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U.S. Government Warns iOS Users About 'Masque Attack' Vulnerability

The United States government today issued a bulletin warning iPhone and iPad users about the recent "Masque Attack" vulnerability, a security flaw that first surfaced on Monday of this week, reports Reuters. Masque Attack is a vulnerability that can allow malicious third-party iOS apps to masquerade as legitimate apps via iOS enterprise provision profiles.

Written by the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Teams, the bulletin outlines how Masque Attack spreads -- luring users to install an untrusted app through a phishing link -- and what a malicious app is capable of doing.
An app installed on an iOS device using this technique may:
-Mimic the original app's login interface to steal the victim's login credentials.
-Access sensitive data from local data caches.
-Perform background monitoring of the user's device.
-Gain root privileges to the iOS device.
-Be indistinguishable from a genuine app.
The post also advises iOS users to protect themselves by avoiding apps that have been installed from sources other than the App Store or an organization they're affiliated with, avoiding tapping "Install" on third-party pop-ups when viewing web pages, and tapping "Don't Trust" on any iOS app that shows an "Untrusted App Developer Alert."

Masque Attack in action

Computer security alerts issued by the government are fairly rare, and only 13 have been sent over the course of 2014. Other vulnerabilities that have prompted alerts include Heartbleed and an SSL 3.0 flaw called "Poodle."

FireEye, the team that discovered Masque Attack, has notified Apple about the vulnerability, but it has not been patched in the recent iOS 8.1.1 beta thus far. It also affects iOS 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, and 8.1, and as of today, Apple has not yet commented on Masque Attack.

Masque Attack, along with WireLurker, another vulnerability outlined earlier this month, is unlikely to affect the average iOS user so long as Apple's security features are not bypassed. Masque Attack works by circumventing the iOS App Store to install apps, while WireLurker is similar, infecting machines via third-party software downloaded outside of the Mac App Store.

Both WireLurker and Masque Attack can be avoided by staying away from suspicious apps and avoiding links that prompt users to install apps outside of Apple's App Stores.

Shipping Estimates for 27-Inch Retina iMac Slip to 2 to 3 Weeks

Supplies of the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display have been slowly dwindling ahead of the holidays, and as of this week, shipping estimates for both standard and custom configurations have slipped to two to three weeks.

At launch on October 16, shipping estimates were briefly at a day before slipping to 3 to 5 days, later moving to 7 to 10 days before slipping again on Monday.

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The base Retina iMac, with a 3.5GHz processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB fusion drive, is in stock at many retail Apple Stores around the country and can be picked up same day, but when ordered from the online store, it carries the same two to three week shipping estimate as all custom configurations.

While Retina iMacs ordered from the online Apple Store may not arrive until December, some Apple resellers have available stock that will ship much earlier. Amazon, for example, has the base model in stock available with Amazon Prime shipping and a $50 discount.

MacMall has the base model in stock for immediate shipping, plus the site has several machines with various custom configurations on hand, which it says will ship in five to seven days. MacMall is also offering a discount of $50 on much of its stock.

Other stores like Best Buy and B&H Photo also have the base Retina iMac in stock and available to ship immediately.

Equipped with a 5120 x 2880 "5K" Retina screen, Apple's newest iMac has received largely positive reviews for its impressive display, and configured with a 4.0GHz processor and 32GB of RAM, the higher-end Retina iMac models are able to outperform the low-end Mac Pro.

Related roundup: iMac

Apple's Market Capitalization Sets First New Record High in Two Years at Over $660 Billion

Apple's market capitalization reached a record high today, breaking the $660 billion mark to sit in the range of $662-664 billion for much of the day's trading so far. The new high breaks a previous closing record of $658.15 billion set on September 19, 2012 and intraday high of nearly $661 billion reached two days later. Market capitalization measures the market value of a business and is calculated by multiplying the stock price by the number of available shares.

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Apple comfortably leads all U.S. companies in market capitalization, with its closest competitors being Microsoft and Exxon, which have market capitalizations of just over $400 billion each. Fourth-place Google falls sits at roughly $370 billion.

While Apple's share price has been routinely setting new records since surpassing its previous September 2012 high in August, it has taken a bit longer for Apple to return to its record market capitalization levels as the company's expanded stock buyback program has reduced the number of outstanding shares.

Apple's stock has surged 17 percent in just the four weeks since Apple's October media event and subsequent earnings announcement where the company announced strong fiscal Q4 2014 earnings fueled by the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and record Mac sales. The company's share price is up approximately 50 percent over the past twelve months.

Apple last quarter reported $8.5 billion in profit on $42.1 billion in revenue with sales of 39 million iPhones, 12.31 iPads and 5.5 million Mac units. While Mac and iPhone revenue climbed, iPad sales slumped with quarterly revenue dropping 14 percent year over year and 10 percent from the previous quarter. iPad sales are expected to temporarily rebound in the upcoming quarter following the introduction of the new iPad Air 2, with holiday season discounts expected to propel sales of Apple hardware.

Jonathan Ive Talks Design, Failure, and More in Appearance at London's Design Museum

Jonathan Ive, Apple's Senior VP of Design, made a rare public appearance at the Design Museum in London yesterday (via Cult of Mac). At the event, he discussed everything from his view on the future of design to his opinions on failure with museum director Deyan Sudjic.
We shouldn’t be afraid to fail - if we are not failing we are not pushing. 80% of the stuff in the studio is not going to work. If something is not good enough, stop doing it.
The talk with Sudjic also included a roomful of up-and-coming design students, with Ive offering additional perspective on the design process and rejection.
"The best ideas start as conversations. A small change at the beginning of the design process defines an entirely different product at the end. At the start of the process the idea is just a thought - very fragile and exclusive. When the first physical manifestation is created everything changes. It is no longer exclusive, now it involves a lot of people." Ive also mentioned, "There are 9 rejected ideas for every idea that works."
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Photo by @nickcorston)

Unfortunately for those design hopefuls listening to Ive, the odds of working in his team are slim. Apple's Industrial Design team is notoriously difficult to get into, in large part because its members never leave the company. The eighteen-person team hasn't seen a single member leave for fifteen years. "I like to work in a small team," Ive told Sudjic. "There is only 18 of us on the design team. Nobody has ever left."

Ive also touched on how to gain experience in the field, design studies in schools today, and the difference between making something different and making it better.
Our goal is to desperately make the best products we can. We’re not naive. We trust that if we’re successful and we make good products, that people will like them. And we trust that if people like them, they’ll buy them. And we figured out the operation and we’re effective. We know what we’re doing, so we’ll make money, but it’s a tough sequence.
Ive has famously remained out of the spotlight for much of his tenure at Apple, but has opened up considerably since taking on new responsibilities for software design and more recently with the impending launch of the Apple Watch. Recent appearances have included an awards ceremony hosted by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and a Vanity Fair summit in San Francisco.

Staples and Radio Shack to Offer Modest Black Friday Discounts on iPads, iPods, and More

Customers looking for discounts on Apple products this Black Friday have two more retailers to add to their shopping lists -- Staples and Radio Shack. Black Friday discount website BFads recently published leaked sales flyers from both retailers in advance of the biggest shopping day of the year.

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Staples is offering discounts on a variety of Apple gear, including $80 off the 16GB iPad Air WiFi ($319), $60 off the Retina iPad mini 2 ($239), $70 off the iPad with Retina Display ($279) and $20 off the Apple TV ($79). The office supplier also is taking 10 percent off all Beats by Dr Dre headphones and 15 percent off all iTunes gift cards of $50 or more. As an added bonus, customers with an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus can save time during checkout by using Apple Pay.

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Radio Shack isn't offering any discounts on iPad or iPhone models, but the retailer still is lowering prices on the Apple TV ($85), iPod Touch 16GB 5th generation ($149), and iTunes gift cards (15 percent off). Other Apple-related items going on sale include the Beats Solo HD Drenched headphones ($69.99 After Mail-in Rebate) and a variety of Apple iPhone and iPad accessories.

For even more Black Friday sales, be sure to check out our Black Friday roundup. We are updating that page with additional deals on Apple-related items as they are announced.

Related roundup: Black Friday

Apple Watch Chipmakers Said to Be Gearing Up Production

Chip suppliers within the Apple Watch supply chain have begun "gearing up" to start production for Apple's new device, according to a new report from Digitimes. Chip orders are estimated to be around 30 - 40 million units for a debut in early 2015.

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Digitimes had previously reported, prior to Apple's September 9 event, that the device was at the engineering verification test stage and needed to complete product verification testing before entering mass production. It appears that the Apple Watch has now passed that milestone and is beginning to enter mass production for its debut in early 2015.

Apple Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores Angela Ahrendts had previously revealed that the device would debut in Spring 2015, with several reports indicating that Apple was aiming for Valentine's Day 2015 as a potential launch date. Apple Watch pricing will start at $350 for the aluminum version, while the stainless steel and gold editions will reportedly retail for prices starting at $500 and $4,000 respectively.

Related roundup: Apple Watch

12.9-Inch 'iPad Pro' Production Rumored for Q2 2015 Amid Manufacturing Difficulties

Apple's 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" may not enter mass production until the second quarter of 2015, according to new predictions from often-reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He believes that the iPad Pro will use an oxide panel to achieve a "high resolution, quick response, and high color saturation," and that the time needed for component yield and assembly to improve will push back production until 2Q 2015.

Earlier this year, a report from Bloomberg suggested the iPad Pro might be released in early 2015, but an October report from The Wall Street Journal indicated Apple had delayed its planned December mass production of the tablet in order to focus its attention on producing more iPhone 6 Plus units, leaving a potential iPad Pro release date up in the air.

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Mockup of 12.9-inch iPad Pro next to 13-inch MacBook Air

Little is known about the iPad Pro aside from its 12.2 to 12.9-inch display size, which dwarfs the smaller 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 and the 7.9-inch iPad mini 3. Rumors have also suggested that it will offer the same A8X processor introduced with the iPad Air 2 along with an ultra high resolution display and a 7mm-thick form factor that's similar to existing iPads.

Kuo's report also focuses on forecasting iPad shipments, which he believes will fall 54.5 percent quarter over quarter to just 9.8 million units during the first calendar quarter of 2015. He points towards the lack of new applications and a saturation of the tablet market as the basis for his prediction.
We believe that, in a major shift, while Apple (US) used to be able to use new form factor designs to boost demand, it has failed to do so this time around. The lighter and thinner iPad Air 2 will face strong headwinds in increasing sales in 1Q15, we believe; we also hold that this means that iPad, along with the entire tablet market, is faced with structural challenges characterized by a lack of new applications and market saturation. We don't think these challenges will be easily overcome by upgraded specs, new form factor designs or lower prices.
Kuo's estimate is rather low, considering Apple sold 16.35 million million iPads during the first calendar quarter of 2014, but iPad sales have been down for the past three quarters in a row. During the fourth fiscal quarter of 2014, Apple sold 12.3 million iPads, down from 14.1 million units in 2013.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the drop in iPad sales is just a "speed bump" that the company will overcome. He told investors earlier this year that "significant innovation can be brought to the iPad," and suggested Apple was working on such improvements. The upcoming 12.9-inch iPad Pro may be Apple's first step towards bolstering its iPad lineup, and the company is also said to be working on new iPad features, like split-screen multitasking.

Related roundup: iPad Pro

Staples Begins Accepting Apple Pay in Retail Stores

staplesapplepayAs of today, popular office supply store Staples has begun accepting Apple's Apple Pay payments service in its retail stores across the United States, according to information shared with MacRumors.
Staples now offers its customers access to Apple Pay, a new service that will transform mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay. In Staples over 1,400 stores in the United States, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch, upon availability.
When Apple Pay was first announced, Staples was listed as one of the retailers implementing in-store support for the payments service "later this year" along with Anthropologie, Free People, Sephora, Urban Outfitters, and Walt Disney World.

Staples has been an eager Apple Pay partner, initially promising support for the service back in September. The Staples iOS app has included Apple Pay support since it first launched on October 20, and when Staples announced Apple Pay integration, it said that in-store availability would be rolling out "within a few weeks."

Apple first teamed up with Staples last year, with the two striking a deal that saw Staples selling Apple products in its U.S. stores for the first time beginning in September. Since then, Staples has gone on to heavily promote Apple products both online and in stores, offering frequent deals.

With the addition of Staples, Apple Pay now has 34 retail partners, including competing office supply store Office Depot and other major retailers like Macy's, Disney, Foot Locker, Petco, Walgreens, and Toys R Us. Apple Pay is also accepted in any store that supports NFC contactless payments.

Retailers have largely been silent on the popularity of Apple Pay during its first month of availability, but Whole Foods' chief information officer told The Wall Street Journal that the company had processed 150,000 Apple Pay transactions in the 17 days following its October 20 debut. That equates to an estimated one percent of all Whole Foods transactions.

Related roundup: Apple Pay

Full Video of Apple VP Greg Joswiak Discussing iOS 8.0.1, Apple Pay, and More Now Available

In late October, Apple's VP of iPhone marketing Greg Joswiak sat down for an interview with Re/code's Ina Fried and Walt Mossberg at the site's inaugural Code Conference, answering questions about iOS 8.0.1, Apple Pay, and the Apple Watch.

While we initially covered the interview when it took place, Re/code has now posted the full video footage of Joswiak's appearance at the conference, which is well worth watching for Apple enthusiasts.


During the interview, Joswiak apologized for the iOS 8.0.1 bug that bricked many iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices, commented on the Apple Pay situation with Rite Aid and CVS, and hinted at possible Apple Watch pricing.

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Joswiak's interview occurred at the same time as Tim Cook's October interview with The Wall Street Journal, and a full video of that appearance was also released earlier this week.

YouTube Announces 'YouTube Music Key' Subscription Streaming Service for $7.99 Per Month

YouTube today announced a new subscription streaming service, YouTube Music Key, which is currently in beta. The service offers up ad-free music on YouTube, along with background play and offline viewing.

Priced at $7.99 (discounted from $9.99), YouTube Music Key also includes a subscription to Google's Spotify competitor, Google Play Music (formerly Google Play All Access), which includes more than 30 million songs and will feature the ability to watch official YouTube videos directly within the app.


Some streaming music services, like Spotify, offer a limited number of music videos, but ad-free access to high-quality popular videos is a feature that will be unique to YouTube Music Key and its sister service, Google Play Music.

Alongside YouTube Music Key, the YouTube apps for iOS and Android and YouTube.com have been updated with a new section dedicated to music videos, which provides recommended mood-based playlists and features trending music. The new focus on music will also highlight full-length albums and artist pages.

YouTube Music Key is currently in beta, with access going to the company's "biggest music fans" first before seeing a wider worldwide launch. YouTube users who receive an invite to the Music Key beta will receive six months of access for free. Customers who sign up for Google Play Music will get immediate access to the YouTube Music Key beta.

Large-Screened iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Less Popular With Android Switchers Than Predicted

The larger-screened iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus may have been less popular with Android switchers than analysts initially predicted, according to new data gathered by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).

A survey revealed that fewer iPhone buyers came from the Google Android platform in 2014 compared to the number of buyers who switched from Android to an iPhone in 2013. In 2014, 12 percent of iPhone buyers reported formerly owning an Android phone, while 23 percent reported being former Android customers in 2013. The launch of the iPhone 5s also saw a higher number of customers coming from BlackBerry and Windows Devices.

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"The vast majority of new iPhone buyers were already iPhone owners." said Josh Lowitz, CIRP Partner and Co-Founder. "Current iPhone owners accounted for over 80% of buyers after this launch, compared to less than 65% after the iPhone 5S and 5C launch in September 2013. Android owners accounted for a much smaller share of buyers immediately after this year's iPhone launch, and with smartphones so prevalent in the US, we also saw a smaller percentage of iPhone buyers moving from basic phones."
Former Android owners who were already accustomed to larger screens were more likely to buy the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus than iPhone owners who were upgrading to a new device. 31 percent of former Android owners chose the iPhone 6 Plus, while only 25 percent of existing iPhone owners opted for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus over the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

The data also shows that those who did switch from Android in 2014 tended to go for more expensive flagship iPhones. In September of 2014, 85 percent of former Android owners who bought an iPhone chose the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, while only 52 percent of former Android owners who bought an iPhone chose the iPhone 5s in 2013.

Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, analysts suggested the larger screens of the two devices could cause a massive spike in upgrades and lure an unprecedented number of former Android users who desired bigger displays. In anticipation of a large number of Android switchers, Apple even launched a guide designed to walk Android users through moving data from their Android devices to the iPhone.

During Apple's most recent earnings call, CEO Tim Cook noted that Apple had seen a huge numbers of upgraders along with many first time buyers, including both customers who had never had a smartphone and switchers from Android. Cook also explained that demand was "far outstripping" supply, with no clear date for supply/demand balance in sight.

Though it appears that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may not have been highly popular with Android switchers, it is important to note that CIRP gathered its data from just 300 Apple customers who purchased an iPhone in the 30 days following the device's September 19 launch. A survey encompassing 300 customers is a very small sample size relative to the number of people who have purchased one of Apple's new devices, a figure that had already hit 10 million during launch weekend.

It will be interesting to see if the balance between upgraders and Android switchers shifts over time, as it's possible that iPhone users already on Apple's timetable may be more inclined to upgrade their devices right away while Android users may be waiting for their contracts to expire.

Related roundup: iPhone 6

iPad Air 2's A8X Chip Includes Semi-Custom Series6XT Graphics With Eight Cores

New details have come to light regarding the iPad Air 2's graphics processing power since its launch last month, with a new report from AnandTech revealing the new tablet's graphics are even more powerful than previously thought.

Benchmarks and teardowns on the tablet revealed details on the inner workings of the iPad Air 2 in the days following its launch, but a new image of the A8X die provided to AnandTech reveals the layout of the Apple-designed chip. The die photo shows the A8X includes eight-core graphics, even larger than the 6-core GX6650 graphics from Imagination Technologies previously assumed to be in the chip.
To get right down to business then, the die shot confirms what we had begun suspecting: that A8X has an 8 cluster Series6XT configuration. All 8 GPU clusters are clearly visible, and perhaps unsurprisingly it looks a lot like the GPU layout of the GX6450. To put it in words, imagine A8’s GX6450 with another GX6450 placed right above it, and that would be the A8X’s 8 cluster GPU.
AnandTech was unable to share the source's actual image of the die, but Chipworks has just provided MacRumors with a similar image showing the eight graphics cores taking up a substantial portion of the A8X's die. The photo also shows the new triple-core CPU and a number of other features included on the chip.

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A8X die photo from Chipworks

Uncertainty over the A8X graphics stems from Imagination's public list of Series6XT graphics offerings, which tops out with the 6-core GX6650, but the new die photo reveals that Apple has employed a semi-custom design essentially pairing two quad-core packages on the chip to yield eight-core graphics.

Thanks to its licensing agreements with Imagination, Apple is free to modify the GPU designs developed by the graphics company, and Apple's position as a key investor in Imagination almost certainly gives it advance access to Imagination's pipeline, allowing such custom designs to be launched just nine months after Series6XT was announced.

Other gathered information includes details about the A8X's size and design. The die shot places the A8X at roughly 128mm2, only a bit larger than the 123 mm2 A6X used the last time Apple developed a custom "X" chip for the iPad. Compared to other models on the market, the A8X is a bit larger than NVIDIA’s 118mm2 GK107 GPU but also smaller than Intel’s 130mm2 2C+GT2 Haswell CPU. Design-wise, the A8X otherwise appears to have not drastically changed much from the A8, besides slight tweaks to make the eight-cluster design functional and the addition of a third CPU core.

Just yesterday, Imagination announced its next-generation Series7XT designs, and given the timing of this year's announcements and releases, the new graphics are likely to make their way into Apple's A9-series chips for inclusion in its 2015 iOS devices.

Related roundup: iPad Air 2