Apple Music Festival Bringing Pharrell, One Direction, and More to London
Apple today announced its 2015 Apple Music Festival lineup for next month, a free concert series that will bring Pharrell, One Direction, Florence + The Machine, and more to London’s Roundhouse. A revamped version of the previous iTunes Festival, the 2015 version will see a scaled-down lineup with ten dates from September 19–28, down from the usual 30 nights extending throughout the month.
Apple will broadcast performances to music fans around the world for free, which can be viewed live and on-demand on Apple Music. The Apple Music Festival lets fans get even closer to their favorite performers with coverage on Beats 1℠ alongside backstage news and footage straight from the artists on Apple Music Connect.
“We wanted to do something really special for music fans this year,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “The Apple Music Festival is a greatest hits set of ten unbelievable nights featuring some of the best performers on the planet appearing live and interacting directly with their fans on Connect and Beats 1.”
With only a handful of artists announced so far, the remainder of the concert schedule will be filled out in the coming weeks. Admission for all concerts is free, but only UK residents can apply to win tickets with additional passes being made available through media partner giveaways.
USPTO Invalidates One of Apple’s iPhone Design Patents in Apple vs. Samsung Lawsuit
FOSS Patents reported tonight that the Central Reexamination Division of the United States Patent and Trademark Office has reexamined one of the key iPhone design patents in the Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit. The validity of one of the patents (618,677) has received a non-final rejection:
The problem the D’677 patent faces here is that the USPTO has determined (for now) that this patent “is not entitled to benefit of the filing date” of two previous Apple design patent applications because the design at issue was not disclosed in those earlier applications. As a result, certain prior art is eligible now, and against the background of that additional prior art, the USPTO believes the patent shouldn’t have been granted.
Apple was originally awarded over $1 billion from the original lawsuit, but that amount has been reduced substantially to about $548 million in damages. Aside from this particular design patent, Apple still has other claims that have not been reduced or invalidated from the previous decision.
Samsung was most recently denied their latest appeal attempt, leaving them with the only option of turning to the U.S. Supreme Court. It appears this invalidation has no direct impact on the current standing of the lawsuit, but may help Samsung in their appeal to the Supreme Court.
New OS X 10.10.5 Privilege Escalation Vulnerability Discovered
Just days after Apple patched the DYLD_PRINT_TO_FILE security hole with the release of OS X 10.10.5, a developer has found a similar unpatched exploit that could allow attackers to gain root-level access to a Mac.
Luca Todesco shared information (via AppleInsider) on the “tpwn” exploit on GitHub over the weekend. It affects all versions of OS X Yosemite, including OS X 10.10.5, but does not affect OS X El Capitan.
Todesco did not give Apple a heads up on the vulnerability before sharing it publicly, so it is not clear when Apple will release a patch for machines running OS X Yosemite. As noted by AppleInsider, it is standard procedure (and a courtesy) for security researchers and developers to provide Apple with details on vulnerabilities before publicizing them to prevent hackers from using security holes for nefarious purposes.
According to Todesco, who has also shared what he says is a third-party fix, releasing details on the exploit is no different than releasing an iOS jailbreak, but as Engadget explains, Todesco’s actions have the potential to be somewhat more harmful than a jailbreak.
Those are technically true, but they downplay the practical dangers of publishing this info. Many people aren’t knowledgeable enough to try third-party safeguards or deal with the possible side effects, and jailbreaks are at least intended for semi-innocuous purposes. A ‘surprise’ exploit for the Mac only really serves to give attackers time that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
It took Apple less than a month to release OS X 10.10.5 to fix the DYLD_PRINT_TO_ACCESS vulnerability after it was first publicized, but during the time between its discovery and the launch of the fix, an exploit using the vulnerability was discovered in the wild.
Ahead of a fix for this latest vulnerability, OS X Yosemite users can protect themselves by downloading apps solely from the Mac App Store and from trusted developers.
The 17 best laptops you can buy today
Our last buyer’s guide update had a pretty solid list of laptops, so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? We do have a couple of new additions to spice things up, however. We felt compelled to add the agile ASUS Chromebook Flip, which serves up a 360-degree rotatable touchscreen and killer battery life. For PC gaming, MSI’s power-packed GT80 Titan is definitely worth a look. It offers top-of-the-range graphics and processing options, along with a large display and full mechanical keyboard. There are plenty of great choices out there right now, so if you’re in the market for a laptop or thinking of an upgrade, it’s worth taking a spin through the gallery below. Feel free to swing by our complete buyer’s guide, too, for a rundown on some of the best gadgets across the board.
Slideshow-313013
Filed under:
Laptops, Apple, Samsung, ASUS, Google, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
Tags: acer, apple, asus, buyers guide, buyersguide, dell, engadget buyers guide, engadgetbuyersguide, google, hp, lenovo, samsung
Developer reveals Mac security hole without telling Apple
Typically, coders and researchers who discover security vulnerabilities in software will tell the companies involved before posting their findings — it’s a courtesy to make sure that those holes are patched before attackers can use them. Don’t tell that to developer Luca Todesco, though. He recently posted details of an OS X exploit, “tpwn,” that lets intruders get root-level access to your Mac (even if it’s running the recent 10.10.5 update) without even telling Apple, let alone waiting for a patch. It’s now a race between the Cupertino crew and malware writers to make use of the discovery.
We’ve reached out to Apple to find out what it’s doing in response to the flaw, and we’ll let you know if it has something to share. However, Todesco isn’t about to have a change of heart. He contends that an unofficial solution will protect you if you’re not willing to wait, and that this isn’t any different than publishing details of an iOS jailbreak (which takes advantage of security flaws to let you install unofficial software). Those are technically true, but they downplay the practical dangers of publishing this info. Many people aren’t knowledgeable enough to try third-party safeguards or deal with the possible side effects, and jailbreaks are at least intended for semi-innocuous purposes. A ‘surprise’ exploit for the Mac only really serves to give attackers time that they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Filed under:
Internet, Software, Apple
Via:
AppleInsider
Source:
GitHub
Tags: apple, exploit, internet, kpwn, mac, osx, security, tpwn, vulnerability, zero-day
Australian Banks Hold Back on Apple Pay Support Due to Fees
Nearly ten months after Apple Pay launched in the United States, an increasing number of retailers including Rite Aid and Best Buy have reversed course and announced support for the mobile payments service.
Nevertheless, the United Kingdom is the only country that Apple Pay has expanded to since last October due to roadblocks from major banks and financial institutions in other countries.
Australia may offer a few clues as to why the international rollout of Apple Pay has taken so long, as The Sydney Morning Herald this week reported that its parent company Fairfax Media believes big banks in the country are unwilling to allow Apple to share a portion of the $2 billion interchange fees they collect from merchants each year in return for use of payment infrastructure.
In the United States, Apple is believed to earn about 15¢ on every $100 of transactions. It is understood Apple has been asking for the same amount of interchange fee in Australia.
But Australia’s big banks will not agree to this level given that interchange fees in Australia are about half the US level – equivalent to an average of 50¢ $100 of transaction compared with about $1 for $100 of transaction fees in the US.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief executive Ian Narev opined that Apple Pay’s launch in Australia will not be as easy compared to the United States because tap-to-pay transactions are already possible in the country. Narev says that his bank — and many others in Australia — implemented the underlying technology for Apple Pay between 18 months and two years ago.
Mr Narev said CBA had already offered the same functionality as Apple Pay through its app – for users of Android phones – for two years, so it was difficult for Apple to argue it is providing much value. In the US, Apple Pay was innovative because tap-and-go was not a feature of that market.
The report claims that Australian banks are also withholding Apple Pay support due to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the country’s central bank and banknote issuing authority, forcing the financial institutions to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the New Payments Platform, a “fast, versatile, data-rich payments system” that businesses will connect to for accepting low-value payments.
As well as being fast, the NPP will be versatile. The basic infrastructure will support various “overlay” services – specially tailored services which individual financial institutions may choose to offer their customers.
This multi-layered infrastructure has been designed to promote competition and drive innovation in payment services. It ensures the NPP will be equipped to meet the evolving needs of Australians in the digital age – and beyond.
Beyond Australia, Apple is planning to launch Apple Pay in Canada in November, according to The Wall Street Journal. The mid-April report claimed that six Canadian banks were in talks with Apple, including the Royal Bank of Canada, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, CIBC and the National Bank of Canada. Meanwhile, Apple Pay faces similar roadblocks in China related to fees and market control.
How to Move Your Playlists from Spotify to Apple Music
We’ve been experimenting with Apple Music for over a month now, but there are still a few important questions that pop up with the new music streaming service, the first being “How can I import my playlists from Spotify?”
The short answer is that you can’t without using third-party software. After much research, we’ve found there are two fairly reliable third-party services that work well. One is called STAMP, and the other is called Move to Apple Music. Both automatically search for and add tracks from Spotify to Apple Music so you don’t have to manually go through your entire collection song-by-song. While the end result is pretty much the same, each app offers different features.
Before you get started, make sure you are logged into iTunes with your Apple ID and subscribed to Apple Music.
With both STAMP and Move to Apple Music, you can download the program from each company’s website. Both apps must be given special permission to control your computer.
Read more 
German Carriers Preparing for September 18 iPhone 6s Launch
Two of the three major mobile providers in Germany are said to be preparing for an iPhone 6s launch on Friday, September 18, reports German Apple news site Macerkopf [Google Translate]. Carriers expect the iPhone 6s to be available for purchase beginning on that date, which is in line with previous rumors and past launch timelines.
Earlier this month, BuzzFeed‘s John Packzkowski, who has reliably predicted several Apple event dates in the past, said Apple would hold its iPhone 6 launch event on Wednesday, September 9. After launch events, Apple typically accepts pre-orders on the Friday of the event week, before starting to ship orders on the following week.
If Apple accepts iPhone 6s pre-orders, we can expect them to become available beginning on September 11, with the iPhone then shipping out to customers on September 18, as cited by German carriers. It is not yet clear if Apple will be allowing pre-orders for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
For the iPhone 6, Apple introduced the device on Tuesday, September 9, began accepting pre-orders on Friday, September 12, and then launched the device on Friday, September 19. It appears the iPhone 6s will follow a very similar launch timeline.
As for iOS 9, Apple often releases the operating system a few days before the iPhone becomes available, suggesting we could see a public launch on Wednesday, September 16.
Apple’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to include an A9 processor, 2GB RAM, Force Touch capabilities, and an improved camera. While the devices will be the same size as the iPhone 6 and 6s Plus, there may be a small increase in thickness and height to accommodate Force Touch and internal material and structural changes designed to make the devices less prone to bending.
iOS 9.1 Web Activity Tapers Off After Surfacing in July
Even as we await the public launch of iOS 9 in September, Apple is already looking ahead to iOS 9.1. During a two week span in July, Apple engineers appear to have focused their attention on developing the first major update to iOS 9, as seen in the MacRumors visitor logs from Apple IPs.
Beginning on July 21, we started seeing a small number of hits from devices running iOS 9.1. Visits picked up on July 22 and peaked in the dozens on July 28, before dying down as August approached. The majority of hits we received came from an iPad or iPad mini-sized device, while the rest came from a device the same size as the iPhone 6 Plus. It is not clear if the visits came from existing iOS devices or from new devices that are in testing, including the iPhone 6s Plus and the iPad mini 3.
Visits to MacRumors.com from devices running iOS 9.1
Visits from iOS 9.1 devices have since tapered off, suggesting Apple’s iOS team is once again working on getting iOS 9 ready for launch. It is not known why a two week period was spent on iOS 9.1, but it’s possibly related to testing on the iPad Pro or iPad mini 4, both of which may already be in production or entering production soon.
We don’t know what features will be introduced in iOS 9.1, but logic dictates it may be an update that’s designed to launch alongside the larger-screened 12.9-inch “iPad Pro,” which has been rumored to be coming in October or November. We did not, however, see visits from a device that corresponds to the rumored 2732 x 2048 display size of the iPad Pro.
For the past several years, Apple’s iPads have debuted during the fall, launching in October or November at an event separate from the annual iPhone event. This year, there’s been a rumor suggesting the next-generation iPads, namely the iPad mini 4, could debut in September alongside the iPhones, but it is not yet clear if this is Apple’s plan.
BuzzFeed‘s John Paczkowski, who shared the event date for the 2015 iPhone 6 launch, believes new iPads are a possibility, but called the iPad Pro a “wildcard” for the event. Given how little we’ve heard about the device in recent weeks and the lack of part leaks, it seems unlikely the iPad Pro is ready for a September debut.
A standalone October or November launch date for the device seems more likely, and that launch could correspond to the iOS 9.1 update that is in the works. The iPad Pro may include several new features that will require a dedicated update, such as a pressure sensitive Force Touch display, a stylus, and a USB-C port that could support peripheral devices.
Sprint’s ‘iPhone Forever’ Program Ensures Customers Always Have the Newest iPhone
Sprint today introduced a new plan called “iPhone Forever,” which grants upgrade eligibility for the newest iPhone to any customer who doesn’t have the most current version of Apple’s flagship smartphone on their contract. The plan goes into effect today, and the company is opening the data plan to both new and old Sprint users, although the latter must have an upgrade eligible device to start using iPhone Forever.
“We asked ourselves, ‘What could we do that would move our customers forward with the latest and greatest technology every day?’ said Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO. “We decided: How awesome would it be if anytime customers don’t have the latest iPhone, they are eligible to upgrade, and have it be as simple as handing us your existing iPhone and picking up a new one – all included in your monthly rate.”
iPhone Forever lets customers get an iPhone for $22 a month, with the simple rule that anytime they don’t have the latest iPhone on their plan, they are automatically eligible for an upgrade. Sprint is also discounting the service to $15 per month for any customer who trades in an existing smartphone, the catch being that the new phone purchased has to be a 16GB iPhone 6, and the monthly rate will increase back to the normal amount after their next upgrade.
The $15 promotion will last until December 31, 2015, and the company notes that iPhone Forever is available on “any eligible Sprint rate plan.” Sprint’s announcement today follows a few week’s worth of other carriers‘ detailing the introduction of their own brand new service plans for customers, no doubt all preparing for the next-generation iPhone launch sometime next month.
AIVAnet 