Writings by Kirk McElhearn
Attackers can simulate an iPhone restart to keep malware alive, and an interesting HomeKit vulnerability could brick your device. We discuss malicious QR codes, and we take a deep dive into Apple’s two-factor authentication, which more and more users need to use Apple devices.
Follow the The Intego Mac Podcast, which I co-host with Josh Long. We talk about Macs and iOS devices, and how to keep them secure.
Annik Lafarge has written a fascinating book about Chopin’s well-known 2nd piano sonata (the one with the funeral march), discussing not just the music, but also the social and cultural context of the time.
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Charlie Stross is a prolific author of science fiction and fantasy. He has written more than two dozen novels, has won three Hugo awards, and has been nominated for many other awards, including the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Japanese Seiun Award.
Show notes:
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I’ve never before kept a list of books I read. I read a lot, but I don’t generally want to keep score. I know a lot of people do this on sites like Goodreads, but I’ve never felt it was useful. However, at the beginning of the year, seeing some articles about what people read last year, I decided that, out of curiosity, I would keep a list.
As I said, I read a lot. I’m not a big television or movie watcher; many people have a reflex to watch TV every evening, but in my household, that’s not the case. My partner is also an avid reader, though we read different types of books. We follow a few TV series, watch the occasional movie, but I let my Netflix subscription lapse often because there’s nothing that interests us.
So I guess it’s not surprising that I read more than 130 books last year. I read fairly quickly, and some of them – mostly mysteries and thrillers – were books I read in a single evening, or two at most. Some of the books were fairly short, but others were quite long. And I left a few books in the list that I abandoned after about one quarter of their length, just as notes to remind me that I didn’t finish them; these are indicated by asterisks after titles. Books with asterisks before the titles are books that I started in 2020, and only finished in 2021. I often read multiple books concurrently, so there are a few in the 2021 list that I haven’t finished, but, if I keep a list in 2022, I’ll indicate that. I only started the last book on the list on December 31, so I haven’t gotten for, but I’ll include it anyway.
You’ll notice 16 books in French; I lived in France for nearly three decades, so read in French regularly, but mostly classical literature. Many of these French books are long, and I read a bit less quickly in French than in English. One of my goals for 2022 is to read more in French, notable more Balzac, Dumas, and other 19th century authors that I particularly like.
About half my reads were non-fiction, though I haven’t included cookbooks or some books I’ve read for my work. And this also doesn’t count a few dozen photobooks that “read” or “re-read,” since I don’t really count them as reading. Though perhaps if I keep a list next year, I will include them…
If I’d had more time, I’d include Amazon affiliate links for anyone who wants to contribute to my ongoing book habit. Since I’m not including individual links, if you go to your local Amazon with these links (if you shop from one of these three countries), I’ll get a small percentage: Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon FR.
So, here’s the list:
Amazon Alexa gave a dangerous answer to a child asking for a challenge; how much can we trust AI to provide safe, reliable information? We also look at the new RedLine malware, and discuss some iCloud settings to help you get back into your account if you’ve forgotten your password, and one that lets you set up a legacy contact.
Follow the The Intego Mac Podcast, which I co-host with Josh Long. We talk about Macs and iOS devices, and how to keep them secure.
If you use Apple devices, your iCloud account is one of your most important repositories of your personal data. You don’t have to use iCloud, of course; you may use Google services for your calendar and photos, or Microsoft for email and online storage. But most Apple users store data in an iCloud account, and if you get locked out of that account, you may need a way to access your data.
Also, in the event of your death, you may want to ensure that your spouse, partner, or children can access your photos, emails, and other data.
In this article, I’ll explain how to nominate contacts to help you recover your iCloud account, if you get locked out, and how to access your account in the event of your death.
Read the rest of the article on The Mac Security Blog.
Protecting the data in your accounts is essential, and no account is more important to users of Apple devices than their Apple ID account. This account covers many features, from email to calendars, from online storage to online purchases. We have long recommended the use of two-factor authentication whenever possible, and these days it is almost essential that you set this up for your Apple ID.
In this article, I’m going to explain how Apple’s two-factor authentication (2FA) works, how to set it up, and how to prepare for situations where you may not be able to get 2FA codes.
Read the rest of the article on The Mac Security Blog.
Our 2019 Christmas episode was so good, and we realized that we would never be able to record a better Christmas episode, so we decided to rebroadcast it this year. Jundo and Kirk discuss how Christmas and Zen can find common ground, and discuss their favorite Zen Christmas carols.
Find out more, including show notes for each episode, at the Zen of Everything website and at Treeleaf Zendo.
A four-year old child, using his father’s phone, ordered $1,139 worth of gelato. We discuss the risks of lending your iPhone or iPad to a child, and we look at the new App Privacy Report, in iOS and iPad OS 15.2, which tells you what apps are doing behind your back.
Follow the The Intego Mac Podcast, which I co-host with Josh Long. We talk about Macs and iOS devices, and how to keep them secure.
Some say there are 6, 36, or 1,462 plots for stories, novels and screenplays. How many are there? Does it matter?
There has been much discussion over the years as to how many different types of plots, stories, or dramatic situations exist. While writers of fiction and screenplays may not want to plan their novels according to these templates, it’s a good idea to keep them in mind. Are there six, 36, or 1,462 different types of plots? Can you structure a story using a template?
Read the rest of the article on The L&L Blog.
To learn how to use Scrivener for Mac, Windows, and iOS, check out my book Take Control of Scrivener 3.