June 2019 - Latest Tech News Blog

June 30, 2019

All the IoT Hardware At Collision Conference 2017

Billed as “America’s fastest growing tech conference,” the Collision Conference has grown into an influential industry event that some have compared to South by Southwest, Austin’s huge music-and-tech gathering. The confab in New Orleans attracted nearly 19,000 attendees this past week (compared to the more than 37,000 that descended on SXSW Interactive in 2017).

As its name suggests, Collision is designed to foster the intermingling of ideas and people across various interests, including technology, transportation, music, the environment, education, sports, politics, and more. Much of the convention floor was taken up by rows and rows of digital startups trying to entice investors and customers to check out their offerings. We’ve rounded up some of the more notable products and services here, focusing on connected devices.

The Ecobee4 works with Alexa.

Ecobee unveiled the latest version of its smart-home thermostat. Thanks to a built-in microphone, it’s the first Ecobee that comes with the full functionality of Amazon’s Alexa voice-recognition service. It’s like having a wall-mounted Echo Dot that can also control your home’s climate. Available on Amazon starting May 15.

A startup called Matrix showed off its smart mattress that promises to measure the quality of your sleep based on monitors built into its memory foam construction. Because it can sense whether you’re in light or deep sleep, Matrix can wake you up at the most optimal time, according to its designers. The companion app will also give you recommendations for getting better rest based on your specific sleep habits.

Matrix also says its product is more comfortable to sleep on than similar smart mattresses on the market, such as Eight Sleep. Manufactured in the U.S., Matrix will sell for $1,500 for a queen-size bed.

Seed speaker at Collision Con.

Aiming for the high-end “audiophile” market, Recreation Sound Systems came to Collision toting its intricately designed, wooden “Seed” speaker. The custom-made, 600-watt speaker is meant to be a “portable party on wheels,” and features a large metal handle that makes for easier hauling. The Seed sells for a hefty $2,000.

Recreation will also sell the “Harmony Block,” touted as the “world’s first yoga block speaker.” The $400 speaker is expected to appear as an Indiegogo project sometime in July.

“Our mission is to make the world a better sounding place,” said Emily Kussman, Recreation’s marketing manager. “We weren’t satisfied with all of the Bluetooth speakers out on the market so we decided to create our own high audio fidelity portable speakers. We use wood, which resonates sound better, and the components that we put inside the products create richer, cleaner, better sounding speakers.”

In another apparent “first,” the world’s first robotic tennis ball collector made a showing at Collision. While there have been one-off attempts to build an autonomous ball collector, the Tennibot is the first serious product of its kind for the consumer market.

Designed by recent Auburn University graduate Haitham Eletrabi, the device runs on rechargeable batteries and can pick up 70 balls per load within minutes. Think of it as a Roomba for your tennis court. Eletrabi says production on the Tennibot will begin by the end of the year and will be priced at $1,000 each.

Tennibot wasn’t the only robot at Collision. Pepper, the humanoid robot from Japan’s SoftBank Robotics, made a splash with its cute gestures and apparent ability to understand some human emotions. SoftBank says Pepper can read signals like a smile, a frown, the way your move your head, or the tone of your voice. More than 10,000 Pepper robots have been sold in Japan, mostly to businesses that use them to greet and entertain customers.

You can now buy Pepper in the U.S. — for a mere $25,000. With the goal of having a “robot in every home,” Softbank plans to roll out more consumer-level robots in the coming years.

Protects Your Network from Viruses and Hacking

Continuing the unstoppable Internet of Things trend, Cujo showed off its smart firewall for the connected home. The adorable little gadget aims to protect all of the networked devices in your home from hacks, malware, and other cyber threats. It also boasts parental controls to keep your content kid-friendly.

Shipping for $99, Cujo touts “enterprise-level” protection for the consumer who’s worried about privacy and data leakage.

“These days, you never know what’s happening to your devices or your data,” says Indre Deksnyte, Cujo’s vice president of e-commerce. “We hear a lot of user stories. We heard from a customer in Canada who was getting a lot of notifications from Cujo. The security cameras in his house were being hacked. You may get hacked and never know it.”

June 30, 2019

How to work as a software developer online: Everything you need to know

There has never been a better time to become a software developer. The demand for software developers is increasing all the time, as is the variety of work they are tasked with completing. Then there’s the pay.

According to USNews.com, the average software developer made $101,790 in 2017. According to Gorroo.io, the average C# developer earns $102k per year.

In short, programming is one of the most in-demand skills in the world right now. If you are looking to work online, or to prepare yourself for the next step in your career, there are few smarter moves than learning code.

The average C# developer earns $102k per year.

But where to begin? If you are someone who hasn’t dabbled in code in the past, then you might find yourself at a complete loss as to how to get started. In this post, we’ll explore everything you need to know: what a software developer does, what qualifications you might need, and how to find work.

What does a software developer do?

A software developer is someone who develops software. That means they will write code, use tools, and often carry a project from its inception to its completion. Alternatively, they might be hired to identify bugs in existing code, or to upgrade it/add new features.

Either way, your work will consist largely of solving problems using a variety of programming languages, APIs, and tools. You might work on projects directly for clients, through an agency, or as part of a larger organization.

Types of software developer

The reason “software developer” is such a broad term, is that there are so many different types of software you might be asked to work on, and so many different tools you might use to bring that to fruition.

A software developer might also work as a web developer, or a “full stack developer,” in order to build a website or add interactive features. They may develop mobile apps, or work on in-house industry tools.

Another distinction to consider: software developer vs software engineer, what’s the difference?

While both of these terms might be used interchangeably, the difference comes down to the type of work being completed and approach taken. Software engineers look at code from an engineering standpoint: they consider the lifecycle, they look at errors and bugs, and they typically work on large projects amongst larger teams.

Software developers, on the hand, are more likely to be the primary creative director on a project. They develop software from start to finish for a client or organization, usually in order to fulfill a specific role.

So if you work for Facebook as part of its engineering team, you are a software engineer. If you make apps for clients, you are a software developer. But you might well get called both in either situation.

What skills and qualifications does a software developer need?

In order to be a software developer, you need to learn to program.

The next question is: “what is the best programming language to learn” or “what programming languages do employers want?”

While it’s certainly true that some programming languages are more in demand by clients and employers (Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Swift, C#, C++, Ruby), the truth is that this entirely depends on the kind of work you want to do. Here are a few examples.

Full stack developer

Python, JavaScript, PHP, and Ruby are all languages that are used for web development. If you are working on an online portal, or making updates to web apps like Twitter, some of these will likely be useful. In this role it might also be advantageous to understand databases (SQL) and to know your way around a server.

A “full stack developer” is a web developer that has achieved their final form: someone who can handle every aspect of web design and maintenance, from the front end (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), to the back end (PHP, Python, Ruby), to the server maintenance. This type of professional is in hot demand.

Here’s a great course from Udemy if you want to learn more: Full Stack Web Developer Bootcamp.

Mobile developer

If you’re interested in developing Android apps however, then you will need to learn Java or Kotlin (ideally both). You’ll need to familiarize yourself with Android Studio, the Android SDK (Software Development Kit), and all the new concepts that Google is constantly introducing (such as instant apps, or bubbles).

If you want to make iOS apps for a living, you should learn Swift and Objective C and familiarize yourself with Xcode. If you want to make Windows apps, or go cross-platform, then you’ll need C# and an understanding of Visual Studio.

Games developer

To become a games developer, then you should definitely learn C# and ideally C++. You should get to know the big game engines (Unity and Unreal), and you might want to add a little bit of CAD to your skillset.

The Ultimate Guide to Unity for Game Development over at Udemy is a good place to start.

This is just scratching the surface. Other software developers will work on software with electronics, handling big data, and more.

Then there are the specific tools that companies will use in order to manage their workflow and collaborate on bigger projects. When I visited Facebook in London a few months ago, I was introduced to the many different tools the company uses to keep projects on track. They include Phabricator, Mercurial, Sapienz, and more.

Certainly, tools like Github (used for version control) are likely to be useful for software engineers and developers working in a variety of industries. Project management apps like Asana or Basecamp are likewise very useful for remote work. Showing that you have experience in these areas will round out your CV further, and make you even more employable.

To sum it up: what you need to know will depend on the type of software developer you want to become.

The best software developer certifications

So once you’ve chosen the type of work you want to do, and the type of code you want to write, your next job is to identify the type of training you’re going to need. Do you need a degree to become a software developer?

The short answer is no. The longer answer is no, but it certainly helps.

While it’s possible to get employed without a degree, a computer science degree will nevertheless be a requirement for a large variety of organizations and employers. It will also give you an excellent foundational understanding and a competitive edge over non-degree-wielding applicants.

Likewise, a degree will give you an advantage over other candidates during the application process.

But degrees are expensive and most adults won’t have the option to fit them in around their busy lifestyles. In which case, the next best thing is to take online courses and to gain certification that can demonstrate a basic understanding.

There are many industry-recognized certifications that will give you some amount of clout when applying for positions.

For example, you can get Unity certification direct from the company, which may prove valuable to game developers. If you wish to become an Android developer, you might apply to become an Associated Android Developer which is an official program run by Google. Or you might opt to become an Android Certified Application Developer, which is fairly well recognized.

Certifications like these provide peace of mind for clients and companies considering hiring you. They demonstrate that you really do have the knowledge you claim to have, which will mean they can bring you up to speed with minimal additional training.

Simply Google the type of work you’re interested in and find the best-known certifications in that area. If you’re unsure, then choose one of the big languages like C# or Java, or look for a computer science or full stack course that will cover lots of ground.

Do you need certifications to be a software developer?

The cheapest option would be to become a software developer with no certification or qualifications. But is it possible to find work as a purely self-taught developer?

I can guarantee you that it is, as this is exactly what I did. I learned BASIC programming on a ZXSpectrum, and from there progressed my knowledge with QBASIC, B4A, then Java, C#, Python, and more.

The way I was able to do this, was by letting my CV speak for me. I developed a successful Android app that had over 100,000 paid downloads, worked with some fairly big names off the back of that, and then wrote a technical book on game development for Apress Media (Springer).

Those accomplishments provide the exact same kind of assurance for clients as would a certificate, and allow me to charge much more than I otherwise could.

Introducing Gradle for new Android developers – The master builder

I distinctly remember what it felt like the first time I started Android development and opened up Android Studio (well, Eclipse back then). I sat, stupefied, looking at the vast array of different windows, dialogues, …

I highly recommend developing apps and websites in your spare time to serve as examples of your work, doing cheap work for friends to build a portfolio, getting involved in open-source projects on GitHub, or attending hackathons.

Most freelance sites like UpWork also provide short tests that you can complete in order to demonstrate your basic understanding.

Even without that kind of experience, if you agree to receive payment on receipt, don’t charge too much, and provide examples of your work, then you should be able to land some jobs right away.

As for finding work with big employers, some professionals suggest certification may be of no help at all.

That’s because, once you know one programming language, it’s relatively simple to understand the others. While the syntax, tools, and some of the rules might be different; the first language you learn is still by far the hardest. There is an equivalent for “if” in pretty much every language you’ll learn.

once you know one programming language, it’s relatively simple to understand the others.

When working within an organization, training is always going to be required. Very few employers will expect you to know everything right away, and – in all honesty – there’s a huge amount of blagging that goes on in the career of any software engineer. Expect to feel completely out of your depths and brimming with “imposter syndrome” when you start. But don’t worry, that’s how everyone feels!

How to teach yourself code

Teaching yourself to code is a challenging process, and advanced concepts like object-oriented programming can be tough nuts to crack. Fortunately, there is a vast amount of free material available online; we’ve already highlighted a couple of great courses from Udemy and there are many more besides. We have a course for Android developers run by Gary Sims for instance.

Here are some more excellent tools for learning code right now:

And there are plenty of great courses over at sites like SkillShare.

Work through these in a logical manner, and practice with your own projects. It’s tough going at first, but if you focus on the aspects you enjoy, you’ll get there.

Finding paid work as a software developer

The last piece of the puzzle is to find paid work, as a contractor, a full-time work-from-home employee, or a freelancer.

Finding freelance work is predominantly a matter of using job listings sites, freelancing sites such as PeoplePerHour or UpWork.

There are also freelance sites that are aimed specifically at software developers and engineers. These include Rent-a-code, and even Stack Overflow.

There are other ways to earn money with expertise as a software developer too. You could become a writer (like I eventually did), and write tutorials for blogs or books for technical publishers. You could teach through online courses; why not create your own Skillshare course?

Or you could build your own app, upload it to the Play Store, and then generate a passive income from it while you sleep. And this would have the nice added bonus of also serving as a brilliant demonstration of your capabilities.

Closing comments

In short, there are countless ways to become a software developer. But if you take just one thing away, it should be this: learning to program is an excellent idea and an even better career move.

June 30, 2019

The best CSCs available today

You’re looking to buy a mirrorless camera – sometimes called a compact system camera (CSC) – but don’t know what to go for? That’s not necessarily a surprise, as mirrorless cameras are more diverse and popular in 2018 than ever before, with more brands, lens mounts and systems mixing up the offerings.

In this best-of feature, we round up the best mirrorless system cameras of 2018 to suit all tastes and abilities. Whether that’s based on a budget for a first-time buy, or a larger chunk of cash for a pro-spec full-frame mirrorless model, here’s the best DSLR alternatives to consider.

A quick lesson in lenses

Lens mount

First thing’s first: cameras don’t work in a one-size-fits-all kind of way. Brands like to keep their own heritage and, as such, manufacturers tend to have individual lens mounts. The exceptions are: Micro Four Thirds, supported by Panasonic Lumix G, both Olympus Pen and Olympus OM-D models; and the Leica L mount, which will offer S lenses from Panasonic and lenses from Sigma.

Elsewhere there are a whole host of considerations, each tied to their respective manufacturers: it’s EOS EF-R for Canon’s full-frame models and EOS EF-M for its APS-C models; it’s E-mount for Sony Alpha (formerly NEX) and A-mount for its full-frame (SLT) cameras; and XF-mount for Fujifilm.

Others are already past their sell-by date: Pentax gave up on the Q-mount for Pentax Q in 2017; NX-mount for Samsung NX (and specifically the smaller NX-M mount for the NX Mini) are both now defunct; and the 1-mount for the Nikon 1-series was also binned in 2017.

Focal length equivalent

Each lens will have a “mm” marking on it, such as 12-24mm, to convey the angle of view it will deliver. The lower the number the wider the angle of view, so more will “fit in” to a given scene.

It’s a bit more complex than that, however, as different camera systems have different sensor sizes that give different focal length equivalents, but stick to that rough rule above and you’ll have an approximate understanding on what you’re getting.

Best budget buy

Panasonic Lumix GX800

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What the Panasonic Lumix GX800 really gets right is its price proposition. There’s a lot of features on offer for its sub-£300 price point, which will see camera keenos flocking to check out this accomplished little mirrorless system.

Downsides are the lack of any viewfinder option (but then just look at the G80/G85 instead, below), some plasticky build elements, limited battery life, that 12-32mm collapsible lens not being the best, and the odd choice of a microSD card (most cameras use full-size SD, but not here).

All things considered, however, those above nit-picks are far from major problems. Especially when decent image quality, an autofocus system that’ll better almost anything else at this price, a raft of compatible Micro Four Thirds lens options, 4K capture and accessible touchscreen controls use are all par for the course.

Read our full review: Panasonic Lumix GX800

Best affordable all-rounder

Panasonic Lumix G80

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Panasonic has boat loads of great G-series cameras. The one that offers the most bang for your buck is the G80. It’s like a mini DSLR in many senses, combining a built-in viewfinder with a vari-angle touchscreen LCD to the rear.

With a lot of the technology taken from the top-end G-series line, the G80 walks the line between pro and budget. There’s 4K video capture, decent image quality and all the control that you could possibly want. One of our favourite features is Pinpoint autofocus.

If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop then few can offer as much as the G80 for the price. If you do have a bit of extra cash and prefer a more compact-style camera then the Sony A6500 is also one credible camera.

Read our full review: Panasonic Lumix G80 review

Fujifilm X-T20

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Retro done right, that was our sentiment about the X-T20, the cut-price little brother to the X-T3 (further below). Its combination of retro design, quality construction, top notch image quality and decent general performance make it a great all-rounder.

The X-T20’s biggest issue is nothing to do with its own performance: it’s the presence of the Panasonic Lumix G80 (above), depending on which one you can find for less cash (it’s increasingly close).

But while the Panasonic is like the brains of the mirrorless camera world – it’s hugely capable, with 4K modes, Pinpoint autofocus and weather-sealing – the Fuji X-T20 is the heartfelt, retro-styled champ. And sometimes it’s better to listen to your heart than your head, right?

Read our full review: Fujifilm XT-20 review

Best small all-rounder

Sony A6500

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Smaller than the Panasonic offering, yet still with a built-in viewfinder, the A6500 is a highly accomplished little camera.

Indeed, you’ll struggle to find a mirrorless cameras with quicker autofocus. The A6500 is up there with the best-in-class in this regard, while its processor is hugely capable of backing up its 11fps burst mode figures. Image quality is great, too, while its 4K video capture will appeal to a whole other audience.

The biggest drawback of the Sony system is its over four-figure asking price. It’s really pricey, which is why the Panasonic G80 (above) may appeal more, but for the right user the Sony is certainly worth it. Oh, but its battery life isn’t great , so you’ll want to carry a spare.

Read our full review: Sony A6500 review

Best DSLR-alternative / prosumer mirrorless

Panasonic Lumix G9

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If you’re looking for a DSLR alternative with some added mirrorless benefits then the G9 ticks all the boxes. It’s a very impressive bit of kit indeed.

The G9 offers oodles of appeal by cutting out the typical irks that many mirrorless cameras can present: it’s got a huge viewfinder with near-instant startup; a super-fast 20 frames per second (fps) continuous autofocus mode at full resolution; it adds a light-up status LCD screen (which you’ll find nowhere else except on a mirrorless Leica); and offers improved battery longevity with up to 920 shots per charge.

Having used the Lumix G9 with a variety of lenses for two weeks – in both South Africa on safari and Vietnam while travelling – we’ve come to think that it’s perhaps the finest mirrorless cameras that money can buy. Indeed, it’s so good that we’d lean away from the Fujifilm X-T2 (see below) in its favour.

Read our full review: Panasonic Lumix G9 review

Fujifilm X-T3

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If there’s been one inherent weakness for many mirrorless cameras it’s their ability to cope with moving subjects. Fuji has tackled this head-on with the X-T3, which is among the best mirrorless cameras for capturing moving subjects.

Beyond just being good at shooting fast action, the X-T3 is an exceptional all-round camera too. It’s well built, looks great, the image quality is that high-quality Fuji standard, and there’s all the control and decent lens back-up that you could want. We think it even trumps the X-H1 in many regards (and the Panasonic G9, above, is better than that Fuji offering anyway).

Read our full preview: Fuji X-T3 initial review

olympus om d e m1 mark ii product shots image 1

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mk II

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If it’s speed you want, it’s speed you’ll get, with this Olympus capable of capturing up to 18 frames per second.

Also principal to its success is the built-in image stabilisation – which is perhaps the best sensor-based system we’ve ever used – and its super-quick reactions across the board, from start-up, to autofocus, burst speed, capture and playback.

Ultimately, the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II is among the best Micro Four Thirds cameras for advanced photographers shooting moving subjects. That said, the Panasonic Lumix G9 (above) offers an even more compelling 20fps burst alongside a better viewfinder, which will ultimately be more favourable (and it’s cheaper than the Olympus to boot!)

Read our full review: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II review

Best street shooter

best mirrorless cameras 2017 the best interchangeable lens cameras available to buy today image 8

Fujifilm X-Pro2

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The X-Pro2 is a camera for the modern professional. Or the nostalgic shooter, given its rangefinder-like stylings.

Sure, it’s a quirky camera, but that’s what we love about the X-Pro. It stands out from the crowd with its complex “advanced hybrid multi viewfinder” (that’s what Fujifilm likes to call it): think rangefinder-like use thanks to a corner-positioned digital rangefinder overlay screen (as found in the X100T) which can show a 2.5x or 6.0x magnification of the active focus point for precision manual focus, ensuring correct focus for close-up shooting.

We’d still like to see a vari-angle touchscreen rather than fixed panel only, but given that the X-Pro2 seems to be looking inwards to its existing pro user base rather than outwards to newcomers, we suspect the target audience will remain happy without.

Read our full review: Fujifilm X-Pro2 review

Best mirrorless camera for video

Video or movie capture has been going from strength to strength in mirrorless cameras, with many now very capable. Our current favourite is the Panasonic, but die-hard videographers may call on Sony’s A7S II as the very best model going (something only the Panasonic GH5S can really throw into contention).

Panasonic Lumix GH5

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The camera world has been moving at a fairly slow pace over the last few of years, with only small gains to be made. If you were to compare the GH5’s image quality to the earlier GH4, for example, then the gains aren’t that significant.

But when it comes to video the GH5 offers out-of-this-world top quality. There’s 4K capture with 10-bit 4:2:2 output (at 30fps; 60fps is 8-bit 4:2:0) and a host of pro spec features that put it head and shoulders above anything else you can buy at this price point (well, except the company’s own GH5S, below)

Sure, it might be pipped in stills quality by the Fujifilm X-T3 (above), but for video features the Lumix GH5 is still a great choice.

Read our full review: Panasonic Lumix GH5 review

Panasonic Lumix GH5S

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Here’s where things get super specialist. But if you know your stuff then the GH5S will get your salivating at its video prowess.

The GH5S has a lower-resolution sensor than the GH5 (above), as it’s designed with video in mind. That sensor offers dual native ISO, which can deliver a far cleaner image at higher ISO settings – which is great for nighttime and low-light work.

There’s also no image stabilisation system within the camera, which pros with rigs will prefer to avoid any “jumping” that can happen when such a system is present.

It’s hard to call the Lumix GH5S a consumer product, but for higher-end users this will be the small-scale, affordable and capable 4K product they’ve been waiting for.

Read our full preview: Panasonic Lumix GH5S initial review

Best full-frame / professional mirrorless camera

In 2018 this is the category that’s seen most investment from, well, pretty much every maker: there’s the Nikon Z7, the Canon EOS R, and the forthcoming Panasonic S1. At the time of writing, however, none of these newcomers are available to buy, so it’s a case of wait and see, or a case of dive in with an alternative offering.

Sony Alpha A9

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The Sony A9 is a mirrorless camera like no other, although it’s not a true “mirrorless”, as its SLT (single lens translucent) definiton attests.

But let’s not get stuck down too much regarding the camera’s technological make-up, because when it comes to ticking all the pro-level boxes, the A9 has so much right.

In full flow, it offers 20 frames per second (fps) with no live view black-out, phase-detection AF that covers virtually the whole frame, and a generally reliable Lock-On tracking AF. To back-up this class-leading performance, Sony also has one of the best lens line-ups for sports and wildlife photography.

In terms of image quality the A9 delivers exactly what we would expect: it’s a camera that’s able to make great images in both bright and low-light conditions, particularly excelling when the conditions are tough.

It’s so good, it asks questions of the DSLR elite (the Nikon D5 and Canon EOS 1D X II are no longer as safe as they once were) and still leaves a big question hanging on the forthcoming Nikon, Canon and Panasonic full-frame mirrorless systems.

Read our preview: Sony A9 initial review

June 30, 2019

In-the-wild Mac malware kept busy in June—here’s a rundown

June was a busy month for Mac malware with the active circulation of at least six threats, several of which were able to bypass security protections Apple has built into modern versions of its macOS.

The latest discovery was published Friday by Mac antivirus provider Intego, which disclosed malware dubbed OSX/CrescentCore that’s available through Google search results and other mainstream channels. It masquerades as an updater or installer for Adobe’s Flash media player, but it’s in fact just a persistent means for its operators to install malicious Safari extensions, rogue disk cleaners, and potentially other unwanted software.

“The team at Intego has observed OSX/CrescentCore in the wild being distributed via numerous sites,” Intego’s Joshua Long wrote of two separate versions of the malware his company has found. “Mac users should beware that they may encounter it, even via seemingly innocuous sources such as Google search results.”

Security evasions

Long said that the CrescentCore versions he observed were signed with certificates belonging to an Apple-trusted developer. That would allow the malware to bypass Gatekeeper, a macOS protection that’s designed to thwart malware by allowing only digitally signed applications to be installed. Both recovered versions of CrescentCore are signed by certificates assigned to a developer using the name Sanela Lovic using certificate fingerprints 5UA7HW48Y7 and D4AYX8GHJS.

Long said he reported the certificate abuse to Apple, but as early Friday afternoon, a tool called WhatsYourSign, developed by Mac security expert Patrick Wardle, showed both signing certificates remained valid. On Friday evening, the tool showed one certificate had been revoked and another remained valid.

CrescentCore uses other techniques to avoid detection and analysis. After targets click on the fake Flash installer/updater, it first checks to see if it’s about to be installed inside a virtual machine or on a Mac that’s running AV software. If either of those possibilities turns out to be true, the trojan will simply exit and not do anything more. Security researchers almost always test suspected malware inside VMs to prevent accidentally infecting trusted work computers.

Mac users who want to check for infections should look for files with the name Player.dmg (or Player #.dmg or Player (#).dmg where # is a numeral such as 1 or 2) downloaded to the Downloads folder. Infected Macs may also contain folders or files with the following names:

/Library/com.apple.spotlight.Core
/Library/Application Support/com.apple.spotlight.Core
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.google.keystone.plist
com.player.lights.extensions.appex

Friday’s Intego post lists one of at least six macOS threats that have come to light this month. Others include:

- A cryptocurrency miner dubbed LoudMiner by ESET and Bird Miner by Malwarebytes, the two firms that independently discovered it. The miners, found in a cracked installer for the high-end music production software Ableton Live, work by emulating Linux.

- Malware dubbed OSX/Newtab, which tries to inject tabs into the Safari browser. Some of the file names disguise themselves as government forms or recipe apps. All samples have an identifier of com.NTAppStubInstaller and were digitally signed with the Apple Developer ID cosmina beteringhe (HYC4353YBE).

- Backdoors dubbed NetWire and Mokes that were installed in in-the-wild attacks exploiting a pair of potent Firefox zerodays to target people involved with cryptocurrencies. Both backdoors were able to bypass Gatekeeper and were undetected by antivirus engines at the time the attacks went live.

The recent activity is an indication that more and more malware developers are finding it worth their time to create malicious wares for macOS, a platform they largely shunned a decade ago.

As is the case with Windows computers, the best way to protect Macs against malware is to ensure the OS, browsers, and browser extensions are updated as soon as possible after security patches are released. Another key safeguard is to never run a stand-alone version of Flash (the one built into Chrome is generally OK).

June 30, 2019

Apple’s best designs by Jony Ive, according to the AppleInsider staff

On Thursday, Apple Chief Design Officer Jony Ive announced his intent to leave the company after nearly 30 years on the job, many of which were spent at the side of tech visionary Steve Jobs. In wake of that bombshell, AppleInsider takes a look back at our favorite Ive designs.

Mikey Cambell – iPhone X

iPhone X

In development for more than two years, iPhone X is perhaps the purest expression of Apple’s — and Ive’s — vision of how a smartphone should look and feel.

A glass and metal slab reminiscent of the black monolith in Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” (albeit with gently sloping corners), X blurred the line between utility device and art object more than any iPhone that came before. A sleek rectangular chassis closely follows the form of its dormant OLED panel, which remains inky black thanks to the deletion of all screen-bound manual controls. Without close inspection of the mirrored Apple logo and “iPhone” lettering set under its glass back, X’s orientation can only be divined by its camera bump.

Nothing seems wasted on iPhone X. Inside, vital components are neatly laid out on a — dare I say beautiful — logic board, battery cells are custom-fit and the level of fit and finish is peerless. Outside, the screen stretches from corner to rounded corner with a relatively thin bezel and the steel chassis feels almost sumptuous in the hand. The TrueDepth notch is, of course, a niggle, but an acceptable trade off for Face ID.

2018 Apple Pencil

Ridiculous Lightning connector swapped for inductive charging. A flat edge for mating with iPad Pro that also serves as a nice ergonomic grip (and stop Pencil from rolling off the table). Tap gestures. Velvety low-slip matte finish. This is what the first Apple Pencil should have been.

Amber Neely – The current MacBook Air

I still remember the original MacBook Air commercial from the original launch event, where it slid out of a manila envelope with a button-and-string enclosure. As an owner of an incredibly thick PC laptop, I was immediately enamored. The concept of even an entry-level notebook being that thin was wild to me.

Fast-forward to today. The MacBook Air has so far eluded me, but I do appreciate the quality and thought behind the design. In fact, I probably appreciate it more these days. It’s the one Apple product that gets my head turning every single time I see one.

Apple’s gold MacBook Air

Just look the current generation MacBook Air. It’s thin, it’s light, and aesthetically, it’s got a gorgeous design. The gentle taper from the front to the back gives it a luxe profile, an effect that is only increased when you realize that Apple had the foresight to start offering the Air in gold. I’ve owned computers with some decent looking cases, but I’ve definitely never owned something that looked as good as a gold MacBook Air.

Aesthetically, it’s hard to imagine how Apple could improve upon the Air. To this day, I still find myself swooning over every gold Air I see in the wild.

William Gallagher – The door on the Power Mac 9600 and iOS 7

Design is not about how something looks, it’s about how it does what it does —and how people can use it to do what they need. And that’s only rarely as visually striking as, for instance, a gorgeous iPhone. So my favorite Jony Ive design is what he did with door panels.

We know that the forthcoming Mac Pro features extremely easy access to its insides and we remember that the famous Mac Pro, the first cheese grater, had that panel that could open up very simply. What’s less known is that this was because of Ive.

He thought of it and he fought for it. Ive had to convince Apple hardware engineers that it was worth doing and that it could be cost-effective.

PowerMac 9600

And he won. The 1997 Power Mac 9600 was the first Apple tower computer where you could easily open the side to add or remove components. The same basic design was used for the beige PowerMac G3 tower, and the design lineage carried through the Blue and White G3 and G4 towers was clear.

But, iOS 7 is just as great. When Scott Forstall was forced out of Apple and Jony Ive took over the running of software as well as hardware, the result was iOS 7.

Actually, the result was iOS 7 and then whatever the next version of Android was. The result was that smartphones changed overnight and you can see iOS 7’s flattened aesthetic in graphic design used across the world.

2013’s iOS 7 looks familiar today, but so different to iOS 6 and earlier

What Ive did with software was what he always did with hardware. It’s easy to say that he made things simpler, but he also came at it from the focus of how people would use it.

The previous skeuomorphic approach was meant to help people grasp how to use, say, a calendar on their phone. Now we knew, now we were more familiar with the phone version than we were with actual calendars. Ive could step away from this hand-holding tutorial kind of interface, and make a tool that worked better for us all.

We’ve now had the Ive-inspired flat design of iOS for six years, which is as long as the original lasted. But there’s no sign of it changing again because there is no need for it to.

Malcolm Owen – Mac mini

As someone with a background in PC gaming and a habit of spending way too much time on PCPartpicker than should be deemed healthy, I have an interest in how a computer is assembled. This is particularly true for machines that are put together to take up as little space as possible, as aside from being a design headache to create and keep them usable, they also must be serviceable.

Given my disassembly of my own personal Mac mini earlier this year to replace the hard drive, I have to attest that the design of that pint-sized computing powerhouse is phenomenal. A rigid metal casing with so much crammed in there, including cooling, that somehow takes up less physical space than most non-Apple notebooks, is mind-boggling to begin with.

A partially disassembled 2014 Mac mini.

Then there’s the disassembly, which is surprisingly straightforward despite the seemingly daunting task of extracting so much stuff from inside that tiny frame, with so many genius design choices to make it relatively painless. Even the use of the power socket as a form of “lock” to hold the rest of the power supply in place is an inspired piece of design.

As much as it still amazes that Apple has put a powerful computer into a slimline and barely noticeable case barely bigger than a few DVD boxes, seeing what Apple did to fit everything in and the process of disassembly and reassembly is probably more breathtaking.

Andrew O’Hara – Leica camera and iPod mini

As a photographer and videographer, it isn’t much surprise that one of my favorite Ive designs isn’t Apple’s. It is the wonderful Leica Digital Rangefinder that was co-designed by Marc Newson, sold at the (RED) Auction back in 2013. The camera itself had a full-format CMOS sensor and shot through a Leica APO-Summicron -M 50mm f/2 lens.

Leica designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson

Needless to say, the camera is primarily formed of Ive’s material-of-choice —anodized aluminum. It is covered in 21,000 circular perforations that make up the grip around the body and took more than 85 days to manufacture as well as over 550 prototypes. I love how minimalist and functional the camera is, how the design doesn’t get in the way of the camera itself. It stays true to Leica but adds a bit of Apple finesse.

If Apple were to release a camera, this could easily be it. The attention to detail is simply unmatched and makes this one of the most lustworthy of Ive’s designs that can’t even be purchased.

Following the camera is the iPod mini. I absolutely love this device and still have a working model sitting atop my desk, full of my favorite music. The green is bright and fun without being overly loud. The aluminum design still holds up all these years later. The screen is small but with the simple UI controlled by the magical clickwheel, it doesn’t feel like it.

iPod mini in green

Apple had a pile of accessories to go with the iPod mini, which is a time I very much miss. The quirky iPod Socks, the headphone remote, the simple plastic clip that made it easy to clip onto the side of a backpack, and eventually even the Hi-Fi. All were in my arsenal. I spent a lot of time using the Mini and even though the switch to flash storage caused the device to become usurped by the iPod nano, the Mini still holds a special place in my heart —and my desk.

Victor Marks – Newton MessagePad and the last of the iMac G3 models

The Newton MessagePad is one of Jony Ive’s best products, from a time when he had yet to meet Steve Jobs, and was questioning whether or not he even belonged at Apple.

The Newton MessagePad and stylus

Design takes depth, focus, and caring, Ive used to say. People are frustrated with their environment, and products that surround us should show that they’ve considered the user in their design. They should show caring on behalf of their makers.

With the MessagePad, the first version shipped without a cover for the display and a wide, flat stylus that felt like a carpenter’s pencil, and was uncomfortable to use.

To change the user’s relationship with the product, Ive made two notable changes: one, a cover for the screen, and the other, a metal and plastic weighted stylus, with the look and feel of a luxury pen. The cover created the feel of a stenographer’s notebook, instantly making the design of the object communicate how you interact with it. The stylus showed care for the user by making the thing they touch and interact with feel like a luxury item.

Newton wasn’t long for the world, and was discontinued when Steve Jobs returned to lead Apple, but the humble Newton would influence the Mac and iOS later, with Ink in early Mac OS X, and the obvious Apple Pencil comparisons. The Newton showed that everything is designed, and even the humblest objects should show the care and thoughtfulness behind them.

The iMac G3 Flower Power and iMac G3 Blue Dalmation

Feb. 22, 2001 marked the introduction of the Flower Power and Blue Dalmation iMac G3. Why did these machines exist for so short a period of time?

I suspect the reason was that the process for decorating the inside of the iMac proved that the process would work for the iPod that was going to be released months later, and allowed Apple to test on an existing product at production scale.

This model was short-lived, replaced by the Snow White, Graphite, and Indigo iMac G3, with only Snow surviving before being replaced by the iMac G4 LCD sunflower model.

Flower Power recalled the 1960s hippies, and Blue Dalmation dogs never existed. We’re pretty sure it wasn’t a popular color. We’re even pretty sure it wasn’t one of Ive’s favorites. But it shows that design isn’t always easy.

Motorola wasn’t supplying faster G3 CPUs, and Apple had begun to source them from IBM. iMac G4 was almost a year away. There was pressure to release a new model. It allowed Apple to learn how to make a machine where no two would be the same, and make them reliably. It was looked down on by the press then and now.

But, it definitely broke the bright fruit color pattern that everyone else from kitchen accessories to DIY tools were copying. It paved the way for the iPod, and was the most distinctive computer that showed the industry followed Apple, not the other way around.

Mike Wuerthele – Original iPad

This one took me some thought. There are a load of big-time Ive-led inventions, and picking a favorite took forever. For sheer impact in this house alone, the iPad takes the cake.

For myriad reasons, the vast majority of documents that I had to read and assess through the ’00s were provided on PDF. I purchased a heavy and thick Windows tablet with a stylus to do so more conveniently. It was heavier than any single book I had to read, but more compact than all of them combined.

When the iPad was announced in 2010, the game was changed. It wasn’t just changed for me, but it gave the internet back to most of the senior citizens across my family.

Furthermore, in 2015, my wife had a stroke. All of a sudden, she went from being on her MacBook Air all the time, to being completely unable to use the keyboard on the machine. The iPad became a crucial part of her recovery and relaxation.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it here. The iPad is, finally, Apple’s computer for the rest of us. And, Apple’s design for it made the entire concept possible, usable, and beautiful.

June 30, 2019

This World Cup, bookies bet on innovative ways to attract punters

Every time there is an India-Pakistan clash on cricket field, the suspicion of betting or even chances of spot-fixing do come and haunt world cricket. A lot has been written about how big is the money involved during any such game, but neither the cricket regulating bodies like International Cricket Council (ICC) nor the agencies responsible to curb this menace have taken serious steps to put an end to such practices.

Interestingly, this World Cup has been witnessing bizarre ways (baits) to attract more punters into the net. Going by a bookie in the Delhi market, a simple tweet by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan cost a whopping Rs 100 crore alone in the capital’s satta market.

“In order to have a winning offensive strategy, Sarfaraz must go in with specialist batsmen and bowlers because ‘Raillu Kattas’ (part time bowler-batsmen) rarely perform under pressure, especially the intense kind that will be generated today,” was what tweeted by Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup winning captain.

“His tweet came just before the toss and we witnessed almost all punters putting money on ‘Pak batting first’, if at all they win toss. No bookie at that time actually thought that it was a result of Imran’s tweet because we were busy in taking bets,” the bookie told this correspondent.

One has to understand that almost 80 per cent of the bets now-a-days are spot bets. “It’s only less than 20 per cent bets which are on outcome of match or on how a particular player will perform on that particular day. Majority of bets are placed on ‘toss, team combination’, who will bowl next over, whether there will be a no-ball or wide in next over, if next ball will be hit outside boundary or for a six etc.,” added this veteran bookie.

In nutshell, the moment Imran tweeted (suggested) Pakistan skipper to bat first and not take chances of chasing against a formidable Indian attack, there was a flurry of bets backing his call within the next five minutes (or even less time left for the toss). “It was a happy hunting day for us as Pak skipper asked India to bat first. And all thanks to our neighbouring PM,” came the laugh.

Indian bookies also booked huge profits in the game against Afghanistan. The market (satta) was abuzz with India scoring big a victory over the minnows in Southampton. “If batting first, Team India would score 350-plus and if chasing (a low total projected of Afghans), there would be enough wickets and overs left for Virat Kohli & Co. The punters (who are putting bets/money) had once again had a bad day, courtesy great fight shown by the first-timers,” said another bookie in Delhi, who also happens to run a book at capital’s racecourse.

There is no need to explain the reason or the excitement in the bookie community as India managed to beat a bottom-placed team in a nail-biting finish (11 runs).

After talking to many bookies around the National Capital Region (NCR), the experiments done during the Indian Premier League (IPL) have helped bookies find new ways of luring the punters. “We are accepting or offering bets now on even field settings. Even bets like whether the captain himself will go out of the 30-yard circle to field during that particular over, or he will go out of field by handing over captaincy to his deputy are placed,” revealed this bookie, suggesting that odds offered on such vague bets are higher than the regular bets.

“The bets sometimes are offered to the tune of 1:20 or even as high as 1:36 in crunch situations. IPL has taught us to reinvent our styles and strategies for our new customers, who to a large extent are women,” another shocker came this time. When asked if women punters are also betting big, the reply came: “Not big, but about 10 to 15 per cent share of bets are now coming from housewives, wanting to make a quick buck sitting in their sofas.”

Despite the boom-time during WC, the bookies in NCR are not looking assured about the future. One big reason for this is that police and other security agencies are keeping a tab on them and neglecting the fast-growing mobile applications.

“I know so many bookies in Delhi who have shut shop for the fear of police raids,” said a former bookie forced to shut his shop at racecourse during IPL spot-fixing raids.

“These apps and sites allow punters to bet money online and get the money back online. So, the bookies are not needed any more. And some of these apps bring run in the name of mobile gaming and are promoted by big players (names concealed),” added the former bookie.

“You win or lose, money is directly debited or credited into the account’s app wallets which can be redeemed later. It’s as easy as playing a game on your phone. Download app, open an account with one or more online bookmakers and start placing bets with friends whom you’ve come to know through sites only,” explained the bookie how these mobile applications and websites have less chance of being caught by police.

The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has so many times admitted that India is a massive hub for bookies and has suggested that legalisation of it would help check the menace to a large extent.

Last but not the least, huge bets have already started pouring in for the crucial Sunday game between India and England. And don’t ask on what?

Stay alive and sing along!

June 29, 2019

“Smart” Tooth Sensor Rats You Out For Overeating And Smoking

One of the more disturbing trends in tech is the fact that there’s an entire market dedicated to making digital scolds. Whether it’s the Wii Fit’s legendarily blunt way of informing you about your weight or devices designed to make mooing noises whenever you open the fridge, we spend far too much money on things designed to make us feel bad. And now people are starting to expect us to install them in our bodies, no less. Meet the smart tooth.

Essentially, the smart tooth is a sensor glued to the inside of your mouth that detects the motion of your jaw. In its own way it’s actually fairly impressive; the sensor is able to differentiate jaw movement when you’re speaking, chewing, breathing, drinking, smoking, and coughing. In other words, basically once you glue this thing in your mouth, everything you do with it will be very, very easy to figure out. On the other hand, we’re also wondering what, precisely, they’re going to do with the data from that third date their test subjects have coming up.

Joking aside, the sensor provides data to your doctor, or yourself, and is able to inform your health team of you taking up, or putting down, any bad habits. They’re also looking to add Bluetooth, so you can get a snarky text message every time you light up a cigarette. “Oh, a cigarette. How edgy. I’m going to text your photos of diseased organs now.”

This will certainly be of use as a medical device, of course, but we have to question the premise of gluing a circuit board into your mouth in order to monitor your health. Really, if it’s gotten to the point that you’re considering becoming a cyborg, maybe you need to go to a therapist instead.

June 29, 2019

Apple names Sabih Khan senior vice president of Operations

Cupertino, California — Apple today announced that Sabih Khan, a 24-year Apple veteran, has been named to the company’s executive team as senior vice president of Operations. Khan has played an important role in delivering each of Apple’s innovative products to market since the late 1990s, leading key product operations and supply chain functions. He continues to report to Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

In his new role, Khan will be in charge of Apple’s global supply chain, ensuring product quality and overseeing planning, procurement, manufacturing, logistics and product fulfillment functions, as well as Apple’s supplier responsibility programs that protect and educate workers at production facilities around the world.

“Sabih leads our Ops team with heart,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “He and his entire worldwide team are committed to delivering unmatched experiences to our customers, treating workers everywhere with dignity and respect, and protecting the environment for future generations.”

“I’ve been privileged to work with Sabih for more than 20 years, and you won’t find a more talented operations executive anywhere on the planet,” said Williams. “He is a world-class leader and collaborator, and I have no doubt that he will be the best leader of the Ops team in Apple’s history.”

The Operations team is responsible for driving scale across the global supply chain and accelerating manufacturing innovation, including developing and scaling a new aluminum alloy that enables the use of 100 percent recycled aluminum in MacBook Air and Mac mini enclosures without compromising quality. The team also supports Apple’s environmental initiatives by partnering with suppliers to propel green manufacturing, helping conserve resources and protect the planet.

Before joining Apple’s procurement group in 1995, Khan worked as an applications development engineer and key account technical leader at GE Plastics. He earned bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI).

June 29, 2019

Leica’s new M-E camera is more affordable than ever

Leica has introduced an all-new, much more affordable camera to its M series of digital cameras. The aim: to offer a quality experience, at a price that lowers the bar of entry into the world of Leica.

The M-E (Typ 240) comes in with a price advertised at £3,500 in the UK or $3,995 in the US, which is considerably cheaper than the M10 rangefinder camera.

Granted, it’s still not quite in your budget camera territory, but for Leica, this is a low price for something that still promises to be a premium product.

The M-E (Typ 240) is hand made in Germany, has genuine leather on the outside and is dust and spray/water resistant.

As well as the usual fastidiousness in design and build quality, Leica has built in a 24-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with light sensitivity up to ISO 6400 for great low light performance.

With its 2GB buffer memory, it promises that you’ll be able to snap shots in quick succession without losing out on the action.

As with virtually every other M series camera, the new M-E has the M bayonet mount, which means it’s compatible with pretty much every M lens ever made.

As well as all that, it can even capture video. Sadly it’s not 4K, but it will allow you to shoot in full HD, 1080p resolution, which will look pretty unique with that classic “Leica look”.

The M-E (Typ 240) goes on sale at the end of July.

June 29, 2019

Florida LAN: Someone clicks link, again, giving Key Biscayne ransomware

Enlarge / Key Biscayne, Florida, is the third Florida local government to get hit by ransomware within a month.

Alicia Vera/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A third Florida local government has reported that it has been struck by ransomware. Key Biscayne joins Lake City as a victim of Ryuk, a form of ransomware first spotted in August of 2018. Ryuk was the final piece of what has been labeled the “Triple Threat’ attack, the other two threats being Emotet and Trickbot malware.

While the attack on Riviera Beach, Florida, revealed last week was similar—all three cases start with a city employee clicking on an attachment in email and unleashing malware—it’s not certain if that attack was also based on Ryuk.

Ryuk is targeted ransomware, originally linked to the North Korean “Lazarus” threat group, but now it appears to have been adopted by non-state criminal ransomware operators as well. It comes with a tailored ransom note that directs victims to contact the attacker via email. It has been known to lie dormant for up to a year before executing.

In Triple Threat attacks, as described in an April report by Cybereason, a malicious document uses PowerShell script to download the Emotet trojan. Emotet has been used in the past to steal banking information, but it can also be used as a “dropper” to install additional malware—in this case, the TrickBot trojan.

TrickBot is another piece of commodity malware. A modular bit of nastiness, TrickBot carries with it a number of tools for moving laterally across the network from the initial point of compromise—the computer of the person who clicked on the attachment. Those modules include password grabbers, a PowerShell-based reconnaissance tool that uses the open sourced PowerShell Empire framework, and spreader_x64.dll—a lateral movement tool based on the leaked National Security Agency EternalBlue vulnerability in Windows’ Server Message Block version 1 (SMB v. 1) file sharing protocol. Spreader_x64.dll also includes the well-worn mimikatz credential-stealing tool, allowing it to harvest credentials to copy itself if it can’t exploit EternalBlue.

Once TrickBot has established itself, the attackers use TrickBot to examine where their malware has landed and determine a next step. From there, they use any credentials that have been harvested to infect other systems. In an attack examined by Cybereason, TrickBot was used to compromise a Windows domain controller, gather data on the victim’s Active Directory structure, identify servers on the network, connect to them, and then infect them all with Ryuk.

Lake City, which was hit with ransomware on June 10, paid out $460,000 worth of Bitcoin to the attackers, according to City Manager Joseph Helfenberg. Paying, he told CBS4 Miami News’ Hank Tester, was the cheapest option—since the city had a $10,000 deductible on its cyber insurance policy, and the insurer was paying the balance. Insurance companies have in many cases pressed for local government victims to pay ransoms to minimize their costs. Riviera Beach paid out $600,000 worth of Bitcoin to make its ransomware problem go away, for example.

But there’s a small probability that Lake City could have avoided paying out to the ransomers. Brett Callow of Emsisoft told Ars, “We’re actually able to decrypt Ryuk in about 5% of cases. Had they uploaded an encrypted file to ID Ransomware — which is operated by one of our team— there’s a small chance they may have been able to save half a million bucks. Whether or not they actually did upload a file, I can’t say.”

There have been two uploads of Ryuk samples to ID Ransomware in June: one from an IP address belonging to an Internet provider in Clearwater, Florida, and another in Rockledge, Florida.

The Village of Key Biscayne is a much smaller community—Lake City has about 12.000 residents, while Key Biscayne has about 3,000. No decision has been announced by the village government yet. A special council meeting was scheduled for tonight to discuss the matter.