More details on this one here: http://superuser.com/questions/349740/mac-os-x-lion-10-7-2-update-breaks-ssl

10.7.2 introduced a security patch that addressed the “Security Captive Portal Hijacking” hacks that were emerging. Part of the “fix” involves verifying certificate status using OCSP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) and/or a CRL (Certificate Revocation List). The problem there is that when you’re actually trying to access the web via a captive portal, typically all SSL requests are sent to the portal’s server, including those used to verify the SSL certificates. This results in a bit of an infinite loop;  you get a corrupted keychain, and cannot load SSL websites anymore even after ditching the “problematic” connection.

Until Apple provides an update, here’s he fix: Disable your web connection and reboot. This will repair your keychain. (I opened Keychain access and removed the “unknown” cert from my login keychain as well, after rebooting). Then re-enable your connection and you should be back in business (Ideally connect to a network that doesn’t use a portal now!)

If you run into similar problems and have 1Password installed, clear out that directory to remove it and try again! Hope this helps someone else…

I dove into the source, and found the <video> tag, and the source file, an HTTP Streaming .m3u8 playlist file. I downloaded the sl_mvp.m3u8 file it an opened it in TextEdit. Inside were the links to the various quality program stream playlists:

#EXT-X-STREAM-INF:PROGRAM-ID=1, BANDWIDTH=1308077

http://qthttp.apple.com.edgesuite.net/11ajdjnvkjnd10weoihf23ohfoihqw/2540/prog_index.m3u8

I figured the higher the bandwidth, the higher the quality, so I went with the highest. I then downloaded the prog_index.m3u8 file, which contained a sequential list of the transport stream chunks of the video. Each segment was about 10 seconds long. this file contained two important pieces of information: The base file name (fileSequenceXXX.ts), and the total number of chunks (486) for this stream. I figured this would be a perfect use for OS X’s built in curl utility and fired up the Terminal. I made a new folder for my video chunks, cd’d into it, and ran curl:

curl -O http://qthttp.apple.com.edgesuite.net/11ajdjnvkjnd10weoihf23ohfoihqw/2540/fileSequence[0-486].ts

hitting return went about downloading all 487 chunks. When all 1.6GB were done, I had to merge them together. Because these are transport streams, cat works well enough:

cat * > ~/output.ts

That command makes a file called output.ts in my home folder by merging all the small chunks in the folder together (I did use Automator to rename the files to three digit numbers just in case my shell’s file ordering was different than the Finder).

QuickTime X has no problem playing back this H264 video, AAC audio transport stream file directly, which is great: Mission accomplished. But being the perfectionist I am, I felt the need to try and maximize compatibility and get the .ts into a .mov or .mp4 container. VLC did this for me no problem using its wonderful export wizard, but for whatever reason when I played back the resultant .mov (or .mp4) in QuickTime I got black video. VLC played it fine. I’ll look into this more later, but here’s to hoping this info can help someone else!

Full Text: Tomek v Apple, FCS038512

*Update* As is par for the course in Apple’s legal strategy, Apple has filed a Motion to Dismiss. Alex Tomek and his lawyer(s) have requested (and received) a continuance, delaying the hearing for the Motion to Dismiss until 2:00PM on February 23rd, 2012.

Continuance Order Full Text: Alex Tomek v Apple, Case # 2:11-cv-02700-MCE-DAD

Image Credit Ryan Katsanes

*Update 10/31/2011* Now that the 4S has been out for a few weeks, here is a summary of the handset’s unlock status by carrier (in the United States):

AT&T

• iPhone 4S handsets sold at subsidized prices are permanently carrier locked to AT&T
• Handsets sold at full “no contract” price are carrier unlocked and can be used on any GSM carrier worldwide
• Phone can never be activated/used on a CDMA network

Original Post: As most of the mobile phone wielding world population knows already, the next generation iPhone 4S was announced earlier today. While the phone boasts many features, including a new processor and camera, the most exciting by far to me is its multi band radio, which supports just about every 3G frequency out there (Except for T-Mobile USA’s 1700MHz band):

UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz)

While the question of subsidized vs unsubsidized pricing has been pretty much answered at this point (See table, after the break), the questions of unlocked phones, and the ability to switch/choose carriers at will have not. While this new phone presents a tremendous opportunity for the consumer, it would appear that Apple has made the change purely to optimize their supply chain and not to benefit the end user at all.

The footnotes on the new tech spec page do list the opportunity to switch carriers with such blurbs as “When available, transferring your mobile number to a different service provider will terminate your service with your existing provider; termination fees and other charges may apply.” It also includes this gem right after, “The iPhone model you purchase is subject to your wireless service provider’s policies, which may include restrictions on switching service providers and roaming, even after conclusion of any required minimum service contract,” which is unfortunately inline with AT&T and Apple’s current ludicrous practices of not unlocking iPhones even after contracts are up. (Allowing AT&T to force second hand iPhone buyers onto their network instead of switching to T-Mobile, for example).

The terms also state that purchasing an unlocked iPhone is “for supported GSM wireless service provider networks only,” alluding to the fact that it may be impossible to buy an unlocked CDMA phone that you could use on your choice of Verizon, Sprint, and China Telecom.

They also state that “CDMA available only if iPhone 4S is sold and activated for use on a CDMA network,” indicating if you buy your phone from Apple unlocked or through a GSM carrier like AT&T, that your phone will never be able to use its CDMA frequencies. What remains to be seen is whether or not a phone purchased from Sprint or Verizon could be used on a GSM network like AT&T or others worldwide. My best guess? If you buy a Verizon or Sprint iPhone, it will come with a Verizon/Vodaphone or Sprint sim card (Or you’ll be able to get one on request), and the phone will be locked to that sim.

Clearly the carriers–Apple’s primary customers–have a fiduciary interest in protecting their profits, covering subsidized phone costs and re-paying Apple for multi-year contracts. Unfortunately, phone locking helps them do this. And this leaves us consumers unable to reap the benefits that a free market fully unlocked iPhone would provide– true competition, better service, and lower prices.

If I’m paying an unsubsidized/unlocked price for an iPhone, I want to be able to use it on whatever carrier I choose. I want to be able to register it with Sprint or with Verizon, to put in a sim from AT&T, T-Mobile, or any worldwide GSM carrier and have it just work.

export PATH=$PATH:/path/you/want/to/add

to your ~/.bash_profile. If .bash_profile doesn’t exist in your home folder, you can make it. Remember, order in your path takes precedence (a binary found in a folder listed first will get used over one found later), so if you want to override the system tools/etc you may want to *prepend* your new path to the existing one:

export PATH=/path/you/want/to/add:$PATH

Another one I always forget: Terminal colors (for showing directories, files, symlinks, etc color coded)! For those, just add

export CLICOLOR=1
export LSCOLORS=ExFxCxDxBxegedabagacad

to your .bash_profile. Hope this helps someone!

• 36 watts while charging when sleeping or off
• 60 watts charging while on, CPU 105°F, GPU 100 °F
• 60 watts, watching netflix in chrome. Charging stops (“Not Charging” indicated in battery meter). Stopping playback, wattage drops down to 34watts before charging starts up again. CPU 176°F, GPU 160°F, 100% single CPU core usage.
• 70 watts watching Netflix in Safari. Battery remains charging. CPU 151°F, GPU 142°F, 44% single CPU core usage.
• 90 watts, 8 instances of yes >/dev/null. CPU 182°F, GPU 151°F, all cores 100% with CPU usage.
• 65 watts, Playing Portal. CPU 184°F, GPU 164°F. Charging stops.

The enclosure temperature was relatively constant at around ~80°F

Clearly there is in fact a real problem. The data suggests that it is not a heat or a CPU load problem, as the computer stays charging even under full CPU load. It would seem that high GPU load is what causes the problem (perhaps high GPU load coupled with high CPU load, though it seems the GPU is the main cause here), and that problem is that the 85watt power supply Apple provided with the machine appears to not be able to deliver enough current to run the machine and charge the battery under full load.

My machine is a quad 2.2GHz Core i7, 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6750M, with 8GB Ram running 10.6.7. I have yet to bring this problem to Apple, but I will, as the mere fact that I’m unnecessarily increasing my battery cycle count is disconcerting, and it is incredibly annoying to have charging time vary wildly based on machine load (and in some cases, never have the battery charge at all if the machine is used to watch Netflix movies in Chrome, for example).

*Update* Reported this as a bug to Apple via radar, ID # 9271122

Today, the MPAA announced it has filed a lawsuit against the new movie rental and streaming service, Zediva. Zediva’s business model is to buy physical DVD copies of new release DVDs and rent the physical disc, along with a DVD player in their data centers, to the customer. The idea being to cleverly skirt around needing to license performance rights for digital streaming, as the end user is participating in a private, not public performance of the film. Because of this, they are able to get new releases into the hands of consumers as soon as the DVD is released, often many weeks sooner than the big boys like Netflix can get them out under their restrictive license agreements.

You can read the MPAA’s PR here, and the actual lawsuit filed here.

The MPAA is arguing that Zediva is being disingenuous in calling itself a brick and mortar DVD store, and that Zediva is in fact publicly performing the movies, violating the Copyright holders’ exclusive right to do so: “[the d]efendants’ transmissions of the performances of Plaintiffs’ works are to the public.”

A few weeks ago, James Grimmelmann predicted the lawsuit, citing several existing cases, including one about a movie rental store renting movies to customers to view in private rental booths: http://laboratorium.net/archive/2011/03/16/that_zediva_thing_its_so_not_going_to_work

That Redd Horne case is certainly an interesting one, and the court found Redd Horne in violation of copyright law, arguing that the service they provided was no different in spirit to one that a movie theater provides, and therefore constitutes a public performance: “Simply because the cassettes can be viewed in private does not mitigate the essential fact that Maxwell’s is unquestionably open to the public.”

And then there’s this particular gem of a quote, from that same case: “Professor Nimmer’s examination of this definition is particularly pertinent: ‘if the same copy . . . of a given work is repeatedly played (i.e., ‘performed’) by different members of the public, albeit at different times, this constitutes a ‘public’ performance.’”

Here’s my problem with that ruling, and with any negative judgment that goes against Zediva: It is established that both the sale and resale, as well as rentals to consumers are in fact legal under current copyright law. And each of these (resale, rental) represents the exact case where a single copy of a movie is repeatedly played by different members of the public, “albeit at different times”. And unlike Professor Nimmer, I don’t think you’ll find a single person to agree that renting and reselling DVDs constitutes a public performance, especially when those DVDs are played in a customer’s private residence.

And this is where the precedence differs. Unlike the Redd Horne case, Zediva is not “performing” the works in a public place like a movie theater or a video rental store. Movies streamed via Zediva are in fact being performed in the privacy of one’s own home. I would even go one step further, however, and argue that Zediva isn’t performing the works at all, given the fact that it is renting both the player and the disc to the consumer. The consumer is the one pressing play. Therefore, the one “performing” the work is the end user, and not Zediva (in the Redd Horne  case, the store clerks were pushing play). In Zediva’s case, the consumer is the one playing a movie that they have rented, on a player that they have rented, to a display in their own homes. It’s no different then renting a movie at a rental store indeed, except the video cable going from the back of your DVD player to your TV is now hundreds of miles of internet data cable, instead of a few feet of composite, component, or HDMI cable. And last I checked, there were no legal restrictions on the length or type of video cables!

This is all rather silly of course, and highlights perfectly how broken the copyright system in the United States really is, and how it does indeed stifle progress and innovation. Kudos to Zediva for their innovation; I do hope the MPAA wisens up, drops the lawsuit, and opens the floodgates for future innovation and profit utilizing new and exciting technology and delivering content *when and how* the consumer’s want. This is going to be a great case to follow, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on it indeed.

April Fools!

Sorry for the late post, but hopefully this helps some of you prank your friends on this the most glorious of holidays.

This prank is most useful on the iPhone, as I chose the SMS app as the target. It can easily be modified for other apps though, let me know in the comments if you’d like a version with a different icon!

1) Get ahold of the iPhone of an unsuspecting victim

2) Navigate to http://appleguru.org/af in Safari on the iPhone.

3) Tap the “Share” button to add a bookmark to the homescreen (There will be nice onscreen instructions showing you how).

4) Tap “Add to Home Screen” and click Add to confirm.

5) Drag the new fake “Messages” app to the current location of the victim’s real Messages app and, hide the real one my moving it elsewhere (the Utilities folder works well for this).

6) Make sure the volume is all the way up

7) Laugh as they get RickRolled when they go to check their text messages!

This was a fun one to figure out, since in most cases Apple does not allow a video to Autoplay. However, linking to the actual video source causes this to happen. Some modification to Google’s mobile bookmark bubble to add a javascript redirect worked wonders.

Another prank that worked well today, much to the displeasure of my girlfriend, was filling an M&Ms bag up partially with red and blue Skittles. Enjoy!