Thousands of American Airlines Flights Might Not Have Pilots This Holiday Season

It’s amazing the havoc a little old computer bug can wreak. This morning Apple patched a flaw that granted an unauthorized user root access to the macOS system and earlier this year a DNS-related issue brought down large portions of the Internet. Now, Bloomberg and others are reporting that American Airlines—the largest airline in the world—may have as many as 15,000 flights, or more, without pilots next month (December 17 through December 31) thanks to a scheduling error.

Reportedly, the airline’s scheduling system allowed too many pilots to request time off during the busy holiday season. Essentially the system showed that there was enough staff to cover planned flights; problem is, there wasn’t.

We reached out to American Airlines and received the following statement:

“We are working diligently to address the issue and expect to avoid cancellations this holiday season. We have reserve pilots to help cover flying in December, and we are paying pilots who pick up certain open trips 150 percent of their hourly rate – as much as we are allowed to pay them per the contract. We will work with the APA to take care of our pilots and ensure we get our customers to where they need to go over the holidays.”

While the statement provided is reassuring albeit vague, this current predicament just goes to show how much damage a little glitch can do, and also comes at bad time for the airline. In October the NAACP warned African-American passengers of “disrespectful, discriminatory, or unsafe” travel conditions citing numerous incidents.

Earlier in the year a blind woman made headlines for being kicked off a flight due to a dispute regarding her guide dog having enough space and being denied an upgrade due to dogs not being allowed in first-class.

According to the New York Times, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union that represents 15,000 pilots, can’t say anything but “stay tuned.” They have filed a grievance stating that American Airlines’ promise of 150% pay cannot be guaranteed in the current contract.

If you have plans to travel by airplane this December, it may be wise to research your options before booking your flight.

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10 New Cars with Apple CarPlay Unveiled at L.A. Autoshow

Apple’s CarPlay system is increasingly becoming a must-have feature for iPhone owners across the globe, and car manufacturers have taken notice. A range of automakers will debut new CarPlay-friendly vehicles at the 2017 Los Angeles Autoshow, which kicks off on Dec. 1. Press the Right Arrow to Get a Sneak Preview of 10 New Cars with CarPlay.

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Supreme Court Will Decide If Privacy Rights Apply to Your Location Data

The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments today for a case that could potentially have a profound impact on the future of digital privacy.

The case, Carpenter v. United States, is centered around the question of whether the Fourth Amendment — which protects U.S. citizens from unreasonable search and seizure — applies to the location data from smartphones that is routinely gathered by cell service providers. Basically, the case could decide whether law enforcement or other authorities can obtain location data from your smartphone without a warrant.

The case has been ongoing for some time. Timothy Carpenter, the defendant in the case, was a mastermind behind a slew of armed robberies in Michigan and Ohio. Carpenter was arrested in 2011, after authorities were able to gather a large amount of location data without a warrant. Carpenter later appealed, arguing that this location data should be covered under the Fourth Amendment.

But law enforcement officials contend that the warrantless collection of data is legally protected by a principle known as the third-party doctrine. This principle states that information you voluntarily share with “someone else” isn’t protected by the Fourth Amendment, as the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Jennifer Lynch explains.

In other words, because “someone else” is vague, authorities claim that location data is “voluntarily” shared just by using a cell company’s services. And, notably, this is the decision that lower appeals courts have upheld thus far.

On the other hand, the American Civil Liberties Union largely disagree with that assessment. In the words of the ACLU (which is representing Carpenter), the government needs a “good reason” to access this data. Major tech companies, such as Google, Apple and Facebook, also think that the Fourth Amendment should apply to sensitive user data in order to line up “with people’s expectations of privacy in their digital data.”

Now, the Supreme Court seems poised to render what will likely be the final judgment in the case — a decision that could set a precedent for digital privacy in the smartphone age.

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Here’s Where to Find the Best Deals on Legitimate Apple Products

Apple is known for its high quality products, immersive advertising, clever marketing lingo, minimal design, and top-rated customer service. One thing it’s not known for is its low prices.

One could argue that Apple products are worth it, that they’re on par with similarly-priced products, or that Apple doesn’t do cheap. One could alternatively argue that you’re paying for the brand. Pricing aside, one might wonder if Apple ever clearances out any of its products. The answer may surprise you.

The holidays are just around the corner and if you missed out on any of the Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals on Apple products at your local Best Buy, you might be feeling that you’re out of luck. However, it’s true Apple doesn’t do huge discounts, they do have some deals that might be right for the shopper who’s already planning on buying Apple toys this holiday season.

Clearance Items

It doesn’t happen often, but every once in awhile Apple decides to clearance some products. If you’re interested in getting new products for a great deal you’ll want to keep your eye on Apple’s Clearance Items page. As of writing the page is… blank.. but, don’t worry. Apple has factory refurbished items right around the corner.

Refurbished Macs, iPads, iPhones, and More

You can find all of Apple’s current deals here. Here you’ll find a link to the clearance section mentioned above, as well as links for refurbished Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, iPod, Apple TV, and accessories.

Apple refurbished products are backed by Apple’s standard-one year warranty and are put through a stringent refurbishing process so that Apple can guarantee they’re up to the standard we’ve come to expect from their brand. Additionally, products come with the option to extend the warranty by purchasing AppleCare.

Don’t expect any gigantic savings though, as these products are usually still practically new. Apple offers them with a discount that typically ranges between 10 and 25 percent. For example, an Apple Pencil that generally retails at $99 can be had for $85 factory refurbished, while you’ll save $280 on a 21.5-inch quad-core iMac with 4K Retina Display.

Apple Renew Program

In addition to refurbished products and the occasional clearances, Apple has a trade-in option known as the Apple Renew Program. In addition to a possibility of credit toward your new purchases, Apple will give your old products new life, use them for parts, or recycle them in a responsible and environmentally-friendly fashion.

It doesn’t matter if the device is working or not and—in some cases—it needn’t be an Apple manufactured product. If Apple determines the product is eligible for reuse it can be traded for credit toward your purchases. If the product isn’t deemed reusable Apple will recycle it free of charge. The Apple Renew Program is available online and in stores. You can learn more here.

Just in Time for the Holidays

While Apple’s discounts may not be as big as the tech deals we saw Thanksgiving weekend, they’re still very relevant.

Unlike some deals where you get last years’ model at a discount or an additional gift card with your purchase, Apple’s refurbished devices look, feel, and function like new. Additionally, they include the same great warranty and AppleCare options as their “new” counterparts.

If you were planning on buying a new Apple product this holiday season, a trip to the refurbished section could save you some hard earned money.

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Apple Removes Violent Games from App Store Amid Philippine Drug War

An open letter which was sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook on behalf of The Asian Network of People Who Use Drugs (ANPUD) has resulted in the iPhone maker removing “a number of games” whose storylines appeared to glorify the ongoing Philippine drug wars from the App Store.

ANPUD, which is described as an organization who represents “victims of illegal drugs,” cited in its letter that the call to remove the titles from its App Store was supported by over “100 organizations who felt that they were normalizing murder,” according to Patently Apple.

“Numerous apps currently available through Apple are actively promoting the war on people who use drugs in the Philippines,” the letter states, noting how it’s “a war that has resulted in the state-endorsed murders of more than 13,000 people – many of them children – ostensibly suspected of using or selling drugs since June 2016.”

The ‘War on Poor’

Back in June, 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte initiated what some on the international stage have referred to as the ‘War on Poor’ — a highly-controversial “war on people,” in the Philippines, who are suspected of using or selling drugs.

Duterte has not only been accused of instating a so-called ‘shoot-to-kill’ policy for Filipino Police, but he’s even extended a ‘license-to-kill’ unto private Filipino citizens, granting them freedom from prosecution if they’re charged for killing those suspected of being involved in drug trade.

According to ANPUD, the war “has brought destruction of millions of lives of people who use drugs, including thousands who are imprisoned under inhumane conditions, their families and children who were already the most marginalized in and vulnerable to the Philippines system.”

A number of the games in question were reportedly based on storylines featuring Duterte, with or without Philippine National Police director general, Ronald dela Rosa, shooting people amid a typical point of view of first-person shooter interface.

While Apple has not publicly acknowledged receiving ANPUD’s letter, the organization claims that, since sending it, most of the “games in question” have been removed.

“We did not receive a direct response from Mr. Cook or Apple Inc. however, most of the apps (games) no longer appear in the search result of app store,” ANPUD said, noting that the titles in question included ‘Duterte knows Kung Fu: Pinoy Crime Fighter’, ‘Duterte Running Man Challenge Game’, ‘Fighting Crime 2’, ‘Tsip Bato: Ang Bumangga Giba!’ — all of which featured Duterte or De La Rosa shooting down criminals.

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Comcast’s ‘Commitment’ to Net Neutrality Comes Under Scrutiny

As the FCC weighs dismantling net neutrality protections, Comcast’s stance on the issue has come under scrutiny from journalists.

For years, the broadband provider– the nation’s largest– has declared that it is fully committed to net neutrality. On the other hand, Comcast has been supportive of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s proposal to eliminate net neutrality rules implemented under the Obama administration, applauding it as a positive “milestone” in a corporate blog post.

Pai has proposed no longer classifying broadband as a public utility and eliminating net neutrality regulations meant to preserve an open Internet by prohibiting companies from throttling or blocking internet content. The rules also prohibit providing “fast lanes” to web companies willing to pay more for priority access to customers. The existence of fast lanes could mean that larger companies like Netflix and Facebook will be forced to pay more to internet providers to provide faster streaming to customers, which may in turn result in higher subscription fees for customers.

Pai’s plan only requires internet providers to be transparent about their net neutrality practices. The proposal is due for an FCC vote on December 14, and it is largely expected to pass, which is why the net neutrality stance of companies like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon are coming under close scrutiny.

Comcast argues that repealing “ill-advised” and “outdated” Obama-era net neutrality regulations will pave the way for increased broadband investment and innovation, and that Pai’s proposal does not necessarily spell the end of net neutrality. Instead, the company has taken the position that the regulations are unnecessary because it is independently committed to providing net neutrality protections for its customers.

Will Comcast Enact Internet Fast Lanes?

On Monday, Ars Technica warned that the broadband provider, despite these avowed commitments, may have plans to offer paid fast lanes to web companies. While Comcast has previously said it has no plans to enact fast lanes, the article noted that Comcast omitted any promise not to institute paid prioritization in its recent company statement on net neutrality.

On Tuesday, Comcast responded in a statement to CNET by reiterating that it has not and will not enact paid fast lanes. “Comcast hasn’t entered into any paid prioritization agreements. Period,” spokeswoman Sena Fitzmaurice said in an email. “And we have no plans to do so.”

“No matter what the skeptics say, you can’t accurately convert an unequivocal statement that Comcast has no plans to enter into any paid prioritization arrangement into plans for paid prioritization,” Fitzmaurice added. “As we’ve made clear consistently, regardless of how the FCC rules turn out, we will not block, throttle, or discriminate against lawful content.”

However, Comcast’s Open Internet promise still has no mention of paid prioritization. And regardless, Comcast is only required to adhere to net neutrality rules until September 2018, a condition it agreed to in exchange for federal approval of its merger with NBC/Universal in 2011.

If Pai’s plan becomes federal policy, Comcast may be free to do as it pleases in less than a year.

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Here’s Why iPhone Takes Higher Quality Snaps Than Android Devices

Have you ever noticed that Snapchat snaps taken and sent from an Android phone look worse than snaps from an iPhone?

It’s not just your imagination. In many cases, Android snaps are objectively worse.

There’s a reason for that, and it has nothing to do with camera quality or hardware specifications. Android cameras have been neck-in-neck with iPhones for years. In fact, the problem doesn’t stem from hardware or even necessarily Android itself — it’s actually an app development issue. In other words, you can blame Snapchat itself.

Android vs iOS

To understand the issue, you’ll have to look at the difference between iOS and Android.

Apple makes both the software and hardware for its stable of products, and Cupertino has only produced about 17 different models of iPhone since 2008. Because of that, there are only a few devices that iOS app developers have to account for. That makes it a lot easier to ensure that an app works across the various devices in an ecosystem.

Android, on the other hand, is a much more fragmented ecosystem. There are tons of manufacturers producing hundreds of different models of Android devices. And they all sport different hardware, screen sizes and are typically running different versions of Android — often with non-stock modifications made to the OS.

Why Snaps on Android Look Worse

The reason that snaps on Android look worse basically boils down to this: unlike on iOS, which actually uses the camera hardware to take full-resolution, Snapchat for Android just takes a screen capture of your camera’s view.

By using the viewfinder-screenshot method, Snapchat’s developers don’t have to take each unique Android device into account. It’s a one-size-fits-all solution, but it is the easy way out for the company — and it results in objectively worse picture quality on the app.

Of course, some Android smartphones — like the new, first-party Google Pixel 2 — actually use the camera for Snapchat pictures and videos. This obviously results in a vastly improved image quality comparable to iOS snaps. But for the vast majority of Android devices, users have to settle for a subpar experience.

A Solution?

Since the blame lies with Snapchat, it’s up to the social media company to fix the issue. And it might mean putting a ton of effort into optimizing the Android Snapchat app for each and every device.

There is a silver lining, though. Snapchat suggested in a recent Q3 earnings call that they’d make some vast improvements to the way the app functions, even if it means putting effort into rebuilding the app’s processes from the ground up.

“Given the sheer volume of different Android handsets used to access Snapchat, we have had to establish new processes to ensure that our quality efforts can be maintained. This will be an ongoing investment,” Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel said.

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Essential Creator Takes Leave Amid ‘Inappropriate’ Google Relationship Allegations

Andy Rubin — the mastermind behind Google’s ubiquitous Android operating system, and creator of the Essential Phone — has reportedly taken a “leave of absence” from his smartphone startup following allegations of an “inappropriate relationship” dating back to his years at Google, according to an investigative report published this week by The Information.

According to sources “familiar with the matter,” these allegations of impropriety stem from Rubin’s time working as the head of Android at Google, where he was reportedly in an undisclosed relationship with “a subordinate” on the Android team — a clear violation of Google’s corporate policy, which requires that employees disclose any relationship so they can be assigned to separate projects.

While the specific nature of the woman’s allegations remain unknown, Rubin was reportedly made aware of an investigation into his conduct back in 2014 — shortly before he left Google, citing, at the time, how he was frustrated over how long it would take the search giant to advance its robotics department.

Meanwhile, within the same, relative timeframe, Rubin was reportedly informed by a superior that his behavior not only violated company policy, but was “improper and showed bad judgement,” according to The Information.

Mike Sitrick, a spokesperson issuing comment on Rubin’s behalf, appeared to contest The Information’s report, however, saying that “Any relationship Mr. Rubin had while at Google was consensual,” and that “Mr. Rubin was never told by Google that he engaged in any misconduct while at Google and he did not, either while at Google or since.”

Interestingly, Rubin’s leave of absence is said to be for “personal reasons” that are unrelated to this week’s report.

From Android to Essential

Rubin became Google’s Senior Vice President of Mobile and Digital content after the search-giant acquired his Android operating system in 2005. After the company went through its ‘big restructuring’ in 2013, Rubin was then assigned to Google’s robotics division — which oversees the company’s acquisitions in the robotics space, including Boston Dynamics — while Sundar Pichai replaced him as head of mobile and digital content.

Meanwhile, after less than a year managing Google’s robotics division, Rubin left the company to pioneer a hardware incubator startup, according to TechCrunch. And his latest endeavor, the Essential Phone, launched earlier this year to generally positive reviews.

Touted as boasting a “pure Android” experience, the high-end handset originally retailed for $699 — however it’s price has since been cut to just $499.

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Google Has Officially Fixed Its Illegitimate Cheeseburger Emoji

Google has finally made good on one of its most high-priority promises in recent months. Yes, the Mountain View-based tech giant has officially fixed its cheeseburger emoji.

If that doesn’t make much sense, here’s a bit of context. In October, author and writer Thomas Baekdal brought Google’s cheeseburger emoji to the internet’s attention.

Specifically, he highlighted the fact that the emoji has its cheese slice placed underneath the burger patty — a fact that, if the response is any indication, is basically sacrilege.

The original tweet garnered over 51,000 likes and 25,000 retweets.

I think we need to have a discussion about how Google’s burger emoji is placing the cheese underneath the burger, while Apple puts it on top http://pic.twitter.com/PgXmCkY3Yc

— Thomas Baekdal (@baekdal) October 28, 2017

The same day, Google CEO Sundar Pichai sent the following tweet, promising that he would “drop everything” and address the cheeseburger emoji as soon as possible, if users could come to a consensus on the proper way to construct the all-American classic.

Will drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday:) if folks can agree on the correct way to do this! https://t.co/dXRuZnX1Ag

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) October 29, 2017

Tongue-in-cheek as it may have been, Google apparently took the criticism to heart. As first spotted by Emojipedia, the company has fixed the cheeseburger emoji in the latest Android 8.1 developer preview that was seeded on Tuesday. Now, the cheese slice is appropriately placed on top of the burger patty.

While Google has addressed the issue in the latest version of Android, it did have a bit of fun in the interim. A few days after Baedal’s original tweet went viral, the company served a lunch at its offices called the “Android Burger” — which, of course, featured a slice of cheese underneath the burger patty.

Lunch at Google today: an "Android Burger" 🍔 http://pic.twitter.com/I4dwOUPASg

— Brad Fitzpatrick (@bradfitz) November 3, 2017

In Android 8.1, Google also took the time to fix a few other unrealistic emoji, including its cheese wedge emoji that appeared a bit unrealistic due to the placement of its holes. The company also updated it various beer emoji — which were half-filled but had a frothy foam that seemingly defied the laws of physics. Now, the glass is completely full of beer.

Android 8.1 will drop in December, reaching first-party smartphones like Google’s Pixel and Nexus lineup first. It’ll eventually roll out to all other Android devices.

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Apple Fixes Major macOS Security Flaw Allowing Admin Access without a Password

Apple’s latest operating system — macOS High Sierra — had a major vulnerability in regards to security: computers running macOS 10.13.1 or earlier could be accessed without a password. While the security flaw appears to require physical access to the device, it was still a major issue since the flaw provided access to the “root” user, allowing full system control including the ability to change passwords, delete and create files, and… well… pretty much anything.

Wednesday morning, Apple released a security update for affected users and has said it will push the security patch automatically later today. Apple released the following statement:

“Security is a top priority for every Apple product, and regrettably we stumbled with this release of macOS. When our security engineers became aware of the issue Tuesday afternoon, we immediately began working on an update that closes the security hole. This morning, as of 8:00 a.m., the update is available for download, and starting later today it will be automatically installed on all systems running the latest version (10.13.1) of macOS High Sierra. We greatly regret this error and we apologize to all Mac users, both for releasing with this vulnerability and for the concern it has caused. Our customers deserve better. We are auditing our development processes to help prevent this from happening again.”

The security flaw went viral Tuesday morning when security researcher Lemi Orhan Ergin (@lemiorhan) tweeted “Dear @AppleSupport, we noticed a HUGE security issue at [sic] MacOS High Sierra. Anyone can login as “root” with [an] empty password after clicking on [the] login button several times. Are you aware of it @Apple?”

In other words, clicking on the login button (or the unlock button in the login prompts under System Preferences) several times enabled the root user account—which is usually disabled by default for security purposes—with a blank password and then allowed the initiator to login using “root.” While there is some speculation on social media that this could be done remotely, it remains very unlikely and would most likely require a specific setup. The flaw proposed the largest threat to unattended computers and computers in sensitive workplaces such as hospitals and government facilities.

The vulnerability had been reproduced by many individuals online using various versions of macOS High Sierra, but not with versions prior to High Sierra. Apple said in a statement yesterday that they were aware of the issue and were working on a software update to patch it:

“We are working on a software update to address this issue. In the meantime, setting a root password prevents unauthorized access to your Mac. To enable the Root User and set a password, please follow the instructions here. If a Root User is already enabled, to ensure a blank password is not set, please follow the instructions from the ‘Change the root password’ section.”

If you haven’t already we strongly recommend updating to the latest version as soon as possible. While Apple will automatically push the software to any computers it can, it’s best not to take chances. Apple has taken the unique step of adding a bold header to its release notes that say “Install this update as soon as possible.” The full release notes for the patch can be found on Apple’s website.

For security purposes the root user is disabled on your Mac by default. While the patch should be enough for most consumers, for more advanced users—or those in business settings—it may be smart to enable the root user and set a custom password to prevent these kind of issues in the future. If you don’t know your way around a Unix/Linux terminal, here are some step-by-step directions for changing the root password on your device using terminal commands; keep in mind, you won’t want to forget the password you choose:

How to Set a Root Password

1. While logged in as an administrator, open Terminal on your Mac.
2. type the following command: sudo passwd root (The command “sudo” enables the user to run commands as a superuser and the command “passwd” is used to set a new password).
3. You will likely be prompted for your password to authorize sudo.
4. Next you should be prompted to enter a new password (for root). Enter the password (you won’t see any characters) and then press enter.
5. Re-enter the password and press enter to confirm the change.

While using Terminal is generally much quicker, if you are more comfortable using your computer’s System Preferences to make this change please refer to Apple’s support article on How to enable the root user on your Mac or change your root password.

Generally speaking, Apple is very quick responding to security issues and they proved that they can work on a moment’s notice with their latest patch; however, this goes to show that no security is perfect. Even from the biggest names in the business, mistakes happen.

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