IOS - Page 12 of 65

Telegram’s group video calls will finally launch in May

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced today that the iOS version of Telegram will be updated to support group video calls in May (via Yahoo Finance). The company originally planned to add the video call feature to its messaging service at some point in 2020, but the feature never materialized. Telegram did at least make it into the new year with one video call addition: end-to-end encrypted one-on-one video calls were added in August 2020.

Durov’s announcement of the new launch date was shared — naturally — in his personal Telegram channel. He writes that group video calls will have:

Screen sharing, encryption, noise-cancelling, desktop and tablet support — everything you can expect from a modern video conferencing tool, but with Telegram-level UI, speed and encryption.

Telegram already offers end-to-end encryption on its one-on-one video calling, but the company hasn’t explicitly confirmed the feature here. We’ve reached out to confirm that it plans to offer the same on group video calls when they launch in May.

Telegram has grown significantly over the pandemic, taking advantage of the shift to working from home and the general desire to stay connected securely. The company announced it reached 400 million monthly active users in April 2020, up from 200 million in 2018. Some of that has to do with its competitor, WhatsApp, fumbling how it communicated its new privacy policy to customers, which inspired some users to leave the Facebook-owned app for Telegram and Signal.

Despite seeming a bit less nimble, WhatsApp actually beat Telegram to offering end-to-end encrypted group video calls. The company added group video and voice calling in 2018.

T-Mobile launches LTE-based SyncUp Tracker

It seems that 2021 is the year of the tracker, with new options from Samsung, Apple, and now T-Mobile in the form of its SyncUp Tracker. But unlike those other Tile-type tracking devices, SyncUp uses LTE rather than Bluetooth or Ultra Wideband for real-time location information, a la Samsung’s SmartThings tracker. That means it doesn’t rely on being within a certain range of your phone (or other phones) to tell you where it is — but it does come with a $5 per month data charge on your T-Mobile phone plan.

The SyncUp offers some nice tracking features: you can make the device ring to help locate it when it’s out of sight, for example, and it offers geofencing to send you an alert when it leaves a predetermined area. It’s also IP67 dust and water resistant. More unusually, it offers a light sensor as an optional feature to detect if it’s been moved from somewhere dark, like the inside of a suitcase, to somewhere brighter.

The SyncUp’s rechargeable battery should last up to seven days on a charge.

Photo: T-Mobile

Some trackers fit into the “set it and forget it” category with long-lasting batteries that only need to be replaced once a year or so. The SyncUp is not one of these devices. Its 900mAh battery needs to be recharged about once every seven days, so it’ll either be something you use occasionally as needed, or one more gadget in your life that you have to remember to charge.

Since the SyncUp operates on T-Mobile’s data network, you’ll need one of their data plans to use it: specifically, a postpaid Magenta plan, though the company says it plans to make the tracker available for Sprint and prepaid customers in the future. With autopay, T-Mobile says prices start at $5 per month per connected device, and it’s compatible with both Android and iOS phones. It goes on sale next Friday, May 7th, for $60 outright or $2.50 per month with financing.

Apple fined $12M by Russian regulator over App Store monopoly abuse

Russia’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), has fined Apple $12 million over complaints it unfairly cracked down on third-party parental control apps, the regulator has announced. The FAS started its investigation after receiving a complaint from Kaspersky Lab in March 2019, which claimed Apple had forced it to limit the functionality of its Safe Kids app shortly after Apple added the Screen Time feature to iOS 12.

The fine comes in the same week that EU regulators are expected to issue charges of their own against Apple. These come in response to a complaint from Spotify in March 2019 about the 30 percent cut Apple takes for in-app purchases, which it said gives Apple’s own services an unfair advantage. As well as Spotify, parental control apps Kidslox and Qustodio also complained to European regulators, The New York Times reported in April 2019.

In its statement, which was first reported by Reuters, the FAS said it wants Apple to take steps to ensure its own apps don’t have an unfair advantage, and that developers of parental control apps can distribute their software without having to limit its functionality. The FAS originally determined Apple had abused its market position in August last year.

In response to the fine, Apple said it disagrees with the regulator’s decision and that it will be issuing an appeal. “We worked with Kaspersky to get their app in compliance with rules that were put in place to protect children,” an Apple spokesperson said. “They now have 13 apps on the App Store and we have processed hundreds of updates for them.”

Kaspersky Lab declined to comment on news of the fine.

Apple originally justified limiting the functionality of third-party parental control apps because it said they were using Mobile Device Management (MDM) technology, which is intended for enterprises to control company devices. Apple said it was “incredibly risky” for consumer-focused apps to have the same level of control, and that it could make them vulnerable to hacking.

However, after an outcry from developers, Apple later changed its policies to allow the use of MDM technology for parental control apps, but only “in limited cases.” At the time, Kaspersky welcomed the changes but expressed concern that using the technology would require Apple’s written consent.

Eddy Cue wanted to bring iMessage to Android in 2013

Eddy Cue pushed to bring iMessage to Android as early as 2013, according to a new deposition made public as part of the Epic case. Currently Apple’s senior VP of software and services, Cue wanted to devote a full team to iMessage support on Android, only to be overruled by other executives.

The line of questioning is likely to play a significant role in Epic’s antitrust lawsuit, which argues that iOS app store exclusivity represents an illegal use of market power. Epic has made clear in previous filings that it plans to make iMessage exclusivity part of that argument, citing a 2016 email from Phil Schiller that argues iMessage expansion “will hurt us more than help us.”

The latest deposition cites a specific email exchange between Cue and Craig Federighi, currently Apple’s SVP of software engineering, beginning on April 7th and 8th, 2013. The exchange came after news circulated that Google had attempted to purchase WhatsApp for $1 billion. According to the exchange, Cue took the rumors as a sign that iMessage should expand to Android to cement Apple’s hold on messaging apps.

(Note: we have reconstructed the email based on portions verified in the deposition since the underlying exhibit has not yet been made public. Typos have been corrected throughout.)

Cue: We really need to bring iMessage to Android. I have had a couple of people investigating this but we should go full speed and make this an official project…. Do we want to lose one of the most important apps in a mobile environment to Google? They have search, mail, free video, and growing quickly in browsers. We have the best messaging app and we should make it the industry standard. I don’t know what ways we can monetize it but it doesn’t cost us a lot to run.

Federighi: Do you have any thoughts on how we would make switching to iMessage (from WhatsApp) compelling to masses of Android users who don’t have a bunch of iOS friends? iMessage is a nice app/service, but to get users to switch social networks we’d need more than a marginally better app. (This is why Google is willing to pay $1 billion — for the network, not for the app.)…In the absence of a strategy to become the primary messaging service for [the] bulk of cell phone users, I am concerned [that] iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove an obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.

Elsewhere in the deposition, Cue says, “I remember the time of wanting to do an iMessage app on Android ourselves.”

“Would there have been cross-compatibility with the iOS platform so that users of both platforms would have been able to exchange messages?” the questioner responds.

“That was certainly the discussion and the view that I had,” Cue says.

Cue’s argument with Federighi mirrors earlier confusion over FaceTime, which Steve Jobs initially pledged to make available as an open standard but ultimately restricted to iOS devices. iMessage availability has been a particular sore point in the rivalry between Android and iOS, with iMessage’s “green bubbles” attaching significant social stigma to Android phones.

Eight years later, it seems unlikely that iMessage will ever come to Android, but another passage in the deposition suggests Cue still isn’t entirely won over by Federighi’s case.

“Do you believe that not having iMessage on Android has created an obstacle to families giving their kids Android phones?” the questioner asks Cue in the deposition.

“No, not at all,” Cue replies.

The filing is reproduced in full below; the relevant portions begin at page 54.

iOS 14.5 brings Dual SIM 5G support to iPhone 12 series

Yesterday Apple released iOS 14.5 alongside iPadOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 to its users worldwide. One more under the radar feature with the new update for iPhone 12 series users is the ability to have 5G connectivity in Dual SIM mode.

Dual SIM 5G confirmation from Apple

Prior to the update, you would be restricted to 4G LTE when using two SIM cards simultaneously regardless if they were 5G ready. Now, you can only have one line on 5G connectivity and it will only be used for data according to the official changelog released by Apple.

Smart Data Mode can now switch to 4G LTE connectivity when you aren’t using your iPhone to help extend battery life.

Check out all of the new iOS 14.5 additions here.

Source | Via

Apple rolls out iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4

Apple is now rolling out iOS 14.5 to the iPhone alongside iPadOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4. This is a pretty sizable update that brings a lot of new features but here’s a quick rundown of some of them.

The main new feature is that you can now unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch if you are wearing a mask. A new ‘Unlock with Apple Watch’ option has been added in phone’s settings, which should cause your iPhone to unlock automatically if you are wearing a mask and also your Apple Watch. This feature requires you to have also updated to watchOS 7.4.

Another major new feature is App Tracking Transparency, which lets you control which apps are allowed to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites for ads or sharing with data brokers. Once this update is installed, apps that have to track you now need to ask for your explicit permission before they can do so and with one click you can allow or deny them.

iOS 14.5 also adds support for AirTag. This includes activating the hardware features that let you track your AirTag device and also an updated Find My app that will help you locate it.

Siri has also received an update with more voice option. There are now 14 different voices from different regions and genders. Siri can now also announce incoming calls and caller name and if you’re wearing AirPods or compatible Beats headphones you can also answer hands-free. You can now also call your emergency contact using Siri.

iOS 14.5 will also perform a recalibration of your phone’s battery. This will show the battery’s health more accurately and can take a few weeks to complete. This feature is only available on the 11-series iPhones.

iOS 14.5 features

Other improvements in this update include new emoji, sharing lyrics through Apple Music, new Podcasts app, redesigned News app, improvements to 5G connectivity, support for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 controllers, and more.

Source

Xbox Series X/S and PS5 gamepads now supported on iOS

Matthew Wilson
4 hours ago
Apple

The Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 consoles have been out for quite some time now, each with a new controller. Back in November, Apple confirmed it would be bringing support for these new gamepads to iOS, now six months later, that support has finally arrived.

As part of the iOS 14.5 update, Apple has also introduced support for additional game controllers on iOS, including the Xbox Series X/S controller and the PS5’s DualSense.

Apple began expanding gamepad support on iOS in recent years in preparation for its own gaming service – Apple Arcade. These controllers can also be used for cloud gaming services, which are finally starting to open up to iOS.

Currently, Microsoft is testing Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS via browsers on the iPhone and iPad. GeForce Now is available on iOS with a similar web-based solution and soon, Amazon Luna and Google Stadia will be joining the ranks.

KitGuru Says: Do any of you use a controller with your phone for gaming, whether it be mobile games or console/PC titles streamed via the cloud?

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Apple will reportedly face EU antitrust charges this week

Matthew Wilson
8 hours ago
Apple, Featured Tech News, General Tech

The European Commission has launched several antitrust investigations against Apple over the years, including a big investigation over iOS App Store policies and Apple’s 30 percent revenue cut. Now, Apple will reportedly face antitrust charges in the EU later this week.

According to Financial Times (via The Verge), the European Commission is set to issue antitrust charges against Apple this week. This follows an investigation that began in early 2020, following a complaint from Spotify in 2019. Spotify took issue with Apple taking a 30 percent revenue cut from subscriptions on iOS and if sources are accurate, the EU will indeed be siding with Spotify on that.

Specific actions that the EU will take against Apple still remain unclear, but we should hear more on that in the coming days.

This is the latest development in a long saga of antitrust complaints against Apple over the iOS App Store. Apple is also set to go to trial and defend itself against a lawsuit from Epic Games next month, a lawsuit that was brought about due to App Store policies and the eventual removal of Fortnite from iOS.

KitGuru Says: While the EU may charge Apple this week, we will likely see Apple embark on a series of appeals, so this could be far from the end of this story.

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Bose no longer requires you to make an account just to use its app

Recent Bose headphones and earbuds have come with a somewhat frustrating requirement: to use the accompanying Bose Music app, you needed to create an account. So if you wanted to, say, customize the noise cancellation of the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 or QuietComfort Earbuds, you’d have to make a Bose account just to access those important controls.

Now Bose is doing away with the needlessly annoying mandatory account. The update notes for the latest version of Bose Music on iOS say “when you set up your Bose headphones and earbuds, you can skip creating an account and get right to enjoying your product.” That’s the way it ought to be. (Bose previously had this help article up for customers with “privacy concerns regarding data collection and account information” — but acknowledged that headphone functionality would be “limited” for people who didn’t give in and use the app.)

Most headphone makers weren’t being nearly as pushy as Bose about making an account; you don’t have to create one to use apps from Sony, Sennheiser, Jabra, and so on. So I’m glad to see this change. Bose says customers can still create an account later from the settings menu if they wish.

The latest Bose Music also improves the experience for owners of the company’s speakers and soundbars “with faster and easier access to your product controls, favorites, and music services.” There’s also now a graphical EQ interface for the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700.

The macOS 11.3 update includes a massive security patch and new emoji

Apple has just released macOS 11.3, alongside iOS 14.5. It’s probably worth updating your Mac to it as soon as you can — not only because it comes with some new features, including improvements for running iPhone and iPad apps on M1 Macs and updates to Apple Music and Podcasts, but it also fixes a major security flaw.

The update reportedly patches a vulnerability that allowed malware to bypass many of macOS’s built-in protections, like File Quarantine and GateKeeper’s opening dialog box. While Apple’s built-in anti-malware system could still block malicious programs if Apple were aware of them, enterprise software company Jamf did find evidence that the security flaw was being exploited by attackers.

Apple also details a slew of other security fixes that are included with the latest update on its security update page. Catalina and Mojave have received security patches as well, for those who haven’t yet updated to Big Sur.

Aside from security updates, one of the biggest new improvements in 11.3 (at least for owners of M1 Macs) is the ability to resize iPhone and iPad app windows. Apple’s also added keyboard, mouse, and trackpad support for games that are compatible with controllers.

The infinity symbol in the queue controls the Autoplay feature.

Apple has also added autoplay to the Music app — a feature which is either great or annoying depending on your mood. After you reach the end of a song or playlist, Apple Music will continue playing music that it thinks is similar (thankfully, it can be turned off if you’re just looking to listen to one specific song). The News and Podcasts apps also have redesigned pages to make them easier to use (with the former getting a reworked search feature — something that’s exciting to me, and possibly no one else).

The update also adds many of the features that are in iOS 14.5: the ability to track AirTags using the Find My app, new emoji and Siri voices, and support for the Xbox Series X / S and PlayStation 5 DualSense controllers. You can visit Apple’s site to see the entire list of updates and features.

Twitter is adding a COVID-19 vaccine fact box box to users’ timelines

Twitter is adding a new prompt to users’ timelines to help promote the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination effort, providing users around the world with the “latest vaccine info” in their particular country.

The new notice appears as a massive unmissable box at the top of users’ Twitter feeds on the iOS and Android apps, prompting users to “make sure you have the most up-to-date information on the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations.” (The prompt is so large that on my iPhone 12 Pro, it obscured all but a single tweet when I opened the app.)

Tapping that link takes you to a new Twitter event page with information about the vaccines, shown as a series of collected tweets from organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least in the US. The guide is broken up into several sections, into details on vaccine efficacy, potential side effects, advice for pregnant people, and more.

As COVID-19 vaccinations become more widely available, we want you to have access to the latest vaccine info in your country.

This week you’ll see a prompt in your timeline that links to sources about vaccine safety, efficacy, and news from public health experts.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) April 26, 2021

It’s the latest effort by a major tech company to help promote the COVID-19 vaccines and provide useful and accurate information to users. Facebook has recently added state-by-state vaccination information to its News Feed for US users, for example, while YouTube is running an ad campaign of PSAs to encourage people to get their shots.

How to unlock your iOS 14.5 iPhone with your Apple Watch

Apple’s iOS 14.5 is out, and with it comes the ability to have your Apple Watch unlock your Face ID-protected phone if you happen to be wearing a mask. This will make it a lot easier to get through your day without having to enter your passcode each time you need to use your phone (because the Face ID can’t recognize you with that mask on). As long as your phone and watch are in close proximity, you will be able to unlock your iPhone just by turning on the screen.

Once you’re officially running iOS 14.5 (and watchOS 7.4), it’s easy to enable the feature that lets you unlock your iPhone with your watch.

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode.
Toggling Apple Watch under Unlock with Apple Watch turns the feature on. It will show you the same of the Apple Watch next to the toggle.

Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, and scroll down to the new Unlock With Apple Watch option.
Toggle it on to turn on the feature. (There’s nothing you have to do on the watch.)

Now that you have it installed, here’s what you can expect. First, and most important to note, is that your phone isn’t looking for your face with a mask, it’s looking for a face with a mask. With this feature on, when my wife was wearing a mask, she was able to unlock my phone with no problem if I was within three or so feet. Apple even warns you about this when you turn the feature on.

Apple warns you about the fact that your phone will only be looking for a face with a mask. (Note: “Beagle” is the name of my Apple Watch)

Apple’s mitigation to this is whenever your Apple Watch is used to unlock your phone, the watch buzzes you, along with a notification saying your phone has been unlocked and a button to lock it. Pressing that lock button immediately locks your phone and requires a passcode on next unlock.

With that caveat out of the way, so far I’ve had great success with the feature. I tried it with a variety of masks, and it worked with all of them for me. It is worth noting again that the phone is looking for a face with a mask, so this feature won’t help you if your phone is lying on the table and you try to unlock it — because the Face ID camera can’t see you.

Still, I find that not having to put in my passcode every time I want to check my grocery list while shopping is a huge benefit and worth what I consider to be a relatively minor security trade-off. The feature may not be for those with super-secret info on their phones, but for everyone else it’ll be a nice quality-of-life improvement.

iOS 14.5 is out now with new Face ID mask features and Apple’s App Tracking Transparency

Apple has begun rolling out iOS and iPadOS 14.5. The latest software update includes the new App Tracking Transparency feature, which lets users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity “across other companies’ apps and websites” for advertising purposes. A pop-up will now appear whenever apps are designed to share your activity in this way. Facebook has heavily criticized Apple over App Tracking Transparency, claiming that it presents “a false tradeoff between personalized ads and privacy.” The new option could have a detrimental impact on Facebook’s ad business.

Perhaps more important to day-to-day iPhone usage, iOS 14.5 also includes a very helpful and timely new trick: if you own an Apple Watch, you can set your iPhone to automatically unlock without requiring a Face ID match or passcode as long as Apple’s smartwatch is on your wrist. This is designed to make getting into your phone that much quicker while we’re all still wearing face masks so frequently throughout the day. Installing watchOS 7.4 is necessary for this feature to work; that update is also available as of today.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 include a ton of new emoji with a focus on inclusivity. The update adds the ability to watch Apple Fitness Plus workouts on a TV with AirPlay 2. Apple’s Podcasts app is getting a new design and optional subscriptions. The latest video game controllers for the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S are now supported on the iPhone and iPad as of this update. And all iPhone 12 models will allow for 5G connectivity in dual-SIM mode in more countries. Starting with the 14.5 update, Apple will no longer default to a female-sounding voice for its Siri assistant. Instead, you’ll be prompted to choose your preferred voice during device setup. Apple has a post up with all of the miscellaneous improvements and additions.

iOS and iPadOS 14.5 is rolling out to iPhone and iPad users now; you can check the “software update” section in settings to begin the update process right away.

How to use iOS 14.5’s new app tracking blocker

Privacy is on everyone’s mind these days, and in iOS 14.5, which is starting to roll out to the public today, there are new privacy features that may make you feel happier but are not endearing Apple to some other companies — specifically Facebook.

The new feature is aptly called App Tracking Transparency. Many apps don’t just track your movements inside the app, but they track your movements outside of the app — in other words, where you go after you’ve left the app. This is why you see ads in Facebook and other apps for products you were just looking at on Amazon or other sites.

Before 14.5, you could turn tracking off for all of your apps by going to Settings > Privacy > Tracking and turning off “Allow Apps to Request to Track.” The new version of iOS allows you to be more specific. To begin, when you install a new app, you won’t have to do anything; you’ll be automatically asked whether you want the new app to track you.

If you want to see which apps have asked for permission to track, and possibly change their tracking settings, you can just go to that same Tracking page. There, you will be able to give or revoke that permission. So:

Go to your iPhone’s settings and select Privacy > Tracking
Beneath “Allow Apps to Request to Track,” you’ll now see a list of specific apps that have asked for that permission. You can permit or revoke that permission for each specific app.

Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking to change the settings for specific or all apps.

And you can still use “Allow Apps to Request to Track” to turn off permission for all of your current (and future) apps.

Unofficial PS5 Remote Play Comes to Raspberry Pi

(Image credit: Evoneg Tech)

Being able to play your PlayStation 4 and 5 games all around your house via Remote Play streaming is a neat feature, but the small number of officially supported devices means you’re stuck with Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, or another PlayStation. Enterprising coders determined to get an open-source Remote Play client running on a wider selection of devices have had it happily streaming on Linux for a while, and the humble Raspberry Pi, with its Debian-based OS, is the latest target, as shown in this video from Philippines-based Evoneg Tech.

To get it going you’ll need a Raspberry Pi 4, and a fork of the Chiaki streaming app from Github. Remote Play needs to be activated on your PS5, and you should pair a Bluetooth controller with your Pi (a DualShock will work fine, but make sure it’s not still paired with, and within range of, your console).

You’ll need to install a few dependencies first, then build the app on your Pi, so don’t jump in unless you’re comfortable with typing console commands. There’s a full guide to Pi installation on the project’s Github wiki. You’ll also need your PSN account ID, which can be extracted by following the steps here.

It works on both wired and wireless connections, and with a good connection you’ll get a 1080p/60fps connection. The devs say it also works on the PS4 Pro, but there’s no mention of the original PS4 console. Nintendo Switch owners should note that there’s a build of the app for their console too, but it has some very specific installation instructions.