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Apr
29
Hack Update
Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
All is well now. I received a LOT of email and queries about what was going on. One of my colleagues pointed out that it was not so much a hack but a phishing expedition:
It wasn’t that it was sent in clear text and intercepted by them, it’s that the link was to a fake twitter log-in screen made to look like the legit one, but actually just logs your username/password in their database to be used to log in on your behalf and send out spam tweets and PM’s to other people to steal their login’s too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing
As I was on my iPhone I didn’t even notice the bogus URL!!
Apr
29
Hacked!
Filed Under Strange, Tech News, Views | Leave a Comment
So, my Twitter account (@macmedicscanada) was hacked today and began sending out bogus messages to all people following my tweets. I received it myself around midnight last night. The message reads that ‘someone is posting nasty rumours about you’ and provides the tiny url to the supposed tweet. It came from a trusted friend and colleague and it obviously concerned me as I use my twitter account primarily with my business to share information I hope people find useful and no one wants negative things said about them.
At this point I should have emailed the person I had received the link from but I didn’t (i did pretty quickly after as I couldn’t see the tweet). Instead, I clicked on the link and by doing so I was asked to log into my twitter account. I thought it was a bit strange that the URL did not yield the tweet, but I was on my iPhone so it wasn’t unreasonable to me that I would have to log in to view it and that’s where the hack occured. Once I logged in my password was sent in Clear Text which means the hacker can see what it is in transit. Once that’s done the person(s) can tweet on your behalf, send out similar tweets and other garbage. This is the first time I have experienced this and it was easily rectified by changing my twitter account password and revoking any other permissions from unknown services my account is linked to.
A friend (thanks Graham) sent me a link describing the scam:
http://mashable.com/2011/10/26/warning-twitter-spam/
And Twitter has a guide to dealing with kind of thing:
In general, one always has to be careful about any messages received with strange information. I was easily taken in by this as it came from a good friend and it seemed to be about something that would concern me if true. Next time I will hopefully remember to contact the person in advance of clicking the link – but it’s difficult not to do that! Changing passwords regularly or on some semi-regular schedule, although a hassle, should be something we all do to protect our accounts and identities. Things are only going to get worse in this area and the responsibility lies in part with us, the user.
Apr
21
Is It Time?
Filed Under Malware, Security, Spyware, Virus | 3 Comments
Here I sit on the shore of Lake Huron for a weekend getaway with my wife. We’re celebrating our anniversary and while she’s off getting a massage I’m writing this piece. I’m on the cusp of finishing the Steve Jobs biography and I am filled with a renewed sadness at his absence and what we’ve lost.
What we’ve gained of course is an amazing platform and legacy with amazing products. We are now at the point where Apple is so successful that hackers are taking notice. As many Mac users may be aware a piece of Malware hit the platform a week or so ago. It infected up to 600,000 machines. Apple released a fix for this a few days into the event – the stats now say there are about 30,000 infections left and shrinking.
What is Malware? Apple defines it as:
Malware is malicious software that can come from anywhere on the web. Anyone can unknowingly download and install malware because it’s deviously disguised as something else. Once you’re tricked into downloading it, malware can damage your computer and even gather sensitive information about you. While malware is one of the biggest security challenges on personal computers, it’s hardly an issue on a Mac. And Apple is working hard to see that it won’t be.
I highly recommend all users run Software Update located under the Apple menu:
Flashback malware removal tool
See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5246 for more details about this update.
See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 for information about the security content of this update
One of the controversial decisions and legacies of Steve Jobs, perhaps the most, was his insistence on “controlling the whole widget”. You’ll notice that there is no virus or malware on the iOS platform and that’s because it is tightly controlled. The coming OS X revision of Mountain Lion (10.8) this summer will introduce in a more profound way this walled garden approach. Gate Keeper will provide users with the ability to operate in an environment ranging from total control to totally open. The default behavior of Mountain Lion will allow users to install software from the Apple Mac Store or software that has been signed with a special Apple Developer identifier key (Developer ID Program):
A digital signature makes it possible to verify that an application comes from a developer with a valid Developer ID and that the application hasn’t been tampered with. Digital signatures are created by combining a secret key known only to the developer with a digital summary of the contents of the application. It’s all wrapped together in an encrypted file that becomes part of the app. Gatekeeper checks the encrypted file to make sure everything is OK.
There is a setting to turn this off as well. All of this will create a safer environment for the average user and businesses and address what is surely coming: more attacks on the now ascending Mac OS.
So, is it time for all Mac users to install ant-virus and anti-malware on our computers? Apple is clearly responding to threats albeit not always as fast as we want. The coming 10.8 Gate Keeper feature will cover most user’s needs. That said, it certainly cannot hurt to be cautious. In this vein I suggest the following if you’re looking for some protection. The best protection of course is to be aware of what you’re installing on your machines. When a random pop-up asks you to install something take the time to check it out. All of the latest attacks have required user participation.
Suggested Free Apps
ClamAV – a free anti-virus, anti-malware app that shipped with all version of Mac OS X Server
Virus Barrier Express – free edition in the Mac App Store (10.6.8 and above required)
Sophos – it’s been around a long time
Suggested Paid Apps
There are more – suggest others by commenting on this piece. Don’t forget – you can follow me on Twitter:
I post quite a bit on this outlet as it’s often quicker to share ideas, interesting discoveries and news.
Apr
1
April Fools!
Filed Under Apple News | Leave a Comment
Hello all. Just a quick followup on the iPhone 5 exclusive. April Fools!
My previous post was just my contribution to the many pranks you will find today around the net.
For some classics – click here: http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/
P.S – I am on the ACN Board of Advisors however!
Apr
1
iPhone 5 – Exclusive Preview!
Filed Under Apple News | Leave a Comment
As a member on the Advisory Council of the Apple Consultants Network I have been given a rare privilege to get early access access to an iPhone 5 prototype and I’ve been given permission to share my experience. The phone itself has been redesigned. Gone is the glass on both sides of the device. Apple has brought back a sleek metal back with a mirrored black Apple logo. The screen is larger – 4 inches and looks gorgeous. It has 4G/LTE cellular capability and it’s battery power is an astounding 18 hours – an actual full day charge! Also included is another exclusive – Microsoft Office for iPhone (and I’m assuming iPad). This is going to make a lot of business people happy. Microsoft has done a great job with it’s iOS implementation and all documents sync to Apple’s iCloud. One other major feature is it’s iWallet integration which will allow users to pay for items via the phone where the service is accepted. And finally, there is an infra-red port I’m assuming in lieu of the Apple Television they’re working on as there is a new Remote app that has TV controls but that currently does not work with anything. The operating system is a version of iOS 5 (5.2beta) and I’m sure this will change as the device evolves. It’s all very exciting!
Mar
7
Legacy Days
Filed Under Apple News, Apple Updates | Leave a Comment
Steve Jobs may be gone, but his ongoing vision will be revealed March 7th 2012. The iPad 3 (some rumours have it being called the iPad HD), a possible rumoured upgraded AppleTV, other mystery items or announcements – these are tell-tale signs of the Jobsian approach. The general consensus of most Apple watchers is that the next 1-3 years of announcements will have Steve’s fingerprints all over them. The iPad and the Mac OS – now called OS X, dropping the ‘Mac’ – Apple’s recent electronic text book initiatives and Tim Cooks’s recent comments regarding his view that tablets are the future:
Tablets will become bigger than PCs.
So says Tim Cook, who spoke at a Goldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco earlier this week [Feb. 16]. The new Apple CEO says that initially, the iPad will force PCs to innovate, but eventually, tablets will overtake the PC market regardless.
“From the first day the iPad shipped, we thought that the tablet market would become larger than the PC market and it was just a matter of time,” said Tim. He believes that the iPad is cannibalizing some Mac sales—but mostly PC sales. Apple’s iCloud service, launched in October as a thorough renovation of MobileMe, already has 100 million registered users. This suggests that smaller hard drive devices like the iPad will become increasingly practical as a main device as the need for a large desktop hard drive diminishes for many consumers.
all reflect some interesting comments I came across in relation to the recent voiceless iCloud commercial (see end of this post) and a statement made by Jobs last June:
With one product and one brilliant
marketing concept, Apple has solved a problem that has been
plaguing new computer users for years. Just as Jobs explained last
June:We’ve been working for 10 years to get rid of the file system. When
you try and teach someone to use a Mac, everything is fine, until
you show them the file system. On iOS, you don’t have to think about
it. But how do you move those documents around? Now you can.
Mountain Lion’s features and further integration with the iOS, iCloud’s continued evolution, the focus on the Chinese mobile market which makes the North American market seem rediculous (35000 new iPhone activations a day) point to a very focused plan on creating a consistent, safe user experience that at the same time are trying to blow our minds:
It’s the longer roadmap that should really be the grand finale in the Jobs’ fireworks show.
Talking to sources in recent months, there has been one common refrain: that the things Apple is working on right now are the best things the company has ever done. These are things that will “blow your mind”, I’ve been told.
“I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it.”That is what Steve Jobs said in his resignation letter from August, and now, despite his passing, we’re starting to understand why. Citing sources within Apple, the DailyMail says that Steve Jobs carefully planned out four years of new products for the company to release. They specifically cite new iPod, iPad, iPhone, and MacBooks, and while these items are highly anticipated, they aren’t terribly surprising.
More after the day’s announcements.
Feb
20
“The River I Step In…”
Filed Under Apple News, Apple Updates | Leave a Comment
“…is not the river I stand in” – Quote on the Queen Street viaduct bridge.
Some big announcements were made on Friday February 17th by Apple and I wanted to let a few days pass before commenting. There are, of course, the latest iPad 3 rumours with an event happening in March (faster processors, better camera, higher resolution screen, Siri?). But that wasn’t it. Was it about a new AppleTV? No. Rumours of the iPhone 5 fall release? No.
Instead, Apple surprised us with the announcement and actual developer beta release of Mountain Lion or OS X 10.8! Only 6 months into the latest system – Lion or Mac OS 10.7 – we can look forward to (or dread) another system upgrade this summer. Cupertino has also announced that system upgrades (eg. 10.9) will now be released every year!
In a significant move Apple has dropped the word ‘Mac’ from the name of the next operating system. It will be known simply as OS 10.8. Just as they did with their company name (changing it from Apple Computer to Apple Inc. a few years ago) Apple is signalling a change in the way it views the Mac in general. The latest insane business quarter they just had demonstrates the strength and popularity of their mobile platform – iPhone and iPad. This is where they are making the most money and selling the most units. The Mac is important, but not as important as it was.
“Inspired by iPad, Re-imagined for the Mac” – tagline for Mountain Lion
Mountain Lion will be further integrating elements of what is called the iOS (the system that runs on the iPhone and the iPad) onto our beloved Macs. Some of the features familiar to iPad users coming to a desktop near you are:
iMessages (replaces iChat)
Notes
Reminders
Notification Centre
Game Center
Twitter Integration
iCloud Total Integration
Airplay Mirroring
In fact, you can download a beta of Messages for Mac now. Is all or any of this a good thing? I’ve read some pretty negative comments on various message boards around this. Many complain of the current system’s iOS elements let alone entertaining even more of these bells and whistles. One comment in particular I love is this one from a Macintouch contributor:
I don’t see Apple ridding the world of Windows with the current merging of iOS and OS X. If anything, Apple is merely tying all mobile, desktop and television products together in a 1960′s inspired wet dream. It’s the reason I’ve had a love-hate with Steven P. Jobs for decades. He makes such insanely great stuff for us while holding us suspended in air by the throat. And yet I continue to support Apple and be an Apple fan. I guess I’m a sadomasochist after all.
For Apple it’s obvious they are trying to provide a more consistent user interface among all of their devices as the comment above points out. The iCloudification of the OS is evidenced in the applications they’re porting over (Reminders, Notifications, Notes etc…) which will all integrate with your free iCloud account. In fact, once you install OS 10.8 the first thing that comes up (as it does when updating to the latest 10.7.3 update) is the iCloud System Preference – nothing subtle here. And why not? It only makes sense if you’re going to participate in the Apple eco-system to have everything sync as much as possible.
Another major ‘feature’ that will be new to 10.8 is Gatekeeper. This preference/system has been introduced to protect users against installing nefarious applications on their Macs. Just as they’ve locked down the iPhone and iPad through the App Store environment they are beginning – at first by our choice – to lock down the Mac. Users will be able to select whether to allow Any application to be installed on their machines, applications that have been given a special Developer approved-ID or only applications purchased from the Mac App Store. Some people have pointed out that Apple is planning to eventually lock down the whole OS. This is hard to say. The advantage is that users will be protected against Malware and as the Mac gains more market share this will become a problem. However, for those who like to tinker and don’t want to be told what they can or cannot install on their systems I foresee ‘jailbroken’ Macs in our future.
Panic Software – makers of applications like Transmit wrote an excellent blog piece on the merits of Gatekeeper:
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/mountainlion/index.html#d18feb2012
One of the coolest features of the new OS is Airplay Mirroring:
With AirPlay Mirroring, you can stream what’s on your Mac to your HDTV via Apple TV. Show web pages and videos to friends on the couch. Share lessons with a classroom. Present to a conference room. It’s a big deal for your Mac. And for everyone around it.
This is a huge benefit to anyone making presentations for example. You can bring your own AppleTV and laptop, create what is called an AdHoc network (one where you don’t even need someone else’s network) between them, plug the AppleTV into a HDTV or Projection system and wirelessly present. Obviously this will be great for home users as well.
My complaint is that the pace of change is getting too rapid – even for me. Before we can even get used to the current OS – and I haven’t installed 10.7 on all of my machines yet – another one is coming. The good news about it is that it brings features already familiar to many users of an iPad or iPhone. Some bad news is that any new OS can break things. 10.7 broke all applications using older PPC code like Quicken and older versions of Microsoft Office for users. For business users this can be a real pain. Printer drivers have to be updated, business applications modified, font issues can arise etc…And just as 10.7 stopped supporting Intel-based Macs circa 2006 (e.g.. non-duo core macs) 10.8 will cease support for some models from 2007-2009 running certain graphic cards. This is not going to make some people very happy.
The big question in the end is: what cat name are they going to come up with to call 10.9?
NOTES
David Pogue’s early review can be found here: NY TIMES – Mountain Lion
POSTSCRIPT
Nightline will be airing and insider look at the Foxconn factory in China Tuesday night.
Jan
20
The Education of Apple
Filed Under Apple News, Views | 1 Comment
Well, I received a lot of interesting feedback regarding my last post (I urge readers to post their comments on the Blog itself – http://www.tech-no-phile.com/blog). Some people had no idea of the working conditions in places like Foxconn and were disappointed that Apple would be participating in such a situation and that they were being shamed into action. Some shrugged their shoulders and pointed out that many companies other than Apple are following the same practises so what can you do? My take is that it’s important to call these situations out. We are being dishonest if we don’t acknowledge that the inexpensive prices we pay for certain goods is in direct relation to the cheap labour producing these products. That said it is important to be aware of such practises, to speak out either through our purchasing choices or through communicating with the companies themselves regarding the situations that we disagree with. Even if they are being dragged I would rather a company respond in a positive way to criticism than to ignore the reality of what is going on. I can only hope that Apple is not just paying lip service in their concern for workers rights and standards of living of the people that make these amazing products.
To voice your concerns you can email Tim Cook, CEO of Apple here: tcook@apple.com
Also, in a followup to the SOPA/PIPA news David Pogue wrote an interesting article in the NY Times regarding this issue which I found useful:
Education Announcement
On another note, there was a BIG announcement on Thursday regarding Apple in education and its new involvement in the industry of textbooks which reflects one of the areas Steve Jobs was focussing on before his death. Apple announced the introduction of iBooks Author which allows individuals and publishers to create interactive textbooks for distribution within a new text book section of the iBooks store. The following is Apple’s feel-good introduction to this new tool:
The App is available FOR FREE from the Mac App Store! Wow! The Keynote/Event canviewed here:
and the official Apple In Education site can be accessed here:
A definitely multi-faceted, frustrating, loveable, confounding, inspirational company!
Follow Me on Twitter! Follow @macmedicscanada
Jan
19
Doing The Right Thing
Filed Under Apple News, Views | 1 Comment
A couple of headlines have grabbed my attention in this new year. Obviously I am an Apple head, an Apple evangelist etc…so when one finds out the object of one’s affection is behaving in a manner not in line with one’s values it can be a very troubling moment. I recently listened to a very revealing podcast by Mike Daisy:
Mike Daisey was a self-described “worshipper in the cult of Mac.” Then he saw some photos from a new iPhone, taken by workers at the factory where it was made. Mike wondered: Who makes all my crap? He traveled to China to find out.
I highly recommend This American Life in general and this particular podcast specifically related to the practises of Foxconn which manufactures the ‘magical’ devices we all love. In it we learn of some very disturbing labour practises that have been going on in this city factory and it isn’t pretty. What is great about this story is that it has sparked a response and action from Apple in conjunction with a piece about it that appeared on the Daily Show with John Stewart (who refers to Foxconn as the Fear Factory). Working conditions have been deplorable at Foxconn with workers responses to conditions resulting in suicides, social isolation and ridiculously cheap wages (.31/hour!).
Apple has responded with a Supplier Responsibility Report. The stand-out statement:
Finally, we are taking a big step today toward greater transparency and independent oversight of our supply chain by joining the Fair Labor Association. The FLA is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving conditions for workers around the world, and we are the first technology company they’ve approved for membership. The FLA’s auditing team will have direct access to our supply chain and they will report their findings independently on their website.
From Wikipedia’s entry:
Proponents of the bill say it protects the intellectual property market and corresponding industry, jobs and revenue, and is necessary to bolster enforcement ofcopyright laws, especially against foreign websites.[5] They cite examples such as Google’s $500 million settlement with the Department of Justice for its role in a scheme to target U.S. consumers with ads to illegally import prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies.[6]
Opponents say that it violates the First Amendment,[7] is Internet censorship,[8] will cripple the Internet,[9] and will threaten whistle-blowing and other free speech actions.[7][10] Opponents have initiated a number of protest actions, including petition drives, boycotts of companies that support the legislation, and planned service blackouts by English Wikipedia and major Internet companies scheduled to coincide with the next Congressional hearing on the matter.
So today and probably going forward various major websites will be blacking out their content in protest against potentially harmful legislation regarding this important area. I encourage everyone to read up on these important discussions.
Dec
30
Further!
Filed Under Views | Leave a Comment
“Marvelous wonders don’t have to happen all of a sudden, the way they do in the Arabian Nights. They can also take a long time, like crystals growing, or minds changing, or leaves turning. The trick is to keep an eye peeled, so they don’t slip by unappreciated.”
I think it’s appropriate to start things off with a quote from Ken Kesey. Steve Jobs said that taking LSD was one of the seminal influences on his life so Apple and it’s technical wonders are children of the likes of Ken Kesey, Timothy Leary, Ram Daas, Gandhi, Einstein and all the those who have thought differently and been an influence on the founder of this crazy underdog, outsider-now-insider, dominant tech company.
It is no accident that Apple changed it’s name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc. a couple of years ago. The company is no longer solely a computer maker. It’s reach spills into music, film, television, mobile phones, tablets – the sky is the limit for where they can go. With the passing of Steve Jobs this year many are wondering if the team that remains can continue with the magic – and that’s what these products are at their best, magic. Time will be the measure. In the short-term I think we’ll see some very interesting things. Will Apple keep its focus? Is there a vision beyond whatever road map SJ may have left behind? We shall see.
In the meantime, the company’s fortunes continue to grow. The iPad 2 was a hit as well as the iPhone 4S with the Siri voice assistant promising a deeper interaction, dare I say it, relationship, to our digital devices. An iPad 3, iPhone 5, an Apple-branded TV set, newer models of their existing line – all of this is coming. I’ve expressed it before – Apple is fun. They make fun products. Not everything is a hit and not every hit starts off that way, but so far I have reason to be very optimistic.
Throughout the year my wife and I share some of our resources with organizations that help to make a difference in people’s lives. Whether it’s an emergency donation to help support the efforts of our fellow men and women in war zones (Doctors Without Borders for example), ongoing entreprenureal organizations like Kiva or to victims of other uncontrollable events such as the drought in Somalia, we feel it’s important to put aside a percentage of our income to address these concerns. In addition to these we are also donating $1000 to Plan Canada’s Water and Sanitation projects:
Imagine helping every girl, boy, man and woman in a community battle thirst and disease with clean water and training in sanitation. Imagine furnishing a community with reliable wells that will benefit future generations and imparting essential knowledge about sanitation so its members can manage and care for the system themselves. Imagine yourself forever changing a small piece of the world in a big way.
What’s great about this particular project is that it is being matched by government and other organizations giving it a value of $10000. I’m not saying everyone should give this much money, but it’s amazing what a little bit can do.
http://plancanada.ca/Giftsofhope/shopexd.asp?id=57
There are many other amazing gifts of hope offered catered to different resources and I encourage anyone interested to check out them out online:
http://plancanada.ca/GiftsOfHope/default.asp?WT.mc_id=RTFY11GHWEB
I want to thank all of my clients for your continued support and loyalty to MacMedics. We love what we do and we love serving our clients and hopefully making your technical lives easier. There are many exciting new developments, equipment and solutions coming in 2012 and the MacMedics team is ready.
Life’s what happens when we’re busy making other plans - John Lennon
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Further!