Mac Zen

12/11/2021

18/10/2017

I have an iPhone 6, 64 GB up for grabs if anyone's in need. It's in top nick, unlocked, ready for action!

18/10/2017

Update all your stuff, peeps!
Probably won't be an issue for the average punter, but a good idea to be in the habit of ensuring all your gear is running the latest OS or firmware.

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/10/severe-flaw-in-wpa2-protocol-leaves-wi-fi-traffic-open-to-eavesdropping/

KRACK attack is especially bad news for Android and Linux users.

18/01/2017

MacBook Air up for grabs peeps! It's a 13" early 2015 revision w/ 1.6GHz i5, 4GB RAM & a 120GB SSD. New power supply (non-Apple), fresh OS installed & customised by yours truly. $750. Cheers. D

13/12/2016

Great article for everyone on amping-up your security online.

https://www.fastcompany.com/3066399/work-smart/a-hackers-tips-for-protecting-your-digital-privacy

Cyber attacksand president-elect Trump's criticism of encryption and interest in expanding government surveillancewarrant more vigilance.

05/09/2016

Back from holidays OS, so if you need any assistance, I'm here to help...
;- )

05/09/2016

iOS users beware; a serious exploit has been discovered that has been around and un-patched since iOS 7 (2 years +). I strongly recommend you update your iPhone/iPad to iOS 9.3.5 (assuming you're on iOS 9) to be sure the expliot has been patched. If you're not running iOS 9, this could be a good reason to upgrade. https://9to5mac.com/2016/08/25/ios-9-3-5-serious-security-fix/

Update: Apple has documented the security fix here. Now that the just-released iOS 9.3.5 security update is now available, details about what exactly it fixes have been green lighted for release as…

17/06/2016

Here’s a useful tip for those of you rocking an iPhone 6s or 6s+. While entering text using the on-screen keyboard, if you ‘force-click’ (ie push down hard) on the keyboard it will go blank and emulate a trackpad so you can move the insertion point/cursor around. Makes editing text just that little bit easier. Was stoked when I discovered this!

03/08/2015

Security, or lack thereof on Android - a damning article on the challenges faced (but not addressed) by Google in the ongoing development of the platform and how this effects the user-base over time.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/07/31/flabbergastingly-insecure-googles-android-is-the-new-flash

Several years ago, Steve Jobs called out Adobe Flash as a trainwreck of security and performance problems, garnering him contempt from industry players deeply invested in the software platform. Today, Google's Android platform is getting same brutal appraisal, but its coming from Android's own fans.

13/07/2015

For Sale!

iMac, 27” Late 2011 (model 12,2)
Intel Core i5 @ 3.1GHz
16GB 1333MHz RAM
1TB Seagate HD
AMD Radeon HD 6970M w/ 1GB VRAM
c/w wired extended keyboard and wireless magic mouse.

Running a clean-installed current OS, 10.10.4, w/ Office 2011 and CS6 installed.
Note the internal HD has been replaced under warranty.

The machine has been cleaned inside & out and is ready to look good on someone’s desk…

$1200

23/06/2015

Hey y'all. Have a 17" MacBook Pro for sale.

The official specs are:
17” MacBook Pro
Revision 4,1. Built 2008, 41st week.

2.5Ghz Core 2 Duo Processor
4GB 667MHz RAM, 250GB HD
GeForce 8600M GT graphics hardware w/ 512MB VRAM

Mac OS X 10.10.3 freshly installed, Office 2011 & CS6 design apps installed
Thoroughly cleaned internally (fans dismantled & cleaned)
Battery only reports 75 cycles; is in good working order.
Highly sought-after anti-glare, high-resolution screen

This Mac is in great condition for it’s age, being virtually unused for the last 3 years. Clean, presentable, very few external scratches.

$500

Included:
• Mac
• 85 watt power supply (note p/s cable's shielding has separated from the power block requiring a few laps of lekky tape, but is in good working order)

23/06/2015

!! Alarming news regarding security on the Mac; the keychain has been hacked and sandboxing (secure, separated memory for apps) rendered insecure. Note this security exploit renders other 'secure' apps like 1Password insecure, along with any other sensitive info on your Mac. Highly alarming for our 'secure' platform! Be extra careful when installing software from unfamiliar developers and ANY attachment sent via email.
http://9to5mac.com/2015/06/17/major-zero-day-security-flaws-in-ios-os-x-allow-theft-of-both-keychain-and-app-passwords/
I strongly recommend installing Sophos' free AntiVirus app on your Mac to be sure, to be sure...
https://secure2.sophos.com/en-us/products/free-tools/sophos-antivirus-for-mac-home-edition/free-download.aspx

Researchers from Indiana University and the Georgia Institute of Technology said that security holes in both iOS and OS X allow a malicious app to steal passwords from Apple's Keychain, as well as ...

28/11/2013

Thanks to you all - it's a ripper!

http://9to5mac.com/2013/11/27/iphone-5s-production-in-numbers-500k-phones-a-day-600-workers-per-iphone/

A WSJ piece on Foxconn ramping up production of the iPhone 5s to meet demand provided an interesting glimpse at some of the numbers involved. Foxconn operates 100 production lines, which are now op...

26/09/2013

iMacs updated with new processors, faster graphics, wifi spec & flash storage. A good time to buy if you've been on the fence.
http://9to5mac.com/2013/09/24/apple-launches-faster-imacs-with-802-11ac-wifi-pro-graphics-improved-flash/

Apple has launched an updated line of iMacs with faster processors, improved graphics, faster 802.11ac WiFi connectivity, and improved Flash storage. The new iMacs are now available from Apple's on...

24/09/2013

Fabulous interview with Apple's hardware and (now) iOS interface designer, Sir Jony Ive, and Craig Federighi on what makes Apple gear so damn good.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/09/19/apple-jony-ive-craig-federighi/2834575/

2379 1607 Share This Story!Let friends in your social network know what you are reading aboutFacebookEmailTwitterGoogle+LinkedInJony Ive: The man behind Apple's magic curtainPost to Facebook Incorrect please try again Try Another Audio Captcha Image CAPTCHA Help CancelSendPosted!A link has been post...

16/09/2013

Hard to know what level of surveillance is going on by the gov - I'd like to think we're less scrutinised in Aus than the yanks are, but one can never be too careful if hooning around searching & reading-up on 'the wrong stuff'. If you are, then this article on browser security might be worth a gander.
http://worldintransition.com.au/2013/08/26/how-to-make-the-nsas-job-a-little-more-difficult-with-minimal-effort/

The Washington Post and The Guardian have revealed a US government mass Internet surveillance program code-named "PRISM". They report that the NSA and the FBI have been tapping directly into the se...

03/09/2013

Great article on password complexity considering how careful online services are with your password and how well-resourced your hacker could end up being.
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/08/16/anatomy-of-a-brute-force-attack-how-important-is-password-complexity/

Is eight characters enough for a password? If not, what about nine?