AllThingsD reports that Apple has issued a statement responding to this week's leak of one million unique device identifiers (UDIDs) for iOS devices, noting that it did not provide the FBI with the information. An FBI computer was claimed by the hackers to be the source of the information, but the FBI has denied any involvement in the situation.
“The FBI has not requested this information from Apple, nor have we provided it to the FBI or any organization. Additionally, with iOS 6 we introduced a new set of APIs meant to replace the use of the UDID and will soon be banning the use of UDID,” Apple spokesperson Natalie Kerris told AllThingsD.
With the AntiSec hackers claiming to be in possession of 12 million UDIDs as well as additional personal information tied to some of the numbers, it remains unclear exactly where the data came from.
Apple has been working to phase out use of the UDID, creating new tools to allow developers to track usage of their apps on a per-device basis. With the UDID being a universal identifier, it has been used by advertisers and others to collect information across apps and other usage to develop user profiles for marketing persons, and Apple's new system will seek to improve user privacy.
Wednesday November 27, 2024 1:05 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is expected to kick off 2025 by launching an all-new smart home hub, also referred to as a "command center," as early as March.
The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. The device is said to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected...
Thursday December 5, 2024 11:48 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.2 today, which means it's going to see a public launch imminently. Release candidates represent the final version of new software that will be provided to the public should no last minute bugs be found, and Apple includes release notes with the RC launch.
The iOS 18.2 release notes provide a look at all of the new features that are coming...
Monday December 2, 2024 2:57 am PST by Tim Hardwick
WhatsApp is set to end support for iOS versions older than iOS 15.1 from May next year, removing the chat platform's compatibility with several iPhone models in the process.
From May 5, 2025, WhatsApp will no longer be compatible with iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus models. Users with those devices won't be able to access the encrypted chat service after the specified date unless they ...
Monday December 2, 2024 4:04 pm PST by Juli Clover
The foldable smartphone market has stalled with customer interest in foldables waning, but that could change when Apple debuts a foldable iPhone, according to display analyst Ross Young.
In a report on the current foldable smartphone market, Young says that Apple is expected to "enter the foldable market" in the second half of 2026. Apple's "dominant position in flagship smartphones" could...
Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for.
Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
Wednesday November 27, 2024 12:19 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch for 10 more months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
An imaginative iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models so far:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro ...
WIRED today shared in an in-depth interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, asking questions about AI, Vision Pro sales, pre-recorded keynotes, and more.
The wide-ranging interview covers Apple's pivot toward AI technology, including what Apple Intelligence features Cook finds most useful, Apple's partnership with OpenAI, and the environmental impact of AI. For example, WIRED asked Cook about...
This is the US of A, after all, the "land of the free" with Patriot Acts galore.
A classic case of "plausible deniability" - what else would they say to the public? Or do you think agencies like the CIA also admit publicly to having secret prisons all over the world?
"Oh yes, we got this information as part of our secret national security efforts"?
Gimme a break, Sirs. Hackers are the harmless factor here; it's the FBI and other illegally-mandated agencies that have a lot to respond to the usually-benighted US citizens. And I am sure we will still read here some supportive comments stating that "No problem, they must have had some fine reason for doing so; after all, they fight every day to save our poor lives".
That is my best guess as well. If the FBI nor Apple had anything to do with it, the next logical source would be an app developer. Which now leads us to wonder what app(s) specifically could be the source.
1)They are the number one downloaded app of all time. 2)they have so much personal data of yours that it will make your head spin.
Imagine facial recognition software. Now imagine it with a database of self varified(tagged)photos in their system. We gave them everything they needed to create profiles on all of us. I am completely aware of how conspiracy theorist this sounds. I'm my opinion, Facebook is very dangerous. If I knew then what I know now I would never have signed up for an account. We basically gave them the keys to the castle. It might not be facebook directly. Maybe an employee collecting information for different agencies.
