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Tag: walkie talkie

  • Apple releases iOS 12.4, watchOS 5.3 updates, addresses Walkie Talkie audio vulnerability

    With iOS 13, watchOS 6, and macOS Catalina just around the corner, Apple has released iOS 12.4, and watchOS 5.3, both of which see significant improvements, such as a fix for the Walkie Talkie audio bug issue.

    Other changes include refinements to Apple News, with downloaded issues of publications now showing up in My Magazines and all News+ publications appearing in the catalog at the top of the feed.

    With iOS 12.4, users can now wirelessly transfer data from an old handset to a new one without having to restore from iCloud or iTunes.

    The watchOS update could be more vital depending on where you live. It finally enables the ECG app on Series 4 Apple Watches in Canada and Singapore, providing a sign of possible heart trouble. Also, Walkie Talkie functionality is back after Apple fixed a vulnerability in the voice chat app.

    Other fixes include standard changes to performance and security, as needed.

    If you’ve tried iOS 12.4 or watchOS 5.3 and have any feedback to offer, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via Engadget

  • Apple disables Apple Watch Walkie Talkie app after eavesdropping bug reported

    Sometimes you have to disable a feature, especially if it can potentially violate your user’s privacy.

    Apple recently disabled the Apple Watch’s Walkie Talkie app due to a glitch that could potentially allow a user to eavesdrop on another iPhone without their knowledge or consent.

    The company offered the following comment:

    “We were just made aware of a vulnerability related to the Walkie-Talkie app on the Apple Watch and have disabled the function as we quickly fix the issue. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and will restore the functionality as soon as possible.”

    The company added that there no known reports of the bug being exploited for eavesdropping.

    “Although we are not aware of any use of the vulnerability against a customer and specific conditions and sequences of events are required to exploit it, we take the security and privacy of our customers extremely seriously. We concluded that disabling the app was the right course of action as this bug could allow someone to listen through another customer’s iPhone without consent,” the company said.

    This represents the second such eavesdropping bug for Apple in the past six months. In February, apple fixed a bug that allowed users to eavesdrop on other iPhone users before a FaceTime chat began.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via ABC News and TechCrunch

  • Apple releases watchOS 5.1.1, seeks to resolve watchOS 5.1/Apple Watch “bricking” issue

    Following the release of watchOS 5.1 on October 30th, a number of early downloaders reported that the update had “bricked” their devices. Apple quickly pulled the release “as a precaution.”

    On Monday, Apple release the fix via watchOS 5.1.1, which is now available for download.

    Apple’s patch notes on the update didn’t mention the bricking issue, instead citing the usual “improvements and bug fixes.”

    (more…)

  • Apple releases watchOS 5.1 update

    Alongside Apple’s release of iOS 12.1, the company also released watchOS 5.1.

    The update, which can be downloaded and installed via an Apple Watch and a paired iPhone, offers the following changes and fixes:

    – Apple Watch Series 4 automatically contacts emergency services if you are immobile for about a minute after detecting a hard fall. The watch will now also play a message that informs the responder that Apple Watch has detected a fall and shares your location coordinates when possible.

    (more…)

  • WWDC: Apple announces watchOS 5, highlights changes to Health, Fitness, Siri, Communications features

    Over at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple announced watchOS 5, complete with new health, fitness, and communications features. The company has allowed users to set 7 day Activity Challenges with friends and earn custom achievement medals as well as added support for yoga and hiking in the Workout app as well as a method to automatically detect what workout you are doing without having to initiate it.

    The company is also introducing a new Walkie-Talkie app that works on WiFi or LTE, support for Podcasts streaming, rich HTML email content, a customizable Control Center, and more.

    Over in the Workout app, you can now set a target pace and get alerts if you fall behind. The app can also sense if you’ve begun a workout and had to interrupt it, assigning you a retroactive credit if need be.

    (more…)