraudulent.

[...]

Apple would not name the developer of the fake Trezor app or provide the developer’s contact information. Apple wouldn’t say whether it was turning over the name to law enforcement or whether it investigated the developer further. Apple also wouldn’t say whether that developer had developed any other apps in the past or had connections to other developer accounts under different names.

A First Look At The Apple Developer App’s New Design And Search Functionality, by John Voorhees, MacStories

Although I haven’t spent a lot of time with the app yet, it’s clear that a lot of thought went into adapting it to fit in with Apple’s modern iPad and Mac design vision and providing a better experience when sifting through the deep catalog of videos and other content that is available to developers.

WWDC 2021: June 7–11, Entirely Online Again, by John Gruber, Daring Fireball

I think it’s more likely that the reflection in the glasses is just part of the art direction for the image. But it’s also not credible to think that Apple didn’t know people will read into this — at the very least it’s a deliberate tease.

Coming Soon

Apple Will Finally Fix The iOS Issue That Blocked Searches For 'Asian' As Adult Content, by Matt Binder, Mashable

Do you have adult content blocked on your iPhone or iPad?

If so, it's likely that your iOS device is currently blocking web searches using the word "Asian." It's been an issue for more than a year — but it's about to be fixed.

Stuff

Apple Maps Now Shows COVID-19 Guidelines For Global Airports And Traveling, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

Apple Maps has been updated to show COVID-19 airport travel guidance in partnership with the Airports Council International. The feature is rolling out now with Apple Maps surfacing a paragraph of important details along with a link to an airport’s COVID travel guidance page.

Adobe Bundles Design Apps For iPad In New Adobe Design Mobile Bundle, by Wesley Hilliard, AppleInsider

The plan includes a subscription to Adobe Photoshop on the iPad, Adobe Illustrator on the iPad, Adobe Fresco, and Adobe Spark Post. This enables creators to create, design, and share their creations from within the Adobe family of apps.

Google Announces New Maps Features, Including Indoor Live View, Weather And Air Pollution Layers, And Eco-Friendly Driving Directions, by John Voorhees, MacStories

Google announced several new features that are available in its Maps app now or are coming later this year, including improvements indoor navigation, weather and air pollution data, eco-friendly driving directions, and delivery and pickup information.

You Can Now Use Your iPhone Or Apple Watch As A Contactless Ticket For Entry To Disney Parks, by Benjamin Mayo, 9to5Mac

Today, Disney announced the launch of its MagicMobile service, an alternative way to get around the Disney resort electronically, similar to the MagicBand. Apple users can simply add a MagicMobile pass to their Apple Wallet and enter using the NFC reader at the park gates.

Notes

It’s Game Over For Arizona’s Controversial App Store Bill, by Nick Statt, The Verge

State Rep. Regina Cobb, the bill’s sponsor and a Republican representing the state’s fifth district, claims Apple and Google “hired almost every lobbyist in town” and named six specific lobbyists who, she says, caused Senate members who’d previously agreed to vote to waver. “We thought we had the votes before we went to the committee yesterday, and then we heard that the votes weren’t there and they weren’t going to take the time to put it up,” Cobb said of the Senate Commerce Committee’s decision to pull the bill.

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The seeming death of HB2005 and the confusion and mystery surrounding it underscore both the immense power of tech titans like Apple and Google and also the rough legislative road ahead for similar bills in Illinois, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and other states around the country. The clear takeaway is that although these bills are the result of successful lobbying efforts from the CAF and its partners, the Silicon Valley lobbying that has arisen to counter these bills has proven just as savvy.

UnitedMasters Announces $50 Million Series B Investment Led By Apple, by Jem Aswad, Variety

UnitedMasters, a music distribution platform for independent artists founded by industry veteran Steve Stoute, announced a $50 million Series B investment led by Apple with follow-on investments from Alphabet and Andreessen Horowitz. According to the announcement, the Series B investment “fuels the company’s mission to enable artists to maintain full ownership over their work while expanding their economic opportunity and introducing them to millions of new fans.”

Bottom of the Page

I am not sure if Apple can improve the quality of its App Store reviews without also lengthening the length of review time for each app submission.

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