Monday, August 31, 2020

Tecno Camon 16 Series Smartphone with 48MP Dual Selfie Cameras to Launch on September 3


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Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G Processor Announced, POCO X3 Could be the First Smartphone to Equip


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Apple's Notarization Process Repeatedly Approved Malware for Mac

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Apple mistakenly approved and notarized a common kind of malware for macOS on at least two occasions, reports TechCrunch.



Apple requires developers to submit their apps for security checks to run on macOS in a process called "notarization." Notarization was required from the launch of macOS Catalina. If software has not been notarized, it will be blocked by default in macOS.

Peter Dantini and security researcher Patrick Wardle at Objective-See report that they have found the first malware for Mac that has been successfully notarized by Apple, even for the latest beta version of macOS Big Sur. The notarized malware was disguised as an Adobe Flash installer, which is an oft-used technique to convince unknowing users to install a trojan.

It contained "Shlayer" malware, which is said to be the "most common threat" to Macs in 2019. Shlayer is a kind of adware that intercepts encrypted web traffic, even from securely-encrypted HTTPS-enabled websites, and replaces it with its own ads to raise fraudulent ad revenue.

The researchers believe that Apple cannot have detected the malicious code when it was submitted for approval. The discovery is particularly surprising, given that the malware and its vehicle are extremely common. Upon notification from the researchers, Apple revoked the notarization.

"Malicious software constantly changes, and Apple's notarization system helps us keep malware off the Mac and allow us to respond quickly when it's discovered. Upon learning of this adware, we revoked the identified variant, disabled the developer account, and revoked the associated certificates. We thank the researchers for their assistance in keeping our users safe," an Apple spokesperson told TechCrunch.


In spite of Apple's statement, the researchers reported that the bad actors were able to get yet another malware trojan notarized soon after. The second notarized payloads were still approved by Apple as of yesterday.

Earlier this month, a new kind of Mac malware was discovered that infects via Xcode and supposedly can infiltrate the Mac App Store, undetected by Apple.
Related Roundup: macOS 11 Big Sur
Tag: malware

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Another hint that ‘Halvor’ is the next Google Pixelbook


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Apple Watch Podcasts App Found to Falsely Inflate Listener Numbers

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The Apple Watch will no longer be counted in podcast listener numbers for Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Tech Lab partners because it has been found to falsely inflate listener numbers.



Currently, when a podcast is automatically downloaded by an ‌Apple Watch‌ user, it is counted as two listeners; one from the ‌Apple Watch‌, and one from its paired iPhone. Since the ‌Apple Watch‌ and ‌iPhone‌ download the same podcast episode by default, and they both report different device user agents, the podcast appears to be downloaded by two different people. This means that the ‌Apple Watch‌ falsely inflates podcast listener numbers.

Although the ‌Apple Watch‌ makes up only a small proportion of podcast listeners, the IAB explains that "‌Apple Watch‌ devices enact an inherent behavior that triggers non-user initiated podcast downloads and results in significantly inflated download counts from this source." The issue is only present on Apple's own Podcasts app for the ‌Apple Watch‌.

The IAB Tech Lab's participating members have agreed that by October 1, 2020, all traffic from the ‌Apple Watch‌ will no longer be counted toward any totals reported for the podcasting industry. While filtering out ‌Apple Watch‌ devices will result in reduced audience statistics for some podcasters, the new metrics will be more representative of actual human listeners.

The IAB says that it has "made efforts to work with Apple to support a means of differentiating automatic downloads from valid downloads coming from ‌Apple Watch‌ devices," and if Apple takes "corrective actions" it will revise or retract the guidance.
Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 6, watchOS 7

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Apple Confirms New App Store Policies on Bug Fix Updates and Challenging Guidelines Are Live

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Back in June at WWDC, Apple announced several changes to its handling of App Store review, noting that it would in most cases no longer hold up bug fix updates over violations of ‌App Store‌ guidelines, and that it would allow developers to challenge existing guidelines.


In a note to developers today, Apple confirmed that those two changes have been implemented, encouraging developers to suggest changes to guidelines and Apple's development platforms.
For apps that are already on the ‌App Store‌, bug fixes will no longer be delayed over guideline violations except for those related to legal issues. You'll instead be able to address guideline violations in your next submission. And now, in addition to appealing decisions about whether an app violates guidelines, you can suggest changes to the guidelines. We also encourage you to submit your ‌App Store‌ and Apple development platform suggestions so we can continue to improve experiences for the developer community.
Apple has been involved in a number of notable ‌App Store‌ controversies in recent months, from the Hey email app rejection to the battle with Epic Games, while regulators have also been taking a look at Apple's policies regarding ‌App Store‌ commissions and exclusive control over app distribution.
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Apple Shares Rise as Trading Begins Following Four-for-One Stock Split

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Apple's four-for-one stock split takes effect today, with the company's share price dropping from roughly $500 to around $125 as of the start of trading this morning.


The strong rise in Apple's stock price over the past five months has continued today, with shares trading nearly 3% higher in the first few minutes of trading. Apple shares have pared their gains since then, but are still up around 2% today.

Apple's overall market value of over $2 trillion is unaffected, as investors received three additional shares for every share of Apple stock they previously owned.
Tag: AAPL

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Netflix's Limited Free Access Works on Mac and iPad, but Not iPhone

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Netflix is offering limited free access to a variety of original programming, reports OnlyTech. iOS appears to be inexplicably excluded from the limited free access, which is available on Android and in-browser.



The limited free access includes admission to "Stranger Things," "Murder Mystery," "Élite," "Boss Baby: Back in Business," "Bird Box," "When They See Us," "Love Is Blind," "The Two Popes," "Our Planet," and "Grace and Frankie."

The feature allows users to watch a movie or the first episode of a series for free, after which they will be prompted to subscribe for continued access. One 30-second skippable ad for Netflix is played before every title. The feature is available worldwide, no account or sign-up is needed, and the available content will reportedly change on a regular basis.

A Netflix help page spotted by Gadgets360 reveals that only browsers on computers, tablets, and Android devices are supported. iOS devices are unable to use the limited free access.



The help page does not explain why iOS blocked from access. Given that the free access is available on macOS and iPadOS in-browser, it is unclear why Netflix has excluded iOS.

Amid an increasingly competitive video streaming market, free access to selected Netflix programming hopes to attract more subscribers to the platform. Last week it was reported that Apple is planning to extend the free trial of Apple TV+ in an effort to lure in more subscribers.
Tag: Netflix

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Notability Gains New Tools, Dedicated Shop, and More

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Ginger Labs today announced an update to its popular productivity app Notability, introducing several new features designed to enhance creativity within the app.


Among the new tools is a feature that lets users draw arrows and curves that will snap perfectly into place. Users can also now draw perfectly spaced dots and dashes with the pen and highlighter tool.

There's a new favorites toolbar that allows for quick access to saved Pencil, Highlighter, and Eraser styles, and the Pencil and Highlighter tool menu has been refreshed with greater spacing to hold more colors, widths, and brushes.


The update also introduces the Notability Shop that's aimed at enhancing the app experience with additional features. New themes and artist-designed sticker packs are among the first to debut in the in-app store.

Ginger Labs is working on bringing a digital planner to Notability to help with reaching goals and managing day-to-day tasks. The feature is coming soon and will be available in the Notability Shop upon release.

Notability can be downloaded for $8.99 on the App Store and $1.99 on the Mac App Store, and the update will be rolling out to existing users today.
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Jio Fiber New Plans: Unlimited Data, Voice Calls, Up to 300Mbps Broadband Speed and More


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Deals: HomePod Returns to $199.99 at Best Buy

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Apple's HomePod has returned to the price of $199.99 today at Best Buy. This popular sale is a solid $99 discount on the original $299.00 price of the HomePod, and it's one that Best Buy has offered a few times throughout 2020.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This price also represents one of the lowest we've ever tracked for a new HomePod. Best Buy offers free next-day delivery for select qualifying items in the United States, and there are also options to pick up devices at a local store. Both the White and Space Gray color options are on sale at Best Buy.

$99 OFF
HomePod for $199.99


We track the best deals on HomePod every week, so be sure to bookmark our guide if you're on the hunt for solid HomePod discounts.
Related Roundup: Apple Deals

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iPhone 12 Again Reported to Come With LiDAR Scanner

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LiDAR is set to see "increasing penetration in consumer electronics devices," catalyzed by the upcoming iPhone 12, according to a new report by DigiTimes.



LiDAR, which stands for "light detection and ranging," first appeared in the Apple product lineup in the 2020 iPad Pro. The technology was primarily used in the automotive industry before coming to handheld consumer technology products. LiDAR component manufacturers are reported to be benefiting from the proliferation of the scanning technology.

LiDAR can measure distances by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor. This data can then be used to make accurate 3D representations of an object or environment, and can significantly improve augmented reality experiences.

The report predicts that LiDAR is expected to be increasingly adopted for consumer electronics applications in the coming years, driven by the fact Apple will allegedly "incorporate the technology into some of its new iPhone models." Although the DigiTimes report does not explicitly state that LiDAR will come to the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro models specifically, it seems likely that this is the implied meaning of the report's claim that the feature will not come to all new ‌iPhone‌ models.

The scanner has been rumored to feature on the rear of the ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro for some time. Some leaks have suggested that the LiDAR scanner will only come to the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro, but others have claimed that the feature will come to both the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro models. The less expensive 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 12‌ models are said to be missing the LiDAR scanner, with the technology being regarded as a "pro" feature.

Last week, screenshots allegedly from an early ‌iPhone 12‌ Pro production unit showed settings for LiDAR functionality.
Related Roundup: iPhone 12

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iPhone 12 to Come in 'Dark Blue' Color Option

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Apple will offer a new "dark blue" model in its upcoming iPhone 12 lineup, according to a new report today.

‌iPhone 12‌ Pro in Navy Blue concept via EverythingApplePro/Max Weinbach

Hit-and-miss Taiwanese publication DigiTimes claims that a dark blue iPhone color will be available "for the first time" in addition to several new features and specification upgrades coming to Apple's smartphone lineup.
In addition to adding a dark blue model, for the first time, into the ‌iPhone‌ family products, Apple also brings a number of specification upgrades to new iPhones, including camera modules, displays and communications modules.
The claim adds another voice to early rumors regarding the ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup and new colors becoming available.

XDA Developers writer and leaker Max Weinbach claimed in January that at least one of the ‌iPhone 12‌ models will come with a new navy blue finish. Weinbach believes that Navy Blue could replace the Midnight Green finish that Apple debuted for iPhone 11 Pro models last year. Weinbach has accurately revealed a new ‌iPhone‌ color in the past.

Another rumor suggests the ‌iPhone 12‌ models could come in light blue, violet, and light orange, among other colors.

Today's color tidbit appears in a report concerning the projected global shipments of Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup, which are expected to reach 63-68 million in the second half of this year, according to DigiTimes Research.

If accurate, the figure would present a reduction of over 5 million units compared to the number of units Apple shipped a year earlier for the iPhone 11 lineup. The projection factors in an expected lag of four to six weeks for volume production and a later official launch of new ‌iPhone‌ models compared to years past.

Apple last month confirmed that its "‌‌iPhone‌‌ 12" launch will be delayed this year due to the ongoing global health crisis and restrictions on travel. Apple last year started selling iPhones in late September, but this year, Apple projects supply will be "available a few weeks later," suggesting a release sometime in October.

Multiple rumors indicated the new ‌‌iPhone‌‌ won't launch on time due to development and production delays, as well as reports on delays from Apple suppliers like Broadcom and Qualcomm. DigiTimes has previously claimed Apple could target a phased ‌iPhone‌ launch, citing supply chain sources.

Apple is expected to offer four iPhones in three different sizes this year: A 5.4-inch ‌‌iPhone‌‌, a 6.7-inch ‌‌iPhone‌‌, and two 6.1-inch iPhones. One 6.1-inch model and the 6.7-inch model will be higher-end iPhones, while the other 6.1-inch ‌‌iPhone‌‌ and the 5.4-inch ‌‌iPhone‌‌ will be lower-end models and successors to the ‌‌iPhone 11‌‌.

The report otherwise reiterates rumors about Apple's top-end 6.7-inch model, including the addition of a time-of-flight 3D camera similar to the LiDAR scanner seen in the 2020 iPad Pro, and a rear camera featuring sensor-shift optical image stabilization technology in the ultra-wide lens. Sensor-shift technology allows the optical image stabilization to be applied to the camera sensor, rather than the individual lenses.
Related Roundup: iPhone 12

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Report: Apple Silicon iMac With Custom GPU to Launch in Second Half of 2021

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Apple will debut a powerful custom-designed graphics procesing unit in its first Arm-based iMac which is set to launch in the second half of next year, according to a new report today.


Codenamed "Lifuka," the self-developed GPU to feature in the Apple Silicon powered ‌iMac‌ will be produced using TSMC's 5-nanometer manufacturing process, and will offer better performance and be more energy efficient than the Intel processor it replaces, according to the Chinese-language newspaper The China Times.
In the past, Apple introduced Mac personal computers with Intel CPUs, equipped with Nvidia or AMD GPUs, but industry insiders pointed out that Apple has cancelled support for AMD GPUs in the macOS Arm 64-bit operating system, indicating that Apple will be adopted in the future. Silicon’s Mac personal computers may use a GPU developed and designed by Apple. Recently, the industry has reported that in addition to ‌Apple Silicon‌ processors, Apple’s ‌iMac‌ desktops launched next year will also be equipped with self-developed and designed Apple GPUs.

According to relevant sources, Apple's self-developed GPU is progressing smoothly. The research and development code is Lifuka. Like the upcoming A14X processor, it is produced using TSMC's 5nm process. Apple has designed a series of processors for Mac personal computers. The new GPU will provide better performance per watt and higher computing performance. It has tile-based deferred rendering technology that allows application developers to write more powerful professional application software and game software.

Apple announced at its WWDC developer conference in June that its Macs will transition from Intel x86-based CPUs to its self-designed Arm-based ‌‌Apple Silicon‌‌ processors over the next two years. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the first Mac models to adopt Arm-based chips will be a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and an ‌iMac‌ with a redesigned form factor, with Apple planning to launch the new models in the fourth quarter of 2020 or early in 2021 at the earliest.

In contrast to Kuo's prediction, today's report claims Apple's first Arm-based Mac will be a super-lightweight 12-inch MacBook, codenamed "Tonga," that will launch by the end of 2020. In addition, the report says the A14 chip to feature in Apple's upcoming ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup is codenamed "Sicilian."
Related Roundup: iMac
Buyer's Guide: iMac (Caution)

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Report: Super-Lightweight 12-inch MacBook Powered By Apple Silicon to Launch This Year

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Apple has designed a 12-inch MacBook powered by Apple Silicon that weighs less than one kilogram and the company intends to launch it by the end of the year, according to a new report today.


Apple's first ARM-based Mac will use an A14X processor, which is codenamed "Tonga" and manufactured by TSMC, and the MacBook will have a battery life of between 15 and 20 hours, according to the Chinese-language newspaper The China Times.

According to Apple's supply chain, Apple is expected to launch a Macbook with a 12-inch Retina Display at the end of this year, using its self-developed and designed A14X processor, with the development code of Tonga, supporting a USB Type-C interface and weighing less than 1 kilogram, because of the low-power advantage of the Arm-based processor. The Macbook battery lasts 15 to 20 hours. The A14X processor will also be used in the new generation iPad Pro tablet.
Apple announced at its WWDC developer conference in June that its Macs will transition from Intel x86-based CPUs to its self-designed Arm-based Apple Silicon processors over the next two years. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models. According to the Chinese report's sources, the first Apple-designed A14X processor has been finalized and will be mass produced using TSMC's 5-nanometer process by the end of the year.

Apple's first Mac processors will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores, according to Bloomberg. Apple is said to be exploring Mac processors with more than 12 cores for further in the future, with the company already designing a second generation of Mac processors based on the A15 chip.

This is the second time we've heard rumors of Apple reviving the 12-inch MacBook form factor to showcase its first consumer Apple Silicon machine. Fudge, a leaker who goes by @choco_bit on Twitter, said in June that Apple could revive its now-discontinued MacBook, with a new 12-inch model unveiled as the first Mac with an Apple-designed Arm-based chip. Fudge said the 12-inch MacBook could look the same as the retired version with minimal design changes, although 5G connectivity could be a feature.

In contrast to today's report, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with a form factor similar to the current 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ could be the first Mac to get an Arm-based chip designed by Apple. In March, Kuo predicted this new ‌MacBook Pro‌ will launch late in 2020 or early in 2021.

Kuo said he expects the ‌Apple Silicon‌ 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ to go into mass production in the fourth quarter of this year, but he has also predicted we will see an Arm-based MacBook Air either in the same quarter or in the first quarter of next year, so it's not impossible the 12-inch machine turns out to be a redesigned MacBook Air.

Today's report also claims that Apple will launch an Apple Silicon iMac next year with a powerful custom-designed graphics processing unit, replacing the mobile AMD GPUs that Apple has traditionally relied on. In addition, the report claims the A14 chip to feature in Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 lineup is codenamed "Sicilian."
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