Spyware App now Targets iPhones; Facebook’s ‘Tributes’ Tab; Firefox Improves Anti-Tracking Features; Tesla Sells Emission Compliance To Fiat Chrysler

A spyware app originally spotted on Android has now found its way to iPhones. Techcrunch.com reports that the app…called Exodus on Android, bypasses Apple’s app store by abusing Apple-issued enterprise certificates. Once installed, it can stealthily grab contacts, audio recordings, photos, videos, and other info…including real-time location data. It can be remotely triggered to listen in on conversations. Apparently it is disguised as a cell phone carrier or helper app for your cell phone carrier. On Android, it is more powerful, and can get root access to your phone. This allows stealing of email, cellular data, Wi-Fi passwords, and more. It has NOT been available from Apple’s App Store, but was on the Google App Store for a time. It is made by a professional group called Connexxa. Best advice- don’t download apps except from the App Store if you are on iOS.

You may have seen something in your news feed on Facebook, or even gotten an alert, about a new feature called the Tributes Tab. According to engadget.com, Facebook is rolling out updates to memorialized accounts (those kept active for people who have passed away.) The dedicated tributes tab will let friends and family share stories and memories of the loved one on the timeline of the person who passed. A moderator can use the tab to limit who can make and see posts, delete as needed, and so on. Thankfully, Facebook is working on stopping birthday reminders from tribute pages, and blocking the pages from getting event invites. The former can’t happen too soon!

Firefox is testing out a new anti-tracking feature that will block sites from being able to ‘fingerprint’ your browser and track you, even after you have cleared cookies. Firefox ill also now explicitly block cryptocurrency mining scripts that attempt to hijack your computer’s resources to mine digital currency. The features are in beta testing right now. Theverge.com says that Apple announced an anti-fingerprint tracking feature it plans to add to Safari at WWDC last summer. If you’re interested in getting ahead of the curve on Firefox, the features are available in the browsers Nightly builds version 68 or Beta build in version 67. Both are disabled by default.

Fiat Chrysler has cut a deal with Tesla which will enable Fiat to meet Europe’s tough new emission regulations. According to arstechnica.com, Fiat Chrysler will pay several hundred million euros to Tesla to be able to claim the electric cars as part of their own fleet, helping them to avoid some 2.77 billion euros in fines ($3.12 billion.) Fiat Chrysler’s total net global profit last year was $4.1 billion! This may be why Elon Must said he wasn’t worried about cash, despite having to dig into reserves for a big bond payment recently, with more bond payments due soon.

Next iPhones-3 Rear Cams, Bigger Screens; Samsung-4 Galaxy S10 Models; Why Netflix Blocked Airplay; Tesla-Longer Range Motors for Models S & X

The top line 2019 iPhones have been rumored for months to be moving to a triple lens camera setup for the rear cams. According to 9to5mac.com, the premium Apple handsets will rock 6.1 and 6.5 inch OLED screens in addition to the triple cam setup…and Apple blog Macotakara, these will be new models! The XS and XR will get the usual upgrades in specs, but the 2 new models will have a different chassis to accommodate the 3 cams. The overall phones will be thinner than the XS or XR, but for the rather large, square ‘camera bump’ that encloses the 3 cams and flash. The bump will only protrude by about .5 mm. Another source…with a little more sketchy reputation…says ALL the upcoming iPhones will have 3 rear cams…stay tuned!

Despite the battery issue of a few years ago, Samsung’s Galaxy Note continues to be a very popular model for the company. Now, 9to5google.com is reporting that Samsung may be working on FOUR different Note 10 models! The phablets would feature varying screen sizes and connection options…including 5G. It’s not clear how the Note models would fit into the lineup with the S models…the S10 5G might be kind of intermediate between the Galaxy S10 and Note 10, but with no S Pen support. A guesstimate of screen sizes has them at 6.28 and 6.75 inches respectively. At any rate, it will be the 1st time Samsung has offered multiple models of its phablet (aside from the usual color and storage options.) They will probably bow August 8th.

Netflix had claimed ‘technical reasons’ for disabling its Airplay support. Now, appleinsider.com says the reason may be due to Netflix not being able to tell which device the stream is being sent to…whether a TV, tablet, or phone. No one can figure out what an actual technical problem would be for Netflix with this situation…but it would mean less valuable data harvesting for them. It may just be about the bucks!

Tesla is looking at moving to longer range electric motors for Model S and Model X. Engadget.com is reporting the company may be going to the newer tech permanent magnet reluctance motors that the Model 3 runs on. The newer motors are 97% efficient, while the older AC induction motors are just 93%. The design change would gain more miles in range without any notable compromises to the design of the cars. No timetable has been discovered, nor if the change would bring a bump in cost.

More Confirmation of 3 Lens iPhone; Apple 5G May Slide to 2021; 540 Million Facebookers’ Info Exposed; Amazon Division From Seattle to ‘Burb

With some handset makers rocking 4 or 5 rear cameras now, Apple is behind the curve on one of their main selling points. There have been a number of rumors that they are going to 3 rear cams next fall, and now some physical evidence has appeared that would seem to confirm that. According to bgr.com, a metal plate that matches a leaked diagram has been spirited out of a Foxconn facility, and it has a large, square cutout matching the square bulge shown in earlier rumors. All of the rumors point to 3 rear lenses and a flash in the much larger camera bump. There is also a large round cutout in the metal plate for the wireless charging coil goes. Present iPhones already have wireless charging, but reports say the iPhone 11 line will have two-way charging, so the phone can charge your Air Pods or Watch.

Intel has apparently missed a key deadline for Apple concerning their 5G modems. Apple has been planning to add 5G capability to the 2020 phones, but now this is in doubt. Macrumors.com reports that Apple has a large staff working on their own modem chips so they don’t have to rely on either Intel or Qualcomm, but that they won’t be ready by 2020. Apple is also looking to switch to their own processor chips in the Mac line in the next year or two, dropping Intel. They already run iPhones and iPads on their own silicon. Switching to the A series processors would lower power consumption and allow using mobile apps on the Macs and possibly Mac apps on phones and especially Pro model iPads.

Facebook just can’t seem to keep peoples’ data safe, no matter how they promise to try. TechCrunch.com says researchers found that 540 million user records were exposed in the clear by a third party company called Cultury Collectiva, with the database living on an Amazon Web Services server without any password protection. The data included comments, likes, reactions, account names, and more. Another 22,000 peoples’ info that had been scraped by app maker At The Pool was more revealing…including friend lists, interests, and photos. Neither company responded to requests to take down the info, but AWS did…they killed the databases. Facebook just put out an empty statement that they are investigating, and that it’s against their policy for third parties to store user info on a public database.

Amazon apparently plans to relocate its entire Seattle based worldwide operations team to Bellevue by 2023, adding thousands to it’s new campus there. Geekwire.com reports that this new campus presently has 700 employees, compared to over 45,000 at headquarters in Seattle. Amazon has been planning this move since before all the drama over the New York location that fell through. Lest it seem that Amazon is slowing down…they still have over 10,000 job openings in the Seattle area!

Next iPhones-Bigger Batteries; New Surface Book 2; Walmart Taps Google For Voice Grocery Shopping; Zillow Launches Home Loan Biz

It had previously been leaked that Apple was planning to add reverse wireless charging to the upcoming iPhones. That would allow you to charge your AirPods or Watch, for example, using the phone. According to businessinsider.com, the usually accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the next batch of iPhones will rock bigger batteries to support the feature. Kuo says the successor to the iPhone XS will have a bump in battery of 20-25%. The bigger Max model will only get a 10-15% bigger one, but it has a notably bigger battery already. The XR replacement will get a modest bump of 5% or less in battery capacity.

Microsoft has refreshed the Surface Book 2 base model. Theverge.com reports that it will be powered by Intel’s latest 8th ten quad-core i5 processor for the 13 inch model. The present dual-core 7th ten processor will still run the previous model, which drops to $1299. The new one is priced at $1499. Microsoft has bumped the storage on the midrange model to 256 gigs and it comes with 8 gigs of ram. Microsoft will show more, including the Surface Hub 2 at an event April 17th in New York City.

“OK Google, talk to Walmart.” Walmart has partnered with Google on Walmart Voice Order, which works over Google Assistant devices for ordering groceries. Techcrunch.com says it can be used on Google smart speakers, and displays, smartphones and smartwatches. A cool feature…the service learns from your orders, so you don’t have to repeat the entire item. An example they gave was that you could just say ‘milk,’ instead of ‘XYZ 1% organic milk’. Voice shopping for pickup will be available at more than 2100 Walmart stores, and online delivery at 800 locations.

Last year, Zillow bought Mortgage Lenders of America. They have been quietly originating mortgages for several months, and have now launched a Home Loans division. According to geekwire.com, the rebranded mortgage division will complement Zillow Offers, the company’s direct home sales operation. They are reportedly shooting for streamlining and simplifying the process of buying a house. The company noted that you don’t have to use Zillow Offers to take advantage of their loans division.

Google Expands Vacay Search; Uber Ride Pass to More US Cities; EU- Cars get Governors & Lane-Assist; Census Bureau Asks Tech Giants for Help

Google is adding to its vacation search, including cabins, beach houses, and other rental properties. Until now, the results were for hotels only. 9to5google.com says the service is rolling out to mobile now, and will hit desktops by net month. Filtering and sorting help you zero in what you are looking for. Expedia, TripAdvisor, HomeAway, and others are partnered in the expansion.

Uber is bringing its monthly subscription Ride Pass to more cities in the US, including Dallas, Las Vegas, New York, and San Diego. According to 9to5mac.com, pricing starts at $15 per month. The service doesn’t mean unlimited free rides or the like…but does ensure that you are exempt from surge pricing. You’ll pay the standard rate regardless of time of day or weather. It DOES include a free e-bike or scooter in some cities.

For years, firms have installed governors on delivery vehicles, trucks, and the like, to keep employees from speeding. Now, zdnet.com reports that the European Union is agreeing to put into effect new regulations that would require auto makers to build in cameras and sensors to control speed, assist drivers with lane keeping and reversing, and monitor drowsiness and distractions from the likes of smartphones. A number of these safety and driver assist features are already included on many luxury car models…the EU would make manufacturers add them to cheaper vehicles, too. The cars would also have to have a ‘black box’ like airliners do to record and save data about accidents. If the new rules are formally adapted, they will go into effect after 2022.

The Census Bureau is enlisting help of Facebook, Google, and Twitter to help it fend off ‘fake news’ campaigns it is concerned about, which might disrupt the upcoming 2020 count. Reuters.com says evidence of increasing chatter on platforms like 4chan indicates a keen interest in foreign interests in undermining the survey. The census is a big target…it shapes US election districts and also the allocation of some $800 billion a year in federal spending. The Bureau has been meeting with social media companies since 2017 in an effort to get their help in squelching fake news. None of the social media companies would comment on the discussions. The Census Bureau has already amassed some 30 URLs to keep them away from fakers putting up fake sites.

EU Gives Thumbs Up to Online Copyright Revamp; Facebook Pulls More Fake News Pages; Google to Fund Local Digital News Sources; Apple Card Extra Fraud Prevention Features

The EU’s revamp of its Copyright Directive has been approved by the EU Parliament after a 2 year process. Theverge.com reports that supporters claim it will balance the playing field between US tech giants and European content creators. It gives copyright holders more power over how big internet platforms distribute their content. Opponents of the new directive say it is too vague and will not only restrict how content is shared online, but will stifle free speech. One controversial part is effectively a ‘link tax’ that lets publishers charge Google News and others when they display snippets of stories. Another clause puts new requirements on YouTube and similar sites to filter and remove copyrighted content, or pay penalties. As with all things internet, a prime complaint is that it will be moot anyway, as people will find ways around it, while the new directive stifles free speech.

Facebook has killed another 2600+ pages, groups, and accounts, citing ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior.’ According to businessinsider.com, Facebook identified 3 separate operations, originating from Russia, Iran, Kosovo, and Macedonia. The Russians had the lion’s share of them, 1907 pages, groups, and accounts. The Russian ones were mostly spam, but also produced fake news about Ukraine. The reach of the Russian ones was some 1.7 million! An Iranian account was impersonating the BBC on Instagram.

Google is beginning an experiment to directly fund creation of local, digital-only news publications. 9to5google.com says they want to fund dozens of the in mid-sized cities…those of less than a half million people, that Google says ‘don’t have access to significant local sources of news and information.’ The initiative is called ‘The Compass Experiment,’ and Google will partner with McClatchy for the next 3 years. Google claims they will have no editorial control or ownership of the publications. The first 3 cities will be selected in the next few months….stay tuned.

With the surprising announcement of the Apple Card yesterday, here are some further details to flesh out the branded MasterCard Apple will offer through Goldman Sachs. We noted yesterday that it will primarily be a virtual card in your iPhone’s wallet, and now tech crunch.com fleshes out how the physical, titanium card will work…having no number, expiration date, or CVV on it. All that info will apparently live in the secure enclave on the iPhone, so when you use the physical card (and not Apple Pay), you check the Wallet on your iPhone to retrieve the card number and the rest. In actual use, the card will send a one-time unique dynamic security code that will act as the CVV. Since it will always change, it adds an extra layer of security should the card be compromised by a skimmer or the like. Other cards are now using biometrics like a fingerprint reader on their cards to fight this sort of thing…but Apple’s one-time CVV will even work online. The Apple Card is expected out this summer.

Apple’s Video, Gaming, News, & Credit Card Rollout; Nintendo- 2 New Switch Models Coming

Apple officially rolled out its new services today. Businessinsider.com notes that the $9.99 News+ service was pretty well as expected…300+ magazines, Wall Street Journal and LA Times content, and more. As we reported previously, the NY Times and Washington Post decided not to play. The News+ subscription will launch later today with iOS 12.2.

Besides the news service, the TV Plus video subscription service bowed. All will be on demand and ad free….for a fee! According to theverge.com, the Apple TV app is designed so you can view what you want (that Apple offers) in one place. No firm date for the app on Macs, except ‘soon.’ It will also be available on TVs from Sony, LG, Vizio, and others.

One thing that wasn’t leaked ahead…Apple Arcade…and iOS subscription gaming service. Apple claims it will run across mobile, desktop, and TVs in your living room. They are working with developers from Sega, Devolver, Disney, and others. Cupertino says there will be over 100 games available at launch, which will take place this fall in 150 countries. No pricing was given.

A second item that was a ‘one more thing’ worthy of Steve Jobs…Apple has introduced Apple Card, a new payment service that’s a part of Apple Pay. It’s supposed to be an easier to use credit card…not that using those is hard. Appleinsider.com reports that it will take advantage of the ease of iOS to make the card easy to acquire and use. You can sign up right from your iPhone, and will be able to use Apple Pay to make transactions the same day you apply. The Wallet App will show you where the card has been used, utilizing Apple Maps, and can track spending habits. It’s offered in conjunction with Goldman Sachs, and will have a 2% Daily Cash back on purchases, or 3% if the purchase is from Apple. Besides the card, Apple announced that you can use Apple Pay now on transit systems in Portland, New York City, and Chicago.

Rejoice, gamers…Nintendo is working on 2 new versions of the Switch. Theverge.com says one will be a cheaper variant, and the other will have ‘enhanced features targeted at avid video gamers.’ It appears the vibration feature will be dropped from the cheaper model. Look for both handsets to be announced at E3 in June.

Apple Snags WSJ for News Service; Qualcomm-New Wireless VR Headsets; Race to be ‘Netflix of Gaming’; BMW EVs Up Range Game

The New York Times and Washington Post passed, but the Wall Street Journal agreed, and will join Apple News and the new subscription service…a service that will be announced next Monday, March 25th at Cupertino’s Steve Jobs Theater. According to 9to5mac.com, the big stumbling block for the other publishers has been Apple’s demand for 50% of the revenue and ‘unlimited access to all their content.’ Apple News is expected to run $10 a month.

Qualcomm is apparently working on VR headsets that will work as wireless PC-connected head-mounted displays. Cnet.com reports that the hardware will start arriving later this year, and should be demoed at this year’s Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The headset will be a stand alone device like the upcoming Oculus Quest, but when in range of a PC it can double as a wireless way to play games and use apps.

Just this week, Google showed off its new streaming service for games and controller. Google would like its Stadia platform to become ‘the Netflix of Games.’ While that sounds cool, there is a fair amount of competition to become Netflix-like when it comes to gaming. Businessinsider.com says Amazon is also working on a Netflix like service for game play, which would allow players to stream games rather than buy and download individual titles.

Verizon is also hard at work on Verizon Gaming, which would do much the same thing. They aren’t sitting on their hands in Cupertino, either…Apple is also working on a subscription based, Netflix of games…although theirs is reportedly in the early stages. Microsoft has said they will be going public later this year with their own streaming service, ‘Project xCloud.’ The difference is, it would be very xBox Centric, since Microsoft already has their own large catalog of games.

Sony has quietly been operating a subscription based video game service in their Playstation Now for 5 years. It hasn’t really gotten much traction so far as it has its limitations…and is pretty pricey for the general gaming public. Who will prevail? Like the old movies and TV series “Highlander,” companies will fall by the wayside until the Netflix of Games is left standing. “In the end, there can be only one.”

Like all manufacturers, BMW is running full speed ahead towards getting an EV fleet on the road. Engadget.com says BMW intends to produce EVs, hybrids, and gas cars on the same assembly lines, and has come up with a couple interesting innovations to do so. First, the EV ‘pack’, or module will bundle the electric motor and variable transmission, making it easy to drop into any car in the line…from the tiny Mini BMW makes to SUVs. It’s built totally in-house, so BMW can quickly upgrade or change it.

The electric motor uses no rare-earth materials…it’s a synchronous electric motor that just uses the copper windings to induce current. That’s cheaper…and doesn’t rely on rare earths that will only become more difficult to source. BMW says all future EVs will support fast charging up to 150Kw…that could give 15-20 minute recharges. Audi is going with 155Kw, but Tesla is upgrading its V3 Superchargers to 200Kw.

BMW says their battery packs will have a potential range of 420 miles, easily outstripping a lot of the competition. Over at Tesla, however, they plan a new model roadster with a 600 mile range. BMW says it will be able to adjust the chemistry of its battery packs, though…giving more torque and power to sports sedans, but more range to crossovers.

EU Fines Google $1.7 Billion; Apple’s New AirPods Drop; Amazon-New Entry-Level Kindle; Waymo Expands in Arizona

The EU has fined Google $1.69 billion over what they term ‘abusive practices in online advertising.’ This is in addition to the $5 billion and $2.4 billion fines from 2018 and 2017, respectively. Engadget.com reports that the EU competition commissioner says Google has ‘shielded itself from competitive pressure’ by imposing exclusive contractual arrangements on advertiser over a 10 year period. The commission points out that ‘market dominance is, as such, not illegal under EU antitrust rules. However, dominant companies have a special responsibility not to abuse their powerful position by restricting competition, either in the market where they are dominant, or in separate markets.’ Google hasn’t commented, but is likely to appeal.

Apple has rolled out its new AirPods, and they are available now. According to thenextweb.com, the wireless earbuds sport the H1 chip, which gives faster connections and increases talk time by an hour. The upgraded version also features Hey Siri. The case has wireless charging using the Qi standard, so no cable to lose or break. It’s thought Apple will come out with their long-delayed charging pad very shortly. With a wired charging case, the new models remain $159, but if you want the wireless charging case, it will set you back $199.

Amazon has freshened its entry level Kindle and bumped the price up. Theverge.com says the main new feature is a built-in light. The Kindle also has be re-designed a bit to make it easier to hold as well. Amazon has raised the price by 10 bucks…it’s now $89.99 for the ad-supported model. The entry level Kindle still keeps the 167 ppi display, instead of upgrading to the easier to read 300 ppi display like the Paperwhite and Oasis have. If Amazon doesn’t raise prices on the Paperwhite, it was already on sale for $90, so would be a better deal at this point…UNLESS you trade in your old one. they will give you a trade-in amount (to be determined depending on condition) on the old one, plus a 25% discount on the newer Kindle.

Waymo has announced a huge expansion for their Tech Service Center in Mesa, AZ. 9to9mac.com reports that the 85,000 square foot center will more than double Waymo’s ability to service, maintain, and grow the fleet of Waymo One driverless vehicles they run there. They had just opened a 60,000 square foot center in Chandler last year.

Apple Freshens iMacs; Netflix Won’t Join Apple’s Streaming Service; Firefox Mutes Auto-Play Vids; Instagram Adds In-App Check Out

Apple has updated iMacs with up to 8 core, 9th generation Intel processors and Radeon Pro Vega graphics options. Macrumors.com reports that Apple claims a 60% speed boost for the 21.5 inch iMacs, while the 27-inchers are 2.4 times faster…slicing the gap a bit between the high end standard iMac and the iMac Pro. The base 21.5 inch 4K iMac starts at $1299, with the 27 inch model at $1799. Both are available for order today, with availability in Apple stores and reseller locations next week. (The non-4K entry level 21.5 inch iMac was not updated…and is still $1099.)

When Apple rolls out its streaming service next Monday, Netflix won’t be part of the party. According to cnet.com, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says Netflix ‘has chosen not to integrate’ into Apple’s streaming service. He pointed out that Netflix is already competing with a very deep-pocketed rival in Amazon, so they aren’t all that worried about Apple. Netflix remains frozen out of China, after a failed attempt at partnering with a local company there. Hastings said it might be a while before they try cracking that market again.

One of the most annoying things ever is the auto play video. Engadget.com notes that after promising to do so, Firefox has blocked auto-playing videos by default in release 66. Some sites will still auto roll the video, but Firefox will put the audio unless you choose otherwise. another improvement…slow-loading ads and images that yank you out of position on a page. Firefox now includes scroll anchoring that should hold your place even if tardy content pops in.

Instagram continues to push into e-commerce…announcing today it is adding a checkout feature to its mobile apps. Theverge.com reports that you can store your payment info with Instagram to make purchases more quickly. Instagram is charging retailers a selling fee for the feature. Over 20 brands, including Nike, Adidas, Dior, MAC Cosmetics, H&R, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Prada, Uniqlo, Warby Parker, and Zara are in the initial wave of brands ready for you to hit the ‘take my money’ button!