Square CEO Jack Dorsey has said his company may make a hardware wallet for Bitcoin.
Bitcoin, and cryptocurrency in general, is achieving widespread acceptance. Many companies are beginning to accept crypto, and financial institutions are looking for ways to support it. Square is already a well-known payments processing company, and has a number of hardware dongles to make it easy to accept payments via a phone or tablet.
The company may soon make a hardware wallet for Bitcoin, with the goal of bringing that same ease-of-use to managing Bitcoin holdings. According to Dorsey’s tweet, the company would focus on community engagement when designing both the software and hardware, and prioritize a good mobile experience.
An easy-to-use hardware wallet could be just want’s needed to help revolutionize Bitcoin management, much as Square helped revolutionize mobile payments.
Fintech bank Revolut is the latest institution to add support for Dogecoin, as the crypto continues to gain acceptance.
Dogecoin started out as a meme but has increasingly been making headway as a serious cryptocurrency. Dogecoin’s market valuation surged to a whopping $70 billion in May, making it the fourth most valuable crypto.
Revolut is now adding support for Dogecoin, thanks to popular demand.
Capital at risk. The value of the crypto is variable and can go down as well as up significantly. Past performance or experience does not necessarily give a guide for the future.
Apple’s Craig Federighi highlighted the flexibility of iPadOS and the new features we can expect in iOS 15.
Home Screen
iPadOS Widgets
The Home Screen is getting a big update, with the ability to include Widgets mixed in with app icons. To take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen, Widgets have been updated to allow for bigger sizes, perfect for TV widgets.
Multitasking
Multitasking gets its biggest update since the feature’s introduction, and adds a number of abilities people have been clamoring for.
iPadOS now includes a new multitasking menu at the top of the screen. Tapping the new menu makes it much easier to open another app and add it to Split Screen or Slide Over.
iPadOS Multitasking and Shelf
The new multitasking features also include the ability to minimize apps or app windows into a new Shelf at the bottom of the screen. The Shelf stays visible, even when switching to new apps.
Swiping down on an app in Split View makes it much easier to change the active app.
Notes
Notes have received a big update, adding Mentions. When tagging a person with a Mention, they’re automatically notified. A built-in tag browser provides a way to see all the different tags associated with a given note.
iPadOS Quick Note
iOS 15 also includes Quick Note, a way to create a note from any app. Simply swipe up from the bottom right corner to create a new app. The feature is also app-aware, adding specific functionality based on the app currently in the background.
Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage to introduce WWDC 2021, the second time the company has held the event virtually. As expected, iOS 15 quickly became the focus with Craig Federighi taking the stage.
FaceTime
While highlighting how important FaceTime has been as a way to help people stay in contact during the pandemic, Federighi acknowledged video conferencing can be more difficult than in-person socializing. As a result, the company is working on features to make FaceTime feel more natural.
Spatial audio is making its way to FaceTime, improving the quality of the audio and making it sound as if you’re with the other person.
Voice isolation is a new feature that uses machine learning to block out ambient noise and focus on your voice. Wide spectrum, is the exact opposite, letting in all the background sound.
Grid view is a new way to handle multi-person FaceTime chats, bringing the familiar Zoom-style interface, in addition to FaceTime’s existing floating grid style.
FaceTime Links
FaceTime Links are a new, easy way to invite others to a FaceTime call. Simply start up FaceTime and click “Share” to send a link to those you want to invite.
SharePlay
SharePlay is designed to make it easy to watch TV with others via FaceTime. All articipants can pause and resume the program, as well as talk with each other and chat via Messages, all while the program is playing in the background. SharePlay supports Picture-in-Picture as well.
Apple is also releasing SharePlay API, making it easy for developers to include their own apps. Already, Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount+, Pluto, ESPN+ and others are on board.
Notifications
Notifications are getting a major upgrade, including Notification summaries. The feature allows you to schedule when you receive a summary of recent notifications. It’s also possible to select which people’s notifications are included in summaries, making it easy to keep important contacts separate so their notifications get the attention they need.
iOS 15 will also include the ability to automatically notify others in Messages when Do Not Disturb is activated.
iOS 15 expands on Notifications, adding the ability to have custom notifications depending on what you are currently doing. For example, users can have work notifications or personal notifications, which will only allow contacts and apps classified as such to pop up when that notification is active.
Facebook has announced Donald Trump will remain banned for two years, following the Oversight Board upholding the initial ban.
Donald Trump was banned in the wake of the January 6 insurrection, when some Trump supporters entered the US Capitol after having been let in by security. The ban stemmed from two posts Mr. Trump made during the “riot” that perpetuated claims the election had been stolen which big tech does not agree with.
Former President Trump responded today via an email post:
Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the ban last month, saying it was justified, although it recommended it be revisited in time. Facebook has now said Mr. Trump’s ban will remain in effect for two years, beginning January 7. The suspension will only be lifted if the threat to public safety has subsided.
“At the end of this period, we will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded,” wrote Nick Clegg, VP of Global Affairs. “We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest. If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.”
The company also outlined additional measures that will be taken against public figures who contribute to violence, especially during times of heightened unrest. Mr. Trump will have to abide by this new framework at such time when his account is reinstated.
“When the suspension is eventually lifted, there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr. Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts,” Clegg added.
Clegg also acknowledged that these measures are not the ultimate solution, and called for measured legislation to help address the larger issue when acknowledging the limitations of the Oversight Board.
“Its response to this case confirms our view that Facebook shouldn’t be making so many decisions about content by ourselves,” continued Clegg. “In the absence of frameworks agreed upon by democratically accountable lawmakers, the board’s model of independent and thoughtful deliberation is a strong one that ensures important decisions are made in as transparent and judicious a manner as possible. The Oversight Board is not a replacement for regulation, and we continue to call for thoughtful regulation in this space.”
The case is a study in the challenges social media platforms currently face, challenges that will only become more difficult.
A new study has shown just how much the App Store ecosystem has grown, coming in at $643 billion in 2020, a 24% increase.
While Apple’s iOS platform may lag behind Google’s Android, in terms of market share, it receives the lion’s share of money spent on mobile apps. According to an independent study by the Analysis Group, App Store sales grew 24% year over year in 2020, reaching a whopping $643 billion.
Even more impressive, the number of small developers — defined as less than 1 million downloads and less than $1 million in earnings per year — has increased 40% since 2015. In fact, small developers now make up more than 90 percent of the App Store’s ecosystem.
“Developers on the App Store prove every day that there is no more innovative, resilient, or dynamic marketplace on earth than the app economy,” says Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The apps we’ve relied on through the pandemic have been life-changing in so many ways — from groceries delivered to our homes, to teaching tools for parents and educators, to an imaginative and ever-expanding universe of games and entertainment. The result isn’t just incredible apps for users: it’s jobs, it’s opportunity, and it’s untold innovation that will power global economies for many years to come.”
The study is an important validation of the App Store at a time when Apple is locked in a high-stakes legal fight with Epic over the very future of that ecosystem.
The EU Commission has proposed a digital identification framework for its citizens, one that will help further post-pandemic life.
In the wake of the pandemic, there has been increased emphasis on digital identification systems as a means for people to provide their age, citizenship, licenses, vaccination state and more. The EU has been working on a way to achieve this goal, while still providing the security and privacy necessary.
The Commission has proposed a digital framework that would allow EU citizens to rely on their phone for necessary documentation and paperwork, a system that would be accepted by all member states. The EU has emphasized that, while large platforms would be required to support it, adoption would be completely voluntary for individuals. Such a stance is in keeping with the EU’s strong privacy protections.
“The European digital identity will enable us to do in any Member State as we do at home without any extra cost and fewer hurdles,” said Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age. “Be that renting a flat or opening a bank account outside of our home country. And do this in a way that is secure and transparent. So that we will decide how much information we wish to share about ourselves, with whom and for what purpose. This is a unique opportunity to take us all further into experiencing what it means to live in Europe, and to be European.”
“EU citizens not only expect a high level of security but also convenience whether they are dealing with national administrations such as to submit a tax return or to enroll at a European university where they need official identification,” said Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton. “The European Digital Identity wallets offer a new possibility for them to store and use data for all sorts of services, from checking in at the airport to renting a car. It is about giving a choice to consumers, a European choice. Our European companies, large and small, will also benefit from this digital identity, they will be able to offer a wide range of new services since the proposal offers a solution for secure and trusted identification services.”
The Commission will continue to work with member states and tech companies to work out the details as the process continues forward.
Twitter is partnering with Eric Holthaus, the “Rebel Nerd of Meteorology,” to offer a local weather service.
Twitter has long-since established itself as a major source for news, with usage spiking during significant events and major stories breaking on the platform. The company is now partnering with Eric Holthaus to help branch out into local weather.
Some personal news: I’ve been building a new weather service with Twitter – It’s called @tomorrow.
The idea behind Tomorrow is simple: The weather is something that brings us all together.
The service clearly aims to offer a more social approach to weather, involving users as much as informing them.
“Every single evening, you’ll get a short message in your inbox with a forecast made by a meteorologist in your city, along with a news story, a poem, a meme, a short video, or a call to action,” says Tomorro’s About page. “Our goal is to share the joy of being alive at this particular moment in history, and be there with you no matter what the weather.
“When the weather gets scary, we’ll have a team of experts to talk you through it. When there’s injustice happening somewhere that needs more attention, we’ll let you know about it. When there’s a project or idea that could use your help, we’ll ask you to pitch in if you want to. Our goal is to change the narrative of our shared Tomorrow. The bottom line is: The climate is changing, and it’s going to take all of us to build a better world that works for everyone.”
The service is currently available in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas / Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, Republica Dominicana, San Antonio, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington DC. More cities will continue to be added over time.
Apple’s new M1 chips have an unfixable vulnerability, but the developer who found it says not to worry.
The M1 chip is based on the Arm architecture, and is the continuation of the A-series chips Apple has used in the iPhone and iPad for years. Apple has been transitioning the Mac platform to the M1, and has incorporated it in the 2021 iPad Pro as well.
Developer Hector Martin has discovered a flaw in the M1 that allows two apps to secretly communicate with each other — all without the normal oversight the OS would provide.
A flaw in the design of the Apple Silicon “M1” chip allows any two applications running under an OS to covertly exchange data between them, without using memory, sockets, files, or any other normal operating system features. This works between processes running as different users and under different privilege levels, creating a covert channel for surreptitious data exchange.
To make matters worse, Martin says the bug cannot be fixed with a software update, and will require a change in the upcoming versions of the M1 and its successors.
Despite the dire-sounding nature of the bug, Martin says the actual impact is minimal. The vulnerability cannot be used to commandeer a machine, or steal private data. The only real-world danger is that a malware program could communicate with other malware on the same computer. Of course, as Martin points out, if a computer is already compromised with malware, two instances of malware communicating are probably the least of your concerns.
Really, nobody’s going to actually find a nefarious use for this flaw in practical circumstances. Besides, there are already a million side channels you can use for cooperative cross-process communication (e.g. cache stuff), on every system. Covert channels can’t leak data from uncooperative apps or systems.
Actually, that one’s worth repeating: Covert channels are completely useless unless your system is already compromised.
Xiaomi has introduced fast-charging, designed to charge a phone to 100% in 8 minutes.
Xiaomi has been improving its fast-charging technology for some time, and the latest 200W charging doesn’t disappoint, charging a 4,000mAh battery in just under 8 minutes.
