O'Grady's PowerPage

Category: iPad Pro

  • Apple releases iOS 13.2.3, iPadOS 13.2.3

    Because bug fixes are always handy.

    Apple on Monday released iOS 13.2.3 alongside iPadOS 13.2.3.

    The updates contain an assortment of bug fixes, as listed below:

    • Fixes an issue where system search and search within Mail, Files, and Notes might not work 
    • Addresses an issue where photos, links, and other attachments might not display in the Messages details view 
    • Fixes an issue that could prevent apps from downloading content in the background 
    • Resolves issues that may prevent Mail from fetching new messages, and fail to include and quote original message content in Exchange accounts

    As usual, the update can be located, downloaded, and installed, by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

    If you’ve had a chance to try iOS 13.2.3 or iPadOS 13.2.3 and have any feedback to offer, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via The Mac Observer

  • Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo offers guidance towards Time of Flight cameras on upcoming iPad Pro, scissor action keyboards for forthcoming Apple notebooks

    The predictions are in and Apple’s 2020 product group, according to noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, looks impressive.

    The company is expected to launch a new iPad Pro with a rear-facing 3D Time of Flight camera in the first quarter of 2020.

    This marks the first time that a time-of-flight camera had been suggested for an upcoming iPad Pro.

    A time-of-flight camera system measures the time that it takes for a laser or LED to bounce off of objects in a room, providing an accurate 3D map of the surroundings. A rear time-of-flight camera would also bolster photo quality and offer new and improved AR applications. 

    Kuo has predicted that two of the iPhone models slated for release in 2020 will feature 3D sensing rear camera setups with time-of-flight camera lenses.

    The analyst continues to predict an upcoming 16-inch MacBook Pro, the notebook being expected to feature scissor keyboard mechanism as opposed to a butterfly mechanism.

    Kuo has predicted that other Apple notebooks will switch over the a scissor mechanism rather than a butterfly mechanism, resulting in more durable keyboards that are not as prone to failure from heat, dust and other small particulates. He has predicted that Apple’s refreshed MacBook models will arrive in the second quarter of 2020, suggesting they will feature the much-anticipated scissor mechanism keyboards that the company is adopting wholesale. 

    Finally, Kuo stated that Apple will release its previously rumored “iPhone SE 2,” which has been widely mentioned of late.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors

  • axi0mX research team releases details of “checkm8” exploit, which could allow permanent jailbreak of hundreds of millions of iOS devices

    This is somewhat worrying.

    A newly announced iOS exploit could lead to a permanent, unblock able jailbreak on hundreds of millions of iPhones. Per a security research team known as “axi0mX,” the exploit, dubbed “checkm8,” functions as a bootroom vulnerability that could give hackers deep access to iOS devices on a level that Apple would be unable to block or patch out with a future software update.

    According to the tweet, “Most generations of iPhones and iPads are vulnerable: from iPhone 4S (A5 chip) to iPhone 8 and iPhone X (A11 chip). “

    The exploit functions as a bootrom exploit, allowing it to take advantage of extremely low level initial code that iOS devices load when they boot up. Since it’s ROM (read-only memory), it can’t be overwritten or patched by Apple through a software update, so it’s here to stay. It’s the first bootrom-level exploit publicly released for an iOS device since the iPhone 4, which was released almost a decade ago. 

    After a follow-up tweet, axi0mX stated that the exploit was released given that a “bootrom exploit for older devices makes iOS better for everyone. Jailbreakers and tweak developers will be able to jailbreak their phones on latest version, and they will not need to stay on older iOS versions waiting for a jailbreak. They will be safer.”

    As of now, any device starting with the iPhone 4S, which features the A5 processor, through the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X, which features an A11 chip, is vulernable. Apple was able to patch the flaw in the A12 processors, meaning that iPhone XS / XR and 11 / 11 Pro devices won’t be affected.

    Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

    While there’s no actual jailbreak available yet, the exploit is known as a “tethered” exploit for the time being, meaning it can only be triggered via USB. An “untethered” jailbreak, which could be activated without a USB connection, could also be possible.

    Should the exploit be used by nefarious actors, features such as iCloud account locks, or poisoned versions of iOS that steal user information, could be possible somewhere down the like. While Apple can patch the bootrom for its newer devices, the hundreds of millions of iPhones already out there can’t be patched without replacing hardware.

    While all of this is occurring, the value of iOS exploits has also risen greatly, with Apple’s bug bounty program paying for exploits and shadier groups looking to use them to hack iOS devices. That means there’s less incentive for developers who do find jailbreakable exploits to release them.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via The Verge and Twitter

  • Apple staggers operating system release dates for devices throughout the fall

    While Apple typically hurls its entire fall operating systems at its user base at the same time, complete with the iOS, tvOS, and watchOS updates arriving on roughly the same day, it’s a bit different this year.

    This year is proving different, which Apple having begun public tests of iOS 13.1 weeks before the release of iOS 13. The company has also split the iPad off, and given it its own release date and operating system via iPadOS. The new macOS release date has yet to be publicly announced, and Apple is apparently adhering to the following schedule for operating system releases:

    September 19th:

    • iOS 13 release day
    • Apple Arcade launch day, complete with the service being offered for $4.99 per month
    • watchOS 6 launch day

    September 24th:

    • iOS 13.1 release day (iOS 13.1 being expected to introduce new features that were pushed back from the initial iOS 13 release, such as Shortcuts automations, the ability to share ETA in Maps, and audio sharing with AirPods or PowerBeats Pro)
    • iPadOS 13 release day
    • The HomePod’s operating system, which is a customized version of iOS, is expected to be updated this day as well. The most major change anticipated from this is the ability to tune in to live radio stations through Siri.
    • tvOS 13 release day. Expected new features include support for multiple users, lyrics in Apple Music, support for Apple Arcade and Apple TV+, the ability to use Xbox and Playstation 4 controllers, and a new home screen with live background video. 

    October:

    • Apple has announced that macOS 10.15 Catalina is expected sometime in October, but has yet to offer a specific date for this.

    “Later this fall:”

    • A HomePod update to enable multiple user voices and accounts, ambient sounds, and easy music handoff from iOS devices.
    • A photo feature for the new iPhones called “Deep Fusion.”
    • watchOS 6 updates for Apple Watch Series 1 and 2.

    November 1st:

    • The Apple TV+ streaming service is expected to launch. The service will retail for $4.99 per month with Family Sharing, but be available free for a year when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV.

    Any way you slice it, it’s going to be a busy fall on the Apple operating system front.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via Macworld