Tag: ios

Apple Reportedly Adding a new ‘Repair State’ With iOS 17.5 That Keeps Find My on During Repairs

Apple is reportedly working on a new feature that will allow iPhone users to keep Find My on even when they send their phone for repair. This new feature is being called Repair State, and it is said to offer a workaround to turning the device tracking feature off, which can reduce the security of the device. This feature was spotted with the latest iOS 17.5 beta update. The global stable version of the operating system could arrive later this month.

The feature was spotted by 9to5Mac within the codes of the iOS 17.5 beta 4, which rolled out on Tuesday for users who have enrolled in the Beta Programme. This feature is said to be partially working for beta testers. As per the report, the Repair State feature was likely added to allow users to track their device even when it is being repaired.

At present, Apple requires users to turn off Find My when handing in the iPhone for repair. The guideline is also mentioned in Apple’s Support Page which states, “To prevent anyone else from getting service for your device without your knowledge, Apple might not be able to service your device if Find My isn’t turned off.” The idea behind the rule is to make sure the person who is handing in the phone is indeed the owner of the phone as well. However, doing this has become trickier with recent updates by the tech giant.

Apple introduced Stolen Device Protection with the iOS 17.3, which adds a time delay when accessing critical settings such as removing Apple account or turning off Find My. Currently, the time delay to turn off Find My is one hour. This means if a user forgets to turn on the feature and shows up at the authorised repair store, they will have to either wait for an hour or come back later. This issue can be solved through Repair State.

As per the report, Repair State mode in iOS 17.5 beta 4 allows users to confirm that the iPhone is going for repair by using their Apple ID and password. While in this state, a user cannot remove their Apple ID. This allows the technician to confirm the owner of the device without requiring them to turn off Find My.

However, the publication has warned beta testers to not enable the mode if the device is not going for repair. This is because currently there is no way to turn off this mode and once it is enabled, the Apple ID cannot be removed. It is unclear whether Apple has not added this feature intentionally so that the technician can remove it at their end, or the stable version of the feature will come with an option to remove it.

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Anthropic Launches Claude iOS App to Bring the AI Assistant to the iPhone

Anthropic’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot Claude is now making its way to the iPhone. The company announced the launch of its iOS app on Wednesday and said it is generally available globally. This is the first time the AI assistant has left the web interface and received a dedicated smartphone app. Alongside, it also announced a new Teams subscription plan for businesses that will allow corporates to purchase Claude’s access for the entire staff. Notably, Anthropic released Claude 3 AI models in March.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Anthropic announced the launch of the iOS app. The mobile app functions the same way as the web interface, and we found it quite optimised and user-friendly. The iPhone app comes with features such as seamless sync with web chats that allow you to pick up the conversation on the app after leaving it midway on the web interface.

Claude iOS app
Photo Credit: Anthropic

 

The iPhone app also comes with vision capabilities. With permission from the user, the app can access the camera and the photo library of the iPhone to offer real-time analysis of the images. Users can potentially click a picture of an object and ask the AI to identify it.

While the app can be downloaded for free, it does come with the same restrictions as the free web interface of the platform. You only get access to Haiku or Sonnet AI models and there is a daily message limit which varies depending on the load on the server. Notably, there are three variants of Claude AI — Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus. Haiku is the fastest but the least intelligent, Sonnet is slower but more intelligent, and Opus does both.

If you do not want to hit the daily limit, you will have to pay $20 (roughly Rs. 1,700) a month for the Pro subscription. This opens access to all three AI models, a higher number of chats, and priority access during high-traffic periods. Alongside its iOS app, Anthropic has also introduced a new Team plan for enterprises, which businesses can purchase for their staff. The plan offers everything in the Pro tier as well as a higher usage rate than Pro and access to its 200K context window mode, which is designed to process long documents. The Teams plan comes at the price of $30 (roughly Rs. 2,500) per user per month with a minimum of five seats.

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WhatsApp Could Soon Get a ‘Recently Online’ List to Recommend Contacts to Users: Report

WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will reportedly recommend contacts you can reach out to. The feature is a list dubbed Recently Online which shows the names of contacts who were recently logged into the app. The report speculates that the purpose of the feature is to help users determine people who are more likely to respond if texted or called. However, it will not show the currently online people, and instead only give an approximate understanding of those who have used the app recently.

According to a report by WhatsApp update tracker WABetaInfo, the instant messaging platform is testing a new feature that was spotted in the WhatsApp beta for iOS 24.8.10.70 update via the TestFlight app. The report also highlighted that some beta testers might have access to the new feature, although it is not rolled out widely in the beta app. Interestingly, the same feature was also introduced in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.9.14 build, highlighting that both of the platforms could soon get this feature in their respective apps.

WhatsApp’s Recently Online list
Photo Credit: WABetaInfo

 

Based on the screenshot shared by the publication, the Recently Online list only appears on the new chat and new call screen where the user selects the contact to write a text or make a call. Here, underneath the basic menu options, a new section highlighting the contacts that were recently online will be shown. It is unclear what exactly constitutes “recently online”, and what is the time limit after which a name is removed from the list.

The feature will, however, not show the list of people who are online currently, or the time when they were last online, as per the report. This is likely done to protect the privacy of the users. Further, those users who have set their Last seen to nobody will not appear on this list. It is unclear whether they will be able to see the Recently Online list or not.

This feature is currently in beta, but the report claims that it is likely to be rolled out to users globally in the coming weeks.

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Assassin’s Creed Mirage to Launch on iPhone 15 Pro, iPad on June 6

Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the open-world action-adventure title from Ubisoft, will launch on iOS devices on June 6, the studio has announced. First announced for Apple devices in September last year, Assassin’s Creed Mirage will arrive on the App Store for iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad Air and iPad Pro with M1 chip or later, making it the first console Assassin’s Creed title that can be played natively on mobile devices.

According to Ubisoft, Mirage will be free to download and play for 90 minutes from Apple’s App Store. The full game will cost users $49.99, or roughly Rs. 4,174. The full version of the game will support universal purchase, which means the game will be playable on both iPhone and iPad once full access is unlocked with a single in-app purchase.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is currently up for pre-order on the App Store. Ubisoft also confirmed that the game will support cross-progression and cross-save through Ubisoft Connect, allowing players to transfer their progress across all available platforms.

The iPhone and iPad version of the game has been developed by Ubisoft Sofia and promises to deliver the same experience as the console version. Ubisoft said that game controls have also been adapted to the iPhone and iPad touch screens, but users can always play the game with a compatible controller for a better experience.

Mirage was first announced for iPhone and iPad alongside three other games at Apple’s Wonderlust event in September last year, where the tech giant unveiled its iPhone 15 lineup. The game was initially slated for an early 2024 release but is now coming out on Apple platforms on June 6. iPhone 15 Pro models and M1 and above iPad models have already seen the release of triple-A games like Resident Evil 4 Remake, Resident Evil Village and Death Stranding.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage was launched on October 5 across PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The game is set in 9th century Baghdad, putting players in the shoes of Basim, a young street thief who joins the Hidden Ones and rises through the ranks to become a Master Assassin.

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Altstore PAL With Annual Subscription, Free Delta Nintendo Emulator Launched in Europe

Altstore PAL was launched in Europe on Wednesday as the first third party iPhone app store — or alternative app marketplace, as Apple calls it. Users who live in Europe and want to access apps that are not available via the official App Store, can now install Altstore PAL after updating their iPhone to iOS 17.4. However, thanks to Apple’s mandatory Core Technology Fee (CTF), customers will have to pay a small annual fee to access the first third-party app store to arrive in the region.

Developer Riley Testut shared details of the Altstore PAL app marketplace in a blog post, stating that the open source app currently offers two applications — a Nintendo emulator called Delta and Clip, a clipboard manager. The former will be free to download via Altstore PAL, while the latter will require a minimum donation of EUR 1 (roughly Rs. 90) or more, according to the developer.

The new Altstore PAL won’t have Apple’s content restrictions (you can’t download a torrent client or via Apple’s App Store on iOS) and will also allow developers to distribute apps with Patreon, by specifying a minimum pledge amount that unlocks access to an app. Testut says the platform won’t take commissions on donations received via Patreon, and developers can use the Patreon income to pay Apple’s CTF fee that kicks in after 1 million downloads.

In order to install Altstore PAL, users who live in the EU will need to update their iPhone to iOS 17.4, then pay EUR 1.50 (roughly Rs. 135) — an annual subscription that allows the project to pay Apple’s CTF, Testut says. Users who don’t want to fork out the annual fee as well as those who live outside the EU) can sideload apps using a computer (using the original Altstore app) and refreshing them every seven days.

Unlike users, developers won’t have to pay to host their apps on Altstore PAL, and there’s no commission for Patreon donations. Testut says that once Apple has notarised an app, the processed “alternative distribution packet” (ADP) must be uploaded to the developer’s server. They must then create and upload a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file that contains metadata about the app, so that users can include the same source in the Altstore PAL app to begin downloading and updating that app.  

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Crypto Mining Operations Face Crackdown in Norway With New Regulations for Data Centres



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Facebook Revamps the Video Player on Its Mobile Apps, Adds Consistent Full-Screen Mode, New Controls

Facebook, the popular social media platform, is revamping the video player on its mobile apps. With this upgrade, users will not have to see different full-screen modes and viewing experiences for different kinds of videos. Currently, users can watch Reels, long-length videos, as well as live videos on the app. While Reels open in vertical full-screen, longer videos, and live videos open in a half-screen view with comments at the bottom. Facebook is now addressing this inconsistency with its upgraded video player.

The announcement was made on Wednesday via a post on Meta newsroom, which stated, “We’re introducing an updated video player on Facebook that brings together Reels, longer videos and Live content all in one fullscreen, engaging experience. The updated video player is rolling out on iOS and Android first in the US and Canada, and globally in the coming months.” It will arrive in other regions in the coming months.

Essentially, Facebook is offering a single consistent full-screen for all kinds of videos. Once the update rolls out, users will be able to open all videos in a vertical full-screen. The company appears to be using Instagram’s Reels as the template for its video player. On the vertical screen, users will have options to like, comment, share, and send it to a contact on Messenger on the right side, with the uploader’s name towards the bottom followed by the description of the video.

The longer-length videos which may not be vertically aligned can be viewed in landscape mode. Facebook said that opening most horizontal videos in full-screen will show an icon to turn the orientation, through which users can enter the landscape mode. Additionally, the social media giant is also offering better controls to navigate through the videos.

Users will see an option to pause the video and to skip ten seconds forward or backward through centrally placed icons. Users will also get more granular control to skip to a certain part of the video by moving the bottom slider. Further, the post mentioned that along with these upgrades, the recommendation system is also being revamped. The recommendations will be based on user interests. “We may recommend a Reel giving you inspiration for a quick, daily makeup routine or a longer tutorial video on DIY house improvements from experienced homeowners,” the post added.

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Apple Could Be Forced to Let iPhone Users Uninstall Photos App in Europe: Report

Apple has reportedly found itself in hot water with the European Union (EU) again. Earlier this year, the EU brought the Digital Markets Act (DMA) into effect with a deadline of March 6. Among many user-centric policies, the act also required consumer tech companies to focus on interoperability and offer an open ecosystem where users have a choice in picking a particular app in a device as the default. While Apple added support for alternative app marketplaces and allowed third-party browsers to run their engine to comply with the act, the EU believes the Photos app is still in violation.

On March 25, the European Commission (EC) opened a non-compliance investigation against Apple, Google, and Meta. For Apple, three reasons were listed in the press release which stated, “The Commission has opened proceedings against Apple regarding their measures to comply with obligations to (i) enable end users to easily uninstall any software applications on iOS, (ii) easily change default settings on iOS and (iii) prompt users with choice screens which must effectively and easily allow them to select an alternative default service, such as a browser or search engine on their iPhones.”

According to a report by Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, part one of the above-stated reasons refers to the Photos app. Gruber highlights this from the remarks of EC’s Executive Vice President, Margrethe Vestager. She said, “Apple also failed to make several apps un-installable (one of them would be Photos) and prevents end-users from changing their default status (for example Cloud), as required by the DMA.”

Allowing users to delete the Photos app might be tricky for the iPhone maker. As Gruber pointed out in the report, Apple’s system apps are deeply integrated into the operating system. The Photos app, for example, is not just an app to see the photos in the gallery but also serves the purpose of granting third-party apps different levels of access to it to enhance security. The Photos app is also integrated with iCloud and allows users to share selected albums or the entire gallery with other users. To make the Photos app uninstallable and allow a third-party gallery app with the same access might require Apple to re-engineer the entire iOS itself.

With the non-compliance case now open, the EC intends to conclude the proceedings within 12 months. Apple will now have to undergo an investigation where if the regulators do not give justifiable reasons for not making the app uninstallable, Apple might have to pay up to 20 percent of its total worldwide revenue in fines. The EC highlights that in cases of systematic infringements, it may also oblige the gatekeeper (the consumer tech company) to sell a business or parts of it, or ban it from acquiring additional services related to the non-compliance.

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iQoo 12 Anniversary Edition India Launch Set for April 9; Price, Colourway, Key Features Revealed



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iOS 17.4.1 Rolling Out With Bug Fixes, Security Updates Alongside iPadOS 17.4.1: How to Download

iOS 17.4.1 is rolling out to eligible iPhone models, bringing a few bug fixes and security updates in tow, according to Apple. The minor update comes shortly after the iPhone maker released iOS 17.4 — the update that brought support for third party app stores in the European Union (EU), transcripts for Apple Podcasts, and new emoji — on March 5. The company’s latest iOS software update has been released alongside iPadOS 17.4.1, which also contains some of these important fixes.

Just like previous iOS 17 releases, the latest update to iOS 17.4.1 is available to download on iPhone XS and newer models, while the iPadOS 17.4.1 update can be installed on eligible iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Pro, and iPad Air models. Users on the iPhone 8 series, iPhone X, and some older iPad models can download and install iOS 16.7.7 and iPadOS 16.7.7.

Apple’s release notes state that the latest iOS 17.4.1 update delivers “important bug fixes and security updates” and says it is recommended for all users. However, the company’s support page does not currently reveal details of security flaws that were fixed and states that details will be provided in the future. The company also displays the same message for the iPadOS 17.4.1 update on its website.

Earlier this month, Apple rolled out iOS 17.4 with several changes for users in the EU. In order to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act, the company now allows third party app stores in the EU, while users in the region are presented with options to set third party browsers as the default app on iOS. These changes are limited to iOS in the EU — iPadOS 17.4 was also released at the same time, without any of these features.

The update to iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 also brought support for new emoji — mushroom, phoenix, lime, broken chain, and shaking heads. Users who have updated to the latest versions will be able to send these emoji and view them in various apps, after updating to iOS 17.4 or iPadOS 17.4.

Appe also improved its Stolen Device Protection feature with the update to iOS 17.4, while enabling transcription for Apple Podcasts. Siri’s ability to read messages in different languages was also expanded, while owners of the latest iPhone 15 series will be able to see battery cycle count, manufacture date, and the date of first use in the Battery Health sections in the Settings app.

In order to download and install the iOS 17.4.1 update on your iPhone, you can open the Settings app and tap on General > Software Update > Install Now. The process is the same for iPadOS 17.4.1, and you should ensure that your devices are connected to a charger while installing these updates.

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iOS 18 ‘VendorUI’ Internal Builds Issued to Factories for Quality Control Testing: Report

iOS 18 is expected to be released in the second half of this year and Apple is expected to take the wraps off its next iPhone operating system update in the coming months at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024. The iPhone maker is reportedly issuing an early version of the iOS 18 update to factories and other partners for quality control testing. This is said to be a limited version of Apple’s iOS operating system, with irrelevant applications and features removed from the user interface (UI) before it is distributed by the company.

According to a MacRumors report that cites a private X (formerly Twitter) account that is said to have a good track record of leaking details related to Apple, the iPhone maker has begun sharing a version of iOS 18 called “VendorUI” in a controlled manner with “factories and relevant vendors”.  This version contains some elements of iOS that are expected to be unveiled by the company in the coming months at WWDC 2024.

Apple develops five different versions of iOS every year, according to the report. Two of these — LLDiags (a low-level diagnostics version) and NonUI (a version for hardware engineers and calibration machines) are prepared without the iOS user interface. Meanwhile, the VendorUI (used in factories for testing) and InternalUI (used by Apple’s engineers) contain pre-production versions of iOS. Apple’s “Release” version is the one that is finally rolled out to users with all iOS visual elements, apps and features.

As most apps and features not relevant to factories and relevant vendors aren’t included in the VendorUI image, we can expect to learn more about some parts of the iOS 18 UI in the future, ahead of WWDC 2024. Previous reports suggest that Apple is working on overhauling the mobile OS interface with the upcoming iOS 18 update, including some visual elements from visionOS, Apple’s operating system for the Vision Pro mixed reality headset.

As per previous reports, Apple is expected to focus on bringing a lot of new AI features and functionality to eligible iPhone models with the iOS 18 update. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously stated that the company hopes the AI-infused iOS 18 update — expected to arrive later this year — will convince more customers to upgrade to the iPhone 16 series of smartphones. The next generation iPhone lineup and iOS 18 software update could be released in the third quarter of 2024, based on the company’s launch schedule in recent years. 

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OnePlus Nord CE 4 to Get 8GB LPDDR4X RAM; Storage Specification Also Confirmed Ahead of India Launch



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Apple Blocks Fortnite Maker Epic Games From Launching Its Own iOS Store in EU

Apple escalated its feud with Epic Games on Wednesday, blocking the Fortnite video-game maker from launching its own online marketplace on iPhones and iPads in Europe.

The two companies have been in a legal battle since 2020, when the gaming firm alleged that Apple’s practice of charging up to 30 percent commissions on in-app payments on its iPhone Operating System (iOS) devices violated US antitrust rules.

The latest challenge from Epic comes as Apple struggles with concerns about tepid demand for its iPhones in China, and its stock has tumbled 12 percent so far this year, underperforming its big tech peers in the US Its shares were largely unchanged on Wednesday.

Attempts by regulators and competitors such as Epic to pave the way for rival marketplaces on Apple’s devices are a major threat to the Silicon Valley heavyweight’s profits and control of its own ecosystem.

European lawmakers are forcing Apple to allow those third-party marketplaces with a law called the Digital Markets Act (DMA) that takes effect this week.

Separately, Brussels antitrust regulators on Monday fined Apple EUR 1.84 billion ($2 billion or roughly Rs. 16,547 crore) for thwarting competition from music streaming rivals via restrictions on its App Store, Apple’s first ever penalty for breaching EU rules.

Epic was working to take advantage of the DMA, but Apple blocked those efforts on Wednesday, citing Epic’s past breaches of contract in the long-running legal dispute.

Apple terminated a new developer account that Epic had created in Sweden. Epic had created the account in an effort to put Fortnite and other games back on iPhones in Europe by running its own game store on Apple’s devices. Apple must allow third-party stores on its devices, under the new European law.

The developer accounts are important because software creators cannot distribute apps to iPhones and iPads without one. Apple had previously terminated some of Epic’s developer accounts in 2020, after Epic purposely broke Apple’s in-app payment rules, using its violation of the rules and subsequent banishment from the App Store as the core of public relations and legal campaign against Apple.

Apple said on Wednesday the court rulings have made clear that it has “sole discretion” to terminate any Epic Games developer account in light of its “egregious” breaches of the company’s developer agreements.

“In light of Epic’s past and ongoing behavior, Apple chose to exercise that right” to terminate Epic Games’ account, Apple said.

Epic alleged that by terminating its account, Apple was removing one of the largest potential competitors to the Apple App Store.

“This is a serious violation of the DMA and shows Apple has no intention of allowing true competition on iOS devices,” Epic Games said.

The European Commission, the executive body of the EU, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple in January proposed certain changes ahead of a March 7 deadline to comply with certain conditions of the DMA, a legislation meant to make it easier for European users to move between competing services.

The company said it would allow alternative app stores on iPhones and an opt-out from using the in-app payments system, but set a “core technology fee” of 50 euro cents per user account per year for developers who sign up for the new regime.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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