News

Emergency update for Flash released by Adobe

Image 2 Comments

Can we please live in a world where Flash becomes obsolete? Wasn’t that the whole point of iOS? Are there really websites out there that still use this broken and buggy web software? Apparently there is, or so it seems. Adobe has found and patched several zero-day exploits over the last couple months, and they just announced that they’ve found and patched another one. Every time they do this they have to release an “Emergency” update for Flash which has to be installed. It’s getting a little tedious.

More Problems for Flash on the Mac

According to fireeye.com:

This threat actor clearly seeks out and compromises websites of organizations related to international security policy, defense topics, and other non-profit sociocultural issues. The actor either maintains persistence on these sites for extended periods of time or is able to re-compromise them periodically.

This actor also has early access to a number of zero-day exploits, including Flash and Java, and deploys a variety of malware families on compromised systems. Based on these and other observations, we conclude that this actor has the tradecraft abilities and resources to remain a credible threat in at least the mid-term.

The exploit affects all of the latest versions of the Flash plugin, including those in use on the Mac. It allowed hackers to execute malicious code by taking control of the virtual function table pointer object. Whatever that means.

Apple Was Smart

The good news here is that Macs don’t come with Flash installed automatically anymore. In order to get Flash users have to go out and get it themselves. This will save a lot of computers. The problem with all of these “Emergency” patches is that non-technologically inclined people will either ignore the warning, or will get tired of the warnings that seem to come every few days. That could lead to a state of ambivalence, which would be bad for everyone.

If you’re running Flash, but don’t really use it all that much, the best thing you can do is get rid of it altogether. If you need Flash, then make sure you have auto-update turned on, so that you’re always up to date.

If you’re the tech support person for someone like your parents, you should help them avoid flash at all costs, and if you can’t, make sure they are always up to date.

Conclusion

Hackers are never going to stop trying to ruin our computers and steal our money. The issue isn’t that Flash is terrible, or that it takes up every machine resource known to man, but that it is a hacker-magnet. It has so many holes in it you might as well call it a sponge.

Flash can’t die soon enough. Not only is HTML 5 more reliable, and more stable, it will also solve a lot of these zero day exploits, which seem to pop up over and over again.

You can find more info on this exploit on Adobe’s security page.

News

Apple’s North Carolina data center sees another expansion

Image Leave a comment

Apple isn’t known for its Internet services. It started a social network this one time and it wasn’t very successful. Mobile Me was pretty terrible at launch, and iCloud hasn’t been all that well received. One of the things Apple is trying to do to make its Internet services department better is building huge data centers in the US to store and facilitate those services.

Back in 2010 Apple began construction on a North Carolina data center. Since then they have expanded it a couple times. On Thursday they announced they are yet again expanding it.

The facility is already very big, at 100 acres of solar farm, plus a 500,000 square foot data center. This announcement plans to double the data center space. The Hickory Record adds:

Like the previous tactical data center, plans for the new one shows banks of computers in the main portion of it and 11 air units to cool it. Two more air units will supply the office and other occupied area of the data center. Its security measures appear to be similar to that of the previous data center, including what’s called a man-trap door — one door closes before the second one opens.

Siri Is the Future

Siri hasn’t been what you’d call a revolutionary success. When it first came out it was buggy, unstable, and lacking in features. Over the last couple years Apple has added features and fixed the bugs. It is still quite unstable, despite the added power of the North Carolina data center.

That’s why it isn’t surprising that Apple is focusing so much money and time on building additional data centers to improve the quality of one of their key features.

Google Has Them Beat

Apple is a hardware company that tries to compete with services. Google is a services company that tries to do hardware. Google Now has seen rave reviews over the last couple years because it doesn’t have the same problems Siri has. It’s stable and has a ton of pretty awesome features. It’s even on iOS, so you can try it out if you haven’t already.

The point is that Google seems to have the service bit down, whereas Apple continues to struggle, despite putting tons of money and effort into improving the infrastructure. A possible solution would be to hire as many Google employees as possible, and use their expertise to improve the existing and future services.

apple-data-center-expansion-aerial
Aerial photos via wired.com
apple-fuel-cell-data-center
Aerial photos via wired.com
apple-data-center-solar-panels
Aerial photos via wired.com
apple-tactical-data-center
Aerial photos via wired.com

Apple is spending a lot of money to expand its North Carolina data center, it also has two more planned or built in Prineville Oregon, and Reno, Nevada. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them expand their data center efforts outside of the US in the coming years since a large portion of their user base is outside of the United States.

Apple is going to have to use some of its huge cash pile to change the perception that it’s bad at services. It could take years, but here’s hoping they show everyone they know how.

Mac

Best Apple Mac compatible keyboards

Image 1 Comment

For a lot of Mac users, the Keyboard is the canvas on which they paint their art. It takes just the right feel in order for a keyboard to reach perfection, and no two keyboards are exactly the same. That’s why many Mac users spend years trying to find the perfect match.

Apple ships a keyboard with every new Mac (except the Mac Pro and Mac Mini), but it is supremely subpar, and doesn’t last very long. So what is a Mac user to do? Here are three top quality Mac keyboards you should consider.

Logitech diNovo Edge Keyboard

dinovo-edge-logitech-keyboard
Logitech diNovo

The diNovo Keyboard has that PC look but with an ultra-modern feel at only 11mm thick! Not to mention it comes with a charging station and a bluetooth adapter for your Mac. This item is reviewed on many tech sites consistently getting some of the highest marks. Many buy it for the TouchDisc alone which combines fine cursor control, scrolling and selection all in one. It’s black stealth appearance will definitely get some looks. It’s a laser cut plexiglass that feels smooth and responsive. If the standard Apple keyboard had an evil twin it would be this keyboard. Pricey, but like we said it sells easily time and time again with all its added features Get the latest price on the diVovo Keyboard here.

Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac

logitech-wireless-solar-keyboard-k750-for-mac
Logitech Solar Keyboard

We know what you’re thinking: Solar? Come on, that will only work under the sun, right? That’s what’s so cool about this particular Logitech keyboard. It works by collecting light from the light bulb in your office, as well as the sun. One of the worst parts about a wireless keyboard is that almost all of them eat through batteries like they’re going out of style. This solar keyboard doesn’t have batteries at all. It is always charging, and storing that charge.

We found in our tests that as long as a light was positioned over the keyboard, it never ran out of power. Get the latest price here.  It’s also reasonably priced at about ($55 USD).

Matias Tactile Pro Keyboard for Mac

matias-tactile-pro-keyboard-for-mac
Matias Tactile Pro

If you’ve been using a Mac for a long time, you’ll remember the awesome Apple keyboards that came with the Mac back in the late 90s and early 2000s. They had amazing tactile keys that made the cool clickity clackity sound that everyone associates with the keyboard today.

That keyboard went away when Apple redesigned the iMac. Matias makes some of the best Mac Keyboards available. The Tactile Pro is a great keyboard that allows you to type fast. There are two things you should be aware of. First the Tactile Pro is loud, as it has that traditional keyboard sound. Second, it isn’t wireless, so you’ll have to deal with a cord. Luckily the cord is very long, so you’ll be able to route it through your desk  Get the latest price here.

Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch K811 Keyboard for Mac

logitech-bluetooth-easy-switch-keyboard-for-mac
Logitech Easy-Switch

Our last choice is another Logitech keyboard. This one is a bit more traditional in that batteries power it, and it’s also Bluetooth, so you won’t have to worry about losing the little dongle that comes with the K750.

If you’re looking for a small compact BT keyboard that will work with both your Mac and your iDevices, this is the best choice. It’s aesthetically pleasing and the keys, though shallow, are clicky enough that you should feel right at home.  Get the latest price for the Logitech Easy-Switch here.

Bottom Line

The keyboard is still important, even after 30+ years of personal computing. It’s likely to continue to be important, even as touch computing continues to revolutionize the term computer. Of the keyboards we look at here, we prefer the diNova, but it isn’t for everyone. If you’re a minimalist, then it’ll be great, but if you prefer a more traditional style, one of the other mac compatible keyboards will suit you better.

iPhone

Apple releases iOS 7.0.6 to fix SSL bug

Image Leave a comment

We’ve been looking forward to Apple’s next big iOS bug fix release for many months. The wait continues, unfortunately. Apple, who seems to enjoy teasing its enthusiast community, has released iOS 7.0.6 via OTA update. It is not the update we were hoping for.

What’s in iOS 7.0.6?

So if you were hoping for fixes for the continuing crash problems in iOS, or perhaps fixes for some of the many bugs in iOS 7, you’ll be supremely disappointed in iOS 7.0.6. The only thing the Apple says is in this update is a fix for SSL connection verification.

  • Data Security
  • Available for: iPhone 4 and later, iPod touch (5th generation), iPad 2 and later
  • Impact: An attacker with a privileged network position may capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS
  • Description: Secure Transport failed to validate the authenticity of the connection. This issue was addressed by restoring missing validation steps.
  • To put it into plain English, it allowed network snoopers to intercept SSL protected data.
The Wait for 7.1 Continues

While this is no doubt an important update, and security-wise it seems like a pretty big bug fix, it is a bit disappointing that this isn’t the 7.1 update. After all, it’s getting close to March. iOS 7 was released in October, and this will be the first major update. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to release several smaller updates that actually fixed some of the bugs users are experiencing? Instead it seems that most of the small releases up until now have all been for under the hood fixes, and a few small UI tweaks.

There are several things we’re waiting for. First has to be a fix for the constant re-springs that a ton of users are experiencing. We’re also waiting for several fixes to the way the iOS 7 user interface functions.

The iPad has been especially buggy, with multitasking not working most of the time, apps crashing all over the place, and several minor UI inconsistencies, all adding up to a really poor experience. Here’s hoping that iOS 7 brings some relief for these bugs.

It seems we’re destined to wait until at least mid-March before iOS 7.1 comes out. According to iMore, the update is still on track for a March release.

Bottom Line

The wait for iOS 7.1 has seemed unbearable this go-round. Perhaps it’s that iOS 7 has been unusually buggy. iOS 7 was completely redesigned, so it was thought when it first came out that Apple would release quick updates in order to polish the several areas that were less than perfect.

They have released several updates to iOS 7 since October, and each time users waited by their phones, drooling with anticipation, hoping for that one bug fix that they really desired. Every time, they were disappointed because the release was just another minor under the hood tweak.

News

Apple bringing iTunes Festival to SXSW

Image Leave a comment

Since 2007, Apple has put on a live concert series each year, under the moniker “iTunes Festival”. The concerts are free to go to, and are also streamed for free on all Apple devices, including the Mac and Apple TV. The concerts have always been held in London, where it has seen enormous success with over 400,000 visitors since 2007.

2014 will be the first year where the concert series is held outside of London. This year it will happen March 11-15 at SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin, Texas. The event will be held at the Moody Theatre in downtown Austin.

From the press release:

“The iTunes Festival in London has become an incredible way for Apple to share its love of music with our customers,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We’re excited about the incredible lineup of artists performing and SXSW is the perfect place to debut the first iTunes Festival in the US.”

Musical Guests

Over the years, the iTunes Festival has had several of the biggest names in music perform on stage, including Justin Timberlake, Brittany Spears, and Lady Gaga. This year the Festival will include Coldplay, Pittbull, Imagine Dragons, Keith Urban, and Zedd, with additional acts to be announced later.

SXSW

In the tech-sphere we mostly know SXSW as a technology party where startups can show off their stuff to potential investors and the public. A ton of brands have launched and/or gotten popular at SXSW over the years including Twitter and Foursquare.

That SXSW is just part of the actual event, a separate event is put on for music related quests, and another for film. This will be, perhaps, the first year the music event overshadows the tech event, at least in the tech press.

SXSW starts March 7 and goes to March 16.

Can’t Make it to Austin?

Getting to Austin can be a huge pain, and once you do get there you’ll have to put up with hundreds of thousands of people wandering the streets, and attending the events. If you can’t get there or don’t want to deal with the crowds, Apple will be streaming the event live and on demand for people who use their platforms.

It can be done through iTunes on the Mac, or through the dedicated iTunes Festival app on the iPad, iPhone, and Apple TV. Apple streams all the events for free. They started the event in order to bring more traffic and sales to their iTunes music store, and (according to Apple) to give back to the fans of music and Apple.