Linked List: August 6, 2012

Monday, 6 August 2012

How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to Mat Honan’s Epic Hacking ★

Mat Honan:

But what happened to me exposes vital security flaws in several customer service systems, most notably Apple and Amazon’s. Apple tech support gave the hackers access to my iCloud account. Amazon tech support gave them the ability to see a piece of information — a partial credit card number — that Apple used to release information. In short, the very four digits that Amazon considers unimportant enough to display in the clear on the Web are precisely the same ones that Apple considers secure enough to perform identity verification. The disconnect exposes flaws in data management policies endemic to the entire technology industry, and points to a looming nightmare as we enter the era of cloud computing and connected devices.

StatCounter: Google Chrome Passes IE for Lead in Global Browser Market ★

Impressive achievement in just four years.

iOS 6 Beta 4 Removes Dedicated YouTube App ★

I’ve been expecting this ever since YouTube didn’t make it into Mountain Lion’s system-wide sharing feature. Apple gave this statement to The Verge:

Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store.

Update: Some smart analysis on this move from Matthew Panzarino.

Apple vs. Samsung: A Visual Guide to Apple’s IP Claims ★

Nice comparison from PeanutbutterEggDirt. See also this post from John Paczkowski.

‘A Drive Into the Gap’ ★

I was lucky enough to get a chance to read Kevin Guilfoile’s new book a few weeks ago, and it’s just splendid. The first chapter is right here, and I bet by the end, you’re clicking the “Buy” button.

Field Notes ‘Day Game’ Edition ★

New batch of baseball-themed Field Notes notebooks? And a copy of Kevin Guilfoile’s new book, A Drive Into the Gap? Sold.

Usain Bolt vs. 116 Years of Olympic Sprinters ★

Fascinating infographic work by the NYT, showing how Usain Bolt’s second 100-meter sprint gold medal performance compares against all previous medalists in the event. Don’t miss the links to similar treatments for other events at the bottom.

Curiosity Rover Lands on Mars ★

Kenneth Chang, reporting for the NYT:

The rover, called Curiosity, ushers in a new era of exploration that could turn up evidence that the Red Planet once had the necessary ingredients for life — or might even still harbor life today. NASA and administration officials were also quick to point to the success to counter criticism that the space agency had turned into a creaky bureaucracy incapable of matching its past glory.