Articles about Apple

Security company SentinelOne has released news of a major flaw in Apple OS X systems that can allow the bypassing of the latest System Integrity Protection security feature.

This zero day vulnerability is present in all versions of Apple's OS X operating system. It has been reported to Apple and patches will be available soon. SentinelOne’s lead OS X security expert, Pedro Vilaça, is presenting the full findings on this vulnerability today at SysCan360 2016 in Singapore.

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Apple earlier this week released new versions of its mobile and Mac operating systems, namely iOS 9.3 and OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan. They come with a significant number of changes, like Night Shift mode, extended Wi-Fi calling support and lots of security fixes, but also introduce bugs which are causing major issues for some early adopters.

It is not unheard of a new iOS or OS X release to break things, as Apple seems to be dealing with these kind of things quite frequently nowadays. Not everyone may be affected, but if you have an iPad 2 or use Apple's messaging services often on your Mac you might want to hold off on performing the upgrade.

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Something surely seems missing from this week's Apple Event. A year ago this month, Apple introduced the svelte, 12-inch MacBook. That makes the little laptop ripe for refresh, but it is MIA. Following a media hoopla where the figurative fireworks failed to light, everyone should ask: What is Apple doing? The new 4-inch iPhone is little more than the 5 model introduced in 2012 with fresh internals. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro fits into a crowded category where Apple is mob in the room. Where's the innovation?

After watching the live stream, carefully reviewing what Apple executives said, and looking over device sales trends, I must say this: Either Tim Cook is stupidest tech CEO on the planet, or one of the smartest. The event's big takeaway is this: Apple is trying to corner a faltering computing category on the presumption it's the next big thing. Cook takes great risk in search of greater rewards. If he's right, Apple may come to dominate the next personal computing platform—even as Android armies spread across the planet. Everything hinges on these: Will tablets replace PCs and can Apple become the overwhelming market share leader, regaining dominance held six years ago?

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The FBI attempts to force Apple to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone have been in the headlines for a while now, stirring up debate about which side of the argument is in the right. Apple has refused point blank to help, but a recent twist saw the FBI changing its mind by saying it doesn't need Apple's help after all.

An outside party -- believed, but not known, to be Israeli security firm Cellebrite -- contacted the FBI to help access Syed Farook's iPhone. The Justice Department said it is "cautiously optimistic" that the proposed method, which is currently being tested, will be successful, but some reports suggest that it has already been used to break into some iPhones. Apple will obviously want to take steps to secure other devices if the hack is effective, but it has been classified to keep it secret.

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One of the main selling points of the new iPhone SE is its affordable price. Starting at just $399, Apple's latest smartphone costs $250 less than a comparable iPhone 6s or $150 less than a similar iPhone 6. For iPhone fans or would-be customers on a budget, it is a very attractive proposition. That is the story in US anyway.

In other markets, Apple has decided to sell the new iPhone SE at a premium, making it a less attractive proposition in the process. In Europe, for instance, prices are considerably higher even when removing VAT from the equation.

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Unless you've been chilling under a rock, news of Apple's fight with the FBI has been everywhere. Even though the iPhone-maker is clearly on the correct side of the encryption-cracking battle, some have sided with the agency. I understand that people want to access the terrorist's phone as a way to thwart future attacks, but when we give up our rights and privacy, the terrorists win.

Today, using the excuse that it might have found a third party solution to cracking the terrorist's phone, the FBI has requested to cancel tomorrow's court appearance. A judge has officially granted the agency's request, postponing the court meeting until April 5.

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Apple just released iOS 9.3, OS X 10.11.4 El Capitan, tvOS 9.2 and watchOS 2.2, following its Let us loop you in event, which, among other things, saw the unveiling of iPhone SE, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and new Apple Watch bands earlier today.

The latest batch of updates packs lots of changes, including security improvements and new user-friendly features but also bug fixes and better hardware support. Here is everything that you need to know.

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At Apple's event today, it was the iPhone SE that people were intrigued to find out more about -- but there were plenty of other things to get excited about as well. In addition to the launch of iOS 9.3, it also announced a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

The reason for releasing a Pro device with these dimensions is that 9.7-inch remains the most popular size for iPads -- with more than 200 million units sold. It's not just the size of the screen that has changed, however.

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It has been rumored for some time now, but at its Let us loop you in event in Cupertino Apple finally took the wraps off the iPhone SE. It's a new iPhone, perhaps not the new iPhone everyone wants, but a new iPhone nonetheless. Speculation has been rife about what corners would be cut to keep the price down -- and, indeed, what the price would be -- and now we know.

As expected, the iPhone SE is a 4-inch handset and it blends features from the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6s to create a mid-range device that Apple hopes will not only appeal to new markets, but also help to retain existing customers put off by the price of higher-end iPhones. But what's inside the case? (And, no... there's no word on the iPhone 7 yet.)

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At the Let us loop you in event, Apple will unveil the smaller iPhone SE. The new smartphone is expected to attract more consumers to the brand, specifically folks who are looking for a more manageable, and perhaps more affordable, iPhone. Also in the cards is a new iPad Pro slate, which just like the aforementioned device, is expected to feature a smaller screen, in line with iPad Air 2.

Let us loop you in is shaping up to be an exciting event, and, if you are interested in watching it live, you will be able to tune in later today for the unveiling of the new iOS handsets. Here is what you need to know.

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We're living in the age of the smartphone and Apple has managed to carve itself a decent-sized chunk of the pie. But while each new iPhone is greeted with rapturous excitement, growth has declined recently to the point that a drop in sales in expected next quarter. Later today Apple is expected to launch the iPhone SE to counter this decline.

This smaller, cheaper handset would see the company venturing into new territory in a couple of ways. It would not only be the second time Apple has tried to appeal to the cheaper end of the smartphone smart -- the iPhone 5c being the first attempt -- but the iPhone SE could also see the company making in-roads into China as well as India and emerging markets.

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Apple might be currently talking about its unbreakable encryption and how it's a good thing for privacy, but the FBI ruing it. The privacy arguement certainly stannds up to scrutiny, but strong encryption can also be used as a weapon, as demonstrated by countless examples of ransomware. There are numerous breeds of ransomware out there, but one of the most prolific is TeslaCrypt.

It's just a year since the first version of TeslaCrypt appeared on the scene, and it's gone through various updates and iterations over the ensuing months. Now it's hit version 4 and as well as continuing to threaten victims with sharing their files online, it also boasts what is being referred to as 'unbreakable encryption'.

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As the battle between the FBI and Apple rumbles on, the debate about encryption has intensified, bringing with it renewed discussion about privacy. There are few people who would want to give up their right to privacy and allow unrestricted access to their personal communication, but there are some for whom privacy is even more important.

Tim Cook is just one of the voices shouting that a backdoor for the government would be a backdoor for anyone. Most people and companies have sided with Apple saying that rather than backdoor access, what's needed is stronger encryption, greater security, even more robust privacy. It's something that has the support of people from all walks of life, but it's an issue that's very close to the hearts of the LGBTQ community.

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In the Apple vs FBI fight, the issue is very black and white for many people; you support Apple's position of standing firm against the FBI, or you believe the FBI should have unfettered access to whatever data it wants, regardless of the consequences.

Tim Cook has been steadfast in his position, but in an interview with TIME the Apple CEO admits that the situation is not entirely binary. Presented with a thought experiment Cook appears to concede there are gray areas, opening up the possibility of assisting the FBI to break into the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone.

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Let’s assume for a minute that the FBI got its way. It coerces Apple into disabling the self-destruct function on the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone, allowing it to brute force the password. Effectively, the FBI and Apple create a backdoor that theoretically works the same across all iPhones. Police even uses the same tactic on the dozens of other iPhones that are currently involved in active investigations. People across the world sacrifice their privacy, while the police has a new tool to fight terrorists.

Except they don’t, really. Sure, iMessage and other iCloud services could be decrypted without a password, but what Apple critics often fail to realize is the abundance of third-party encryption tools widely available. Free, open-source alternatives exist to encrypt chats, phone calls, files, and even entire hard drives. That pesky self-destruct function the FBI is so eager to remove? Alternatives for that exist as well, and they are all easily accessible with nothing more than a Google search. By removing the default encryption built in iPhones, the FBI isn’t stopping terrorists. It’s merely inconveniencing them.

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