Items tagged with ios 12
Although it's arriving later than originally promised, Apple has just issued iOS 12.1.4, which fixes the widely publicized Group FaceTime bug that was revealed early last week. In short, the bug allowed anyone to eavesdrop on your iPhone's microphone by initiating a FaceTime call, and video could even be obtained (without the receiver’s permission) via the exploit. Apple initially disabled Group FaceTime on its servers to immediately shutdown the exploit, and last Friday it instituted a server-side fix for the problem. The release of iOS 12.1.4 now brings relieve on the consumer side for iPhones and iPads. The bug was initially discovered by a teenager, Grant Thompson, who stumbled...
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Apple has had some significant issues of late. Recently it said that some bending of iPad Pro tablets right out of the box was normal and that if the tablet bent during use, it wouldn't affect the usability of the device. Continued rumors that the iPhone XR is selling poorly have been met with claims by Apple that the device is one of its best selling models. Apple now has a major issue with its latest iOS update. Some iPhone users who upgraded to iOS 12.1.2 have found that after the update they were unable to place calls or send text messages. Apple launched iOS 12.1.2 last week, and shortly after the initial build was released a second build was tossed out to replace the original build. Only...
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Apple is expected to announce its next-generation iPad Pro and a few other devices at a scheduled press event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on October 30. In the days leading up to the event, a new beta build of iOS 12 has emerged, along with with a giant hint that the upcoming iPad Pro refresh will feature Face ID support. There has been a whole bunch of rumors surrounding the iPad Pro leading in past several weeks. Back in September, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that Apple would ditch the Lightning connector on the new model in favor of the more common USB-C interface, though he wasn't clear if it would be used for anything other than charging the tablet. Going back even further,...
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To say that Apple and law enforcement around the world have a contentious relationship is an understatement. Each time law enforcement gets a tool that allows accessing iPhones with a court order when the owner can't be compelled to unlock the device, Apple works hard to break that tool. Such is the case with the GrayKey iPhone cracking tool that police around the world have been using to gain access to iPhone devices. Until iOS 12 launched, the GrayKey tool allowed the unlocking of iPhone devices by law enforcement. On any device running iOS 12 or higher, the tool reportedly no longer works. Multiple sources that are familiar with the GrayKey tech have told Forbes that the tool can no longer...
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“Beautygate” is about to become a thing of the past. Apple promises to eliminate the notorious skin smoothing bug with iOS 12.1. The update will improve selfies on their latest crop of smartphones -- the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR. Many users noticed that their skin appeared to have been “smoothed” and warmed-up in their selfie shots when they used their front-facing camera. Some users enjoyed the effect while others were downright insulted. Apple was accused of trying to make their users look more appealing, even though it has claimed in the past that it does not use beautification filters. Apple looked into the issue about a month ago and discovered that a bug in its...
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Apple is in the homestretch of testing iOS 12 in beta form before it receives a final coat of polish and rolls out to the public. Unfortunately for developers who are doing the actual testing, iOS 12 seems to be stumbling at the finish line. Specifically, beta testers report that iOS 12 keeps nagging them to update iOS, even though no update actually exists. It's easy to understand why that would be annoying. Even worse, though, is the frequency of the popup alerts. This is not a one time thing that beta users can simply dismiss and be done with. Instead, it appears over and over again. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes at ZDNet laments he sees the popup each time the handset is unlocked or the notification...
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Apple was expected to bolster its FaceTime feature with support for groups with the release of iOS 12. If you were looking forward to that, we have some bad news to share. Support for FaceTime group chats has been removed from the latest iOS 12 beta (version 7), with a note from Apple saying it will not ship with the initial release. On the bright side, Group FaceTime support will eventually launch, and barring another delay, it will arrive within the next few months. They AirPlay2'd Group FaceTime pic.twitter.com/4OkTVV45BZ — Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 13, 2018 "Group FaceTime has been removed from the initial release of iOS 12 and will ship in a future software update later this...
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We're getting our first look at Apple's next-generation iPad Pro, and surprisingly, it's not coming from a supply chain leak. Instead, it's Apple that has leaked the details courtesy of the newly-released iOS 12 Beta 5. As was the case last year when a glyph of the iPhone X confirmed the shape of the device before its official reveal, this new iPad glyph tells us a whole lot with just a few pixels. For starters, the bezels around the display are a lot smaller; especially along the top and bottom of the device. This has allowed Apple to expand the size of the display while apparently keeping similar exterior dimensions. It also looks as though Apple has been able to squeeze in an...
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Usually when there are leaks and rumors focused on upcoming iPhone models, they have to do with the display, certain biometric features, the camera sensors, and things of that sort. That is not the case with the latest leak. Rumor has it Apple will release a dual-DIM iPhone model this year, and a breakdown of iOS 12 reveals suggests it is true. Apple has not released iOS 12 to the public yet, but it is available to developers and testers in beta form. Interestingly, a component of the beta that is tasked with generating diagnostic reports makes references to "second SIM status" and "second SIM tray status." There are also references in the beta build to a "dual sim device." Those are not-so-subtle...
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Apple has not said a whole lot about its future plans for its HomePod smart speaker, but it's a safe bet that the company is continually working to improve the device. Otherwise, it will get left behind competitive offers, namely Amazon's Echo products and Google's Home smart speaker. So what might be in store for the HomePod? One of the rumored features headed to Apple's smart speaker is the ability to make phone calls. While nothing of the sort has been announced, French-language website iGeneration claims that speakerphone capabilities are headed to the HomePod with the Apple's iOS 12 update (currently in beta). As it goes, the user's smartphone would handle the grunt work of a phone call,...
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Apple has rolled out the very first public beta of its upcoming iOS 12 software for iPads and iPhones. This marks the first time that people outside the Apple developers community have had access to iOS 12. Apple fans can download the new software and use it now. Naturally, with the word "beta" attached to the software, there are caveats to it with the big one being that there will be plenty of bugs present. That is the purpose of a beta; to let users find bugs that Apple can squash. Among known bugs in iOS 12 as a beta product are incorrect data in Map and other apps, CarPlay crashes when side and backup cameras are used, and dropped calls can occur in FaceTime if you are multitasking. If you...
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One of the features Apple is rolling out with its iOS 12 update for iPhone users is better location sharing when calling 911. The company says iPhone users in the United States will be able to automatically and securely share their location data with first responders after applying the update, enabling emergency service workers to respond faster to 911 calls with more accurate information at their disposal, versus previous versions of iOS. Apple says eight out of 10 emergency 911 calls these days originate from mobile devices, a not-too-surprising statistic considering how ubiquitous smartphones have become. However, "outdated, landline-era infrastructure often makes it difficult for 911 centers...
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Apple wants to make it harder for anyone to gain unauthorized access to iPhones with a new USB Restricted Mode in iOS 12. That move infuriated law enforcement as it meant that the GrayKey iPhone hacking tool (and others from Cellebrite) used by authorities to crack iPhones would be useless. Grayshift, the company behind GrayKey, didn’t take Apple's new restrictions lying down. Grayshift went on the offensive and has been actively working to crack Apple's new USB Restricted Mode, and the company is now claiming victory. If you haven’t been following USB Restricted Mode, the feature locks out USB accessories from communicating with an iPhone if the device hasn't been unlocked...
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Apple will give users a way to better report unwanted messages and calls as spam in iOS 12 using a feature called "Unwanted Communication." Documentation from Apple shows that the feature will allow developers to build in the ability to report unwanted calls and messages into their apps. If the iPhone owner chooses to enable Unwanted Communication, they would be able to swipe left on an item in the "Recents" tab of the Phone app and a new "Report" option would be listed there. The Messages app would also have a similar swipe left to report, or reports could be made with a long-press on the message itself. After a report is filed, the app will launch an extension to gather more details from the...
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We already know quite a bit about iOS 12 and what it will add to the iPhone when it lands. We know that iOS will feature a restricted USB mode that will make it much harder for authorities to crack the iPhone in an investigation. We also know that iOS 12 will bring Live Listen to the AirPods wireless earphones to help those with hearing difficulties to hear in a crowded environment. Apple has also confirmed other features like Memoji, group FaceTime, ARKit 2.0, and Siri Shortcuts. This leaves the only real question for iPhone users being when exactly they can download iOS 12. For most iPhone users iOS 12 will launch in September, the traditional launch for new versions of the operating system....
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Lots of people around the world have hearing problems and those hearing difficulties are compounded for many when they are in a noisy environment. However, some people don’t want to go through the expense and hassle of getting hearing aids. Apple is tipped to be adding tech called Live Listen to its AirPods later this year that will help people hear better in noisy environments and while it won’t replace real medical hearing devices, it could provide an added boost. Live Listen is a feature specifically meant to help people hear conversations in a noisy environment. The tech is designed to turn the iPhone into a microphone and shoot the conversation audio over to the AirPods or hearing...
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Have you ever seen a pair of deer that are locked in horns with one another from butting heads in battle? That pretty much depicts Apple and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the ongoing fight over encryption, and whether the FBI should be granted backdoor access into devices. Apple has persistently contended such a thing would be a security risk, and in a move that will up the ante in the dispute, it's baking a mechanism into iOS 12 that will make it more difficult for the FBI and police agencies to crack confiscated iPhone devices. The feature is called USB Restricted Mode. What it does is force the use of a passcode whenever an iPhone running iOS 12 is connected to a USB accessory and...
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Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) kicks off today, which means that the main topic of discussion are updates to the company’s software platforms. Given that iOS is Apple's biggest platform for developers, it was the first to be discussed today, with Craig Federighi leading the charge. iOS 12 is doubling down on performance, working top to bottom to make your machine faster and more productive. It supports all the same devices as iOS 11, which means that even your "old" iPhone 5s is supported. In normal situations, app launches are 40 percent faster, the keyboard pops up 50 percent faster, and opening the camera happens up to 70 percent faster than before. Thanks to optimizations...
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Apple is kicking off its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) next week, and all eyes are on what new software and hardware products might be unveiled during the event. We know that iOS and macOS will take center stage at WWDC 2018, so here's what’s likely in store for observers. On the iOS side of things, Apple is reportedly going to avoid going overboard by introducing tons of new features with iOS 12. Instead, the company is more focused on improving performance and making the operating system less buggy. With that being said, there will be a few new additions like a new Digital Health section in settings according to Bloomberg. Digital Health will give you an easy-to-decipher...
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The next major iOS update will allegedly bring some functionality to the iPhone that will expand the use of the Near Field Communications (NFC) chip inside beyond making contactless payments. iOS 12 will allow the NFC chip inside the iPhone to unlock supported doors. This could be useful for people who work in jobs that use NFC door locks to secure areas or at hotels. Some folks who live in apartments or condos might also be able to use the new feature to unlock doors to communal areas like pools and clubhouses. Reports indicate that Apple will be rolling out the new NFC features at WWDC as part of the unveiling of iOS 12. Unlocking doors isn’t all NFC in iOS 12 is tipped to add to the...
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Apple is on the path to finding "Peace," the internal name of iOS 12 due out this fall. Typically Apple goes all out for its annual software upgrades and crams as many new features and upgrades into its mobile operating system as possible, and then tweaks things throughout the year with incremental updates. This time around, however, Apple is taking a different approach that will see its engineers focus less on new features and more on under-the-hood refinements. That is not to say there will not be any new features for iPhone and iPad users to look forward to. There will be, including a new Digital Health tool to show parents how much time their kids are spending on their mobile device, and...
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