The first wave of malware written specifically for Apple Silicon Macs is starting to appear. And Apple’s already playing Whac-A-Mole to try and stop it.
The malware in question, called “Silver Sparrow,” is reportedly a malicious package that can exploit a vulnerability in the macOS Installer JavaScript API as a way to execute dodgy commands. While it remains unclear how big of a threat Silver Sparrow poses, Apple nonetheless took steps to stop its spread.
Users who don’t get on board with WhatsApp’s terms and conditions will be unable to send or receive messages after May 15. While calls and notifications will continue to work for a short while, this will supposedly only be for a period of a “few weeks.”
WhatsApp first announced the changing privacy policies in January. The changed policy notes that, “As part of the Facebook family of companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, this family of companies.”
The success of the iPhone 12 once again made Apple’s the world’s top smartphone maker in terms of sales, research firm Gartner says.
Provided the firm’s figures are accurate, this will be the first time in half a decade that Apple ranked No. 1. It means 5G-enabled iPhones fought off stiff competition from its longtime frenemy.
Apple assisted nasal swab-maker Copan Diagnostics in shipping 15 million COVID-19 test kits to hospitals in California, Texas and elsewhere, the company said Monday.
Apple awarded $10 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund to support Copan in May 2020. Cupertino also sent engineers and product designers to help Copan overhaul its manufacturing processes. Thanks to the Apple boost, production supposedly increased by nearly 4,000%. Copan also opened a new facility and hired 250 employees.
A leaked image posted online over the weekend shows off what may by the third iteration of Apple’s AirPods earbuds (fourth if you count the over-the-ear AirPods Max).
The pictures, which were shared by the Chinese-language website 52audio, depict next-gen regular AirPods with smaller stems and silicone tips, alongside a new LED charging indicator on the front of the charging case.
Apple reintroduced its MagSafe branding for the magnetic charging and clip-on accessories system for the iPhone 12. But it’s hoping to introduce the best accessory yet with 2021’s iPhone refresh: a magnetically attached battery back.
This will reportedly wirelessly charge handsets on the go, extending the time you can use your iPhone between charges. Unfortunately, Apple is apparently having a few teething problems with it — and these could prove fatal.
Apple has reportedly began cracking down on apps that feature subscriptions Apple considers to be unreasonable, claims 9to5Mac.
The report cites a rejection email sent to one developer saying that the price of in-app purchases do not “do not reflect the value of the features and content” on offer. It also calls it a “rip-off to customers.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company will make a “financial contribution” to assist local organizations’ relief efforts for people in Texas and elsewhere suffering from extreme winter weather.
Renowned cardiologist Dr. Heather Ross has teamed up with Apple to carry out a clinical study to see whether the Apple Watch could be used to predict worsening heart failure.
As part of the study, data that is collected using the Apple Watch’s sensors — including the Blood Oxygen app and mobility features — will be compared to the data that’s gathered by doctors using physical examinations. If it’s accurate, this could turn to be another exciting advance for the Apple Watch and its users.
It sounds like some kind of crazy game show scenario for a future Apple TV+ show: Would you dive into freezing cold water to retrieve an iPhone? And how new would that iPhone have to be for you to consider it worth your while?
In fact, it describes a real-life iPhone rescue mission that took place recently in Victoria, Canada, when Roman Czarnomski dived into the freezing harbor to retrieve his 2018-era iPhone XS. Czarnomski described the experience as “refreshing.”
Check out the video below.
The iPhone 12 was Apple’s first 5G iPhone, ushering in the start of a new era of high-speed connectivity. But Apple’s already gearing up for 6G technology, even if it knows that it’s many, many years away.
As noted in a new report from Bloomberg, Apple has started posting jobs ads for wireless system research engineers who could help Apple develop and prepare for the next, next generation of cellular connectivity.
These roles are based in Silicon Valley and San Diego. Early suggestions regarding 6G speculate that it could be 100x faster than 5G.
Long before Tim Cook brought his operations wizardry to Apple, Del Yocam lent his logistical prowess to Cupertino. Apple’s first chief operating officer, he helped transform the company from a chaotic, scrappy startup into a streamlined manufacturing powerhouse.
He also served as an early mentor to Steve Jobs, the young Apple co-founder who sometimes seemed out of his depth in 1979.
“When I first got to know him, he was lost,” Yocam told Cult of Mac. “He was no longer involved in the Apple II and no one wanted him around, especially management. He didn’t care about money at that time. He was like an orphan, living away from home.”
In many ways, Yocam was the proto-Tim Cook, a manufacturing and operations specialist who helped transform a dysfunctional startup into a massive, moneymaking leader of the early PC industry. He also helped take the rapidly growing company international.
Yocam deserves more credit for helping build Apple than history has so far accorded him. He was one of the main players at a crucial point in Cupertino’s history.
Yocam, now 76, recently talked with Cult of Mac about Apple’s early days. In this exclusive interview, he discusses his friendship and working relationship with Jobs, Apple’s challenging, fascinating, and sometimes malodorous co-founder.
He also reveals new details about Jobs’ tearful ouster from Apple — and how Jobs later offered him an amazing job, only to revoke it at the last moment.
Security researcher Patrick Wardle has discovered what may be the first malware optimized for Apple Silicon Macs. The malware, details of which he published this week, involves a Safari adware extension called GoSearch22.
The adware delivers unwanted ads, collects browser data, and modifies browser settings. GoSearch22 is relatively low risk. However, it can result in users being redirected to certain websites or suffering an otherwise impaired browsing experience.
Apple is reportedly investigating Foxconn regarding concerns that workers at its plants are overworked and underpaid.
Foxconn remains, for better or worse, Apple’s best-known contract manufacturer. While Foxconn, which employs around 1 million people, has far more clients than just Apple, it is most closely associated with the Cupertino tech giant.
Apple could start manufacturing iPads in India this year if the country boosts incentives for exporters, Reuters said Thursday.
LG Display is reportedly working on a foldable panel for a future iPhone, Digitimes reports.
The report, which cites industry sources, says that the company is working on a prototype with Apple. However, it is not clear whether LG would be mass-manufacturing the screens for Apple were such a product to come to market.
Apple’s second trailer for its Apple TV+ Billie Eilish documentary, The World’s A Little Blurry, shows off a bit more of what fans can expect from the upcoming film.
The documentary, which Apple reportedly paid $25 million to acquire, will debut on Apple TV+ later this month, February 26. It features footage of Eilish and her brother, Finneas O’Connell, growing up, as well as recording some of their smash hits.
Check out the trailer below:
According to new figures by IDC, 2020 is the first year in which Google’s Chrome OS was found on more new computers sold than macOS.
That’s due to the success of Chromebooks made by the likes of Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. While no figures are given, it seems likely that these now outsell Macs.
Berkshire Hathaway — the investment firm belonging to Warren Buffett, one of Apple’s biggest cheerleaders in recent years — reduced its stake in the Cupertino tech giant last quarter.
According to a regulatory filing made this week, in Q4 2020, Berkshire Hathaway cut 6% of its Apple shares. By contrast it kept its Amazon shares steady, while growing its stake in T-Mobile by a massive 117%.
The battle between Apple and Fortnite maker Epic Games continues as Epic is appealing to European Union antitrust regulators to take action, Reuters reports Wednesday.
The report notes that Epic is turning to Europe after “failing to make headway” in the United States. The EU already has multiple antitrust investigations ongoing involving Apple. These concern the App Store and Apple Pay, both of which they are concerned show Apple abusing its marketplace position.
Apple has paid out a massive $163,338,890 in “accrued historical unmatched royalties” for Apple Music. That’s more than any other streaming music service, including Spotify, which currently leads the overall global market share.
The Mechanical Licensing Collective received a total of $424.3 million in these historical royalties. Variety notes this means some songwriters and publishers will receive a big “windfall.”
Long before we all started carrying around powerful computers in our pockets, there was the tiny Toshiba Libretto. A game-changing device when it arrived in the 1990s, the Libretto downsized the entire Windows PC experience into a subnotebook the size of a paperback.
As the world’s smallest commercially available Windows PC, it certainly proved revolutionary. The only problem is the Libretto was … well, a Windows PC.
YouTuber Action Retro recently set out to right that wrong with an awesome Hackintosh project. After transforming the diminutive Libretto into a miniature Mac, he spoke with Cult of Mac about the experience (and his love of vintage Macs).
Almost exactly one year after it arrived on iPhone, Microsoft’s unified Office app is now finally available for iPad. The app combines Word, Excel, and PowerPoint in one single package.
That means that all your documents are in one place, and you don’t need to switch between apps depending on whether you’re editing a text document or using a spreadsheet.
Apple on Tuesday revealed the 13 app companies that will take part in its first Entrepreneur Camp for Black Founders and Developers.
The company called the program part of its “ongoing commitment to empower the Black community and dismantle barriers to opportunity.”
Apple fixed a bug in the macOS Big Sur installer that could result in data loss and a perpetual install loops for unlucky users.
The macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 fix, released Monday, causes Macs to carry out checks to see if users have enough free space for installation prior to updating their systems.