Year: 2016

If your Macs EtherNet port stopped working, here's how to fix it

Dan Uff February 29, 2016 0

Last week, Apple issued an update that mistakenly disables a Mac's etherNet port. Because of this, Apple has issued a support document on how to get it back.

First, check your version number:
1. While pressing the Option key, click the Apple menu and select System Information.
2. Expand the Software section and select Installations.
3. Click on the Software Name column header to sort the list alphabetically.
4. Look for “Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data.”
5. If the most recent version installed is 3.28.1, then follow the steps below.

If you can connect to WiFi, follow these steps to update to version 3.28.2:
1. Open the Terminal app.
2. Type this command to update to the current version of the “Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data” kernel extension:

sudo softwareupdate –background

3. Quit Terminal and restart your Mac.

If you can’t connect to WiFi, follow these steps to update to version 3.28.2:
1. Follow the instructions to restart your Mac in OS X Recovery. After your Mac restarts, go to step 2.
2. Select Disk Utility from the list of OS X Utilities.
3. Select your drive from the list of internal drives in the sidebar. The default name is “Macintosh HD.” Your drive might have a different name or location, if you renamed or moved it.
4. If the drive name is gray, then your drive might be protected by FileVault. Select File > Unlock from the Disk Utility menu, and enter your FileVault password.
5. Select File > Mount in Disk Utility to mount your drive, if it’s not already mounted.
6. Quit Disk Utility. If you’d like to be able to copy and paste the command required in Step 8, select Get Help Online from the OS X Utilities list to open Safari and view this article on Apple’s support site at support.apple.com/kb/HT6672. Quit Safari before you go to the next step.
7. Launch the Terminal app from Utilities > Terminal.
8. Type (or copy and paste) this command as one line in Terminal. In the example below, the drive name is “Macintosh HD,” and there’s a space between Macintosh and HD. If your Mac’s drive name is different, adjust the text:

rm -rf “/Volumes/Macintosh HD/System/Library/Extensions/AppleKextExcludeList.kext”

9. Quit the Terminal app.
10. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
11. After your Mac restarts, your Ethernet connection should work.
12. Open the Terminal app and type this command to update to the current version of the “Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data” kernel extension:

sudo softwareupdate –background

13. Quit Terminal and restart your Mac.

Alternatively, if you confirmed that your Mac has Incompatible Kernel Extension Configuration Data version 3.28.1, you can also follow the instructions to restart your Mac into OS X Recovery mode, and then select Reinstall OS X. You can reinstall OS X on your drive without reformatting it.

Source: Apple Inc.

Apple to Court: Government can't force us to write code

Dan Uff February 26, 2016 0

In a filing Thursday, Apple argued the court order violated its constitutional rights under the First and Fifth Amendments.

The U.S. Department of Justice had asked Apple to write special code that would enable the FBI to bypass the iPhone's lock-out function, which would wipe the only key to information on the device after 10 wrong passcode attempts.

In its filing, released early before a Friday deadline, Apple called the "conscription" of an American company to do the government's bidding "unprecedented."

"Nothing in federal law allows the courts, at the request of prosecutors, to coercively deputize Apple and other companies to serve as a permanent arm of the government's forensics lab," Apple stated in court documents.

It said the government's request violated the company's Fifth Amendment right to be free from "arbitrary deprivation of its liberty by government."

It also said that the court's request violated its First Amendment right to free speech -- arguing that writing code is protected speech under the Constitution. "When Apple designed iOS 8, it wrote code that announced the value it placed on data security and the privacy of citizens by omitting a back door," the filing stated.

If the government succeeds in having Apple "write new software that advances its contrary views," then Apple's free speech is violated.

In repeated public appearances, Apple representatives have said that the government's demands would ultimately make iPhones less safe. If the company creates a "back door" for law enforcement, it would also be available for criminals and other bad actors.

"The government wants to compel Apple to create a crippled and insecure product," Apple said in court documents.

The government has argued that its request is for this one iPhone alone, and it wouldn't create vulnerabilities for the millions of other iPhones.

Apple disagrees: "This is not a case about one isolated iPhone."

The company said it fears the government will repeatedly force Apple to create code for future criminal investigations, potentially making it churn out code on demand, a request it calls "unreasonably burdensome."

On a call with reporters, an Apple executive said the company didn't know for sure how long it would take, noting it had never done anything like this before.

But in the filing, Apple revealed it could meet the FBI's demand by assigning six to 10 engineers, working two to four weeks.

In written testimony, an Apple employee nicknamed the software "GovtOS."

In a response Thursday afternoon, the Department of Justice said Apple is only now raising legal objections to something it never had a problem with before.

Justice Department spokeswoman Melanie Newman said the only thing that's changed is "Apple's recent decision to reverse its long-standing cooperation in complying with All Writs Act orders."

The government will have an opportunity to respond to Apple by March 10, and Apple can offer one final reply by March 15.

Attorneys for Apple and the government are due in court on March 22. A federal magistrate-judge will hear their arguments and make a ruling soon after.

The tense fight between Apple (AAPL, Tech30) and the government have set off a fierce debate about security, privacy and encryption.

No matter what the magistrate-judge ultimately rules, it is widely expected that the case will be appealed, perhaps up to the Supreme Court.

Other tech companies, including Amazon (AMZN, Tech30), Facebook (FB, Tech30), Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) and Twitter (TWTR, Tech30) plan to come forward in support of Apple's case though an amicus brief.

Via: CNN/Money

IBM Brings Swift to the Enterprise via the Cloud

Dan Uff February 25, 2016 0

In a move aimed at simplifying the development of end-to-end development of apps, IBM is the first cloud computing provider to enable the development of applications in native Swift. The next phase of IBM's roadmap brings Swift to the cloud with a preview of Swift runtime, as well as a Swift Package Catalog to help developers create enterprise apps.

There are three ways developers can now use Swift on the IBM Cloud:

Experiment in the Swift sandbox: Quickly experiment with open sourced Swift, ramp up your skill set and learn what Swift can do for your enterprise by checking out new enhancements to the Swift Sandbox.
Develop and deploy: Start building end-to-end applications on Bluemix and quickly deploy them with Kitura, a new open source web server released by IBM, on both OS X and Linux.
Share Swift resources: Leverage code across projects by creating packages and submitting them to the Swift Package Catalog on Bluemix to encourage sharing of new Swift resources with the global developer community.

IBM touted its role as one of the largest users of Swift for mobile app development. Big Blue said its understanding of Swift and knowledge in assisting enterprises will maximize "the true potential" for server-side Swift.

"Modern digital apps require a modern programming language. Swift is easy-to-learn, reliable, fast and interactive, the key traits that CIOs look for when building the next generation of enterprise mobile apps," said Michael Gilfix, vice president of IBM MobileFirst Offering Management. "Swift on the Cloud is an opportunity for enterprises to radically simplify the development of end-to-end applications and therefore reach new levels of productivity."

According to IBM, bringing Swift to the server will break down barriers between front-end and back-end development. This will enable enterprises to use a single language to build rich experiences and back-end business logic.

Swift on the server will also allow developers to have a simpler and more secure toolchain for end-to-end creation of applications.

Apple and IBM laid the groundwork for Swift development in the cloud last December, when Apple made Swift open source, and IBM introduced a simple browser-based way for developers to get started writing code.

Via: AppleInsider.com

Tim Cook appears on ABC's World News – Pleads Case for Apple going against FBI

Dan Uff February 25, 2016 0

On Wednesday evening, Apple CEO Tim Cook went on ABC's World News Tonight show to lay out why Apple won't help the FBI in the case of the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone.

In questioning Cook, Muir first addressed public opinion, which relates the ongoing encryption debate directly — and solely — with 14 people who lost their lives in last year's San Bernardino terrorist attack. Cook, however, remained resolute in his stance that creating a software workaround endangers hundreds of millions of Apple customers.

"It's not like we have information on this phone in the next office over. We have no other information on this phone. None," Cook said. "The only way we know to get additional information is to write a piece of software that is the software equivalent of cancer. That is what is at stake here."

Put more succinctly, Cook said "the future is at stake" in Apple's legal battle for user privacy.

For those of you who have not seen the interview, we are including it below. Please feel free to comment about this in our comment area.

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