In response to the DarkSword vulnerabilities, Apple released backported security fixes for several iOS versions. They also started sending push notifications to get users to update:

"Critical Security Update Needed: Apple is aware of attacks targeting out-of-date iOS software, including the version on your iPhone. Install this critical update to protect your iPhone."

How does this notification work? Did they foresee the need to send security alerts and build that capability into iOS years ago? After days of capturing my iPhone 7 network traffic while waiting to get the alert, I finally got it.

Turns out they send a push notification targeted at itunesstored, with identifier com.apple.AMSFollowUpIdentifier.Billing. AMS means Apple Media Services. That sounds like it's the kind of alert they send for "your card was declined when charging your monthly Apple Music subscription".

This notification mechanism is flexible enough that they can set the text to "Critical Security Update Needed" and the link target to prefs:root=General&path=SOFTWARE_UPDATE_LINK so it takes you to the Software Updates screen. That's a clever hack... but man, it's a hack.

Some lucky folks got multiple.

No wonder they're sold out ...

How’s your dystopia going? In Florida they’re making women attend court, by video from their hospital beds, without legal representation, whilst going through labour, because they don’t have rights when there’s a foetus present. Can you fucking imagine.

https://people.com/woman-in-labor-brought-into-zoom-court-refused-c-section-11941448

This week, I just learned that the very cool, kind, interesting woman who was my life coach for over a year when I first moved to the Bay Area has been missing for over a week.

I have not been able to process that.

She helped me get through my breakup, the cross-country move, and the midlife transition I was in. This is terrible.

Now her face is on posters all over the neighborhood.