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- Facebook admits defeat over controversial WhatsApp privacy policy
- AirPods 3 design revealed in video of shockingly accurate knockoffs
- Apple AirDrop Vulnerability By Ty Mezquita
- Your Business Is Online – Great! But Is It Secure? By Nura Eston
- Urbanist Richard Florida on the overblown tech exodus and how cities will regroup post pandemic
- You finally got 5G on your iPhone – but here’s why you might want to disable it
- Gates Foundation reverses position on COVID vaccine patent protections after mounting pressure
- Tech Moves: Tanium hires CFO; Utrip founder launches VC firm; AWS IoT exec joins Siemens
- Scary Qualcomm vulnerability might have let hackers spy on Android users
- Google just fired back at Roku in the war over YouTube TV
| Facebook admits defeat over controversial WhatsApp privacy policy Posted: 07 May 2021 05:39 PM PDT  Facebook shocked WhatsApp users in early 2021 with a prompt asking them to accept a new privacy policy to allow WhatsApp to share more data with Facebook or risk losing access to their accounts. The prompt said the new privacy policy would go into effect on February 8th and offered users no way to opt out. This wasn't a surprise to people who know how Facebook operates. The company hoards user data which is then turned into lucrative personalized ads. Facebook previously lied about connecting WhatsApp accounts to Facebook accounts. Facebook wants to monetize an app that it paid nearly $20 billion to acquire several years ago. WhatsApp users retaliated. Millions of people flocked to competing services like Signal and Telegram, prompting Facebook to delay the planned privacy changes. The company went into panic mode, explaining that WhatsApp's core end-to-end encryption features wouldn't go away, and that no one would have access to messages or calls. Facebook never explained why users had to accept the new privacy policy, which governed e-commerce data for those WhatsApp users who wanted to interact with companies over WhatsApp. Facebook gave users an ultimatum. The privacy policy would have to be accepted by May 15th. Failure to comply would result in a crippled WhatsApp experience. Users would basically be banned from the app, as they'd be unable to read or send messages. But now, with just days to go until the deadline, Facebook has admitted defeat. Accepting the privacy policy is no longer mandatory to use the app. Nothing will happen to users who opt out. Today’s Top DealAirPods Pro are finally back in stock at Amazon… at the lowest price of 2021!Price: $197.00
Press Trust of India broke the news on Twitter: WhatsApp scraps May 15 deadline for accepting privacy policy, says no accounts will be deleted if terms not accepted by users — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 7, 2021 Facebook confirmed to The Next Web that nothing would happen to WhatsApp users who refuse to accept the privacy policy changes come May 15th: While the majority of users who have received the new terms of service have accepted them, we appreciate some people haven't had the chance to do so yet. No accounts will be deleted on May 15 because of this update and no one will lose the functionality of WhatsApp either. We will follow up with reminders to people over the next several weeks. According to the comment above, the majority of users have accepted the new terms of service. Facebook will also keep pushing the ones who didn't accept them. But it won't punish the people who do not want to agree to share more data with Facebook. There's no new deadline for accepting the new privacy policy either. Despite the comment above, Facebook has not changed its FAQ page about what happens to users who do not accept the update. The support document still says that WhatsApp functionality will be limited after May 15th: On the other hand, Facebook just created another problem for itself. Facebook is allowing users to use WhatsApp without agreeing to privacy changes. But there's no way for the users who accepted the new terms to change their minds and reject the changes. Many people might have accepted the new privacy policy over fears of losing access to one of the main chat apps on their phones. Today’s Top DealAirPods Pro are finally back in stock at Amazon… at the lowest price of 2021!Price: $197.00 WhatsApp users retaliated. Millions of people flocked to competing services like Signal and Telegram, prompting Facebook to delay the planned privacy changes. The company went into panic mode, explaining that WhatsApp's core end-to-end encryption features wouldn’t go away, and that no one would have access to messages or calls. Facebook never explained why users had to accept the new privacy policy, which governed e-commerce data for those WhatsApp users who wanted to interact with companies over WhatsApp. Facebook gave users an ultimatum. The privacy policy would have to be accepted by May 15th. Failure to comply would result in a crippled WhatsApp experience. Users would basically be banned from the app, as they'd be unable to read or send messages. But now, with just days to go until the deadline, Facebook has admitted defeat. Accepting the privacy policy is no longer mandatory to use the app. Nothing will happen to users who opt out. Press Trust of India broke the news on Twitter:
Facebook confirmed to The Next Web that nothing would happen to WhatsApp users who refuse to accept the privacy policy changes come May 15th: No accounts will be deleted on May 15 because of this update and no one will lose the functionality of WhatsApp either. We will follow up with reminders to people over the next several weeks. Despite the comment above, Facebook has not changed its FAQ page about what happens to users who do not accept the update. The support document still says that WhatsApp functionality will be limited after May 15th: On the other hand, Facebook just created another problem for itself. Facebook is allowing users to use WhatsApp without agreeing to privacy changes. But there's no way for the users who accepted the new terms to change their minds and reject the changes. Many people might have accepted the new privacy policy over fears of losing access to one of the main chat apps on their phones.facebook, WhatsApp             |
| AirPods 3 design revealed in video of shockingly accurate knockoffs Posted: 07 May 2021 04:39 PM PDT  Apple streamed its first big virtual event of 2021 on April 20th to unveil a host of new products, including a redesigned iMac, an M1-powered iPad Pro, an upgraded Apple TV, the purple iPhone 12, and the long-awaited AirTag. All things considered, it was an incredibly busy event for the company, so it's no surprise that some highly-anticipated devices didn't make the cut. One such rumored announcement was that of the next AirPods model, and while there wasn't any news on that front at the Spring Loaded event, the leaks have continued to spring online. In a new video published on his YouTube channel this week, EverythingApplePro unboxed and showed off a pair of AirPods clones that look exactly like what we expect the third-generation AirPods to look like when they launch later this year. They're called Air60 TWS and only cost $45, but they might be our best look yet at the AirPods 3 design. Today’s Top DealAmazon shoppers are obsessed with these Wi-Fi smart plugs – get them for just $3.57 each!Price: $14.27
For months, we've been hearing that Apple's next AirPods would feature a design similar to that of the AirPods Pro. Subsequent leaks suggested that the AirPods 3 would have a shorter stem like the Pro model, but would forgo the replaceable ear tips as well as premium features such as Transparency and Active Noise Cancelling. As the YouTuber notes in the video, the knockoff headphones are 1:1 with the CAD renders that have leaked online, so if those leaks are accurate, the Air60 TWS should be virtually identical to the AirPods 3. As expected, the charging case is something of a mashup of the cases for the AirPods 2 and the AirPods Pro. With the shorter stem, Apple can make the case more stout, while the lack of ear tips means the case can be less wide as well. Stacked up next to each, the AirPods Pro and the cloned AirPods 3 look incredibly similar, save for the ear tips and the larger sensor on the clones. The stem is slightly thicker on the clones as well. Throughout the video, EverythingApplePro cites an extensive leak from Chinese site 52audio that revealed many of the specs and features of the AirPods 3 earlier this year. That leak did claim that the AirPods 3 would feature optional ear tips, but that isn't the case with these knockoffs, at least. As for the price, 52audio believes that the AirPods 3 will sell for $150, while other sources think Apple will stay in the $200 price range, which is how much second-generation AirPods with a wireless charging case currently retail for in Apple's online store. It has now been more than two years since the second-generation AirPods made their debut, and about a year and a half since the AirPods Pro launched, so it's only a matter of time before Apple is ready to refresh both product lines. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we're probably going to be waiting until at least Q3 2021, though. Today’s Top DealShoppers are swarming Amazon to get the Roomba 675 robot vacuum while it’s only $199!Price: $199.00 In a new video published on his YouTube channel this week, EverythingApplePro unboxed and showed off a pair of AirPods clones that look exactly like what we expect the third-generation AirPods to look like when they launch later this year. They’re called Air60 TWS and only cost $45, but they might be our best look yet at the AirPods 3 design. For months, we’ve been hearing that Apple’s next AirPods would feature a design similar to that of the AirPods Pro. Subsequent leaks suggested that the AirPods 3 would have a shorter stem like the Pro model, but would forgo the replaceable ear tips as well as premium features such as Transparency and Active Noise Cancelling. As the YouTuber notes in the video, the knockoff headphones are 1:1 with the CAD renders that have leaked online, so if those leaks are accurate, the Air60 TWS should be virtually identical to the AirPods 3. As expected, the charging case is something of a mashup of the cases for the AirPods 2 and the AirPods Pro. With the shorter stem, Apple can make the case more stout, while the lack of ear tips means the case can be less wide as well. Stacked up next to each, the AirPods Pro and the cloned AirPods 3 look incredibly similar, save for the ear tips and the larger sensor on the clones. The stem is slightly thicker on the clones as well. Throughout the video, EverythingApplePro cites an extensive leak from Chinese site 52audio that revealed many of the specs and features of the AirPods 3 earlier this year. That leak did claim that the AirPods 3 would feature optional ear tips, but that isn’t the case with these knockoffs, at least. As for the price, 52audio believes that the AirPods 3 will sell for $150, while other sources think Apple will stay in the $200 price range, which is how much second-generation AirPods with a wireless charging case currently retail for in Apple’s online store. It has now been more than two years since the second-generation AirPods made their debut, and about a year and a half since the AirPods Pro launched, so it’s only a matter of time before Apple is ready to refresh both product lines. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we’re probably going to be waiting until at least Q3 2021, though.AirPods 3, Apple       |
| Apple AirDrop Vulnerability By Ty Mezquita Posted: 07 May 2021 04:39 PM PDT  Security researchers in Germany have put out a press release about research findings to be presented at Usenix 2021. They presented findings proving that "Apple AirDrop shares more than files". They stated "We discovered significant privacy leaks in Apple's file-sharing service." This article will summarize those leaks for you to determine whether they are significant enough to stop using it. For CyberHoot employees, we feel the protective steps below allow us to continue using it. For those who don't have iPhones or Macs, AirDrop is a low latency, encrypted, high-speed Wi-Fi peer-to peer-connection Apple users utilize to share files or photos. This tool is called an AWDL, or Apple Wireless Direct Link. AWDL is largely used through Airdrop, but also while streaming music to your Apple TV via Airplay, or using your iPad as a secondary display with 'Sidecar'. What's The Issue?The problem, according to the researchers, comes in the form of AirDrop's Contacts only mode, where you tell AirDrop not to accept connections from just anyone, but only from users already in your own contact list. Look at the image below to see the settings available for AirDrop: Just so you know, if you're setting AirDrop to Everyone, that doesn't mean that everyone can access your phone without you knowing. You receive a pop-up requesting permission to download the files, which senders can't bypass. One problem with having Everyone set is that if someone tries to send you a file, the pop-up includes a tiny thumbnail of the file they want to send, so you can make sure it's not only a sender you trust but also content you want on your device. That means you can easily be bluejacked, the term for someone sending you an unsolicited picture that you are forced to see in order to decide whether you want to see it. 'Contacts Only' VulnerabilityWith that being said, Contacts Only seems like the better choice. Although, the Darmstadt researchers found that the two ends of an AirDrop connection agree on whether they consider each other a contact by exchanging network packets that don't properly protect the privacy of the contact data. Apple simply forgot to salt the cryptographic hashes used to identify each other leading to a reverse engineering vulnerability that can yield phone numbers and email addresses from a target phone. The Technical DetailsThe researchers claim that the contact identifiers, which are based on phone numbers and email addresses, are exchanged as SHA-256 cryptographic hashes to protect the original data. Each end converts their own contact data into hashes and compares those against the data sent over from the other, rather than sharing and comparing the original phone numbers and email addresses; meaning they don't have to reveal their raw contact data upfront to see which contacts they have in common. Unfortunately, the hashes exchanged are just that, straight hashes, with no password salting involved. This means that if hackers had a precomputed list of all possible hashes for all possible phone numbers, they'd be able to look them up in their hash list and "reverse" the cryptography by sheer brute force. How To Avoid ExploitationIt's not easy for hackers to exploit your devices through your AWDL, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. CyberHoot recommends the following actions to reduce the likelihood of falling victim: Turn AirDrop off if you aren't using it. There's no need to be discoverable to other AirDrop users all the time. Don't blindly fall back to Everyone mode if Contacts Only mode keeps failing. If you're in a private place with a sender you trust, it's probably OK, but if you're in a busy coffee shop or shopping mall, remember that Everyone mode opens you up to everyone else around. Verify The Name Of The Phone You Are Connecting To Before Connecting To It It is very easy to connect to the wrong phone using AirDrop when you're in a crowded place such as a stadium, shopping mall. Resist the urge to connect blindly when you run across that old friend on one of these places and wish to share a few pictures. Check the name and proceed carefully. Keep Devices Up To Date Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Turn Off Bluetooth When Not Using Previous exploits have needed Bluetooth enabled to turn this into a true zero-click attack. Turn off your Bluetooth when you aren't using it. If You're a Programmer – Be Strict With Data It's never a bad idea to do additional error and bug checking. Know That Apple Products Are Not Inherently 'More Secure' Oftentimes users are under the false pretense that Apple products are secure, virus-free, and are never exploited. It's critical to be aware that vulnerabilities exist in all devices and to follow the advice above by turning things off when not in use. Read CyberHoot's 'Malware in Macs' article to learn more about Mac's vulnerabilities. Sources: NakedSecurity – Sophos Article via Technology & Innovation Articles on Business 2 Community https://bit.ly/3btdZKv Security researchers in Germany have put out a press release about research findings to be presented at Usenix 2021. They presented findings proving that "Apple AirDrop shares more than files". They stated "We discovered significant privacy leaks in Apple's file-sharing service." This article will summarize those leaks for you to determine whether they are significantideas, innovation, management, technology, Technology & Innovation Articles on Business 2 Community       |
| Your Business Is Online – Great! But Is It Secure? By Nura Eston Posted: 07 May 2021 04:39 PM PDT  2020 was a challenging year. And while many businesses saw some relief in the surge in online shopping, this came with a dark side: increased online activity also led to increased fraud, and research suggests that losses due to fraud will top $20 billion in 2021, up from $17.5 billion in 2020. As more businesses embrace eCommerce as a way to boost market share and retain customers, and as more card-not-present (CNP) transactions are processed, this isn't likely to change any time soon. In fact, the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report shows that in retail, nearly all breaches were financially-motivated, and most stolen data was personal (49%) and payment (47%). But it's not all bad news: businesses with an eCommerce presence can put systems and checks in place to prevent fraud and enhance security for their customers. Here's some information to get you started. What is eCommerce fraud? The most typical form of eCommerce fraud happens when someone makes a transaction using a fraudulent payment method. Here are some of the most common: Chargeback fraud: A customer makes a purchase and receives the product or service. They then initiate a chargeback, claiming that they didn't make the purchase themselves or that they never received the product. Common signs that a transaction might be fraudulent Here are some of the common signs that a transaction might be fraudulent. As a business owner, you'll need to be careful here: on their own, all of these occur in legitimate transactions. So, what makes a transaction fraudulent? If you see several of these in a single transaction, you'll want to do some careful checks: New customers How can eCommerce businesses prevent fraud? Here are three important steps that eCommerce businesses can take to prevent fraud. Use a reputable organization to process your payments. When you're choosing your payment processor, look for PCI DSS compliance – this is the gold standard for keeping cardholder data and payment card information secure and protected. In a world where nearly every business is online, simply having an eCommerce site isn't enough. Now, you need to take steps to keep your business secure, and you need to let your customers know that you're keeping their data safe and protected. via Technology & Innovation Articles on Business 2 Community https://bit.ly/33nujrJ 2020 was a challenging year. And while many businesses saw some relief in the surge in online shopping, this came with a dark side: increased online activity also led to increased fraud, and research suggests that losses due to fraud will top $20 billion in 2021, up from $17.5 billion in 2020. As more businessesideas, innovation, management, technology, Technology & Innovation Articles on Business 2 Community       |
| Urbanist Richard Florida on the overblown tech exodus and how cities will regroup post pandemic Posted: 07 May 2021 03:40 PM PDT  Urbanist, writer and professor Richard Florida. (Photo: Daria Malysheva) Reports of the death of coastal cities are greatly overblown. At least that's the view of renowned urbanist and author Richard Florida who spoke earlier this week with GeekWire contributing editor Monica Nickelsburg about the future of cities as part of the annual Crosscut Festival. "I am just amazed at the amount of gloom and doom pessimism," said Florida, adding that any out-of-city migration appears to be temporary and is really only happening with small subsets of people. "Net-net, it doesn't look like we've had a great urban exodus." That's just one of the fascinating observations from Florida, author of the Rise of the Creative Class and a professor at University of Toronto's School of Cities and Rotman School of Management. In the interview, Florida talks about the impact of falling birth rates on cities; why Miami appears ready to emerge as a significant tech hub; and how central business districts will need to change to embrace a post-pandemic world. Listen to the full discussion below, subscribe to GeekWire in any podcast app, and continue reading for edited highlights and key quotes. Here are some of the key quotes and discussion points from Florida's conversation. Richard Florida (Photo: Lorne Bridgman) —On the rise of Miami as a tech hub and why "risk oblivious" entrepreneurs love places without rules: "Another part of this story that no one is talking about is that Silicon Valley, when I started to study it 30 or 40 years ago, was like an open frontier where people could do anything they want and there was Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters and The Grateful Dead and (Steve) Jobs and (Steve) Wozniak and no one bothered you. New York was always a place like the craziest artists and creatives and innovators went and they could do their own thing. These were places that really risk taking people would go. I think that Miami offers them that now. It's a place that risk oblivious people … and risk-taking people like entrepreneurs and innovators do not like restrictions, so I think the open climate that allows you to manage your life or pursue your life or live your life freely is a big part of what is attracting people to Miami." (Minute 7:45) —A new breed of cities attracting entrepreneurs: "It isn't just low taxes. It isn't just low governance….Cities have always been places that risk-oriented people felt comfortable. I think now, though, we are seeing this different sorting." (10:30) —Seattle and San Francisco's future as tech hubs: "Look, Seattle, home to Microsoft, home to Amazon, a leading tech (hub) it will be fine…. The San Francisco Bay Area share of venture capital — and it goes from like 25% to 23% — and the next place is 10. You know, San Francisco Bay Area isn't going anywhere. What you might see at the margin is the rise of a Miami, a little bit. But it is never going to be San Francisco. So I think the incumbent cities will do well." (12:00) —Tech workers moving to rural environs: "I think what the pandemic really does for the regular professional tech worker, the GeekWire reader. I think a lot of those folks like rural areas. I think some of them like urbanism, especially when they are young and like a city like Seattle or San Francisco or a lot of them love New York, Manhattan and Brooklyn. But as they start to have kids, they don't like the traditional generic suburbs that was the American dream. But they really like a place like Hudson Valley New York or they really like a place like Bozeman, Montana. There is something about rural America that speaks to these people, and I am seeing a lot of that group of people once they have a family say: 'You know, San Francisco is pricey. New York is pricey. I am going to go to this really cool, small part of rural America, but a very hip part of rural America … a kind of creative class rural America and I am going to start my life there.' I think that is the other big change the pandemic brings."(15:30) —Falling birth rates and why cities with kids do better: "I think we have become a society that is kind of biased against kids." (Full discussion starts at 16:30) —On the future of urban planning: "We've gone overboard with public health. And that's hard to say now even when the pandemic is so serious. But, look, I think we have put public health in charge of too much." (24:55) —On how downtown cores are evolving: "I think the big change in cities is going to be the central business district. I think the central business district is kind of the last hangover of the industrial age, where we packed and stacked people in these towers. And I think the central business district is going to change… The office and central business district have to become a better place. They are pretty horrible…. The office is more like a place to meet and have social contacts, not just plug in your laptop and sit there and work. And I think the whole business district becomes more of a live-work neighborhood, 24-7 and vibrant. And so your day at the office is not a day at the office, it's like a local business trip." (Minute 26-28) —The disparity between knowledge workers and essential workers: "Knowledge workers have done just fine during the pandemic…. It is really the rest of America, so-called essential workers that have gotten decimated." (33:40) —On what local ublic policy leaders need to focus on a post pandemic world: "There has been a lack of awareness of understanding and planning for a post-pandemic reality. Our localities have been very reactive and very restriction oriented, and all of those things were important, especially in the early days of the pandemic. But since March of last year, I have been arguing that we need plans for re-opening, we need plans for post pandemic life, we need strategies to get back up and running, we need ways to make sure our airports are safe and universities. And we are getting there, but we are doing it more in this ad-hoc way. So I think the most important thing our cities and metro areas can do is really focus on what this post pandemic reality will be like." (37:00) —On the biggest challenges ahead: "The one that really worries me, and it is really two sides of the same coin. It's the anxiety of how people go back to normal life. There are a lot of people like me who just lost their footing, and I know I am not the only one…. There are a lot of people who just don't have their mojo back. It's like a post traumatic stress. Someone said to me who is a psychologist, it is kind of like prisoner release when you release someone from jail. It takes a long time. The other one is just this disorder what I would call that is plaguing our cities. Crime rate, violent crime rate, petty crime — what one downtown expert I know calls the downtown disorder." (39:15) —On the amazing achievement of mRNA vaccine development and distribution and why he cried after getting his vaccine shot: "That's what makes me optimistic. That if we could do this, we could do anything. And that's not like pollyanna bullshit." Podcast edited and produced by Curt Milton. Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell. Listen to all GeekWire podcasts here. Reports of the death of coastal cities are greatly overblown. At least that's the view of renowned urbanist and author Richard Florida who spoke earlier this week with GeekWire contributing editor Monica Nickelsburg about the future of cities as part of the annual Crosscut Festival. "I am just amazed at the amount of gloom and doom pessimism," said Florida, adding that any out-of-city migration appears to be temporary and is really only happening with small subsets of people. "Net-net, it doesn't look like we've had a great urban exodus." That's just one of the fascinating observations from Florida, author of… Read MorePodcasts, cities       |
| You finally got 5G on your iPhone – but here’s why you might want to disable it Posted: 07 May 2021 03:40 PM PDT  In stark contrast to many other tech companies, Apple has never had an overriding obsession with being the first company to bring a product or technology to market. On the contrary, a consistent tenet of Apple's product strategy has been to focus on being the best as opposed to the first. For this very reason, Apple wasn't exactly in a rush to roll out new iPhone models with support for 5G connectivity. While the hoopla and hype surrounding 5G being able to "change the world" was immense over the past few years, Apple took the position that introducing 5G devices without a sufficient amount of 5G coverage from carriers served no purpose. Today’s Top DealAmazon has real diamond stud earrings for under $60 — and the reviews are off the charts!
And so, Apple took its sweet time and didn't include support for 5G connectivity until it released its iPhone 12 lineup last September. The improved data speeds enabled by 5G are certainly welcome but there are some downsides to 5G worth mentioning as well. Aside from the fact that cellular range with 5G is subpar relative to 4G, iPhones with 5G chipsets churn through battery life at a much faster clip. Suffice it to say, if your daily usage habits don't exactly require blazing-fast connectivity, you might be better off switching 5G off completely to prioritize battery life. Hardly a controversial perspective, even Apple itself concedes this point which is why the company last year introduced a new "Smart Data Mode" which dynamically switches between 4G and 5G depending on which apps are currently running. So if you're just perusing some posts on Facebook, you'll likely be content with 4G. But if you're all of a sudden interested in watching some high-quality Netflix content, your iPhone will automatically switch to 5G. It's a clever solution, to be sure, but if battery life is hugely important to you, you may want to switch off 5G altogether and only turn it on in situations where you really need it. If you're keen on turning off 5G on your iPhone 12, all you have to do is open up the Settings app, select "Cellular" and then select "Voice & Data." Here, you should see three options: 5G On, 5G Auto, and LTE. 5G On uses 5G at all times, even in instances where battery life is impacted. 5G Auto, meanwhile, only uses 5G when it will not have a serious impact on battery life. And LTE, of course, turns 5G off completely. While 5G Auto is likely preferable for most people, you'll definitely want to select the LTE option if you're in a situation where you need to maximize battery life at all costs. Another setting to be aware of is Data Mode. By going to Settings > Cellular > Data Mode, you can toggle "Allow More Data on 5G" on and off. This setting, when on, "provides higher-quality video and FaceTime when connected to 5G cellular networks." Opting for the "Standard" option, meanwhile, reduces cellular data usage by "pausing automatic updates and background tasks." With the settings above, you can set your 5G usage to work just as you need it to strike a fine balance between data speeds and battery life. Today’s Top DealShoppers are swarming Amazon to get the Roomba 675 robot vacuum while it’s only $199!Price: $199.00 For this very reason, Apple wasn’t exactly in a rush to roll out new iPhone models with support for 5G connectivity. While the hoopla and hype surrounding 5G being able to “change the world” was immense over the past few years, Apple took the position that introducing 5G devices without a sufficient amount of 5G coverage from carriers served no purpose. And so, Apple took its sweet time and didn’t include support for 5G connectivity until it released its iPhone 12 lineup last September. The improved data speeds enabled by 5G are certainly welcome but there are some downsides to 5G worth mentioning as well. Aside from the fact that cellular range with 5G is subpar relative to 4G, iPhones with 5G chipsets churn through battery life at a much faster clip. Suffice it to say, if your daily usage habits don’t exactly require blazing-fast connectivity, you might be better off switching 5G off completely to prioritize battery life. Hardly a controversial perspective, even Apple itself concedes this point which is why the company last year introduced a new “Smart Data Mode” which dynamically switches between 4G and 5G depending on which apps are currently running. So if you’re just perusing some posts on Facebook, you’ll likely be content with 4G. But if you’re all of a sudden interested in watching some high-quality Netflix content, your iPhone will automatically switch to 5G. It’s a clever solution, to be sure, but if battery life is hugely important to you, you may want to switch off 5G altogether and only turn it on in situations where you really need it. If you’re keen on turning off 5G on your iPhone 12, all you have to do is open up the Settings app, select “Cellular” and then select “Voice & Data.” Here, you should see three options: 5G On, 5G Auto, and LTE. 5G On uses 5G at all times, even in instances where battery life is impacted. 5G Auto, meanwhile, only uses 5G when it will not have a serious impact on battery life. And LTE, of course, turns 5G off completely. While 5G Auto is likely preferable for most people, you’ll definitely want to select the LTE option if you’re in a situation where you need to maximize battery life at all costs. Another setting to be aware of is Data Mode. By going to Settings > Cellular > Data Mode, you can toggle “Allow More Data on 5G” on and off. This setting, when on, “provides higher-quality video and FaceTime when connected to 5G cellular networks.” Opting for the “Standard” option, meanwhile, reduces cellular data usage by “pausing automatic updates and background tasks.” With the settings above, you can set your 5G usage to work just as you need it to strike a fine balance between data speeds and battery life.5G, iPhone       |
| Gates Foundation reverses position on COVID vaccine patent protections after mounting pressure Posted: 07 May 2021 02:39 PM PDT  Bill Gates. (John Keatley Photo) The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Thursday that it supports the lifting of patent protections on coronavirus vaccine technologies. Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman issued a statement saying that the Seattle-based philanthropic organization has been working for more than a year to make sure vaccines reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. But much more needs to be done. "No barriers should stand in the way of equitable access to vaccines, including intellectual property, which is why we are supportive of a narrow waiver during the pandemic," Suzman said. "Those negotiations will occur via the WTO process, led by country negotiators." The reversal comes after mounting criticism against foundation co-founder Bill Gates and pressure from U.S. politicians and more than 100 countries to lift the protections as COVID-19 surges in India and Brazil. In a recent interview with Sky News, Gates said sharing the "recipe" for vaccines would not be helpful. "There's only so many vaccine factories in the world and people are very serious about the safety of vaccines," Gates said. "And so moving something that had never been done, moving a vaccine from say a J&J factory into a factory in India, it's novel. It's only because of our grants and expertise that that can happen at all. "The thing that's holding things back in this case is not intellectual property," Gates continued. "It's not like there's some idle vaccine factory, with regulatory approval, that makes magically safe vaccines. You know, you've got to do the trial on these things. Every manufacturing process has to be looked at in a very careful way." Gates was opposed to waiving some provisions of the World Trade Organization's agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, or TRIPS. Devex reported "that a waiver would allow member nations to stop enforcing a set of COVID-19-related patents for the duration of the pandemic so that low- and middle-income countries can produce or import generic versions of vaccines." This week, President Biden and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai bowed to pressure and voiced support for a waiver. "This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures," Tai said in a statement. "The Administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines. We will actively participate in text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) needed to make that happen. Those negotiations will take time given the consensus-based nature of the institution and the complexity of the issues involved." These extraordinary times and circumstances of call for extraordinary measures. The US supports the waiver of IP protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic and we'll actively participate in @WTO negotiations to make that happen. pic.twitter.com/96ERlboZS8 — Ambassador Katherine Tai (@AmbassadorTai) May 5, 2021 Suzman said the Gates Foundation is "committed to supporting the continued expansion of vaccine manufacturing capacity in countries around the world, including on the African continent." The foundation has committed over $1.75 billion toward COVID-19 response globally, and has backed the World Health Organization's COVAX, whose aim is to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines. Reuters reported that a pharmaceutical industry source said U.S. companies would fight to ensure any waiver agreed upon was as narrow and limited as possible, as companies working on vaccines have reported sharp revenue and profit gains during the pandemic. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced Thursday that it supports the lifting of patent protections on coronavirus vaccine technologies. Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman issued a statement saying that the Seattle-based philanthropic organization has been working for more than a year to make sure vaccines reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. But much more needs to be done. "No barriers should stand in the way of equitable access to vaccines, including intellectual property, which is why we are supportive of a narrow waiver during the pandemic," Suzman said. "Those negotiations will occur via the WTO… Read MoreHealth/Life Sciences, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, COVID-19 vaccine, mark suzman       |
| Tech Moves: Tanium hires CFO; Utrip founder launches VC firm; AWS IoT exec joins Siemens Posted: 07 May 2021 02:39 PM PDT  Tanium CFO Marc Levine. (Tanium Photo) — Cybersecurity giant Tanium appointed Marc Levine as its new CFO, effective May 17. He was most recently CFO at RSA Security. Levine previously was CFO at C3.ai, Athenahealth, and Blue Yonder, previously known as JDA Software. He spent 25 years at Hewlett Packard, including stints as SVP of finance and corporate controller. Tanium relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to Kirkland, Wash. last year. In January, the company raised $150 million, bringing total funding to date past $1 billion. — Microsoft and Amazon veteran Dirk Didascalou has been appointed the first CTO of Siemens Digital Industries, a business unit of the German multinational company. He will start in September. Didascalou was most recently VP of IoT at Amazon Web Services and previously Microsoft's CVP of technology and research, where he worked on the Surface Hub and led the Smart Things team. Prior to Microsoft, Didascalou was an executive at Nokia and previously worked for Siemens' mobile phones division earlier in his career. Deep Sran. (Actively Learn Photo) — Actively Learn co-founder Jay Goyal has stepped down as president to spend time with his family. His co-founder Deep Sran is taking over as president of the digital reading platform. Goyal told GeekWire he plans to take a break and is considering a new venture, likely in education again. "Lots of problems to solve and a couple ideas brewing," he said. Founded in Seattle in 2012, Actively Learn was acquired in 2018 by New Jersey educational technology company Achieve3000. Actively Learn operates as a subsidiary of the larger company and currently has 41 employees, 15 of which are based in Seattle. From left: Rebecca Clements, Kirsten Smith, and Rajiv Arunkundram. (Ally Photos) — Seattle startup Ally.io, which develops goal-setting collaboration software, added three new executives: Rajiv Arunkundram as head of product. He was previously a senior director of product management at Smartsheet and Microsoft. The company launched in 2018 and earlier this year closed a $50 million Series C round. — Gilad Berenstein, the founder and former CEO of Seattle startup Utrip, has founded early stage investment firm Brook Bay Capital. Berenstein told GeekWire that Brook Bay Capital will focus on AI/ML, marketplaces and technology for the financial, real estate, retail and travel industries. He declined to provide further details about the firm. Berenstein founded travel itinerary planning startup Utrip in 2011 when he was 23 years old and led the company until it shut down in 2019. He later joined the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) as an entrepreneur-in-residence for almost a year before founding Brook Bay Capital. Berenstein also currently serves as a mentor and advisor for startups. Mónica Guzmán. — Mónica Guzmán is now director of digital and storytelling at Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America. Guzmán was previously VP of local for media technology company WhereBy.Us and co-founded The Evergrey, a daily newsletter for Seattleites. She is a former GeekWire columnist. Guzmán is also currently writing a book for publication in 2022 about staying curious and open-minded in divided times. Guzmán also hosts Crosscut's Northwest Newsmakers speaker series. — Kirkland, Wash.-based Adaptiva promoted Doug Kennedy to COO and added Mike Bradley as senior director of alliances and channels. Kennedy joined Adaptiva in 2019 as chief growth officer. He is a former Microsoft, NetSuite and Oracle executive. Bradley is also a NetSuite and Oracle veteran. He was most recently alliance director for the Oracle's CX Marketing product. — Seattle accounting software startup Lockstep hired Melissa Hendrick as EVP of marketing. She previously held executive marketing roles at TeamSupport and Yooz. Alicia Bedard (left) and Manohar Ganesan. (Procurify Photos) — Vancouver, B.C.-based Procurify announced Alicia Bedard as VP of marketing and Manohar Ganesan as VP of product and engineering. The company's software tracks organizations expenses and spending. Bedard was most recently senior director of marketing at Canadian edtech company ApplyBoard. Ganesan joins from Amazon Web Services where he was a senior product manager. He previously co-founded Swarasta, a last mile logistics startup in India. — The University of Washington's Continuum College appointed Bryan Blakeley to the newly-created role of assistant vice provost for digital learning innovation. Blakeley most recently was the executive director at Boston College's Center for Digital Innovation in Learning. The Continuum College provides continuing and professional education through regular, part-time, weekend, summer and online sessions. In his new role, Blakeley will be responsible for the unit's digital learning tools and online learning experience. — Cybersecurity giant Tanium appointed Marc Levine as its new CFO, effective May 17. He was most recently CFO at RSA Security. Levine previously was CFO at C3.ai, Athenahealth, and Blue Yonder, previously known as JDA Software. He spent 25 years at Hewlett Packard, including stints as SVP of finance and corporate controller. Tanium relocated from the San Francisco Bay Area to Kirkland, Wash. last year. In January, the company raised $150 million, bringing total funding to date past $1 billion. — Microsoft and Amazon veteran Dirk Didascalou has been appointed the first CTO of Siemens Digital Industries, a business… Read MoreTech Moves, Actively Learn, Adaptiva, Alicia Bedard, Ally.io, Braver Angels, Brook Bay Capital, Bryan Blakeley, Deep Sran, Dirk Didascalou, Doug Kennedy, Gilad Berenstein, Jay Goyal, Kirsten Smith, Lockstep, Manohar Ganesan, Marc Levine, Melissa Hendrick, Mike Bradley, Monica Guzman, Procurify, Rajiv Arunkundram, Rebecca Clements, siemens, Tanium, UW Continuum College       |
| Scary Qualcomm vulnerability might have let hackers spy on Android users Posted: 07 May 2021 02:39 PM PDT  Check Point Research (CPR) security researchers have discovered a significant security vulnerability in a Qualcomm chip found inside hundreds of millions of Android handsets. The mobile station modem (MSM) chip is present in nearly 40% of all the world's phones, CPR explained. Hackers aware of the vulnerability could have abused it to "inject malicious and invisible code" into phones, which would have allowed them to spy on users. Successful attacks would have allowed hackers to read SMS messages and listen to phone conversations. Today’s Top DealAmazon has real diamond stud earrings for under $60 — and the reviews are off the charts!
The MSM chip powers various phones from well-known Android vendors, including Google, Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. It plays a role in cellular communication, including 5G connectivity and other advanced features like high definition recording. The security issue that CPR found would have involved a hacker using Android to target the MSM chip. This would have given the attackers access to the call history and SMS messages and allow them to listen in on phone conversations and even unlock a device's SIM card. The security researchers also say that the hackers would have been able to hide their activities within the modem chips. This would have made the attack invisible to Android and security protections built into the operating system. "In other words, if we assume a phone is infected with a malicious application, the application can then use security flaw to 'hide' a large part of its activities 'underneath' the OS in the modem chip itself," the researchers said. It's unclear whether the vulnerability was exploited in the wild, but the Check Point Research findings seem to indicate that it would be nearly impossible to detect active threats. CPR also detailed the timeline of events. The researchers discovered the vulnerability in mid-October 2020, with Qualcomm confirming the issue (CVE-2020-11292) and classifying it as a "high rated vulnerability" on October 15th, a week after CPR notified the company. Qualcomm fixed the vulnerability in December, several months before it was disclosed to the public. "Qualcomm Technologies has already made fixes available to OEMs in December 2020, and we encourage end-users to update their devices as patches become available," a Qualcomm spokesperson told Tom's Guide. It's unclear whether Google rolled out the patch for the CVE-2020-11292 vulnerability, as it's not mentioned in any of the recent Android security updates. But a Qualcomm representative told the same blog that the fix would be included in the June Android security bulletin. Whether Google rolled out the patch or plans to do it, not all Android devices that might be impacted will get the updates at the same time. Attackers aware of the issue might still attempt to exploit it. Android users should always ensure that they've installed the latest Android versions and the latest Android security patches on their devices. CPR advises users to install apps only from trusted app stores to reduce the risk of installing malicious software that might attempt to steal data and exploit vulnerabilities. Today’s Top DealAmazon has real diamond stud earrings for under $60 — and the reviews are off the charts!Price: $59.90 The MSM chip powers various phones from well-known Android vendors, including Google, Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. It plays a role in cellular communication, including 5G connectivity and other advanced features like high definition recording. The security issue that CPR found would have involved a hacker using Android to target the MSM chip. This would have given the attackers access to the call history and SMS messages and allow them to listen in on phone conversations and even unlock a device's SIM card. The security researchers also say that the hackers would have been able to hide their activities within the modem chips. This would have made the attack invisible to Android and security protections built into the operating system. "In other words, if we assume a phone is infected with a malicious application, the application can then use security flaw to 'hide' a large part of its activities 'underneath' the OS in the modem chip itself," the researchers said. It's unclear whether the vulnerability was exploited in the wild, but the Check Point Research findings seem to indicate that it would be nearly impossible to detect active threats. CPR also detailed the timeline of events. The researchers discovered the vulnerability in mid-October 2020, with Qualcomm confirming the issue (CVE-2020-11292) and classifying it as a "high rated vulnerability" on October 15th, a week after CPR notified the company. Qualcomm fixed the vulnerability in December, several months before it was disclosed to the public. “Qualcomm Technologies has already made fixes available to OEMs in December 2020, and we encourage end-users to update their devices as patches become available,” a Qualcomm spokesperson told Tom's Guide. It's unclear whether Google rolled out the patch for the CVE-2020-11292 vulnerability, as it's not mentioned in any of the recent Android security updates. But a Qualcomm representative told the same blog that the fix would be included in the June Android security bulletin. Whether Google rolled out the patch or plans to do it, not all Android devices that might be impacted will get the updates at the same time. Attackers aware of the issue might still attempt to exploit it. Android users should always ensure that they’ve installed the latest Android versions and the latest Android security patches on their devices. CPR advises users to install apps only from trusted app stores to reduce the risk of installing malicious software that might attempt to steal data and exploit vulnerabilities.Android, hackers, qualcomm       |
| Google just fired back at Roku in the war over YouTube TV Posted: 07 May 2021 01:39 PM PDT  After failing to come to terms in private, Google and Roku started publicly airing their dirty laundry over YouTube TV's continued support on Roku devices last week. Roku sent an email to its customers explaining that it was not willing to accept Google's "unfair terms," which included preferential treatment and special placement for its apps on Roku's UI. At the end of the week, Google allowed the agreement for the distribution of YouTube TV on Roku's devices to expire, and as a result, the channel was removed. YouTube TV subscribers that had already downloaded the app still have access to the live TV service for the time being, but it's no longer possible to find it in search results. That was the end of the story for most of this week, but it turns out that Google had just been preparing to retaliate. On Friday, the YouTube team announced in a blog post that it will be rolling out a new feature that will allow YouTube TV subscribers to watch live TV from within the main YouTube app. Today’s Top DealAmazon shoppers are obsessed with these Wi-Fi smart plugs – get them for just $3.57 each!Price: $14.27
Google says YouTube TV subscribers should see the "Go to YouTube TV" button in the menu of the YouTube app on their Roku streaming boxes and televisions in the coming days. By clicking that button, the app will transform into the familiar YouTube TV layout, giving everyone with a Roku access to the service once again. A Google spokesperson explained to The Verge that users will not be able to sign up for YouTube TV this way — the workaround is only meant to give current subscribers a way to watch live TV without the YouTube TV app. Plus, it is all but guaranteed to make Roku angry, which should result in more fireworks. Here's what Google has to say about the ongoing negotiations with Roku over YouTube TV: We're still working to come to an agreement with Roku to ensure continued access to YouTube TV for our mutual customers. As of right now, existing YouTube TV members still have access to the app on Roku devices. We're also in discussions with other partners to secure free streaming devices in case YouTube TV members face any access issues on Roku. Separately, we are also in ongoing, long-term conversations with Roku to certify that new devices meet our technical requirements. This certification process exists to ensure a consistent and high-quality YouTube experience across different devices, including Google's own–so you know how to navigate the app and what to expect. We'll continue our conversations with Roku on certification, in good faith, with the goal of advocating for our mutual customers. A resolution does not appear to be forthcoming, but it's nearly impossible to gauge how quickly disputes like these will fizzle out. In the meantime, we'll be waiting anxiously for Roku's fiery response. Today’s Top DealAmazon shoppers are obsessed with these Wi-Fi smart plugs – get them for just $3.57 each!Price: $14.27 That was the end of the story for most of this week, but it turns out that Google had just been preparing to retaliate. On Friday, the YouTube team announced in a blog post that it will be rolling out a new feature that will allow YouTube TV subscribers to watch live TV from within the main YouTube app. Google says YouTube TV subscribers should see the “Go to YouTube TV” button in the menu of the YouTube app on their Roku streaming boxes and televisions in the coming days. By clicking that button, the app will transform into the familiar YouTube TV layout, giving everyone with a Roku access to the service once again. A Google spokesperson explained to The Verge that users will not be able to sign up for YouTube TV this way — the workaround is only meant to give current subscribers a way to watch live TV without the YouTube TV app. Plus, it is all but guaranteed to make Roku angry, which should result in more fireworks. Here’s what Google has to say about the ongoing negotiations with Roku over YouTube TV: Separately, we are also in ongoing, long-term conversations with Roku to certify that new devices meet our technical requirements. This certification process exists to ensure a consistent and high-quality YouTube experience across different devices, including Google's own–so you know how to navigate the app and what to expect. We’ll continue our conversations with Roku on certification, in good faith, with the goal of advocating for our mutual customers.       |
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