Apple to Remove Over 250 iOS Apps With Ad SDK That Collects Personal User Data

SourceDNA, an analytics service that tracks iOS and Android code, has discovered hundreds of iOS apps that collect personally identifiable user information, including Apple ID email addresses and device identifiers, through a Chinese third-party advertising SDK called Youmi that is prohibited by App Store guidelines.

The analytics firm, using its new developer tool Searchlight, found 256 affected apps, with an estimated 1 million total downloads, using one of the versions of Youmi in violation of user privacy. Its report claims most of the developers who used the SDK are located in China, and that many were likely unaware of the threat since the tool kit is delivered in binary form and obfuscated.

Ars Technica explained in more detail about the information gathered “gradually over the past year or so” by apps using Youmi:

SourceDNA researchers found four major classes of information gathered by apps that use the Youmi ad SDK. They include:

1. A list of all apps installed on the phone
2. The platform serial number of iPhones or iPads themselves when they run older versions of iOS
3. A list of hardware components on devices running newer versions of iOS and the serial numbers of these components, and
4. The e-mail address associated with the user’s Apple ID

The personal info is reportedly gathered via private APIs and then routed through Youmi’s servers in China.

Apple released a statement saying it will remove apps with Youmi from the App Store, and reject future submissions using the SDK:

“We’ve identified a group of apps that are using a third-party advertising SDK, developed by Youmi, a mobile advertising provider, that uses private APIs to gather private information, such as user email addresses and device identifiers, and route data to its company server. This is a violation of our security and privacy guidelines. The apps using Youmi’s SDK have been removed from the App Store and any new apps submitted to the App Store using this SDK will be rejected. We are working closely with developers to help them get updated versions of their apps that are safe for customers and in compliance with our guidelines back in the App Store quickly.”

SourceDNA sent a full list of affected apps to Apple, including the official McDonald’s app in China, but did not share it publicly. Developers can check if their apps are affected using the analytics firm’s Searchlight tool.

This discovery comes weeks after iOS malware XcodeGhost was disclosed, which arose from a malicious version of Xcode, Apple’s official tool for developing iOS and OS X apps. Apple also patched YiSpecter malware in iOS 8.4.

Valve Offers Complete Game Library to ‘Steam Link’ Mac Customers Due to Delayed Support

Video game developer and digital distribution company Valve began sending out emails to customers who pre-ordered its new streaming device, the Steam Link, over the weekend, apologizing to Mac users that the box won’t function with Apple’s ecosystem at launch. The company has begun shipping the initial wave of pre-orders to customers, but cited “temporary software issues” that prevent it from fully supporting the Mac line out of the gate.

The $49.99 Steam Link is a set-top box for the living room that connects users to Valve’s Steam platform by streaming content from a PC and into a more traditional console environment. To support the thousands of games that are meant to be played on a mouse and keyboard, the company also launched the Steam Controller for $49.99 alongside the Steam Link. Unfortunately for Mac users, the controller is also incompatible with the Apple line at launch, but Valve hopes the issue to be resolved in “the next few weeks.”

Unfortunately, there are some temporary software issues that prevent the hardware from functioning with Macs. We expect these problems to be resolved as we update firmware and drivers over the next few weeks. The Steam Link currently doesn’t stream from Macs. An upcoming update will add full support for streaming audio, video, and controller input.

The Steam Controller doesn’t currently support gamepad emulation on Macs. If you opt into the Steam Beta client, keyboard/mouse emulation will be functional. We expect gamepad emulation to become functional within a few weeks. We want to apologize for the delays in providing full functionality for the Mac platform. We’re doing everything we can to resolve the issues.

Due to the snafu, Valve is providing Steam Link and Steam Controller early adopters who planned on streaming from a Mac with the compensation of a free download of the $99.99 Valve Complete Pack. The Complete Pack not only includes the entire back catalog of the company’s history — including games like Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Portal, and all their sequels — but promises future Valve titles will be available to download free of charge. Still, those Mac users who want to send back their Steam Link and Controller will be able to keep the Complete Pack if they choose to do so.

Thanks, James!

E-bike company blames Apple poaching for its demise

When promising EV company Mission Motorcycles went bankrupt last month, it said that “we have not earned any cash (or) revenue of any kind.” However, it’s now putting part of the blame on Apple, claiming that it poached several of its top engineers at a critical time. Mission told Reuters that an investor withdrew crucial funding after two of its key engineers left for Apple, and the company ran out of cash shortly afterwards. “Mission had a great group of of engineers… Apple knew that — they wanted it, and they went and got it,” said CEO Derek Kaufman.

Apple has never acknowledged that it’s even working on an electric car, though it reportedly hired engineers away from established automakers. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently chided the company for the practice, saying that “they have hired people we’ve fired.” That said, Mission admitted that it failed to find stable investors like rival Zero Motorcycles, despite developing a pair of good-looking, high-performance E-bikes. And it was clearly having troubles well before it went bankrupt, as it sued one of its co-founders and delayed production numerous times.

Via: 9to5 Mac

Source: Reuters

Electric Motorcycle Startup Mission Motors Ceases Operations After Losing Talent to Apple

Electric motorcycle startup Mission Motors has ceased operations after losing some of its key talent to competitors such as Apple, and failing to develop a viable business model, according to Reuters.

“Mission had a great group of engineers, specifically electric drive expertise,” [former CEO Derek] Kaufman said. “Apple knew that – they wanted it, and they went and got it.”

The report claims about six engineers from the San Francisco-based startup were recruited by Apple since last autumn, and the company’s assets are now controlled by its largest investor Infield Capital.

Mission Motorcycles, a related company created to sell the electric motorcycles, is reportedly in the process of filing for bankruptcy.

Apple never attempted to acquire Mission Motors outright, according to Kaufman, instead drawing from its pool of specialized engineers working on electric drive systems and battery algorithms for charging and cooling.

Mission Motors was founded in 2007 with ambitions to create a world-class electric motorcycle, and it launched an early prototype in 2013 to positive reviews. The company was reportedly often cash strapped, however, and some investors backed out as engineers left for competitors.

Mission Motors never released an electric motorcycle for sale to consumers.

Apple has been rumored to be working on an electric vehicle, codenamed “Project Titan,” for several months, with its secretive automotive team reportedly including former employees from Tesla, Ford, GM, A123 Systems, Samsung and other competitors. Earlier this year, it reached a settlement with A123 in a poaching lawsuit.

Apple Store Once Called ‘World’s Biggest’ Opens in China on October 24

Apple has announced that it will be opening its 21st retail store in China in Dalian, a major port city in southern Liaoning Province, on Saturday, October 24 at 9:30 AM local time. The new store will be located in the six-floor Parkland shopping mall at 19 Jiefang Road in the urban Zhongshan District.

Parkland six-floor shopping mall in Dalian, China (Image: yongonthego)
In early 2012, Apple promotional signage in Dalian stated “Apple’s world’s biggest flagship store will be coming soon to Parkland Mall,” but it’s unclear if that claim remains true over three years later. More recent rumors suggest the first Apple Store in Dubai, which opens October 29, may now be the “world’s largest” store.

2012 signage advertising upcoming Apple Store in Parkland mall as “world’s biggest”
The new Parkland store will be open Monday-Sunday from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM local time and offer traditional Apple Store services, including the Genius Bar, Workshops, JointVenture, events and seminars. The closest Apple Store was previously in Shenyang, China, the capital city of Liaoning Province, located nearly 250 miles northeast.

Dalian, a city of 4 million people with a total of over 6.5 million people in the region, is located on the Liaodong Peninsula separating the Bohai Sea from Korea Bay in northeastern China. It is a major seaport, financial center and tourist magnet for the region, drawing significant numbers of visitors from China, Japan and Korea.

Apple Stores show off iPhone 6s 3D Touch with fancy tables

Apple is doing a new trick at its flagship San Francisco and New York Stores to show off the benefits of 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. A video from Grate App (below) shows the phones rigged up to a table that’s actually a very large display. When you press on the iPhone’s swimming fish screen-saver, it creates ripples in the screen around the phone, which vary in size depending on how hard you press. (The table itself doesn’t appear to be force-sensitive, but rather just takes 3D Touch input from the phones.) It’s a clever way to tout a feature that’s a bit hard to grok, but there’s no word on whether you’ll see it in any other stores.

Via: 9to5 Mac

Source: Grate App

Apple Launches Quality Program for MacBook Pro Anti-Reflective Coating Issues

Apple has issued an internal notice about a new Quality Program that addresses anti-reflective coating issues on MacBook and MacBook Pro models with Retina displays. These issues include the anti-reflective coating on displays wearing off or delaminating under certain circumstances.

Apple will replace affected Retina displays at no cost for MacBook or MacBook Pro models with Retina displays within three years from the date of original purchase, or one year from October 16, 2015, whichever is longer. Affected customers that have already incurred out-of-warranty costs may be eligible for a refund through AppleCare support.

Affected customers can book an appointment with a Genius Bar or visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to determine if their MacBook is eligible for coverage. Apple will not be posting the new Quality Program publicly on its support website, but should contact some potentially affected customers directly, according to sources.

MacRumors first reported on the problem in March, and it has since grown to affect thousands of customers on the Apple Support Communities, Facebook and our own discussion forums. Nearly 6,000 affected customers have also joined an online database called Staingate, sharing pictures of their damaged displays, while thousands of others have signed a Change.org petition.

The anti-reflective coating wearing off or delaminating has resulted from various circumstances, including the pressure of the MacBook keyboard and trackpad on the display when closed, and the use of incorrect third-party cleaning solutions with microfiber cloths. The issue often affects small areas of the screen, but sometimes encompasses the entire display.

Leading up to the launch of this Quality Program, some MacBook Pro owners covered under AppleCare have been able to get their notebook repaired through the Genius Bar with no charge, while others have been told that cosmetic damage is not covered under warranty and offered to have their notebooks repaired for a service charge costing hundreds of dollars.

Apple has launched similar Quality Programs in recent years based on common problems identified by Apple engineers. Apple offers public-facing Exchange and Repair Extension Programs for larger problems, such as the iSight Camera Replacement Program for iPhone 6 Plus, Beats Pill XL Speaker Recall Program and iPhone 5 Sleep/Wake Button Replacement Program.

Good luck repairing anything in the new iMac

If you’ve read our review of the new iMac, you already know that a majority of what’s really new about Apple’s latest all-in-one is its accessories. The destructive folks over at iFixit say that the 21.5-inch model has what “looks like” an LG ultra-HD display and a Texas Instruments chip, while the fan and HDD are the same — the speakers are too. The logic board is where the surprises come in, and they might not make you too happy. Configure a machine without flash storage or a Fusion Drive? You won’t be able to add one at a later date because those don’t include an onboard connector to do so.

The RAM isn’t removable either. Basically, you can’t replace or repair a thing in this computer, which is something that Apple’s been moving toward for awhile. Is that enough to keep you from buying one? Hit the (new) comment section and let us know.

Source: iFixit