Apple’s default Mail app for the iPhone has a severe security flaw, researchers claim – The Verge:
“‘To mitigate these issues — you can use the latest beta available. If using a beta version is not possible, consider disabling Mail application and use Outlook or Gmail that are not vulnerable,’ ZecOps writes.”
*Expect more pressure on Apple to let people change default apps. Even if it turns out that doing so doesn’t provide increased security
‘Pure Hell for Victims’ as Stimulus Programs Draw a Flood of Scammers – The New York Times:
“Over the last month, 4,305 malicious website domains were set up to take advantage of people looking for new forms of government support, according to the security firm Check Point. The fake sites, with names like whereismystimulus and 2020reliefprogram, generally ask people to input their personal data with the promise that they can get information about their checks. But hackers then use the data against those who fall for the trick.”
Social Distancing for Coronavirus Has a History – The New York Times:
“The outcome of their research was startling. By closing the schools in a hypothetical town of 10,000 people, only 500 people got sick. If they remained open, half of the population would be infected.”
Early, aggressive action to limit social interaction using multiple measures like closing schools or shutting down public gatherings was vital to limiting the death toll, they found.
Leaked pics from Amazon Ring show potential new surveillance features | Ars Technica:
“Amazon subsidiary Ring, which has partnerships with almost 1,200 law enforcement agencies nationwide, does not currently include facial recognition or license plate scanning tools in its home surveillance line of consumer products. “
*Thinking facial recognition is a top feature that is missing… Example: this same person has been to three Ring members homes and two had recent incidents. Maybe the network could keep an eye out for the person and when spotted a nearby authority would be informed. Certainly there could be a lot of false positives. Lots of privacy concerns to be worked out too.
The auto industry — already fretting lengthy factory shutdowns and depressed new-vehicle demand — is starting to sound the alarm about a potential used-car price collapse that could have far-reaching consequences for manufacturers, lenders and rental companies.
— Read on www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-13/fear-of-an-impending-car-price-collapse-grips-the-auto-industry
*How will consumers react? Huge incentives on manufacturers to move more new cars? If the values and prices for gently used cars drop people may feel better buying used rather than new. Many new people without regular income will lead to uncertainty and caution in household expenditures, especially large purchases like automobiles. Home price may also see a reset which could be rather significant. The home price reset may take time to become apparent. Look for a lengthening of days-on-market.
Warriors’ decision to play without fans could set example for the NBA:
“The Warriors will play Thursday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets without any fans at Chase Center, becoming the first NBA team to play without a crowd. It is a landmark decision that could set the tone for how the rest of the league handles the coronavirus pandemic.”
Suckers List: How Allstate’s Secret Auto Insurance Algorithm Squeezes Big Spenders – The Markup:
“In this case, Allstate’s model seemed to determine how much a customer was willing to pay —or overpay—without defecting, based on how much he or she was already forking out for car insurance. “
“In the 1990s, insurers began using external data sources like credit scores to predict accident risk. Since then, rate filings have become increasingly filled with proprietary, opaque algorithms, according to regulators.”
“If a behavior in another sphere of life affects insurance premiums in a way that consumers can’t readily anticipate,” he said in an interview, “that could lead to a cascade of financial consequences arising from what seems to be an innocuous decision.”
“Patty Born, a professor studying insurance regulation at Florida State University’s College of Business, doubts insurers will ever share enough information about their pricing models to allow customers to know if they’re overpaying. She said the only defense is to regularly check competitors’ rates.”
*When there is a lot of money on the table there will be creative strategies employed to get more.
Apple Warns That Coronavirus Will Hurt Revenue – The New York Times:
“Apple also said that demand for its devices in China had been hurt by the outbreak; it closed all 42 of its stores in the country last month and most have yet to reopen.”
*How much will this cost and how widespread will this be economically? Will this be a black swan like event that starts small and flies under the radar until it is on top of us and has widespread impact?
“Following the World Health Organization’s decision to declare the 2019 novel coronavirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, I have declared today that the coronavirus presents a Public Health Emergency in the United States.
[Read Secretary Azar’s statement on the Public Health Emergency]
The actions we have taken and continue to take complement the work of China and the WHO to contain the outbreak within China.
In accordance with the declaration, beginning 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, Sunday, February 2, the U.S. government will implement temporary measures to increase our abilities to detect and contain the coronavirus proactively and aggressively.
Any U.S. citizen returning to the U.S. who has been in Hubei Province in the previous 14 days will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine, to ensure they’re provided proper medical care and health screening. To be clear, this applies only to U.S. citizens who have been in Hubei Province in the past 14 days.
Any U.S. citizen returning to the U.S. who has been in the rest of mainland China within the previous 14 days will undergo proactive entry health screening at a select number of ports of entry and up to 14 days of monitored self-quarantine to ensure they have not contracted the virus and do not pose a public health risk.”
Shop Around for Lower Drug Prices – Consumer Reports:
“The range in prices they found was stunning. The five-drug ‘marketbasket’ cost just $66 at the online pharmacy HealthWarehouse.com but $105 at Costco. The two highest-priced national retailers—CVS and Rite Aid—had prices closer to $900 for the five drugs.”
*Interesting article.
D.L. Damore 