Why Pinterest is the go-to place to shop holiday gifts this year

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 12, 2024 by itnerd

Pinterest is making holiday shopping easier than ever. Whether you’re shopping for your best friend, your hard-to-please spouse, or even yourself, they’ve got you covered. With more than 1,000 unique gift guides curated by creators and celebrities like Paris Hilton, RuPaul, Emma Chamberlain and K-Pop girl group TWICE, Pinterest is the go-to platform to find a gift.  

They’re launching new product features to help you find that perfect gift. This year on Pinterest, you can create personalized shoppable wishlists and share your gift ideas all in one place – just in time for the holidays.

Find, Save and Shop

Now with the new “quick save” feature, you can find and save Pins from our gift guides with one tap. Didn’t think it could get any easier? Well, guess what— Pinterest will automatically pull those saved Pins into your very own shoppable “wishlist.” Pinterest users can revisit and shop all of their saved gift ideas in their wishlists. 

Gift Guides from Your Favorite Celebrities and Brands

With more than a thousand curated gift guides spanning across 27 categories – from fashion and beauty, to travel and gaming – they’re making Pinterest the go-to place to search for gifts that are heartfelt, on-trend, or completely unexpected.

They’ve partnered with your favorite celebrities, creators and brands to hand pick nearly 40,000 of the best gifts so you don’t have to. From Alicia Keys’ “Gifts that fill your Soul,” to Emma Chamberlain’s “gifts that literally everyone will love,” to Molly Baz’s “Gifts for the biggest, baddest dinner party,” Laufey’s “Gifts for a very Laufey holiday,” RuPaul’s “Hey Sis, It’s Ru’s List”—Pinterest’s gift guides have something for everyone on your list. 

Pinterest gift guides include the latest deals and hidden gems you never knew you needed from brands like Rare Beauty, Savage x Fenty, Sezane, Mejuri, Carhartt, Flamingo Estate, REI, and hundreds more. They’ve also teamed up with leading publishers, including Vogue, The Strategist, GQ, Air Mail, Refinery29, Eater, Poosh, and Wirecutter, for their top holiday picks. 

Holiday shopping can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. No more last-minute trips to the mall or surfing through page after page. Pinterest is here to help you break the uninspired gift-giving cycle with our gift guides and new shopping features.  

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Carleton Researcher Receives National Cybersecurity Consortium Funding to Improve Children’s Online Safety

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 11, 2024 by itnerd

The National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) announced that Carleton’s Masoud Barati has been awarded $88,800 for his cybersecurity project: Privacy Assurance for Canadian Children: A Safe and Secure Framework for Large Language Models.

Barati’s team hopes to improve online children’s data protection by introducing a new privacy-preserving software framework. As children are particularly vulnerable to privacy risks due to a lack of awareness of security practices, Barati is addressing the need for personal data measures specifically for children. Barati’s framework will work within Large Language Models (LLM)-based platforms, like search engines and online games.

By incorporating Canadian regulations and international cybersecurity best practices, Barati’s team aims to incorporate enhanced requirements such as:

  • obtaining verifiable parental consent,
  • providing clear notices about data protection practices,
  • implementing data security measures, and
  • granting parents control over data processing steps.

The new tool will monitor children’s data in real time, enabling improved enforcement of data regulation to protect children.

Learn more about Barati’s project and how his team will use the funds to protect children from privacy risks online.

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Review: dbrand Grip Case For AirPods Pro

Posted in Products with tags on November 11, 2024 by itnerd

I’ve recently invested in a dbrand case and screen protector for my iPhone 14 Pro. In case you missed that review, it’s right here. While I was at it, I figured that I would update the protection for my AirPods Pro. Thus I decided to also grab the dbrand Grip Case for AirPods Pro. Here’s the box that it comes in.

Inside the box you get the case, And below it a SIM ejector tool that you can use to thread the lanyard that comes with the case through the case, a black triangle that is meant to help you to remove the case, and to the right a skin for the case and an extra set of stickers for the top part of the case.

Installation was easy enough. But just in case, dbrand have provided this video to help you with that. And that installation took less than five minutes. The net result was this:

The carbon fibre is on brand for me and fits with the Grip Case for my iPhone 14. The lanyard is a nice touch as well. The bottom portion of the case fits really tight. So including a tool to help you to remove it makes sense. But the real star of the show is the fact that the case has a texture that borders on sandpaper along with what dbrand calls grip strips to ensure that your hand. The button is pretty click and the light on the front is clearly visible. No complaints from a fit and finish perspective. The company also promises “military grade drop protection”. But they don’t say what that means specifically. I’ll also note that wireless charging works. But I don’t have the ability to stick the AirPods Pro case to a MagSafe adapter as the magnets in the AirPods Pro case don’t have as much sticking power as it did when it didn’t have a case. Having said that, the case doesn’t really add that much thickness to the overall package.

The only downside that this case is the price. It’s $34.90 USD. You can find AirPods Pro cases on Amazon for less money. So you have to decide if going the dbrand route to protect your AirPods Pro is worth it for you. It is for me as it makes my everyday carry a bit more cohesive. Which is why I’ll be rolling with this case until I need to replace my AirPods Pro. Which hopefully won’t be anytime soon.

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Job Seekers Personally Identifiable Information Exposed Online by a Tech Recruitment Service

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 11, 2024 by itnerd

A data breach involving Alltech Consulting Services — which matches global job seekers with employers in the US and Canada — was discovered and reported to WebsitePlanet by cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler. 

What happened: 

A non-password-protected file containing 2 million records of 200,000 tech job seekers was exposed. The leaked data includes personally identifiable information like partial SSNs, passport numbers, emails, phone numbers, and visa/green card status. 

Why it matters: 

This could lead to identity theft, employment fraud, and phishing attacks. In the wrong hands, it provides criminals a list of high-value targets for scams. 

To learn more, read the detailed report here:https://www.websiteplanet.com/news/alltechconsultinginc-breach-report/

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Apple Might Have Introduced A Feature To Help To Keep Law Enforcement Out Of Your Phone

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

TechCrunch is reporting that law enforcement is apparently concerned over a new feature that Apple seems to have added that makes it way harder for them to get into iPhones that are in their possession:

404 Media reported Thursday that law enforcement officials were warning each other that phones being stored for forensic examination seemed to be rebooting themselves — something that security experts confirmed in a follow-up story. After the reboot, it’s harder for those phones to be unlocked by password-cracking tools.

Apple did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.

This reboot appears to take place after iPhones with iOS 18.1 have not been unlocked for a set period of time. According to Chris Wade, founder of mobile analysis company Corellium, iPhones seem to reboot after their fourth day of in a locked state.

So if you’re running iOS 18.1 right now, you have this feature. Now, am I surprised that Apple not only hasn’t commented on this, but also has seemingly slipped this feature in under the cover of darkness? Not really. Apple has had a bit of a history getting into fights with law enforcement over unlocking iPhones. And given the current climate in the US where there is a massive potential for the surveillance state to really ramp up, some people might consider this a feature. I for one am fine with this because the data on my iPhone is my data. And nobody that I don’t want to have access to it should have access to it. That doesn’t make me a criminal. It makes me someone who wants their privacy to remain intact.

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Thunderbolt 5 Is Available… But The Devil Is In The Details

Posted in Commentary with tags , on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

Apple has recently released a bunch of new computers. And some of them come with Thunderbolt 5 which Apple promised “up to 120 Gbps” of speed among other things. But I’m here to say that it’s not that simple. Let me explain why by going back to what Thunderbolt 4 does.

Thunderbolt 4 ports and cables are capable of transmitting power, data and video signals. In terms of video, it will handle a single 8K, 6K or 5K external display. Alternatively it can support dual external 4K displays at up to 60Hz. In terms of speed, it will do up to 40 Gbps. And in terms of power, it will do anywhere between 100W and 140W depending on the implementation. Here’s what Thunderbolt brings to the table according to Intel:

  • Thunderbolt 5 is promising speeds of up to 120 Gbps.
  • Thunderbolt 5 can support up to three 4K displays running at up to 144Hz, or you can do two 6K or 8K displays. It can also handle a single external display as fast as 540Hz.
  • Thunderbolt 5 can support from 140W to 240W of power

But let’s get to the elephant in the room. Which is the 120 Gbps speeds that Apple promised. If you dig into the details, Thunderbolt 5 has double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4. So that’s 80 Gbps not 120 Gbps. So how does Apple advertise speeds of 120 Gbps? Well, Thunderbolt 5 has the ability to sacrifice receive speeds to get to 120 Gbps on the transmit side of the fence. So the only scenario where that would make sense is on the graphics side of the fence. Specifically for high resolution and high refresh rate monitors. You won’t see that shuffling files from an external hard disk for example.

As an aside, if you also have concluded that Apple will likely come out with a new version of their Pro Display XDR or Studio Display that supports their Pro Motion variable refresh rate tech because Thunderbolt 5 exists, you get a gold star. Because with Thunderbolt 4, it wasn’t technically possible for Apple to have a 5K or 6K display with anything more than 60 Hz. But with Thunderbolt 5, it is technically possible.

One other thing to consider is that you need to have Thunderbolt 5 compatible devices to get these speeds. Right now there’s not a whole lot of them out there. But I am sure that they will start to appear over the next year. That makes having Thunderbolt 5 a “sometime later” thing for most people. But when it does become a practical for most people, it will be a game changer.

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BakeBot and BakeSpace.com: AI for the Perfect Thanksgiving Feast

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means home cooks are looking for ways to make their holiday meal planning and preparation less stressful. It’s a time-honored tradition – but this year is a game changer as many home cooks turn to AI for help and inspiration in the kitchen.

One such AI tool is BakeBot by BakeSpace.com – the grassroots food community founded in 2006. BakeBot is the first AI kitchen assistant infused with the experience, wisdom and warmth of real-life home cooks, and it’s 100% free to use.

BakeBot helps home cooks of every level through every stage of the Thanksgiving cooking process:

  • Creating and modifying recipes
  • Ingredient swaps
  • Serving size/portion adjustments
  • Last-minute kitchen emergencies
  • Beverage pairings
  • and much more
  • Plus, it’s free!

You can check out the review that my wife wrote here.

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Canada Bans TikTok From Operating In The Country

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 10, 2024 by itnerd

I have to admit that didn’t see this coming. But here we are talking about the fact that the Canadian Government has banned TikTok…. Sort of:

Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the decision to wind down TikTok’s two Canadian offices — in Toronto and Vancouver —  was based on information and evidence that surfaced during a national security review, and the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community.

“We came to the conclusion that these activities that were conducted in Canada by TikTok and their offices would be injurious to national security,” he told CBC News.

“I’m not at liberty to go into much detail, but I know Canadians would understand when you’re saying the government of Canada is taking measures to protect national security, that’s serious.”

The sort of part comes from the fact that Canadian citizens can still use TikTok if they want, but the Canadian Government would rather you didn’t:

The statement stressed that the government is not blocking Canadians from accessing the app or using it to create content.

“The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice,” the statement said.

But Champagne urged Canadians to use TikTok “with eyes wide open.” Critics have claimed that TikTok users’ data could be obtained by the Chinese government.

“Obviously, parents and anyone who wants to use social platform should be mindful of the risk,” he said.

As for TikTok, they basically said “see you in court.” So this isn’t exactly a done deal. But clearly the Canadian Government is out to get TikTok. And it would not shock me if there is more to come on this front. In the meantime, I’m waiting for TikTok to file whatever lawsuit they plan to file so that I can see how that plays out as it seems that Canada is the latest place where TikTok is fighting for its survival.

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How To Avoid Buying A Stolen Mac

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 9, 2024 by itnerd

I was recently asked by a friend what he should look out for when buying a used Mac. His main concern was that the Mac would be stolen as there are a lot of cases that have popped up online where someone buys a used Mac and it turns out that it was stolen. I had to think about that for a second because I have never been asked that question before, nor have I bought a used Mac. But I did come up with two things that anyone wanting to buy a used Mac should watch out for:

  1. Is it Activation Locked?: Activation Lock is a feature that Apple introduced with the iPhone, but has since expanded to pretty much every Apple device, where the device is “locked” to an owner via their iCloud or Apple Account. As a result, if you wanted to factory reset it for example, you’d need the password of that account. Here’s how you tell if the Mac that you want to buy is still Activation Locked:
    • If the Mac boots and you see the “Hello” screen, that usually indicates that macOS has been reinstalled. You should go through the setup to get to the point where you are able to enter an iCloud/Apple Account to make sure it isn’t activation locked to ensure that it isn’t Activation Locked
    • If you see a login window, be aware that the Mac is still likely linked to the old owner. This means that macOS Activation Lock is likely still enabled. If the owner of the Mac can’t or won’t deactivate Activation Lock on the spot, you should run in the other direction.
  2. Is it MDM or ADE locked?: MDM stands for Mobile Device Management and corporations, schools among others use MDM software to not only manage the Mac, but remotely access as well in some cases. Finding out if MDM software is installed can be difficult, but this Reddit thread has some really good advice on that front. There’s another version of this called ADE or Automated Device Enrolment. This used to be called the Device Enrolment Program but in either case, this was a program run by Apple themselves to allow companies to manage their Macs in a variety of ways. And this can be really problematic as this will be present even if you erase and reinstall macOS. If you want to check this for yourself, this Reddit thread can help you with seeing if the Mac that you want to buy is ADE locked. Why this matters is that if you come across a Mac with either of these installed, the Mac has likely been stolen. And if you buy it, you might not only be completely out of luck as it might be locked down in whole or in part. There’s also the possibility that some forms of MDM do location services, meaning that someone may end up knocking on your door looking for their stolen Mac as they could hunt you down.

There’s some other things to consider beyond the question of if it is stolen or not, like is the Mac in perfect working order for example. For that I will point you towards the Rocket Yard blog as that blog post has a lot of good tips in it. Another thing that you might want to consider is that you might want to go the refurbished route from Apple. I spoke about that here and I have personally used that route to save a few bucks. Not as much as you might save by going used, but any cash saved is a good thing.

Do you have any additional tips that I might have missed? Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

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Terms of Service: The Truth Behind Privacy and Control in Digital Ecosystems

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 8, 2024 by itnerd

WebsitePlanet recently completed a comprehensive analysis of Terms of Service (ToS) and Privacy Policies (PP) across 57 influential digital platforms. Their aim is to empower readers with the knowledge they need to make informed choices and advocate for stronger user protections.

According to our research:

  • 80% of companies provide vague terms around data retention, allowing indefinite data storage with limited user control. Only Apple stood out positively for its privacy protections.
  • Approximately 61% of companies including Google, PayPal, Temu, and Tesla don’t specify their security measures for payment information, raising concerns about their protection of financial transactions.
  • No companies granted users full ownership of content without major licensing requirements, raising questions about user rights over their own content on these platforms.
  • Alarmingly, 90% of companies offer minimal protections for children’s data, an area where stronger, more specific policies are needed to safeguard younger users.

Why it matters:

Their findings reveal that while these agreements serve the interests of the companies, they often compromise user rights, privacy, and control. Mandatory arbitration clauses, for example, limit users’ legal options, often favoring corporate over consumer interests. They believe these findings can spark vital conversations about regulatory reforms and user advocacy.

You can access the detailed report here: https://www.websiteplanet.com/blog/research-what-users-should-know-about-terms-of-service/

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