Apple says the Mac Pro will be made in America
Just after US trade regulators approved tariff exemptions for Apple, meaning that it could manufacture products abroad and import them without huge financial penalties, the company has announced that it will be making the Mac Pro in Austin, Texas.
Apple says that the decision to produce the redesigned Mac Pro in the US is "part of its commitment to US economic growth".
New partnership between Oprah Winfrey and Apple brings Oprah's Book Club to Apple Books and Apple TV+
Oprah Winfrey has teamed up with Apple to launch her famous Oprah's Book Club in Apple Books. Her first selection is Ta-Nehisi Coates' The Water Dancer.
As well as bringing her recommendations to the Apple Books app, Oprah also has a series starting on Apple TV+ in November. New episodes are scheduled to be released every two months, and the first one -- which debuts on November 1 -- features an interview with Coates.
Google to automatically delete more audio recorded by Assistant and introduce new privacy protections
Digital assistants have been in the spotlight recently after various stories about contractors listening to recordings. Following a backlash from users and privacy advocates, Google has announced a number of changes to how it stores and processes audio data.
The company also takes the time to explain a little bit more about how it processes audio recordings and to reveal the new privacy protections it will use in the recording transcription process.
Microsoft promises to provide security updates for federally certified voting Windows 7 systems
Windows 7 is certainly rather long in the tooth now, but it is still very widely used. As such, despite the general end of support coming in January, Microsoft has committed to keep Windows 7-based voted machine secure.
The company say that it will "provide free security updates for federally certified voting systems running Windows 7 through the 2020 elections, even after Microsoft ends Windows 7 support". Given the problematic nature of recent Windows 10 updates, this may come as little comfort as the Trump 2020 campaign continues.
Apple tariff exemptions approved by US trade regulators
Donald Trump has been using the threat of tariffs as a way to force companies to produce goods within the US rather than manufacturing them abroad cheaply and importing them.
Now US trade regulators have now approved exemptions for the Mac Pro, with the possibility of wider implications. Apple had requested a total of 15 exemptions, and according to a public docket published by the US Trade Representative and a Federal Register notice, 10 of these have been approved.
YouTube changes its verification process after a huge backlash against planned update
Almost immediately after having announced planned changes to the way channel verification works, YouTube has bowed to pressure from unhappy users and says it will rethink its approach.
Late last week, YouTube announced verification changes that meant many channels would lose their coveted check mark. Following a backlash, the company now says that no one will lose their verified status, so there is no need to appeal against it.
YouTube account verification changes draw ire from creators
On all branches of social media, account verification is what users yearn for. A little checkmark next to a username can lead to a massive increase in followers, and for creators this can in turn lead to a significant increase in earnings.
This is why there is a so much anger at YouTube's decision to introduce sweeping new changes that will see may users who have earned verification losing their verified status. As well as annoyance, there is a widespread feeling of confusion about what is happening, and why.
Mozilla accelerates Firefox to a four-week release cycle
If you're the impatient type, the current six to eight weeks between major new builds of Firefox may have been agonizing. Mozilla feels your pain, and it is stepping things up a notch.
Eager to get new features out to users faster, Firefox's release schedule is being accelerated significantly. The change isn't happening immediately, but from the first quarter of next year, you can expect to see a major new build of Firefox every four weeks.
Sneaky cryptocurrency-mining malware Skidmap hits Linux
Security researchers at TrendMicro have discovered a rootkit-like strain of malware that is striking Linux users. Called Skidmap, the malware is a cryptocurrency miner, but there is much more to it than that.
Skidmap is clever. Very clever. It goes out of its way to disguise itself, going as far as faking system statistics to hide the tell-tale high CPU usage that might give it away. More than this, the Monero-mining malware can also give attackers unlimited access to an infected system.
Apple is still trying to avoid paying a $14 billion tax bill in Europe
Apple is fighting in Europe's General Court to avoid paying $14 billion (€13 billion) in back taxes after an EU ruling back in 2016.
The iPhone-maker is one of many multi-national companies who have taken advantage of tax benefits in Ireland -- so-called "sweetheart deals" that the country offers to large companies and which the European Commission deemed illegal. Apple told Europe's second-highest court that the hefty tax bill "defies reality and common sense".
LastPass fixes bug that exposed passwords
The browser extensions for password management tool LastPass suffered from a vulnerability that meant users' passwords could be leaked, a Google Project Zero researcher reported.
Affecting the Chrome and Opera extensions, the vulnerability meant that malicious websites could trick LastPass into exposing usernames and passwords. LastPass explains that the problem stemmed from a "limited set of circumstances" that allowed for clickjacking. The good news is that the security flaw has been patched.
The KB4515384 update is also causing network and Action Center problems
There have been suggestions that quality control has been slipping at Microsoft of late, fuelled by the recent spate of problematic updates to the operating system.
We've seen the KB4512941 update causing problems with high CPU usage as well as introducing a weird screenshot bug. After this, KB4515384 was found to cause problems with searching and the Start menu, and then interfering with game audio. Adding to the seemingly never-ending list of problems, KB4515384 has now been found to be responsible for issues with the Action Center and networking.
Microsoft suggests fixes for Windows 10 1903 game audio problems caused by KB4515384
Following complaints from a number of users about problems with audio in games, Microsoft has acknowledged that the KB4515384 update for Windows 10 version 1903 is to blame.
The company is working on a proper fix, which it says should be released later this month. In the meantime, however, it has suggested temporary workarounds for anyone irritated by the sound issues.
The KB4515384 update for Windows 10 1903 is causing sound problems in games
Microsoft recently released the KB4515384 update for Windows 10 version 1903, and this was supposed -- among other things -- address the high CPU usage problem caused by the earlier KB4512941 update. Unfortunately, this cumulative update was found to cause issues with the Start menu and searching for some users, and Microsoft is currently looking into addressing these problems.
But these are not the only issues with KB4515384. Complaints are also mounting about problems with audio in games after installing this particular update. [UPDATE: Microsoft has acknowledged the issue and suggested a workaround]
Apple disputes Goldman Sachs' negative analysis of Apple TV+
Despite the launch of the iPhone 11 range, new iPads, and other hardware, Apple is increasingly embracing services to attract customers. One of the latest ventures in this area is Apple TV+, and Goldman Sachs -- the company backing the Apple Card credit card -- has warned that the streaming video service could negatively impact on Apple's profits.
Apple, however, disputes this. The company dismisses Goldman Sachs' analysis, marking an interesting twist in the relationship between Apple and its client.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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