The middle of a pandemic was a terrible time for Apple to introduce a FaceTime bug in iOS 13.4. Photo: Apple
A bug in iOS 13.4 that broke FaceTime compatibility with older iPhone and iPad models has just been fixed. Apple on Tuesday introduced iOS 13.4.1 and an iPadOS equivalent to repair this problem.
The cast of All Rise will be practicing social distancing while filming. Photo: CBS
CBS has found a novel way to continue filming its TV show All Rise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The courthouse legal drama will film a virtual episode using FaceTime, WebEx and Zoom from the actors’ homes making it the first primetime show to be filmed while still practicing social distancing.
Not every videoconference audio setup has to be as janky as this. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
You’ve probably made more video calls in the last few weeks than you’ve made in the previous few years combined. And if they were on your iPhone or iPad, then they probably sounded great. But what if you’re using a Mac, with its prehistoric mics1?
No worries. Through the magic of technology, you can use a better mic with your Mac’s Skype or FaceTime. (As a bonus, it also might make you feel more comfortable during videoconferences.)
Apple hasn't been as directly hands-on as usual. Photo: Apple
Apple engineers have used FaceTime-style video calling to guide Chinese colleagues through iPhone prototype assembly, a recent report by the Wall Street Journal notes.
The report helps answer one key question about how Apple is able to get iPhone prototypes assembled at a time when travel restrictions stop Apple employees from making their usual trips to China. Apple tested out the process in January.
It's not a good time to lose FaceTime. Photo: Apple
Apple’s most recent software updates have reportedly broken FaceTime compatibility with older iPhone and iPad models, leaving many users unable to make voice or video calls during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The issue affects devices running iOS 13.4 and macOS 10.15.4 when they attempt to connect with devices running iOS 9.3.5 or iOS 9.3.6 — or vice-versa. There is no fix for now.
Alessio Albi makes screenshot magic on FaceTime. Screenshot: Alessio Albi/Instagram
Quarantined photographers across the internet have used the lockdown to come up with personal projects they could shoot within the same confines of their home.
Condé Nast shooter Alessio Albi has one of the more interesting bodies of work to emerge from staying at home. He is using FaceTime for remote fashion shoots.
Zane Lowe will interview musicians over FaceTime for the foreseeable future. Photo: Apple
Beats 1 DJs on Apple Music are being forced to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic and while they’re stuck inside, they’re turning to FaceTime to get the job done.
Apple revealed Monday that its radio show hosts will record interviews with musicians and other artists from their homes by using FaceTime on iPhone.
Jony Ive and Steve Jobs talk during the first public FaceTime demo, which took place at WWDC 2010 in San Francisco. Photo: Mathieu Thouvenin/Flickr CC
Out of appeals, Apple cut a check to VirnetX for more than $454 million to end a lengthy patent infringement case.
VirnetX, which sued Apple over patents relating to FaceTime, iMessage and VPN technologies, announced the payment in a one-paragraph press release Friday.
Cupertino’s seemingly neverending legal battle with patent troll VirnetX Holding Corp. took another turn this week when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit denied Apple’s request to reconsider an original patent-infringement decision.
VirnetX and Apple have been fighting in courts for a decade over patents related to FaceTime and other secure communications. VirnetX, which doesn’t produce any products, previously won more than $503 million in damages, but courts subsequently threw out the award.
Apple won a round in court against VirnetX, a company often accused of being patent troll. An appeals court threw out $503 million award that the iPhone maker was ordered to pay in an earlier ruling.
However, the court didn’t reverse the original patent-infringement decision, just the amount of the award.
Screen Time Communication Limits is a boon to digital parenting. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Parents will soon be able to limit when their children use an iPhone or iPad to talk to their friends, thanks to a long-awaited new Screen Time feature. Communication Limits were supposed to come earlier, they debuted in the first iOS 13.3 beta that launched today.
Apple is promising tons of innovation. Photo: Apple
A whole lot of innovation is in the offing for Apple’s biggest hardware event of the year. CEO Tim Cook recently promised that Apple will unleash its strongest product lineup ever, and next week’s “By Innovation Only” event could be just the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks to a glut of leaked info, we have a pretty solid idea about what new hardware to expect during the event. iPhones obviously will steal the spotlight, but Apple might unleash a few surprises as well.
This is what we think we’ll see during the 2019 iPhone keynote, which starts at 10 a.m. Pacific on September 10. Apple will live-stream it from the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, California.
The eye-line problem is finally fixed. If you own an iPhone XS or XS Max, that is! Photo: Apple
There’s something weirdly off-putting about the eye-contact problem with video calling services like FaceTime and Skype.
It happens because users must choose either to look directly at the camera lens, and miss what’s happening on screen, or look at the screen and appear to be staring at the listener’s neck.
That’s not ideal for a tool that’s meant to make it seem like you’re having a face-to-face conversation. Fortunately, Apple fixes this shortcoming in iOS 13.
iOS 13 has almost too many features to cover -- but that won't stop us trying. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
The iOS 13 developer beta 3 is out, and you know what that means? An incomplete list of new features and tweaks, based on what I find interesting. We’ve got multitasking updates, a mystery icon, a truly radical new FaceTime feature. Let’s go!
The new iPod touch looks just like the old one. Photo: Apple
Apple just surprised us with a new iPod touch that promises to be its fastest yet.
Powered by a speedy A10 Fusion processor, it’s built for gaming and immersive augmented reality experiences on the go. It’s also affordable, with prices starting at just $199.
The only problem is it looks just like the old iPod touch.
Apple took the easy way of removing a problem in FaceTime: it yanked out the affected feature. Photo: Apple
Apple’s hasty fix for the serious Group FaceTime bug that was discovered last month apparently just disables the feature in this video-chatting software that was causing the problem.
We’ve reached out to Apple to see if they’re in the process of restoring full functionality.
Apple has rewarded the kid who spotted its recent FaceTime bug. Photo: Apple
Apple has rewarded the 14-year-old kid who discovered Apple’s FaceTime bug, letting people eavesdrop on other users in Group FaceTime calls.
As a thanks for Grant Thompson’s help — and a possible apology to his mom, Michele, who spent 10 unsuccessful days trying to warn Apple of the vulnerability — Apple has said that it will contribute toward Grant’s education, and compensate the Thompson family. Grant also gets a namecheck in the iOS update’s developer notes.
You can safely FaceTime with friends again. Photo: Apple
Apple’s fix for the huge FaceTime flaw that allowed people to eavesdrop on other iPhone and iPad users is finally here.
iOS 12.1.4 was released to the public this morning, bringing a crucial fix for the bug found by a 14-year-old boy who tried to contact Apple for 10 days before the company eventually clued in on the huge flaw.
iOS 12.2 is bringing a bunch of new features to iPhone and iPad. Photo: Apple
The most fun new feature of iOS 12.2 is already available to members of Apple’s public beta testing program.
Apple seeded the second public beta of iOS 12.2 to public testers today, just one day after the new software was pushed out to developers. The new update includes a number of notable new features, including the addition of 4 new Animoji.
Apple's FaceTime bug allowed people to eavesdrop on others. Screenshot: CNBC
The 14-year-old kid who accidentally discovered the recent FaceTime eavesdropping bug has been told by Apple that he will be eligible for the company’s bug bounty program.
Apple set up its bug bounty program in 2016, offering rewards of up to $200,000 for security researchers who find vulnerabilities on the company’s software platforms. It’s not clear how much Grant Thompson can expect to claim from Apple — although it will reportedly go toward his college tuition savings.
Apple hasn’t released a new iPod Touch since 2015. Rumors indicate that an update could come out this year. Details are pretty scarce on what the new features could be, so the folks at ConceptsiPhone busted out a brilliant imagining some sleek new additions that would make it truly lust-worthy.
Apple's FaceTime bug wasn't one of its greatest moments. Photo: Apple
New York Attorney General Letitia James has said that her office is launching an investigation into Apple’s failure to warn customers about its FaceTime bug, which let people eavesdrop on other FaceTime users by exploiting a bug in the software.
James also wants to know why Apple was so slow to address the issue.
Smart speakers are microphones that other people can listen to. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
You know the Apple FaceTime bug that everyone’s going crazy about? It’s a huge screwup, for sure, but at least we know it’s just a bug. Being able to call someone and eavesdrop on their conversations without them knowing is clearly a privacy nightmare, which is why Apple disabled Group FaceTime until it can issue a proper fix.
Amazon, on the other hand, offers silent eavesdropping as a feature for its Echo speakers. It’s called Drop In, and if you’ve enabled it, you should probably turn it off.