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Tag: iPhone

  • Apple’s Journal App Is Easy, Free, and Already on Your Phone

    Apple’s Journal App Is Easy, Free, and Already on Your Phone

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    You can tweak this via the Settings. You have the option to either turn Journaling Suggestions off completely or pick and choose which ones you want to keep on including Activity (your workouts and exercises), Media (podcasts and music you listen to) Contact (people you message and call), Photos (library, memories, and shared photos) and Significant Locations (places where you spend time). Since I don’t care to write about my phone calls or texts or my locations, I turned off Contacts and Significant Locations.

    Journal is also included within the share sheet in all apps. So, if you’re scrolling through content outside the app, you can tap the Share button and select Journal to send content right into the app. You can also write about new music you discovered on Spotify, a funny meme from Twitter, or an interesting TikTok.

    What About Notes?

    If I were using The Alignment System to describe the difference between Notes and Journal, I’d categorize the Notes app as Chaotic Good and the Journal app as Lawful Good. I still use my Notes app for fleeting thoughts: story ideas, grocery lists, passwords, packing checklists, email addresses, and recipes. If you were to scroll through each entry, you’d find a very wide range of things. There is no rhyme or reason to it. But the Journal app is strictly reserved for my memories and thoughts. There’s a sense of order when you scroll through it.

    Unlike the Notes app, the Journal app is passcode-protected. Depending on the iPhone model you have, you can either use a numerical passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID. So, you don’t have to worry about people reading your deepest, darkest secrets.

    However, there are some Notes-specific features I wish Apple would’ve incorporated into Journal. For starters, it’d be nice if there was a search bar to look up entries. Instead, you can only search based on categories: Photos, Videos, Reflections, Places, and Bookmarked (you’ll have to bookmark entries for them to appear here manually). I can imagine it’ll become fairly frustrating over time as you rack up entries.

    I also wish Apple would’ve extended the app to the rest of its devices. Like I said before, it’s only available on iPhone. Seeing as how this is a text-based app at its core, I often find myself wanting to sit down and type out longer journal entries on my MacBook or my iPad using the Magic Keyboard. It feels limiting, especially on days when I’m trying to be on my phone less. You can store your journal entries in iCloud, though. That way, if you switch phones, you’ll still have access to all of them.

    A Push in the Right Direction

    I wish I could say the Journal app transformed me into someone who now loves to journal. It hasn’t. But if there’s anything I’ve taken away from using it, it’s that I don’t have to put so much pressure on myself to be a good journaler. I used to think each entry had to be insanely long and filled with loads of emotion. By offering the ability to document your thoughts, feelings, and memories using a bunch of different types of content, I feel satisfied when I’ve logged an entry regardless of how much I’ve written.

    Over time, journaling three times a week began to feel more like a chore than a relaxing activity. Once a week or whenever I feel like I need to express overwhelming thoughts seems fine. Regardless, it’s weirdly comforting to know it’s right there on my phone whenever I need it.

    If you’re already in the habit of journaling using a physical notebook, or regularly use another journaling app, I wouldn’t switch, unless you really want to incorporate content from your phone or you often struggle with figuring out what to write about. But it’s easy and intuitive to use. You can express yourself with TikToks and songs, not just written feelings. And if you’re ever stuck, it offers you prompts, so, you’ll always have something to write about. If you, like me, never journaled because it felt overwhelming, it’s a good place to start.

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    Brenda Stolyar

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  • Government hackers targeted iPhones owners with zero-days, Google says | TechCrunch

    Government hackers targeted iPhones owners with zero-days, Google says | TechCrunch

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    Government hackers last year exploited three unknown vulnerabilities in Apple’s iPhone operating system to target victims with spyware developed by a European startup, according to Google.

    On Tuesday, Google’s Threat Analysis Group, the company’s team that investigates nation-backed hacking, published a report analyzing several government campaigns conducted with hacking tools developed by several spyware and exploit sellers, including Barcelona-based startup Variston.

    In one of the campaigns, according to Google, government hackers took advantage of three iPhone “zero-days,” which are vulnerabilities not known to Apple at the time they were exploited. In this case, the hacking tools were developed by Variston, a surveillance and hacking technology startup whose malware has already been analyzed twice by Google in 2022 and 2023.

    Contact Us

    Do you have more information about Variston or Protect Electronic Systems? We’d love to hear from you. From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram, Keybase and Wire @lorenzofb, or email lorenzo@techcrunch.com. You also can contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.

    Google said it discovered the unknown Variston customer using these zero-days in March 2023 to target iPhones in Indonesia. The hackers delivered an SMS text message containing a malicious link that infected the target’s phone with spyware, and then redirected the victim to a news article by the Indonesian newspaper Pikiran Rakyat. Google did not say who was Variston’s government customer in this case.

    An Apple spokesperson did not comment to TechCrunch, asking whether the company is aware of this hacking campaign found by Google.

    While Variston keeps getting attention from Google, the company has lost multiple employees over the past year, according to former staff who spoke to TechCrunch on the condition of anonymity because they were under a non-disclosure agreement.

    It is not yet known who Variston sold its spyware to. According to Google, Variston collaborates “with several other organizations to develop and deliver spyware.”

    Google says one of the organizations was Protected AE, which is based in the United Arab Emirates. Local business records identify the company as “Protect Electronic Systems,” and say it was founded in 2016 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi. On its official website, Protect bills itself as “a cutting edge cyber security and forensic company.”

    According to Google, Protect “combines spyware it develops with the Heliconia framework and infrastructure, into a full package which is then offered for sale to either a local broker or directly to a government customer,” referring to Variston’s software Heliconia, which Google previously detailed in 2022.

    Variston was founded in 2018 in Barcelona by Ralf Wegener and Ramanan Jayaraman, and shortly after acquired Italian zero-day research company Truel IT, according to Spanish and Italian business records seen by TechCrunch.

    Wegener and Jayaraman did not respond to a request for comment by email. Representatives from Protect also did not respond.

    While there has been a lot of attention in the last few years on Israeli companies like NSO Group, Candiru, and QuaDream, Google’s report shows that European spyware makers are expanding their reach and capabilities.

    Google wrote in its report that its researchers track around 40 spyware makers, which sell exploits and surveillance software to government customers around the world. In the report Google mentions not only Variston, but also the Italian companies Cy4Gate, RCS Lab, and Negg as examples of relatively newer companies that have entered the market. RCS Lab was founded in 1993 and used to be a partner of the now-defunct spyware maker Hacking Team, but didn’t develop spyware on its own until recent years, focusing instead on selling products to conduct traditional phone wiretapping at the telecom providers’ level.

    In its report, Google said it is committed to disrupting hacking campaigns conducted with these companies’ tools because they have been linked to targeted surveillance of journalists, dissidents, and politicians.

    “Commercial surveillance vendors (CSVs) are enabling the proliferation of dangerous hacking tools,” Google wrote in its report. “The harm is not hypothetical. Spyware vendors point to their tools’ legitimate use in law enforcement and counterterrorism. However, spyware deployed against journalists, human rights defenders, dissidents, and opposition party politicians — what Google refers to as ‘high risk users’ — has been well documented.”

    “While the number of users targeted by spyware is small compared to other types of cyber threat activity, the follow-on effects are much broader,” the company wrote. “This type of focused targeting threatens freedom of speech, a free press, and the integrity of elections worldwide.”

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    Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

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  • CNBC Daily Open: Wall Street rattled over Fed worries

    CNBC Daily Open: Wall Street rattled over Fed worries

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    A trader works, as a screen displays a news conference by Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell following the Fed rate announcement, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., January 31, 2024. 

    Brendan McDermid | Reuters

    This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.

    What you need to know today

    Wall Street retreats
    U.S. stocks     lost ground on Monday and Treasury yields rose amid lingering concerns that the Federal Reserve may not cut rates as much as expected. The blue-chip Dow fell over 200 points. The S&P 500 also slumped after hitting a record high last week. The Nasdaq Composite also dropped 0.2%. 

    Oil’s supply crunch
    The oil market faces a supply crunch by the end of 2025 as the world is not replacing crude reserves fast enough, according to Occidental CEO Vicki Hollub. About 97% of the oil produced today was discovered in the 20th century, she told CNBC. 

    Palantir surges
    Shares of Palantir spiked 19% in extended trading after the company reported revenue that topped analysts’ estimates. In a letter to shareholders, Palantir CEO Alex Karp said demand for large language models in the U.S. “continues to be unrelenting.”

    Red Sea tensions
    Higher shipping costs due to tensions in the Red Sea could hinder the global fight against inflation, said the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Clare Lombardelli, chief economist at the OECD, told CNBC that shipping-driven inflation pressures remain a risk rather than its base case.

    [PRO] Banking allure
    The banking sector offers attractive opportunities despite an increase in volatility, according to fund manager Cole Smead. “It’s the banks that made bad decisions that are making [other] banks look attractive in pricing,” Smead told CNBC, who picked two bank stocks that are in play. 

    The bottom line

    Investors are once again getting ahead of themselves on the Fed’s next move.

    Markets were rattled after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated the central bank is unlikely to rush to lower interest rates. 

    Wall Street has been parsing his hawkish comments, yet in essence what Powell said over the weekend was no different than what he shared at Wednesday’s press conference: that he wants to see more evidence that inflation is coming down to a sustainable level.

    Still, the debate over the timing of rate cuts unsettled Fed watchers.  

    This sparked a sell-off spurred by higher bond yields. The yield on the 10-year Treasury spiked for a second day, trading around 4.163%. Typically, higher yields tend to indicate investors think the Fed will take longer to cut rates. 

    Fresh data out Monday also didn’t help.  A new survey showed the U.S. services sector expand at a faster-than-expected clip in January. 

    This on top of the booming jobs report released Friday, fueled investor worries that rates may stay elevated for much longer.

    Wall Street will now look ahead to the swath of Fed speakers this week. Perhaps they will shed more light on the path for rate cuts.

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  • How the Apple iPhone became one of the best-selling products of all time

    How the Apple iPhone became one of the best-selling products of all time

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    When Apple announced the iPhone in 2007, Steve Jobs called it a “revolutionary product” in a handset category that he said needed to be reinvented. 

    Now, nearly two decades and 42 models later, the iPhone is one of the world’s most popular phones. Apple has sold over 2.3 billion units of the iPhone and has over 1.5 billion active users, according to research from Demand Sage.

    The original iPhone was released in June 2007 and exclusively sold with AT&T for $499. 

    The late Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiling the first iPhone in 2007.

    David Paul Morris | Getty Images News | Getty Images

    “Investors were optimistic about the impact that it could have with Apple,” said Deepwater Asset’s Gene Munster. “The initial data that came out from AT&T was a disappointment from that first few days of sales. I remember talking to investors after that first weekend, and the general sense was that this product, in one investor’s words, was dead on arrival.”

    Apple sold 1.4 million iPhones in 2007 with 80% of the sales coming in Q4. In the same year Nokia, the maker of the iconic Nokia 3310, sold 7.4 million mobile phones in Q4 alone. 

    “Nokia was seen as unstoppable, unbeatable,” said CNBC technology reporter Kif Leswing.

    JAPAN – FEBRUARY 15: The Nokia 3310 Launched on the 1st September 2000

    Science & Society Picture Library | SSPL| Getty Images

    “The investing community largely took this as something that is going to be a much more difficult market for Apple to really crack,” said Munster. 

    Things started to shift for Apple in 2008 when it launched the App Store. This helped spur a new wave of modern tech companies like Uber and put Apple ahead of its competitors. 

    “The App Store allowed your phone to become a lot more,” said Munster. “That was the piece, that insight, other phone manufacturers didn’t see that coming.”

    Apple saw increased iPhone unit sales in the years following the App Store. The company hit a major milestone — more than 50 million units sold — in 2011, with the help of the iPhone 4s. The company sold 72 million units that year. By 2015, Apple was selling over 200 million iPhone units yearly. 

    “I don’t think there’s any question the iPhone set the standard that really almost all phones have followed since then,” said Computer History Museum’s Marc Weber. “The App Store was a huge thing and Android basically followed that model with the Play Store.”

    A decade after the iPhone’s release, Apple was the first publicly traded U.S. company to hit a $1 trillion market cap and it’s now one of the most profitable companies in the world. 

    Apple recently surpassed Samsung, one of its biggest competitors, as the world’s smartphone leader for the first time. According to data from the International Data Corp., Apple holds just over 20% of the global market share, a spot that Samsung held since 2010. 

    “There was a period from 2008 to 2015 where Apple needed to worry about what Samsung was going to do with Android. Their market share was actually declining globally,” said Munster. “But, what Apple has been the master at is building the ecosystem. I can’t imagine a scenario where Samsung can build a suite of products that is going to disrupt the Apple ecosystem.”

    Recently, Apple has been dabbling in machine learning and AI for the iPhone, but companies such as Microsoft, Google and Open AI have more openly embraced the technology.

    “AI is going to be critical to humanity, and it’s going to be a critical feature inside of iPhones,” said Munster. “Apple uses AI to make the products work better with organizing photos, with helping organize emails, and potentially doing things around text organization. But for the most part is that the iPhone doesn’t capture, doesn’t really capture the full opportunity. Far from it when it comes to AI.”

    Watch the video to learn more about how the iPhone shaped Apple.

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  • Shares of these Apple suppliers rise and fall with the iPhone maker's stock

    Shares of these Apple suppliers rise and fall with the iPhone maker's stock

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  • Apple shares slip more than 2% after Barclays downgrade

    Apple shares slip more than 2% after Barclays downgrade

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    Apple CEO Tim Cook attends the annual session of China Development Forum (CDF) 2018 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China March 26, 2018.

    Jason Lee | Reuters

    Apple shares slipped more than 2% in pre-market trading Tuesday, after Barclays downgraded the stock to underweight and slightly trimmed its price target from $161 to $160.

    Barclays analyst Tim Long wrote in a note to clients Tuesday that the iPhone 15’s currently “lackluster” sales, specifically in China, presaged similarly weak iPhone 16 sales — weakness that Long expects will hold true for Apple’s hardware sales broadly.

    “We are still picking up weakness on iPhone volumes and mix, as well as a lack of bounce-back in Macs, iPads and wearables,” Long wrote. Analysts and investors had noted specific weakness in China iPhone sales as far back as October.

    Bloomberg has previously reported that the Chinese government has issued informal guidance forbidding state employees from using iPhones. The Chinese government has denied issuing such guidance.

    Long expects that Apple’s lucrative services business will also see decelerated growth, in part due to regulatory scrutiny. Gross margin in Apple’s services businesses is roughly double the margin Apple makes on all its hardware products, and Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted “better-than-expected” growth in that unit on an earlier investor call.

    But Barclays doesn’t necessarily believe that growth is reliable in the long term.

    “In 2024, we should get an initial determination on the Google TAC, and some app store investigations could intensify,” Long wrote, referring to the payments Google makes to Apple to retain its default search status.

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai previously confirmed that the company pays 36% of its Safari search revenue to Apple. Regulators have been scrutinizing the default search status and both Apple and Google themselves.

    Read more at CNBC Pro.

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  • Apple's stock falls after 'sell' call from Barclays

    Apple's stock falls after 'sell' call from Barclays

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    Shares of Apple Inc. are starting 2024 with a selloff, after Barclays analyst Tim Long said it was “time for a breather,” citing weak hardware sales as iPhone 15 demand disappoints.

    “We are still picking up weakness on iPhone volumes and mix, as well as a lack of bounce-back in Macs, iPads and wearables,” Long wrote in a note to clients. “The biggest takeaway from the latest checks is incrementally worse [iPhone] 15 data points out of China, together with developed markets remaining soft.”

    He cut his rating on the stock
    AAPL,
    -0.54%
    to underweight from neutral, and trimmed his price target to $160 from $161. The new target implies about 17% downside from Friday’s closing price of $192.53.

    The stock slumped 1.8% in premarket trading Tuesday, putting it on track to open at a seven-week low.

    Long said iPhone 15 sales have been “lackluster” and believes Phone 16 sales will be the same, as he expects other hardware categories to remain weak. He said it’s time for investors to take a “breather” on the stock, as he doesn’t think it can keep rallying in the face of downbeat demand data, like it did in 2023.

    “We expect reversion after a year when most quarters were missed and the stock outperformed,” Long wrote.

    He expects Apple to report “in-line” fiscal first-quarter results, which runs through December, but he trimmed his second-quarter to further below consensus expectations.

    He now expects earnings per share and revenue for the quarter through March to be down in the low-single-digit percentage range, while the FactSet consensus calls for EPS to be up 2.6% at $1.57 and revenue to rise 1.1% to $95.8 billion.

    Apple’s stock surged 48.2% in 2023, or almost double the S&P 500 index’s
    SPX
    gain of 24.2%, even as revenue for each quarter of fiscal 2023 through September was below that of a year ago.

    Long is now one of just four of the 44 analysts surveyed by FactSet who are bearish on Apple’s stock, while 27 (61%) are bullish and 13 are neutral. His $160 price target is 19.2% below the average target of $197.92.

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  • Apple Watch import ban temporarily stopped by U.S. appeals court

    Apple Watch import ban temporarily stopped by U.S. appeals court

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    Apple smartwatches ads are displayed as customers take a look at smartwatch accessories at the Apple store in New York, U.S., December 26, 2023. 

    Eduardo Munoz | Reuters

    Apple will be able to sell the latest Apple Watches after an import ban was temporarily paused by an appeals court on Wednesday, in a major victory for the iPhone maker.

    Apple stopped selling its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches last week in response to an International Trade Commission order in October that found the blood oxygen sensor in the devices had infringed on intellectual property from Masimo, a medical technology company that sells to hospitals.

    “The motion for an interim stay is granted to the extent that the Remedial Orders are temporarily stayed,” a court filing on Wednesday said.

    On Monday, the Biden Administration declined to pause the ITC ban. Apple filed the appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Tuesday. The ITC will need to reply by Jan. 10.

    The stay means Apple will be able to sell the latest models of one of its most important products during the busiest time of the year.

    The sales pause did not affect the Apple Watch SE, an older model that cannot read blood oxygen levels. The latest Apple Watch models also continued to be available from retailers like Best Buy or Amazon as long as they had stock. 

    Apple Watch sales are reported as part of Apple’s wearables business, which reported $39.8 billion in sales in Apple’s 2023, which ended in September. The category was down 3% on an annual basis. 

    An Apple representative didn’t immediately return a request for comment.

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  • Apple executives Johny Srouji and John Ternus speak about Apple's growing chip business — full interview

    Apple executives Johny Srouji and John Ternus speak about Apple's growing chip business — full interview

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    In November, CNBC visited Apple’s campus in Cupertino, California, to get a look inside one of the company’s many chip labs. CNBC also got a rare chance to talk with the senior vice president of hardware technologies, Johny Srouji, and Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternus, about the company’s push into the complex business of custom semiconductor development, which is also being pursued by Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Tesla.

    Unlike traditional chipmakers such as Nvidia and Intel, Apple is not making silicon for other companies.

    “Because we’re not really selling chips outside, we focus on the product,” Johny Srouji said. “That gives us freedom to optimize, and the scalable architecture lets us reuse pieces between different products.”

    Watch the full interview to hear the executives speak about AI, its latest A17 Pro chip, working with manufacturing partner Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and more.

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  • “Beeper Mini” app lets Android users send texts to iPhones with blue iMessage bubbles

    “Beeper Mini” app lets Android users send texts to iPhones with blue iMessage bubbles

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    “Beeper Mini” app lets Android users send texts to iPhones with blue iMessage bubbles – CBS News


    Watch CBS News



    A new app called “Beeper Mini” allows Android phones to text iPhones with the blue iMessage bubble that had been exclusive to Apple devices. Jo Ling Kent interviewed the 16-year-old tech wizard who helped reverse engineer Apple’s iMessage service to create the app.

    Be the first to know

    Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.


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  • New app seeks to end iPhone-Android text color bubble divide

    New app seeks to end iPhone-Android text color bubble divide

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    The ongoing divide between iPhone‘s blue text bubbles and Android‘s green ones has long been a source of frustration and humor among users.

    In Silicon Valley, entrepreneur Eric Migicovsky co-founded “Beeper Mini” in a converted garage, aiming to bridge the technological and social gaps between iPhone and Android users. The app allows Android users to join iMessage group chats in blue, appearing the same as iPhone users. 

    “What we’re trying to do is give people the freedom of choice. You should be able to download any software you want and be able to talk to any of your friends or family that you’d like,” said Migicovsky.

    It also promises encrypted messaging, a difference compared to the typical unencrypted texts exchanged between Androids and iPhones.

    “An unencrypted message is basically like a postcard. It means that anyone can read it. With Beeper Mini, though, all of your messages are encrypted. That means that Beeper can’t read your messages, Apple can’t read your messages, no one can,” he said.

    The creation of Beeper Mini wasn’t without its challenges. Deciphering Apple’s secretive code took years, finally cracked with the help of 16-year-old high schooler James Gill. The app’s launch saw over 100,000 Android users signing up within two days, eager to turn their green bubbles blue.

    Apple disabled the app 72 hours post-launch, citing significant risks to user security and privacy. The tech giant took measures to block techniques that exploit fake credentials for iMessage access.

    “So no one on earth had done what we’ve done and we’re not exactly sure why Apple hasn’t built an iMessage app for Android, because I think what we’ve shown is that it’s totally possible and you can do this but it’s definitely something that needed to exist.,” said Migicovsky.

    Despite Apple’s intervention, Beeper Mini has been operational, albeit with intermittent issues attributed to Apple’s actions. 

    Apple responded in a statement, telling CBS News: “These techniques posed a significant risk to user security and privacy. We took steps to protect our users by blocking techniques that exploit fake credentials in order to gain access to iMessage.”

    The situation escalated when a bipartisan group of lawmakers asked the Justice Department to investigate the matter. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee, and Representatives Jerrold Nadler and Ken Buck are involved, but both Apple and the DOJ have yet to comment on the letter.

    Jo Ling Kent

    Jo Ling Kent is a senior business and technology correspondent for CBS News.

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  • Streamline Your iPhone Charging with This Wireless Charger, Just $46 for the Holidays | Entrepreneur

    Streamline Your iPhone Charging with This Wireless Charger, Just $46 for the Holidays | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    Finding an outlet and connecting a cord can often be a drag, especially for business travelers and other people who find themselves in need of juice on the go. If you know someone who likes tech and uses an iPhone, AirPods, or an Apple Watch, then consider grabbing them this ZeroLemon MagJuice+ 10,000mAh Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack with Stand, which is on sale for just $45.99 (reg. $59) through December 17. You need to order this by December 7 for on-time holiday delivery.

    That’s right, this wireless charging apparatus is capable of boosting your phone, earbuds, and watch from the creators at Apple, making this an ideal holiday gift for yourself or someone in your life. The all-in-one charger is compatible with most Apple devices, and it has a 10,000mAh battery capacity, which means when full, it can fully charge up to three devices before needing to be charged itself. The power bank comes with a fast charging cord, and it can charge other devices while the battery pack is being charged.

    The strong magnet absorption capabilities of this charger make it a reliable and easy-to-use accessory. It comes with a foldable kickstand that makes propping up your phone for easier use while charging a breeze.

    Don’t miss your chance to give the gift of convenience and functionality with this game-changing iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch accessory. And make sure to order one by December 7 for on-time holiday delivery.

    Get this ZeroLemon MagJuice+ 10,000mAh Magnetic Wireless Battery Pack with Stand on sale for just $45.99 (reg. $59) through December 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • Apple iPhone, Watch product design head to leave: report

    Apple iPhone, Watch product design head to leave: report

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    Tang Tan, the Apple Inc. executive who headed product design for the iPhone and Apple Watch, is leaving amid a shake-up of the division responsible for the company’s most critical product lines, according to a Bloomberg report.

    Tan reports to John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, and the division is reshuffling duties to handle the transition.

    Earlier this week, Bloomberg reported that Steve Hotelling, who worked on key technologies like the iPhone’s multitouch screen, Touch ID, and Face ID, is retiring from Apple.

    Shares of Apple
    AAPL,
    +0.74%
    are up 0.7% in trading Friday. Apple had no comment on the departures.

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  • The Worst Versions Of The Original GTA Trilogy Are Coming To Netflix Games

    The Worst Versions Of The Original GTA Trilogy Are Coming To Netflix Games

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    Ahead of next month’s Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, three classic GTA games from the PlayStation 2 era are coming to Netflix’s mobile library in December. These might not be the versions fans actually want ported to more platforms, though, even if some visual improvements seem to have been made.

    Grand Theft Auto 6 Comments: A Dramatic Reading

    We first reported on Rockstar’s plans to remaster GTA III, Vice City, and San Andreas for new consoles and mobile devices back in 2021. These remastered ports were finally released as Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition in November of that year on Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch. While select parts of them looked okay, the games were a mess, with new bugs, broken graphics, and other glitches. The issues were so bad that Rockstar Games did a very un-Rockstar thing and apologized to fans while offering them free copies of the original versions of the games on PC. And while the remastered GTA Trilogy did get some updates to fix its more egregious shortcomings, the games are still not fan favorites. That all being so, I’m not sure many people will be excited about these remasters making the leap to phones.

    On November 29, Netflix announced that Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas—all released originally on the PS2 between 2001 and 2004—would be available on mobile phones starting on December 14. As with other Netflix-hosted games, you’ll need to be a Netflix subscriber to play these GTA ports on your iPhone or Android device.

    Things look a bit different this time around…

    Interestingly, comparing the screenshots of the new Netflix ports to the current console and PC versions of the GTA Trilogy reveals some changes have been made. I noticed this a lot in an early moment in GTA: Vice City. It seems as if the colors have been toned down a smidge and the overall image looks darker and more like the original PS2 version’s.

    Screenshot: Rockstar Games / GTA Series Videos / Netflix / Kotaku

    If you look carefully, you can still see the remastered Vice City Definitive Edition models and textures, so this is still (presumably) that version of the game.

    But it seems someone has gone in and tweaked some visual settings—including the fog, based on other screenshots—to perhaps improve these new Netflix ports.

    I’m intrigued by the changes, even if they are minor, as they seem to help the remastered versions of these beloved games look a bit more like Rockstar’s original open-world classics. So I might check these out once they arrive on mobile devices next month. I just have to remember how the hell you play Netflix games on a phone.

    .

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    Zack Zwiezen

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  • How to turn off iPhone’s new NameDrop feature, the iOS 17 function authorities are warning about

    How to turn off iPhone’s new NameDrop feature, the iOS 17 function authorities are warning about

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    Police warning parents to turn new iPhone feature off on kids’ phones


    New iPhone feature “NameDrop” is on by default

    01:59

    Apple’s iPhone’s new iOS 17 operating system includes a feature called “NameDrop” that is activated by default on the phones of users who update their software, prompting authorities to share information on how to turn it off. 

    The feature allows iPhone owners to share their contact information with other devices, like iPhones and watches, that they come in to close contact with, as well as receive contacts from other people. 

    How does the NameDrop feature work?

    All one has to due is hold their phone’s screen close to the top of another person’s iPhone, which will cause both devices to vibrate. Once they link, a NameDrop prompt will appear on both phone screens, allowing users to choose if they want to share and receive contact cards.

    iPhone users can select what contact information, such as phone numbers and email addresses, they wish to share, according to Apple’s website. 

    Why are authorities warning iPhone users about NameDrop?

    It’s handy for quickly sharing information without having to send a text or manually share a contact card. But authorities are warning that it could give bad actors easy access to the personal information of unsuspecting victims. 

    The feature has prompted police departments across the U.S. to issue alerts to parents. For example, the Jefferson Hills Police Department urged parents whose kids have iPhones to turn the feature off. 

    “This feature could allow the sharing of your contact info just by bringing your phones close together,” the department wrote in a Facebook post. “Don’t forget to change these settings after the update on your children’s phones, also, to help keep them safe as well.”

    How to turn off NameDrop on your iPhone

    Here’s how to shut off the NameDrop feature.

    • First, go to your iPhone’s settings. 
    • Then click on “General,” followed by “AirDrop.” 
    • Next, to turn off NameDrop, toggle the “Bringing Devices Together” sharing option button to the off position.
    Turn the feature off in iPhone settings.

    iPhone Screenshot


    Megan Cerullo


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    Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News streaming to discuss her reporting.

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  • YouTuber Accuses Casetify Of Copyright Theft, Has Receipts

    YouTuber Accuses Casetify Of Copyright Theft, Has Receipts

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    There’s a brilliant trick map makers use to prevent plagiarism, called “trap streets.” They deliberately put an entirely fictional road, or even entire imaginary towns (“paper towns”), so that if someone lifts their work without permission it’s immediately identifiable to them. Something very similar is at the center of claims that a billion dollar phone case company has ripped off YouTuber JerryRigEverything.

    6 Things To Know Before Starting Persona 5 Tactica

    Zack Nelson, the man behind the enormously popular JerryRigEverything YouTube channel, has a neat sideline in phone cases. Working with phone peripheral company, dbrand, he has released a series of phone and tablet cases under the label Teardown, that almost exactly mimic what the devices look like on the inside.

    So it was with some surprise that Nelson and dbrand noticed Hong Kong-based Casetify selling something that looked similar. Very similar. But Casetify is a company that has sold over 25 million phone cases, and was described by the South China Morning Post as “one of the three biggest tech accessory brands in the world.” It seemed pretty unlikely that a business on that scale would be lifting his designs, right?

    Screenshot: YouTube

    The thing is, Nelson’s dbrand Teardown range has its own equivalent of trap streets. While the cases were deliberately super-accurate (scans of hardware were done at 2400dpi), each design was also scattered with in-jokes and easter eggs.

    For instance, dbrand was launched, like Skyrim, on 11.11.11, and as such, the number 11 was put around the word “SUB-SCRIBE” on an image of a ribbon. One of dbrand’s most popular case designs was “robot,” and the iPhone cases have “R0807″ printed on one of the metal strips. And the thing is, according to Nelson, so do Casetify’s. Nelson even claims that dbrand’s own logo appears on Casetify’s designs.

    JerryRigEverything

    Now, Kotaku has no access to either version, and while it’s worth noting that Casetify’s versions—branded as “Inside Out”—have suddenly disappeared from their website, we only have Nelson’s claims to go on here, and make no accusations ourselves. But if those versions shown in the JerryRigEverything really came from Casetify’s website, it certainly looks dubious.

    This starts to look even worse when Nelson points out some specific details, like how one of the Casetify designs has an image of half a camera lens printed above where the real lens pokes through, which is most easily explained by someone taking the image of the case from the dbrand website and creating the case from that, rather than scanning the actual physical object.

    The Casetify case, with its errant camera lens image.

    Screenshot: YouTube

    As a result, Nelson and dbrand have launched legal action against Casetify. Nelson’s rationale for taking this route is that “the biggest way to teach Casetify a lesson is with a multi-million dollar lawsuit.” However, he also states this isn’t about making himself money. He’s realistic about how unlikely actual financial gain is in cases like this, and says that should they win anything, the money would go toward his “The Rig” off-road wheelchair project.

    We reached out to Casetify to ask if it could provide any insight into the situation, and received a reply pointing us to a statement it put out on X earlier today. It’s interestingly phrased.

    Beginning by stating that they pride themselves in being a “bastion of originality,” the company goes on to say it is “currently investigating a copyright allegation against us.” The statement acknowledges that Casetify has “immediately removed the designs in question from all platforms.” And then it gets weird.

    “We are also investigating a DDOS attack that disrupted our website when the allegation surfaced,” it continues, which whether intentionally or not, seems to suggest some manner of correlation. We’ve asked if the implication here was that the DDOS and allegations were from the same source and were told, “We cannot comment any further at this stage.”

    After assuring that all customer data is safe (DDOS attacks don’t threaten customer data, of course), it then concludes, “Thanks for your patience and support during this challenging time.” Er, OK. Weird tone. Thoughts and prayers.

    JerryRigEverything has promised to keep people up to date on its channel, and it’s hard not to want to grab some popcorn and subscribe. We’ve also reached out to Nelson for further comment.

     

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    John Walker

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  • This 5-Piece, Apple-Compatible Accessory Bundle Will Save You $90 | Entrepreneur

    This 5-Piece, Apple-Compatible Accessory Bundle Will Save You $90 | Entrepreneur

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    Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

    As an entrepreneur, your device is your livelihood, and if you’re using the brand-new iPhone 15 Pro, you want to get the most out of your investment. While buying accessories from the Apple Store is easy, it’s not the best way to save any money. Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to give your iPhone 15 Pro the best tools for the job. This 5-Piece Apple-Compatible Accessory Bundle is currently 69% off at just $39.97 (reg. $129).

    This bundle includes a 200W PD charging adapter, a magnetic case, a wireless charger, a USB-C charging cable, and a 5,000mAh power bank to give you everything you need to get peak performance out of your phone.

    The charging adapter is travel-friendly and equipped with smart PD 3.0 technology, capable of charging your phone from 0% to 50% within 30 minutes. With the wireless charger, you can get up to 15W power delivery and keep your phone handy thanks to the solid magnetic attachment. It’s compatible with the included MagSafe case that creates a strong magnetic connection with the charger, so it won’t accidentally slip. (The case is shockproof and durable, though, in case that does happen.)

    Finally, the 5,000mAh power bank has more than enough portable power to bring your device back to 100% from the dead. It fits in your pocket, purse, or wallet and uses the included USB-C charging cable to deliver up to 2.4amps charging current to your iPhone. Both are durable and have safety protections built in to avoid overcharging.

    CBS News reports iPhone 15 sales exceeding expectations. If you’re among those who have already gotten this latest Apple tech, this bundle can help you protect it and enhance its overall usability.

    You can get the 5-Piece Apple-Compatible Accessory Bundle for 69% off $129 at just $39.97 before the holidays.

    Prices subject to change.

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    Entrepreneur Store

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  • India-made iPhones to top 20% of global shipments by 2024, Kuo says | TechCrunch

    India-made iPhones to top 20% of global shipments by 2024, Kuo says | TechCrunch

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    The India-made iPhone is projected to account for 12% to 14% of Apple’s global iPhone shipments in 2023, according to a leading analyst, who further anticipates that the importance of the South Asian market to Apple will notably rise in the coming year.

    Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities said Wednesday that Apple, contingent on favorable conditions, will elevate its India-made iPhone shipments to constitute 20% to 25% of its global total by next year. Kuo’s projection aligns with an earlier forecast from JPMorgan last year, which suggested that Apple might shift 25% of its total iPhone production to India by 2025.

    Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Foxconn currently “owns” between 75% and 80% of India’s iPhone production capacity, said Kuo, who has earned a reputation for his in-depth understanding of Apple’s supply chain and for revealing numerous details not yet public. This dynamic is expected to shift somewhat as the Indian conglomerate Tata Group begins iPhone manufacturing at the Wistron production line it has acquired in the country.

    “By making India’s Tata an iPhone assembler (already acquired Wistron’s iPhone production lines in India), Apple can strengthen its relationship with the Indian government. This move will benefit future sales of iPhones and other products in India and is critical to Apple’s growth over the next decade,” he said.

    India is increasingly becoming a key market for Apple. The iPhone maker this year opened its first two official India retail stores and is eyeing expanding its services portfolio in the country. It has engaged with lender HDFC Bank to explore the launch of Apple Pay in India, TechCrunch earlier reported.

    Apple, which began assembling iPhones in India about five years ago, is also beginning to court more Indians to purchase its handsets. Between July and September, the Cupertino firm shipped more than 2.5 million iPhone units in India, research firm Counterpoint said Wednesday, calling it Apple’s best ever quarter in the South Asian market.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is increasingly courting major companies to expand their businesses in India. Google said last month that it will soon begin manufacturing the Pixel smartphone lineup in India.

    New Delhi is actively offering financial incentives worth billions of dollars to attract global companies to establish manufacturing operations in India. The incentives come at a time when many firms — including Apple — are looking to cut their reliance on China for manufacturing their devices in what analysts often call “China + 1” strategy.

    “Mobile manufacturing was practically negligible [in India] nine years back,” India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said at an event last month. “Our Prime Minister’s vision of Make-in-India and Digital India, the entire thing has gotten translated to real action on the ground, and today we have close to $44 billion in mobile manufacturing and exports of mobile phones is at $11 billion. It’s generating huge employment.”

    Kuo also expects Apple to commence the introductory production for the standard iPhone 17, expected to launch in the second half of 2025, in India in the second half of next year. According to Kuo, this will mark Apple’s first instance of initiating the development of a new iPhone model outside China. The standard iPhone was selected for its less complex design development, thereby minimizing design risk, he said.

    Kuo estimates that by 2024, Foxconn’s production capacity in Zhengzhou and Taiyuan, China, will decline by 35% to 45% and 75% to 85%, respectively.

    “In addition to expanding production in India, Luxshare’s rapid increase in iPhone order allocation and improvements in production line automation are also the main reasons for the production scale reduction,” he wrote.

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    Manish Singh

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  • CNBC Daily Open: Earnings in full swing, Treasury yields hit new highs

    CNBC Daily Open: Earnings in full swing, Treasury yields hit new highs

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    The Tesla Inc. Model Y electric vehicle during the launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 20, 2023.

    Samsul Said | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    This report is from today’s CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.

    What you need to know today

    Markets slide
    U.S. stock markets slid on Wednesday as earnings season picked up steam and Treasury yields touched multi-year highs — breaking above 4.9% for the first time since 2007. Asia markets started the day on the back foot, with stocks in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong seeing falls of about 2% each by midday trading. Hong Kong-listed shares of Chinese EV makers also plunged Thursday morning after Tesla CEO Elon Musk delivered grim news on Tesla’s outlook overnight.

    Tesla misses on earnings  
    Tesla reported third-quarter results that missed expectations on both earnings and revenue for the first time since the second quarter of 2019. The electric vehicle maker reported adjusted earnings of 66 cents per share vs. 73 cents per share expected and revenue of $23.35 billion per share vs. $24.1 billion expected. Tesla’s total operating margin also came in significantly lower at 7.6%, from the year-ago quarter’s 17.2%.

    Netflix profit tops expectations
    Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown and its new ad-supported tier boosted subscriber growth in the third quarter. The streaming giant added 8.76 million global subscribers during the quarter, higher than expectations of 5.49 million and the most it’s added since the second quarter of 2020 – when Covid restrictions kept people at home. Its earnings came in at $3.73 per share, better than the $3.49 per share expected.

    iPhone 15 sales off to a slow start in China  
    A month after Apple’s iPhone 15 came out, analysts and investors are starting to see signs of slow demand in China versus last year. Sales of iPhone 15 models are down 4.5% for the first 17 days in Apple’s third largest market compared to last year, according to an estimate from Counterpoint Research.  

    [PRO] JPMorgan warns of rate cut impact on stocks
    JPMorgan Asset Management says cut in interest rates by the Federal Reserve next year would likely be bad news for U.S. equity investors. Stocks have typically rallied on multiple occasions over the past two years on any dovish signal from central bankers but JPMorgan believes Fed cuts in 2024 would likely coincide with declining corporate earnings, creating headwinds for stocks. Find out here where to invest.

    The bottom line

    U.S. stock markets closed out Wednesday with sweeping declines. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury hit 4.908%, rising above 4.9% for the first time since 2007 as investors scoured economic data for clues on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate trajectory.

    Housing starts rose in September, but at a slower-than-expected rate, according to data released Wednesday. Building permits fell last month, but less than economists anticipated. This arrives a day after consumers showed surprising strength in September, boosting retail sales well above expectations.

    Traders are still expecting an over 85% chance that the Fed will hold its rates steady when it announces its next monetary decision on Nov. 1, but the retail sales figure has given way to some bets of another hike in December.

    Markets seemingly have no dearth of catalysts this week as earnings season gathers steam. Tesla missed third-quarter expectations on both profit and revenue. Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown efforts along with interest in its new ad-supported tier set its quarter up for success.  

    Netflix’s results also showed that the streaming giant is back on track. Just in April 2022, it had reported a loss of 200,000 subscribers. Turns out, a cheaper advertising tier — a product Netflix hoped would appeal to those who had shared passwords — helped the company add more subscribers. Of course, not as much as it did during the throes of the Covid-19 lockdowns but a step in the right direction.

    More lies ahead for investors who will focus on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at noon ET. “Powell is always tacking back to whatever helps feed the narrative that they need to stay vigilant, and for understandable reasons,” said Luke Tilley, chief economist at Wilmington Trust.

    He is expected to assure markets the central bank is committed to its fight against inflation, but maybe this time with a little less force.

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