Steve Jobs' old mantra about "It's better to be a pirate than join the navy" probably wasn't on Apple's application form. Photo: George Hodan/Public Domain Pictures
If you’re as confused as we were when we first heard about the major App Store hack over the weekend, we’re here to help.
Here’s a compilation of everything we know about the XcodeGhost story, and we’ll be updating it as more develops.
The Scoutee can attach to an iPhone and record pitch speeds and other data it sends to an app. Photo: Scoutee
Miha Uhan’s dream of standing on a big league mound is dead. But he’s still got a big pitch that could impact the game of baseball.
The former Slovenia national team player now leads a team of developers who have created a small device that can turn an iPhone into a radar gun to clock the speed of a thrown baseball.
Apple Car might be coming, but will it be special? Image: Aristomenis Tsirbas/Freelancer
The Apple Car might hit the road a lot sooner than some experts predicted, according to a new report that claims the iPhone-maker plans to rev up hiring on its secret electric car project in hopes of getting the vehicle finalized by 2019.
False versions of Xcode may have gotten into your apps; here's how to fix the problem. Photo: Apple
Apple has now been affected by the worst security snafu in iOS history when it found that hundreds of apps, mostly in the Chinese App Store, have malicious code in them, called “XcodeGhost.”
Apple’s pulled the affected apps from the App Store to contain the security breach, but you’ll still need to take a few more steps to make sure your iOS devices aren’t affected. Here’s what you need to do.
The App Store just experienced its worst security breach ever. Photo: Apple
The App Store suffered its worst security breach in history over the weekend, when it was discovered that hundreds of Chinese apps have a malicious program dubbed ‘XcodeGhost’ embedded in their software.
The huge security lapse made its way into legitimate apps thanks to Chinese developers who used a counterfeit version of Apple’s Xcode software that was uploaded to file sharing service Baidu. By using XcodeGhost to compile their apps, developers accidentally allowed the malicious code to be distributed through the App Store.
Apple has pulled infected apps off the store to stop stop the spread, but users still need to delete XcodeGhost apps off their devices manually. Most of the apps infected are mostly used in China, however some big name apps like WeChat, Angry Birds 2, and Didi Chuxing (Uber’s biggest rival in China) were also hit.
While millions of iPhone users have eagerly upgraded to iOS 9, a new race is on among researchers to find critical flaws in Apple’s software, and they’re throwing around more cash than ever to get hackers to find the holes.
A new security industry firm called Zerodium announced today that it will pay hackers $1 million for a single exploit that allows attackers to break into an iPhone or iPad running iOS 9. The company says its even willing to pay the bounty multiple times, as long as the exploits break through iOS 9’s security flaws a certain way.
Everybody loves emoji. Even the weird ones. Photo: Technewz
A mysterious new emoji has been added by Apple to iOS 9.1 and OS X El Capitan, but unlike the other emoji supported by Apple, this weird new pictogram wasn’t created by the Unicode Authority, and no one knows why it exists.
Apple plans to give emoji the middle finger when iOS 9.1 drops later this year, but it looks like the iPhone-maker has developed its own emoji called “eye in speech bubble,” and no one has any idea what it means.
SkyHub offers an easy way to get a lifetime of backup with a terabyte of cloud storage. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
A terabyte is a huge chunk of digital real estate, likely enough to keep your whole computer backed up for years. Mechanical hard drives don’t always last for years though, which is why adding a cloud-based backup is key to keeping your digital stuff safe. Right now’s a good time to do it — SkyHub is offering lifetime access to 1TB of cloud storage for just $49.99.
According to a rumor that’s sketchier than a rapid drawing done with an Apple Pencil, Apple is “serious” about equipping its 2018-era iPhones with OLED-based curved screens.
The South Korean news reports suggests that major Korean display-makers are currently showing off the cutting-edge displays to execs at Apple, and has found Apple to be enthusiastic about the prospect.
iOS 9 is already on more than half of all Apple mobile devices. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
iOS 9 has only been out since last Wednesday, but already it’s smashing records — being named the fastest case of iOS adoption in history, with more than 50 percent of devices already using iOS 9.
Who says a lock screen can't be laugh-out-loud funny? Photo: Apple
Through the creation of its Find my iPhone feature, Apple has made it much easier to recover handsets when we misplace them.
However, one amusing iPhone owner decided to go one step further to ensure that he would be reunited with his iPhone should it stray from his hands during a night of drunken merriment — adding an hilarious iPhone lock screen message.
Samsung is going back to the Cupertino well. Photo: SamsungSamsung is going back to the Cupertino well. Photo: Samsung
Just days after being told to stop ripping off Apple’s designs, Samsung is reportedly getting ready to “borrow” another of Cupertino’s ideas — this time with a program for leasing its Galaxy handsets to U.S. customers, much like Apple announced two weeks back with its iPhone Upgrade Program.
Apple Music's latest ad brings out the celebs. Photo: Apple
Apple debuted a new star-studded ad for Apple Music during last night’s 2015 Emmy Awards, featuring singer Mary J. Blige, Scandal actress Kerry Washington, and Hustle & Flow actress Taraji P. Henson.
The ad focuses on the curated playlists of Apple Music, which is a feature Apple has been focusing on to differentiate itself from rival music services.
Malicious code is causing Apple to remove hundreds of apps from the App Store. Photo: Apple
Apple is removing hundreds of apps from the App Store after discovering that they contain a malicious program called XcodeGhost.
In the entire lifespan of the App Store, Apple has only previously found five malicious apps — making this easily the single biggest security lapse in App Store history.
Learn the essential skills and software used by professional designers and animators. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Whether you’re a designer, animator, or any other kind of creative, your work requires skill, taste and, just as importantly, tools. Whether you’re making 3D architectural schematics, designing signage, or crafting a post-Internet seapunk masterpiece in MS Paint, we’ve assembled some of the best gear and lessons to empower your work at some of the lowest prices you’ll see. Check them out now, these deals will only be around for another day or two.
NetSpot Pro Wi-Fi Optimizer makes it possible to visualize and fix Wi-Fi signal problems at home or in the office. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
Summer’s slipping away and so are these deals on essential tech, toys, and lessons. From mini drones to universal charging stations to photography lessons, there’s something here for anyone and any budget. But with just a few days left, the time to act is now.
Brace yourselves. Picture-in-picture is coming... to your iPad. Photo: Apple
This week: we review the new and notable features of iOS 9, and some lesser-known features you should definitely be using. Plus: why you probably should’ve gotten the 128GB iPhone; a legit way to save 20% off your next Apple purchase; and what we love and don’t about iCloud storage.
And, we all love the sweeping musical scores that define our favorite movies and videos games, but have you ever wondered who creates them? Composer Gareth Coker, creator of the Ori and the Blind Forest score, joins us to talk about the process of creating a cinematic score from scratch, how music and technology are more intertwined than ever, and what it’s like to work as a modern day video game and movie composer.
Join the Cult of Mac club on Strava and share your fitness story Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
Apple Watch has been on our wrists for just five months and yet it is already having an amazing impact on many people’s lives.
We want to find out how Cult of Mac readers are using Cupertino’s fitness tech to get in shape, so we’re inviting everyone to share their inspiring stories. Plus, we’ve set up a new Cult of Mac club on Strava so you can connect with other readers who are into fitness.
iOS 9's Wi-Fi Assist hopes to help you keep your connection strong. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
A new, slightly hidden feature in iOS 9 hopes to help keep your connection as strong as possible.
Apple’s latest version of its mobile firmware contains a lot of obvious changes (Passbook is now called Wallet, for example), but a lot of the biggest and best changes are buried away just waiting for you to discover them. One of these hidden gems is the Wi-Fi Assist feature, which might just solve one of the most annoying issues we saw in earlier versions of the operating system.
Keep an eye on this. It might keep you out of the grave. Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
A teen sought medical attention after his Apple Watch heart monitor gave him persistently high readings, and that decision saved him from an untimely death.
Paul Houle, a 17-year-old football player, bought Apple’s wearable a few days before he started pre-season training at Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. After two practices in one day, he noticed that his heart rate was sitting around 145 beats per minute, even hours after he’d stopped exercising.
He wouldn’t know until later, but he was experiencing a potentially life-threatening condition.
Coach fashion show shot on iPhone 6s. Photo: Kevin Lu/Vogue
Apple is still preparing shipments for next week’s public launch of the iPhone 6s, but the folks at Vogue managed to get an early unit to test out the phone’s new picture taking skills at New York Fashion Week.
The new 12 MP camera sensor does not disappoint, according to Kevin Lu who became the first photographer to snap pictures with the new phone.
Here’s what Lu had to say about the new camera after hitting the runways with it:
Do we really need lowercase? No. Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac
I can’t stand the new lowercase keyboard in iOS 9. It’s a fairly useless change to begin with, as it doesn’t make anything easier.
Sure, it shows whether you’ve pressed the Shift key or not, but the new Shift key is also improved, making the lower-case option aesthetic rather than functional.
So, if you’re like me, here’s how to put that keyboard back to the way it “should” be.
You did back everything up, right? Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Some users trying to upgrade to iOS 9 this week have run into a serious problem: After the download happens, they find themselves stuck on the “Slide to Upgrade” screen upon restart. This bug renders their iPhones unusable, which is about the least useful state for an iPhone to be in.
But Apple has noticed, and it’s offering a fix. Here’s what you do to fix the annoying Slide to Upgrade bug.