So, WWDC brought us the macOS (10.12) Sierra preview, relieves us from remembering that “X” is really ’ten’—and the next version of that other OS won’t be “iOS X”, but “iOS 10”—and returns us, name-, but not spelling-wise, to where we left off in 2001; underneath, it’s Darwin 16. Aside from Siri? Apple File System, or at least the beginnings of it:
- Great overview by Adam Leventhal: APFS in Detail.
- Michael Tsai’s overview of comments: Apple File System (APFS).
- “John Siracusa, at the moment he learned the new file system is coming. Historic moment.”
- Rich Trouton’s WWDC 2016 notes.
- Rich Trouton: “Mac models supported by macOS Sierra: #noxserves #byebye.”
- Fix for installing macOS Sierra as a VM (so none of that necessary).
- Just in case: Prepare for removal of PPTP VPN before you upgrade to iOS 10 and macOS Sierra.
Also announced and almost practically relevant: Apple Pay for Switzerland. And ridiculous, ridiculous reactions and reporting. For now, this seems like a usable overview: Welche Schweizer Kreditkarte für Apple Pay?, pointing to the Swiss Bankers MasterCard Prepaid and the Simply VISA Card. A curious article, “Viele Kreditkarten schluckt das iPhone nicht: Mit diesem Trick funktioniert Apple Pay trotzdem”, points to boon by wirecard, which should supposedly virtualize any creditcard and make it available to Apple Pay; we shall see. I’ll wait for the end of July: “Für Cornèrcard Miles & More Karten steht Apple Pay ab Ende Juli zur Verfügung.”
By now almost ¯\_(ツ)_/¯: Security:
- Don’t download the “EasyDoc Converter”: New Backdoor Allows Full Access to Mac Systems.
- Citrix GoToMyPC (via Edward Marczak).
- In case you want to talk about anti-virus to me again: How to Compromise the Enterprise Endpoint; “The Symantec worm is so bad that even disclosing it responsibly triggers its execution”; If you use Norton or Symantec it’s best you update immediately.—Though I’d have said, uninstall. Also, ClamXav just released a huge update and runs in user land.
- Google is making two-factor authentication a lot easier to use.—No more excuses…
- Enable Google two-factor authentication for SSH connections on OS X.
- Switching to Apple’s Two-Factor Authentication.
- If you have customers using default UPC Cablecom gear: UPC Ubee Modem: Passwort ändern empfohlen.
- When icons lie: New OSX/Keydnap malware is hungry for credentials.
- Battle of the Secure Messaging Apps: How Signal Beats WhatsApp.
Admin & apps:
- Server Ranger; let me know whether it’s worth it.
- Apple Support: Duplicate mount point in /Volumes after unexpected restart; with all the “Mac OS X” in that article, maybe that’ll go away with macOS…
- Max? macOS LAPS.
- Synology Cloud Sync & Backblaze B2, like your own, controlled CrashPlan…
- I use ExpanDrive (or Transmit’s Disks), but maybe you prefer CloudMounter for OS X.
- I use Fresh, but maybe you prefer Trickster.
- The quest for the perfect Mac calendar app: Yup, BusyCal.
- Grumpy old man? Mossberg: The tyranny of messaging and notifications.
- Docker, for Mac…
- Exify, “for people who take their iPhone photography seriously.”
- Bye, bye: End of the road for MacNN: 21 years of changes for Apple, and for us.
- The Wirecutter founder Brian Lam: Steve Jobs ‘literally caught me with my pants down’.
- Increasingly unsure: Changes to Evernote’s Pricing Plans.
- History: How AOL kept its free disk campaign to itself.
- Future: Mac Office and the Transition to 64-bit.
- Hopefully not the future: Building My $1,200 Hackintosh.
- Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion.—“EXCLUSIVE: Microsoft’s Satya Nadella accidentally acquired LinkedIn as he tried to delete his account.”
- Major telecoms promise 5G networks if EU cripples net neutrality.—Do we at least get keep our wallets after you rip out all the cash?
“Anyone who acts like IT security isn’t a people-person job is full of shit. Machine-level solutions only fix machine-level problems.”—“So. Fucking. Important. We are in customer service.”
And feel free to ask me how I feel about Adobe—though, in fairness, they responded quickly in those cases—when we meet at Gloria on Thursday, 21 July 2016, from 18:45, at the [MacSysAdmin] Bier #55. But not before you enjoy the Rogue One teaser reel.
—M&M