American payment services company Western Union announced on Tuesday that it now accepts Apple Pay as a way for customers to make money transfers and bill payments in the United States. iPhone users will be able to make NFC-based payments using their smartphones at Western Union's flagship locations and at kiosks in over 7,600 Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide.
Apple Pay support was launched at Western Union's iconic 1440 Broadway store in New York City and will be rolled out to other agent locations in the near future. The company operates over 65,000 agent locations across the United States, Canada and Mexico, processing over 242 million consumer-to-consumer transactions and moving over $82 billion in principal between customers in 2013.
“Our customers have an expectation of using mobile technology to make money transfer service and product accessibility easier. Western Union is rising to the occasion as we harness our system with modifications to link cash and digital transfers between retail locations, mobile phones, prepaid cards, online and traditional bank accounts and ATMs,” said David Thompson, Executive Vice President, Global Operations and Technology and Chief Information Officer.
USA Technologies, a provider of mobile payment technologies for small-ticket, self-serve retailing industries, also announced today that it is rolling out Apple Pay support in the United States. The move makes Apple Pay available at over 200,000 acceptance points that rely on the company's payment solutions, such as coffee shops, vending machines, kiosks, laundry equipment, parking pay stations and other self-serve appliances.
Foxconn Technology Group, Apple's main assembly partner for iPhones, today announced (via Reuters) major plans to reduce its workforce due to "declining revenue growth and rising wages in China." The announcement comes mere hours before Apple's financial earnings announcement for the first fiscal quarter of 2015, in which the company is expected to announce record iPhone sales.
The company doubled its labor costs in recent years following a few public scandals involving worker suicides and poor working conditions, while revenue growth has slowed. After a decade of steady increases following the explosion of popularity for smartphones and tablet devices, mostly thanks to the manufacturing of Apple products, Foxconn hasn't faced the issue of diminishing returns until now.
"We've basically stabilized (our workforce) in the last three years," Woo said. When asked if the company plans to reduce overall headcount, he responded "yes".
Revenue growth at the conglomerate tumbled to 1.3 percent in 2013 and only partially recovered to 6.5 percent last year after a long string of double-digit increases from 2003 to 2012.
Today's news comes on the heels of reports indicating Apple likely sold more iPhones in China than the U.S. in the last quarter, and expectations the iPhone will have record sales coming off the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Foxconn's job cuts have not been specifically tied to its Apple business, but Apple is a major customer and hiring patterns do generally follow the iPhone product cycle, which should begin to slow a bit follow the rush of customers upgrading to the new models in the early months of availability. Foxconn is also reported to be increasing investments in Apple-related areas, including building a $2.6 billion display plant and perhaps working on sapphire displays for Apple products.
Update 7:48 AM: Foxconn has issued a statement calling the claims of workforce reductions "completely inaccurate", but noting it will slow its hiring in the coming years as it increases automation.
Foxconn wishes to clarify that a media report that alleges that our company is reducing its workforce is completely inaccurate and totally without foundation. We continue to recruit employees to support our business and operations globally and we continue to maintain a workforce of over one million employees worldwide. As we have long said, Foxconn is investing in the automation of many of the manufacturing tasks associated with our operations, applying robotic engineering and other innovative manufacturing technologies to enable our employees to focus on high value-added elements in the manufacturing process. As we continue to increase the application of automation in our operations, the magnitude of our employee recruitment is expected to decrease in the years ahead, but we have no plans to reduce our workforce numbers now or anytime in the future. In addition, our company is confident that we will continue to achieve sustained business growth in the years to come.
Apple's iCloud.com Photos app was quietly updated over the weekend, adding a new zoom option to the toolbar that lets users zoom in on photos that have been uploaded to iCloud Photo Library.
As noted by German site iFun.de, Apple's web-based Photos app has also gained a new feature that allows users to send photos via email directly from the website, making sharing photos easier than ever before.
The addition of new zoom and email features follows a major November update to the iCloud.com Photos app, which began allowing users to upload photos to iCloud for the first time. Before the addition of the uploading tool, the standard iCloud.com site only allowed users to view, download, and delete iCloud Photo Library images.
With the uploading tool and new sharing features, iCloud is slowly becoming a viable and useful storage option for users who wish to upload and manage entire photo libraries. Still in beta, iCloud Photo Library was initially introduced alongside iOS 8.1, letting users sync and access all of their photos on all of their iOS devices and Macs via the web.
Apple is working on a Photos app for the Mac, which will work alongside both the Photos app on iOS and the iCloud.com Photos app on the web. Photos, which will replace both Apple's iPhoto app and Aperture, is supposed to be launching in the early months of 2015. There's been little word on its development since its initial June introduction, however.
Back in 2013, Rolocule debuted Motion Tennis, an iPhone game that brought Wii-style gaming to the Apple TV via AirPlay. Using AirPlay Mirroring, users could display the game on an Apple TV while using an iPhone as a tennis racket. The setup drew natural comparisons to Nintendo's Wii Sports, with the iPhone playing the role of the Wii Remote.
Motion Tennis wasn't perfect, as it did suffer from minor lag and there were naturally concerns about users accidentally throwing their iPhones across the room or into their televisions, but it did serve as an interesting glimpse of both the potential of AirPlay and the possibilities for Apple TV gaming.
Rolocule is now back with an addition to its sports-themed Apple TV games, earlier this month debuting Bowling Central. The game itself is fairly simple, allowing users to bowl a classic game of 3, 6, or 10 frames, or take on a challenge mode that currently offers 30 stages with various stationary and/or moving blockers in the way of the pins.
Bowling Central is by no means the first bowling game for iOS, nor even necessarily the best or most realistic, but once again the selling point is Apple TV compatibility via AirPlay. When in AirPlay mode, the user can wave his or her iPhone side to side to set the release point and then swing the device to bowl the ball, even imparting spin depending on the trajectory of the swing.
In our testing, we found very little lag when playing via Apple TV, an important factor considering the need to accurately time throws in challenge mode. Throws also felt natural with the iPhone after a bit of practice that involved getting used to keeping a thumb on the screen during the throw rather than releasing as on Wii Sports. Rolocule co-founder Anuj Tandon notes the controls were specifically designed to keep the thumb in place during throws in order to maintain better control of the device and minimize the chances of accidentally throwing it.
We did experience some crashing problems when AirPlaying to a second-generation Apple TV, although these appear to be due more to AirPlay issues on the older set-top box than an app problem. No such issues were seen with a third-generation Apple TV.
Overall, Bowling Central is a fairly straightforward bowling game with limited gameplay options so far. For example, there is no live multiplayer option and the 30 challenge levels can be completed rather quickly, although it can take a bit longer to achieve "three-pin" ratings on each.
More challenge levels appear to be in the works, however, and the Apple TV compatibility is what makes Bowling Central an interesting concept as party entertainment. With Apple yet to allow games or any sort of App Store for the Apple TV, Rolocule's AirPlay implementation gives a nice impression of the potential for the set-top box should Apple ultimately decide to open it up to third-party developers.
Apple today began notifying developers about the upcoming closure of the old TestFlight beta testing service accessible through TestFlightApp.com, reports The Next Web. The impending February 26 shutdown of the standalone website arrives nearly one year after Apple's acquisition of TestFlight through its purchase of Burstly and subsequent integration of the service into iTunes Connect.
TestFlight on iTunes Connect and the legacy website were operated as independent services over the past year, enabling developers to test significant changes to their apps. Apple now encourages TestFlightApp users to export current testers so that they can be imported to the iTunes Connect version, and has posted a help document to help developers transition between the services. The new version of TestFlight is available for iOS 8 and later.
A new report by The Wall Street Journal looks at the early performance of Apple's new electronic payments service, Apple Pay, finding strong signs of momentum behind the service. One of the key signs of interest in mobile payments comes from point-of-sales system suppliers seeing drastic increases in retailer interest following the launch of Apple Pay last October.
Harbortouch has offered free wireless readers to its retailer clients since 2012, and in the month following the Apple Pay launch 68 percent of client orders asked for the readers supporting wireless payments. As of August of 2013, only 22 percent of its clients had installed such readers in their stores.
“It’s like night and day,” said Brendan Lauber, Harbortouch’s chief technology officer. “Now, merchants are actively coming to us and asking how to support this.”
The Wall Street Journal piece also covers the general surge in public acceptance for the service, remarking on recent stories that Apple Pay now supports cards representing about 90 percent of the credit card purchase volume in the United States, and that Apple's upcoming financial reports for the latest quarter may provide more details.
Apple is readying a fix in OS X 10.10.2 for the so-called "Thunderstrike" hardware exploit targeting Macs equipped with Thunderbolt ports, iMore has learned. According to the report, Apple patched the vulnerability by making code changes in the upcoming software update that prevent a Mac's bootrom from being replaced or rolled back to a previous state in which it could be attacked.
To secure against Thunderstrike, Apple had to change the code to not only prevent the Mac's boot ROM from being replaced, but also to prevent it from being rolled back to a state where the attack would be possible again. According to people with access to the latest beta of OS X 10.10.2 who are familiar with Thunderstrike and how it works, that's exactly the deep, layered process that's been completed.
Thunderstrike is a serious vulnerability discovered earlier this year by security researcher Trammell Hudson, enabling an attacker to replace a Mac's bootrom with malicious code without a user knowing. Since the malicious code is stored in a low level inaccessible to the user, the problem would remain even if the bootrom was replaced.
The proof-of-concept attack is limited in scope, however, as an attacker would require physical access to the Mac or savvy social engineering skills in order to trick a user into attacking his or her Mac themselves. Apple has already addressed the issue in its latest hardware, including the iMac with Retina 5K Display and new Mac mini.
OS X 10.10.2 has been in pre-release testing for over two months and should be made available to the public in the coming days. The most recent OS X 10.10.2 beta was seeded to developers for testing last Wednesday. In addition to the Thunderstrike fix, the upcoming software update addresses security vulnerabilities exposed by Google's Project Zero security team last week.
According to 9to5Mac, the latest OS X Yosemite release will also add iCloud Drive in Time Machine and resolve issues related to Wi-Fi, VoiceOver and security. In particular, a recently identified glitch causing Spotlight on OS X to expose system information to spammers through remote content loading will reportedly be patched. Safari will also gain improved performance and security.
No public instances of Thunderstrike attacks have yet to be reported.
Following an influx of rumors surrounding the "iPad Pro" and a possible stylus accessory launching around the same time, well-known 3D modeler and designer Martin Hajek has created a series of concept renderings for each device on his blog.
Hajek's models include several details rumored for the iPad Pro, which has been claimed to carry a 12.2 - 12.9 inch display and fall in line with the rounded design of the current iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3. The renderings are based on some design drawings that surfaced last November, with Hajek noting the design brings back the larger bezels seen in earlier-generation iPads. Consistent with the schematics and other rumors, he also places speakers on the top and bottom and edges of the device, allowing for stereo sound when used in landscape orientation.
Otherwise, the iPad Pro sticks by most of the current-generation standbys, including volume rockers on the right side of the device, a lock button on the top right, a Lightning charger on its bottom center, and a Touch ID capacitive home button sitting in its normal central position.
Beyond the iPad Pro itself, Hajek also imagines a possibility for Apple's rumored in-house stylus. Borrowing "the design language of the iPad Pro", he added in a capacitive +/- slider for additional operations, and also elements of the Apple Watch as well, including biometric sensors and a digital crown. While the stylus renderings are interesting, a lack of leaks or even specific details about the accessory means the images are not based on any actual information.
The new renderings show off the iPad Pro mostly in the Silver option, though it's likely to receive the other two usual color options of Space Gray and Gold. The latest rumors suggest the iPad Pro may launch sometime in the late spring or early summer of this year. The full suite of renderings featuring the iPad Pro and stylus can be found on Hajek's blog.
The dimple on the back of Motorola's Nexus 6 would have featured a Touch ID-like fingerprint sensor if Apple had not acquired sensor firm AuthenTec in 2012, according to former Motorola Mobility CEO Dennis Woodside.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Woodside states the company had plans to include the finger-sensing feature in the Nexus 6, which was launched late last year, but due to Apple's poaching of "the best supplier" for the technology and other suppliers not meeting quality expectations, Motorola decided to remove the feature before launch.
“The secret behind that is that it was supposed to be fingerprint recognition, and Apple bought the best supplier. So the second best supplier was the only one available to everyone else in the industry and they weren’t there yet,” says Woodside. Nonetheless, he adds, the addition of fingerprint recognition, “wouldn’t have made that big a difference.”
Woodside, now COO of Dropbox, expresses relief at freedom from these "uncontrollable market forces" in his new position. "We're not trying to serve ads or sell hardware," he told The Telegraph.
Apple's introduction of AuthenTec-based Touch ID on the iPhone 5s sparked much interest in fingerprint-sensing technology, and the company continues to work to improve upon the technology. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus introduced a more sensitive version of the sensor and it is now being used to authenticate purchases made with the company's new Apple Pay mobile payments service.
A day before the company is set to announce earnings for its first fiscal quarter of 2015, Financial Times highlights a recent report suggesting Apple may report it sold more iPhones in China than in the U.S. for the first time ever.
According to analysts from financial firm UBS, China accounted for 36 percent of iPhone shipments in the most recent quarter, compared to 24 percent for the U.S. The analysts also compared the numbers to 2013, noting that a year before China accounted for only 22 percent of shipments with the U.S. at 29 percent.
Creative Strategies analyst Ben Bajarin concurs with the UBS report, believing around 2 million more iPhones were sold in China than in the U.S. during the quarter. With the upcoming launch of the Apple Watch, he also believes it's just the beginning of the country's fiscal dominance over Apple sales.
“It’s already been a good year, building up to the climax of this quarter,” said Bajarin, referring to Apple’s momentum in the world’s largest smartphone market. “It leads to a lot more optimism for China . . . Their potential headroom in China is higher than it is here [in the US].
They will likely do more in China than US from here on out,” he said. “It certainly shows how important the China market is to Apple’s upside.”
Apple has been emphasizing the importance of China for the company for some time, most recently meeting with the Chinese government to discuss data privacy and security, partnering with popular mobile payment service Alipay, and planning multiple Apple Store openings like the one in Chongqing opening this week.
On the distribution front, 2014 most notably saw a partnership between Apple and the world's largest carrier, China Mobile. The partnership allowed iPhones to be sold in 3,000 more cities where Apple previously had very little presence, undoubtedly aiding the Cupertino-based company rising Chinese in recent quarters.
Apple has posted a video on its Chinese retail website showing off an art collaboration between international photographer Navid Baraty and artist Yangyang Pan to design a mural for the company's upcoming Jiefangbei store in Chongqing. The video shows Baraty discussing his work in taking photos of Chongqing, while Pan shares her role in painting the mural that covers the location.
Last week, Apple posted a video on the website showing calligrapher Wang Dongling creating a mural for Apple's new West Lake store in Hangzhou, China which opened last week. Earlier this month, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts noted that Apple would be opening five new retail stores in the next five weeks to coincide with the Chinese New Year holiday. The new Jiefangbei store also marks Apple's second in Chongqing, as the first opened last July.
Apple today added a new "Free on iTunes" section in the iTunes Store, featuring free downloads of songs and full length TV episodes. The section replaces Apple's "iTunes Single of the Week", which previously offered free songs from popular and indie music artists.
Currently, Apple is offering full-length TV episodes from shows including Fox's Backstrom, Syfy's 12 Monkey's, Disney Channel's KC Undercover, and MTV's Eye Candy. On the music side, Apple is offering downloads from artists such as Purity Ring, Jauz, Asking Alexandria, and Guster.
Apple's "Free on iTunes" section is live now, and it is likely that the company will offer new content every week as it has done with the iTunes Single of the Week and its App of the Week section.
Update: The new section appears to be U.S.-only for the time being.
Samsung will be the main supplier of Apple's upcoming A9 chip that will power the next-generation iPhone, reports South Korean newspaper Maeil Business (via Reuters). The newspaper notes that Samsung will supply around 75% of chips for the next iPhone, and that the processors will be produced at the company's factory in Austin, Texas.
Apple's A8 chip
Last month, a report from Korea's ET News said that Samsung had begun work on the processor in Texas. Previous reports noted that Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) would be producing the A9 chip, although Samsung was chosen to be the primary supplier in a deal that was said to be worth billions. BusinessKorea reported last month that Apple would be relying more heavily on Samsung for iPhone 6 and Apple Watch components including RAM, NAND flash storage, and batteries.
Apple's A9 chip is expected to power the iPhone 6s and presumably the next-generation iPad Air and iPad mini. Apple is also expected to launch a larger-screened iPad Pro at some point this year, although that device has been rumored to utilize Apple's A8X processor.
Apple will begin shipping the Apple Watch in March and will also look to launch its new 12-inch MacBook Air during this quarter, according to a new report by KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi Kuo. The analyst also predicted that iPhone shipments would beat expectations for Q1 2015 with over 61 million units shipped, while iPad shipments are expected to total to 10 million units.
Kuo notes that Apple may reveal more details about the Apple Watch before its official launch, revealing specifics on battery life and the start of pre-orders. Most components of the Apple Watch will see high shipments during the quarter, but other key components are expected to see low production yields which may cause a constrained supply. Kuo predicts that Apple will ship 2.8 million Apple Watch units in Q1 2015, and his estimate for a March launch falls in line with previous reports.
Kuo's estimate for a Q1 2015 launch of the new 12-inch MacBook Air falls in line with a report earlier this month which stated that Apple supplier Quanta Computer was ramping up production of the notebook for a release this quarter. The 12-inch MacBook Air is expected to feature a new ultra-thin, fan-less design with a high resolution Retina display and a low-power Intel Core M processor. The notebook is also said to be one of the first to take advantage of the new reversible USB Type C connector, which may also be used for charging.
Deals have been scarce in recent weeks following all of the holiday discounts, but it appears things are beginning to pick up again. Best Buy is offering discounts on its stock of iPad Air 2 models, and there are also some deals to be had on iMacs, Retina MacBook Pros, and Macbook Airs.
We've also got a selection of Apple-related accessories that are on sale, including quite a few speakers. Finally, we've rounded up a few games and apps that can be had at a discount this week.
iPad Air 2
Best Buy has temporarily discounted its entire iPad Air 2 stock by $50 to $100, which is the best iPad Air 2 deal we've seen since the holidays. With the sale, the entry-level 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad Air 2 is available for $449.99, down from $499.99. The 64GB model is available for $549, and the higher-capacity 128GB model is available for $599, $100 off. All cellular models are discounted by $50 to $100 depending on capacity too.
Older iPads
Best Buy is also continuing to offer now-discontinued higher-capacity Cellular versions of the original iPad Air at up to $130 off.
As of last week, Apple is selling the new 27-inch Retina iMac in its online refurbished store, offering discounts of 15 percent off, which beats any Retina iMac price that can be found in store this week.
Selection varies, but there are quite a few configurations available for purchase at a discount, which gives consumers looking for a Retina iMac deal a lot to choose from beyond the standard configuration.
All of Apple's refurbished machines come with a 1 year warranty, but stock fluctuates often, so potential buyers may need to wait for a desired machine to show up in the store.
- 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (B&H Photo) - $999, $100 off - 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (B&H Photo - $919, $80 off - 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (B&H Photo) - $1,099, $100 off
Retina MacBook Pro
- 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (B&H Photo) (MacMall)- $1,199, $100 off - 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (MacMall) (B&H Photo) - $1,399, $100 off - 13.inch 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB (Amazon) (B&H Photo) - $1,599, $200 off
Apps
Apple's free app of the week is puzzle game Shades, and it can be downloaded for free for the next week. Other games temporarily on sell include Lost Yeti, a puzzle adventure game, and Ghost Blitz, a skill-based game. Cycloramic for the iPhone 5/5s is also available for free this week.
For more app deals, make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper, which has a section dedicated to price drops.
Apple Accessories
The Jawbone Big Jambox Bluetooth speaker is available for $184.99from Woot, down from its original price of $299. Groupon is selling refurbished Jawbone UP24 fitness trackers for $69.99, $30 off the regular $99 price tag. The regular Jawbone Jambox (refubished) can also be purchased from Groupon for $69.99, down from $150.
Beats by Dre Studio Headphones are available from Groupon for $199, $100 off the regular price. Groupon is also selling Apple EarPods for $14.99, a discount of $14. The Beats Beatbox portable Bluetooth speaker can be purchased from Best Buy for $199, $200 off the regular price.
Best Buy is selling iTunes gift cards for 10% off, dropping the price of a $15 card to $13.50. A refurbished Mophie Powerstation portable USB battery charger can be purchased from Groupon for $29.99, down from $79.99.
MacMall is offering the Otterbox Defender Series Case for the iPad Air 2 for $58.99, down from its normal price of $89.95, and it's also selling the Speck CandyShell Card case for the iPhone 6 Plus for $39.99. The Lenmar ChugPlug External Battery pack for Apple MacBooks is available from Best Buy for $79.99, down from its regular price of $159.99.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
Keyboards have become an increasingly important way for iPad users to boost the productivity of their tablets, and there are dozens of keyboards and keyboard cases on the market designed for the iPad. Apple itself has begun highlighting keyboard cases in recent weeks, showcasing a range of products in its brick and mortar stores, and with Apple beginning to put an emphasis on iPad accessories, interest in keyboards will undoubtedly pick up in the coming months.
ClamCase, a well-known iPad accessory maker, has been producing keyboard cases for several years and its most recent case, the ClamCase Pro iPad Keyboard Case for iPad Air 2, is a culmination of everything the company has learned people look for in a keyboard case.
Priced at $169, the ClamCase Pro is a premium entrant in a market where $50 to $100 options are common, but it offers features that power users and frequent writers will find worth the money, including a unique 360 degree hinge for multiple screen positions, full iPad protection, and most importantly, a keyboard that has generous spacing and an above average key feel.
What's in the Box
The ClamCase Pro ships in a high-quality iPad-style box that includes the keyboard case itself, a micro-USB cord for charging, a quick start guide, and a headphone adapter.
As described in the quick start guide, setup is easy, and we were able to pair the ClamCase Pro with an iPad after switching the case's power on and pairing it in the iPad's Bluetooth settings menu. After pairing, it worked immediately, with no apparent lag.
Design
The ClamCase Pro for iPad Air 2 is, as you might imagine, a clamshell-style case that fully encompasses the iPad. The iPad Air 2 snaps snugly into the top of the case (so snugly, in fact, that it can be difficult to remove) and the bottom of the case houses black MacBook-style keys. Both the outside of the case and the top portion are constructed from a white plastic, but inside, the keyboard portion of the case is made from brushed aluminum and heavily resembles a MacBook.
The two halves of the case are connected by a 360 degree hinge, and overall, with the iPad snapped in, it looks and feels very much like a MacBook Air -- so much so that in MacRumors' testing, we repeatedly attempted to use a non-existent trackpad instead of touching the screen.
The top of the ClamCase Pro has a cutout for the iPad's Lightning port and the camera, as well as buttons that allow the iPad's power and volume controls to be used. The keyboard portion of the case has a port for headphones and a micro-USB port that's used to charge the case itself.
While the plastic of the case feels somewhat flimsy and low-quality, the aluminum keyboard portion is solid and feels well made. When closed, the ClamCase Pro is able to completely encase the iPad, protecting it from drops and scratches. Unfortunately, this solid feel and the high level of protection come at a cost --- bulk. The ClamCase Pro is 0.74 inches thick (at its thinnest point) and the iPad Air 2 is 0.24 inches thick, which means this case triples the thickness of the iPad Air 2 and more than doubles the weight (ClamCase Pro weighs 1.2 pounds, iPad Air 2 weighs 0.96)
It's been more than six months since Apple first introduced HomeKit at its June 2014 Worldwide Developers Conference, but HomeKit-compatible products have yet to hit store shelves and may not do so until this spring, almost a year after Apple first detailed its home automation system.
HomeKit's launch has gone slower than expected, and according to sources that spoke to Re/code, the two major reasons were a "slower-than-expected" launch of the HomeKit MFi program, which began in November, and the late launch of chip specifications, which weren't sent out to chip makers until October. Apple's high performance standards for hardware manufacturers and chip makers are also said to be a factor.
Elgato's upcoming line of HomeKit-compatible products
January's Consumer Electronics Show saw the debut of several HomeKit-compatible products, including the iDevices smart plug, Elgato's range of connected home devices, and the Schlage Sense smart lock, all of which may begin hitting store shelves in a few months. Apple gave a statement to Re/code on the upcoming HomeKit products, expressing the company's excitement.
"We are excited to have a growing number of partners committed to bringing HomeKit products to market, including several announced at CES," said Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller. "HomeKit offers a set of common protocols making it easier for customers to control HomeKit-enabled accessories using Siri or iOS apps. HomeKit is built on a secure foundation with end-to-end encryption which provides customers a secure connection between their iPhone or iPad and HomeKit accessory. "
HomeKit was announced more than six months ago, but many details about the home automation platform remain murky on the consumer end. It is not quite clear if and how it will interface with existing products or if consumers will be expected to purchase all new connected home items to take advantage of HomeKit. Details about the HomeKit MFi specification that leaked out earlier this week, however, suggest few existing products will be able to be used with HomeKit.
Google's security team, Project Zero, this week disclosed to the public several security vulnerabilities in OS X, some three months after the issue were shared with Apple (via Ars Technica). While Apple has not commented officially on the issues, it appears one has already been patched and iMore reports the remaining two are fixed in OS X 10.10.2, which is currently in developer testing.
Project Zero works to discover security vulnerabilities of various operating systems and software, giving their owners 90 days notice to patch the issues before publishing their findings to the public. In their markup of Apple's OS X, problems involving memory corruption, kernel code execution, and a sandbox escape were all discovered by the team. Ars Technica notes:
At first glance, none of them appear to be highly critical, since all three appear to require the attacker to already have some access to a targeted machine. [...]
Still, the exploits could be combined with a separate attack to elevate lower-level privileges and gain control over vulnerable Macs. And since the disclosures contain proof-of-concept exploit code, they provide enough technical detail for experienced hackers to write malicious attacks that target the previously unknown vulnerabilities.
As the 90-day deadline hit during the week, the group beganposting its findings online. Google's notes suggest one of the vulnerabilities was fixed with the release of OS X Yosemite, while the other two remained unaddressed.
But as pointed out by iMore, Apple's incoming OS X 10.10.2 update does indeed include fixes for the remaining two vulnerabilities exposed by Project Zero.
[B]ased on the latest build of OS X 10.10.2, seeded [Wednesday] to developers, Apple has already fixed all of the vulnerabilities listed above. That means the fixes will be available to everyone running Yosemite as soon as 10.10.2 goes into general availability.
Google's Project Zero has been disclosing significant security vulnerabilities for a number of months now, previously discovering a few significant Windows issues and sharing them online. The project shines light on much-needed fixes to various operating systems, but sometimes undercuts the point of security, as in that Windows case that's left users' systems more vulnerable with the publicized knowledge before Microsoft could properly fix it. Still, the 90-day window before public disclosure is intended to give companies time to fix the issues while also giving them incentive to do so in a timely fashion.
