Apple has released the iOS 12.1.4 and macOS 10.14.3 Supplemental Updates to re-enable Group FaceTime after fixing a nasty bug that enabled eavesdropping on FaceTime calls.
Apple spent the past week engaged in a dizzying back-and-forth with Facebook and Google over shady research apps trying to make an end-run around App Store rules. Here’s a quick timeline of events and some thoughts on what it all means.
On its servers, Apple has fixed a nasty Group FaceTime bug that allowed callers to eavesdrop on fellow Apple users. This week it will release a software update to re-enable Group FaceTime.
After TechCrunch revealed that Facebook was flagrantly working around an App Store ban, Apple has taken the unusual step of revoking Facebook’s enterprise development certificates.
A bug in Group FaceTime has been discovered that enables anyone initiating a FaceTime Video call to hear audio from the other person’s iPhone before they accept or reject the call. Apple has disabled Group FaceTime and promises a fix “later this week.”
Phone scammers have found a way to make their phony calls look like they’re coming from Apple. Don’t be fooled!
Facebook has been caught sharing data on its 2.2 billion users with other tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, Spotify, and even Russian search giant Yandex. Apple is in the list too, but not in a way that makes sense.
An unsecured server has resulted in tens of millions of SMS messages being exposed, and along with it password reset links, two-factor authentication codes, shipping notifications, and more.
A relatively new form of spam is making the rounds on the Internet. It purports to be from a hacker who has taken over your computer and who will reveal your porn browsing to all your contacts unless you pay a Bitcoin blackmail. It’s fake, but its use of breached passwords as “proof” points toward a concerning future.
During a speech in Brussels, Apple CEO Tim Cook reiterated Apple’s strong privacy stance and advocated for GDPR-like laws both in the United States and around the world.
Among the password-related changes in iOS 12 is the much-anticipated support for integrating third-party password managers with Safari and other apps, almost—but not quite—as a peer to iCloud Keychain.
Apple’s Screen Time feature is designed to help parents limit their kids’ device usage, but the little nippers are already finding ways to defeat it. Is anyone surprised?
Bloomberg Businessweek last week published a bombshell article that alleges that Chinese spies inserted a malicious chip into servers used by Apple and other technology companies. Apple has unequivocally denied everything. Who to believe?
Apple streamlined two-factor login confirmations via text message in iOS 12 and macOS 10.14 Mojave. But using SMS to validate your login remains problematic because of phone number hijacking. Apple should lead the way to retire it.
The Backblaze Mac client can’t back up all your data in macOS 10.14 Mojave unless you give it full disk access, and its companion menu bar utility also needs automation permissions. Follow Backblaze’s instructions to restore full functionality.