Apple has pushed security updates to both iOS and OS X, ending their vulnerability to the FREAK exploit which allowed hackers access to personal data during encrypted sessions on a number of major websites. Android and Windows devices were also vulnerable. At the time the exploit was discovered, affected websites included American Express, Airtel, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Groupon, Marriott and, ironically, the FBI, NSA and White House sites. Hackers could force the sites to use a less-secure form of encryption that could be relatively easily cracked....

MacRumors points to a thread on the Apple Discussion Forums where Apple posted a firmware fix for the flickering issue on the Apple 24-inch LED Cinema Display stemming from Thunderbolt. The problem is specifically related to the 24-inch LED Cinema Displays connected to your Thunderbolt-enabled Mac rather than the glitches on the 2011 MacBook Pro causing flickering and lock ups under heavy load. It should be applied only when the display is connected to a Thunderbolt-enabled Mac....

After a barrage of criticism from Facebook today, Apple is yet again doubling down on its forthcoming App Tracking Transparency feature. The feature will launch to users in 2021, and Apple says it “does not require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users.” The statement in full: Furthermore, Apple emphasizes that the new tracking control features apply to all developers equally, including Apple itself. The company continues to point out that advertising is still possible even with the new App Tracking Transparency feature, with the purpose being to give users more control over their data by requiring explicit consent....

After skipping the initial release of iOS 14, Apple has just released HomePod Software 14.1 to the public with new features and improvements, including enhancements to Siri, Intercom, HomePod mini support, and more. iOS 14 brings Maps suggestions when the user asks HomePod about a specific location using Siri, and you can now easily open search results from HomePod on iPhone with Handoff. Apple has also enhanced the timer and alarm feature on the HomePod, which now offers options to let you change these settings for all your HomePods using Siri, in addition to letting users set a song from Apple Music as the alarm....

Apple quietly updated its Powerbeats2 headphones to match Apple Watch Sport colors this week signalling a new move to focus audio accessories to the Apple Watch ecosystem. The new colors, which match the Apple Watch Sport Band colors of Blue, Black, Green, Pink and (updated) White, are available in Apple Stores but haven’t arrived at other retail locations yet. The Apple Watch can store and play 2GB of music without a tethered iPhone wirelessly via Bluetooth 4 and with watchOS 2 will get access to many more audio applications....

Update: iOS 13.2 developer beta 1 is now available, as well as the second developer beta of watchOS 6.1. tvOS 13.2 developer beta 1 is also now available. Apple is also releasing the first public beta of iOS 13.2 today. Apple today has released the first developer beta of iOS 13.2. The new beta is the first to include Apple’s new Deep Fusion camera technology on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, as detailed yesterday....

As Apple has already confirmed and we have detailed here, the new Macs with the M1 chip will run iOS apps natively. And to push this feature forward, Apple will add nearly all iOS apps to the Mac App Store. However, there are some apps that will not be available to Mac users — either by developer choice or compatibility issues. Apple is once again sending emails to iOS developers in order to remind them about this important change that will bring their iPhone and iPad apps to the Mac....

Apple today announced a revamp of its live radio strategy for Apple Music. The Beats 1 streaming service is being renamed to ‘Apple Music 1’, and Apple is launching two new stations: Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country. Apple Music Hits will feature the top songs spanning ’80s, ’90s and 2000’s, whilst Apple Music Country showcases the evolving nature of the country music genre. Just like Apple Music 1 (née Beats 1), the new stations will be hosted by an array of radio presenters and feature programming from guests including Meghan Trainor, the Backstreet Boys, Shania Twain, and more....

Apple’s “green push” is apparently the motivating factor behind cable-maker Volex’s plan to switch to halogen-free power cables, according to a report from London Evening Standard (via GigaOM). While the move will allow Apple to curb fears of dioxins and furans released into the environment through burning halogen, it is typically only a concern in high concentrations after a product has been disposed. The new cables will allow Apple to promote a new, greener and safer cable while continuing its commitment to reducing toxic chemicals and recycling....

According to a report due out tomorrow based on a tear-down analysis of both the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, each handset costs Apple between $173 and $218 to manufacture. AllThingsD got their hands on the report from research firm IHS a day early, and provide component and assembly breakdowns for both handsets. If IHS got their sums right, there is a surprisingly small difference in manufacturing cost between the 5c and 5s, making earlier suggestions of higher margins on the 5c seem unlikely … Though the true consumer cost of the handsets are often hidden by contract subsidies, the retail price of the 5s ranges from $649 for the 16GB model to $849 for the 64GB model, while the 5c runs from $549 to $649 – giving significantly higher margins on the more expensive model....

Shortly after the Department of Justice publicized its case against Apple, and many of us were left wondering what Apple’s tactics would be in defending itself against a case that, on the face of it, appeared pretty clear-cut, we now have some answers. GigaOM reports that Apple’s attorney Orin Snyder argued that far from being a conspirator with publishers, Apple was on the opposite site of the negotiating table, fighting hard against them and completely unaware of whatever discussions they were having between themselves … 

Update: Apple says the issue has been resolved. We’ve been receiving several tips from users having issues accessing the iTunes Store. According to Apple’s online services status page, the iTunes Store (which also covers the App Store and iBookstore) is suffering from an outage that is affecting 20% of users. Twenty percent of all of Apple’s iTunes customers is obviously a fairly significant number of people. The outage began at around 8 PM Pacific time, according to Apple, and there is no indication as to when the issues will be resolved....

Apple today officially announced that its new Fitness+ subscription service will launch on December 14. Ahead of that launch, Jay Blahnik, who servers as Apple’s senior director of fitness technologies, sat down with WSJ. Magazine talk about Fitness+, the Apple Watch, and more. One interesting tidbit is that Apple Fitness+ requires an Apple Watch. If you don’t have an Apple Watch, you can’t use Apple Fitness+. According to Blahnik, the metrics provided by the Apple Watch are intended to serve as motivation for Fitness+ users....

Apple acquired Shazam back in late 2017 (the deal closed in 2018), and now the company has announced that the application has crossed 200 million monthly active users. Shazam is available as a standalone app in the App Store and the Google Play Store, as well as available through Siri, and recently made its way into Control Center with iOS 14.2. (The 200 million figure does not count Siri requests as an active user....

Apple introduced the Swift programming language back in WWDC 2014, as the language of the future for programming on Apple’s platforms. Since then, the language has gained wide adoption from third-party developers, with software in the operating systems themselves still being written in the old Objective-C. Several factors play a role in that scenario. First of all, Apple has a massive amount of legacy Objective-C code that works perfectly fine, so there’s no reason to simply rewrite it for the sake of rewriting, which has caused problems in the past....

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is said to be in talks with New York-based Foursquare to add the company’s data to its Maps application. For those out of the ‘social scene’, Foursquare is a popular social network that allows users to check in to any location and share tidbits with followers. According to the report, the partnership between the two companies would lead to local data from Foursquare being incorporated into Apple’s Maps app....

Apple today announced the first Retina desktop computer with the Retina 5K iMac. The new Retina 5K iMac will start at $2499 for the all-in-one desktop computer and begin shipping today. The base model Retina 5K iMac will include a 3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMX Radeon R9 M290X graphics, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB Fusion Drive. Apple will continue to sell the non-Retina 27-inch iMac which starts at $1799 as well as the non-Retina 21....

Apple has now officially commented on the startling announcement that sapphire supplier GTAT will file for bankruptcy. Like most observers, Apple was “surprised” by the move. Apple told the Wall Street Journal: Wall Street Journal sources indicate that GTAT was forced into financial distress because Apple withheld the final tranche payment of its contract, totally $139 million. Apparently, the sapphire supplier did not meet the agreed terms so Apple exerted its contractual right to withdraw....

Apple is introducing a new service to help customers browse their local Apple Store in a way that’s safe and convenient. Shop with a Specialist appointments will allow anyone to schedule a time online to visit an Apple Store and explore products with one-on-one service. COVID-19 has changed the Apple Store experience, adding new safety measures and reducing the occupancy of every store location. As a result, customers who wish to walk in and browse have discovered that they may need to wait outside for a considerable amount of time before entering....

Apple today published an open letter on its website apologizing for how it handled performance on iPhones with older batteries, specifically “how we have communicated that process.” To make up for the confusion, Apple is offering cheaper battery replacements and says a future iOS update will include features that offer more insight into battery health. We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize. There’s been a lot of misunderstanding about this issue, so we would like to clarify and let you know about some changes we’re making....