In a long, amusingly written blog post, the hacker known as “Alex” outlines how he discovered former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott’s passport number and phone number from an ill-advised Instagram post, got Qantas to fix the security hole, and avoided going to jail.
15 years ago, Apple helped the US government develop a custom iPod for clandestine missions. Of course, neither Apple nor the US government will admit this ever happened. Former Apple engineer and inadvertent intelligence operative David Shayer tells the story of the iPod that never existed.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is turning 70, and he’s inviting everyone to celebrate his birthday with him online.
Tired of the nonstop drumbeat of negative news? Science, technology, and even governments are doing amazing things that are actually improving the world in significant ways. To give your brain a break, Adam Engst recommends the Future Crunch newsletter’s weekly roundup of positive news stories.
Six Colors publisher Jason Snell has started a series of essays, podcasts, and videos that will explore 20 notable Mac models. Adam and Tonya Engst will make guest appearances on the podcast, so be sure to tune in.
Apple has updated its style guide, both on the Web and in Apple Books, which triggers TidBITS publisher Adam Engst to discuss how TidBITS makes stylistic decisions in writing and editing. He also examines a few of the changes to the style guide that Apple has made recently.
Dongles get a bad rep, but as this video shows, they can accomplish some pretty impressive things.
Outdoor cycling is feasible during the COVID-19 pandemic, but long rides are impractical and group rides are an infection risk. Enter Zwift, a bicycling simulator you run on an iPad, Mac, or Apple TV as you sit on a stationary bicycle. As you pedal, your Zwift counterpart does the same as it roams exotic realms. You can meet friends on Zwift, and you might even see a T-Rex!
The Slow Mo Guys have published a YouTube video with slow-motion, highly magnified footage of an Apple Watch ejecting water. Well worth a look.
Looking for something for your kids to do this summer with in-person camps limited or canceled? Apple is offering a free online camp this summer for kids to learn about art, coding, design, and video.
Adam Engst was recently turned on to the VintageApple.org site, which has full archives of Macworld, MacUser, and Byte, along with hundreds of vintage books about the Mac and Apple. Check it out!
A number of podcasts helped us celebrate the 30th anniversary of TidBITS by inviting publisher Adam Engst on as a guest, and the resulting conversations are well worth listening to if you enjoy reminiscing about the early days of the Macintosh world.
Do you know what happens when you invoke Siri and say “14”? After seeing numerous hits on our Web site for Google searches on that topic, Adam Engst spent some time suggesting numbers to Siri. He came up with some interesting results.
Will wonders never cease? Strava has acknowledged that users hate a two-year-old change in how the workout-centric social network service presents its activity feed. Strava users can once again enjoy a simple chronological feed, free of algorithmic interference. There are other welcome new features too.
Black Ink from Red Sweater Software is an easy and intuitive way to play crossword puzzles from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and other sources.