MacRumors

Israel is the latest country to launch an investigation into Apple over the ongoing iPhone slowdown issue that saw the company fail to adequately inform users about a 2017 software update that could result in slower performance on some older iPhones with degraded batteries.

The Israeli Consumer Protection on Fair Trade Authority on Tuesday said it had launched an investigation into Apple over Apple's failure to disclose the details of the iOS 10.2.1 software update that introduced the changes, reports Reuters.

The head of Apple in Israel, Tony Friedman, has been questioned as part of the investigation. Israel's Fair Trade Authority has confirmed that it could levy "significant fines" against Apple in civil proceedings, but says it is too early in the investigation to discuss the possibility.

Apple implemented iOS 10.2.1 with power management features in January of 2017 to cut down on instances of unexpected shutdowns in iPhones with degraded batteries, but it wasn't until December of 2017 that the full scope of the update became clear and consumers learned that some devices were being throttled.

Apple has since offered low-cost battery replacements and instituted new features in iOS 11.3 that both disable the power management features until an unexpected shutdown is detected and provide additional information on the health of an iPhone's battery and whether or not the battery status has resulted in processor slowdowns. The update also gives consumers the option to choose device shutdowns over power management with a toggle to turn the management feature off entirely on potentially affected devices, which include the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, and SE.

Despite Apple's efforts to rectify its lack of communication over the iOS 10.2.1 update, Apple is facing inquiries and investigations in multiple countries, including China, Italy, South Korea, France, Brazil, and the United States.

Apple has also been hit with dozens of lawsuits over the issue, which will be centralized in a Northern California District Court.

Apple's smart home platform, HomeKit, has grown significantly since its 2015 launch, and there are now dozens of HomeKit products on the market that include everything from lights and smart outlets to thermostats, fans, cameras, and locks.

There are so many HomeKit products available that you can essentially outfit an entire house with smart accessories, but it can be tough to figure out the best HomeKit products if you're new to the ecosystem. In our latest YouTube video, we've rounded up several of our favorite HomeKit products.

• August Smart Lock Pro ($220)
• Yale Assure Lock with iM1 Network Module ($200)
• Philips Hue Lights and Hue Tap ($134 for a Hue White Starter Kit, $49 for Hue Tap)
• LIFX (Starting at $25 for LIFX Mini White)
• Nanoleaf Light Panels ($230)
• Sensi Touch Thermostat ($150)
• Ecobee4 Thermostat ($250)
• iDevices Switch ($30)
• Logitech Pop Smart Button ($60)
• Elgato Eve Button ($50)

HomeKit products are designed to allow all of your devices to be controlled via the Home app and through Siri commands. The platform includes scenes, automations, triggers, and more, allowing for you to automate the smart home products you own.

You can control HomeKit devices using an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, but we wanted to give a special shoutout to the HomePod, Apple's smart speaker. The $349 HomePod speaker has built-in Siri capabilities and an exceptional microphone, plus it serves as a Home hub, making it a great method of control for your HomeKit devices.

HomeKit functionality may expand significantly in the near future, thanks to iOS 11.3, which introduces software authentication so existing products can be updated with HomeKit support. Prior to iOS 11.3, special hardware was required, with companies required to add a chip to an accessory to introduce HomeKit support. With that limitation lifted, HomeKit adoption may see rapid growth.

Do you have favorite HomeKit products we didn't mention in the video? Let us know in the comments.

Facebook today announced the launch of a new data abuse bounty program that will see it rewarding Facebook users who discover instances of companies using unauthorized data.

Facebook users who report companies for misusing data can receive rewards that range from $500 to $40,000 for major discoveries impacting at least 10,000 people. Companies who are discovered misusing data will have their app removed from the Facebook platform, will face a forensic audit of related systems, and could face legal action.

This program will reward people with first-hand knowledge and proof of cases where a Facebook platform app collects and transfers people's data to another party to be sold, stolen or used for scams or political influence. Just like the bug bounty program, we will reward based on the impact of each report. While there is no maximum, high impact bug reports have garnered as much as $40,000 for people who bring them to our attention.

The social network says the new program is designed to protect people's data on Facebook by helping identify violations of the company's policies.

Facebook says all "legitimate reports" will be reviewed and responded to as quickly as possible. If data abuse is confirmed, the person who made the report will receive payment. Users must have first-hand knowledge of facts and cannot submit reports based on speculation.

You must have direct first-hand knowledge of facts showing that data collected by a Facebook platform app is or has been passed to another party. You cannot submit a report based on speculation, but must be aware of the facts yourself. The scenario we expect is one company that built an app to collect information that then passes that information to another company to be abused. You must have knowledge of both of these parties.

The new Data Abuse Bounty comes in the wake of the ongoing Cambridge Analytica scandal Facebook is facing, which has resulted in Facebook implementing stronger privacy policies. Cambridge Analytica used personal data acquired from Facebook in an illicit manner by a third-party app ("This is Your Digital Life") to create targeted political advertisements during the 2016 election.

Just this morning, Facebook launched an official Help center tool that lets users see if their data was harvested by the app that supplied Cambridge Analytica with info. The tool is designed to let you know if you or someone you know installed the app and what was shared with Cambridge Analytica. 87 million users were impacted.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg is also testifying before Congress this afternoon, explaining Facebook's role in the scandal and the changes it plans to make going forward to prevent it from happening again.

Sprint and T-Mobile have once again entered into talks over a potential merger, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The revitalization of the discussion comes just five months after the two companies officially called off plans for a merger following an inability to reach "mutually agreeable terms."

At the time, Sprint parent company SoftBank was not satisfied with the deal because of ownership terms, with SoftBank concerned about losing control of the combined company after T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom requested a controlling stake.

The current discussions are said to be in a preliminary stage, and it's not clear what terms the two companies are considering, nor if the current administration would allow the deal to go through. Talks between the two companies have fallen apart several times before, and the same could be true of this round of discussions.

Should T-Mobile and Sprint be able to establish a satisfactory deal, the combined company would have close to 100 million customers, putting it ahead of AT&T and just behind Verizon.

When the last deal fell through in November of 2017, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said it was best for Sprint to move forward on its own and that the company would be "accelerating significant investments" to ensure its continued growth.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere said that a deal between T-Mobile and Sprint would need to "result in superior long-term value for T-Mobile's shareholders," and that T-Mobile would continue to disrupt the industry.

Instagram today announced the launch of a new "Focus" mode, which is designed to allow Instagram users to take portrait images with a softly blurred background.

The feature is available as a new option next to "Superzoom" when you open up the camera. It can be used with the front or rear-facing cameras, and Instagram says as soon as someone is in the shot, the person will stay in focus while the background becomes blurred. Focus mode only works with a person in the frame.

Focus mode can be used with either photos or videos, and it's designed to be similar to the Portrait Mode feature available on Apple's newer dual-lens devices. While Portrait Mode is a hardware-based feature available on the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, Instagram's Focus mode is software based, making it available on a wider range of devices.

Instagram says Focus works on the iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and "select Android devices."

In addition to Focus, Instagram is also adding a new @mention sticker on iOS devices so you can use a sticker to tag your friends using the stories camera.

Both Focus and the new Mention sticker are available in the latest version of Instagram, which can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

PayPal's Digital Gifts eBay storefront today launched another 15 percent discount on $100 App Store and iTunes gift cards, which the company has been doing once a month since February. While the deal lasts, those with a PayPal account can purchase the $100 iTunes gift cards for $85, which will then be delivered via email a few hours later. The gift cards will only be valid on purchases made in the United States App and iTunes Stores.

For those adding more credit onto their iTunes accounts, the iTunes Movies store refreshed today with a handful of new sales on both HD and 4K HDR films. We've rounded up a few of these movies below, alongside notable ongoing film discounts. Besides movie rentals and purchases on iTunes, these gift cards can be used for Apple Music and other iTunes billing subscriptions, album and iBooks purchases, and more.

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

4K HDR

• Independence Day - $4.99, down from $14.99

• The Shape of Water - $9.99, down from $14.99

• The Disaster Artist - $9.99, down from $14.99

• War for the Planet of the Apes - $9.99, down from $14.99

• Edge of Tomorrow - $9.99, down from $14.99

• The Fifth Element - $9.99, down from $19.99

• The Secret Life of Pets - $9.99, down from $14.99
• The LEGO Movie - $9.99, down from $14.99

HD

• It Comes At Night - $7.99, down from $14.99
• The Witch - $7.99, down from $14.99
• I, Tonya - $9.99, down from $14.99
• Fargo - $9.99, down from $14.99
• Grosse Pointe Blank - $9.99, down from $14.99
• Father Figures - $14.99, down from $19.99

Head over to our full Deals Roundup to check out more of this week's sales and discounts.

Apple today shared its first ad for the brand new (PRODUCT)RED edition iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus on its YouTube channel.

The new (RED) models became available to order earlier today, with the first deliveries and in-store availability at Apple Stores and select resellers slated to begin Friday, April 13 in the United States and several other countries.

Namely, other launch countries include Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

Availability in Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and other regions will follow later in April, followed by Chile, Colombia, India, Israel, Turkey, and more regions in May.

The new color is part of Apple's 11-year partnership with (RED), founded in 2006 by U2 frontman Bono and activist Bobby Shriver. The brand and its licensed red-colored products helps to raise funds for The Global Fund, which helps people affected by HIV or AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in eight African countries.

For each (RED) product sold, Apple makes a contribution to The Global Fund, raising over $160 million to date.

Facebook today launched a new section of its Help Center focusing on user data breaches following the Cambridge Analytica scandal that's been ongoing for the past few weeks. The updated Help Center tool allows you to check to see if any of your Facebook data was shared with Cambridge Analytica (via Matt Navarra).

The tool specifically details whether or not you or any of your friends ever logged into "This Is Your Digital Life," a quiz app that Cambridge Analytica used to steal information and tailor political messages towards Facebook users. If you or someone you know was affected by the app, Facebook details what information was shared with Cambridge Analytica, including topics like public profile, page likes, birthday, current city, and more.

Besides the new tool, Facebook has been sharing numerous blog posts in recent weeks about the security and privacy of its users. Most recently, chief technology officer Mike Shroepfer outlined several changes coming to Facebook APIs that will limit the amount of data that apps can collect from users. The company also promised to more prominently notify users of what apps are using their data in links atop their News Feeds, which started appearing for some users yesterday.

Facebook's Help Center tool launches the same day that company CEO Mark Zuckerberg will be testifying before Congress at 2:15 p.m. PT. According to prepared remarks released by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Zuckerberg is expected to state that Facebook "didn't do enough" to prevent multiple issues from spreading on the social network, namely data privacy.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has commented on the ongoing Facebook data scandal, telling Recode's Kara Swisher "I wouldn't be in this situation," when asked what he would do right now if he was Mark Zuckerberg. He elaborated: "We could make a ton of money if we monetized our customers. If our customers were our product. We've elected not to do that. ...We're not going to traffic in your personal life."

On that topic, Zuckerberg responded by stating that Cook's comments were "not at all aligned with the truth," and that just because Facebook is free to use doesn't mean that the company doesn't care about its customers.

As of the most recent reports, 87 million people have been affected by the Cambridge Analytica scandal on Facebook, 70 million of which are located in the United States.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Swedish furniture seller IKEA has unveiled the first in a new line of minimalist Bluetooth speakers from the company.

Called Eneby, the Scandinavian-styled units come in 8-inch and 12-inch sizes, can be wall- or stand- mounted, and are made to fit in IKEA's Kallax and Eket storage systems.

The plastic speakers come with a mesh polyester fabric front panel that can be removed to expose the drivers, and a knob on the front of the speaker controls power, bass, treble, or volume.

A 3.5mm auxiliary output around the back lets you attach a wired device, while the smaller 8-inch speaker also features a carry handle and an optional battery pack for portability.

Up to eight Bluetooth devices can be connected to a single Eneby speaker at a time, so there's no need to disconnect one user to make way for another.

IKEA's Eneby 8-inch speaker costs $49 and is available in white, gray, or black, while the 12-inch model costs $89 and comes in black or white.

The battery pack for the smaller speaker is sold separately for $20, and you can also buy black speaker stands for $10 each that fit both sizes.

Last year, IKEA brought to market its own Apple HomeKit-compatible smart Lighting range of products called Trådfri. The range includes LED bulbs, a remote dimmer switch puck, a gateway kit, a motion sensor kit, and dimming lights.

Popular iPhone trivia app HQ Trivia is testing a new social feature in the UK, which allows its users to locate and add their real life friends in the HQ app, reports TechCrunch.

When you add your friends to the HQ app using the new feature, you can keep track of their progress and see who else is playing in any given game. Adding social features is the next major step for HQ Trivia, which now has a player base in the millions.

If you're unfamiliar with HQ Trivia, it's an iPhone and iPad app that hosts multiple daily trivia sessions where players can win real money by correcting answering all of the questions. Each game features a set prize pool, and the prize pool is divided among all of the winners.

In the U.S., games take place at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time each day, with a second game available at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time on weekdays. Other special games are also often added to the lineup.

HQ Trivia launched last year and has seen strong user growth since then. The company recently started offering sponsored prizes provided by corporate sponsors that include Nike and Warner Bros. HQ just this morning announced an upcoming guest host episode that will star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and will offer a $300,000 prize pool.

HQ Trivia can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Apple will likely face sanctions from the Korean Fair Trade Commission for unfair iPhone contracts that require local carriers to pay advertising and repair costs, reports The Korea Herald, citing industry sources.

Apple's Korean division has been criticized for asking carriers to foot the bill for advertising costs, launch events, and iPhone repairs, leading to an investigation from the Fair Trade Commission. The Korean FTC recently agreed to impose penalties on Apple Korea and has contacted the company for an explanation before making a final decision on whether or not to impose sanctions.

According to The Korea Herald, three Korean carriers, SKT, KT, and LG Uplus, were directed by Apple to air TV commercials promoting the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X, but were reportedly required to pay for the commercials.

"When you see iPhone's TV commercials here, everything is the same except for a telecom operator's logo at the end of the commercials. Still, telecom firms should bear all the costs standing at billions of won," said an executive of one of the three firms on the condition of anonymity.

Apple Korea has been under investigation in Korea since 2016, with the Korean Federal Trade Commission conducting raids in June 2016 and November 2017. It's not clear what kind of fines the company could be facing in the country should the FTC move forward with sanctions.