Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Chrome OS 72 Dev Channel preps Crostini USB support, easier Linux package installs and more


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Apple and Barclays Offering $50 Gift Card Bonus for New Customers Who Sign Up for a Barclaycard Visa With Apple Rewards

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Apple and Barclays have teamed up to offer a special promotion that will reward Apple customers who sign up for an Apple Rewards Barclaycard Visa with two $25 Apple Store Gift Cards or App Store Gift Cards.

The promotion, outlined on Apple's financing page, states that new cardmembers that apply for and are approved for a Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards can get a total of $50 in Apple or App Store credit as a bonus.


The Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards allows cardholders to rack up points when using the card to purchase products at Apple locations. The card rewards users with 3 points for every $1 spent at Apple, 2 points for every $1 spent at restaurants, and 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases.

For every 2,500 points accumulated, customers can get a $25 Apple Store Gift Card or a $25 App Store Gift Card.

The Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards also provides special financing on purchases made at Apple within the first 30 days after opening an account. No interest is required if the total is paid in full during the promotional period, which is based on purchase amount.

  • 6 months: less than $499

  • 12 months: $499 to less than $999

  • 18 months: $999 and over


Apple customers who want to apply for a Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards can do so on the Barclays website.
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Microsoft Releases Redesigned Cortana App for iOS

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Microsoft today released an updated Cortana app for iOS, which features an overhauled interface and new features like music and podcasts support.

For those unfamiliar with Cortana, it is Microsoft's version of Siri or Alexa, an AI-based personal assistant that can answer questions and complete small tasks.


Microsoft has been testing the revamped version of Cortana since October. The new interface is focused on conversational experiences with Cortana, plus it includes support for music and podcast suggestions, and a focus on setting reminders, timers, and meetings.

Cortana 3.0 offers up a new conversational experience when asking questions, and there is a new dedicated spot for setting up and managing Cortana devices. Microsoft's full release notes for the update are below:
What's new:
· A new conversational experience for answers
· A new place to manage and set up your Cortana devices
· Listen to music and podcasts on the go
· Stay on top of your tasks managing meetings, emails, reminders and To Do on the go
· Join your next Skype or Teams meeting by simply asking Cortana
Microsoft's Cortana app for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]


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Instagram Rolling Out 'Your Activity' Feature Detailing Amount of Time Spent Using the App

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Instagram parent company Facebook said in August said that it would introduce tools to let users know how much time they're spending in the Instagram app, and as of today, that feature is rolling out to Instagram users.

As noted by The Verge, Instagram has a new "Your Activity" section accessible by tapping the hamburger button on your profile page.


"Your Activity" displays the time that you've spent in the Instagram app over the course of the last week, providing a daily average.

There are options to set a daily time limit with a reminder to be sent when that time limit is reached, useful for those who want to cut down on their social media usage. This section also allows includes controls for managing notifications, with toggles for customizing the notifications that you receive.

Apple also natively monitors time spent in various apps like Instagram through the Screen Time feature that was introduced in iOS 12. Screen Time info can be accessed in the Settings app on iPhones and iPads.

Facebook, like Instagram, is supposed to be gaining an activity monitoring feature, but it hasn't yet been introduced.
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Hackers Win $60,000 for Finding iPhone Safari Exploit at Tokyo Pwn2Own Contest

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Richard Zhu and Amat Cama, two white hat hackers, recently teamed up at the Mobile Pwn2Own contest in Tokyo and ended up earning a $60,000 prize after finding an iPhone exploit, according to a blog post on the Zero Day Initiative website.


The duo used a Safari weakness on an iPhone X running iOS 12.1 to retrieve a photo that had recently been deleted from the device. The hackers used a malicious Wi-Fi access point to exploit a just-in-time (JIT) compiler vulnerability.


The exploit the two hackers discovered can also be used to access additional files beyond deleted photos; the deleted photo just happened to be the first file the two came across and so it was used as a demonstration.
Next up, Amat and Richard returned to the Short Distance category. This time, they were targeting the iPhone X over Wi-Fi. They used a pair of bugs – a JIT vulnerability in the web browser followed by an Out-Of-Bounds write for the sandbox escape and escalation. The successful demonstration earned them $60,000 USD more and 10 additional Master of Pwn points. This ends their first day of competition with $140,000 USD and a commanding lead for the Master of Pwn with 31 points.
With the prize money and points awarded from the iPhone vulnerability along with other exploits shown off at the event, Zhu and Cama won the "Master of Pwn" title.


Apple has been informed of the vulnerability and will likely address it in an upcoming iOS update.
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Apple Wins Stop Slavery Award From Thomson Reuters Foundation for Its Supply Chain Efforts

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Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts today accepted the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Stop Slavery Award on behalf of Apple at the Trust Conference, an annual human rights gathering.

Apple received the award for its efforts to stop forced labor in its supply chain. Apple has long banned suppliers from requiring workers to pay off debt or withholding passports.


Ahrendts told attendees that Apple is teaming up with the UN's International Organization for Migration for an initiative that may eventually help victims of human trafficking to get jobs behind-the-scenes at Apple retail locations.

Apple will not know which individuals are being hired through the program, with participating people set to be hired by Apple suppliers rather than Apple directly to start with.


Apple will, however, monitor the initiative, and the company may eventually extend the program to allow human trafficking victims to be hired in Apple retail locations, according to the BBC.
"Though we have only just started, we see huge opportunity to be a beacon of hope for trafficking survivors integrating them into our retail team," Ms Ahrendts said in her acceptance speech.

"These efforts are just a part of a broader set of initiatives to eliminate modern slavery from every part of our company, in every part of the world."
Apple conducts ongoing audits of its supply chain partners and punishes those who are found to be defying the protections put in place for workers. Suppliers who repay fees are put on probation, and those that do not are banned.

More information on Apple's human rights efforts can be found on the company's Supplier Responsibility website.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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Niantic Shares Teaser for Upcoming 'Harry Potter: Wizards Unite' AR Game, Which Will Launch in 2019

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Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, has been developing a new Harry Potter augmented reality game in partnership with Warner Bros, which is called Harry Potter: Wizards Unite.

Today, Niantic shared some new details on the upcoming game in the form of a teaser trailer that gives a first look at gameplay.


Niantic first announced Wizards Unite in November 2017, but we've heard little word on the game since then. In today's trailer, Niantic clarifies that we won't be seeing Wizards Unite until sometime in 2019.

In Wizards Unite, players will learn spells, explore real world neighborhoods turned magical through augmented reality, fight legendary beasts, and team up with others to take down enemies.

On the Wizards Unite website, it appears the plot will deal with traces of magic showing up in the muggle world, which will require witches and wizards to contain the threat by joining the Statute of Secrecy Task Force.
Please resist the urge to panic. Traces of magic are appearing across the Muggle world without warning and in a rather chaotic manner. We worry it is only a matter of time before even the most incurious Muggles catch wind of it. We call on all witches and wizards to help contain the Calamity or risk the worst of times since You Know Who. Brush up on your spells, get your wand ready, and enlist immediately.
Players who are looking forward to Niantic's new game can sign up for email updates on the Wizards Unite website.


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