As online ads fail, sites mine cryptocurrency

Between the incessant headlines and chatter on social media, it feels like everywhere we go some libertarian evangelist appears asking us if we have a second to talk about the blockchain — like a religious wingnut lurking outside the grocery store.

The fever for a magic internet money no one actually understands is definitely something akin to religious fervor right now.

In the biggest example of blind faith yet, people are apparently mortgaging their homes to buy Bitcoin as it soars to previously unimagined value. At the time of publishing, one Bitcoin is worth over $16,000 — far above its worth this time last year when it was $807. But good luck finding places to spend it: Bitcoin is getting mainstream adoption, but you still can’t pay your credit card bill with it. The whole thing has a vibe that portends disaster, or at the very least, the beginning of a lot of stories about scammers making bank while normal people get hoodwinked.

So it’s no wonder that the always-sketchy, ever-scammy, and terminally exploitative online ad industry is starting to get replaced in favor of cryptocurrency mining — the nonconsensual use of a website visitor’s computer to make more imaginary coins.

The trend emerged in September, yet it’s making news this week thanks to Twitter user Noah Dinkin spotting a Starbucks location overtaxing its customers’ machines to mine for the cryptocurrency Monero (without their knowledge). The Starbucks reward site for Argentina was using its portal to run Coinhive’s code (by way of injecting scripts, like a malware attack) to farm Monero coins on Starbucks customers who were using the coffee giant’s wifi. Starbucks still hasn’t responded to public inquiries about the cryptocurrency miner, causing speculation that the company may be purposely doing the illicit mining.

The wider public started to really hear about Coinhive in early September, with the Pirate Bay’s attempt to run a cryptocurrency miner off its website. Pirate Bay angered its visitors with the experiment, who at first suspected foul play, with Coinhive’s non-consensual use of computer resources to farm magic internet money. There was a backlash, and Pirate Bay abandoned its Coinhive experiment.

Coinhive and Monero popped up in headlines again just a few weeks after that, at the end of September, when it was found in TV channel Showtime’s websites. The company never commented on the Coinhive issue, but speculation was that it was testing the new trend of supplementing advertising with cryptocurrency mining.

Soon after that, a new problem emerged with the rush to cash in on crypto coins: vulnerable IoT devices. Because of course if there’s anything else that can go wrong with your connected toaster and security-challenged baby monitor, it will. Now, these dumb devices are letting jerks creep into our homes to drain electricity and device resources to mine Monero. (And it takes a lot of electricity to mine these bubblelicious tokens of maybe-money.)

In October TrendMicro started documenting the rising trend of cryptocurrency mining malware and its use of smart home devices like “home routers, IP cameras, and even smartphones.” The company warned that “it takes a huge amount of power and resources to mine cryptocurrency, and the rising value will only motivate attackers to pursue it directly using more aggressive means.”

Monero is one of an infinite number of ridiculously named cryptocurrencies in circulation right now. Are they worth anything? Maybe! Let me consult some runes and get back to you.

Everyone knows Bitcoin, and other coins of similarly volatile, fluctuating value go by names such as Etherium, Litecoin, Ripple, Monero, Zcash, Populous, TRON, Einsteinium … and so on. Monero bills itself as “a secure, private, untraceable cryptocurrency based on the CryptoNote protocol.” As of this writing, one Monero is worth $327.82. But good luck finding places to spend it.

Come back pop-up ads, all is forgiven

Coinhive and its method of farming is much more ubiquitous. Coinhive is a JavaScript library that mines Monero by using the CPU resources of users visiting websites. Coinhive’s shady website, which is blocked by most ad blockers, entices users to “Monetize Your Business With Your Users’ CPU Power” and “Run your site without ads.”

Which is exactly what some businesses have started doing. So have malicious hackers who are popping open websites and inserting the Coinhive code to run it without anyone knowing. Security blog BleepingComputer noted that “Coinhive has been recently adopted by a large number of malware operations, such as malvertisers, adware developers, rogue Chrome extensions, and website hackers, who secretly load the code in a page’s background and make money off unsuspecting users.”

Like with online advertising, which is generally considered unwanted, unsafe and prone to infectious malvertising, security-minded companies and ad blockers are lining up against the use of things like Coinhive. Ad blocker AdGuard calls it “crypto-jacking” and this week posted that the practice “has soared to even greater heights,” calling out four popular streaming sites for using it. Those sites are Openload, Streamango, Rapid Video, and OnlineVideoConverter.

In October Malwarebytes joined ad-block plugins in preventing Coinhive’s JavaScript from running in web pages, because “there are site owners who do not ask for their users’ permission to start running CPU-gorging applications on their systems” and saying Coinhive was the second most-frequently blocked website for its customers. More ad blockers are taking up the charge by protecting unsuspecting users from Coinhive, such as uBlock Origin.

The miners are now considered malware. Popular anti-DDoS service Cloudflare, which is busy trying to figure out how to let neo-Nazi sites back on their platform, took a more drastic step to block Coinhive scripts and sites that use them.

These security companies aren’t psychic: It’s crystal-clear that this kind of exploitation isn’t going away. It’s only going to get worse as blockchain’s fervor continues to mystify the wider public and consume the greedy and desperate with its lure of a quick buck. Which is pretty much the story of how everything on the internet sucks right now. I mean, it’s really neat to be subjected to the exploitation of another Libertarian fantasy wealth experiment gone wrong.

In other words, it’s time for less trust and more self-defense. Avoiding cryptocurrency miners isn’t going to be easy, but using products like uBlock Origin who are taking an early stand is a good place to start. So is blocking Javascript (in browser settings).

Avoiding the blockchain version of Hare Krishnas, on the other hand, is going to be trickier. But totally worth it.

Images: NurPhoto via Getty Images (Bitcash); Getty (Monero logo).

Buy an Xbox One X and get ‘PUBG’ free for a limited time

From December 17th through the 31st, Microsoft will give everyone who purchases an Xbox One X a copy of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. A post on Xbox Wire says that over a million people played the battle royale game within 48 hours of being available. Not bad for a game that hasn’t even hit 1.0 yet. The move makes a lot of sense; the folks who’ve play PUBG in Early Access for almost a year are exactly the type of audience Microsoft has been targeting with its “most powerful console ever” One X marketing campaign. That said, the appeal lovably clunky game might be lost on the folks who are buying the $500 console just to show off their new 4K TV.

Source: Xbox Wire

Facebook tackles the question of whether social media is bad for us

As part of its “Hard Questions” series, Facebook took on the question of whether social media is good or bad for us. Citing a handful of academic studies, some done by Facebook researchers, Facebook Director of Research David Ginsberg and research scientist Moira Burke say that it can be both and it really depends on how you use it.

In general, the research seems to suggest that if you use social media like Facebook to connect with others, there can be benefits, but if you’re using it more passively and mostly just reading content, there can be some negative effects. In one study, researchers showed that students who read Facebook for 10 minutes were in a worse mood by the end of the day than students who posted or talked to friends on Facebook. In another, people who sent or received more messages, comments and Timeline posts said they experienced improvements in social support and fewer feelings of depression and loneliness.

Some of the negatives and positives that come out of engaging with social media seem to be linked to envy and self-affirmation. For example, one study showed that those who looked at their own profiles experienced greater self-affirmation than those that looked at a stranger’s profile.

You can check out more about Facebook’s research in the video below.

Facebook says it’s taking this research and implementing its findings in order to create a better experience for its users. “We employ social psychologists, social scientists and sociologists, and we collaborate with top scholars to better understand well-being and work to make Facebook a place that contributes in a positive way,” Ginsberg and Burke say. And they point to features like a better News Feed, the new Snooze option, its suicide prevention tools and its Take a Break feature as examples of putting this research into action.

This is a different approach than the one former Facebook President Sean Parker recently described. At an Axios event last month, Parker said that likes and comments were how Facebook and other social networks drew in more users, calling it a “vulnerability in human psychology” that he and Mark Zuckerberg understood and saying, “We did it anyway.”

In their blog post, Ginsberg and Burke conclude, “We don’t have all the answers, but given the prominent role social media now plays in many people’s lives, we want to help elevate the conversation. In the years ahead we’ll be doing more to dig into these questions, share our findings and improve our products.”

Source: Facebook

Apple Music’s next exclusives come from Noel Gallagher and Sam Smith

Apple isn’t slowing down on exclusives any time soon. It’s releasing Apple Music-only concert films from two British superstars, Noel Gallagher and Sam Smith. Gallagher’s Who Built the Moon Live recaptures an early November gig at London’s York Hall, where he played both cuts from his new album as well as the near-obligatory Oasis hits. Smith’s The Thrill of It All Live, meanwhile, relives an “intimate” London gig that delved into both his own catalog as well as guest spots on tracks from the likes of Disclosure.

Concert videos certainly aren’t new territory for Apple. It has had high-profile videos from Arcade Fire, P!nk and Taylor Swift, among others. However the one-two combo of Gallagher and Smith illustrates its strategy: it’s determined to become the go-to source for concert videos, to the point where it can launch two major exclusives from one country in one day. That’s not so hot if you don’t want to subscribe to its ecosystem, but it might give Apple an edge over Spotify, Tidal and others who’ve mostly had to rely on audio exclusives to attract listeners.

Via: 9to5Mac

Source: Apple (YouTube 1), (2)

Google Maps will now tell you when to get off the bus or train

A mass transit feature for the Android version of Google Maps that notifies you when you need to get off the bus is finally live. It also includes step-by-step navigation, departure times and ETAs for your next public transportation ride. You can also track your progress as you go, just like you can when walking, biking or driving.

Finding the feature is pretty simple: just drop into Google Maps on your Android phone, enter your destination, select directions for Transit and tap on the route you want to take. Hit the Start button and you’re golden.

Via: The Verge

Source: Google

iTunes isn’t coming to the Windows Store this year after all

iTunes for Windows users are going to be disappointed. Despite the promises of both Apple and Microsoft to bring the popular music and app software to the Microsoft Store this year, it appears as if we’ll all have to wait a little longer.

“We have been working with Microsoft to deliver the full iTunes experience to our customers and we need a little more time to get it right,” an Apple spokesperson told ZDNet via email. ZDNet notes that Windows 10 S users can only run apps that come from the Microsoft Store, meaning they can’t load iTunes any other way. The site also reports that while plans are likely still in place to put iTunes on Windows, neither Apple nor Microsoft has been clear about when, or even why it’s being held up. We’ve reached out to both companies for more details and will update this post when we hear back.

Source: ZDNet

Google Chrome beta delivers mute tool for autoplay videos

Months ago, a blog post by the good developers of Chrome let its users know that come January, users would be free of audio from autoplaying videos. As far as we know, those upgrades is still on track to arrive in early 2018 for all users, but you can get this feature (among others) today by downloading the Chrome 64 beta.

The autoplay-muting setting is located in the beta version’s permissions bar, which can be accessed from the icons next to the URL (either an ‘i’ for info or a green padlock), notes 9to5Google. You’ll have to do this with each and every website, but it should still block sound when navigating to other pages within the site.

The beta includes other upgrades too, like a stronger pop-up blocker and better protection from malicious prompts that try to automatically redirect users to other websites. It also adds HDR video playback for Windows 10 users in HDR mode, a “Split View” multitasking feature for Chrome OS and other developer tweaks. If you’re interested, download the beta here.

Via: 9to5Google, Gizmodo

Source: Google Chrome blog

MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Messenger Bag or iPhone Camera Bag From WaterField Designs

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with WaterField Designs to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win either a Vitesse Messenger Bag or an iPhone Camera Bag.

The Vitesse Messenger Bag, priced at $159 (or $169 with cycling strap) is made from a stylish waxed canvas in brown or navy. It holds up to a 15-inch MacBook Pro in an unpadded laptop pocket, and it also has several additional pockets that can hold an iPad and other accessories.

In addition to the laptop compartment, there are two waterproof zip pockets at the front, a main inner compartment, a hidden ultrasuede-lined phone pocket, and three accessory compartments for cables, battery packs, and other small devices.

The Vitesse is designed for commuting, with a nylon adjustable strap and optional stabilizer messenger strap, but it also looks nice enough to take into the office.

WaterField Designs’ iPhone Camera Bag, priced at $99 for black ballistic nylon or $129 for leather, is designed to hold an iPhone, mobile lenses, and a small tripod, while remaining compact and easy to carry.

There’s a pocket for holding a cell phone and battery, a mesh zipper pocket for accessories like cords, and a customizable lens pocket with four dividers that can be rearranged to fit each user’s needs.

The body of the camera bag is lined with foam to keep everything safe, secure, and protected from drops, and soft lining prevents scratches. Using a set of straps at the bottom, you can also attach a small mobile tripod. It can be used with either a shoulder strap or hooked into a belt using leather loops.

We have one of each of these bags from WaterField Designs to give away. To enter to win, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

a Rafflecopter giveawayThe contest will run from today (December 15) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on December 22. The winners will be chosen randomly on December 22 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Tags: giveaway, WaterField Designs
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iTunes Not Coming to Microsoft’s Windows Store in 2017

At its Build developer event earlier this year, Microsoft said Apple was planning to bring its iTunes app to the Windows 10 store, making it easier for Windows users to find the software.

At the time, Microsoft said the app would be available in the Windows Store “by the end of this year,” a deadline Apple now says it’s not going to be able to make.

“We have been working with Microsoft to deliver the full iTunes experience to our customers and we need a little more time to get it right,” an Apple spokesperson told ZDNet.

Both companies are still working to get iTunes into the Windows Store, according to ZDNet’s sources, but there is no updated timeline on when it might be available. Apple also did not provide details on why it’s taking so long to wrap up the transition to the Windows Store.

Most Windows users can download the iTunes software outside of the Windows Store, but Windows 10 S users will need to do without iTunes for the time being as that’s a version of Windows that can only run apps available in the Microsoft Store.

Tags: Microsoft, Windows 10, iTunes
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Apple to Open First Store in South Korea on December 30

Apple’s first official retail store in South Korea is set to open just before the end of the year on Saturday, December 30, reports Korean site ETNews [Google Translate].

Much of the work on the upcoming store in Seoul’s Gangnam district was finished in November, and the construction company that renovated it says that Apple’s plan is to open it up on December 30. Barring any special problems at the last stage of construction, the store is likely to open up on that date at 10:00 a.m. local time. Hiring and training for the store has also been completed.

Image via ETNews
Apple retail store chief Angela Ahrendts is rumored to be planning to attend the opening of the first Korean Apple Store, which ETNews says features the same modern design that’s been introduced in many Apple Stores around the world over the course of the last couple of years.

Specifically, the site says there’s a wide glass front and 18 product tables showing off iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks. This is a two-floor store, and other areas like the “Today at Apple” meeting place and the Genius Grove may be located upstairs.

The store is located in the upscale Garosugil shopping district in Gangnam, which houses ritzy restaurants, cafes, and high-end stores.

Apple has recently opened several new locations in Asia, including Taiwan and Singapore. This particular store in South Korea could be Apple’s 500th store, so long as no additional Apple Stores open before December 30.

Apple currently has 499 Apple retail stores around the world, not counting Apple Watch boutiques and taking into account the recent closure of the Simi Valley Apple Store. Apple’s new Visitor’s Center at Apple Park was the 498th store, while the 499th is the new store located in Downtown Brooklyn, which opened in late November.

Related Roundup: Apple Stores
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