Apple

iOS 8’s predictive QuickType keyboard found to suggest parts of your passwords [updated]

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 29, 2014

QuickType, Apple's new predictive keyboard featured on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 8, is reportedly plagued with a potentially dangerous oversight where the software would suggest parts of your passwords that you previously used on websites, as first reported by French-language blog iGen.fr [Google Translate].

A new thread on Apple's Support Communities website includes a note by one user who reported the keyboard offering “OrangeJuice” as a suggestion each time he would type in “AppleUser” because QuickType remembered the “OrangeJuice!2” password he previously used to log in to Outlook Web App.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus said to launch in China on October 10

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2014

Hot on the heels of reports that Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were nearing approval for sale in China, a new report yesterday asserted that the new handsets are now scheduled to hit store shelves in the 1.33 billion people market on Friday, October 10.

According to an internal memo obtained by TechWeb [Google Translate], Apple's retail staff will receive their training material on October 7, giving them three days to familiarize themselves with talking points and features of Apple's flagship phones.

PDF Expert 5 and Documents 5 updated with iCloud Drive, Touch ID and other enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 28, 2014

Yesterday, Ukrainian developer Readdle released a pretty big update to its PDF Expert 5 and Documents 5, apps that let you edit, annotate and manage PDFs and other documents on your iPhone and iPad.

I wanted to share a few key improvements with you quickly because the app's now a showcase example of how iOS 8 enables a whole new level of inter-app integration.

A free update to existing owners, PDF Expert 5.2 features a number of enhancements, including a few iOS 8 exclusives such as support for iCloud Drive document storage and Touch ID authentication to unlock the app instead of a regular passcode.

Consumer Reports: new iPhones ‘not as bendy as believed’

Cody Lee ∙ September 27, 2014

Consumer Reports says the new iPhones "aren't as bendy as believed," after testing both handsets, alongside other top smartphones. Using a three-point flexural test, the outlet found that the iPhone 6 can withstand 70 pounds of pressure before deforming, and the 6 Plus can take up to 90.

That was good enough to beat HTC's One (M8)—which makes this bendgate tweet a bit ironic—but both iPhones still finished well behind the LG G3 and Samsung's Note 3. The bottom line, though, is Consumer Reports says it expects "that any of these phones should stand up to typical use."

FitPort wants to be your health & fitness dashboard

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

I briefly touched upon FitPort in my article about HealthKit apps. The app debuted today as the App Store's first HealthKit-enabled application following yesterday's iOS 8.0.2 software update that fixed a bug in iOS 8.0 which prevented HealthKit apps from functioning properly.

Created by Flask, FitPort isn't yet another daily activity, health and fitness tracker, but a wannabe replacement for Apple's stock Health app in iOS 8.

Having spent an hour or so playing with it, I can safely conclude that FitPort deserves your attention so let me discuss it in greater detail.

iPhone 6 reportedly nearing approval for sale in China

Cody Lee ∙ September 26, 2014

Apple is in the final stages of securing regulatory approval for the iPhone 6 in China, reports Tenacent, meaning it could soon go on sale in the country. It's a major market for the Cupertino firm, as it contains two of the largest carriers in the world.

The news outlet quoted China's Ministry of Industry and Information technology as saying "it's just a matter of time" before regulators complete the approval process for Apple's new handsets, which have already gone on sale in several countries.

Just Dance Now uses your iOS device as a motion controller

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

App Store games that use your iPhone as a motion controller are few and far between. Aside from the interesting Motion Tennis and the quite addictive Dance Party, both produced by Rolocule Games, I haven't played any other game that would AirPlay action through the Apple TV and turn my iOS device into a Wii-like controller.

That's why I was so excited about Ubisoft's Just Dance Now, a new take on the world's #1 rhythm-based dance game in which you're challenged to use an iPhone as your motion controller. Just Dance Now is available on a freemium basis so In-App Purchases are unavoidable. Jump past the fold for the full reveal.

Apple no longer signing iOS 7.1.2, closing the downgrade window

Cody Lee ∙ September 26, 2014

Apple has finally ceased signing iOS 7.1.2 today, notes hacker iH8sn0w, more than a week after releasing iOS 8 . This means that you can no longer downgrade to the older firmware from iOS 8.x, or upgrade to it from older versions.

This is a big deal for jailbreakers, as 7.1.2 is the latest firmware that can be jailbroken, and there won't be one on iOS 8 for the foreseeable future. But it also affects average users too, as those not happy with iOS 8 can no longer revert.

MyFitnessPal brings its data to iOS 8’s Health app in latest update

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

As Apple earlier this morning began approving HealthKit-powered apps following yesterday's release of the iOS 8.0.2 software update, makers of health and fitness software, life-tracking programs and food intake tracking apps are now releasing updates adding HealthKit compatibility.

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker, a free of charge iPhone and iPad app by MyFitnessPal, has been bumped to version 5.6.6, for example.

Taking advantage of Apple’s HealthKit in iOS 8 which makes it easy for supported health and fitness apps to work together and share data through the stock Health app, the refreshed MyFitnessPal app now lets you add your meal summaries and sync your weight with HealthKit, as well as add excercices from other HealthKit-enabled apps to your diary.

Poll: are you having second thoughts about buying iPhone 6 Plus over #Bendgate?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Are you concerned over Bendgate following this YouTube video? Responding to the controversy that blew up on social media before taking the world by storm, Apple said it'd received complaints from nine customers over the supposed iPhone 6 Plus bending.

The company even took select members of the press on a tour of its facility just a a few blocks away from the Cupertino campus, where it torture-tested 15,000 iPhone 6 and 15,000 iPhone 6 Plus handsets.

I think Bendgate is a non-issue, but I could be wrong. One thing is certain: the meme won't go away if I choose to ignore it. That said, it doesn't surprise me at all that some fans are now questioning Apple's “just works” mantra, especially in light of other snafus in the form of the iOS 8.0.1 update gone terrible wrong, Apple's U2 “gift”, Celebgate and iCloud security.

After reading about these PR disasters, some folks may be thinking twice about buying the iPhone 6 Plus. Are you among that group or did you brush off Bendgate as a non-issue?

GoodReader updated for iOS 8 with iCloud Drive and Handoff, native iPhone 6 and 6 Plus support

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

GoodReader, a robust PDF reader for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, has received an update Friday bringing out support for a pair of distinct new features in iOS 8: Handoff and iCloud Drive.

Handoff lets you continue reading on an iPad right where you left off on an iPhone or iPod touch, and vice versa. Moreover, if you run iOS 8 and have upgraded to iCloud Drive, GoodReader can now import documents stored in it.

And because the app now uses iOS 8’s standard iCloud Drive picker, you can easily access other online storage services that have advertised their Document Provider extension system-wide, such as Dropbox.

Apple readying a fix for Bash vulnerability, ‘vast majority’ of Mac users unaffected

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2014

A fix for a new kind of exploit recently discovered in the Bash command shell used in multiple versions of Unix is underway, Apple confirmed Friday, adding that the “vast majority” of Mac users are unaffected because OS X is "safe by default" from the so-called 'Shell Shock' attacks.

"The vast majority of OS X users are not at risk to recently reported Bash vulnerabilities," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement quoted by The Verge.

The vulnerability was documented and publicized Thursday by security researchers at RedHat and gained prominences after security expert Robert Graham called it “as big as the Heartbleed bug,” referring to a nasty vulnerability discovered earlier in the year in the OpenSSL software commonly used by nearly two-thirds of servers powering the Internet.