Apple launches new privacy page and reveals all about Face ID
Apple has launched a revamped privacy page proclaiming that its products are "designed to protect your privacy." Describing privacy as "a fundamental human right," the page explains the privacy functions of apps, Siri, Apple Pay and Touch ID.
The company describes not only how it protects personal data with encryption, but also how it responds to government and legal requests for data. Apple has additionally published a paper which goes into some detail about how the Face ID feature of the iPhone X works -- and reveals its limitations.
Apple is working on a fix for iPhone 8 earpiece crackle
A number of iPhone 8 owners have complained of a crackling sound in their phone's earpiece during calls. The problem is not specific to any particular carrier, and it also affects the iPhone 8 Plus.
Apple says that only a "small number of cases" of the audio problem have been reported, but there are lengthy threads on Reddit and Apple support forums with comments from those suffering with the issue. The good news is that there is a fix in the works and it's going to be delivered as a software update -- so it would seem there is not a physical problem with hardware.
Chinese investment firm buys Imagination Technologies
Leading UK technology company Imagination Technologies is being acquired by a Chinese investment firm in a multi-million pound deal.
CBFI Investment Limited (owned by Canyon Bridge) is shelling out £550m to acquire the hardware maker, based in Kings Langley just outside of London, the parties confirmed late last week.
How to create a bootable macOS 10.13 High Sierra USB drive
There are times when you may not want to use the App Store or the recovery mode to install macOS 10.13 High Sierra on your Mac. So Apple gives you the option of creating a bootable USB drive. You can use it anytime and anywhere to quickly get the operating system running on any compatible Mac. An Internet connection is not even required as everything you need is already on the drive.
Creating a bootable macOS 10.13 High Sierra USB drive is very easy. All you need is a Mac, as the tools provided for the process are only available on OS X and macOS, and a USB drive with a capacity of 8GB or more. I will also explain how to use a dedicated third-party tool, in case you decide that this option suits you better.
Apple now collects data from Safari using differential privacy to identify problem websites
With the launch of macOS High Sierra, Apple is making some changes to Safari. One of the key changes is the introduction of differential privacy technology which gathers data about the websites users visit in order to identify those that are problematic because of high memory usage or crashes.
As the name of the technology implies, as well as gathering useful data from users, one of the key features of differential privacy is that it respects the privacy of individuals. The AI-powered technology keeps, according to Apple's Craig Federighi, "the information of each individual user completely private" while still collecting data that will enable Apple to decide the priority with which it should tackle problematic sites.
macOS High Sierra launch blighted by password-stealing keychain 0-day vulnerability
Apple has only just released macOS High Sierra, but before the update was even out of the door, a 0-day vulnerability had been discovered. A flaw in the Mac keychain makes it possible for malicious applications to steal the contents of the keychain, including plaintext passwords. It affects not only High Sierra, but also older version of macOS.
The way keychain works means that it should not be possible for the keychain to be accessed without providing the master password, but the vulnerability bypasses this requirement. The problem was discovered and demonstrated by security researcher Patrick Wardle from Synack, who is also a former NSA hacker.
Apple releases macOS 10.13 High Sierra, and it is gloriously boring
Today, Apple releases macOS 10.13 High Sierra to the public after a series of beta releases. It has some cool new aspects, but for the most part, its is a very boring release. Don't get me wrong, the new APFS file system and the ability to use an eGPU, for instance, are both very big deals, but let's be honest -- the average user probably won't care.
Overall, the apparent differences are few and far between -- mostly in applications such as Safari and Photos -- and you know what? That is a good thing. The fact that High Sierra is largely uneventful for end users just shows how mature and refined Apple's Unix-like operating system is. Heck, this is probably why the operating system barely got a new name, only going from Sierra to High Sierra.
iOS 11 is causing massive battery drain problems
A study conducted by security research firm Wandera shows that iOS 11 is causing iPhone and iPad batteries to drain faster than ever -- much faster. The difference between iOS 10 and iOS 11 is anything but minor; batteries can drain in half the amount of time following the upgrade.
Wandera's report shows how, on average, an iPhone or iPad running iOS 10 takes 240 minutes of usage to drain the battery from 100 percent to zero. With iOS 11 installed, this number plummets to just 96 minutes -- over twice as fast.
Apple now lets you rent movies from iTunes for 48 hours in the US
Apple has -- at long last -- given the US what people in other parts of the world have enjoyed for a while: the ability to rent movies for 48 hours.
Previously, renters in the US had a mere 24 hours to work their way through a movie after starting it, but Apple has now doubled this timeframe. It means that interruptions are now far less likely to mean that you need to re-rent a movie.
Safari has more security vulnerabilities than all other major browsers combined
Apple's Safari has more security vulnerabilities than Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer combined, according to a new report from Google's Project Zero.
Using an automated testing tool called Domato, Project Zero's Ivan Fratric analyzed the most popular desktop browsers and discovered two security vulnerabilities in Chrome, four in Firefox and Internet Explorer, six in Edge and 17 in Safari.
iPhone 8 Plus has the best smartphone camera
If taking great photos and videos is important to you, then the iPhone 8 Plus is the best smartphone that you can get right now. That's according to camera testing site DxOMark, which says that Apple's new flagship range tops its charts in nearly every category, featuring "outstanding image quality."
The iPhone 8 Plus comes ahead of every other smartphone in DxOMark's mobile rankings, including the smaller iPhone 8 which takes second place. It basically wipes the floor with every other rival flagship, including the well-received Google Pixel and HTC U11.
Warning: Toggles in the iOS 11 Control Center don't let you turn off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
The aesthetics of the new Control Center in iOS 11 has been the source of amusement, debate and disgust in varying measures. But putting the look to one side for a moment, people upgrading to iOS 11 have been disappointed to discover that the toggles for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in the Control Center don't actually turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
For reasons best known to Apple, the toggles disconnect from wireless networks and Bluetooth devices, but the two radios will remain enabled. While the change of functionality is covered in Apple's support documentation, it's not something that is obvious to users. It's hugely unintuitive, drains battery life and, according to security researchers, could leave iOS devices open to attack.
Apple Watch Series 3 is plagued by battery issues and LTE problems
When Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 3 just over a week ago, there was much excitement at the fact that the smartwatch now features LTE connectivity. It's finally possible to make a call from your Apple Watch without having your iPhone nearby -- although there's the slight dampener that the watch does not support roaming.
Now the first reviews of the Apple Watch Series 3 are starting to trickle in and, while they are generally positive, they highlight a couple of issues. Battery life seems to be rather less than was proclaimed at launch, and Apple has also identified LTE issues that prevent the watch from using cellular.
Privacy: With iOS 11 and Safari's cookie blocking, Apple is kicking advertisers in the teeth
Apple news has been dominated -- understandably -- by the launch of the iPhone X, iPhone 8/8Plus and Apple Watch Series 3. But there's also iOS 11 to consider. The latest version of Apple's mobile operating system hit iPhones and iPads around the world yesterday, bringing with it a raft of new features.
The release of iOS 11 includes an updated version of Safari and, importantly, a feature called Intelligent Tracking Prevention. Enabled by default, the feature blocks certain cookies from websites, making it harder for advertisers to follow users around the web. Users and privacy advocates are happy; advertisers, it must be said, are not, saying "Apple's unilateral and heavy-handed approach is bad for consumer choice and bad for the ad-supported online content and services consumers love."
Some of your favorite apps will stop working in iOS 11 -- here's how to find out which
Today is a big day for iPhone and iPad users, as it’s when iOS 11 makes its official debut.
There’s a lot of cool new features in this OS update, including a design refresh, revamped Control Center, a Do Not Disturb driving mode, Siri improvements, and much more. However, iOS 11 is also when Apple stops supporting 32-bit apps. And that means some of your beloved apps and games may stop working once you perform the update.
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