Tag Archives: iPhone

Exasperated Apple Shifts Some iPad Production Out Of China!

Exasperated Apple Shifts Some iPad Production Out Of China!

Apple has gotten so exasperated that they shifted some iPad production out of China for the first time!

Here is what we know so far…

 

Exasperated Apple Shifts Some iPad Production Out Of China!

Apple has reportedly shifted some of its iPad production out of China, over the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Shanghai.

Strict lockdowns in and around Shanghai after a surge in COVID-19 cases have led to months of supply chain disruptions for Apple, even though their factories operated in a closed loop.

Apple built production lines in Vietnam with the help of China’s BYD, and will “soon start to produce” some iPads there.

Apple had asked Foxconn to move iPad and MacBook Pro production from China to Vietnam in 2020, with plans to manufacture a significant proportion of iPads there. However, a COVID-19 surge in 2021 delayed those plans.

Even though China has started to lift their Zero COVID restrictions in Shanghai, Apple is unlikely to reverse these plans to shift production to Vietnam.

This will be the second major production line to shift to Vietnam. Apple shifted almost 30% of AirPods production to Vietnam in the second quarter of 2020.

 

Apple Also Asked Suppliers To Build Up Inventories

Apple also asked multiple component suppliers to build up their inventories, to prevent supply chain disruptions from affecting production.

One of the people with direct knowledge of this issue said :

For example, component supplier X has a 40% share of Apple’s business in Jiangsu Province, which is a risky region of supply chain disruption, and supplier Y in another city accounts for the remaining 60% share.

Apple would want supplier Y to build enough additional components to match supplier X’s 40% share in the coming months in case production in Jiangsu is shut down again.

If China continues with its Zero COVID policy, it is likely that Apple and other companies will seriously look at shifting more of their production to other countries.

Supplies of electronics from China’s factories have been severely impacted by their strict COVID-19 lockdowns, even though some factories are allowed to use a closed loop system.

There is also worker welfare to consider – there is only so much they can tolerate the closed loop system, where workers are restricted to factory campuses for weeks on end.

In early May, workers at the Quanta factory producing MacBook laptops in Shanghai rioted over the closed loop system, and fled the factory.

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Touch ‘n Go eWallet Is Now Back On Apple App Store!

The Touch ‘n Go eWallet app was quietly restored to the Apple App Store, as quietly as it was removed earlier!

Here is what we know so far…

 

Touch ‘n Go eWallet Is Now Back On Apple App Store!

Apple quietly removed the Touch ‘n Go eWallet (TNG eWallet) from the App Store in the first week of May 2022.

The TNG eWallet download page earlier stated “App Not Available – The app is currently not available in your country or region“.

It was also removed from the App Store search listing. The Boost eWallet now appears, instead of the TNG eWallet.

Even though the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app is no longer available in the Apple App Store, you can continue to use it if you had already installed it earlier.

The TNG Digital team stated that they are working to resolve the issue with Apple, and confirmed that the app that is installed in your iPhone will continue to work with all features fully-functioning.

Fortunately, the Touch ‘n Go eWallet (TNG eWallet) app was quietly restored to the Apple App Store on 11 May 2022.

 

Was Touch ‘n Go eWallet NFC Feature Removed For Apple Users?

Neither Apple nor Touch ‘n Go eWallet stated why the TNG eWallet app was removed from the App Store.

At that time, believed Apple removed it because of the recently-added NFC top-up feature for physical Touch ‘n Go cards.

That’s because Apple Pay is the only mobile wallet / eWallet allowed to use the iPhone and iPad’s NFC capabilities  for contactless payments.

That limitation has resulted in an antitrust charge by the European Union :

The European Commission has informed Apple of its preliminary view that it abused its dominant position in markets for mobile wallets on iOS devices. By limiting access to a standard technology used for contactless payments with mobile devices in stores (‘Near-Field Communication (NFC)’ or ‘tap and go’), Apple restricts competition in the mobile wallets market on iOS.

The Commission takes issue with the decision by Apple to prevent mobile wallets app developers, from accessing the necessary hardware and software (‘NFC input’) on its devices, to the benefit of its own solution, Apple Pay.

However, the newly-approved Touch ‘n Go eWallet version 1.7.73 continued to feature the NFC reload option.

Therefore, it seems more likely that Apple removed the app earlier due to the Face Verification feature in the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app.

In fact, the new Touch ‘n Go eWallet version 1.7.73 now lacks the Face Verification feature. Their FAQ also stated that :

Face verification is being upgraded for iOS users, this feature will be temporarily disabled. Kindly use your PIN as alternate authentication.

The previous version of Touch ‘n Go eWallet could have contravened this App Store Review Guidelines rule :

2.5.13 Apps using facial recognition for account authentication must use LocalAuthentication (and not ARKit or other facial recognition technology) where possible, and must use an alternate authentication method for users under 13 years old.

But at least Apple iPhone users can rest assured that they will continue to get the latest Touch ‘n Go eWallet app. They just have to live without the Face Verification feature for now…

 

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Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Why Was Touch ‘n Go eWallet Removed From App Store?!

The Touch ‘n Go eWallet app was just removed from the Apple App Store!

Here is what we know so far…

 

Touch ‘n Go eWallet Removed From Apple App Store!

Apple quietly removed the Touch ‘n Go eWallet (TNG eWallet) from the App Store a few days ago.

The TNG eWallet download page now states “App Not Available – The app is currently not available in your country or region“.

It was also removed from the App Store search listing. The Boost eWallet now appears, instead of the TNG eWallet.

Interestingly, the download page in the official Touch ‘n Go eWallet website is also not functioning, with a 404 error – Page not found.

It is however still available in the Google Play Store, so Android users can still download it just fine.

Even though the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app is no longer available in the Apple App Store, you can continue to use it if you had already installed it earlier.

The TNG Digital team stated that they are working to resolve the issue with Apple, and confirmed that the app that is installed in your iPhone will continue to work with all features fully-functioning.

This does not mean the removal is to be taken lightly. Until the app is restored to the App Store, you will no longer be able to update the app.

Over time, you may lose out on new features. But more importantly, you will no longer receive security and fixes.

 

Why Was Touch ‘n Go eWallet Removed From App Store?!

Neither Apple nor Touch ‘n Go eWallet stated why the TNG eWallet app was removed from the App Store.

However, I believe Apple removed it because of the recently-added NFC top-up feature for physical Touch ‘n Go cards.

That’s because Apple Pay is the only mobile wallet / eWallet allowed to use the iPhone and iPad’s NFC capabilities  for contactless payments.

That limitation has resulted in an antitrust charge by the European Union :

The European Commission has informed Apple of its preliminary view that it abused its dominant position in markets for mobile wallets on iOS devices. By limiting access to a standard technology used for contactless payments with mobile devices in stores (‘Near-Field Communication (NFC)’ or ‘tap and go’), Apple restricts competition in the mobile wallets market on iOS.

The Commission takes issue with the decision by Apple to prevent mobile wallets app developers, from accessing the necessary hardware and software (‘NFC input’) on its devices, to the benefit of its own solution, Apple Pay.

If this was the reason for the TNG eWallet app’s removal, it will be yet another example of Apple’s egregious anti-competitive nature, and yet another strike against their walled garden.

If they continue to lock down the NFC feature on the iPhone / iPad to force the use of Apple Pay, they will invite more anti-trust actions, and possibly turn people to the Android platform.

Unfortunately, there’s really nothing much Apple users can do.

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Realme Caught Using iPhone To Demo narzo 30A Gaming?

Realme appeared to have used an iPhone to demonstrate the gaming performance of their new narzo 30A smartphone!

Find out what happened, and Realme’s response to this new scandal!

 

Realme Caught Using iPhone To Demo narzo 30A Gaming?

On 20 March 2021, Realme launched the narzo 30A smartphone in Bangladesh, which was live-streamed.

They arranged for three gamers to play PUBG Mobile live, to demonstrate the narzo 30A’s gaming performance.

However, at around the 18:03 mark of the livestream (now removed!), a pop-up appeared on the screen :

Guided Access Started

Triple-click the Side Button to exit

Guided Access is an Apple iOS feature, and is therefore available ONLY on Apple iPhones.

In other words, the PUBG Mobile game being shown on the screen was from an Apple iPhone, not the narzo 30A as claimed.

 

Realme Explains narzo 30A – iPhone Kerfuffle!

This scandal came just days after Realme was exposed for cheating in AnTuTu Benchmark. Realme called it a bug then.

This time, Realme is claiming that the video was pre-recorded due to “local pandemic control policy” and the A1 team sent them the wrong file.

They removed the livestream video, and will republish it after “the re-production is complete“.

Respecting and abiding by the local pandemic control policy, the narzo 30A launch video was planned to be recorded in advance.  Additionally, the launch video involved a narzo 30A hands-on gaming video.

To ensure a better quality video output, the gaming part was recorded by our partner A1 Esports team and sent to the producer, post-recording.

Although the A1 team did use the narzo 30A smartphone for the recording of the gaming part, a wrong file was accidentally sent to the producer, which led to the appearance of a non-realme smartphone in the video.

In response to this issue, we have immediately contacted our A1 team partner to rectify the accident. We shall republish the video after the re-production is complete.

We sincerely apologize for any unanticipated impacts the incident may have caused. Your kind support to the brand is very much appreciated. Please stay tuned with realme for future updates.

 

We Examine The Realme narzo 30A – iPhone Claims

Going through Realme’s statement, we can’t help but feel troubled by a few “logical inconsistencies”…

Issue #1 : Local Pandemic Control Policy?

What local pandemic control policy? They arranged for three gamers to play PUBG Mobile side-by-side, and without face masks too!

Issue #2 : Pre-Recorded For Better Quality?

If the video was pre-recorded, why was there a need for the A1 team members to stand up there and “pretend play”?

If they were concerned about video quality, they should have just streamed the pre-recorded clip directly, instead of displaying it behind the A1 team members, as a large but pixelated video that lacked contrast.

Issue #3 : They Didn’t Check The Pre-Recorded Video?

What makes even less sense is the claim that the A1 esports team recorded their gameplay using the narzo 30A, but sent them the wrong file.

Why would the A1 esports team record their gameplay on an iPhone, as well as the narzo 30A? Didn’t Realme check the video they received, to make sure it was from their narzo 30A smartphone?

Which is more likely?

a) they accidentally triggered Guided Access during the livestream, or

b) the A1 team recorded the gameplay on an iPhone and narzo 30A, and accidentally sent Realme the wrong file, and Realme didn’t check their gameplay before streaming it onto the big screen?

You may recall that the Realme team blamed a bug for their fantastical AnTuTu benchmark score. They have yet to adequately explain that either…

Recommended : Realme On AnTuTu Cheating : A Bug? No Guidelines?

 

narzo 30A – iPhone Scandal : Another Hit To Realme’s Rep

We have been a fan of Realme since they first started with their Realme 2 ProRealme 2 and Realme C1, because they offered really great value for our money.

So we were not surprised by how fast their devices improved, and how fast they grew. Heck, we even took the realme 3 on a photographic trip to the US West Coast, and Las Vegas!

However, a new team apparently took over in the middle of 2019, and it looks like they are willing to risk everything just to gain market share. Perhaps that’s why they coined the tagline, Dare To Leap!.

Since then, they have been hit by revelations that their 90 Hz display only works in certain situations, the recent AnTuTu cheating scandal and now this iPhone streaming scandal.

It’s a real shame, because Realme was doing so well, and building a great reputation for offering great features at a low, low price.

Reputation, as they say, takes a lifetime to build, but can be lost in a second.

We should point out that the Realme narzo 30A is powered by the MediaTek helio G85, which is not affected by the MediaTek benchmark cheating scandal.

Recommended : MediaTek Benchmark Cheating : What Happened So Far

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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How To Register For COVID-19 Vaccination On MySejahtera!

You can now register for COVID-19 vaccination on MySejahtera, and here is our guide on how to do just that!

Updated @ 2021-03-22 : Added a new video, and instructions on registering your dependents. Updated various parts of the article.

Updated @ 2021-03-03 : Added instructions on how to confirm that your registration was successful.
Updated @ 2021-02-25 : Updated the video and guide with registration confirmation screen.
Updated @ 2021-02-24 : Added a video guide, as well as more details
Originally posted @ 2021-02-23

 

Option To Register For COVID-19 Vaccination Now On MySejahtera!

On 22 February 2021, the Malaysia Ministry of Health released MySejahtera 1.0.28 for iOS and Android devices, which adds the option to register for COVID-19 vaccination.

The COVID-19 Vaccine has arrived in Malaysia! With the new vaccination module, verify your name and IC and submit the additional details to complete your registration in the app.

Be sure to enable your app’s push notification to receive the latest updates regarding the vaccination rollout, which will commence in phases:

– PHASE 1 (February – April 2021): Frontliners
– PHASE 2 (April – August 2021): Remaining healthcare workers and high risk group
– PHASE 3 (May 2021 – February 2022): Adult population >18 years

MySejahtera 1.0.29 was released on 24 February 2021, with bug fixes.

MySejahtera 1.0.30 was released on 19 March 2021, introducing the ability to register your dependents as well.

 

How To Register For COVID-19 Vaccination On MySejahtera!

Here is our video guide on how to register yourself and/or your family for COVID-19 vaccination using the MySejahtera app.

It’s the same process, whether you are using an Apple iPhone, or an Android smartphone.

Don’t worry about making mistakes. You can redo the registration, to correct for mistakes.

For those who prefer pictures and text, here is our step-by-step pictorial guides.

Registering Yourself For COVID-19 Vaccination

  1. Make sure you update to MySejahtera 1.0.28 or later before you proceed.
  2. Open MySejahtera.
  3. Tap on the Close button on the upper right corner of the default Check-in screen.
  4. You should see the MySejahtera main screen, and it should show you a new COVID-19 Vaccination option.

  1. Tap on the COVID-19 Vaccination option and it will show you this information display.
  2. Tap on the first option – Vaccine for [your name here] – to start with the registration process.

  1. You will be asked to verify your name and IC (MyKad) or passport number, as well as your MySJ ID (your telephone number). Click Submit if they are correct, or Edit if they are wrong.

  1. After verifying your details, you will be informed that the COVID-19 Vaccination Program is currently in Phase 1 – for frontliners only.
  2. You can register for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program on MySejahtera by tapping on the blue CLICK HERE link.

  1. You will be asked to answer three simple questions, to determine whether you should be classed under Phase 2 or Phase 3 of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program, as well as your location.
  2. The address search option may not work. If that happens, tap on the Location finder (circled in red) to let MySejahtera use your GPS location.

Please BE HONEST in this assessment. It will, after all, be verified by the Ministry of Health.

When it comes to Question no. 2 – Do you have any comorbities? – that refers to any medical condition you have that may put you at greater risk of dying from COVID-19.

For your reference, this includes :

  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Heart disease
  • Asthma
  • Cancer
  • Chronic lung disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Liver disease
  • Stroke
  • Low Immunity (Immunocompromised)
  • Obesity
  • Others

  1. Once you are satisfied with your answers, hit Submit and you are done!You should see this screen pop-up (for version 1.0.29 onwards).

Then all you have to do is wait for the Malaysia Ministry of Health to contact you when it is your turn to be vaccinated against COVID-19!

Registering Your Family For COVID-19 Vaccination

  1. Make sure you update to MySejahtera 1.0.30 or later before you proceed.
  2. Open MySejahtera.
  3. Tap on the Close button on the upper right corner of the default Check-in screen.
  4. You should see the MySejahtera main screen, and it should show you a new COVID-19 Vaccination option.

  1. Tap on the COVID-19 Vaccination option and it will show you this information display.
  2. Tap on the second option – Add Vaccine Dependent.

  1. You will be shown a screen with your registered dependents.
  2. If you did not add any dependents yet, you can do so by tapping on the Add Vaccination Dependent option at the bottom.
    Otherwise, skip to Step 12.

  1. Key in your dependent’s details – Full name, Relationship with you, NRIC / Passport number, Age, Gender, Current Address and Post Code, and State.
  2. Check the details and tap Save when you are done.

  1. Your newly-added dependent will now appear in the list of dependents.

  1. Tap on the Add as vaccine dependent option of the dependent you wish to register.
  2. You will be asked to confirm that you have the authority to manage the vaccination process for your dependent.
    You are also asked to note that once this dependent is registered to your MySejahtera account, he/she cannot be registered for the COVID-19 vaccine programme with a different MySejahtera account.
  3. Tap on Yes, Proceed to proceed with the registration.

  1. You will be asked to verify your dependent’s name and MyKad / Passport number; as well as confirm that he/she is over 18 years old.
    Technically, it should state 18 years old and older, because the COVID-19 vaccine programme is open to those who are 18 years of age too.
  2. If you notice any mistake, tap Edit to change the name and IC / Passport number.
  3. Otherwise, tap the I confirm that my dependent is over 18 years old check box, and tap Submit.

  1. You will be asked to answer four simple questions, to determine whether you should be classed under Phase 2 or Phase 3 of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program, as well as your location.
  2. The address search option may not work. If that happens, tap on the Location finder to let MySejahtera use your GPS location.

  1. Please BE HONEST in this assessment. It will, after all, be verified by the Ministry of Health.When it comes to Question no. 2 – Do you have any comorbities? – that refers to any medical condition you have that may put you at greater risk of dying from COVID-19.For your reference, this includes :
    • Diabetes mellitus
    • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
    • Heart disease
    • Asthma
    • Cancer
    • Chronic lung disease
    • Kidney disease
    • Liver disease
    • Stroke
    • Low Immunity (Immunocompromised)
    • Obesity
    • Others

  1. Once you are done, tap Submit, and your dependent will have a green checkmark next to it.
  2. If you made any mistake, you can tap on Remove vaccine dependent, and begin the process all over again, from Step 12.

Then all you have to do is wait for the Malaysia Ministry of Health to contact you when it is your dependent’s turn to be vaccinated against COVID-19!

 

Confirm Your COVID-19 Vaccination Registration

Don’t leave just yet. Make sure your registration was completed properly using these steps :

  1. Go back to the MySejahtera main screen, and tap on the COVID-19 Vaccination option again.

  1. In this screen, tap on the first option – Vaccine for [your name here] again.

  1. If you see this screen, then you have successfully registered for the COVID-19 vaccination program.

 

No Need To Register Again For COVID-19 Vaccination

On 3 March 2021, National Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that “there is no need to resubmit” the application.

He clarified this on 4 March 2021, stating that MySejahtera is currently updating its vaccination registration record.

So there is NO NEED to register for vaccination again, even if you do not see the vaccination status page above.

As long as you submitted your registration and saw this THANK YOU pop-up, you have successfully registered for the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

 

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macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Safari CVE-2021-1844 Bug : Fix It Now!

Apple just rushed out macOS Big Sur 11.2.3, iOS 14.4.1, iPadOS 14.4.1 and Safari 14.0.3 to patch a critical security bug.

Find out what they fix, and why you need to update your MacBook, iPhone and iPad right away!

 

Apple Rushes Out macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Safari Critical Bug Fixes!

Released on 8 March 2021, macOS Big Sur 11.2.3 patches only one bug, which may mislead users into thinking that it’s not very important.

WebKit

Available for: macOS Big Sur

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-1844: Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group, Alison Huffman of Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research

On the same day, Apple also released iOS 14.4.1 and iPadOS 14.4.1 – both patching the same CVE-2021-1844 vulnerability.

WebKit

Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-1844: Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group, Alison Huffman of Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research

Apple also released Safari 14.0.3, which patches the same vulnerability for macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave :

WebKit

Available for: macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave

Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution

Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation.

CVE-2021-1844: Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group, Alison Huffman of Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research

 

Why Install These macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Safari Bug Fixes ASAP?

While they appear to only patch WebKit in macOS Big Sur, iOS, iPadOS and Safari, they are CRITICAL bug fixes that you need to install right away.

They patch the new CVE-2021-1844 vulnerability, which was discovered by Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group and Alison Huffman of Microsoft Browser Vulnerability Research.

This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to trigger a buffer overflow when the victim opens a specially-crafted web page, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code on the target system.

It is not known if this vulnerability has been exploited yet, but it is critical to install the new updates to prevent that from happening.

 

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How To Check If MySejahtera Vaccine Registration Successful!

After registering for your COVID-19 vaccine in MySejahtera, please CHECK to make sure the registration was successful!

 

How To Check If MySejahtera Vaccine Registration Successful!

After registering for COVID-19 vaccination in MySejahtera, don’t leave just yet!

Please follow these steps to CHECK if your registration was successful!

  1. Go back to the MySejahtera main screen, and tap on the COVID-19 Vaccination option again.

  1. In this screen, tap on the first option – Vaccine for [your name here] again.

  1. If you see this screen, then you have successfully registered for the COVID-19 vaccination program.

 

Check, But No Need To Register Again For Vaccination

On 3 March 2021, National Immunisation Programme Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that “there is no need to resubmit” the application.

He clarified this on 4 March 2021, stating that MySejahtera is currently updating its vaccination registration record.

So there is NO NEED to register for vaccination again, even if you do not see the vaccination status page above.

As long as you submitted your registration and saw this THANK YOU pop-up, you have successfully registered for the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

 

Earlier Reasons To Check + Confirm Your Registration

On 3 March 2021, MySejahtera started displaying a vaccination status page, but it only appeared for some people.

For everyone else, clicking on the Vaccine for [Your Name] link just leads them back to the registration process, instead of the status page.

They would have to go through the entire vaccination registration process again, before the status page would appear.

After they re-register for vaccination on MySejahtera, the Vaccine for [Your Name] link will then correctly show the vaccination status page.

Without accessing this status page, how will people find out when their first and second dose appointments will be?

There was also concern when users noticed that MySejahtera was showing a new registration date, instead of the original registration date.

 

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Keep Your iPhone + MagSafe Away From Medical Devices!

If you own an Apple iPhone or use an Apple MagSafe charger, please make sure you keep them away from medical devices!

Find out why you need to be careful about putting them in close proximity with medical devices!

 

iPhone 12 + MagSafe : As Safe As Older iPhone Models

On 23 January 2021, Apple updated their safety guidance on the magnets in their iPhones and MagSafe chargers.

It addressed the concerns about the radios and larger number of magnets used in their latest devices :

  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • MagSafe Charger
  • MagSafe Duo

Apple claims even though they contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they are “not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models“.

 

Keep Your iPhone + MagSafe Away From Medical Devices!

While Apple does not believe that the risk is higher in these newer iPhone 12 models and MagSafe chargers, they also noted that the magnets and radios could pose a risk to medical devices in close proximity.

Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact.

These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices.

Therefore, Apple recommends that you keep ALL iPhone models and MagSafe chargers away from medical devices, like pacemakers and defibrillators.

  • more than 6 inches or 15 cm apart, or
  • more than 12 inches or 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging

They also advised all users to stop using their iPhone or MagSafe accessories, if they suspect that they may be interfering with medical devices.

Note : This does NOT mean that the magnetic fields or wireless emissions of your iPhone or MagSafe accessories are dangerous to your health. They only pose a risk to medical devices.

 

Safety Guidance On iPhone + MagSafe Magnets + Radios

Here is Apple’s latest safety guidance on iPhone and MagSafe magnets and radios :

iPhone contains magnets as well as components and radios that emit electromagnetic fields. All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also contain magnets—and MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices. 

Though all iPhone 12 models contain more magnets than prior iPhone models, they’re not expected to pose a greater risk of magnetic interference to medical devices than prior iPhone models.

Medical devices such as implanted pacemakers and defibrillators might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches / 30 cm apart if wirelessly charging). But consult with your physician and your device manufacturer for specific guidelines.

Consult your physician and medical device manufacturer for information specific to your medical device and whether you need to maintain a safe distance of separation between your medical device and iPhone or any MagSafe accessories. Manufacturers often provide recommendations on the safe use of their devices around wireless or magnetic products to prevent possible interference. If you suspect iPhone or any MagSafe accessories are interfering with your medical device, stop using your iPhone or MagSafe accessories.

 

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Fact Check : Heavy Gadget Use Killing Kids With Radiation?

A WhatsApp message about heavy gadget use KILLING kids with radiation has gone viral.

Find out what’s going on, and what the FACTS really are! 🤔

 

Claim : Heavy Gadget Use Is Killing Kids With Radiation!

This is the WhatsApp message that has gone viral, and is being furiously shared by alarmed parents.

🙏✍️
A very IMPORTANT & SERIOUS message.
Please kindly read till the end with out skipping.

Most of your kids will be attending online classes and addicted to gadgets, please be very careful. I am writing about the current happening.
My very close, best friend’s younger sister son is studying
12th standard a very bright student from his childhood,and only son to my friend’s sister.

His online classes starts daily at 10am so laptop is on by 9am. Due to peer school pressure with the online classes going on, he used to either be on laptop or mobile atleast till 10pm daily, No physical activity at all, no one to play due to COVID-19 fear and being single child,in their family.

On Tuesday 27/10/2020, morning, he was saying he was not feeling well, 2 days prior to that he had mild pain on his left hand. No one took that seriously. On Tuesday, he was saying he doesn’t want to attend on line classes and wanted to be with parents’. Parents were surprised and asked him to take rest. He tried to sleep but was not able to, he asked his father not to go to office. His father asked if we should go to hospital, child said everywhere there is corona which hospital to go, I will be alright after a good sleep. He asked his father to go to work. He said he was very hungry and asked his mother to feed him dosa. He again tried to sleep but could not, then around afternoon, he called his father to come home immediately and take him to hospital. His father came home within 15 min and the son came and hugged him and said take me to hospital.

By the time he started the car, child collapsed. They rushed to a hospital 4 km away and doctor checked for pulse it was not there. They tried CPR and the heart started to function. They took all scans and found the child was brain dead.They tried all medication till Saturday31/10/2020 morning ,and finally decided to remove the ventilator.

He is now no more.
‼️A case of BRAIN DEAD‼️
Pathetic thing is that hospital has handed over the body to police since the child was unconscious when brought to hospital and in his teens. They will hand over the body only after postmortem and corona test. So not sure if they would get it today 31/10/2020, or tomorrow,01/11/2020.

Doctor said this is 05th such case during
The past 20days, Heavy usage of gadgets, radiation has affected the brain and stopped the supply of oxygen.

Use GADGETS sparingly, Avoid earphone/headset to the maximum extent possible.
🙏 Humble request to all parents, guardians, please take care of your kids, teenage boys, girls,Ask them to read only hard copy books and no gadgets except for attending classes
I felt this is very useful important message, so Iam forwarding to all my what’s app contacts, relations,well wishers,all near and dear.
🙏A very humble request to all, kindly forward this message to all your
Contacts and there by save Precious “LIFE”
✍️🙏🙏🏼🙏🏻

Forwarded as Received

 

Heavy Gadget Use Killing Kids With Radiation : The FACTS!

NO, heavy gadget use is NOT, repeat… NOT killing kids with radiation!

Here are the reasons why this is yet another fake story being circulated on the Internet to spread FUD (Fear, Uncertainty & Doubt).

Reason #1 : No Evidence The Case Even Exists

The story appears to originate in India, and is quite specific that the student died on 31 October 2020.

However, we could not find any reference to any Standard 12 student in India, being taken off the ventilator after being pronounced brain dead in October 2020.

While that does not mean that the case does not exist (India is a HUGE country), there is currently no evidence that this case actually exists.

Photo Credit : Idrees Abbas / SOPA Images / Sipa USA

Reason #2 : No Evidence Gadget Radiation Is Killing Kids

The claim that the doctor said that it was the 5th case during the past 20 cases is preposterous.

If that was true, it would have been major news, and would have been discussed in hospital mortality and morbidity conferences, and certainly covered by the mainstream media.

Yet, there is no mention of gadget radiation killing kids anywhere in the world.

Reason #3 : Radiation Cannot Stop Supply Of Oxygen

When brain death occurs as a result of ischaemia – the lack of oxygen supply to the brain, that is often due to :

  • bleeding in the brain from an AVM, or insult to the brain
  • blood clots blocking blood vessels in the brain
  • cardiac failure reducing blood flow to the brain

While high doses of radiation can cause brain damage, radiation per se cannot stop the supply of oxygen to the brain.

As the student was said to have no pulse on admission to the hospital, his brain death was likely due to a complete lack of blood supply to the brain after heart stopped beating.

Reason #4 : Electronics Have Low Radiation

All electrical devices produce small amounts of electromagnetic radiation. That means everything from your microwave oven to your television, not just laptops and mobile devices.

They all have to comply with the laws regarding electromagnetic radiation. Not because it’s dangerous to us, but because it would interfere with other electronics in your house.

Reason #5 : Electronics Have To Comply With SAR Limits

The US FCC limit for RF radiation from a mobile phone is 1.6 watts per kilogram, while the EU sets a higher limit of 2.0 watts per kilogram. Practically all smartphones have much lower SAR values (head) :

With smartphones emitting significantly lower RF radiation, it is unlikely for them to have any effect, much less kill kids or turn their brains into mush.

Reason #6 : RF Radiation Is Non-Ionising

The type of radiation emitted by electrical devices is radio frequency (RF) radiation, which is a type of non-ionising radiation.

Non-ionising radiation do not have enough energy to knock electrons from an atom, which means it cannot create free radicals that can damage our cells.

In fact, RF radiation has lower energy than visible light and infrared (heat) radiation!

So it would be quite impossible for RF radiation to kill anyone by destroying their brains.

Reason #7 : Earphones + Headphones Reduce Exposure

Earphones and headphones actually reduce your exposure to RF radiation from your smartphone.

That’s because they allow you to listen to calls and music, without putting the smartphone close to your head.

Those who are paranoid about exposing their brains to RF radiation from their smartphones should use earphones or headphones.

 

COVID-19 : How To Keep Safe!

Here are a few simple steps to stay safe from COVID-19 :

Recommended : Soap vs Sanitiser : Which Works Better Against COVID-19?
Recommended : Surgical Mask : How To CORRECTLY Wear + Remove!
Recommended : COVID-19 Food Safety : Fruits, Vegetables, Takeouts

 

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India Bans 59 Chinese Apps, Including TikTok and WeChat!

After TikTok was exposed for spying on what we type, it got banned by India together with 58 other Chinese apps, for cybersecurity reasons.

Here is everything you need to know about this new ban, including the full list of banned apps!

 

India Bans 59 Chinese Apps, Including TikTok and WeChat!

Just two days ago, we showed how TikTok was caught spying on what we type in other apps, not once but TWICE.

The very next day, TikTok joined WeChat as part of a ban by India on 59 Chinese apps identified as malicious or posing data and privacy risks to their users.

The Ministry of Information Technology has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.

The compilation of these data, its mining and profiling by elements hostile to national security and defence of India, which ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty and integrity of India, is a matter of very deep and immediate concern which requires emergency measures.

Based on input from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) and representatives from both inside and outside the Indian Parliament, the Indian government announced the ban of 59 Chinese apps.

No doubt, the recent high altitude fatal brawl between Chinese and Indian troops in the Himalayas played some part in this decision.

Recommended : TikTok Caught Spying What We Type In Other Apps… TWICE!

 

India Bans 59 Chinese Apps : The Full List

  1. TikTok
  2. Shareit
  3. Kwai
  4. UC Browser
  5. Baidu map
  6. Shein
  7. Clash of Kings
  8. DU battery saver
  9. Helo
  10. Likee
  11. YouCam makeup
  12. Mi Community
  13. CM Browers
  14. Virus Cleaner
  15. APUS Browser
  16. ROMWE
  17. Club Factory
  18. Newsdog
  19. Beutry Plus
  20. WeChat
  21. UC News
  22. QQ Mail
  23. Weibo
  24. Xender
  25. QQ Music
  26. QQ Newsfeed
  27. Bigo Live
  28. SelfieCity
  29. Mail Master
  30. Parallel Space
  31. Mi Video Call – Xiaomi
  32. WeSync
  33. ES File Explorer
  34. Viva Video – QU Video Inc
  35. Meitu
  36. Vigo Video
  37. New Video Status
  38. DU Recorder
  39. Vault- Hide
  40. Cache Cleaner DU App studio
  41. DU Cleaner
  42. DU Browser
  43. Hago Play With New Friends
  44. Cam Scanner
  45. Clean Master – Cheetah Mobile
  46. Wonder Camera
  47. Photo Wonder
  48. QQ Player
  49. We Meet
  50. Sweet Selfie
  51. Baidu Translate
  52. Vmate
  53. QQ International
  54. QQ Security Center
  55. QQ Launcher
  56. U Video
  57. V fly Status Video
  58. Mobile Legends
  59. DU Privacy

 

India Bans 59 Chinese Apps : The Implications

This ban by India means that Apple App Store, Google Play Store and even the HUAWEI AppGallery must stop providing access to those 59 banned apps in India.

If you already have them installed, then they will still work. You just cannot install them from official app stores within India.

If you still wish to download and install them, Android users can download and install their APK (Android Application Package) installation files from their official websites and APK repositories.

Apple iOS users, as usual, are out of luck, unless they are using jailbroken devices.

 

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TikTok Caught Spying What We Type In Other Apps!

TikTok was caught spying on what we type in other apps, not once, but TWICE… so far.

Find out what’s going on, and what you should do about it!

 

TikTok : What Is It?

TikTok is a Chinese social networking service built around short video clips. Developed and owned by ByteDance which is based in Beijing, it is very popular amongst young people and even children.

This has led to numerous controversies as TikTok proved slow or reluctant to remove dangerous or racist videos :

 

TikTok Caught Spying What We Type In Other Apps… TWICE!

Beyond their obvious desire to grow their service at the expense of the danger to real people, there have been cybersecurity and privacy concerns about TikTok.

In a space of just four months, TikTok has been caught spying on what we type in OTHER APPS… not once, but TWICE. Take a look at this video expose…

TikTok Caught Spying On What We Type : First Time

Let’s start in March 2020, when Talal Has Bakry and Tommy Mysk exposed how they found that TikTok was spying on what we typed in other apps through the pasteboard / clipboard.

In the video above, you can see how TikTok immediately asked to read all text stored in the pasteboard, whenever it is launched.

The pasteboard contains everything you copied earlier – messages from other people, quotes from an article, or far more sensitive stuff like your password or account number.

And because of Apple’s universal clipboard feature, this means everything you copy on your Mac or iPad will be available on your iPhone, and therefore TikTok.

To be clear, TikTok was just one of the many apps that they found to be spying on what we type. Here were the apps they confirmed were spying on the pasteboard / clipboard.

News Games Social Other
ABC News
Al Jazeera English
CBS News
CNBC
Fox News
News Break
New York Times
NPR
itv Nachrichten
Reuters
Russia Today
Stern Nachrichten
The Economist
The Huffington Post
The Wall Street Journal
VICE News
8 Ball Pool
AMAZE!!!
Bejeweled
Block Puzzle
Classic Bejeweled
Classic Bejeweled HD
Flip The Gun
Fruit Ninja
Golfmasters
Letter Soup
Love Nikki
My Emma
Plants vs. Zombies Heroes
Pooking – Billiards City
PUBG Mobile
Tomb of the Mask
Tomb of the Mask: Color
Total Party Kill
Watermarbling
TikTok
ToTalk
Tok
Truecaller
Viber
Weibo
Zoosk
10% Happier: Meditation
5-0 Radio Police Scanner
Accuweather
AliExpress Shopping
Bed Bath & Beyond
Dazn
Hotels.com
Hotel Tonight
Overstock
Pigment – Adult Coloring Book
Recolor Coloring Book to Color
Sky Ticket
The Weather Network

At that time, TikTok told Zak Doffman that it was Google Ads that was snooping into the pasteboard / clipboard.

The clipboard access issues showed up due to third-party SDKs, in our case an older version Google Ads SDK. We are in the processes of updating so that the third-party SDK will no longer have access.

They claimed it was because TikTok was using an older Google Ads SDK, which they have since replaced with a newer version.

TikTok Caught Spying On What We Type : Second Time

BFast forward to June, and the release of iOS 14 beta. The new clipboard warning feature in iOS 14 appears to have caught TikTok spying on the pasteboard / clipboard once again.

In the dramatic video shared by Jeremy Burge – the 1:35 point in our video above – he shows TikTok grabbing the contents of his iPhone’s clipboard every 1-3 keystrokes, as he typed in Instagram!

Okay so TikTok is grabbing the contents of my clipboard every 1-3 keystrokes. iOS 14 is snitching on it with the new paste notification
— Jeremy Burge (@jeremyburge) June 24, 2020

This is even more egregious than the first time they spied on the pasteboard / clipboard! Instead of just looking at what you copied into the clipboard earlier, TikTok is literally reading what you are typing in a different app!

TikTok claimed that this issue was “triggered by a feature designed to identify repetitive, spammy behaviour“, and that they have already submitted an updated app without this “anti-spam feature“.

 

TikTok Caught Spying : What Should YOU Do?

If you are not a frequent TikTok user, the answer is simple – UNINSTALL TikTok.

If you really like TikTok, you should immediately update to the latest version, which ByteDance claims will no longer read your clipboard because it has both an updated Google Ads SDK, as well as their anti-spam feature removed.

Either way, if you are concerned about privacy issues with TikTok, you should write to privacy@tiktok.com and express your deep concerns about not letting them read what you are typing, whether it is in their app or other apps.

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Samsung Galaxy S20 Trade-Up Program Prices + Details!

Samsung Malaysia just announced a trade-up program for their new Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphones, to reward their loyal fans!

Here are the Galaxy S20 trade-up program details, as well as the list of qualifying Samsung flagship devices and their prices!

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Trade-Up Program : What Is It?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 trade-up program rewards existing owners of Samsung flagship devices by offering them a higher overtrade value for their devices.

Now, owners of Samsung flagship devices can trade in their old (working or non-working) smartphones, and trade-up to a new Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone!

Organised by Samsung Malaysia in partnership with CompAsia, it will run from 3 March until 31 May 2020.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Trade-Up Program : How Does It Work?

The Samsung Galaxy S20 trade-up program is open to working, damaged, or non-working Samsung flagship smartphones, as long as they are unlocked.

All you need to do is back-up the data on your old device, and bring it to the Samsung Galaxy S20 roadshow, or a Samsung Experience Store, to trade-up to a new Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 trade-up program will be available at these places :

The customer must be 18-years or older (as of 4 March 2020), and every customer is only entitled to trade up to one (1) Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone.

 

Samsung Galaxy S20 Trade-Up Program : Qualifying Device + Price List

Samsung Flagship Devices Trade-In Price
Galaxy Note 8 64GB RM 1,010
Galaxy Note 9 128GB RM 1,395
Galaxy Note 9 512GB RM 1,530
Galaxy Note 10 256GB RM 1,945
Galaxy Note 10 Plus 256GB RM 2,255
Galaxy Note 10 Plus 512GB RM 2,565
Galaxy S8 64GB RM 865
Galaxy S8 Plus 64GB RM 920
Galaxy S9 64GB RM 970
Galaxy S9 Plus 64GB RM 1,100
Galaxy S9 Plus 128GB RM 1,120
Galaxy S9 Plus 256GB RM 1,145
Galaxy S10e 128GB RM 1,345
Galaxy S10 128GB RM 1,615
Galaxy S10 Plus 128GB RM 1,695

 

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iPhone Steel Wool Fire Hoax Explained + Debunked!

The iPhone steel wool fire hoax has gone viral, and people have already pointed out that it’s fake. But most do not explain WHY it’s fake.

In this article and our video, we will explain why the viral video of the iPhone setting steel wool on fire is fake and cannot possibly happen.

 

iPhone Steel Wool Fire Hoax : What Is It?

The iPhone steel wool fire hoax is a viral video that was posted by ViralVideoLab, a YouTube channel that seems to do nothing but create fake videos that they hope will go viral and make them money through YouTube ads.

To make it go viral, they gave it a startling title – Mobile Phone vs Steel Wool | How Your iPhone Will Damage Your Brain. They even PLEAD with everyone to share their video, “before it gets deleted”.

ViralVideoLab also wrote a fictional story about not knowing why an incoming call would cause the steel wool to ignite, and invited people to share their opinions in the comments.

Well, we will show you why we know their video is fake, and why it is not possible for the iPhone or any smartphone to set steel wool on fire.

 

iPhone Steel Wool Fire Hoax Explained + Debunked!

In this video, we will show you the fake video that ViralVideoLab created, and explain what he did and debunk it.

Such Steady Hands!

When he started recording his video, he used a tripod but for no reason at all, the video started swaying just before the incoming call came in.

It may appear that he started holding the camera with his hands, instead of a tripod. But if you look carefully, the swaying was too steady, and moved in a particular pattern.

Such Strong Steel Wool!

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And this is important – despite burning for 11 seconds, the steel wool does not disintegrate.

As The King of Random demonstrated in his clip on steel wool, once it catches fire, steel wool burns up very quickly and disintegrates.

Yet, in the fake video, his steel wool remains intact even after burning for 11 seconds.

No Current Flow?

Also, it’s not possible for EM radiation to create electrical current flow in steel wool. The 9V battery only ignited the steel wool because it formed a short circuit between its positive and negative terminals!

Outer Side Catches Fire First?

Even if it was possible for EM radiation to generate current in the steel wool, the inner side would catch fire first. Yet in this video, it’s the opposite – the outer side catches fire first.

Smartphones Radiate ALL THE TIME

Smartphones like the iPhone 6 are constantly in contact with nearby cell towers, and therefore “radiate” at all times.

If that EM radiation can set steel wool on fire, it would have done so even without an incoming call.

 

iPhone Steel Wool Fire Hoax : How It Was Done

Some people have said that the hoaxer could have hidden batteries under the steel wool.

But based on the steady swaying motion of his camera, and the fact his steel wool was literally fireproof, we have to chalk it up to simple video editing.

Here is a great explanation by Recursosgraficos, which we edited for clarity :

It is a special effect created with a video editor.

You record the first video with the camera attached to a tripod and add a movement effect.

Then remove the phone and set fire to different parts of the steel wool and record the second video.

You can now morph the second video of the steel wool on fire with the first video.

It’s a shame that ViralVideoLab is using his video editing skills to create fake videos that exploit people’s fear for money.

Now that you know he’s just a hoaxer, stop sharing his videos. And definitely DO NOT SUBSCRIBE to his YouTube channel.

 

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FREE Dell Mobile Connect for iOS Coming Soon!

Apple fans will soon be able to download the iOS version of Dell Mobile Connect for FREE!

This will give Apple users the same capabilities that Android users have enjoyed since 2018!

 

FREE Dell Mobile Connect for iOS Coming Soon!

Dell Mobile Connect was introduced in CES 2018 for Android devices, giving them the ability to make calls, send texts, get notifications and even mirror their displays on their Dell laptops and PCs!

Since it was released two years ago, Dell reported that over a million Mobile Connect users have sent or received over 150 MILLION phone calls and texts sing their free app.

Stay Focused

Dell Mobile Connect allows you to avoid splitting your attention between your PC and smartphone. You will be notified about phone calls, texts, instant messages and other app notifications right on your PC.

You can then decide to respond, or ignore. You can also decide which apps you would like to receive notifications from.

Stay Connected

You will never miss a single call or notification from SMS, WhatsApp, Uber, PayPal, Instagram, and other mobile apps.

Your larger PC keyboard, display and speakers will also allow for more enjoyable communications via text or calls.

Bring Your Mobile Apps To The Big Screen!

Dell Mobile Connect lets you have direct access to your mobile apps through its advanced mirroring feature.

You can directly view and access your mobile apps on your PC display, and control them with your keyboard, mouse and touch display!

Secure Wireless Connectivity

Dell Mobile Connect uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct technologies to keep your PC connected to your phone, so feel free to leave your phone in your bag or pocket!

The wireless connection is also secured and does not go through the Internet. All your phone’s data can only be accessed by the paired PC, and only when you are in wireless range.

 

Dell Mobile Connect for iOS Availability

It has taken Dell two years to do this, but finally, the iOS version of Mobile Connect is coming in March 2020!

  • Starting mid-March 2020, it will be available to download for free from the Microsoft Store.
  • Starting end-March 2020, it will come pre-installed in all Dell consumer PC systems.

Dell Mobile Connect, and all updates, are available for free on all Dell consumer PC systems that run on Windows 10 – XPS, Inspiron, Vostro and Alienware – as long as they come equipped with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, and were purchased after January 2018.

 

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The KEF LSX Wireless Music System Is Now Out!

KEF just launched LSX wireless music system with all the convenience of connectivity and true high-resolution stereo. How will the KEF LSX wireless music system improve your music? Read on to find out more!

 

What is KEF LSX?

The KEF LSX is fully wireless from both source and between the speakers. It features Apple AirPlay 2 technology that enables multi-room streaming from an iPhone, iPad or Mac (in early 2019).

After the success of the LS50 Wireless, the KEF LSX features their Uni-Q driver array, that radically improves stereo imaging across a much wider listening area allowing more people toexperience better sound.

The KEF LSX combines with KEF’s highly advanced trademark-pending Music Integrity Engine, a cutting-edge collection of bespoke Digital Signal Processing algorithms, ensuring accurate time alignment and phase coherence.

 

What Can  The KEF LSX Do?

The KEF LSX is fully wireless both from source and between the speakers, using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to stream music from Spotify, Apple Music and TIDAL. LSX is also DLNA compliant and boasts TOSLINK Optical and Auxiliary connections, making it ideal for use with TV. It can be set-up in minutes using the KEF’s Control app, which also manages firmware updates as they become available.

The KEF LSX sports four Class-D amplifiers, one for each of the drive units alongside dedicated twin DACs that provide pristine signal path of up to 96kHz/24bit (using the optional wired connection between the two speakers) or 48kHz/24bit in completely wireless operation.

>LSX’s gently curved cabinet was designed with extensive use of Finite Element Analysis as well as  constrained layer damping as found in KEF’s high-end audiophile products.LSX was designed by designer Michael Young who has created a masterpiece of understated elegance and comes in a choice of five colours – Black, Blue, Maroon, and Olive. They are clad in a luxury fabric by Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat – and a striking Gloss White.

With Spotify Connect (available in November 2018) built in, music lovers can stream Spotify’s entire library directly from the cloud. Uninterrupted streaming lets users watch videos, play games, answer phone calls without pauses to the music even as the listener leaves the room or goes out of range.

LSX goes on sale on 12 November 2018 at selected retailers with a recommended retail price (RRP) of RM 5,999 / ~US$ 1,429.

 

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The Machines Protection Plan Explained!

Machines Sdn Bhd (Machines) just launched a device protection plan for customers in Malaysia. Known as the Machines Protection Plan (MPP), this plan provides protection from accidental damage such as cracked screens and water damage for as low as 42 sen per day.

 

The Machines Protection Plan

The Machines Protection Plan (MPP) allows customers to enjoy one (1) screen replacement or one (1) full device replacement during the two (2) year coverage period. The MPP price ranges from RM 299 – RM 899 (~US$ 73-219), depending on the model of the protected device, and can be obtained at local Machines stores upon purchase of a new device.

The Machines Protection Plan (MPP) provides coverage for parts and labour cost. For a full device replacement claim, a service fee will be charged on top of the price for the MPP. For example, for an iPhone SE full device replacement, customers will need to pay a service fee of RM299 on top of the iPhone SE MPP cost of RM299.

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A survey by Otterbox Inc. in 2015 stated that 29% of Malaysians accidentally damage their smartphones within the first three months of purchase. The same study also revealed that 75% of Malaysian smartphone users have damaged their devices almost 3 times in the past 5 years.

Machines has selected Aon Insurance Brokers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (Aon Malaysia) as its insurance broker to offer this device protection plan, underwritten by AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad.

Machines is also working to extend the Machines Protection Plan to include new devices purchased from third parties, including telcos.

 

The Machines Protection Plan Price List

Device MPP Price (inc. of GST)
Apple Watch RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone SE / 6 RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 6s / 6s Plus RM 599 / ~US$ 146
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus RM 599 / ~US$ 146
iPhone 8 / 8 Plus RM 599 / ~US$ 146
iPhone X RM 899 / ~US$ 219

 

Service Fee Table For Full Device Replacement

This “service fee” is an additional fee that must be paid for a full device replacement, as opposed to a repair or part replacement.

Device Full Device Replacement Service Fee
(inc. GST)
Apple Watch RM 249 / ~US$ 61
iPhone SE / 6 RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 6s / 6s Plus RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone 8 / 8 Plus RM 299 / ~US$ 73
iPhone X RM 499 / ~US$ 122
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How Much Will You Save?

If you have butter fingers and keep dropping your expensive iPhone, you will stand to save a lot of money.

Device Regular Price for Screen Replacement
(inc. of GST)
Price for Screen Replacement under MPP
(inc. of GST)
iPhone SE / 6 RM 699 / ~US$ 170 No Charge
iPhone 6s / 7 / 8 RM 799 / ~US$ 195 No Charge
iPhone 6s Plus / 7 Plus / 8 Plus RM 899 / ~US$ 219 No Charge
iPhone X RM 1799 / ~US$ 439 No Charge

If you plan to hang onto your iPhone for many, many years, you will also save on the battery replacement cost.

Device Regular Price for Battery Replacement
(inc. of GST)
Price for Battery Replacement under MPP
(inc. of GST)
iPhone SE RM 399 / ~US$ 97 RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 6 RM 499 / ~US$ 122 RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 6s / 6s Plus RM 399 / ~US$ 97 RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 7 / 7 Plus RM 399 / ~US$ 97 RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone 8 / 8 Plus RM 399 / ~US$ 97 RM 49 / ~US$ 12
iPhone X TBC RM 49 / ~US$ 12

Please note that they will only replace your battery when it cannot be charged beyond 50% of its original capacity. In addition, you’re only allowed one battery repair or replacement, and that’s subject to the service fee above.

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iOS 11 Has A New Secret Ability To Quickly Disable Touch ID

Apple just released iOS 11, and hidden amongst its many new features is a new secret ability to quickly disable Touch ID. We will share with you the details of this new feature, and why you should learn how to use it.

 

How To Quickly Disable Touch ID

Note : This method only works with iOS 11. If you are using an older iPhone, you must upgrade to iOS 11 first.

To quickly disable Touch ID, rapidly tap the Power button five times.

This temporarily disables Touch ID, and displays the Emergency Services screen, where you can dial 911 / 999 without unlocking the iPhone.

Touch ID is disabled only until you enter your Passcode. Authenticating yourself using the Passcode re-enables Touch ID.

This new method beats the previous methods that include using five different fingers on Touch ID to lock it out, or disabling it in the settings.

 

Why Should You Learn How To Disable Touch ID?

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Everyone should learn how to use this method to quickly disable Touch ID. Why?

First of all, it is a great security feature. It prevents someone from forcibly using your fingerprint to gain access to your iPhone.

The most obvious candidates of such a dastardly act would be oppressive governments and law enforcement officers who don’t care for civil rights. But it could also be a robber or a suspicious spouse.

If you can quickly disable Touch ID, they will need you to key in your Passcode. No amount of forcing you to touch your fingers against the Touch ID sensor will gain them access to your iPhone.

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iPhone 7 Now Available On Maxis Zerolution

iPhone 7 on Maxis Zerolution

iPhone 7 is now available on Maxis Zerolution. Customers can now enjoy the latest iPhone model at zero upfront costs, zero 24-months lock-in period and zero percent interest.

  • iPhone 7 is now available on Zerolution for MaxisONE plan 128 customers and above, beginning from RM80 a month.
  • Annual upgrade fee for RM20 a month (this extends to all iPhone models, except iPhone 5s)
    The Zerolution offer for iPhone 7 is for a limited time only.
  • iPhone 7 Plus is currently not offered on Zerolution. However, customers can still get it on a normal contract with Maxis.

  • Customers can also save up to RM1,560 when they trade in any working smartphone. For example, with the MaxisONE plan 188, a 32GB iPhone 7 will set customers back RM80 a month on Zerolution. By trading in an iPhone 6s, they will receive a RM1,560 rebate. This means, customers can save RM65 a month over 24 months. In the end, all they will need to pay is only RM15 a month for the phone.

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Why Apple iPhones Are So Expensive Rev. 2.0

Whenever Apple releases a new iPhone, it has become tradition for rabid Apple and Android fans to trade barbs in a childish display of fandom rivalry. Facebook and blogs will be replete with taunts and jeers on both sides. It was not good enough that they didn’t like the rival platform, they had to make sure the other side knew how much they hated their platform. Check out some of their work when Apple launched their new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones :

Now that Apple has officially announced the iPhone 7, there is a new comparison out :

Of course, the comparison is hardly accurate, since the Nexus 6 is not water-resistant, just splash-resistant. The iPhone 7, on the other hand, has IP67-rated water resistance. It is also a fact that Apple iPhones have always lagged Android smartphones in features and specifications. In fact, Apple iPhones will always cost more… often far more, than an equivalent Android smartphone.

Updated @ 2016-09-13 : Updated the article for Apple iPhone 7, including new information on Apple iPhones and Android smartphones.

Updated @ 2016-01-26 : Ported it over to the new Tech ARP

Originally posted @ 2014-11-24

 

Apple iPhones Will Always Cost More

Frankly, the differences between an Apple iPhone and an Android smartphone have diminished in recent years, with both platforms borrowing features and ideas from each other. Arguing about who came up with which feature first will become nothing more than a pissing contest.

Whatever features that are unique to a particular platform will eventually be introduced in the competing platform. That’s what we want because it gives us the freedom to choose between the two platform without worrying about losing some key features we cannot do without.

Even so, one thing will remain certain – Apple will always price their iPhone models at a premium. That brings us to arguably the most vitriolic opinion that Android fans have about the Apple users – that they are all rich idiots who are getting fleeced by Apple into paying a ridiculously high price for the iPhones especially since they are using “dated” hardware or “older technology”.

Well, we are not going to go into why Apple iPhones are not using “dated” hardware or “older technology” in this editorial, but we are going to address this perception that Apple users are stupid to pay so much money for a smartphone. Then we are going to show you why Apple iPhones are so expensive.

Why Pay So Much For An iPhone?

Let’s take a look at the top 3 reasons why Apple users are willing to pay top dollar for their Apple iPhones.

1. It’s More Than Just A Smartphone

First of all, the Apple iPhone is more than just a smartphone. When you purchase an Apple iPhone, you are purchasing the iPhone ecosystem as well – everything from access to the 2.0 million apps (as of June 2016) in the Apple App Store to the free iMessage, FaceTime and iCloud services. Android users may argue that they have similar features but what they have is sometimes a pale shadow of what the Apple iOS platform currently offers.

For example, the Apple iPhone can automatically and continuously back itself up to iCloud since October 2011 with iOS 5. If something bad happens, the user can restore the entire contents of the iPhone using nothing more than an Internet connection. You don’t even need to use iTunes on a computer to perform this backup and/or restore process.

When we first wrote this editorial 3 years later in 2014, no Android smartphone could do that. Of course, we had no doubt even then that they would eventually implement something similar.  True enough, Android 6.0 Marshmallow introduced such an ability in October 2015 (4 years after iOS), although it only works with Android apps that “target API version 23“.

2. It’s About Software Assurance

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You are also buying “software assurance” in the form of iOS upgrades and updates. The recently released iOS 10, for example, was made available for the following devices, immediately and simultaneously :

Google also releases Android upgrades on a periodical basis. However, those upgrades are not made available for many Android smartphones (even if they are of the same generation), and often, they are made available long after Google releases them.

This is due to the fact that the Android platform is “highly fragmented” – there is a wide variation in hardware features and packaged software, as well as manufacturer preferences. This has resulted in significantly slower or shorter “software assurance”, especially for older or less popular models.

Google released Android 6.0 Marshmallow on October 5, 2015. It took Samsung 4 months to start releasing it for the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge smartphones. ASUS also took 4 months to start rolling out their Marshmallow update for the ZenFone 2 Laser and ZenFone Zoom smartphones. That’s actually fast, because in the past, they would take about twice as long to release a major operating system update.

Of course, many brands choose not to offer the upgrade at all. Some, like HTC, promise an Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade for several smartphones, but remain stuck in development hell. The Marshmallow upgrade for the HTC One M7 was even scrapped, after being announced. In the meantime, Android 7.0 Nougat was just released…

3. It’s The Apple Experience

When someone considers the cost of a platform, it should be done holistically because when you buy an Apple iPhone, you are really buying an experience.

Apple iPhone users (generally) want a smartphone that “just works“. They do not care so much about specifications, as much as they do the experience of using the iPhone. They do not care so much about the number of features, as they do the experience of those features that are available. For that, they are willing to pay top dollar.

The less fragmented nature of the iOS platform also makes it very easy for them to transition from one model to another. The user interface and apps work exactly the same, whether you’re using the new iPhone 7, or the much older iPhone 5.

The Android platform allows for a customisable experience, but Apple fans don’t really want that. Or at least they are willing to sacrifice that for the familiarity of a consistent user interface.

Now, let us show you exactly what they are paying so much for. The real reasons why Apple iPhones are so expensive…

Next Page > Why Apple iPhones Are So Expensive, Does This Mean That Apple iPhones Are Better?

 

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Why Apple iPhones Are So Expensive

Many people consider Apple elitist for selling the iPhone at very high prices, and there’s no doubt that they have the highest profit margin in the industry. However, their profit margin isn’t an accurate reflection of their nett profit per unit.

What most people forget is that the price of each iPhone includes a lot of ancillary costs, so comparing the profit margin of Apple iPhones vs. Android smartphones is like comparing apples to oranges (pun intended).

1. Apple iOS And Services Are Not Free

Android manufacturers can get away with low margins and therefore, lower prices, because Google provides the Android OS free of charge. On top of that, Google finances the infrastructure for free services that they provide to the Android platform, like Google Hangout and Google Drive.

With the exception of any custom software or services provided by the Android smartphone manufacturer, everything on the Android platform is being financed and maintained by Google.

Apple, on the other hand, has development teams working on the iOS operating system, as well as supporting software and services like iTunes, the App Store, iMessage, FaceTime and iCloud. They also build and maintain their own infrastructure to support those services.

All that comes at significant cost. Apple’s massive 500,000 sf data center in Maiden, North Carolina, for example, costs a whooping US$ 1 billion to build.

2. Apple Uses Their Own Processors

Apple designs their own processors for the iPhone – a cost that no Android manufacturer has to bear. On top of that, their processors cost more to make because they have a lower production run than the Qualcomm or MediaTek processors that most Android devices use.

3. They Just Cost More To Produce

All-in-all, the costs of the parts used to make an iPhone are consistently much higher than that of an Android phone. Here’s what research firm HIS calculated as the cost of manufacturing the iPhone 6 :

Apple iPhone 6 with 16GB of built-in memory costs $200 to build in parts and labor, while a 128GB model requires $247 to put together. The iPhone 6 Plus production costs on the other hand, range between $216 for a 16GB model and $263 for the 128GB version.

The most expensive component in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is their display. Made by LG Display and Japan Display, the component costs $45 for the iPhone 6, and $52.50 for the iPhone 6 Plus. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 covers the screen of both models.

Apple’s 20nm A8 processor is made by TSMC and, combined with an attached co-processor, costs about $20. NXP Semiconductors provides the NFC chip for the iPhone 6 range. Combined with the rest of its built-in sensors, it costs $22 for both devices.

As you can see, the production cost of the Apple iPhone 6 is higher than what some Android smartphones are selling for, even if those Android smartphones have similar or even better specifications on paper. This is why the iPhone will always be more expensive than comparable Android smartphones, even if Apple somehow sees it fit to sell it at cost.

If you tack on their substantial ancillary costs, you can see why Apple has to sell their iPhones at a premium. The research firm HIS calculated the iPhone 6‘s profit margin as 69%, but that does not include ancillary costs. Apple’s nett profit is certainly much lower once you factor everything in, albeit still much higher than the industry norm.

 

Does This Mean That Apple iPhones Are Better?

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No. I’ve said it many times before, and I will say it again. Both platforms have their pros and cons, and they are getting closer in capability as they leapfrog each other in features. Whatever new idea or feature that’s introduced in one platform will eventually make it to the other platform, so it would be stupid to insist that one platform is significantly superior to the other.

It is this convergence of features and capability that will eventually limit Apple’s reach. If you can get a good Android smartphone with all of the key features you need at a much lower cost, it will be harder for many users to justify paying a premium for the Apple experience.

Ultimately, it all depends on the kind of user you are, and how much you are willing to pay. You won’t go wrong with either platform, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Just because Apple iPhones are so expensive does not mean they are better than Android smartphones. But it doesn’t mean you are not getting your money’s worth either.

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Free Thought Project Looks Silly After iPhone Hack Claim

Conspiracy theory website, The Free Thought Project, got trolled by SoFlo when that notorious Facebook content thief posted his iPhone hack hoax. Not only did they fall for his hoax, they crowed about how “the FBI looks silly now”. Well, it looks like they will have to eat crow now!

 

The Free Thought Project Thinks The FBI Is Silly

We debunked SoFlo’s hoax back on March 6, 2016 –  BEFORE The Free Thought Project posted their piece on the “SoFlo iPhone hack”. We not only posted a debunking video, we also posted a proof video, which we shared on SoFlo’s YouTube and Facebook posts, and as many places as we could. Check them out here :

Yet, Matt Agorist, who calls himself “an independent journalist… (who) has been featured in mainstream networks around the world“, did not bother to verify the claim before posting his piece. Instead, he jumped on it as evidence that the FBI was pretending to have trouble cracking Apple iOS’s built-in encryption. He even crowed about it, calling the FBI “silly“. Take a look for yourself :

If Matt had only done a quick Google or YouTube search, he would have found our debunking article or videos in less than 5 seconds. But no, an experienced “journalist” like Matt Agorist has no need to fact-check.

I suppose he was trained in the “I will just wing it on my gut feelings!” School of Journalism, or “Trust your feelings…” College of Journalism. Guess who looks silly now?

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The SoFlo iPhone Hack Debunked

Let us give Matt and the Free Thought Project a short briefing on the fake SoFlo iPhone hack. For the full details, you can read our two-page article here.

  1. The fake SoFlo iPhone hack was based on a flawed demonstration of the iOS 9 Siri bug from September 16, 2015. It would never have worked the way he demonstrated it.
  2. That iOS 9 bug required Siri to be enabled. If Siri is disabled, the bug cannot be exploited and is completely irrelevant.
  3. A successful exploit of the Siri bug only allowed access to the Contact List and Photo Library. It did not allowed access to the Home screen, or other areas of the iPhone.
  4. The iOS 9 Siri bug was fixed a week later, on September 23, 2015.
  5. By the time the San Bernardino attack happened on December 2, 2015, iOS 9 had already been patched 3 times. Either one of those 3 patches would have closed the iOS 9 bug.
  6. The iPhone 5c used by the San Bernardino shooter, Syed Rizwan Farook, is the same model we used in our proof video. Once it’s patched, it’s impossible to get in using the bug exploit.

Perhaps Matt or the Free Through Project will retract his article, or post a correction? Nah, we didn’t think so. Conspiracy theorists are never wrong. Their mistakes are really just another conspiracy to shut them up.

Incidentally, while disproving the SoFlo iPhone unlocking hoax, we stumbled upon a Clock Share security bug in iOS 9.2.1, which could be used to bypass the iOS device’s passcode or Touch ID. We, of course, reported it to Apple and it was fixed in iOS 9.3.

 

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Typeeto – Using Your Mac As A Bluetooth Keyboard

How many times have you worked on both your Mac and your iPhone or iPad and you suddenly find the need to copy and paste a text from your Mac to your iPhone. You would also wish that there must be an easy way to type into your iPhone from your Mac’s keyboard!

At this point, you’re probably wishing that you can use your Mac as a Bluetooth keyboard for your iPhone Well, there is indeed a solution.

 

How to use your Mac as a Bluetooth Keyboard for the iPhone

The app that I discovered recently is Eltima’s Typeeto. Its an app that usually costs $19.99. But as of the publishing of this post, it’s currently on promotion at $9.99 on the Mac App Store. But if you do prefer to not purchase it off the Mac App Store, You can also buy it directly from Eltima’s website which offers you a trial to test it you. Then just follow this link and you’ll automatically get a special 15% off discount coupon on the retail price.

Once installed, you would need to first connect your iPhone or iPad to your Mac. The Typeeto app does tell you how to do it when try to add a new device in Typeeto after you start up the app.

Typeeto on the menubar

Typeeto actually works on any device that supports using a Bluetooth Keyboard as well. The following are the list of devices that Eltima’s team has tested Typeeto against.

Typeeto supported devices

Pairing the device of your choice is simply just how you would usually do it on your Mac. The following are screenshots of me pairing my iPhone 6s to my Mac.

Pairing the iPhone in MacOS Bluetooth menu

Confirming the pairing of the iPhone

Typeeto detects a newly paired iPhone

After pairing the iPhone, or any other device, you’re ready to use Typeeto. But before that, let’s take a look at the preferences and settings that you can set with the app.

General settings

The General settings are pretty self explanatory. I would recommend setting the paste text to device shortcut key combination to something that you would be comfortable with. The default alt-cmd-v works ok but change it if there’s another key combination that you prefer. Also, turn off the sending of usage statistics if you prefer to be private.

Devices settings

The Devices settings is important too. I recommend setting a Quick Launch shortcut key to have the ability to easily switch between your devices, especially when you have more that one that you intend to use with your Mac. Otherwise you would always need to click on the device you want to connect to using Typeeto’s menu bar.

Themes

As for the last Theme settings. I don’t think I need to explain it any more than the screenshot itself. ?

Next Page > Using Typeeto On Your Mac, Our Verdict

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Using Typeeto on your Mac as a Bluetooth Keyboard for the iPhone

I’ve had Typeeto running on my Mac for about a week now and I’d have to say that it’s been quite interesting using it. I actually have the Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch K811 Keyboard for Mac that I’ve been using to type on both my Mac and my iPhone when I need it. However, I usually just leave the keyboard, though portable at work. So anywhere else, I would find myself missing the external bluetooth keyboard when typing long emails on my phone.

Thus the “interesting” description of Typeeto. Interesting because it works really well. I’ve used another app in the past but it didn’t work too well for me as it didn’t work most of the time. Typeeto has been pretty stable in my testing over the week so far. But since I already have the Logitech K811 external keyboard. I usually find myself just switching my keyboard over to my iPhone and I’d start typing away.

But Typeeto does have one major advantage which is its ability to paste text that’s been copied from the Mac. This is definitely a very useful feature, especially typing over complex passwords that I used for my online accounts. (Seriously guys, using 1Password to generate unique and complex passwords you can’t remember is the only way to go now).

One thing to note is that this copy-pasting feature has a maximum text length limit of 1024 characters, which actually isn’t too bad. You can copy roughly a full paragraph with it as you’ll see in the video capture I took below. The way it works is that Typeeto would basically retype for you character by character onto your device. This presents an interesting behaviour if you turn on autocorrect on the iPhone. Any wrongly typed words that are copied would be automatically corrected if possible. The video below shows this behaviour when I copied over a Lorem ipsum text from my Mac to my iPhone. This is definitely something to be aware of.

 

 

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Our Verdict

At the usual price of $19.99, you may think that it’s a little on the pricier side. However, if you compare it with the Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch K811 Keyboard for Mac that costs close to $90 on Amazon, you basically get the same feature of the external bluetooth keyboard at a 80% discount. And if copying text and pasting it to your device is a must have feature, well, Typeeto is an obvious choice for you. That’s just something you can’t do with any external bluetooth keyboard.

Typeeto has been a solid software making the Mac as a bluetooth keyboard for any device that supports it. So if you find yourself needing it, it’s one that I would recommend quite easily.

Purchase Typeeto from this link and get a 15% discount off the retail price!

Disclosure: I was offered a press copy of the software to test and write this article that was originally posted on my blog.

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Clock Share Bug In iOS Allows Access To Data

While proving the SoFlo iPhone unlocking hoax, we stumbled upon a security bug in iOS 9.2.1. This security bug can be used to bypass the iOS device’s passcode or Touch ID. But it has to be done in a very specific way.

 

How To Exploit This Bug In iOS

Here is how you can exploit the bug in iOS 9.2.1 to gain access to every photo, video and contact stored in the iOS device, whether it is an iPhone, an iPad or an iPod touch.

  1. Log into the iOS device using the passcode / Touch ID.
  2. Open the Clock app and go to World Clock, and add a new Clock.
  3. Type a random word in the Search bar.
  4. Select the random word and tap to Share as a Message.

  1. Once the New Message screen opens, turn off the iOS device.
  2. Call Siri (without logging in using Touch ID / passcode) and ask for the time
  3. Click on the Clock after Siri tells you the time.
  4. Siri will not open up the World Clock, but will take you straight into New Message.
  5. Now add a random word to “To:” bar, and press Return.
  6. Double tap on the random word (now green in colour). It will bring you to the Info screen.
  7. Tap on Create New Contact.
  8. Tap on Add Photo. This will allow you to access the Photos app and EVERY photo and video in the iOS device.
  9. You can also tap on Add to Existing Contact to access the entire Contact List.
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Don’t Worry… Too Much

As you can tell by now, this security bug is very hard for a hacker to exploit. It requires prior access to the iOS device to “set up” the exploit.

The hacker will have to trick the owner into granting access to the iOS device. Then the hacker can follow the steps above up to no. 5. This will allow the hacker to exploit the bug (at a later time) to gain access to the iOS device’s photos, videos and contacts.

While this is a remote possibility, we nevertheless reported the security bug to Apple :

We then tested to see if the exploit would work on iOS 9.3 beta, and discovered something interesting.

It appears that Apple finally decided that it was superfluous to offer a Share option in the Clock app. How is that functionality useful to the user? It’s practically useless. So they removed the Share option completely.

In other words, even if you are logged into the iOS device, you can no longer go to the Clock app, key in a random word and Share it. The option is gone. As far as we can tell, it was gone as early as iOS 9.3 beta 5. We confirmed this in iOS 9.3 beta 6 as well (naturally).

So don’t worry too much. The coming iOS 9.3 update will fix this security bug in iOS 9.2.1 once and for all. In the meantime, just be careful who you lend your iOS device to!

 

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Transcend JetDrive Go 300 Flash Drive For Apple Devices Launched

March 15, 2016 – Transcend Information, Inc. today announced the release of the JetDrive Go 300 Flash Drive specifically designed for Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod.

With Lightning connector and USB 3.1 Gen 1 connector on each end of the drive, Transcend JetDrive Go 300 allows transferring data among Apple handheld devices and computers with ease, whether it’s for audio entertainment, instant photo sharing or business document preview.

Powered by Transcend exclusive JetDrive Go App featuring efficient file management, easy backup and all-in-one browser, the JetDrive Go 300 provides ultimate convenience when freeing up iPhone/iPad/iPod storage space without neither cables nor Internet connections.

 

Extended Lightning Connector for Easy Insertion

Transcend JetDrive Go 300 is available in black and silver colors with an aluminum body to ensure light weight and durability, and two caps to protect both connectors from being accidentally broken. The extended Lightning connector is a considerate design for iPhone, iPad and iPod with oversized protective bumper cases that could block the JetDrive Go 300 from being perfectly inserted. Additionally, Transcend JetDrive Go 300 features lower power consumption, draining a very little battery power on users’ iOS devices.

 

Lightning/USB 3.1 Interface for Unparalleled Transfer Speeds

The JetDrive Go 300 combines a Lightning connector and a regular USB 3.1 (Gen 1) into a flash drive. The Lightning connector can reach up to 20MB/s transfer speeds, whilst the USB 3.1 Gen 1 connector offers incredible transfer speeds of up to 130MB/s, allowing users to transfer an entire 4GB HD movie in only 28 seconds.

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Exclusive JetDrive Go App for Quick Backup

Transcend exclusive JetDrive Go App that is free to download from App Store features intuitive user interface for quick backup and synchronization with the Camera Roll without cables, Internet connections or bandwidth limitations. JetDrive Go App has all the browsers needed to view images, audio files and documents including Microsoft Office, Apple iWork and Adobe PDF. The app will automatically classify files into folders, photos, videos and documents, making it easier for users to manage their files and promptly locate the one they want.

 

Apple MFi Certified to Guarantee Compatibility

MFi (Made for iPod/iPhone/iPad) is a licensing program of Apple to encompass third-party hardware accessories that are intended for iPhone, iPad and iPod. Transcend JetDrive Go 300 has gone through a rigorous approval process to be Apple MFi certified to not only present a sleek and stylish exterior design, but also packed with full practical features.

Transcend JetDrive Go 300 series are available in black and silver colors with each color providing 32GB and 64GB capacities, and are backed by Transcend’s Two-year Limited Warranty.

 

JetDrive Go 300 Supported Apple devices

iPhone– iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5
iPad– iPad (4th generation), iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad Air, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 2, iPad mini
iPod– iPod touch (5th generation), iPod touch (6th generation)

 

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Foodie – Camera App Dedicated Solely For Food

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – February 25, 2016 – LINE Corporation has launched “Foodie,” a new camera app available for free on both iPhone and Android devices, dedicated to taking delicious food photos. In conjunction with the launch, LINE is rewarding Malaysians and their love for food in the #MYFoodieDiary Contest happening from February 25th to March 6th 2016.

Foodie follows the footsteps of LINE’s selfie dedicated camera app, B612, which has surpassed 100 million downloads worldwide to date. The food camera app offers an array of features with one goal in mind: making your food shots look even more delicious.

Its 24 types of food filters aptly named “Meats”, “Sushi”, Cakes” and more are sure to make one drool. The app’s “best angle” feature also allows users to know through colour when the camera is positioned horizontally above the subject so you can snap away trendy flat lays like those seen in gourmet magazines.

What’s more, the app includes features like an auto blurring effect to give images the air of SLR photography, as well as brightness adjustment and flashlight features to increase your shooting options. Foodie also offers the basic features expected of a camera app including sharing to social networks like Instagram and Twitter.

To celebrate Malaysians’ love for food and the enjoyment of sharing our meals through photos, LINE invites all Malaysian foodies to snap and share their daily food journey in a more enticing way through the #MYFoodieDiary Contest. Participants will stand a chance to win attractive prizes worth RM1,000 and LINE Gift Packs.

 

MYFoodieDiary Contest

It only takes three quick steps to participate in the contest and start your food diary:

Step 1: Download the Foodie camera app

Step 2: Snap your food photos using Foodie and don’t forget to enhance it using the filters and features

Step 3: Post it on your social media and hashtag #MYFoodieDiary

*Only entries with the Foodie watermark and made trackable through public setting will qualify

 

Moving forward, Foodie will continue to develop food-specific features, such as filters and effects, that allow users to have more enjoyable and enriching communication experiences through food photos.

 

 

Foodie Main Features

1. Food filters make culinary photos more enticing
With a selection of 24 filters optimised for food photography, users can take exactly the type of food photos they want.

2. Best angle feature for stylish flat lays
[adrotate banner=”4″]Uses on-screen color to let the user know when the camera is positioned flat, directly above the food on the table, for easy flat lay photography.

3. Auto blurring feature for pro-style images
Automatically recognises food as the subject and defocuses the surrounding area that is not food, producing images like those photographed using a single lens reflex (SLR) camera.

4. Brightness adjust and flashlight features for shooting in dark locations
The user can manually make the image brighter or darker when taking pictures. Plus, the light can be turned on like a flashlight to enable shooting in dark environments.
Note: 40-step (-2.0 to +2.0) brightness adjustment is possible.

5. Sharing through a variety of services
Processed photos can be shared not only through LINE but also on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Foodie App Overview

App name: Foodie
Supported devices: Android, iPhone
Supported languages: Chinese (Simplified/Traditional), English, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Thai
Supported regions: Global
Service began: February 2, 2016
Cost: Free
Developer and operator: LINE Corporation
Copyright: © LINE Corporation

 

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MoStash Flash Drive For iPhone Launched

Team Group Inc., today announced the launch of MoStash – the world’s first flash drive for iPhone that can also transform into a mobile viewing stand. Team MoStash is using Lightning/USB 3.0 dual connector and has the world’s first patented smart stand as cover structure.

MoStash is able to transform into a phone stand through interlocking its smart cover. It is an external storage device for iPhone/iPad, and it can improve user’s multimedia entertainment experience as well. With careful and thoughtful design, it’s not only a flash drive, but also a must-have mobile accessory that helps users to enjoy multimedia entertainment.

Team MoStash is made from combination of metal and rubber material. It not only brings out the perfect visual art, but also improves its protection. The “Double Arc” design of the body and the cap is making MoStash easier for mobile storage usage and also symbolize that your wonderful memories are perfectly well stored.

 

The MoStash Transforms Into A Stand

If you interlock the body and the cap of MoStash, it can transform into an iPhone stand, which saves you the trouble of holding the phone and allow you to fully enjoy your multimedia collection without experiencing the hand soreness even after you finish a whole movie. Instead of an unrealistic creation, the elegant design is also highly functional.

The all new App for MoStash is able to break loose from Apple’s system restriction, and offers a more intuitive and convenient way to transfer or share your files. Not only instantly expand the storage capacity of your iPhone/iPad, but also promptly free your storage space so that more precious memories can be stored.

[adrotate banner=”4″]Moreover, it offers over 40 different file formats for users to directly access with, so plug and play is no longer limited from unsupported file formats. Meanwhile, MoStash App also offers one click backup and restore for phone contacts. If you have files that you don’t want them to be seen, MoStash App has built in file encryption function that can easily protect your privacy even if you lose your device.

In addition to the exterior design and the easy to use App, we think in all aspects to bring you an even better user experience. Therefore, MoStash is using high speed USB3.0 interface to free you from lag and delay while you enjoy a HD quality movie regardless it is connecting to a computer or to an iPhone through Lightning.

Whether you are commuting to work, school or traveling, you can always watch the video you stored at anytime, anywhere. Treasure your wonderful memories by freeing your iPhone’ storage space, so you can store more precious photos and videos you take on your journey.

As a leading provider of memory storage products and mobile applications to the consumer market, Team Group is committed to providing the best storage, multimedia and data sharing solutions. All Team memory module products come with a lifetime warranty, repair and replacement services.

 

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If you like our work, you can help support out work by visiting our sponsors, participate in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donate to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!