mknelson

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mknelson
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  • Xiaomi introduces first over-the-air charging system called Mi Air Charge

    mknelsonmknelson
    Enjoy having your brains and internal organs being cooked with microwaves.
    That's not how it works. Millimeter waves (shorter wavelength, higher frequency than microwaves) don't have much penetration beyond the first skin layers.

    We're talking tenths of a degree
    https://arxiv.org/pdf/1503.05944.pdf
    lolliverprismaticsmwhitesphericfastasleep

  • Many App Store 'nutrition labels' have false information, report says

    mknelsonmknelson
    roundaboutnow said:OK, so how did The Washington Post researchers find the data that the apps were tracking? I get that if an app developer gathered data to its own servers that it would be difficult to find out where it goes from there...

    From the article, it appears that the apps were forwarding information directly to "Facebook, Google and others..." Do you suppose this was the case? If so, then some sort of automated testing may work to at least catch this type of direct data forwarding. 
    That's a good question. On your Mac you could use Little Snitch and watch for suspicious packets.

    You have to scroll quite a ways down the WAPO article to find their methodology. That's actually pretty slick.

    "To test if privacy labels were hiding the truth, I repeated part of an experiment I ran on my own iPhone in 2019. Software made by surveillance-fighting firm Disconnect called Privacy Pro forces your phone’s data to go through a local virtual private network that logs and blocks connections to trackers."
    roundaboutnowsocalbrianAlex1Napplguydysamoriawatto_cobra

  • Lawsuit claims Apple facilitates, benefits from illegal gambling on the App Store

    mknelsonmknelson
    …
    However I think the restriction on card counting apps should be removed. The reason given below is that card counters are "illegal." I don't live in the US, but I googled whether card counting is illegal, and the answer was no. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_counting#Legal_status Wikipedia documents no country in the world where card counting is "illegal." So the Apple rules are wrong when they claim that card counting apps are "illegal gambling aids".
    …
    You stopped Googling too soon. Card counting in your head is legal, but…

    "Card counting is NOT illegal under federal, state and local laws in the United States as long as players don't use any external card-counting device or people who assist them in counting cards."
    crowleyroundaboutnowbeowulfschmidtMacProwatto_cobra

  • Developer files antitrust complaint after Apple rejects COVID game

    mknelsonmknelson
    ihatescreennames said:

    …
    It’s at least a little odd that Apple rejected Mueller’s COVID-19 app which, from a quick glance, is about preventing the spread, wearing masks, quarantining, etc, but the above app is geared at spreading disease and is apparently OK.
    It's not about the subject matter, it was about the name, and a formal policy against COVID-19 "branded" apps not from recognized health care authorities.

    Regardless of his motives he's getting some press and notice.
    Rayz2016watto_cobra

  • Apple may expand rear LiDAR sensor use to all 'iPhone 13' models

    mknelsonmknelson
    GeorgeBMac said:
    While this would probably be a great move on Apple's part, there are those who may disagree:

    "LIDAR is a fool’s errand… and anyone relying on LIDAR is doomed." — Elon Musk

    Obviously Musk is talking about Lidar on automobiles rather than smart phones, but it's still lidar.
    It seems to be generally believed that he says that because of the high cost of lidar, but I have not seen any definitive proof that that is the truth much less the whole truth.

    But, one thing is certain:  Musk is not usually wrong.  But then, neither is Apple.  
    Pop corn anyone?

    There have been some radical changes in LIDAR costs since Elon Musk said that. There are quite a few very low cost options including Apple's.
    GeorgeBMaccornchipwatto_cobra