For those with more money than brains: the Apple iPhone Pocket. Is it April fool's day?

ISSEY MIYAKE and Apple today unveiled iPhone Pocket. Inspired by the concept of “a piece of cloth,” its singular 3D-knitted construction is designed to fit any iPhone as well as all pocketable items. Beginning Friday, November 14, it will be available at select Apple Store locations and on apple.com in France, Greater China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S.

iPhone Pocket features a ribbed open structure with the qualities of the original pleats by ISSEY MIYAKE. Born from the idea of creating an additional pocket, its understated design fully encloses iPhone, expanding to fit more of a user’s everyday items. When stretched, the open textile subtly reveals its contents and allows users to peek at their iPhone display. iPhone Pocket can be worn in a variety of ways — handheld, tied onto bags, or worn directly on the body. Featuring a playful color palette, the short strap design is available in eight colors, and the long strap design in three colors.

iPhone Pocket is a special-edition release. The short strap design is available in lemon, mandarin, purple, pink, peacock, sapphire, cinnamon, and black; the long strap design is available in sapphire, cinnamon, and black. iPhone Pocket in the short strap design retails at $149.95 (U.S.), and the long strap design at $229.95 (U.S.). See HERE for what Slashdot techies think of this "creation" LOL!

www.apple.com

 

Apple Removes SIM Card Tray on All iPhone 14 Models in U.S.

Apple today announced that all iPhone 14 models sold in the U.S. do not have a built-in SIM card tray and instead rely entirely on eSIM technology.

Tech specs on Apple's website confirm the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max are not compatible with physical SIM cards and instead have dual eSIM support, allowing for multiple cellular plans to be activated on a single device.

An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows users to activate a cellular plan without having to use a physical nano-SIM card. eSIM availability is rapidly expanding, but the technology is still not available in all countries, which explains why iPhone 14 models will remain available with a SIM card tray outside of the U.S. for now.

www.macrumors.com

iPhone factory workers riot over unpaid wages in India

Workers at one of Apple’s three iPhone assembly plant rioted on Saturday evening over unpaid wages.

Local media report that around 2,000 staff protested at not having been properly paid for months, and that iPhones may have been looted and the factory damaged.

The factory only opened in August 2020 and is thought to assemble the iPhone SE and iPhone 12, mostly for export consumption as Apple’s highly-priced products have tiny market share in India.

Apple outsources Indian iPhone assembly to Taiwanese company Wistron, which in turn outsourced recruitment and payroll to Indian companies. The Indian companies stand accused of not paying staff promptly or properly for several months. Wistron’s plant is near the city of Bengaluru, a tech hub in which the cost of living is high by Indian standards.

www.theregister.com

Apple Agrees to Pay Up to $500 Million to Settle Class Action Lawsuit Over 'Secretly Throttling' Older iPhones

Apple has agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a long-running class action lawsuit in the United States that accused the company of "secretly throttling" older iPhone models, as reported by Reuters.

Each affected iPhone user in the class would receive $25, according to the preliminary settlement, reviewed by MacRumors. The amount could increase or decrease slightly depending on legal fees and the aggregate value of approved claims, with Apple's total payout to fall between $310 million and $500 million.

The class includes all former or current U.S. owners of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and SE running iOS 10.2.1 or later (for the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, and SE) or iOS 11.2 or later (for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus), and who ran these iOS versions before December 21, 2017.

www.macrumors.com

Update your iPhone 5 before November 3 2019, or lose its internet access

If you’re still using an iPhone 5 – you need to update to iOS 10.3.4 before Sunday November 3 2019, or you may find your smartphone loses access to the internet.

The warning comes from Apple itself, which says that an iOS update is essential for features that require the correct date and time – such as the App Store, iCloud, email, and web browsing.

In other words, if you want to do anything actually useful with your iPhone 5 beyond making calls, you had best update its operating system.

Some affected iPhone 5 users report that they have seen a warning message appear on their device’s home screens advising them to take action now, rather than leave it until it’s too late. To avoid the problem, iPhone 5 and users of the 4th generation iPad are advised to update to iOS 10.3.4 before November 3.

www.hotforsecurity.bitdefender.com

Apple fined €25 million for deliberately slowing down old iPhones

Apple has been hit with a 25 million Euro fine (US $27.5 million) after it added battery management features to iOS that slowed down the performance of older iPhones.

An investigation by the French consumer watchdog DGCCRF determined that Apple had failed to properly inform iPhone users that applying an iOS update might slow down their devices.

DGCCRF began its investigation in January 2018, just weeks after it was discovered that Apple had been secretly throttling the speed of the iPhone 6, iPhone SE, and iPhone 7 as their batteries aged.

www.grahamcluley.com

New iPhone, new charger: Apple bends to EU rules

Apple's latest iPhone will almost certainly feature a USB-C charge point when it is unveiled on 12 September. The firm's phones currently use its proprietary Lightning adaptor, unlike rivals, including Samsung.

A European Union law requires phone manufacturers to adopt a common charging connection by December 2024 to save consumers money and cut waste.

Most new Apple products such as the latest iPads already use USB-C, but the firm had argued against the EU rule.

When it was introduced in September 2021, an Apple representative told BBC News: "Strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world."

Lightning to USB-C adaptors are already available from other electronics brands including Amazon, and all iPhones since the iPhone 8 which launched in 2017 have supported wireless charging.

As the current iPhone 14 now looks to be the last Apple device to exclusively use it, this could mark the beginning of the end of the Lightning cable - which retails on the Apple store for £19.

It's unclear whether this will be a global change to the product, although the tech giant is less likely to make a different version of the handset for the European market alone.

www.bbc.co.uk

iPhone Xs Max review: Your dream phone is here (if you have more money than sense)

We’re used to Apple phones being expensive, but the iPhone Xs Max is something else. Starting at £1,099 for the 64GB model, and going all the way to £1,449 for the 512GB version, I can only assume the "Max" is not a reference to its size or power, but a reflection of how buying the damned thing will max out your overdraft.

How expensive is it? It makes the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 look like a bargain. Remember the Note 9? It’s the handset I said was retailing at “a loopy price”. Well Apple just went £300 more expensive with the iPhone Xs Max. 

Is it worth it? Are you high? Of course it isn’t.

www.alphr.com

Samsung brand ambassador sued for $1.6 million for using iPhone X in public

Ksenia Sobchak was hired by Samsung to market its smartphones in the country, with the Russian TV presenter, journalist, and politician contracted to use the smartphones in public. Under the terms of similar agreements between companies and influential people, they are not typically allowed to be seen using competing products in public, a rule that Sobchak broke. 

According to The Mirror, Sobchak was spotted using an iPhone X during a television interview, with the personality attempting to hide the Apple smartphone under a piece of paper while the cameras were on. Sobchak is also said to have used the iPhone X during social events in Moscow and other TV appearances, again against the contract's rules. 

Formerly dubbed the "Russian Paris Hilton," Sobchak is also rumored to be the goddaughter to President Vladimir Putin, who she ran against in elections earlier in 2018. Anatoly Sobchak, her father, was the first elected mayor of St Petersburg, and thought to have been a mentor to the president. 

The numerous sightings has led to Samsung suing Sobchak for a reported 108 million rubles (approximately $1.6 million) for breach of contract. It is unknown how much Sobchak was originally paid by Samsung, but it is likely the suit's claimed damages are far higher in value, including penalties for breaking the agreement. 

www.appleinsider.com

Apple's profits are down. So why is that?...

Tim Cook to investors: people bought fewer new iPhones because they repaired their old ones - Apple finally says that repair hurts its bottom line.

Wednesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote a letter to investors alerting them that the company would miss its revenue targets in part because Apple didn’t sell as many iPhones as it expected. The lengthy letter cites, specifically, that people are buying fewer iPhones because they are repairing their old ones.

Apple has long fought efforts that would make iPhones easier to repair: It has lobbied against right to repair efforts in several states, doesn’t sell iPhone replacement parts, sued an independent repair professional in Norway, worked with Amazon to get iPhone and MacBook refurbishers kicked off Amazon Marketplace, and has deals with electronics recyclers that require them to shred iPhones and MacBooks (as opposed to allowing them to be refurbished.) The Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, has seized iPhone replacement parts from prominent right to repair activists in the United States.

www.motherboard.vice.com

Will you be buying the new iPhone? Lets see what the techies think...

Will you be buying the next iPhone (announced on Sept 12)?

I'm not an Apple fan. I do however support many clients who use Apple tech (iPod, iPad, iPhone, iMac, MacBook, etc). It's well designed, nicely made kit. 

However, for the vast majority of Donline clients, on a bang-for-buck basis, I don't & wouldn't recommend it. 

Donline uses, & supplies Toshiba & Fujitsu personal computers to my clients.

There is a small subset of computer users (high end production of Video, Music, Design) where Apple kit may (debatable!) be an appropriate solution: the correct tool for the job.

Generally though, using any metric you care to look at: compatibility, supportability, ease of use, longevity, security, price - I can offer a Wintel solution which will do the job better, faster, cheaper.

Regarding mobiles, generally I recommend Android.

For example: over the last two years I have been using Sony Xperia Z3 Compact phones in the business. I just upgraded the Donline phones last week, & was so happy with the Z3s, I have switched to Sony Xperia X Compact phones. These new devices are even better & I'm very happy to recommend them if you are looking for a new mobile phone.

Virtually none of the techies that I know, use or recommend Apple kit.

Hmmm, what is the moral of this story...

www.slashdot.org

Deal of the Day: iPhone / iPad dock - under £20!

Belkin Express Charge and Sync Desktop Lightning Dock 

(MFI Approved) - Aluminium

For: iPad Pro 9.7 inch/iPad Air 2/iPad Air/iPad Mini/iPhone 7/7 Plus/SE/5/5s/5c/6/6s/6 Plus/6s Plus 

Compatible with iPad (4th generation), iPad Mini, iPhone 5, 5c, 5s and iPod Touch (5th generation)

Mechanical wheel adjust height of connector to fit all devices securely

Built in lightning connector and 1.2 m cable to suite any desktop

Charge and sync Apple devices to laptops and desktops quickly and easily

Aluminium design to match MacBook Pro and sturdy build to hold iPad and smaller IOS devices

RRP: £49.99

Deal of the Day: £19.99 

You Save: £30.00 (60%)

www.amazon.co.uk

Major iPhone FaceTime bug lets you hear the audio of the person you are calling… before they pick up

A significant bug has been discovered in FaceTime and is currently spreading virally over social media. The bug lets you call anyone with FaceTime, and immediately hear the audio coming from their phone — before the person on the other end has accepted or rejected the incoming call. Apple says the issue will be addressed in a software update “later this week”. (Update: Apple has taken Group FaceTime offline in an attempt to address the issue in the interim).

Naturally, this poses a pretty privacy problem as you can essentially listen in on any iOS user, although it still rings like normal, so you can’t be 100% covert about it. Nevertheless, there is no indication on the recipient’s side that you could hear any of their audio.

9to5Mac has reproduced the FaceTime bug with an iPhone X calling an iPhone XR, but it is believed to affect any pair of iOS devices running iOS 12.1 or later.

Apple has said the issue will be fixed in a software update later in the week. Until then, if you are concerned, you should disable FaceTime in iOS Settings.

www.9to5mac.com

Apple iPhone risk from powerful motorbike vibrations

iPhone owners should beware picking up bad vibrations from powerful motorbikes, as they may damage camera systems, Apple has said.

The technology giant published a warning iPhones should not be attached to powerful bikes, in a support document spotted by MacRumors.

Engine vibrations can harm phones' optical-image stabilisation or closed-loop autofocus systems, it says.

Owners of scooters and mopeds should also use "vibration-dampening mounts".

On social media, several users have said their phones have been damaged after being attached to a motorcycle.

And Apple says several models of iPhone are susceptible to the damage.

Lucky I use an Android phone then LOL! ;0)

www.bbc.co.uk

Updates aren't just for Windows: here are some for Apple!

On Monday Apple pushed out updates which are applicable for most of its customers: iOS 10.3.2 (for iPhone and iPad users), MacOS, OS X, watchOS 3.2.2, iTunes, Safari, tvOS and iCloud for Windows 6.2.1.

Just looking at the fixes that have been released for iPhones, iPads and Macs it is clear that scores of security vulnerabilities have been addressed.

For instance, now-fixed (providing you update!) security vulnerabilities in iBooks for iOS could have allowed a malicious hacker to force your iPhone to open websites without your permission and execute malicious code with root privileges.

www.welivesecurity.com

High frequency (inaudible) voice commands can hack Siri, Alexa, Cortana, etc

Chinese researchers have discovered a worrying vulnerability in voice assistants from Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Samsung, and Huawei. It affects every iPhone and Macbook running Siri, any Galaxy phone, any PC running Windows 10, and even Amazon’s Alexa assistant.

Using a technique called the DolphinAttack, a team from Zhejiang University translated typical vocal commands into ultrasonic frequencies that are too high for the human ear to hear, but perfectly decipherable by the microphones and software powering our always-on voice assistants. This relatively simple translation process lets them take control of gadgets with just a few words uttered in frequencies none of us can hear.

The researchers didn’t just activate basic commands like “Hey Siri” or “Okay Google,” though. They could also tell an iPhone to “call 1234567890” or tell an iPad to FaceTime the number. They could force a Macbook or a Nexus 7 to open a malicious website. They could order an Amazon Echo to “open the backdoor.” Even an Audi Q3 could have its navigation system redirected to a new location. “Inaudible voice commands question the common design assumption that adversaries may at most try to manipulate a [voice assistant] vocally and can be detected by an alert user,” the research team writes in a paper just accepted to the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security.

www.fastcodesign.com

Apple nearly removed Uber from every iPhone in 2015

If Apple had its way, Uber – the ride-sharing service garnering lots of controversy at the moment – would have been removed from the App Store long ago. The reason? Apple was tired of Uber’s underhanded tactics to track iPhone users; the tech giant wanted to send a message to Uber CEO Travis Kalanick that things had to change.

As we all know, Uber wasn't pulled from the App Store since the threat alone proved enough for Kalanick to reverse Uber’s tracking policies. But it wasn’t until Apple CEO Tim Cook personally explained the gravity of the situation that things began to change.

Revealed as part of an in-depth look at Kalanick’s success tactics, the New York Times revealed not just his meeting with Cook, but also how Uber tried to pull a fast one on Apple. It appears that, in an attempt to ensure it could always safely identify users, even after they'd deleted the Uber app from their phone, Uber was secretly tagging iPhones – a policy that violates Apple’s privacy guidelines.

www.alphr.com

Your iPhone has a new bug, which could slip into a bootloop with no end in sight

Your iPhone has another new bug, and this time it could trap your device in a bootloop – a continual cycle of restarting but not actually launching into iOS.

The bug, which Apple is urgently trying to fix, came as part of its latest software update and crashes applications that display a certain character from the south Indian language Telugu. Receiving or typing a message with that character in causes apps to stop.

If the symbol is displayed via a notification, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, Apple TVs and even some desktops can slip into a bootloop with no end in sight.

There is a solution in the works though. After the glitch was first reported by Indian site Mobile World, Apple has said the problem has been fixed in beta builds of its various OSes. A permanent fix will be rolled out as soon as possible.

www.alphr.com

Apple apologises for slowing down older iPhones

Apple has apologised after facing criticism for admitting it deliberately slows down some ageing iPhone models.

The company now says it will replace batteries for less and will issue software in 2018 so customers can monitor their phone's battery health.

Some customers 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 to "prolong the life" of the devices.

In a statement posted on its website, the firm 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 prices will drop from £79 to £25.

www.bbc.co.uk

iPad, iPhone user? Critical update available now! iOS 9.3.4

Apple has just released iOS 9.3.4, the latest versions of its mobile operating system for iPhone and iPad users, and owners of the devices are recommended to upgrade as soon as possible.

The reason why you should update your iPhones and iPads? Well, it’s not because of any fancy new bells-and-whistles that Apple has introduced to the operating system, but because it has fixed an important security hole under the hood that if left unpatched could have opened opportunities for hackers to run malicious code on your device.

https://www.hotforsecurity.com/