Lit Apple Mac, iPhone, iPad User Group

[sultrysandy]

Microsoft U-turn on user ‘productivity’ data in Office 365 and Teams

Concerns about misuse of data on employee usage of apps like Office 365 and Teams has resulted in a rapid Microsoft U-turn.

The company had logged app usage data at a user level, and claimed enterprise customers could use the data to measure both the productivity and influence of their employees. Microsoft has now announced that it has heard the concerns about this and taken immediate action …


Background

Tools designed to measure usage of Microsoft apps assigned a so-called ‘productivity score’ to organizations. It went further, however, and allowed companies to drill down to the level of individual users, even seeing how many times they @ mentioned people in their emails.

Worse, Microsoft claimed to be able to use this data to let companies judge how influential their employees were.


Microsoft U-turn

The company says in a blog post that it is now removing user-level data.

We appreciate the feedback we’ve heard over the last few days and are moving quickly to respond by removing user names entirely from the product. This change will ensure that Productivity Score can’t be used to monitor individual employees. At Microsoft, we’re committed to both data-driven insights and user privacy. We always strive to get the balance right, but if and when we miss, we will listen carefully and make appropriate adjustments.

We’re making the following changes to Productivity Score:

First, we’re removing user names from the product. During preview, we added a feature that showed end-user names and associated actions over a 28-day period. In response to feedback over the last week, we’re removing that feature entirely. Going forward, the communications, meetings, content collaboration, teamwork, and mobility measures in Productivity Score will only aggregate data at the organization level—providing a clear measure of organization-level adoption of key features. No one in the organization will be able to use Productivity Score to access data about how an individual user is using apps and services in Microsoft 365.

Second, we’re modifying the user interface to make it clearer that Productivity Score is a measure of organizational adoption of technology—and not individual user behavior […]

The remaining three measures in the product— Microsoft 365 App health, network connectivity, and endpoint analytics—don’t include user names.

Technically, some data could still be tied back to specific individuals, as it includes device identifiers, but the omission of usernames should at least make it less likely that companies will use the data in that way.









Sandy note -
Obviously it's your decision to belive or trust Microsoft, but hope you keep in mind this is the same company that forced downloaded Windows 10, and kept it hidden without users knowledge, much less consent. Once installed records and tracks what they do, tracks where they go on the web, et cetera, then phones home with all of that data.
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[astuffedshirt_perv]

Technically, some data could still be tied back to specific individuals, as it includes device identifiers, but the omission of usernames should at least make it less likely that companies will use the data in that way.

I'm actually a bit perplexed about this. For at least a decade we have had shared documents that identify who made what edit. It would be a simple task to take edited documents and see who is interacting with who. 365 just seems to make that easier.

 

[sultrysandy]

Technically, some data could still be tied back to specific individuals, as it includes device identifiers, but the omission of usernames should at least make it less likely that companies will use the data in that way.

I'm actually a bit perplexed about this. For at least a decade we have had shared documents that identify who made what edit. It would be a simple task to take edited documents and see who is interacting with who. 365 just seems to make that easier.

You're thinking about something different, metadata of a document, and possibly tracking who made what changes of document.

This 365 feature helps enable spying on people while Microsoft Office is running.

 

[sultrysandy]

Some iPhone 12 users experiencing excessive standby battery drain

The iPhone 12 lineup brings a host of new features beyond the design change and one in particular that can reduce battery life is 5G support. However, a growing number of users are finding their iPhone 12 battery draining quickly on standby, even when on Wi-Fi or with 5G turned off.

It’s often the case when getting a new phone that it feels like the battery is draining more quickly. But that’s usually due to increased use early on, checking out new features, restoring data, checking out new apps, using the camera more, etc.

And in the case of some of the iPhone 12 models, particularly the Pro and mini, they have a less battery capacity than the iPhone 11 lineup. Interestingly enough, user Master26A on Apple’s Communities forums brought up the fast iPhone 12 Pro battery drain on standby even when their expectations were that it wouldn’t be quite as good as the iPhone 11 Pro. They brought up battery loss of about 4% (per hour) on standby shortly after getting their iPhone 12 Pro in late October.

Since then, over 1,000 others have said they’re seeing the same trouble. Many are seeing between 20 and 40% loss of battery overnight, and many have tried things like turning off 5G and turning off background app activity, etc.

Here’s the crux of the original post:

However I’m noticing that the iPhone 12 Pro is draining when idle with almost no background activity at a rate of 4% which is much faster than my previous iPhone 11 Pro, and to be honest a faster idle drain than I can actually remember from a new iPhone. First instinct was to disable Mobile data to see if it was a 5G thing, but I actually don’t see any real difference from doing that (which makes sense as I’ve been on Wifi 98% of the time since I got it).

No matter what I try, it seems to be going down oddly quick. Not to an useable level or anything world ending, but I guess its sort of suspicious. I check the battery report, and it’s not showing any real culprit, just a rapid decline for no clear reason.

If anyone can share their idle battery with either 12 or 12 Pro I’d really appreciate it.

As shown in the top image as well as below, one mobile engineer (not for Apple) brought up the fact that the battery use chart should not decline the same for standby and active use. Notably, the chart below shows the battery drain happening about the same even with Low Power Mode on.


1,782px × 1,228px

Top image: Battery dropping consistently no matter if in use or not (even low power mode), bottom image: more typical battery use


One commenter said Apple Support ran diagnostics and everything tested fine, leading them (the user) to believe there could be an iOS bug responsible for the excessive battery drain.

I spoke to Apple support today & they ran diagnostics saying that everything checks out. I imagine what this means is that there is a software issue causing the battery to drain – hopefully they sort it soon. It 100% isn’t normal for all apps to be closed, background app refresh off, Bluetooth off & lose 40% charge overnight. To illustrate here’s my battery view overnight.

This user’s graph is shown above in the lead image with continuing battery drain despite being idle.

There are also many seeing the same iPhone 12 battery drain on standby issues on Reddit and elsewhere. And there’s another similar post on Apple’s Communities forums with almost 200 more people saying they’re seeing the issue.
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[sultrysandy]

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Apple Launches Redesigned Accessibility Site and New Support Videos

Apple Accessibility website gets major revamp: ‘Make something wonderful’


Apple today is honoring International Day of Persons with Disabilities with a re-launch of its Accessibility site and a new collection of tutorial videos highlighting the accessibility features of its software.



As spotted by iMore, the redesigned site is made up of four broad sections that showcase many of the accessibility features across Apple's product range, with new categories covering vision, mobility, hearing, and cognitive features.

The vision section covers several iOS features such as the Magnifier, Zoom, Larger Text, Voiceover + Braille, and Spoken Content, while the hearing covers using Sound Recognition, Headphone Accommodations, Sensory Alerts, Live Listen, and many more useful tools.

Meanwhile, over on the Apple Support YouTube channel, Apple has added new how-to videos to its Accessibility playlist on using the Magnifier, the BackTap feature, and specific Voice Control usage scenarios, including how to take a selfie.

Get started with Magnifier on your iPhone — Apple Support - 2:21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJFBqDlnPGQ&feature=youtu.be

With Magnifier, you can use your iPhone camera to magnify and illuminate objects, apply color filters, change the contrast, and more.

To learn more about this topic, visit the following article:
Use Magnifier with your iPhone or iPad: https://apple.co/2GS3OPc



Check out Apple's Accessibility website and the Apple Support channel for more details.



Additional Resources:
Contact Apple Support for iPhone: http://apple.co/iPhone

To subscribe to this channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AppleSupport

To download the Apple Support app: http://apple.co/2hFtzIv

Apple Support on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AppleSupport
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[sultrysandy]

FTC issues warning about new wave of robocall scammers pretending to be Apple

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published a blog post today specifically warning consumers about robocall scammers pretending to be Apple and Amazon. While these types of scams are common, an increase in prevalence has recently prompted the FTC to publish this warning.

The FTC explains that there are two versions of the scam currently making the rounds. The first version focuses on Amazon:

In one version of the scam, you get a call and a recorded message that says it’s Amazon. The message says there’s something wrong with your account. It could be a suspicious purchase, a lost package, or an order they can’t fulfill.

The second version focuses on Apple robocall scammers, with the recorded message referencing suspicious iCloud account activity:

In both scenarios, the scammers say you can conveniently press 1 to speak with someone (how nice of them!). Or they give you a phone number to call. Don’t do either. It’s a scam. They’re trying to steal your personal information, like your account password or your credit card number.

The FTC says that if you get an “unexpected call or message about a problem with any of your accounts,” you should simply hang up. If you think there might actually be a problem with your accounts, the FTC advises you to contact the company directly using a phone number from their website or via email.

The FTC continues:

• Do not press 1 to speak with customer support
  
  
• Do not call a phone number they gave you
  
  
• Do not give out your personal information

You can hear a clips of the robocall scams on the FTC website right here. This is an excellent resource to share with friends and family members who may fall victim to these sorts of phishing attempts.
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[sultrysandy]

Apple says it is working on a fix for iPhone 12 wireless charging problem

Apple support says that the company is working on a fix for the iPhone 12 wireless charging problem experienced by a number of owners when using Qi-certified chargers.

In an early iPhone 12 Diary piece …

When the phone arrived, it charged happily on all three of my Choetech chargers. On Saturday, I realized it hadn’t charged overnight, and now wasn’t interested in charging on that stand. It still charged on the other two.

Later in the day, it stopped charging on a second one. Then when I tried the third, it had stopped charging on that too!

I tried all three with and without the case, without any difference. So now it doesn’t wirelessly charge at all on any of my chargers.

Subsequent Googling revealed that I wasn’t alone in this experience, and that it applied to a wide variety of charging pads and stands.

Restarting the phone solves the problem for a while, but it always returns within a day or two. I initially thought that an iOS beta update had cured it, but I was wrong: the problem took a little longer to reappear, but then it was back to regular restarts.

Apple didn’t respond to a query about it, but someone was told in an online support chat seen by us that the company is aware of it and is working to resolve it.

Reader: What is the issue with the iPhone 12 Pro Max charging? One day it will charge wirelessly ok, the next day it won’t. After hard reboot, it will charge. On your Apple forums, 700 people have same issue.

Apple: Ok, I do understand your concern We are working on this and it will be resolved in upcoming days.

Reader: So Apple knows that this is an issue?

Apple: Yes we have been going through the issues which customers are facing […] It will be resolved soon.

It’s likely the iPhone 12 wireless charging problem will be fixed in an upcoming iOS update.
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[sultrysandy]

Seven years later, FCC reaffirms in-flight phone calls will remain illegal

The nightmare scenario of people being allowed to make in-flight phone calls on their smartphones has finally been ended by the FCC, some seven years after it sought passenger feedback on the idea …


Background

FCC rules permit the use of smartphones in Airplane mode or connected to an in-flight WiFi service, but do not allow voice calls to be made. However, back in 2013, the agency said that it was considering allowing phone calls.

To be clear, you wouldn’t have been allowed to try to connect to ground-based cell towers, even when low enough to make that technically possible. Instead, the proposal was that airlines be allowed to install special micro-cell units on board their aircraft, then let passengers connect to those. Onward transmission would be via satellite, and passengers would pay a no-doubt hefty per-minute fee for the privilege.

Had the FCC permitted this, we’d have faced the potential of the guy next to us using his expensed company phone to make annoyingly loud phone calls.

Long-haul airliners once commonly had at-seat phone handsets, which also connected to an on-board satellite transceiver, but these were rarely used and generally fell out of favor as airlines installed WiFi systems allowing passengers to remain in touch with those on the ground via email and chat services.


In-flight phone calls to remain banned

The good news is that the FCC has finally made a decision, and decided against the idea.

On December 12, 2013, the Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the above-captioned docket proposing to revise its rules governing mobile communications services aboard airborne aircraft, and to permit inflight voice and/or data services via mobile wireless frequencies subject to certain conditions.

Based on the record in response to the Commission’s proposals, we decline to pursue, and hereby close, this rulemaking proceeding.

The reason given was ‘strong opposition’ to the idea, not just from passengers, but also from airline pilots and flight attendants.
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[sultrysandy]

Apple launches repair program for iPhone 11 display with touch issues

Apple today announced a new repair program for iPhone 11. According to the company, some iPhone 11 users may experiencing problems in which the display stops responding to touch.

As reported by Apple, a small percentage of iPhone 11 models manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020 were affected by this problem. The company says the issue is related to a failure in the display module, which needs to be replaced in order to get the phone working properly again.

The replacement program is exclusive to the regular iPhone 11 model and does not apply to the iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Apple has determined that a small percentage of iPhone 11 displays may stop responding to touch due to an issue with the display module. Affected devices were manufactured between November 2019 and May 2020.

Users can check the Apple Support website to find out if their iPhone 11 is eligible for the replacement program using its serial number. If your iPhone is eligible for the program, you should contact Apple to take them to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider. Apple will replace the affected iPhone 11 for free.

The repair program covers affected iPhone 11 models for two years after the first retail sale of the unit. Apple may refuse free technical support for devices with physical damages.
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[sultrysandy]

Apple will begin requiring developers to provide more privacy details about their apps starting December 8. While this feature is not yet available to users, developers can already submit their privacy reports to the App Store.

Privacy labels have been introduced as a new iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur feature that will inform users about what data third-party apps can access, such as location, photos, and contacts. Each app will have its own privacy report on the App Store so that users can check this information before downloading the app.

The company shared in the Apple Developer portal exactly what it asks developers for the App Store privacy labels. We also checked on the App Store Connect portal how this process works for developers.

Once the developer chooses a specific app in the App Store Connect, there’s a new menu dedicated to App Privacy. From there, the platform guides the developer with everything needed for the new privacy labels. First, Apple asks if the app collects any user data — this also applies to third-party content such as advertisements from other platforms.

Next, the developer must select exactly what kind of personal information the app collects from the user. This includes contacts, health, financial information, location, sensitive information, personal content, browsing history, and more.

For each category, Apple requires details on the data collected. If you have an app that collects contact information, you need to tell Apple what that data is (name, email, phone number) and whether you use that data to track the user over the web or not.

Apps that collect financial information should tell Apple whether this is restricted to payment information such as credit card numbers or also things like salary and credit score. For apps that let users upload files, the developer must specify whether the app collects emails, text messages, photos, videos, or even gameplay content.

Apple will review privacy reports before showing them on the App Store. Once privacy labels are approved for an app, developers cannot modify them unless they launch an app update on the App Store.

The App Store will soon help users understand an app’s privacy practices before they download the app on the Apple platform. On each app’s product page, users can learn about some of the data types the app may collect, and whether that data is linked to them or used to track them.

This feature will be rolled out to users as of December 8. You can find more information about App Store’s new privacy labels on the Apple Developer website.
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[sultrysandy]

Apple confirms outage affecting App Store Connect and other developer tools

If you’re having trouble accessing the App Store Connect this Saturday, you’re not alone. Apple has just confirmed an outage that is affecting multiple developer tools, including the App Store Connect, Feedback Assistant, account management, and more.

App Store Connect is the platform used by developers to upload and manage App Store applications. Multiple developers have reported on social networks that the platform is not working properly this afternoon, and now Apple has confirmed the issue.

According to Apple’s System Status webpage dedicated to developer tools, these are the services that are currently offline or experiencing outages.

• Account
  
  
• App Store Connect
  
  
• App Store Connect API
  
  
• Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles
  
  
• CloudKit Dashboard
  
  
• Code-level Support
  
  
• Contact Us
  
  
• Developer ID Notary Service
  
  
• Feedback ASsistant
  
  
• MapKit JS Dashboard
  
  
• Program Enrollment and Renewals
  
  
• Software Downloads
  
  
• Xcode Automatic Configuration

According to Apple, the outages started around 12:00 PM ET and they’re still affecting some users. The company also confirmed that it is now working to fix these issues.

App Store Connect #appstore #appstoreconnect pic.twitter.com/1Dya2DoRd8
https:// t . c o /1Dya2DoRd8

— Jetlir (@jetlirofficial) December 5, 2020
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[sultrysandy]

Apple Accessibility website gets major revamp: ‘Make something wonderful’

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Posted aobut this three days ago, #705, and here's a two part post

The Apple Accessibility website has been given a major revamp, in a move praised by accessibility and assisting tech reporter Steven Aquino – who said that it “captures their institutional love for accessibility as a thing.”

Apple heads the page with an invitation to “make something wonderful” …

Built‑in features that work the way you do. Make them yours, and make something wonderful.

The page itself uses large, high-contrast copy to describe the accessibility features in Apple products.

Apple highlights key features in four categories:

• Vision
  
  
• Mobility
  
  
• Hearing
  
  
• Cognitive

In vision, for example, Apple describes the Magnifier, to help read smaller print; the ability to set larger system text; VoiceOver, to read text aloud, and provide an auditory description of visuals; Speak Selection, to read aloud highlighted text; and Audio Descriptions on Apple TV.

Within each section, there are links to learn about each feature. For example, if you click or tap on Sound Recognition within the hearing category, you get a brief explanation first:

Receive a visible and vibrating notification when your iPhone or iPad detects a particular type of sound or alert — such as fire alarms or doorbells.

Then a link to a support document with more details, and instructions on how to activate and use it.

Your iPhone can continuously listen for certain sounds—such as a crying baby, doorbell, or siren—and notify you when it recognizes these sounds.

Note: Don’t rely on your iPhone to recognize sounds in circumstances where you may be harmed or injured, in high-risk or emergency situations, or for navigation.

Set up Sound Recognition

Go to Settings

> Accessibility > Sound Recognition, then turn on Sound Recognition.
Tap Sounds, then turn on the sounds you want iPhone to recognize.

Tip: To quickly turn Sound Recognition on or off, use Control Center.

Apple prides itself on the accessibility of its products, stating that it offers these irrespective of the return on investment. Earlier in the year, we heard from someone who is quadriplegic on how Apple’s assistive technology does and doesn’t help him.
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[sultrysandy]

iOS engineers detail Apple’s approach to improving accessibility with iOS 14

Apple just gave an overhaul to its accessibility landing page to better highlight the native features in macOS and iOS that allow user’s devices to “work the way you do” and encourage everyone to “make something wonderful.” Now a new interview with Apple’s accessibility and AI/ML engineers goes into more detail on the company’s approach to improving accessibility with iOS 14.

iOS accessibility engineer Chris Fleizach and AI/ML team member Jeff Bigham spoke with TechCrunch about how Apple thought about evolving the accessibility features from iOS 13 to 14 and how collaboration was needed to achieve these goals.

One of the biggest improvements with iOS 14 this fall when it comes to accessibility is the new Screen Recognition feature. It goes beyond VoiceOver which now uses “on-device intelligence to recognize elements on your screen to improve VoiceOver support for app and web experiences.”

Here’s how Apple describes Screen Recognition:

Screen Recognition automatically detects interface controls to aid in navigating apps

Screen Recognition also works with “on-device intelligence to detect and identify important sounds such as alarms, and alerts you to them using notifications.”

Here’s how Apple’s Fleizach describes Apple’s approach to improving accessibility with iOS 14 and the speed and precision that comes with Screen Recognition:

“We looked for areas where we can make inroads on accessibility, like image descriptions,” said Fleizach. “In iOS 13 we labeled icons automatically – Screen Recognition takes it another step forward. We can look at the pixels on screen and identify the hierarchy of objects you can interact with, and all of this happens on device within tenths of a second.”

Bigham notes how crucial collaboration across the teams at Apple were in going beyond VoiceOver’s capabilities with Screen Recognition:

“VoiceOver has been the standard bearer for vision accessibility for so long. If you look at the steps in development for Screen Recognition, it was grounded in collaboration across teams — Accessibility throughout, our partners in data collection and annotation, AI/ML, and, of course, design. We did this to make sure that our machine learning development continued to push toward an excellent user experience,” said Bigham.

And that work was labor-intensive:

It was done by taking thousands of screenshots of popular apps and games, then manually labeling them as one of several standard UI elements. This labeled data was fed to the machine learning system, which soon became proficient at picking out those same elements on its own.

TechCrunch says don’t expect Screen Recognition to come to Mac quite yet as it would be a serious undertaking. However, with Apple’s new Macs featuring the company’s custom M1 SoC, they have a 16-core Neural Engine that would certainly be up to the task – whenever Apple decides to expand this accessibility feature.

Check out the full interview here and Apple’s new accessibility landing page. And check out a conversation on accessibility between TC’s Matthew Panzarino and Apple’s Chris Fleizach and Sarah Herrlinger.

Designing for everyone: Accessibility innovation at Apple - 32:22
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v47mD60ertI&feature=youtu.be

Apple has long embraced accessibility as a bedrock design principle. Not only has Apple created some of the most popular consumer products in history, these same products are also some of the most powerful assistive devices ever. Apple’s Sarah Herrlinger and Chris Fleizach will discuss the latest accessibility technology from Apple and how the company fosters a culture of innovation, empowerment and inclusion. Chris Fleizach, accessibility engineering lead for iOS, Apple Sarah Herrlinger, Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy & Initiatives, Apple Moderator: Matthew Panzarino, Editor-in-Chief, TechCrunch
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[sultrysandy]

iOS 14.2 Reportedly Causing Severe Battery Drain

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Users on the Apple Developer forums and Reddit are widely reporting that iOS 14.2 causes severe battery drain issues.

Symptoms of the problem include rapid battery drain and longer charge times than usual. Some users are reporting that their devices are losing over 50 percent charge in less than 30 minutes, and seeing large drops of around five percent within minutes of normal use.

The issue seems to be software-related because multiple users are experiencing battery life sticking at a high percentage before dropping, as well as seeing a sudden gain in battery life after restarting their device.

The affected iPhones all appear to be slightly older, such as the iPhone XS, iPhone 7, iPhone 6S, and first-generation iPhone SE. The 2018 iPad Pro running iPadOS 14.2 also seems to be affected.

iOS 14.2 and iPadOS 14.2 arrived just two weeks after iOS 14.1 and iPadOS 14.1, in the second major updates to the iOS and iPadOS 14 operating systems that were released in September. The update included new emojis, Intercom, AirPods Optimized Battery Charging, People Detection, and new wallpapers.

There are no new reports suggesting that the battery issue was fixed in iOS 14.2.1, which sought to address bugs with MMS messages, made for iPhone hearing devices, and a significant issue with screen responsiveness on the iPhone 12 mini.

The third developer and public betas of iOS 14.3 and iPadOS 14.3 have already been released, so it is possible that Apple may fix the problem in that update. The third major update to iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 brings support for Apple ProRAW, as well as refinements to Home, Health, and Weather.

Users with older devices may wish to hold off on updating to iOS 14.2 if they have not already done so, until the issue has been fixed by Apple.
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[sultrysandy]

Consumer demand straining iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro supply, production lines

Delivery times tracked by investment bank JP Morgan continue to suggest that demand is outpacing supply for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, but not the lower-priced counterparts.

Analyst Samik Chatterjee says JP Morgan is continuing to see building lead times — the time it takes for a customer to receive an iPhone order — for the two Pro models.

Lead times for the iPhone 12 Pro have surged to an average of about 27 days across several regions, which is the longest lead time JP Morgan has seen since they started tracking availability for the 2020 lineup. The analyst notes that "given that it has now been a few weeks since the specific SKUs have been available is a favorable indicator of customer demand."

On a model by model basis, lead times for the lower-priced iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 actually tracked lower than the previous week, suggesting a moderation of supply and demand.

As of the week of Dec. 7, the average delivery-at-home timing for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini across the regions JP Morgan tracked stood at three days. Delivery-at-home timing for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, however, expanded to 27 days and 23 days.

In the U.S., which accounts for about 35% of iPhone shipments globally, lead times for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models expanded to 33 days and 25 days. In-store pickup had a lead time of a single day for all models.
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[sultrysandy]

Apple Silicon M1 Mac delivery times slip into 2021 for higher-end configurations

If you want more than a basic configuration of the new Apple Silicon Macs with M1 chips, it may be too late to get it before Christmas.

On the morning of December 3, the standard configurations of all the new M1 Macs are still showing December delivery dates when ordering directly from Apple. Among standard options, all but the $1,249 MacBook Air configuration arrive before Christmas.

However, many custom configurations with upgraded RAM or storage have fallen back to January. And delayed shipping is happening to some previous orders as well.

For example, customers ordering a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 1TB storage upgrade are looking at a January 13 estimated delivery from Apple. Apple is estimating a maxed-out MacBook Air will arrive between January 20 and January 27.


Here is the full list of M1 Mac delivery dates as of now:

MacBook Air with Apple Silicon

Standard configs

• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU,256GB Storage ($999) - Dec 11-18
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU,512GB Storage ($1,249) - Dec 28

Custom configs

• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU, 8GB + 512GB Storage ($1,199) - Dec 29
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU, 8GB + 2TB storage ($1,399) - Jan 6-13
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU, 8GB + 2TB storage ($1,799) - Jan 20-27
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU, 256GB Storage + 16GB ($1,199) - Dec 29
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU, 16GB + 512GB Storage ($1,399) - Dec 29
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU, 16GB + 1TB Storage ($1,599) - Jan 6-13
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8Core CPU and 7Core GPU, 16GB + 2TB Storage ($1,999) - Jan 20-27
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 1TB Storage ($1,449) - Jan 6-13
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 2TB Storage ($1,849) - Jan 20-27
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 512GB Storage + 16GB ($2,049) - Jan 20-27
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 1TB storage ($1,649) - Dec 28-Jan 5
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 2TB storage ($2,049) - Jan 20-27

13-inch MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon

Standard configs

• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 256GB Storage ($1,299) - Dec 11-18
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 512GB Storage ($1,499) - Dec 11-18

Custom configs

• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB + 512BG Storage ($1,499) - Dec 29
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB + 1TB Storage ($1,699) - Jan 13
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB + 2TB Storage ($2,099) - Jan 27
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 256GB Storage + 16GB ($1,499) - Dec 29
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 512GB ($1,699) - Dec 29
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 1TB ($1,899) - Jan 13
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 2TB ($2,299) - Jan 27

Mac mini with Apple Silicon

Standard configs

• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 256GB Storage ($699) - Dec 7-9
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 512GB Storage ($899) - Dec 7

Custom configs

• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB + 512GB Storage ($899) - Dec 14-16
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB + 1TB Storage ($1,099) - Jan 12
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 8GB + 2TB Storage ($1,499) - Jan 26
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU, 256GB Storage + 16GB ($899) - Dec 28
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 512GB ($1,099) - Dec 28
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 1TB ($1,299) - Jan 12
  
  
• Apple M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU + 16GB + 2TB ($1,699) - Jan 26

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[sultrysandy]

Advertisers must 'play by the rules' or expect iPhone ban, says top Apple executive

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sorry so late, not only lots going on with me but also sorting our what's going in Apple's world



Craig Federighi told The Telegraph failure to follow Apple's new anti-tracking rules would be 'grounds for having an app removed'

Developers will be kicked off Apple's App Store if they fail to “play by the rules” of the iPhone’s new anti-tracking policy, Apple’s head of software has said.

Craig Federighi, one of Apple boss Tim Cook’s top lieutenants, issued the warning as Apple prepares to introduce an anti-tracking function in its iOS 14 software that advertisers fear will lead to a sharp drop in mobile revenues.

Facebook has emerged as the most vocal critic of the new tool, which will force advertisers and apps to ask for extra permission for a unique digital identifier to track users across the web, claiming it will lead to a 50pc drop in revenue for some publishers.

Mr Federighi told The Telegraph all apps would be expected to abide by the new App Tracking Transparency rules.

He said: “There will be policy enforcement. Any form or mechanism of tracking a user for advertising or for providing information to data brokers will have to ask for permissions.

“Failure to do so is a violation of App Store policy… and are grounds for having an app removed.”

Apple’s new rules were announced over the summer, although have yet to come into force. They will effectively stop apps from hyper-accurately targeting adverts across the internet. Apps will have to ask users to opt-in for such tracking.

How Apple's anti-tracking notification will appear to users





Facebook warned that this would “severely impact” ad publishers. Its chief executive Mark Zuckerberg previously claimed Apple was acting as a “gatekeeper” for phones. In November, the tech giant added Apple was using its “dominant market position” to its own advantage.

However, privacy campaigners have supported Apple’s move, which will make it easier for people to opt-out of tracking that can see their personal information sold on to data brokers.

In a speech to the European Data Protection and Privacy Conference, Mr Federighi said: “We expect that the industry will adapt as it did before - providing effective advertising, but this time without invasive tracking.”

He added rivals were doing “everything they can” to stop the new feature in a “a brazen attempt to maintain the privacy-invasive status quo”.

Apple said it had already delayed the launch of its anti-tracking feature to give developers more time to adapt to it. The new feature is expected in the New Year.

It comes after the iPhone-maker unleashed a damning statement against the advertising sector last month, with Jane Horvath, Apple’s head of privacy, saying: “Facebook executives have made clear their intent is to collect as much data as possible.”

In his interview with The Telegraph, Mr Federighi said despite the protests he expected advertisers and social media firms would obey the rule change. He said: “The largest players understand they have to play by the rules here. I expect while there is spirited debate, they are going to work to find a solution.”

Speaking to privacy regulators on Tuesday, Mr Federighi added that he hoped Europe would “strengthen… support for end-to-end encryption”, although there are concerns that the growing trend for all messaging apps to feature advanced encryption could lead to abuses going undetected.

He told The Telegraph Apple had been “consistent for many years now that truly secure communications are ultimately in the interest of public safety”. He added Apple believed it was not possible to just provide privileged access under “just the right circumstances” that would not compromise other users.

The remarks come despite calls from global intelligence sharing partnership, the Five Eyes alliance, for greater access to tech’s encrypted messages.

And in a report published on Tuesday, Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner, warned encrypted apps had left children more vulnerable to abuse.

The report found 90pc of 12 year olds were using messaging apps despite built-in age restrictions and that there were more than 1,200 confirmed child abuse offences using encrypted messaging apps in the first three months of lockdown.

The report warned that greater encryption could be a “cynical attempt” to bypass sanctions, such as those proposed in the Government’s Online Harms legislation.
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[sultrysandy]

Researchers discover 33 vulnerabilities affecting 'millions' of IoT, smart home devic

Cybersecurity researchers have discovered a slew of vulnerabilities included in foundational, open source software used in "millions" of smart home and IoT devices.

The 33 vulnerabilities, disclosed by cybersecurity firm Forescout, impact four open source TCP/IP stacks that are used in devices created by more than 150 vendors. Together, the 33 vulnerabilities, which include four critical security flaws, are dubbed "AMNESIA:33."

According to Forescout, the vulnerabilities cause memory corruption, which could allow attackers to compromise devices, execute malicious code, steal sensitive information, and perform denial-of-service attacks.

Most of the affected devices are consumer-facing products like remote temperature sensors and cameras. However, they can range from simple smart plugs and office routers, to industrial control system components and healthcare appliances.

The seriousness of the flaws, as well as their widespread nature, lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to issue a bulletin advising users and manufacturers of the threat. It recommended defensive measures such as removing critical infrastructure from the internet.

Despite the potential for exploitation, CISA noted that there does not appear to be any active public exploits specifically targeting these vulnerabilities in the wild.

However, one of the worrying aspects of the vulnerabilities is the fact that they exist in open source software, Forescout said. That could mean addressing them much more difficult, since open source software is often maintained by volunteers and some of the vulnerable code is two decades old.

It'll be up to device manufacturers to identify and patch the vulnerabilities. Though, because some of the compromised code exists in a third-party component, the component's use must have been documented for device makers to know that it's there.

Forescout alerted U.S., German, and Japanese cybersecurity authorities in addition to as many of the device vendors that it could.

A full list of the affected devices has yet to be released. The list is said to include Siemens, Genetec, Devolo, NT-Ware, Microchip, and Nanotec.

It's recommended that users with smart home devices check the manufacturer's website for the latest patch and security information. Beyond that, it'll mostly be up to manufacturers to mitigate and resolve the issue.

Apple's HomeKit protocol itself isn't affected by the security flaws. However, many devices utilize more than one networking protocol or have multiple home automation system compatibilities, and as such, may be vulnerable to attack should one manifest.






Sandy note -

While reading this, my head was shaking in disbelief. IoT has no standards, no protocols, no security, and no privacy. As a consumer having a smart home or so called smart devices, you have no rights, control, privacy, et cetera.

Off the top of my head, more thna five years consumers with Philips smart lighting fixtures trued ti turn them on, but they didn't. During the night Philips not only force download new software, then installed, It tested the lighting fixtures made by them did not have bulbs also made by Philips, they didn't turn on.

LG and Samsung have been caught countless times spying on users, collecting info. Even spoken words are sent to third parties.
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[sultrysandy]

FTC, 46 states file antitrust suit against Facebook, seek Instagram & WhatsApp break-

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FTC, 46 states file antitrust suit against Facebook, seek Instagram & WhatsApp break-up

Facebook on Wednesday was hit by a pair of lawsuits by the Federal Trade Commission and a coalition of attorneys general from nearly the entire United States alleging that the social media giant engages in anticompetitive practices.

The first lawsuit, filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday, claims that the social media giant uses its power to illegally stifle competition and protect its position. In total, a bipartisan group of attorneys general from 48 states and territories, including Guam and the District of Columbia, are expected to sign onto the lawsuit.

"For nearly a decade, Facebook has used its dominance and monopoly power to crush smaller rivals and snuff out competition, all at the expense of everyday users" James said on Wednesday. "Today, we are taking action to stand up for the millions of consumers and many small businesses that have been harmed by Facebook's illegal behavior."

The states represent a broad swath of the U.S. Only four states were not named in the lawsuit's announcement, and are therefore not expected to sign onto the complaint.


States not participating in the Facebook antitrust lawsuit

Alabama


Georgia


South Carolina


South Dakota


Soon afterwards, the FTC announced its own legal action against Facebook for "illegally maintaining its personal social networking monopoly through a years-long course of anticompetitive conduct."

"Since toppling early rival Myspace and achieving monopoly power, Facebook has turned to playing defense through anticompetitive," the FTC states.

In a tweet shortly after the lawsuits were announced, Facebook said it would have "more to say soon," but likened the actions to the government now wanting a "do-over."

Both lawsuits place particular emphasis on Facebook's acquisition of WhatsApp and Instagram. The FTC in its lawsuit says that Facebook had engaging in a systematic strategy to eliminate threats to its market power.

Specifically, the allegations appear to stem from several emails sent by CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggesting that the Instagram acquisition was, at least in part, to squash competition. Those emails were revealed as part of a House antitrust subcommittee investigation.

Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014. The FTC cleared both acquisitions at the time.

The states' antitrust lawsuit also examines whether the acquisitions made the user experience worse in terms of privacy, while the FTC complaint also notes that Facebook tried — and failed — to gobble up other competitors such as Twitter and Snapchat.

The two lawsuits will also examine whether Facebook uses its reach and power to stifle user growth on competing services. The lawsuit from the attorneys general alleges that Facebook engages in a "buy or bury" approach to competition, using its market power in an attempt to "squeeze every bit of oxygen out of the room for" companies that refuse to be bought.

Remedies for the alleged antitrust violations include actions that could force Facebook to divest from Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC could also seek to prohibit Facebook from imposing anticompetitive conditions on third-party developers.

Both the FTC and the states cooperated closely during their investigation of Facebook, but the coalition of states chose to file a separate lawsuit. Although attorney General James said they are "aligned substantively with the FTC," she said there may be some stylistic differences in the lawsuits. She made it clear that the states are "independent enforcers of the law," however.

Though the lawsuits Wednesday could set a precedent for the industry, Facebook isn't the only tech giant to come under antitrust scrutiny in recent years. The House antitrust investigation that revealed the Zuckerberg emails also targeted Apple, Google, and Amazon.

Apple has come under fire for its tight control over its app store as well, with complaints alleging anti-trust behavior. To partially combat that, Apple announced a program that would cut that rate to 15% for developers making less than $1 million a year on the app marketplace.
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[sultrysandy]

Apple, Google to ban location tracking firm that sold data to US military

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Apple to ban X-Mode tracking SDK from the App Store, developers given two weeks to comply

Apple and Google are both cracking down on applications that integrate the X-Mode Social tracking software. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Apple has informed developers that they have two weeks to remove X-Mode’s trackers from their applications.

The decision from Apple and Google comes after investigative reporting revealed that X-Mode collects data directly from applications and eventually passes it along to US defense contractors. X-Mode would pay to embed its SDK into other developers’ applications in exchange for the location data it collects.



Apple has informed developers that they have two weeks to remove the X-Mode SDK from their applicants, or else the apps could be removed from the App Store altogether. According to toady’s report, a review by Apple found 100 apps made by 30 developers contained X-Mode’s SDK.

Apple cited potential violations of its rules around data use and sharing and gave developers two weeks to remove X-Mode’s SDK. Apple told developers that it appeared X-Mode “surreptitiously builds user profiles based on collected user data,” in violation of its terms of service.

Apple and Google are said to have revealed their decision to ban the X-Mode SDK to investigators working for Sen. Ron Wyden, who has been investigating the “sale of location data to government entities.”

“Americans are sick of learning about apps selling their location information and other sensitive data to anyone with a checkbook, including to the government,” Mr. Wyden said. “Apple and Google deserve credit for doing the right thing and exiling X-Mode Social, the most high-profile tracking company, from their app stores. But there’s still far more work to be done to protect Americans’ privacy, including rooting out the many other data brokers that are siphoning data from Americans’ phones.”

X-Mode has said that it is “re-evaluating its government work,” but it also indicated that it is only collecting data similar to most other advertising SDKs:

“A ban on X-Mode’s SDK would have broader ecosystem implications considering X-Mode collects similar mobile app data as most advertising SDKs, and Apple and Google would be setting the precedent that they can determine private enterprises’ ability to collect and use mobile app data,” the company said.

Apple’s decision to ban X-Mode comes as it continues to double down on privacy within iOS and the App Store. It is requiring new app privacy labels in the App Store and rolling out a new App Tracking Transparency feature in iOS 14 next year. Just this week, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi, served as a keynote speaker during the European Data Protection & Privacy Conference.






Sandy note
"...and Google deserve credit for doing the right thing..." - what a load of crap. Google is doing it since they're not getting paid by selling the data. Google and Facebook combined account for more than ninety percent of the so called advertising market.

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[sultrysandy]

Outages Reported Across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger

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Instagram, Messenger and Facebook outages and glitches in some countries

A significant number of people in are reporting some mix of Instagram, Messenger and Facebook outages this morning. Many of them are in European countries, but issues are being reported in other countries too, including Australia and the Philippines …

For some, one or more services is down completely, the apps failing to update and the websites not responding. Others are seeing delays and glitches.

For example, for me Messenger isn’t connecting at all through the Mac app, while the iOS app is suffering delays and formatting issues. In-line replies are not working, for example.

“Facebook down here (UK)”

“Facebook down in France”

“Facebook ok but Messenger not working (from the Philippines)”

“Down for me in Australia”

“Can’t use Messeger”

“Messenger really slow in sending and receiving”

“Instagram doesn’t work”​

Facebook Workplace is also affected.

Coupled to yesterday’s news of an FTC antitrust lawsuit against the company, Facebook isn’t having a good week …

Matt Navarra
@MattNavarra
·
5h
Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram is down for lots of users in Europe, according to numerous reports online

Is it working for you?

#facebookdown

 

[sultrysandy]

Attackers breach cybersecurity firm FireEye, steal hacking tools

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Read about this when it was disclosed Tuesday after Wall Street closed, and has now made it's was into the Apple World. Want to also post two, possiblt three, more posts about security today.


Bit of info, FireEye provides detection and prevention of major cyber attacks. It's hardware, software, and services to investigate cybersecurity attacks, protect against malicious software, and analyze IT security risks.

Unlike that piece of shit slimeball MacKeeper.






Cybersecurity firm FireEye says that it was hacked by a nation-state attacker who made off with many of its hacking tools and data related to government clients.

California-based FireEye disclosed the breach on Thursday, stating that it was carried out by a "highly sophisticated state-sponsored adversary."

The attackers reportedly stole Red Team tools that FireEye uses to detect and exploit weaknesses in computer systems in order to better defend them. Additionally, the attack targeted data primarily related to "certain government customers," The Washington Post reported.

Those government targets did not necessarily include ones in the U.S., sources said. Additionally, FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia said that the attackers didn't appear to remove data from the systems storing customer information.

Although FireEye didn't specifically attribute the attack to anyone, sources told The Washington Post that the attackers were tied likely to Russian intelligence.

The attack appeared to be tailor-made to target FireEye itself using methods that "counter security tools and forensic examination." Mandia added that they "used a novel combination of techniques not witnessed by us or our partners in the past."

ccording to WaPo, the attack compromised a significant number of — but not all — of the team's Red Team tools. Those tools are the kind used in penetration tests to identify and shore up weaknesses in a client's cyber defenses.

FireEye maintains that none of the tools relied on zero-day exploits, and were instead modeled on known attacks and exploits. Some of the tools were existing scripts modified to evade detection, while others were built in-house by FireEye's Red Team staff. The company says it doesn't know whether the attacks stole the tools to use them, or publicly disclose them. To date, Mandia said that FireEye has seen no evidence that the stolen tools have been used in the wild.

Although not strictly focused on Apple products, FireEye has identified exploits in the company's products in the past. It also makes security tools and software for macOS and other Apple platforms.

To mitigate the threat of those tools, however, FireEye is providing more than 300 countermeasures to its customers to help shield them from attacks.

The FBI is investigating the attack, and Microsoft is assisting FireEye in its own investigation.
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[sultrysandy]

Apple hit with antitrust lawsuit by Cydia, the ‘app store for jailbreakers’

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Cydia, the 'original iPhone App Store' is suing Apple over antitrust claims

Cydia claims that Apple used its monopoly position of the App Store to push it out and ultimately render the jailbreaking store useless.

Another lawsuit that parallels Epic Games' claims that Apple has a monopoly position has surfaced. Cydia says that it was forced to close its doors due to Apple's unlawful control of app distribution on iOS.

Cydia also claims that had it not been for Apple's anticompetitive practices, users would benefit from a multitude of software that does not exist on iOS today. The lawsuit declares that Apple should allow third-party app stores and alternative software sources on its platforms.

The outcry is similar to Epic Games own lawsuit stating that Apple charging a "tax" and controlling the software distributed on its platform is an unlawful monopoly and should be stopped. Early hearings did not show much hope for Epic's case, as the preliminary judge was not impressed by the information provided. The next stage of the Epic lawsuit will be held in court July 2021.

Cydia was created as a jailbreak tool before Apple implemented the App Store on the iPhone. The tool acted as a sort of early app store with games and tools like copy and paste that did not exist on iPhone yet. The Washington Post estimates around 4.5 million users were accessing Cydia for apps in its heyday.

Jay Freeman, founder of Cydia, says that if you own a device you should be able to access every part of it and control the software however you like. He called jailbreaking a "vital tool" for iPhone users.

"Morally speaking, it's your phone and you should be able to do whatever you want with it," Freeman said. "You should get to decide which applications you put on it, and you should be able to decide where you get those applications from."

Apple ultimately patched every exploit and made it nearly impossible for tools like Cydia to be viable to the average user. The lawsuit suggests that Apple used loaded language to convince users that jailbreaking was dangerous and tools like Cydia would reduce the safety and security of your iPhone. Freeman claims these are falsehoods used to manipulate users.

Freeman said that Cydia earned $10 million at its peak in 2011 to 2012. Cydia earned its money by charging its app developers a fee for access to the Cydia store. The Apple App Store gained steam and ended up taking all of Cydia's potential income.

Cydia has hired the same lawyers used in the Samsung vs Apple patent case, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart and Sullivan. Epic Games opened the door for such lawsuits to exist, and this could be the last time they can challenge Apple on the matter.

The lawsuit demands a trial by jury, something that Epic Games chose to avoid, and seeks to be reimbursed for damages and fees. This would mean calculating all of the potential money lost due to not being able to operate on iOS properly since as early as 2012.

In a response to the Washington Post's queries, Apple reiterated that it is not a monopoly and has competitors in the market like Google's Android, and that Apple is in the best position to tightly manage what software is available on its platform. Apple has always taken a strong stance on privacy and security, and opening up its platform to third-party app stores would undermine its ability to keep users safe.

Apple has tried keeping regulators happy by taking steps to appease developers. The company introduced the ability for developers to challenge Apple's own regulations, and has reduced its fee from 30% to 15% for any developer earning less than $1 million per year.





Sandy note -
Expect will receive some grief, which is fine, but Apple's ecosystem makes sense to me. If you have a problem with an Apple device, after saying Apple and it's products suck, then take it in for service. And with malware so easily distributed, and there is so much of it in the wild, understand why Apple doesn't want apps installed that users didn't download form them. However, that makes Apple liable if an app, for example, is installing something malicious, or phoning home with user info.

Seems the lawsuits files against Apple are by firms that want to do whatever they want, and only their greed for money.


Please tell me if I'm missing something, or wrong.
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[sultrysandy]

iPhone users continue to report missing Messages app notifications after updating to

A bug resulting in missing text message notifications is continuing to affect iPhone users with iOS 14. While the issue appeared to at first to be exclusive to the iPhone 12 series, it appears to be affecting nearly any iPhone model running iOS 14 — and the early signs are that iOS 14.3 doesn’t fix the problem either.


Missing iOS 14 messages notifications

The problem was reported recently, and it continues to gain traction on Apple’s support forums, Reddit, and other online communities. The problem that many users report is that they do not receive notifications from incoming text messages and iMessages.

In fact, users say they don’t receive any sort of lock screen notification for the messages, nor does the Messages app display a badge for the messages. A thread on Apple’s support forums includes over 40 pages of complaints from affected users. The affected users have tried a variety of potential fixes, but none of them appear to be permanent.

Text notifications/vibration do not work in silent mode with locked screen in iOS 14 on my iPhone 11 Pro Max. However, I get vibration/notifications on my Apple Watch 4, which is also set in silent mode.

An interesting detail is that I can make it work IF I take off my Apple Watch. Then text notifications/vibration work exactly as they should on my iPhone.

Another user writes:

My iPhone doesn’t notify me anymore concerning text messages coming in and some phone calls now. I made sure all my settings were set up properly. This is a new problem that started directly after the 14 update. There are a lot of posts on here about the same issue, but I haven’t noticed any resolutions.

Interestingly, Apple’s release notes for iOS 14.2.1, released last month, indicated that the update resolved an issue where “some MMS messages may not be received.” This seemed to address a separate bug affecting iPhone 12 users, not this more widespread iOS 14 bug affecting a broader scope of iOS 14 users.

The Verge adds that the issue does not appear to be fixed in the latest beta of iOS 14.3:

And if you’re hoping that all will be well when iOS 14.3 releases next week, I wouldn’t be so sure. Early reports indicate that the no-text-notifications bug remains present — at least in some cases — in the second release candidate build of iOS 14.3 that Apple pushed out to public beta testers yesterday.

Apple is likely to release iOS 14.3 to the public on Monday, so it’s possible the company is able to implement a last-minute fix into that update. Otherwise, affected users will be waiting until iOS 14.3.1 or later for a fix for this Messages bug.

Affected iPhone users have even taken to TikTok and Twitter to voice their displeasure with this bug:

 

[sultrysandy]

How to read Apple's App privacy 'Nutrition Labels' and what they will do for users

Apple now requires developers to submit certain privacy details so that users can make informed choices. Only, this "nutrition label" kind of detail is not being enforced yet, and it will seemingly always rely on developers being honest.

If you want your app to stay on the App Store, you now have to provide a Privacy Policy. Except you don't. Although the deadline to submit this information was December 8, Apple has told developers that it won't remove existing apps for not having this information.

So far it seems to be an oddly half-hearted privacy rule from Apple, which may reflect how it's going to be hard to usefully enforce. Even if Apple does set a cut-off date and remove apps without this privacy information, it is still entirely reliant on developers telling the truth.

That's not to say that developers are untrustworthy. It is to say that any developer intent on being a bad agent is not going to get an attack of the conscience over this.

Hopefully Apple will do spot checks. Hopefully the App Store review team will now have a thorough checklist, and the tools to work through it, as they decide whether to allow new apps on or not.

It's likely that something of this sort will happen, because Apple has created an online form for developers. Even though the chief requirement is to provide a link to your Privacy Policy, developers have to click through a form specifying details for different types of data that their app may be using.

As these labels start to appear on the App Store, though, here's where to see them. Plus what they mean, and how they can help you decide which apps to use.


How to find the "nutrition label" for an app

1. Open the App Store on either iOS or macOS
   
   
2. Find any app
   
   
3. Scroll through its detail down to the Information section
   
   
4. Look for Privacy Policy
   
   
5. Tap to read it

Developers are required to include a Privacy Policy. It's a link rather than a description within the App Store, and Apple says it must be the "URL to your publicly accessible privacy policy."

So you can't bury the policy behind a paywall or require users to buy your app first. Apple also offers the option of adding a separate Privacy Choices link, though.

This again must be to a publicly-accessible site online, but in it developers are encouraged to present information — and allow users to edit it.

"For example, a webpage where users can access their data, request deletion, or make changes," says Apple in its developer documentation.

Apple has specific instructions for developers in that documentation about what they can say and what they must disclose. However, for the user, this extra privacy information comes down to that Privacy Policy link in the app's description.

It is highlighted more than the other details in that section, such as the Category, the Languages, and the Age Rating. However, you're not going to stumble on it by accident.

If you do want to know the privacy details, though, you will find them here. And they are expected to tell you a lot of information that could well affect your buying decision.


How to read the information in these "nutrition labels"

Including some catch-all terms such as "other usage data," Apple lists 34 different types of data whose handling may have to be disclosed. Broadly the issue is that if you collect data from a user — and then do something with it outside your app — you have to say what.

There are exceptions, and Apple allows developers to not reveal them. These include when the user data an app collects "is not used for tracking purposes," or it's clear to the user that they are choosing to offer this information to the developer.

The 34 types of data range from contact information, through health details, and on to what Apple calls "product interaction." It defines this as being "app launches, taps, clicks... or other information about how the user interacts with the app."

There are legitimate reasons for apps to want this data, such as a fitness app requesting access to your health records. What Apple is against is the taking of that data for any other purpose, such as passing to advertisers and marketing firms.


What you should see, and what you will get

Consequently, what you should see when you click Privacy Policy in an app description, is a list of types of data collected, and why. You should see if an app tracks your precise location, defined as being with "the same or greater resolution as a latitude and longitude with three or more decimal places."

In practice, though, what you're going to see may end up being no more useful, or perhaps even accurate, than you might glean now from a developer's website.

What Apple tells developers about the new requirements



That's because as well as the issue over honesty, there is also the fact that this is an extra burden on developers. You can be sure that some will make one overall privacy policy web page and point all of their apps directly to it.

After all, that's what Microsoft does — and Apple, too. Check out their apps in the App Store and their Privacy Policy link takes to one of these generic pages.


Future improvements

WhatsApp has objected to Apple's labels, saying that they could put users off. The company claims that the labels are too broad, and therefore unfair.

"[For instance, while] WhatsApp cannot see people's messages or precise location, we're stuck using the same broad labels with apps that do," said a spokesperson.

This suggests that Apple intends to display more than a single link to a firm's Privacy Policy. And that suggests that these labels are going to become useful.

Even if Whatsapp's criticism is correct, any greater display of privacy information is a good thing. It may well inform your choice of apps to use, but it would definitely help educate us all to be actively aware of these issues.

So long as the submitted information is correct.
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