Writer/director Rian Johnson did an interview with The Wall Street Journal this week, discussing his favorite tech essentials that he uses both casually and professionally, including for the creation of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. In regards to the scripting process of The Last Jedi, Johnson said that he wrote the entire film on an air-gapped MacBook Air.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi official title via starwars.com
An air-gapped computer is never connected to the internet, ensuring that the device is completely isolated from other, potentially non-secure networks. Johnson explained that this prevented secrets within The Last Jedi's script from ever getting out, and he "used it for nothing except writing the script," although he didn't specify which model of Apple's MacBook Air he used.
I typed Episode VIII out on a MacBook Air. For security it was “air-gapped”—never connected to the internet. I carried it around and used it for nothing except writing the script. I kept it in a safe at Pinewood Studios. I think my producer was constantly horrified I would leave it in a coffee shop.
Johnson also mentioned playing iOS game Desert Golfing on his iPhone X, admitting he's played "more than 1,500 holes" in the game. Other tech discussed included a Leica M6 35mm film camera used on The Last Jedi, his Omega Speedmaster Pro wrist watch used to time out moments on the set, and "The History of Rome" podcast he listened to when writing the movie.
Ahead of the release of The Last Jedi, Apple hosted free Star Wars-themed workshops at select Apple retail stores. The sessions taught participants how to make movie trailers and code droids in celebration of Force Friday II, the day that new Star Wars toys launched for characters, stories, and locations from The Last Jedi. Earlier in the summer, animator and illustrator Wahyu Ichwandardi shared an Apple/Star Wars project of his own when he recreated the entire first trailer for The Last Jedi on a vintage Apple IIc from 1984.
Apple representatives met with suppliers who make the type of parts required to power augmented reality glasses at CES this week, according to Bloomberg News.
During CES, representatives from major players like Apple, Facebook, and Google met with suppliers that make the nuts and bolts required to power AR glasses, according to people familiar with the meetings.
The report doesn't provide any additional details about the meetings, or what was discussed, but it's yet more anecdotal evidence that so-called "Apple Glasses" may one day go from rumor to reality.
Bloomberg News has previously reported that Apple is working on an augmented reality headset that could launch by 2020. An early version is said to have a dedicated display, a built-in processor, and a custom operating system dubbed "rOS" for "reality operating system," but many prototypes are thought to exist.
The early November report said Apple hasn't finalized how users will control the headset and launch apps, but it is supposedly investigating touchscreens, Siri voice activation, and head gestures, likely among other ideas.
Engineers are prototyping a range of applications, from mapping and texting to more advanced features including virtual meeting rooms and 360-degree video playback. The company has discussed pairing the headset with its own version of the App Store, where users would be able to download content, just as they do with the iPhone, Watch, Apple TV and Mac.
At the time, Apple software engineers were said to be using HTC Vive headsets for internal testing purposes, while working on a device similar to an Oculus Gear VR headset that uses an iPhone's display and other hardware.
An augmented reality headset is one of several projects that a team of Apple software engineers are supposedly working on under the umbrella code name of "T288" at the company's offices in Cupertino and Sunnyvale. The same team reportedly worked on Apple's ARKit platform for iPhone and iPad.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, despite repeatedly expressing a profound interest in augmented reality, recently alluded to any headset being at least a few years away during an interview with The Independent.
Today I can tell you that the technology itself doesn't exist to do that in a quality way. We don't give a rats about being first, we want to be best in creating people's experiences. Something that you would see out in the market any time soon would not be something that any of us would be satisfied with.
Apple rose to become the world's fourth-largest PC maker in 2017, as Mac sales increased to nearly 20 million during the year, according to the latest estimates shared by research firms IDC and Gartner.
The roughly 19.6 million total is based on Apple's reported Mac sales of 13.9 million units in the first three calendar quarters of the year, while IDC and Gartner estimate Apple sold another 5.4 million to 5.7 million Macs in the fourth quarter.
Apple officially reported sales of 18.5 million Macs in 2016, so the company is looking at year-over-year growth of around four to six percent based on the IDC and Gartner data. Apple sold over 20 million Macs in both 2014 and 2015, however, so 2017 was likely not a record-breaking year for the Mac.
Apple leapfrogged either Asus or Acer depending on which dataset you look at, as IDC and Gartner have slightly different estimates. Both research firms have Apple trailing behind HP, Lenovo, and Dell, which shipped an estimated 58.8 million, 54.8 million, and 41.8 million PCs respectively last year per IDC.
Apple's growth in 2017 is impressive given Gartner claims it was the sixth consecutive year of declining PC shipments. The year saw Apple refresh its MacBook Pro and iMac lineups with Kaby Lake processors, give the base MacBook Air a slight speed boost, and launch an all-new iMac Pro.
We'll know exactly how many Macs were sold in 2017 when Apple reports its next earnings results on February 1, but if these estimates prove to be accurate, it was a financially successful year for the Mac.
Apple has opened a new section of the iOS App Store that promotes subscription-based apps offering free trials (via 9to5Mac).
Called "Try it for Free", the subcategory appears in the Apps tab and is currently home to just four apps, including USA Today, 1Password, Panna: Video Recipes & Classes, and Lake: Coloring Books. Tapping "Free Trial" next to one of the apps takes the user to a screen showcasing the subscription offer (if the app hasn't been previously downloaded), which details how long the trial runs, the recurring cost after the trial ends, and how to download the app.
All of the apps in the subcategory have offered free trials for some time, suggesting Apple is renewing efforts to push subscription-based apps by encouraging users to try them out for a time before committing to recurring payments.
Subscription-based apps tend to divide the user community, but adoption of the model has increased over the last six months. Apple began incentivizing developers to sell their apps for a recurring fee instead of a one-time cost when it made changes to its App Store subscription policies in 2016. Usually, Apple takes 30 percent of app revenue, but developers who are able to maintain a subscription with a customer longer than a year see Apple's cut drop down to 15 percent.
Late last year, Apple also started letting developers offer discounted introductory pricing and time-limited free trials on auto-renewable app subscriptions, based on the idea that subscriptions provide a higher likelihood of an engaged audience.
More OLED panel makers are gearing up to compete with Samsung and LG for orders from Apple as soon as this year, according to industry sources (via DigiTimes).
That investment appears to be paying off already, with LG Display reportedly in line to supply some OLED panels to this year's new range of iPhones, which is expected to include two new 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone models with OLED displays. LG Display will supply Apple with the 6.5-inch OLED panels, while Samsung will supply the 5.8-inch panels, according to one report.
Other suppliers now said to be jostling for third and fourth position in the OLED pecking order include Sharp, now a Foxconn Electronics company, and Japan Display (JDI). Both companies are preparing to churn out OLED screens as early as the second quarter of 2018, according to sources, citing Japan-based media reports. Sharp also aims to mount the flexible OLED screens on some of its own premium smartphone models set to launch in 2018, the sources added.
In stark contrast with the state of play early last year, the accelerating trend of Asian suppliers investing in OLED production facilities will "definitely" lead to an excess supply of the panels in the coming years, according to DigiTimes' sources.
China currently has a total of 13 fabs capable of rolling out small- to medium-sized OLED panels. The combined production capacity of these 13 fabs will reportedly reach 350,000 substrates a month if all of them come online, said sources.
The adverse impact of any excess supply is expected to be offset by the increasing adoption of OLED panels in other "premier" models of consumer electronics products, although no examples were offered.
Today's report follows news on Thursday that instead of competing for OLED display supply against Apple, some China-based smartphone makers are turning towards mini LED this year. Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi have reportedly asked Taiwan-based suppliers to begin producing mini LED backlighting in June in anticipation of products that would debut in the second half of 2018.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg this afternoon announced some major changes that are coming to the Facebook News Feed, which will cut down on the content displayed from publishers to instead highlight more content from family and friends.
According to Zuckerberg, feedback from Facebook users has suggested content from businesses, brands, and media is crowding out personal content from friends, something Facebook wants to correct. Rather than aiming to help Facebook users find relevant content, it will now help users find "meaningful social interactions."
Based on this, we're making a major change to how we build Facebook. I'm changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions.
Zuckerberg says that it will take months to roll out the new focus to all of its products, but the first change will be coming to the News Feed, which will feature more content from family, friends, and groups. Less public content will be displayed, and what is displayed, should encourage meaningful interactions.
As we roll this out, you'll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard -- it should encourage meaningful interactions between people.
Through implementing these changes, Zuckerberg expects to see engagement and the time people spend on Facebook go down, but the time that is spent on Facebook "will be more valuable." Doing the right thing, he says, will be "good for the community" and Facebook's business over the long term.
Apple this afternoon published an updated version of its iOS Security white paper for iOS 11 [PDF], with information that covers features introduced in iOS 11.1 and iOS 11.2, like Face ID and Apple Pay Cash.
Much of the information in the document on Face ID has been previously shared by Apple in a dedicated Face ID white paper and accompanying support document that was released in September following the iPhone X's announcement, but the Face ID section is worth a re-read for those who are interested in Face ID security.
The document also covers several other topics, such as Shared Notes, CloudKit, Siri Suggestions, and more, with a full list of updates below:
Updated for iOS 11.2 - Apple Pay Cash
Updated for iOS 11.1 - Security Certifications and Programs - Touch ID/Face ID - Shared Notes - CloudKit end-to-end encryption - TLS - Apple Pay, Paying with Apple Pay on the web - Siri Suggestions - Shared iPad
The document explains in detail how Apple features work and how they're protected. With Apple Pay Cash, for example, Apple says transaction data is stored for troubleshooting and fraud protection, while all money transfers are done securely using the Secure Element as with other Apple Pay transactions.
There are many small but significant details in the paper about all of the topics listed above, and for anyone who is interested in the security of their iPhones and iPads, it's worth checking out in detail.
Prior to today's update, the last update to the iOS security document was in July of 2017 following the release of iOS 10.3.
Skype is using the Signal Protocol for the feature, allowing users to take advantage of strong end-to-end encryption for more secure communications.
Private Conversations are available for one-on-one conversations on Skype, with users able to initiate a private conversation by tapping on the "+" icon and then selecting "New Private Conversation." Once a conversation is initiated, it will be available only on the specific device where it was started.
Microsoft says Private Conversations offer several unique features:
A Private Conversation will have a lock icon next to your contact's name.
Preview messages from Private Conversations will not show in Chats or notifications.
Private Conversation capabilities are limited. You cannot edit a message or forward a file. From the chat window, only emoticons, files and audio messages are available to send.
Private Conversations are specific to a device. A new invitation must be sent and accepted, to change to another device.
Private Conversations are available today in a preview capacity for Skype Insiders, Microsoft's beta testing program for Skype.
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich today wrote an open letter to Intel customers following the "Meltdown" and "Spectre" hardware-based vulnerabilities that impact its processors.
In the letter, Krzanich says that by January 15, updates will have been issued for at least 90 percent of Intel CPUs introduced in the past five years, with updates for the remainder coming at the end of January.
For Apple customers, macOS and iOS devices have been patched with protection against Spectre and Meltdown. Meltdown was addressed in macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 and iOS 11.2, while Spectre mitigations were introduced in a macOS 10.13.2 supplemental update and iOS 11.2.2, both of which were released this week. The vulnerabilities have also been addressed in older versions of macOS and OS X.
According to Krzanich, going forward, Intel promises to offer timely and transparent communications, with details on patch progress and performance data. Because Spectre and Meltdown are hardware-based vulnerabilities, they must be addressed through software workarounds. In some cases, these software patches cause machines to perform more slowly.
Apple users do not need to worry about performance impacts. According to Apple, Meltdown had no measurable reduction in performance on devices running macOS and iOS across several benchmarks. Spectre, fixed through a Safari mitigation, had no measurable impact on most tests, but did impact performance by less than 2.5% on the JetStream benchmark. Apple says it plans to continue to refine its mitigations going further.
In addition to remaining transparent about the performance impact of the software fixes, Krzanich says Intel will commit to disclosing security vulnerabilities and sharing hardware innovations that will, in the future, prevent such attacks.
Our customers' security is an ongoing priority, not a one-time event. To accelerate the security of the entire industry, we commit to publicly identify significant security vulnerabilities following rules of responsible disclosure and, further, we commit to working with the industry to share hardware innovations that will accelerate industry-level progress in dealing with side-channel attacks. We also commit to adding incremental funding for academic and independent research into potential security threats.
For those who missed the news last week, Spectre and Meltdown are serious hardware-based vulnerabilities that take advantage of the speculative execution mechanism of a CPU, potentially allowing hackers to gain access to sensitive information.
Spectre and Meltdown impact all modern processors, including those used in Mac and iOS devices, and these two vulnerabilities will continue to be an issue for the foreseeable future as addressing them entirely requires new hardware design. Apple has prevented Spectre and Meltdown from affecting customers through software updates, but all hardware and software manufacturers will need to be wary of additional speculative execution attacks going forward.
Apple customers should make sure to keep their Macs and iOS devices up to date with the latest software to remain protected from malicious attacks that might take advantage of the exploits.
This year's Consumer Electronics Show felt a little more muted than past shows, with fewer new and exciting products coming out. Much of that may be due to the fact that there was a lot of focus on Alexa and Google Assistant, two platforms that aren't applicable to a lot of Apple users.
Though CES 2018 may not have been quite as interesting as past events, there were still quite a few Apple-related products shown off that we're looking forward to seeing in 2018. Below, we've rounded up some of the most interesting accessories and devices relevant to those who own iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices.
Philips Hue Outdoor Bulbs and Hue Entertainment
Philips is planning to expand its line of popular HomeKit-compatible Hue light bulbs with new outdoor bulbs that can be used on porches, yards, balconies, and other outdoor areas. Pricing hasn't yet been announced, but these will be a welcome addition to the Hue lineup.
Philips is also introducing a new "Hue Entertainment" feature that will allow Hue lights to react to games, movies, music, and more through a series of partnerships with other companies. One of the first partnerships is with Razer.
Later this year, Philips will update its iOS app with a revamped design and it will introduce a new "Hue Sync" Mac app for creating and customizing light scripts for games, movies, and music.
Nanoleaf Remote and Square Panels
Nanoleaf, another company that does HomeKit-enabled lighting, announced a new $49 Nanoleaf Remote for controlling its Nanoleaf Light Panels and other HomeKit-compatible products. Some MacRumors readers aren't a fan of the design, but it is undeniably unique with its dodecahedron shape, and it also offers more preset options than other remotes. You can activate 12 HomeKit scenes with the Nanoleaf Remote by flipping it around, and it can also be used for dimming.
Nanoleaf is also going to be introducing new square light panels in the future, though a pricing and release date aren't available. The square panels are a major update to the existing triangle panels. They're touch sensitive so you can turn them on and off or activate another color preset with just a tap or a swipe, and there will also be built-in motion sensing to tweak the lights when you walk by.
HomeKit-Enabled Kohler Faucet and Moen Shower System
Kohler and Moen took HomeKit to an interesting new place at CES with the announcement of HomeKit-enabled faucets and shower systems.
Kohler's Sensate faucet will let you use Siri voice commands to turn the water on or off or dispense set amounts of liquid, while the DTV+ shower system will let homeowners create and automate personalized shower experiences with different presets for sound, water, steam, and lighting, which can be activated by voice.
Moen's "U by Moen" shower system will let you use voice commands to start your shower and activated pre-set temperature choices.
Voice-enabled shower systems aren't cheap, with Moen charging $1,160 for the "U." Pricing for the Kohler system hasn't been announced, but the current non-HomeKit-enabled Sensate faucet is priced at $523 while the DTV+ shower system is priced at $794.
Belkin HomeKit for Wemo and Wireless Charging Docks
At CES, Belkin finally debuted HomeKit integration for its Wemo devices, allowing smart plugs, light switches, and dimmers to be used with HomeKit. HomeKit integration is limited right now, but the good news is that future Belkin Wemo products will likely support it.
Adding HomeKit to your Wemo setup will require the new Wemo Bridge, priced at $40.
Belkin's other major announcement was a whole slew of new wireless chargers for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. There are chargers in bright colors, upright chargers, and chargers that go in the car.
Osmo Mobile 2
If you capture video on your iPhone, the Osmo Mobile 2 from DJI is worth checking out. It's way cheaper than the original version at around $160, has simpler controls, and longer battery life.
It works by using a three-axis gimbal to cancel out movement in three directions for stable footage even when you have shaky hands.
HyperDrive 8-in-1 USB-C Hub
Hyper's new 8-in-1 USB-C Hub may be a Kickstarter project, but Hyper has a proven track record for delivering solid products. The HyperDrive USB-C Hub is designed for USB-C MacBook models with a 4K HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a microSD slot, an SD card slot, three USB-A 3.1 ports and one USB-C power delivery port.
It also includes a built-in 7.5W wireless charger and convertible stand for wirelessly charging the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.
Incase's new IconConnected Power Sleeve combines protection with power for Apple's 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models. It takes a standard Incase Icon sleeve and then adds a 14,000 mAh battery with a USB-C port that can be used for charging purposes.
There's also a USB-A port built into the Power Sleeve so you can charge your other devices, too. Incase plans to offer 13 and 15-inch versions of the Power Sleeve, which will be available for $199.95 when it launches in the third quarter of 2018.
We highlighted tons of other Apple-related products at the Consumer Electronics Show this year, so make sure to check out our CES hub to see all of our CES 2018 coverage. What was your favorite product at the show? Let us know in the comments.
Back in 2008, Angela Guzman was a graphic design student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and an intern at Apple, where she joined the iPhone team and worked alongside another Apple designer, Raymond, to come up with the first 500 emoji characters that were available on the iPhone.
When Guzman was handed the emoji project at Apple, it came at a time when emoji were unfamiliar in the English speaking world. Guzman received a crash course in Apple design and then started designing emoji, which featured incredible detail even right from the start. Then Apple CEO Steve Jobs reviewed each batch of emoji before it was approved for launch.
Regardless of how fast I could crank one out, I constantly checked the details: the direction of the woodgrain, how freckles appeared on apples and eggplants, how leaf veins ran on a hibiscus, how leather was stitched on a football, the details were neverending. I tried really hard to capture all this in every pixel, zooming in and zooming out, because every detail mattered.
Some emoji, says Guzman, have interesting back stories. The happy poop swirl, for example, was reused as the top of the ice cream cone. Harder, more detailed emoji were left last, such as the now-iconic dancer with the red dress.
Guzman's emoji were first launched in Japan in November of 2008, and in the time since then, emoji have changed the way we communicate. Emoji have become an important part of the iOS and macOS ecosystem, and Apple has continued refining and improving its emoji offerings with each Unicode update.
As with the first Apple emoji designed by Guzman and her partner Raymond, emoji today feature incredible detail thanks to the talented artists at Apple who take the time to make sure each and every pixel is perfect.
iOS 11.1 was the last iOS update that introduced new emoji, bringing Unicode 10 characters like crazy face, pie, pretzel, t-rex, vampire, exploding head, face vomiting, shushing face, love you gesture, brain, scarf, zebra, giraffe, fortune cookie, pie, hedgehog, and more.
The next emoji update will come with the release of Unicode 11 in 2018, and emoji proposals for that update include smiling face with three hearts, blue face with icicles, smiling face with cape, mango, cupcake, kangaroo, llama, peacock, and red hair options for existing emoji.
Apple has quickly corrected a mistake that allowed iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to downgrade to older software versions on early Thursday.
The situation began on late Wednesday when Apple suddenly stopped signing all iOS versions for select devices, including the iPhone 4s and some very old iPad and iPod touch models, according to the website IPSW.me.
Next, it appears that when Apple went to flip the switch back on, it accidentally began signing several older software versions between iOS 6 and iOS 11.1.2 for any compatible iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models.
Not entirely sure why the signing window has opened for iOS 6–10 on various iOS devices, but not gonna complain. Have some iOS 6 pic.twitter.com/Ixfpn8waU6
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) January 11, 2018
Apple routinely stops signing older iOS versions, which effectively closes the window on downgrading. The company stopped signing iOS 11.1.2 in December, for example, while many older versions haven't been signed in years. Yet, suddenly, users found themselves able to downgrade to over five year old software.
Many users turned to Reddit to discuss the bizarre turn of events, which transpired briefly during the early morning hours in the United States.
I literally ran into my parents room to grab my dad's poor old iPhone 5s and iPad mini 2, both of which were suffering on iOS 11. Now I managed to downgrade them to iOS 7.1.1. I then downgraded my old iPhone 5 to iOS 7.1.1 as well and now my iPhone 7 to iOS 10.3 to jailbreak. I'm so happy right now!
While some users rushed to downgrade for the nostalgic factor, the mishap provided others with an iPhone 6 or newer a brief opportunity to revert to iOS versions that aren't affected by Apple's power management changes introduced in iOS 10.2.1 and/or iOS versions that have a publicly released jailbreak.
Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 11.2.5 update to developers and public beta testers, a few days after seeding the fourth beta and releasing iOS 11.2.2, an update designed to mitigate a serious hardware-based vulnerability called "Spectre."
Registered developers can download the iOS 11.2.5 beta from Apple's Developer Center or over-the-air once the proper configuration profile has been installed from the Developer Center. Public beta testers can get the beta over-the-air.
iOS 11.2.5 introduces a new feature that allows Siri to play daily news podcasts when queried about the current news. Siri will offer up news from The Washington Post by default, but you can also choose to switch to Fox News, CNN, or NPR.
The new audio news feature, which appears to have been developed for use with Apple's upcoming HomePod speaker, is invoked when using Hey Siri or asking Siri about the news when using CarPlay or with headphones connected - essentially any situation where you're not looking at the display of an iOS device. If you activate Siri using the side button or Home button of a device, standard Apple news headlines are provided instead of the audio-based news highlights.
It's not clear what other new features, if any, will be included in the iOS 11.2.5 beta. We didn't discover other noticeable outward-facing changes in the first four iOS 11.2.5 betas, so it's possible this update focuses mainly on bug fixes and security improvements aside from the Siri news update.
If that's the case, we may not know the extent of what's in the update until it sees a public release.
Apple is supposed to be releasing an iCloud Messages feature that was pulled from the iOS 11 release, but there has been no indication of when we can expect iCloud Messages to be reintroduced. Should new features be discovered in the fifth beta of iOS 11.2.5, we'll update this post.
Scosche today announced new Qi-compatible MagicMount Pro wireless charging accessories that are compatible with the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus.
All of the accessories in the new MagicMount Pro CHARGE line feature the Scosche's MagicMount magnetic mounting functionality, with a 360-degree adjustable cradle that allows them to be mounted in the most convenient position. The MagicMount is designed to mount in cars, on nightstands, on desks, on countertops, and more.
Scosche says the MagicMount Pro products feature 5W or 10W Adaptive Fast Charging for "the quickest charge possible" for all Qi-enabled smartphones. Apple's iPhones use 7.5W charging, however, and compatibility with the faster 7.5W iPhone charging specification is not explicitly mentioned.
There are several vehicle-compatible products in the MagicMount Pro CHARGE family:
MagicMount Pro CHARGE Window/Dash - Designed to stick to a vehicle's window or dash using a suction base.
MagicMount Pro CHARGE Vent - Attaches to the vent in any vehicle and can also be detached to be used as a kickstand to watch videos.
MagicMount Pro CHARGE CD - Mounts in a vehicle's CD slot.
MagicMount Pro CHARGE Surface - Attaches to a vehicle's console using a StickGrip mat.
Each MagicMount Pro product includes an AC wall adapter, a micro-USB charging cord, and two MagicPLATEs with 3M adhesive.
Scosche is also introducing a new Qi Dock Powerbank that's able to charge a Qi-compatible smartphone and a powerbank, which can then be used on-the-go to charge mobile devices.
In its standalone MagicMount series designed for mobile devices like the iPhone, Scosche is debuting new MagicMount ELITE products that combine it's well-known magnetic mounting functionality with a more attractive metal alloy finish. As with the Qi accessories, the ELITE series features several products to meet a range of needs.
Scosche's Qi-based products and its new Magic Mount ELITE line will all be launching in the spring of 2018. More information on the upcoming accessories can be found on Scosche's website.
Senior FBI forensic examiner Stephen R. Flatley spoke at the International Conference on Cyber Security yesterday, and during the talk he discussed Apple and the FBI's differing opinions on the topic of smartphone encryption. According to Motherboard, Flatley described the company as "jerks" and "evil geniuses" for creating iOS device encryption that is so powerful as to prevent Apple itself from entering users' iPhones.
Flatley said that recent updates to Apple device encryption have made password guesses slower, by increasing hash iterations from 10 thousand to 10 million, "making his and his colleagues' investigative work harder." This extended brute force crack time from a few days to two months, leading to Flatley stating that Apple is "pretty good at evil genius stuff." No detailed context was given regarding his "jerks" comment.
Image of Stephen Flatley taken by Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai via Motherboard
That means, he explained, that “password attempts speed went from 45 passwords a second to one every 18 seconds,” referring to the difficulty of cracking a password using a “brute force” method in which every possible permutation is tried. There are tools that can input thousands of passwords in a very short period of time—if the attempts per minute are limited, it becomes much harder and slower to crack.
"Your crack time just went from two days to two months," Flatley said. “At what point is it just trying to one up things and at what point is it to thwart law enforcement?" he added. "Apple is pretty good at evil genius stuff."
Flatley's comments come nearly two years after the Apple-FBI dispute began, when a federal judge ordered Apple to help the FBI enter the iPhone owned by Syed Farook, one of the shooters in the December 2015 attacks in San Bernardino. The FBI said it wanted Apple's help to enter just Farook's iPhone 5c, but Apple explained that the software it was asked to create could become a "master key" and be able to get information from any iPhone or iPad.
For this reason, Apple denied the request and CEO Tim Cook penned an open letter describing the potential for setting a "dangerous precedent" if the company did go along with the order. The battle eventually ended a few months later after the government discovered an alternative way of entering Farook's iPhone 5c, reportedly with the help of Israeli firm Cellebrite.
Flately mentioned Cellebrite as well during the security conference, describing the firm as "another evil genius" that counters Apple's encryption and can help the FBI when it needs to enter a smartphone. The forensic examiner was described as not clearly stating Cellebrite's name, but "facetiously coughing" at the same time to somewhat obscure the comment.
Although the Apple-FBI dispute has ended, debates over smartphone encryption have remained ongoing the past few years. In October 2017, a report came out stating that the FBI was unable to retrieve data from 6,900 mobile devices it had attempted to gain access to over the previous 11 months. That number accounted for half of the total devices the FBI tried to get into, and FBI Director Christopher Wray described the FBI's inability to retrieve information from these devices as a "huge, huge problem."
At the end of the case in 2016, Apple issued a statement explaining that the company will continue to assist the FBI when it can, but not at the expense of the data protection, security, and privacy of its customers: "Apple believes deeply that people in the United States and around the world deserve data protection, security, and privacy. Sacrificing one for the other only puts people and countries at greater risk."
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.
iPhone 6 Plus users hoping to take advantage of Apple's discounted $29 battery replacements may have to wait a few months.
Apple says iPhone 6 Plus replacement batteries are in short supply and won't be available until late March to early April in the United States and other regions, according to an internal document distributed to Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week and later obtained by MacRumors.
Apple's internal document quotes a shorter wait of "approximately two weeks" for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus battery replacements, and adds that batteries for all other models like the iPhone 6s, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone SE are expected to be available "without extended delays" in most countries.
Apple noted that lead times may vary in some regions, including the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Russia, and Turkey.
MacRumors has already received a few emails from readers with an iPhone 6 Plus who were quoted a late March to early April timeframe for the replacement service to be completed at Apple Stores in New York and North Carolina, in line with the information outlined in Apple's document.
A reliable source at an Apple Authorized Service Provider indicated that they recently received a package with dozens of replacement batteries, the majority of which were for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models.
As with any supply-demand situation, availability of replacement batteries will likely vary by location. Keep in mind that many Apple Authorized Service Providers like MacMedics and ComputerCare are able to replace iPhone batteries, so this may be an option worth considering beyond an Apple Store.
A source adds that Apple Authorized Service Providers are permitted to set their own prices for out-of-warranty parts and repairs, so some third-party repair shops are charging more than $29 for battery replacements, even if Apple might not prefer it, to ensure they are being fairly compensated.
Also keep in mind that Apple's discounted rate is available until December 31, 2018, so unless you absolutely need a battery replacement now, you may wish to consider waiting until later in the year to initiate the process.
To get started, read our guide on how to get your iPhone's battery replaced with an appointment at an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. There's also a mail-in option, but we've heard that Apple's repair center may only be replacing batteries that fail a diagnostic test, and sending back devices that pass.
Apple's domination of the OLED supply chain is one of the reasons why three Chinese smartphone makers are seeking out alternative display technology in future handsets, according to a report today by DigiTimes.
Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi are planning to adopt mini LED-backlit panels in smartphones launched later in 2018. The three companies believe that Apple "may extend use of AMOLED panels" to iPhones coming in 2018 and occupy even more of Samsung Display's production of the OLED displays.
Apple's entry in smartphone OLED displays began with the manufacturing of the iPhone X last year and is expected to increase in 2018 with the second-generation iPhone X and 6.5-inch "iPhone X Plus," which should lead Apple to significantly increase OLED display orders thanks to the larger size. The company has also implemented OLED displays into the Apple Watch.
Instead of attempting to fight for OLED display supply against Apple, the China-based smartphone makers are turning towards mini LED this year. The companies have reportedly asked Taiwan-based suppliers to begin producing mini LED backlighting in June 2018 in anticipation of products that would debut in the second half of 2018. Industry sources noted that technological advances in mini LED product designs have the potential to cut production costs, further boosting the smartphone makers' readiness to adopt the technology.
Besides Samsung Display, a report earlier in the month suggested that Apple will add LG Display to its OLED supply chain to help build 6.5-inch panels for the iPhone X Plus. Samsung was the sole OLED supplier for the iPhone X in 2017, and it's predicted that the company will increase supply of OLED panels to Apple with between 180 and 200 million OLED displays in 2018 (for the 5.8-inch device), up from an estimated 50 million in 2017.
This week at CES, Ford provided new details about a partnership with navigation app Waze, which will bring Waze's GPS directions onto the touch screen of SYNC 3 vehicles when connected via USB to an iPhone. Powered by Ford AppLink, the feature will let users operate Waze "completely through a vehicle's touch screen," as well as allow for voice control.
As long as the Ford vehicle includes a SYNC 3 infotainment system, users will be able to plug their iPhone into the USB port while running Waze to see the app projected onto the dashboard's touch screen system. Afterwards, all of Waze's features will be accessible, including crowdsourced navigation updates, liking and disliking user-created warnings, adding a new hazard report, carpool lane navigation, and Talk to Waze voice commands.
“Our goal is to bring a human-centered approach to technology in the vehicle, making it as easy as possible for people to integrate the tools that matter most to them,” said Don Butler, Ford executive director, Connected Vehicle and Services. “With the flexibility of our SYNC 3 software and AppLink, customers can easily use Waze to get all the traffic and navigation help they need – on a big screen and without having to fiddle around with their phones while driving.”
The partnership was previously announced at Mobile World Congress last year, and Waze product lead for in-car applications, Jens Baron, mentioned that the company has been working on optimizing the Waze experience on an infotainment system since that time. Using Ford's AppLink SmartDeviceLink (SDL) on iOS, Baron explained that users will "get the most updated version from Waze," and it will be the same as driving with Waze on a smartphone.
Ford explained that the Waze integration will launch in the coming weeks and will be supported on any 2018 model year Ford vehicle that has SYNC 3 version 3.0 or greater. Other vehicles with SYNC 3 will also be able to get Waze via an over-the-air update or update via USB. In addition to Waze, Ford said that other SYNC AppLink integrations will be coming soon, like iHeartRadio.
Ford began expanding its CarPlay support in mid 2016 when it announced its SYNC 3 infotainment system -- which features CarPlay and Android Auto -- would be available across its entire 2017 lineup of cars, SUVs, light trucks, and electric vehicles in the United States. Then in 2017, Ford released a SYNC 3 software update that added CarPlay and Android Auto support to its older 2016 model year vehicles, allowing more users to access Apple apps like Maps, Phone, Music, Messages, and more on their dashboard.
Apple representatives met with suppliers who make the type of parts required to power augmented reality glasses at 
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg this afternoon 
Intel CEO Brian Krzanich today wrote an 
