maury markowitz

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maury markowitz
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  • Level Lock+ HomeKit smart lock can be picked open in seconds

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    Once again, with feeling:

    The idea of the Level is that you replace the cylinder with the one you already have in your door. That means you can keep using your keys, which you probably have all over the place. This is the entire design concept and it is why it is laid out like it is. There are hundreds of YouTube videos showing you how to do it.

    So the Level is exactly as pickable as your current cylinder because it uses your current cylinder. It's like the same cylinder though, as it's a completely standard 5-pin model that you can even re-key to use your existing keys.

    There are LOTS of reasons not to buy this lock, but pickability is not one of them because almost every lock out there is easily pickable. Better reasons include:

    1) If you touch it with any body part, even just brushing it, it will lock/unlock. It's so annoying almost everyone turns it off

    2) the auto-lock will re-lock the door even if its open, which means you you go to close it, BANG

    3) the auto-lock will re-lock even if you deliberately unlocked it. there's no way to leave your door unlocked if you're expecting someone. If you don't have a storm door you can keep closed... well, tough.
    beowulfschmidtbloggerblogmacguicg27stompymystigoStrangeDaysravnorodomcornchipwatto_cobra

  • Epic CEO fears Apple's influence over the metaverse

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    I don't think Apple is their risk factor.

    I think the fact that people are is interested in VR as they were in 3D television is the risk factor.

    The number of people who want this crap in any near future is a rounding error.
    DAalsethlkruppmike1Anilu_777ravnorodomJFC_PAzeus423baconstanguraharaBart Y

  • Apple now calls itself a gaming company fighting with Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    ... which is why there's basically 1 in 20 games on the Mac?

    Its not like they can blame weak GPUs any more.
    williamlondonInspiredCodeOferBeatsbyronlwatto_cobra

  • Apple HomePod sales 'underwhelming,' AirPods still growing, analyst says

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    > It's a shame if this is true, because the HomePod does sound amazing

    Sure, but my Yamaha stereo with two nice Mirage speakers sounds better. And that setup cost the same as a Home Pod.

    It's just too expensive. This is an accessory, it can't cost as much as a full-blown iPad. And everyone knows it.

    If you can't do it $199, don't do it. It's not like someone was forcing them to sell one.
    DAalsethentropyslarryadacharwilliamlondon

  • Anti-robocall legislation passes through US House, on track to become law

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    It is important to note that these systems will NOT stop robocalls. That’s non-trivial in the VOIP era when those calls can come from anywhere, most of which don’t care what laws the US passes. 

    What it will do is allow you to see when someone is spoofing the caller ID. Those calls can be ignored. It’s definitely better than nothing, and hopefully it will reduce the cost benefit ratio to the point where it’s not worth doing. But the cynic in me thinks the typical marks for these scams will be happy to take any call and any excuse as to why the caller is says THIS IS SPOOFED. 
    razorpitdysamoriacornchip

  • M3 Ultra Mac Studio rumored to debut in mid-2024 -- without a Mac Pro

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    hypoluxa said:
    I can't see them (yet) removing the MacPro from their roster. The PCI expansion slots are a niche market for some Pro users who use them, they still have a customer market for it albeit a shrinking one.
    Could this not be addressed with a working external PCI expansion system?
    pulseimageswatto_cobra

  • How to quickly share & manage file paths in macOS Finder

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    I can't believe I'm saying this, but Windows handily beats macOS in this regard. You click on the folder name and the path appears in an editable field and already selected so you can copy it immediately, or type in a new path to move to a different folder.

    I'd be happy if they had a right-click-on-name in macOS that let you Copy.
    williamlondon

  • Level responds to lock picking claim, says Level Lock+ exceeds standards

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    It’s alarming that the BHMA has rated a lock that can be picked in seconds with a AAA rating. 
    How can a consumer find a secure lock if the rating suggests AAA and can still be picked in seconds?
    Almost all locks can be picked in seconds. All you need is the tool. The high-security locks for homes generally add security by making the keyhole have a weird shape so the pick won't fit. So the Norman, for instance, uses a key that looks like an S in cross-section, so a normal flat pick won't fit into the curved slot. But that's it, after that it's the same mechanism. So all you have to do is use a different pick, which is why you have a lockpick SET, not a lockpick.

    There's a great article on the topic here:

    https://books.google.ca/books?id=x3YlRSphAaMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

    Go to page 128. "Ninety percent of all key cylinders sold can be picked in 10 seconds."

    But much more important: only 10% of illegal entries are unforced, and the vast majority of those are using a copied key - like the one you gave someone you trusted.

    The idea that you're losing security by using a standard barrel is simply not an issue. Every house around you has one of these locks - how many of them have been robbed by someone picking the lock?
    muthuk_vanalingambeowulfschmidtwatto_cobrajony0

  • Larger 32-inch iMac Pro rumored to hit store shelves in late 2024

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    macxpress said:
    I doubt Apple is releasing an iMac Pro. An iMac Pro just isn't necessary with Mac Studio available. There might be a larger screened iMac coming but it won't be a Pro. Just because it's a larger screen iMac doesn't make it an iMac Pro. 
    Or they could just do a 32" version of the Studio Display, which I would buy in a heartbeat.

    I still have the original aluminum 30" Cinema Display from 2008-ish. But having seen 5k displays I covet the text clarity. As great as it is, I won't give up the size, even that little bit of real estate seems obvious to lose. A 32" Studio Display.... is perfect, and matches perfectly with the Studio.
    watto_cobramacxpressmacike

  • Three M3 chips could land in Monday's Mac line refresh

    maury markowitzmaury markowitz
    blastdoor said:
    Meteor lake is supposed to launch in December. It will be very interesting to see how the m3 lineup compares. I wonder if meteor lake comparisons are one reason Apple is launching pro and max now
    Apple doesn't give a crap about anything Intel is doing. Why should they?

    My wife's M1 MBAir totally trashes my "professional" (T-series) Lenovo work machine. Everything is better on the Air. It is way faster, it lasts days (yes, days) on a charge compared to hours (if I'm lucky) and has a usable trackpad. The only upside to the Lenovo is the really good keyboard. The Lenovo cost more too.

    So yeah, they care not. Their customers don't either.
    canukstormdanox