Apple releases Meltdown patches for older versions of macOS

Today, Apple released updates that will protect some older operating systems against the Meltdown vulnerability. Patches for High Sierra were released earlier this month and now Sierra and El Capitan will be protected as well.

The Meltdown and Spectre bugs have been a massive and ongoing issue for the industry. Intel has pledged to patch all recently made chips by the end of the month and faces a number of lawsuits over the vulnerabilities and its handling of them. Congressional leaders have also requested briefings from Intel, AMD and ARM.

You can see the details of Apple’s updates here.

Via: The Verge

Source: Apple

A million net neutrality comments used fake PornHub emails

Even as senators try to halt the FCC’s gutting of former internet protections and tech companies express their frustration with the new rules, net neutrality is dead. Sure, there was an extension to the period of public comment on the matter when it was found that more than half of the comments were fake, but that didn’t stop Ajit Pai’s commission from killing it. Now there’s even more evidence showing just how fake submissions to the governmental site were, including the fact that over one million bulk submissions used fake email addresses from pornhub.com.

As reported by Ars Technica, Gravwell security researcher Leah Figueroa and her team analyzed the more than 22 million comments submitted to the FCC to figure out which were real and which were not. The analysis separated “organic” comments sent by real humans from automated comments from bots. Hundreds of comments were filed with identical time stamps, while many others were submitted at a steady rate, unlike the way humans would send in comments. Still more were submitted with all-caps emails, which were likely generated or submitted from a database, reported Ars Technica.

In addition, according to Ars, only 17.4 percent of the comments submitted were unique; one comment was even uploaded more than one million times. While at the Shmoocon information security conference, Figueroa said that “the majority of the raw total number of comments fall into the anti-neutrality camp,” but that most of the ones that proved to be from actual humans (as determined by the analysis performed by her team), were in favor of net neutrality.

Source: Ars Technica

Apple’s HomePod won’t have multi-room or stereo audio at launch

Apple just announced that its HomePod smart speaker is set to ship February 9th of this year. What didn’t make the large print is that it won’t support multi-room audio or stereo pairing on that date. These are pretty big features of all other internet-connected speakers these days, which really shows how down to the wire Apple is on getting HomePod into your living room, especially after the recent delay.

Before.

After.

Checking archive.org, Engadget found that a new “coming later this year” stamp has quietly been placed on the main HomePod page. The verbiage was not visible on the most recent snapshot of the page, dated January 18th. It was, however included in Apple’s current press release. Sure, you’ll likely be able to buy a second (or third) HomePod at some point in the future to enable a stereo or multi-room mode. Not having these two features ready now, however, can only hurt Apple’s hoped-for sales of the late-to-the-game smart speaker.

Source: Apple

YouTube’s unified artist channels clean up its music mess

If you treat YouTube like a jukebox, you know how confusing it can be when your favorite artists have multiple channels. You may have to go to one channel to get the pure album cuts, and another to watch the music videos. Mercifully, YouTube is reducing that clutter — it’s launching unified Official Artist Channels that put all of a musician’s content in one place. In theory, you just have to search for an artist by their name to find everything they’ve posted to the site.

If you’ve subscribed to an artist’s unofficial channel, YouTube will automatically switch you over to an official source when available and will unsubscribe you to the old one.

It’s not clear whether or not this will eliminate one of the bigger annoyances for music fans on YouTube: having to switch to a Vevo-branded channel to watch music videos. We’ve asked the company if this changes the situation and will let you know if it does. This could create problems for fans who want to limit exactly what they see, but YouTube is betting that the overall simplicity will help both viewers and artists. You might spend less time wading through search results, while musicians could reach a wider audience.

Source: YouTube Official Blog

Pioneer’s new iOS app can power your next DJ livestream

Pioneer’s DJ mix recording app is now available for your iPhone and iPad. Cleverly named DJM-REC, the free-to-download app connects to any mixer with a USB send/return channel to record, archive and even livestream your mixes. The app gives you a 30-day trial, after which you’ll need to purchase the full app for $10.

You’ll need a digital send/return style mixer, like Pioneer’s DJM-TOUR1, DJM-900NXS2, DJM-750MK2 and DJM-450 models. There’s a firmware update you’ll need to apply to your mixer so it can work with the new app. Once you connect your iPhone or iPad to your mixer via the same lightning/USB cable you use to power your iOS device, the DJ-REC app is ready to go. In addition to recording and streaming, you can edit the time-stamp that’s automatically created from the data sent from the mixer to the app, which will let you create track lists more easily. There’s a peak limiter, too, to ensure you don’t clip out at high volume.

There’s a Loudness slider in the app that will increase audio pressure and punch up the bass in those older tracks. If your device isn’t connected to a mixer, you can still record with the app in analogue using an external mic. You can play back your mixes via the send/receive USB channel, too, so all those dancers in the club can hear your masterpieces.

Source: Pioneer

Apple Addresses Meltdown and Spectre in macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan With New Security Update

Along with macOS High Sierra 10.13.3, Apple this morning released two new security updates that are designed to address the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities on machines that continue to run macOS Sierra and OS X El Capitan.

As outlined in Apple’s security support document, Security Update 2018-001 available for macOS Sierra 10.12.6 and OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 offers several mitigations for both Meltdown and Spectre, along with fixes for other security issues, and the updates should be installed immediately.

Apple addressed the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities in macOS High Sierra with the release of macOS High Sierra 10.13.2, but older machines were left unprotected. Apple initially said a prior security update included fixes for the two older operating systems, but that information was later retracted.

Spectre and Meltdown are two hardware-based vulnerabilities that impact nearly all modern processors. Apple in early January confirmed that all of its Mac and iOS devices were impacted, but Meltdown mitigations were introduced ahead of when the vulnerabilities came to light in iOS 11.2 and macOS 10.13.2, and Spectre was addressed through Safari updates in iOS 11.2.2 and a macOS 10.13.2 Supplemental Update.

Spectre and Meltdown take advantage of the speculative execution mechanism of a CPU. As these use hardware-based flaws, operating system manufacturers are required to implement software workarounds. These software workarounds can impact processor performance, but according to Apple, the Meltdown fix has no measurable performance reduction across several benchmarks.

The Spectre Safari mitigations have “no measurable impact” on Speedometer and ARES-6 tests, and an impact of less than 2.5% on the JetStream benchmark.

Many PCs with Intel processors have been facing serious issues following the installation of patches with fixes for Meltdown and Spectre, but these problems do not appear to impact Apple’s machines.

Related Roundup: macOS High SierraTag: Meltdown-Spectre
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Apple’s Rumored 6.1-Inch iPhone Said to Be 18:9 With 2,160×1,080 Resolution and Ultra-Slim Bezels

While the rumored 6.1-inch iPhone isn’t expected to feature an OLED display like the iPhone X, the device will still have a more advanced LCD display than previous iPhones, according to Taiwan’s Commercial Times.

Japan Display’s Full Active LCD
The report, translated from Chinese, claims Apple will be adopting Japan Display’s so-called “Full Active” LCD technology. Unlike traditional LCDs, like those of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Full Active LCDs only require ultra-slim 0.5mm bezels on all four sides, even smaller than those on the iPhone X.

Japan Display says its Full Active LCDs are six-inch displays with a resolution of 2,160×1,080 pixels. Accordingly, the panels have an 18:9 aspect ratio, meaning their length is double their width.

This suggests the 6.1-inch iPhone will have a taller display, likely with a cutout for the TrueDepth camera system, although not quite as tall as the iPhone X with its unique 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The device is already rumored to resemble the iPhone X’s nearly full-screen design, so this would make sense.

A 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 2,160×1,080 pixels would have around 395 pixels per inch. KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo said the 6.1-inch iPhone’s display will have 320-330 PPI, however, so there’s conflicting information.

This rumor is consistent with a report from The Wall Street Journal in September, which said Apple was considering using Japan Display’s advanced LCD panels in some 2018 iPhone models. Full Active LCDs have already been used by some Chinese smartphone makers, including Xiaomi for its Mi Mix 2.

The use of Full Active LCDs instead of OLED displays is one design compromise that will allow Apple to sell the 6.1-inch iPhone at a cheaper price point. Others include an aluminum frame instead of stainless steel, a single-lens instead of dual-lens rear camera, and no 3D Touch, according to Kuo.

In a research note obtained by MacRumors today, Kuo predicted the 6.1-inch iPhone will be a mid-range device priced between $700 and $800 in the United States, up from his previous $650 to $750 estimate.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: Japan DisplayBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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AppleCare+ for HomePod Will Cost $39

The HomePod, set to be released on February 9, will be eligible for an AppleCare+ protection plan like all of Apple’s devices.

AppleCare+ for the HomePod will be priced at $39, according to an internal memo sent to retail employees and shared by 9to5Mac. AppleCare+ for HomePod will extend warranty coverage for the HomePod from one year to two years, with two years of telephone support included.

The AppleCare+ coverage will provide support for two incidents of accidental damage, each subject to a $39 service fee. Accidental damage includes damage done to the HomePod by the user – repairs for manufacturing issues will be free.

Like AppleCare+ for Macs, Apple TVs, and iPads, coverage for AirPort devices is included in AppleCare+ coverage for HomePod. The AirPort must be purchased up to two years before the iPad or during the term of the HomePod’s AppleCare+ coverage to be eligible for included repairs.

At $39, AppleCare+ for the HomePod is relatively inexpensive, and comparable in cost to AppleCare+ for the Apple TV, which is priced at $29.

AppleCare+ for HomePod will likely be available for purchase this Friday, right alongside the HomePod. Apple plans to begin accepting orders for the device on January 26, with an official launch to follow two weeks later on February 9.

Related Roundup: HomePod
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iTunes Opens ‘Double Features’ Movie Sale With $9.99 HD Bundles

A new sale on the iTunes Movies storefront has opened up today, with two-movie bundles that are all priced at $9.99.

These “Double Features” include films that are either part of a series, represent the original and rebooted versions of the movie, are the same genre, or include the same actors. Before the sale began, the bundles were priced between $19.99 and $27.99, so now you have the chance to add two films to your iTunes movies library for the price of one.

You can find the list of bundles in iTunes Movies on iOS, macOS, or tvOS, located after scrolling down past the first few categories like New & Noteworthy. Check out the full list of HD bundles on sale below:

• Scarface & Casino

• The Addams Family & Addams Family Values

• Step Brothers & The Other Guys

• Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 1 & 2

• Grown Ups 1 & 2

• Sin City & Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

• This Is the End & Pineapple Express

• Now You See Me 1 & 2

• Journey to the Center of the Earth & Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & TMNT: Out of the Shadows

• The Transporter 1 & 2

• Sleepy Hollow & Sweeney Todd

• Scooby-Doo & Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed

• Mean Girls & Clueless

• The X-Files: Fight the Future & The X-Files: I Want to Believe

• 28 Days Later & 28 Weeks Later

• The Raid: Redemption & The Raid 2

• The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie & The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

• Magic Mike & Magic Mike XXL

• An Inconvenient Truth & An Inconvenient Sequel

• Arthur (1981) & Arthur (2011)

• Annie (1982) & Annie (2014)

• The Blair Witch Project & Blair Witch

The only two films offered in 4K in these bundles are TMNT: Out of the Shadows and Magic Mike XXL, although iTunes has also discounted The Maze Runner two-movie bundle in 4K to $12.99, down from $19.99. During a sale in December, iTunes marked down 4K films based on studios and genres, but after the initial $19.99 sale price all of the bundles have since increased to cost $29.99 and more.

In addition to the iTunes Movies sale, Amazon’s Gold Box deal today includes a refurbished model of the 21.5-inch 4K iMac from late 2015 (3.1GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HD) for $899.99, down from $1,299.99. The iMac is being sold by Woot on Amazon, which describes its refurbished computers as “professionally restored to working order” and “inspected, cleaned, and repaired to meet manufacturer specifications.”

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The iMac isn’t guaranteed to come in its original packaging, but it shows limited or no wear and includes all original accessories, as well as a 1 Year Apple Warranty. Comparatively, the refurbished computer is $300 cheaper than the latest 2017 models of Apple’s 4K 21.5-inch iMac, which start at $1,199.00 for the base configuration (3.0 GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HD) and increase from there. For those interested, the Gold Box deal will expire tonight at midnight.

Visit our Deals Roundup for more sales happening this week.

Related Roundup: Apple DealsTag: iTunes
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Everything New in iOS 11.2.5: Siri Audio News, HomePod Support, New Control Center Music Interface and More

Apple this morning officially released the iOS 11.2.5 update to the public, introducing support for the upcoming HomePod smart speaker, which is set to be released on February 9.

In addition to adding support for HomePod, the update also introduces several HomePod-related features such as Siri podcast-based audio news reports and a new music interface, along with bug fixes and security improvements. Check the video and post below for everything that’s new in iOS 11.2.5.

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Today’s update introduces official support for podcast-based audio Siri news reports, a feature that first began rolling out on all devices last week.

When you ask Siri about the news of the day via Hey Siri or another hands-free method, the new feature allows the personal assistant to provide Podcast news from sources like NPR, Fox News, CNN, or The Washington Post.

While asking Siri about the news of the day will provide generic news updates from the aforementioned sources, you can also ask for more specific news about topics like sports, business, and music. Sports news provides podcasts from ESPN or NBC, business news offers podcasts from Bloomberg or CNBC, while music news offers Apple Music Beats 1 content.

Siri podcast news is available in the United States, Australia, and the UK, the three countries where the HomePod is launching in February. Siri news can be accessed on devices in other countries according to Apple’s release notes for the iOS 11.2.5 update, but content will only be provided in English and the feature appears to be incomplete in unsupported countries.

The only significant outward-facing change introduced in iOS 11.2.5 brings a new layout for audio controls. When accessing the music widget on an iPhone or iPad, when you 3D Touch or press on the icon in the upper right hand side, all available audio playback sources are now listed as separate tiles.

Tapping on one of the audio sources, such as an Apple TV, allows audio to be played on the device and controlled separately from the iPhone. Using this feature, you can listen to music on one device, like the Apple TV, without interfering with audio playing on the iPhone.

Today’s update introduces new functionality for the VoiceOver accessibility feature in iOS devices, allowing it to announce playback destinations and AirPod battery level.

Other, smaller improvements and bug fixes were also included in iOS 11.2.5, addressing issues in Mail, Messages, and CarPlay. From Apple’s official release notes:

– Addresses an issue that could cause the Phone app to display incomplete information in the call list
– Fixes an issue that caused Mail notifications from some Exchange accounts to disappear from the Lock screen when unlocking iPhone X with Face ID
– Addresses an issue that could cause Messages conversations to temporarily be listed out of order
– Fixes an issue in CarPlay where Now Playing controls become unresponsive after multiple track changes

The iOS 11.2.5 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible devices over-the-air using the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings –> General –> Software update.

Related Roundup: iOS 11
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