Author: Spencer Dailey

Apple

Apple starts pushing AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 owners into Transparency or Noise Cancellation modes repeatedly, without an easy opt out

Spencer Dailey

(If you want to skip directly to the fixes, click here. If you want to skip to some genuine praise of Apple, feel free to jump to the next section. There’s a lively discussion on HN here and 9to5mac here.) A couple of weeks ago I noticed my pair of AirPods Pro 2 aggressively switching… Continue reading Apple starts pushing AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 owners into Transparency or Noise Cancellation modes repeatedly, without an easy opt out

CurrentKey Stats

Presenting CurrentKey Stats, my (and hopefully your new) Mac app!

Spencer Dailey

Hey there! I post musings here and edit at Techmeme, but I also write software! Today I’m proud to present CurrentKey Stats, in the Mac App Store! It helps you organize and keep track of: Whatever your accomplishing on your Mac! Here, the demo describes it pretty well: Because it listens to AppleScript, it enables… Continue reading Presenting CurrentKey Stats, my (and hopefully your new) Mac app!

Bitcoin · Security

Napkin math suggests Bitcoin will perish unless its mining incentives change

Spencer Dailey

For years, analysts have gone on channels like CNBC calling Bitcoin “digital gold”, and many everyday crypto investors truly believe that. But gold has been a “store of value” for millennia. Could Bitcoin, as we know it today, retain its value long term, say even just fifty years? The simple math tells us it likely… Continue reading Napkin math suggests Bitcoin will perish unless its mining incentives change

Security

Companies embracing SMS for account logins should be blamed for SIM-swap attacks

Spencer Dailey

SIM-swap attacks continue year after year because companies (that know better) leaned into the awful idea of using SMS for password resets and account logins. These companies include Apple, Dropbox, PayPal, Block, Google, and many others. What is a SIM-swap attack? It’s where a bad guy asks a carrier to port your cell-phone number to… Continue reading Companies embracing SMS for account logins should be blamed for SIM-swap attacks

Apple

Apple’s new iOS feature to charge battery up to an “80% Limit” shouldn’t just be for the iPhone 15

Spencer Dailey

[There is very lively discussion on Reddit, where it’s trending at #1 both on r/ios and r/apple. There are a bunch of worthy suggestions there on how to improve the feature even more, but one thing’s clear: iPhone users would love to see this come to more devices.] Apple has recently made bold claims about… Continue reading Apple’s new iOS feature to charge battery up to an “80% Limit” shouldn’t just be for the iPhone 15

Apple · Browsers

As a web game dev, one point in favor of an App Store debut (and many against)

Spencer Dailey

As I round the corner on my latest (yet to be announced) game, I’m faced with a harsh reality: needing to publish to the Play & App Store. Why? Unlike my first two games, this upcoming one relies on swiping mechanics, where the player needs to reliably input left/right & up/down gestures. Certain aspects of… Continue reading As a web game dev, one point in favor of an App Store debut (and many against)

mediagazing

Meta and LinkedIn will never rival Twitter for reporters, unless they copy TweetDeck

Spencer Dailey

As a professional media gazer, I have noticed many people leave Twitter over the last six months, amid the platform’s chaos. But many have decided to return in some capacity. I love Mastodon, but I am not a writer needing to care about large audiences. The nerdy, club atmosphere of the fediverse is just what… Continue reading Meta and LinkedIn will never rival Twitter for reporters, unless they copy TweetDeck

Apple · Full Dark, Max Bleak · Security

Political spam texts are out of control, and customers have no effective recourse.

Spencer Dailey

Late last year, in a span of under two weeks, I received dozens of political spam texts around Austin’s Prop A ballot measure. I’m sure countless people around the world also get unsolicited garbage texts. Such text campaigns threaten to alter voter turnout and turn people against each other. Because SMS texts lack authentication, users… Continue reading Political spam texts are out of control, and customers have no effective recourse.

Full Dark, Max Bleak · Security

Despite the prevalence of deepfake audio tech, banks and ISPs rush ahead with “voice print” authentication

Spencer Dailey

Bad news folks. Corporate America is rushing ahead with voice-based authentication. I know because I recently called my ISP, Spectrum, which tried to enroll me in Voice ID. I declined. (“With Voice ID, you don’t have to worry about remembering security codes or passwords.” Ok, sure 🤪) And I also called my bank, Chase, which… Continue reading Despite the prevalence of deepfake audio tech, banks and ISPs rush ahead with “voice print” authentication

Apple · Privacy · Security

Apple’s plan for iOS 15 CSAM scanning to somehow constitute “safe” surveillance is impossible without bulletproof security and an explicit moral framework to guide policy decisions. It has neither.

Spencer Dailey

With its CSAM scanning tool (soon to be pushed to iPhones with iOS 15 and maybe Macs with Monterey), Apple has created what it promises is a “safe” surveillance experience. It will catch the absolute worst scumbags on the planet. It is launching in just the US. Turn it off by simply discontinuing your usage… Continue reading Apple’s plan for iOS 15 CSAM scanning to somehow constitute “safe” surveillance is impossible without bulletproof security and an explicit moral framework to guide policy decisions. It has neither.