CloudTalkin

crowley said:

fastasleep said:

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

Dogperson said:

Not just this company, but ALL the personal info hacks - WHY IS NONE OF THIS INFORMATION ENCRYPTED???????

Great question. Why is none of your information encrypted on iCloud? We know it isn't because Apple can scan your photos for illegal images and then have humans review them before sending all your data unencrypted to the government.

You sure are wrong a lot: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303

Data	Encryption		Notes
	In transit	On server
Backup	Yes	Yes	A minimum of 128-bit AES encryption
Safari History & Bookmarks	Yes	Yes
Calendars	Yes	Yes
Contacts	Yes	Yes
Find My (Devices & People)	Yes	Yes
iCloud Drive	Yes	Yes
Messages in iCloud	Yes	Yes
Notes	Yes	Yes
Photos	Yes	Yes
Reminders	Yes	Yes
Siri Shortcuts	Yes	Yes
Voice Memos	Yes	Yes
Wallet passes	Yes	Yes

I believe much or all of that is encrypted with keys that Apple have though, not with end to end user keys, so theoretically Apple could unencrypt it and share it with law enforcement.  A pretty compelling reason from a consumer standpoint to switch to full end to end encryption and shift any validation to on-device systems.

There's nothing theoretical about it. It's fact.  Apple, in exacting detail twice yearly, explains exactly what they share with governments.  Not only in the US, but governments around the world.  You are right that Apple holds the encryption keys to data.  There was a big "to do" a couple of years ago about Apple being required to store Chinese customer iCloud data in China on Chinese servers AND store the encryption keys there as well.  iCloud data is among a whole host of customer information subject to governmental warranted request.  Info detailed in the biannual Transparency Report: https://www.apple.com/legal/transparency/

tl;dr If it's stored in iCloud it's encrypted.  Apple holds the encryption keys so the data can be shared.  In 2020 Apple honored ~90% of US Government requests for user data.

ArchStanton said:

What I don’t like about this article and specifically Apple’s comments is they aren’t plain and straight forward. “ATT” and “third party”. I understand it but the average person is clueless to how significantly this blocks your private data from being collected. 

What I like about this article is how much it drives the paid trolls, trolls and haters into a tizzy to hear this, then have nothing coherent to say in their whirling attempt to defend Google (and Facebook’s) massive private data collection on users. They’ll reply with “they all do it”, there’s Pegasus!, you use the internet so isn’t private! and more. I Love it When the subject comes up and the trolls/haters have to find someway to try and obscure the truth.  

I don't know bud. Your comment kinda makes it pretty clear you don't understand it at all.  You are the average person you're attempting to disparage.  Apple's explanation of ATT is pretty plain and straight forward.  Simply put, App Tracking Transparency blocks 3rd party cross-site tracking.  That's it.  What the average person may be assuming (you included) is ATT blocks tracking... period.  It does not.  It only blocks a specifically defined (by Apple) type of tracking.  This is how Apple defines tracking: Tracking refers to the act of linking user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes. Tracking also refers to sharing user or device data with data brokers. - Apple  It also has a list of exceptions to the 3rd party tracking rule. 

App Tracking Transparency doesn't block your data from being collected.  There are other mechanisms in place that do that have done that for a while now.  ATT performs a specific singular function, not the all encompassing role you seem to think it does.  It's also kinda funny to read your "trolls and haters" missive about data collection when it's fairly obvious you really know far less than you think you do.  Now I'm far from an expert, but at least I attempted to learn the facts.  You really should as well.  And yes, they all do it.  And by it, I mean collect massive amounts of data on users.  What they do with that data is where the differences lie.  That's the distinction you're missing.

blastdoor said:

It cites Apple's reported reluctance to invest heavily in entertainment programming

Say what now? 

https://www.cultofmac.com/738633/apple-tv-is-almost-certainly-a-money-loser-right-now/

I guess everything is relative, but if spending single digit billions on original content isn't "investing heavily" then what is? 

I mean yeah, to get the NFL, Apple would probably need to spend approximately as much as they spend on everything else on ATV+, but I don't think it's totally crazy. Having the NFL is kind of like having several guaranteed hit TV shows every year. The NFL is also *the* thing that keeps some people from cutting the cord. 

Apple spend is comparatively small compared to the likes of Netflix.  2018 $12 billion. 2019 $15 billion. 2020 $$12 billion. 2021 est. $17 billion.  Amazon's not far behind Netflix.  Apple's spend is quite conservative.  Imo, it's doubtful Apple would spend the the amounts necessary to garner the Sunday Ticket contract.  Apple's largest acquisition acquisitions were Beats at $3B and Intel at $1B... and that's ownership.  Sunday Ticket wouldn't be ownership.  It would be timed licensing.  The cost of Sunday Ticket could potentially be more than Apple has spent on all of it's ATV+ content combined.  Direct TV paid $1.5B.  The NFL is looking for more, not less.

Sunday Ticket is a $300 season pass for end users.  Apple certainly isn't going to subsidize that and make Sunday Ticket a part of ATV+.  

rs0212 said:

This will never happen. DirecTV will attempt renew their contract at all costs - otherwise they will lose millions of business customers (such as sportsbars). I can see both a DirecTV and an OTT streaming service deal, but I don't see an either or.

Direct TV will not attempt to renew the contract.  Direct TV is basically dead man walking.  AT&T wants that service gone in the worst way.  They tried to sell it but had no takers.  Direct TV has been bleeding customers and money for a while.  The Sunday Ticket was a loss leader on Direct TV that didn't help gain the subs they hoped.  DTV is an anchor around AT&T's neck.  

thedba said:

I've had a few of these warnings show up on my iPhone/iPad/AppleTV. 
So far hasn't had a negative impact at all on any of my activities. Netflix/Amazon/Crave all remember where I left off, on all of my devices.
No software has any business knowing our habits when we're not using the app. 

As for Facebook, they can take a hike for all I care. There's no reason for me to reactivate my account with them any time soon. 

Netflix/Amazon/Crave don't really need to use cross-site tracking.  ← That's what ATT blocks, cross-site tracking.  Those types of sites can and do track your analytics just fine without the need to know where you go when you leave them.  1st party tracking typically doesn't violate ATT policies.  It's primarily 3rd party tracking shoehorned in APK's that ATT was designed to combat.

This comment was typed on a 17" mid 2010 MBP running High Sierra... with nVidia graphic no less.  Still does everything I want it to do.  Still does almost everything my 2015 MBP can do.  It has aged nicely.  This monster has been "Obsolete" for over 5 years and still runs like a champ.  An older retired champ, but a champ nonetheless. 
Heck, even the gigantic BookBook I keep it stored in has aged nicely.   Any issues that occurred during it's lifetime were mostly repaired by me or my guy who's been repairing computers since the late 80's.

Truthfully, I never liked the MB.  I thought it was a compromised stopgap computer.  That being said, I'm sure anybody with one should have it for quite a while.  Caveat being the health of the keyboard.  I doubt it will last as long as my gray aircraft carrier, but it should be around for a while.