Apple has issued updates to iOS and iPadOS to fix the App Tracking Transparency, and updates for Big Sur and watchOS—and iOS 12—to fix a WebKit vulnerability.
Apple has once again released updates to all its core operating systems with a slew of shared features (Siri! Reminders!) and fixes (including worrying security vulnerabilities that are actively being exploited) and product-specific improvements (Apple Watch fallback authentication for mask-drive Face ID failures).
Apple has unveiled new iPad Pro models that don’t look all that different but build in significant upgrades. Most notable is the inclusion of the same M1 chip used in recent Macs. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro also boasts display technology derived from Apple’s Pro Display XDR.
Apple’s long-rumored AirTag has finally arrived to help Apple users find their car keys via the familiar Find My app. You can track down one of the little metal discs in your couch via Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband. Elsewhere in the world, you can find an AirTag using Apple’s vast Find My network, which leverages nearly a billion in-use Apple devices to relay a tag’s location across town or the globe.
It wasn’t all big hardware news at Apple’s Spring Loaded event. As a warmup to the cavalcade of major rollouts, Apple CEO Tim Cook spun through announcements of a new Apple Card Family service, a revamped Podcasts app that includes premium subscriptions, and a snazzy new iPhone color that Prince would have loved—yes, it’s purple.
Adam Engst has discovered a technique that lets you add and remove multiple apps at once from iOS 14 Home screens. The trick is stacking the apps with one hand while navigating to and from the App Library with your other hand.
Want to block notifications from your iPhone at specific times but still allow important messages to break through? Learn how to use Do Not Disturb and Emergency Bypass to achieve those contradictory goals, along with what to do if you occasionally want to block even Emergency Bypass contacts.
Facing yet another nasty WebKit vulnerability, Apple has updated iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7, and even iOS 12 to block it.
There are reports of iMessage access being restricted on some accounts after messages from them were inadvertently reported as spam. Always read Apple’s prompts carefully, and let us know if this has happened to you.
Two interlocking technologies that phone carriers began rolling out a couple of years ago are helping dramatically reduce unwanted calls from spammers and fraudsters, while giving law enforcement better tools to track those that remain.
Apple has updated most of its major operating systems to address what would seem to be a severe WebKit vulnerability.
Apple’s AirPower never shipped, but the notion of a multi-device wireless charger with flexible positioning lives on. Julio Ojeda-Zapata tried Nomad’s Base Station Pro, a charging pad for up to three arbitrarily placed devices. It mostly works as advertised, but its high cost and technical shortcomings mean it isn’t for everyone.
Apple has updated watchOS, iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS to fix a troubling security vulnerability that may have been actively exploited in the wild and deal with a few nagging bugs. Plus, watchOS 7.3 adds a new African-themed face for Black History Month. The HomePod mini also gets U1-enhanced handoffs from recent iPhones.
Since the iPhone 12 or any other consumer electronics device with strong magnets can interfere with implanted medical devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, Apple has issued more specific safety guidance.
We’re drowning in data about COVID-19—infection rates, hospitalizations, and fatalities. But none of that data can answer the question of what your personal risk of infection is. With the NOVID app—and sufficient uptake in your community—you can know just how close infections are to you.