why-does-amazon-hate-its-most-enthusiastic-smart-home-fans? 

Why does Amazon hate its most enthusiastic smart home fans? 

Blink’s cheap wireless cameras have seen better days.
Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

Blink, the Kickstarter success bought by Amazon in 2017, has long been synonymous with inexpensive battery-powered home video cameras that don’t require a monthly contract for cloud recordings. Open-source projects like Homebridge, Home Assistant, and HOOBS have made the cameras even more extensible by allowing Blink’s temperature and motion sensors to work with smart home platforms like HomeKit and act as triggers for various automations. This combination of price and functionality led many smart home enthusiasts to buy Blink cameras in bulk for whole-home monitoring, especially those who don’t want to be beholden to a corporate overlord (and its requisite subscription fees). But instead of embracing its most passionate fans, Amazon has turned against them, threatening to terminate Blink accounts while challenging the very concept of ownership.

To set the stage, I recently set up a Raspberry Pi running Homebridge with the goal of creating a single iPhone dashboard to tie my smart home together. I started automating my home about 12 years ago, long before you could buy into complete ecosystems from Amazon, Google, and Apple. Now it’s a devil’s brew of Z-Wave and Zigbee devices, some controllable with Siri, some with Alexa, and a few with Google Assistant. It’s held together with a smattering of IFTTT recipes and four disparate hubs from Ikea, Aqara, Philips Hue, and Vera. It works, kind of, but requires several different apps, many interfaces, and lots of patience, especially from my family.

Homebridge turns this Blink XT outdoor camera into a temperature and motion trigger for other automations in Apple’s Home app.

Over most of a weekend, I was able to configure Homebridge to link every one of my 50+ smart devices to HomeKit and each other in the Apple Home app. This allowed me to create rules that were previously impossible, like using the Blink XT camera’s motion sensor in my garden to trigger a Z-Wave siren and Hue lightbulbs at night. Nerdvana unlocked!

My sense of delight and intense pride lasted exactly one week before my Blink cameras suddenly went dead. The reason was delivered in an email from Amazon the next morning:

“My name is Tori and I am with the Blink team. While doing a routine server audit, your account was flagged and subsequently disabled due to unsupported scripts or apps running on your system. The only automation that is permitted for use with the Blink system is through Alexa and/or IFTTT. Please disable these scripts or apps and reach back out to me so that I can re-enable your account.”

After a brief WTF exchange whereby I explained that Alexa and / or IFTTT are wholly inferior to the capabilities of Homebridge, Tori helpfully directed me to the exact paragraph of the Blink Terms of Service that I had violated. Terms which, admittedly, I was now reading for the first time (emphasis mine):

“We may terminate the Agreement or restrict, suspend, or terminate your use of Blink Services at our discretion without notice at any time, including if we determine that your use violates the Agreement, is improper, substantially exceeds or differs from normal use by other users, or otherwise involves fraud or misuse of Blink Services or harms our interests or those of another user of Blink Services. If your use of Blink Services is restricted, suspended, or terminated, you may be unable to access your video clips and you will not receive any refund or any other compensation. In case of termination, Blink may immediately revoke your access to Blink Services without refund.”

It turns out that Amazon’s crackdown on Blink automators has been a known issue in the community for at least a year. My question is: why does Amazon bother?

My Homebridge integration may well be in violation of Blink’s terms and conditions, even if the terms seem unduly restrictive. But why is Amazon, owner of those massive AWS server farms that earned nearly $50 billion in 2020, resorting to such draconian measures in response to my meager deployment of five Blink cameras? I could see a crackdown on large-scale corporate installations hammering away at the Blink API, but why me and other small-time enthusiasts?

According to Colin Bendell, developer of the Blink camera plugin for Homebridge, there are at most 4,000 homes using open-source plugins like his. “Even if we round up to 10,000 users, I think this is probably small potatoes for Amazon,” says Bendell, who should know. Not only did he reverse engineer the Blink app to mimic its behavior, but the O’Reilly author and self-proclaimed IoT hobbyist is also the director of performance engineering at Shopify.

Blink could easily look the other way for small home deployments like mine without waving its rights. It says so right in the T&Cs it sent me:

“Blink’s failure to insist upon or enforce your strict compliance with this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of any of its rights.”

But that’d be a cop out. Really, Amazon should be embracing Blink hobbyists. Homebridge is, after all, a project that extends Apple HomeKit to work with a wide variety of uncertified devices including cameras and doorbells from Amazon-owned Ring. And study after study have concluded that Apple device owners love to spend money. Surely this is a community Amazon should encourage, not vilify.

At the risk of saying too much (please don’t shut me down, Amazon!), why is it that my two Ring cameras aren’t raising any red flags during “server audits”? I certainly check them more frequently as one is my doorbell. Perhaps it’s because I already pay a monthly subscription to Amazon for Ring and pay nothing to Blink. (Although sadly, even that early benefit has come to an end. As of March 18th, Amazon requires owners of newer Blink cameras to pay a subscription fee to unlock every feature.)

When I reached out to Amazon with the questions I raise above, and asked if enthusiast initiatives like Homebridge would be officially (or unofficially, wink) supported, I was given this boilerplate response:

“Blink customers can control their cameras through the Blink Home Monitor app, and customize their experience using the If This Then That (IFTTT) service. We are always looking for ways to improve the customer experience, including supporting select third-party integrations for our devices.”

Gee, thanks.

One of Blink’s biggest advantages has come to an end.
Image: Blink

We kid ourselves about ownership all the time. I say I own my house, but, in fact, the bank owns more of it than I do. I listen to my music on Spotify, but those Premium playlists I’ve so carefully curated for years will be plucked from my phone just as soon as payments lapse. But somehow, Blink cameras were supposed to be different. They were for people drawn to Blink on the strength of that “no monthly contract” pitch. These were devices you were supposed to own without limitations or tithes.

How things have changed.

In 2017, Blink stood alone in the field; today there’s Wyze, Eufy, TP-Link / Kasa, Imou, and Ezviz to name just a few of the companies making inexpensive wired and wireless cameras for every smart home ecosystem, including Amazon’s, often with better features and value.

I’ve been a smart home evangelist for more than a decade, doling out advice to friends, often solicited, often not. Blink used to be an easy pitch: cheap and dead simple to install for normies, and highly extensible if you’re willing to put in the effort. But Amazon’s heavy-handed enforcement of T&Cs alongside the introduction of subscription fees have negated any advantage Blink once held over its camera competitors. While Blink sales will undoubtedly benefit from Amazon’s promotion machine, longtime Blink enthusiasts like myself will be taking their allegiances elsewhere.

apple’s-app-store-hosted-kiddie-games-with-secret-gambling-dens-inside

Apple’s App Store hosted kiddie games with secret gambling dens inside

In popular culture, access to an illicit gambling den is as easy as stumbling into the right shop and saying the password — or greasing some palms. Apple’s App Store apparently has a real-life parallel: today, app developer Kosta Eleftheriou discovered a terrible kiddie game that’s actually a front for gambling websites.

The secret password isn’t one you’d be likely to guess: you have to be in the right country —or pretend to be in the right country using a VPN.

But then, instead of launching an ugly monkey-flipping endless runner game filled with typos and bugs, the very same app launches a casino experience:

This @AppStore app pretends to be a silly platformer game for children 4+, but if I set my VPN to Turkey and relaunch it becomes an online casino that doesn’t even use Apple’s IAP.

pic.twitter.com/crnOOF0pNi

— Kosta Eleftheriou (@keleftheriou) April 15, 2021

The app, “Jungle Runner 2k21,” has already disappeared from the App Store, presumably thanks to publicity from Gizmodo and Daring Fireball, who each wrote about Eleftheriou’s finding earlier today.

It’s not the only one, though: the same developer, “Colin Malachi,” had another incredibly basic game on the App Store called “Magical Forest – Puzzle” that was also a front for gambling. I tried them both myself, and here’s some visual evidence:

Here’s what Magical Forest looked like when you opened it from the United States:

I accessed them from a VPN server in Turkey; While Daring Fireball notes that users in other non-US countries like Italy also seem to have been able to access the gambling sites, I tried them with a number of other locations including Italy without success.

Unlike the multi-million dollar App Store scams that Eleftheriou uncovered earlier this year, it’s not hard to see why Apple’s App Store review program might have missed these — they largely look like your typical shovelware if you don’t know the trick, with only a handful of tells… like the fact that Jungle Runner uses a Pastebin for its privacy policies:

It’s not necessarily clear to me that they’d be violating very many of Apple’s App Store policies, either. Gambling apps are permitted by Apple, as long as they’re geo-restricted to regions where that gambling is permitted by law, and you could maybe argue that’s exactly what this developer did by checking your IP address. But I imagine Cupertino would frown on a gambling app masquerading as a kid’s game either way — and Eleftheriou suggests the gambling sites may be scamming people out of money, too.

As an icing on the cake, people in the reviews say that they deposited large sums for the promise of a bonus, but they never received the promised payouts.

Surprising no one, the scammers aren’t even operating a fair casino.

— Kosta Eleftheriou (@keleftheriou) April 15, 2021

Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

apple’s-spring-loaded-event:-rumors,-news,-and-announcements

Apple’s Spring Loaded event: rumors, news, and announcements

The event kicks off at 1PM ET / 10AM PT on April 20th

Contributors:

Verge Staff


Spring has sprung and with it, the first Apple event of the year. The company successfully brought custom Arm chips to its Macs last year, and now it’s continuing its product updates with an event called “Spring Loaded.” Outside the obvious coiled metal connotation, the name suggests another jam-packed day of announcements.

And Apple does have a lot of products to address. The Apple TV was last updated in 2017 but is rumored to get support for 120Hz displays, a new processor that could make it a more capable Apple Arcade machine, and a redesigned remote. The iPad mini is also expected to finally receive some love after sitting idle since 2019. Reports point to a larger display and updated internals for the small tablet.

New iPad Pros will reportedly get a speed boost with a new chip similar to Apple’s M1, a Thunderbolt port for faster transfers and compatibility with more devices, and support for 5G. The larger 12.9-inch Pro may also be the first Apple device to feature a Mini LED display, though a display and component shortage could limit how many tablets Apple is able to produce and sell.

There’s plenty of other hanging threads, too: the long-rumored AirTags could show up, Apple may have a new podcast strategy, the Apple Pencil could get a redesign, new AirPods could make an appearance, the MacBook Pro might finally get its ports back, and there are always plenty of opportunities for surprises.

We’ll be watching live and keeping you updated here with everything Apple announces.

apple-launches-$200-million-fund-for-climate-change

Apple launches $200 million fund for climate change

Apple has created a $200 million fund to invest in forestry projects to help remove carbon from the atmosphere while also generating financial returns for its investors, the company said Thursday. The Restore Fund will invest in forest properties that are managed to increase carbon removal and produce timber. The goal is to remove 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually from the atmosphere.

Apple said last year it wants to eliminate its contributions to climate change and become carbon neutral by 2030. The company says it will directly eliminate 75 percent of emissions from its supply chain and products by 2030, and the Restore Fund will help address the other 25 percent of its emissions. Apple’s partners in the Restore Fund include the nonprofit Conservation International and the Goldman Sachs group which will manage the fund.

“Through creating a fund that generates both a financial return as well as real, and measurable carbon impacts, we aim to drive broader change in the future — encouraging investment in carbon removal around the globe,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, said in a statement. “Our hope is that others share our goals and contribute their resources to support and protect critical ecosystems.”

Apple said it will work with organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council and Verra to help determine the projects in which it will invest. The company didn’t say what the fund’s target returns would be but said it would “unlock the potential of this natural solutions by scaling it in a way that makes it attractive to businesses.”

There’s some controversy around the strategy of using forests as a way of offsetting greenhouse emissions. The World Economic Forum launched an initiative last year to plant a trillion trees to cut emissions. But its effort cited a study that greatly overestimated the impact such an effort would have on the environment, researchers later found.

apple-fitness-plus-adds-new-workouts-designed-specifically-for-pregnant,-beginner,-and-older-users

Apple Fitness Plus adds new workouts designed specifically for pregnant, beginner, and older users

Apple is adding a variety of new workouts to its $9.99-per-month Fitness Plus service, including programs designed specifically for beginners and workouts tailored for both pregnant and elderly users.

“With more options for getting started, and staying active and healthy during pregnancy as well as at any age or fitness level, we hope even more people will be inspired to keep moving with our amazing team of passionate trainers,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of fitness technologies, in a press release.

The new “Workouts for Pregnancy” program consists of 10 workouts across Apple’s strength, core, and mindful cooldown categories. Each workout is about 10 minutes long and designed specifically for pregnant users, with variations and suggestions for modifying the exercises as a pregnancy progresses.

“Workouts for Older Adults,” as the name implies, is a series of eight workouts meant for elderly users. The workouts are generally designed to use either light dumbbells or the user’s bodyweight and feature modifications to use chairs or walls to assist as needed.

And for beginners who are new to working out (or starting again after a long break), Apple is adding new low-impact yoga, HIIT, and strength classes to help ease newcomers into fitness with basic exercises.

Lastly, Apple Fitness Plus is also adding a new “Time to Walk” episode: an Earth Day-themed program featuring Jane Fonda.

The newly added Workouts for Pregnancy, Workouts for Older Adults, and Workouts for Beginners, as well as the new Jane Fonda Time to Walk episode, will be added to Apple Fitness Plus on Monday, April 19th.

iphone-13-leaks-reveal-“strange”-camera-arrangement

iPhone 13 leaks reveal “strange” camera arrangement

(Image credit: MySmartPrice)

iPhone 13 leaks aren’t unusual, but the latest disclosure is more intriguing than normal. A new 3D render (above) suggests Apple could be making some “strange” design changes, claims 9to5Mac.

The renders originate from MySmartPrice, which tips the iPhone 13 for an iPhone 12-like design and a smaller notch. The same publication also claims the iPhone 13 could boast two front cameras, though we’d take that with a generous pinch of salt.

The biggest surprise, however, is the new camera bump: it seems to sport a pretty radical ‘diagonal arrangement’. The cameras are stacked vertically on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, but on the iPhone 13 the rear lenses are depicted top-left and bottom right of the camera module. Cue much head-scratching. 

We’re expecting very few technical upgrades to the iPhone 13 cameras, so it seems curious (or unlikely) that Apple would rejig the position of the lenses. Could it be an aesthetic choice? And will the design of the triangular camera on the iPhone 13 Pro models also be changing?

One theory is that the reshuffle could free up space for a LIDAR sensor, but that would more than likely be reserved for the more expensive Pro models. Others have questioned the authenticity of the leak. As 9to5Mac says, MySmartPrice has a good track record when it comes to iPhone renders but past material has typically surfaced with the approval of respected leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks). We shall see.

In the market for a new smartphone? The iPhone 13 is tipped for an 120Hz OLED display that uses variable refresh rate technology to prolong the battery life. It’s not due to drop until September but in the meantime, Cupertino is expected to unveil a new iPad Pro at its Spring Loaded event on 20th April.

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