Items tagged with Mac
Anyone whoever required proof that malware didn't have to be sophisticated to be prolific should look at the macOS malware known as Shlayer. The malware found its way onto the victim computers by tricking them into installing a fake Adobe Flash update. The malware lures the users to install the fake Flash Player update by promising pirated videos, which are also said to be fake. Despite the simple attack method, Shlayer continues to be so common that it's the number one threat encountered by macOS users of Kaspersky antivirus software. The malware first surfaced in February 2018. Since that debut, about 32,000 variants have been collected by researchers at Kaspersky, along with 143...
Read more...
Is Apple on the cusp of a hardware renaissance? The answer depends, in part, on how much stock you put into various leaks and rumors. One of the persistent rumors we have been hearing for quite some time is Apple making a transition to its own custom processors for its Mac products, rather than continuing to lean on Intel. We know from Apple's past decisions and present strategies that it prefers to use in-house designs wherever possible. The strategy has worked out for the iPhone—the custom processors inside Apple's handsets are designed by Apple and based on ARM's architecture. The same thing could apply to Apple's Mac systems in 2020. To wit, we wrote about this very thing almost exactly...
Read more...
Researchers from Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. have discovered a flaw in one of the most widely deployed pieces of software in the world, which also happens to be the backend for the contacts list on Apple devices like the iPhone and iPad. The software resource that Check Point found the flaw in is called SQLite, a database engine that is used in computer operating systems, desktops, mobile phones, and lots more. SQLite is used in Windows, MacOS, iOS, Google Chrome, and Android, among many others. The fact that the SQLite database engine is so widely deployed has made it a rich target for would-be hackers. Hackers could exploit SQLite and gain administrative control of an iPhone,...
Read more...
A significant security issue with a popular Mac video conferencing company Zoom has surfaced. The security issue was made public by a researcher named Jonathan Leitschuh after a 90-day grace period to give Zoom time to fix the problem. The vulnerability could impact a variety of browsers running on Mac computers, including Safari, Chrome, and Firefox. The flaw would allow malicious websites to initiate a video call on any Mac that has (and in some cases previously had) the Zoom app installed. Depending on the version of Zoom in use, the nefarious website could trigger the video call with a simple launch action or an iframe exploit. In the proof of concept exploit, Leitschuh demonstrated that...
Read more...
Best Buy has announced that it has teamed up with Apple to provide authorized repair services at 1,000 Best Buy locations around the country. Apple says that the expansion will make it easier for customers to access safe and reliable repairs. The Best Buy stores that will offer the Apple repair services are in specific cities; not all locations will have repair services. Cities that offer repairs include Yuma, Arizona; Sioux City, Iowa; Twin Falls, Idaho; Casper, Wyoming and Bismarck, North Dakota. Repairs are made via the Best Buy Geek Squad service and the company has nearly 7,600 newly Apple-certified technicians that can make same-day repairs to iPhones and service other Apple Products. Apple...
Read more...
Best Buy is having a big one day sale for Apple gear that has some good deals that hit just in time for graduation season, which only a matter of weeks away for many students. The deals offer significant discounts on Apple MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone X, and iMac desktops. Discounts on Apple hardware are rare, and the good news is that some of the iPhone and Mac computers can be picked up in person at your local Best Buy store. MacBook Pro deals include: MacBook Pro 13.3-inch with a Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,799, a $400 discount off the normal $2,199.99 price. MacBook Pro 13-inch with Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of stroage for $1,199.99, a $300 discount off the normal...
Read more...
A set of vulnerabilities related to Thunderbolt connectivity leave most Mac systems released in the past several years susceptible to malicious exploits, according to researchers who presented the data at the Network and Distributed Systems Security Symposium in San Diego earlier this week. Dubbed "Thunderclap," the collective vulnerabilities take advantage of how Thunderbolt works, and specifically the privileged, low-level direct memory access (DMA) it affords. The way Thunderbolt is constructed, peripherals have more privileges than regular USB devices. "If no defenses are used on the host, an attacker has unrestricted memory access, and can completely take control of a target computer: they...
Read more...
Tell me if you've heard this one before -- Apple is developing its own Mac processors in an effort to bring more hardware design in-house and to avoid Intel's oft-delayed product roadmaps. That rumor is once again making the rounds, and this time it's coming from Intel employees. A new report from Axios is suggests that Intel officials have privately confirmed to it that Apple will begin making the shift to its own ARM processors starting in 2020. Intel has a lot to lose if/when Apple begins shifting from Core and Xeon processors to its own designs, as Apple is one of its biggest customers. Couple that with the fact that Apple is also rumored to be working on its own...
Read more...
We've been hearing rumors of merger between Apple's iOS and macOS apps for a while now, but a new report suggests that that efforts to make this possible are well under way. In fact, these so-called universal apps could be made available to the public starting in 2021. This reporting comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, he in particular seems to have the pulse on the inner workings at Apple. The program has been underway using the codename Marzipan, and would see apps originally designed for the iPhone and iPad make their way to macOS devices. According to the report, Apple will initially only allow iPad app developers to port their apps over to Macs thanks to a new SDK. It's expected...
Read more...
It seems as though every few months we hear of a new report claiming that Apple is close to releasing Macs powered by its own homegrown ARM processors. The rumor frequently pops up because the popular opinion is that Apple is tired of being beholden to Intel's processor roadmaps and relatively slow progression in performance over the years. Today, noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo [now with TF Securities] is claiming that Apple will make the shift from Intel to ARM chips starting in 2020, which is just over a year away. Kuo says that there a number of reasons for Apple to go with its own chips, with the primary reason being that it would have nearly full control over all...
Read more...
A good dark theme for your computer and other devices is worth its weight in gold to many users. Google is looking to add a little dark magic to Chrome, and its initial rollout will be very limited. Google Chrome users can already download third-party dark themes for the browser right now, but Chrome is getting a native dark mode with a caveat. That caveat is that the native dark mode will work on macOS only. There is speculation that the native dark mode might come to other Chrome users later, but that is unconfirmed for now. Apple will begin supporting a system-wide dark mode with macOS 10.14 Mojave, which is currently in beta and will be released this fall. Support for the dark theme...
Read more...
The app market for just about every platform out there is rife with developers who use nefarious techniques to trick users into giving them access to their valuable personal data. You might expect this to be a problem with third-party app stores for Android devices, but some might be surprised to learn that Apple is having an issue with nefarious developers and apps offered for download on the highly-guarded Mac App Store. The tip-off that something nefarious might be going on with apps for your Mac comes when the app asks for access to the home directory in macOS. At least a handful of apps available for Mac users that ask for that permission are using that access to steal user data such...
Read more...
Samsung has been rolling out several curved computer monitors recently with the C32JG5 and C27JG5 displays being unveiled at Gamescom 2018 last week. Samsung has now announced that it will be delivering another curved monitor that is the first of its kind to have Thunderbolt 3 connectivity and it is called the CJ79 (C34J791). This monitor was seen at CES 2018 earlier this year and Samsung is aiming the display at business and creative users wanting a comfortable and efficient work experience. Samsung's CJ79 display will work with both Mac and PCs and has a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports that can transmit display, data, and power at speeds up to 40 Gbps or about eight times faster than USB 3.0. Thunderbolt...
Read more...
In May word was going around that noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was leaving KGI Securities and the world of Apple rumors behind. While he did, in fact, leave KGI, he is still prophesying things all things Apple and is back with a new rumor. Kuo is now at TF International Securities and has published an investor note that outlines what he expects to see in the fall hardware lineup from Apple. Perhaps the biggest news is that long after Tim Cook promised the Mac mini would remain part of the lineup as the cheapest Mac, it will finally get a performance update. Sadly, if you are dying for details on that Mac mini there are no hardware predictions offered. Other tidbits Kuo predicts include...
Read more...
