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Category: News

  • iPadOS 17.5 developer beta code strings hint at possible Battery Health feature for next-gen iPads

    iPadOS 17.5 developer beta code strings hint at possible Battery Health feature for next-gen iPads

    This could definitely come in handy.

    Apple may be planning to bring its iPhone Battery Health menu to upcoming iPad models, as noted by evidence in the iPadOS 17.5 beta.

    Per MacRumors contributors, Steve Moser and Aaron Perris, several new references to the Battery Health menu on the iPad have been discovered in the first iPadOS 17.5 beta, which went out to the developer community earlier this week.

    Apple may be planning to expand the iPhone’s Battery Health menu to upcoming iPad models, based on evidence uncovered in the iPadOS 17.5 beta. The menu is expected to show an iPad battery’s maximum remaining capacity and cycle count.

    The following code string samples have been discovered within the beta:

    • “iPad must be regularly used while not connected to power to show maximum capacity.”
    • “This is the number of times iPad has used your battery’s capacity.”
    • “The iPad battery is performing as expected.”
    • “iPad batteries, like all rechargeable batteries, have a limited lifespan and may eventually need to be serviced or replaced.”
    • “The original battery was designed to retain X capacity at X cycles under ideal conditions. Actual battery performance depends on a number of variables, including how the iPad is used and charged regularly. The one-year warranty includes service for defective batteries in addition to rights provided under local consumer laws.”

    There is no visible Battery Health menu on any existing iPad models on the first iPadOS 17.5 beta, which may indicate that the menu may be limited to the new iPad Pro and iPad Air models that are rumored to launch in May, and likely other new iPads released in the future. Apple has shown battery capacity information on iPhones for many years, but cycle count information is currently limited to the latest iPhone 15 series.

    Apple may release its iPadOS 17.5 update to the public in May, which may sync with the announcement and release of next-gen iPads.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors

  • Apple updates iWork apps, adds new features, fixes, and changes

    Apple updates iWork apps, adds new features, fixes, and changes

    Apple on Tuesday updates its iWork apps (Keynote, Numbers, and Pages) for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

    The release notes for version 14.0 of the Mac apps follow, and the release notes for version 14.0 of the iPad and iPhone apps are nearly identical and are as follows:

    Keynote:

    • Add a new look to your slides with the Dynamic Color, Minimalist Light, and Minimalist Dark themes
    • Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative presentation for the first time
    • Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
    • Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
    • Improved compatibility for slide transitions when importing and exporting Microsoft PowerPoint files
    • Additional stability and performance improvements

    Numbers:

    • Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative spreadsheet for the first time
    • Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
    • Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
    • Additional stability and performance improvements
      App Store links: Mac and iPad/iPhone.

    Pages:

    • Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
    • Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative document for the first time
    • Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
    • Additional stability and performance improvements

    The updates can be located, downloaded, and installed by going to the App Store link under the Apple menu in macOS.

    If you’ve tried the updated versions of these apps, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors

  • AT&T admits to 2021 data leak, says 64.5 million previous and current customers may have been affected

    AT&T admits to 2021 data leak, says 64.5 million previous and current customers may have been affected

    Well, this is a swift kick in the tenders if you’re an AT&T iPhone customer.

    More than two years after a hack, the wireless company has finally begun resetting passcodes for customers following the intrusion.

    Most of the compromised passcodes belong to some 65.4 million current and former AT&T customers. However, the company has reset passcodes for 7.6 million of its current customers, in the typical abundance of caution often cited.

    The passcodes are generally four-digit numbers used to help verify customer accounts when they are accessed by customers or AT&T support staff. AT&T has stated that no account passwords were compromised in the breach.

    While the passcodes and other information were encrypted, it remains possible to decipher the data. In addition to the passcodes, the data leaked includes customer names, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers.

    The leak was first reported on hacker forums back in 2021. AT&T denied that the hack had taken place until now. The company continues to say that it has no evidence of “unauthorized access to its systems resulting in exfiltration of the data set.”

    AT&T has also set up a new website reporting the incident and offered tips as to how customers can keep their accounts secure.

    “Our internal teams are working with external cybersecurity experts to analyze the situation,” AT&T said. It added that the compromised data “does not contain personal financial information or call history,” and the company will offer complimentary identity theft and credit monitoring services to affected customers.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via AppleInsider and AT&T

  • Apple adds iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus to its “obsolete” list, and iPad mini 4 to its “vintage” list

    Apple adds iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus to its “obsolete” list, and iPad mini 4 to its “vintage” list

    If you’re hanging on to an iPhone 6 or an iPad mini 4, it may be time to look into a more recent model.

    Apple on Monday added the devices to its public-facing vintage and obsolete models list. The now considers the iPhone 6 Plus to be “obsolete” worldwide, meaning that Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers no longer offer repairs or other hardware service for the device. Apple says it considers a product “obsolete” once seven years have passed since the company last distributed it for sale.

    The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were released in September 2014, with key features that included larger screens that previous models as well as Apple Pay support. Apple discontinued the iPhone 6 Plus in September 2016, but the iPhone 6 remained available through resellers in select countries for a few more years, so it is not yet considered “obsolete.”

    Over on the software side, iOS 13 dropped support for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in 2019.

    Where the iPad mini 4 is concerned, the device is not “vintage,” meaning that more than five years have passed since the company stopped distributing the device for sale. Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers continue to offer repairs for vintage products for up to two more years, subject to parts availability. Apple also recently added the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to its “vintage” products list, although this category applies only to the (PRODUCT)RED variant. The other iPhone 8 variants remained available in other colors for longer, so those colors are not “vintage” yet.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • Montreal-based criminals now using AirTags to track vehicles to steal

    Montreal-based criminals now using AirTags to track vehicles to steal

    As much as you may love your AirTags, they can also be used for evil.

    Per WCAX, NBC5, and 9to5Mac, police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada.

    In this case, two Burlington, Vermint residents discovered AirTags tracking devices that had been placed in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal. One man, Ethan Yang, said he was coming from Montreal after visiting family, and he was alerted that there was an AirTag traveling with him. He was able to use his phone to make the ‌AirTag‌ beep, and he was able to locate the device, which had been placed in the front grille of the vehicle.

    According to Ryan McLiverty, a cyber analyst with the Vermont Intelligence Center, these incidents have been occurring for some time, and there’s been a recent spike in the activity. Criminals out of Montreal have been using AirTags to track cars, steal them, and then sell them abroad. There’s also a possibility that the AirTags are being used to tag cars as part of an effort to move drugs across the border.

    For users concerns about being tracked via an AirTag, the unit will send an alert if it is not within distance of the person who owns it, and this alert will show up on iPhones. Android phones are also able to detect unknown Bluetooth trackers, including AirTags, plus Apple has a Tracker Detect app over on the Google Play store that scans for them. Where the iPhone and iPad are concerned, a number of apps are available to help scan and locate nearby Bluetooth devices in your immediate vicinity.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors, WCAX, NBC5, and 9to5Mac