maltz

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maltz
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  • A smaller Mac mini brings big problems for server farms and accessory makers

    maltzmaltz
    "Problems for server farms and accessory makers"??  The old Mac Mini was ~85in^3 and the new one is only 50in^3.  That's a *HUGE* improvement for rack mount solutions.  But oh noes!  I might have to buy a new $500 mounting kit to house my $10,000 worth of Mac Minis!

    And as for accessory makers, incompatibility with existing accessories is a good thing for them too.  People who upgrade will have to buy new accessories instead of keeping what they have.

    It's kinda bad for consumers, but a lot of people who had such accessories might not even need them any more now that Apple finally seems to be coming to their senses and putting ports on the front of some Macs.  And some of them might appreciate the smaller size, as well.
    williamlondonmike1elijahgecarlseendanoxwatto_cobra

  • If you're using a Magic Keyboard, you've opened up an attack vector

    maltzmaltz
    I've never really understood the popularity of wireless mice and keyboards, but especially keyboards.  Mice, ok, the cord can be annoying if it tends to get hung up on something, but rearranging the cord or desk layout has always fixed that for me.  But keyboards are stationary.  What's the point of it being wireless?  And having to mess with charging and/or changing batteries is a hassle.

    That's not to say there aren't ANY use cases - I have a wireless keyboard/trackpad combo for my HTPC for when the IR remote doesn't suffice, for example.  And our conference room at work has wireless so the computer driving the large display there can be used by anyone at the table.  But the typical "sitting at your desk using your computer" case I don't really get.
    lighteningkidwilliamlondonbaconstangwatto_cobracommand_f

  • Every iPhone screen has a barcode to prevent a manufacturing scam

    maltzmaltz
    The Information is inconsistent about the size of the codes, saying that one is the size of a grain of sand, but later describing that as 0.2mm.

    It's possible the publication intended to refer to the second code, which is larger and described as being about the size of the tip of a crayon.

    I guess the size of a grain of sand varies a lot, but in my experience, most are a lot closer to 0.2mm than the tip of a crayon that's, what, 2-3mm?

    Cool article though.  Glad to see Apple finding innovative ways to improve quality control.

    sphericAlex1NpulseimagesradarthekatappleinsideruserbloggerblogFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra

  • Apple Watch Series 10 almost had a new health sensor

    maltzmaltz
    "Current methods for blood glucose monitoring typically relies on sampling the blood directly."

    Continuous glucose monitors work by measuring interstitial fluid.  Still kind of invasive, but it's not as painful as the finger pricks - just a raised nub on the back of your arm that sometimes catches on things.  lol

    It's slightly less accurate, and readings lag slightly behind the finger-prick blood-measuring method, but it has the advantage of continuous monitoring.  Which is great for watching trends and how different foods and activities affect your glucose in real-time.  It can even be life-saving for people whose blood sugar tends to drop below safe levels, allowing them to be aware of it in time to take action, or even alert others if they fail to do so.

    IMO, even an Apple Watch that paired with an OTC CGM device would be pretty great.  Other OTC solutions like Lingo have an app, but they don't work on the watch and don't export data to Apple's Health app, afaik.
    Xeddocbburkwatto_cobra

  • Reverse charging rumor resurfaces for the iPhone 17 Pro

    maltzmaltz
    It's probably worth mentioning that even iPhone 16 (maybe others?) can reverse charge Airpods and Apple Watch right now, but it requires a charging cable.  So saying Apple is testing "reverse charging" without specifically mentioning wireless doesn't even seem like a rumor - this is something iPhones already do.

    Wireless reverse charging would be great, though.  Especially if it could reverse charge other phones and Airpods and Watches, but I wonder if the latter is possible, since they seem to require a different charge pad than a phone.
    dewmewatto_cobra

  • 'Fortnite' CEO thought he'd beat Apple in weeks, not years

    maltzmaltz
    He... didn't expect a court battle targeting the core of Apple's app store revenue to drag out?  He thought it'd be over in a few weeks?  Holy crap, fire that guy immediately.
    Nagra178Awilliamlondonbotsaucemdwwatto_cobra

  • iPhone 'batterygate' legal drama isn't quite done yet

    maltzmaltz
    DAalseth said:
    It’s my impression that well over 90% of those screaming about ‘throttling’ never encountered it.

    And if they did, it was in lieu of their phone crashing.  Idiots.  This was was absurd to begin with - I can't believe this actually went anywhere.
    Bart Ystrongydanoxwatto_cobra

  • FBI suggests use of encrypted messaging apps while US faces huge cyberattack from China

    maltzmaltz
    gatorguy said:

    So it appears for now that using RCS to send messages between iPhones and Android is not encrypted. That also means that if any iMessage group has even one Android member in it, the group's conversation can potentially be read.

    The same is true for an Android owner. If just one iPhone user is part of the Google Messages conversation then the entire group may be compromised.

     This is the number one reason that Apple should be aggressively involved in closing up their end of RCS. It makes everyone's messaging vulnerable as long as they don't, even those messages between iPhone owners that can't be sent with iMessage for varying reasons.

    According to the article, Apple *is* working on that - except they're doing it by getting it added to the RCS standard itself, rather than doing it through a proprietary add-on.
    beowulfschmidtchasmwatto_cobra

  • U.S. lawmakers & WhatsApp side with Apple against UK demand for iCloud encryption backdoor...

    maltzmaltz
    "Once a backdoor exists, it becomes a notable weak point that would invariably be targeted by malicious actors."

    Case in point... China likely had access to US wiretapping backdoors for over a year before it was detected, and penetration was so deep, that nearly a year after it was discovered, they were still believed to have some remaining footholds.
    Alex1Nwilliamlondonbaconstangwatto_cobra

  • Apple faces iCloud lawsuit after after judge reverses victory

    maltzmaltz
    iOS_Guy80 said:
    I don’t fully understand how Apple is requiring Apple users to use its iCloud backup. There are other options such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.

    Well, none of those do a full backup of the phone.  Those are just ways to sync files from your phone to other devices.

    But there ARE other ways to backup your phone other than paying for iCloud.  I use iTunes on Windows for free.  (Which has since been replaced, but iTunes still works and is being maintained.)  It's not as automatic or convenient, but it's locally-stored and free.  I believe there are other tools that can also do it, but they're also not free, and I've never messed with them.
    watto_cobra