After updating, customers will see new information screens when they use Apple-made apps that collect personal data, such as App Store.

The change comes ahead of new EU data protection rules, which take effect on 23 May.

Apple also plans to let people download the data it has stored about them.

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) toughens the requirements on how organisations handle the public’s data, and imposes harsher penalties for breaches.

Apple has previously promoted its services and smartphones as being privacy-focused.

The latest software update does not change how much data is collected, but new privacy information screens will appear when people use certain Apple-made apps for the first time.

Tapping the notice will display detailed information about what data is being collected and how it is used.

However, customers will not be able to switch off some types of data collection. For example, they will not be able to download free apps from the App Store without first setting up an Apple ID account.

Apple also plans to release new tools in May that will let customers:

• download a copy of all the data Apple stores about them, including photos, videos and iCloud back-ups
• temporarily deactivate their Apple ID, which will stop Apple processing the data
• permanently delete their Apple ID, which will erase all the data Apple stores within 30 days.

The privacy-focused Open Rights Group welcomed the changes.

“Making privacy settings more transparent and giving people more control is better. This is happening because companies are checking what they are doing before new data protection rules kick in,” said Jim Killock.

“The new rules have forced everyone to make changes, including some of the big US-based companies. That’s a victory for privacy and it shows that we can win improvements if governments listen to people’s well-founded concerns about privacy.”

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Source: BBC

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The boot-up source code used on its older iOS 9 operating platform was posted on code-sharing website Github.

Apple typically keeps most of its iOS source code private and ordered Github to remove the content.

But it said the leak had not necessarily compromised security.

In a statement, the company said the security of the iPhone did not rely on “the secrecy of its source code”.

It said it always encouraged customers to keep up to date with operating system upgrades.

The current operating system version is iOS 11

According to Apple, 93% of its users are using iOS 10 or above. These devices may no longer use the leaked code.

‘Extraordinary’

The leak of the code- called iBoot – was reported by news site Motherboard.

The code began with the statement: “This document is the property of Apple Inc. It is considered confidential and proprietary.”

Cyber-security expert Prof Alan Woodward, from the University of Surrey, said it was “extraordinary” that the code had been leaked.

“The source code for a company’s operating system is like the crown jewels – it is guarded very well,” he told the BBC.

Security researchers and hackers are likely to study the code, to see whether there are any flaws in it that might make unauthorised access possible, he added.

“If there’s nothing wrong with the code, it doesn’t matter that it’s out there,” he said.

“But Apple should be worried because if somebody has got hold of that, what else have they got? Assuming it is genuine, it has come from the inside somewhere.”

In a statement, Apple said: “Old source code from three years ago appears to have been leaked, but by design the security of our products doesn’t depend on the secrecy of our source code.

“There are many layers of hardware and software protections built into our products, and we always encourage customers to update to the newest software releases to benefit from the latest protections.”

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Source: BBC

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The option to switch off the feature will appear on the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, SE, 6S, 6S Plus, 7 and 7 Plus models.

Last month, Apple apologised after it was found to be deliberately slowing down some of its devices.

Customers were angry that Apple had not been upfront about its actions before the practice was discovered.

Many had long suspected the company slowed older iPhones to encourage customers to upgrade.

Apple admitted slowing some phones with ageing batteries but said it was done to “prolong the life” of the devices.

The ability to switch off the battery saver will appear in iOS 11.3 when it is released later in 2018.

The company said the feature “dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns” but customers will be able to “turn it off”.

Price drops

Replacing an affected iPhone’s battery also restores its performance.

After the practice of slowing older iPhones was discovered, Apple said it would reduce the price of an out-of-warranty battery replacement from $79 to $29 in the US for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later.

In the UK the price dropped from £79 to £25.

“With so many older iPhones in the market the battery performance issues have become a concern for a lot of consumers,” commented Ben Wood from the tech consultancy CCS Insight.

“Apple has also been under regulatory scrutiny so it is likely trying to offer as many options to consumers as possible so they can decide the best way to maximise the battery life on iPhones that are eligible for the new battery programme.”

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Source: BBC

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In an open letter to Apple on Monday, New York-based Jana Partners and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) said the firm must do more to help children fight addiction on its devices.

“There is a developing consensus around the world including Silicon Valley that the potential long-term consequences of new technologies need to be factored in at the outset, and no company can outsource that responsibility,” said the investors, who collectively control $2bn of Apple stock.

“Apple can play a defining role in signalling to the industry that paying special attention to the health and development of the next generation is both good business and the right thing to do.”

The group urged Apple to offer tools to help children avoid addiction and give parents more options to protect their children’s health through monitoring usage. Apple’s iOS already offers limited parental controls, including restrictions on apps, use of features such as location sharing and access to certain kinds of content.

But the investors said that Apple should allow parents to be able set the age of the user of the phone on setup, and implement limits on screen time, hours of the day the phone can be used and block social media services.

They also proposed that Apple should establish an expert committee including child development specialists, which should produce annual reports, and offer Apple’s vast information to researchers on the issue.

The investors cited several studies on the negative effects on children’s mental and physical health caused by heavy usage of smartphones and social media. These range from distractions in the classroom and issues around focus on educational tasks to higher risks of suicide and depression.

The open letter reflects growing concerns on the long-term impact of technology such as smartphones and social media on children. Technology firms are yet to publicly acknowledge the issues around children and their company’s creations, but even Silicon Valley heads have started to raise the alarm. Former Facebook president Sean Parker described the site as made to exploit human vulnerability, saying: “God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains.”

Another former Facebook executive, Chamath Palihapitiya, said he specifically opted out of social media because it was “eroding the core foundations of how people behave”.

“I can control my decision, which is that I don’t use that shit. I can control my kids’ decisions, which is that they’re not allowed to use that shit,” said Palihapitiya.

With many apps, sites and devices being designed to be as addictive as possible to grow user numbers and maintain eyeballs on screens, children are increasingly being either seen as collateral damage or specifically targeted as the next generation of users.

Apple did not comment.

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Source: Guardian UK

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Dr Lawrence Edusei, the pathologist who conducted the autopsy on the former legislator, revealed this at the Accra Central District Court on Thursday.

According to him, his house was burgled in September 2017 and the computer which contained the autopsy report and thousands of other autopsy reports was stolen by the thieves.

Dr Edusei was before the court, presided over by Ms Arit Nsemoh, after he had been subpoenaed in November 2017 to explain why he had not furnished the police with the full autopsy report, 21 months after Mr Danquah-Adu was murdered.

The subpoena followed concerns raised by police prosecutors that the pathologist had failed to release the report and all attempts to obtain it had proved futile.

The delay in the release of the report, the police said, had hampered their efforts to build a solid case against Daniel Asiedu, aka Sexy Don Don, and Vincent Bosso, aka Junior Agogo, the two men linked to the murder of the former

MP

Asiedu and Bosso are currently before the district court awaiting the commencement of committal proceedings which will facilitate their eventual trial at the High Court.

No payment, no report

Dr Edusei’s explanation led to more questions from the presiding magistrate, who asked the medical officer why he had decided to put the report on his computer and not submit it to the police.

The medical officer, who is currently on retirement, answered that he kept the report because he had not been paid by the Judicial Service for all the autopsies in relation to murder cases he had conducted for the past 15 years.

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The bug appeared in the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system iOS 11.2, and could have let criminals unlock internet-connected doors.

A researcher disclosed the problem to tech news site 9to5Mac.

Apple said it had now disabled remote HomeKit access for shared users, as a temporary solution to the problem.

The company’s HomeKit framework lets iOS devices control internet-connected gadgets made by a variety of manufacturers.

Customers do not need to update the software on their devices because the fix has been implemented on Apple’s servers.

However, some HomeKit functionality will be temporarily unavailable.

9to5Mac said the flaw had “serious ramifications” but accepted it was “difficult” to exploit.

Apple said in a statement: “The issue affecting HomeKit users running iOS 11.2 has been fixed.

“The fix temporarily disables remote access to shared users, which will be restored in a software update early next week,” it added.

The company has been criticised recently after some of its other software releases were found to contain serious bugs.

In October, many people found that the letter “i” was being replaced by the letter A and a symbol when they upgraded to iOS 11.

And in November, a major flaw was found in MacOS High Sierra – the most recent version – that made it possible to gain entry to a Mac without a password.

At the time, the company apologised and said “our customers deserve better”.

–

Source: BBC

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Le Thi Xoan, aged 14, had reportedly rolled over onto the torn cable and had as a result been exposed to the live wire, police in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi said.

She was found unconscious by her parents and rushed to a local hospital; however, doctors were unable to revive her and pronounced her dead.

Medics also confirmed electrocution as the cause of death.

Police found the burnt white cable on her bed and believe a slight tear in the rubber casing may have revealed the live wires inside.

According to investigators, the police believe the girl had plugged her Apple device into charge and laid the iPhone 6 on her bed like she did every night.

They said the tragedy likely struck as she slept and rolled onto the iPhone’s charging cable, which electrocuted her with the current.

The charging cable is being inspected but the authorities said they are yet to determine whether it was the original Apple wire or a third-party device.

In a picture showing the burnt cable, it appears to be shorter than Apple’s original 20-inch charging cable.

See-through tape had also been wrapped around the front of the cable, suggesting that the victim may have been aware of the wear and tear but decided to continue using it regardless.

–

Source: Daily Mail

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The iPhone X – which is referred to as “ten” – uses a facial recognition system to recognise its owner rather than a fingerprint-based one.

Apple said FaceID can work in the dark by using 30,000 infra-red dots to check an identity, and was harder to fool than its old TouchID system.

It is Apple’s most expensive phone yet.

A 64 gigabyte capacity model will cost $999 (£999 in the UK) when it goes on sale on 3 November. A 256GB version will be priced at $1,149 (£1,149 in the UK).

By contrast, Samsung is charging $930 (£869 in the UK) for its new Note 8 phone, which has 64GB of storage.

“The iPhone X is a long-term investment by Apple that sets a template for the next generation of iPhone hardware,” commented Geoff Blaber from the CCS Insight consultancy.

“An OLED [organic light-emitting diode] display and the new design is likely to be standard on future iPhone models, but Apple must first tackle the challenge of obtaining sufficient supplies.”

Apple said the switch to an OLED display would help the phone produce “true blacks” and more accurate colours than before. LG and Samsung already use similar tech on their handsets.

Prior to the launch, Apple’s most expensive phone was an iPhone 7 Plus that cost $969 (£919 in the UK).

One expert commented that Apple’s ability to get consumers to spend more on its smartphones than rivals’ was “legendary”.

“There may be an element of high pricing to constrain demand and make things match up with how many they can produce,” said Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics.

“But I suspect Apple always had a $1,000 iPhone in mind – we had seen the price creep up year after year, and there’s a lot of pressure from shareholders for the company to hit a $1tn valuation.

“Bumping up the prices on their number one product is one way of doing that.

Facial recognition

Apple acknowledged that users might have concerns about using facial recognition to verify purchases via Apple Pay or to access their device.

But it claimed that while there was a one-in-50,000 chance that TouchID could be unlocked by a random stranger, the odds rose to one-in-one-million with FaceID.

Nevertheless, one expert said users might still be concerned the handset had no fingerprint sensor as an alternative.

“This is the steepest hurdle that they have,” commented Carolina Milanesi from market research firm Creative Strategies.

“A lot of consumers will be a little bit reluctant to use facial recognition as an ID system until Apple has proven that it is safe and works all the time.

“In the eyes of consumers TouchID wasn’t broken – so they may ask why Apple is trying to fix it.”

Other features announced about the handset included:

• its 5.8in (14.7cm) screen has 458 pixels per inch, making it the firm’s most detailed phone display to date. To mark this it has been branded “super retina”
• the lack of a home button is dealt with by requiring users to swipe up to access its apps, and to press a side button to summon its virtual assistant Siri
• portrait mode – in which the camera blurs a photo’s background – and a relighting tool can be used on pictures taken by both the front and rear cameras
• it has two hours more battery life than the iPhone 7

The iPhone X also adds support for wireless charging.

“Apple chose Qi wireless charging,” noted Ian Fogg, from the IHS Markit consultancy.

“It was the right decision to use a standard because Apple users will benefit from widely available charge pads.”

The feature was also introduced to the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus models, which were introduced earlier at the event.

The lower-end 4.7in and 5.5in devices are distinguished from their predecessors by having:

• glass rather than metal backs
• faster processors
• improved camera sensors that help them operate in low light
• stereo speakers that are 25% louder than before

The iPhone 8 ranges from $699 to $849 and the iPhone 8 Plus from $799 to $949.

They will cost the same amounts in Sterling and go on sale on 22 September.

Mixed reality

The new models coincide with the release of iOS 11 – the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.

It introduces ARKit – software development tools that make it easier for developers to add augmented reality features to their apps, in which graphics are mixed together with real-world views.

–

Source: BBC

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Lee Jae-yong is facing accusations of bribery linked to a scandal that triggered the impeachment of South Korea’s former president.

Prosecutors are asking for a 12-year jail sentence. He denies all charges.

The case has gripped the public amid growing anger against South Korea’s biggest companies, known as chaebols.

Why is he on trial?

Mr Lee, also known as Jay Y Lee, has been detained since February on a string of corruption charges including bribery, embezzlement and hiding assets overseas.

He stands accused of giving donations worth 41bn won ($36m; £29m) to non-profit foundations operated by Choi Soon-sil, a friend of South Korea’s former President Park Geun-hye, in return for political favours.

The 49-year-old had been standing in as chairman for his ill father, Lee Kun-hee, who suffered a heart attack and slipped into a coma in 2014.

Prosecutors alleged that the donations were made to Ms Park’s confidante to win government support for a big restructuring of Samsung that would strengthen Mr Lee’s control over Samsung Electronics.

But the defence said he was not involved in making day-to-day business decisions at South Korea’s biggest conglomerate and that the payments were signed off without his knowledge.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, but he would almost certainly appeal against any conviction.

Yet he may yet escape a jail term even if he is convicted. Many top executives of South Korea’s biggest companies, including his father, have been convicted of crimes but were pardoned.

Who else is involved?

Mr Lee is the most high-profile figure arrested in the investigation and was charged along with four other Samsung executives.

They include former Samsung Group vice-chairman Choi Gee-sung, former president Chang Choong-ki, former Samsung Electronics president Park Sang-jin and executive vice-president Hwang Sung-soo.

Three of them resigned after the case emerged but have denied all the charges including bribery and hiding assets.

They stand accused of bribing Park to pave the way for the merger of two publicly owned Samsung companies, despite opposition from shareholders.

What does it mean for Samsung?

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

The Samsung Group, made up of 60 interlinked companies, is crucial to the South Korean economy, with sales equivalent to about a fifth of the national GDP.

The chaebol includes a shipbuilding division, construction company, pharmaceuticals and advertising arms. Other chaebols include LG, Lotte and Hyundai.

Mr Lee became a Samsung president in 2009 and in 2013, he was made vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, which makes smartphones, televisions, cameras and hard drives.

But since Mr Lee’s father suffered a heart attack in 2014, he has been considered the de facto boss of the entire Samsung group.

Regardless of the outcome, the case is likely to damage Mr Lee’s reputation as one of the country’s most powerful business leaders.

However, since his arrest six months ago some of Samsung’s business operations seem to have continued largely unaffected.

Samsung Electronics posted a record profit of 11tn won for its most recent quarter and the firm has released its new flagship Galaxy S8 smartphone, closing the book on the disastrous recall of the exploding Galaxy Note 7.

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Source: BBC

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A pop-up screen accused the phone owner of accessing illegal pornography or pirating music and could not be removed.

However the ransomware was fake – and clearing the browser cache was actually enough to restore full access.

It ran on JavaScript, a code commonly employed by many websites.

The attackers demanded £100 in the form of an iTunes gift card with the code sent via text message to a designated mobile number, said security firm Lookout in a blog about the malware.

“…the attack doesn’t actually encrypt any data and hold it ransom,” wrote its security researchers.

“Its purpose is to scare the victim into paying to unlock the browser before he realizes he doesn’t have to pay the ransom to recover data or access the browser.”

The patch closed the loophole but Professor Alan Woodward, cybersecurity expert at Surrey University said some iPhone users have put off the update because it also includes other changes to the running of the device.

“Some people have held off thinking it sounds fairly major, but obviously if they do that they won’t get the protection,” he said.

“There is this feeling that iOS [Apple’s operating system] and Apple devices in general are less vulnerable.

“This shines a light on the fact that nothing is invulnerable. JavaSript is cross-platform and it’s a matter of how you manage it.”

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Source: BBC

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