Activation lock is a service in Apple’s iOS and iOS compatible devices that (when enabled), keeps a device from being setup or reinstalled while still registered in Apple’s iCloud. I recently face an iPad Mini that was legitimately owned, but mostly bricked because of this feature. I’ll show you how to get around this, and why it’s one of Apple’s worst ideas.
By now you may have heard the Apple has announced new iterations of the Macbook Pro laptop line. These new models are causing a bit of a shitstorm for Apple on a number of fronts. The new laptop models include a touchbar, USB-C ports, a thinner design and various updated hardware parts. These changes have also removed important ports and functions under the guise of an “upgrade”. As a current Macbook model user, I have some thoughts about this.
Regularly, I read articles and blog posts, but I also see a good deal from people who represent my industry, namely the Computer Technical Service or MSP folks. What I’ve encountered, however, has me incredibly troubled. A number of folks online are purporting to represent us, when in fact they aren’t doing it well at all. This hit the tipping point when two of these people came together to make an insanely bad webcast, that I had to share it with you.
I don’t often blog about banking in Canada; Because, let’s face it, I don’t want to put you to sleep. But, as I was reading today’s news, I came across an interesting turnaround by one of Canada’s larger banks: TD Bank. They appear to have been on a downward spiral of greed and customer gouging (the likes of which I don’t think I’ve ever seen).
Where the hell have I been? It’s been a while. I’m sorry.
I’m always wary of “recent studies” (and the press surrounding them) because they really only exist to drive the public relations effort of one company by fueling the press for another. In these cases, everyone but the reader wins. When I first read of this RBC insurance study on distracted driving, I knew something wasn’t right. Then it hit me, their apparent conclusion was Canadians are basically ass*****.
Today I’ve been thinking about the constant conflict between writing blog posts and commenting on blogs (or other types of sites). When is the line crossed from a simple comment to that of a full-blown blog? When should we tell people that comment on our sites that they should take it to a blog? I’ve pondered these ideas in the past as I’ve faced Dave Winer’s particular outlook on this topic.
As a publisher of multiple sites (and a reader, no less), I’m keenly aware of the struggle faced by the need to reach users, but the cost of doing it. If what we do doesn’t somehow lead back to our site, is this something we could ever embrace? With the recent announcement of Facebook Instant Articles, I’ve been thinking about this more. Is this a great development for publishers, or the start of a new, dangerous path for Facebook?
In a recent blog post, Mozilla (makers of the popular Firefox browser) plans to set a date by which non-encrypted [1] websites would see access to browser features gradually removed. While the details aren’t yet clear as to the timeframe, or exactly what features will be limited; but it’s a definite message that powerful players are pushing encryption on everyone. This trend of “encrypt everything” is becoming very troubling.
I do feel bad right now for all those users of Path on the iPhone that had address book details uploaded to Path’s servers stealthy and in the background. Consequently, this has cause Path’s current CEO to write a sincere apology blog and ultimately delete user data and update the Path application. As the fallout continues, I notice how much of the echo chamber is calling this a failure of Apple to secure user’s address book. Apple can be blamed for many things, but this is not Apple’s fault.