99 Percent of Fake Apple Chargers Sold Online Fail Safety Tests

New research conducted by a global independent safety firm has revealed that 99 percent of fake Apple chargers sold online fail a basic safety test (via BBC).

The tests were commissioned by the U.K.’s Trading Standards and undertaken by Illinois-based global safety specialists UL. The insulation tests applied a high voltage to the chargers, which were bought online from eight different countries, including the U.S., China, and Australia.

According to the results, only three out of 400 counterfeit chargers were found to have adequate insulation to ensure protection against electric shocks. Leon Livermore, the chief executive of Chartered Trading Standards Institute, described the counterfeit chargers sold online as an “unknown entity” and urged shoppers to buy electrical goods only from trusted suppliers.

“It might cost a few pounds more, but counterfeit and second-hand goods are an unknown entity that could cost you your home or even your life, or the life of a loved-one,” he said.

Earlier this week, Amazon acknowledged a worsening counterfeit problem on its site and said it had made fighting the fake products a “major goal” going forward. The announcement followed a lawsuit filed by Apple last month against a company it accused of selling fake power adapters and cables on Amazon. Apple conducted its own tests and said it found that almost 90 percent of so-called genuine Apple products and accessories it had purchased from Amazon over the last nine months were actually counterfeit.

“Counterfeit electrical goods are likely to be poor quality and in the worst cases unsafe,” said Gillian Guy, chief executive of the U.K.’s Citizens Advice. “Look out for tell-tale signs of counterfeiting such as mistakes in brand names or logos, and check plugs for safety marks – all genuine electrical items made in the EU should have a CE mark on them.”

Trading Standards included guidelines in its press release to help consumers in the EU spot a fake charger, advising them to check pin size, look for regulation markings, warnings and instructions. In addition, Citizens Advice urged consumers not to overcharge appliances and to never cover devices when charging or use a charger with a cracked case or frayed cable.
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Apple Retail Stores Sporting Red Logos for World AIDS Day

Over 400 Apple retail stores around the world have red logos today, in recognition of World AIDS Day. The logos, which Apple has put up at its stores for the last several years on December 1, are meant to raise awareness for the global fight against AIDS.

Earlier this week, Apple announced plans to donate $1 to partner charity (RED) for every Apple Pay purchase made at an Apple Store, on Apple.com, or through the Apple Store app as part of a World AIDS Day campaign. Apple has pledged to donate up to $1 million during the event, which will last until December 6.

Bank of America is also making a donation for every Apple Pay transaction made using its cards from December 1 to December 7, with plans to donate up to $1 million.

In addition to its Apple Pay promotion, Apple has released several new PRODUCT(RED) items over the course of the last month, including an iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case, an iPhone SE case, a Beats Pill+ Portable Speaker, and Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones. Throughout the year, a portion of the proceeds from PRODUCT(RED) sales goes to The Global Fund to put a stop to AIDS.

Several App Store apps are also offering limited-edition custom (RED) content for World AIDS Day, and all in-app purchase proceeds will be donated. Participating apps include popular titles like Best Fiends, Boom Beach, Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Jelly Saga, Farm Heroes Saga, PewDiePie’s Tuber Simulator, Hay Day, Plants vs. Zombies Heroes, and more.

Apple Stores around the world are @RED today for #WorldAIDSDay. Together we can #endAIDS. pic.twitter.com/yFrLua7IoR

— (RED) (@RED) December 1, 2016

The (RED) initiative has raised more than $365 million to date to stop AIDS in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia. Funds raised by (RED) are donated to The Global Fund, a group that works to end AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria as epidemics.

Apple is one of (RED)’s biggest contributors and has donated nearly $120 million over the last 10 years.
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Apple Working to Put a Stop to iCloud Calendar Spam

Over the course of the last week, many iCloud users have been the target of spam that’s delivered in the form of an unsolicited Calendar event invitation, and now Apple is working on a way to stop it.

In a statement given to iMore’s Rene Ritchie, an Apple spokesperson said the company working to block spam invites.

We are sorry that some of our users are receiving spam calendar invitations. We are actively working to address this issue by identifying and blocking suspicious senders and spam in the invites being sent.

iCloud calendar spam isn’t new, but there’s been a serious uptick in calendar spam since last week. Because iCloud calendar invites are sent to an iCloud calendar automatically by default and there’s no easy way to ignore them, there’s no clear way to stop the spam.

Image via OS X Daily
Declining, accepting, or choosing “Maybe” on an incoming iCloud invite lets an iCloud email address is valid, so until Apple can put a stop to the spam, there are two fixes. First, by logging in to iCloud via a web browser and accessing the Calendar settings (Click the cog, go to Preferences, then choose Advanced), you can choose to receive all event invitations as email. Emails can be more easily ignored and deleted.

Second, you can create a new Calendar, name it Spam, move the spam invitation to the Spam calendar, and then delete the Calendar entirely. This method does not inform spammers that an event has been declined and does not verify an iCloud account’s validity. For more detailed instructions, make sure to check out our how to.

Both iOS users that use the default Calendar app and those who use third-party calendar apps like Fantastical are affected by the spam issue, which appears to be fairly widespread.
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Cyber Monday Sales Live for iPhones, Macs, iPads, Accessories, and More

For those who missed out on last week’s Black Friday deals, or remain on the lookout for a few more gift ideas, Cyber Monday offers a number of online and in-store discounts on a wide range of Apple-related products and accessories. Most deals will remain available through the end of day on Monday, November 28.

Best Buy

Best Buy has a collection of Apple products on sale for Cyber Monday, with free shipping on all orders and free in-store pickup options available for customers.

iPhone
– iPhone 7 (32 GB) for $1 with activation and a two-year contract on Verizon: Black, Silver, Gold, Rose Gold
– Buy any iPhone on installment or lease agreement and select Beats Solo 3 or Powerbeats 3 headphones, save $100.
– iPhone SE (16 GB) for $9.99/month ($160 total savings) when you buy and activate with Verizon: Silver, Space Gray, Gold, Rose Gold

12.9-inch iPad Pro
– 32 GB Wi-Fi for $699.99 ($100 off): Silver, Space Gray, Gold
– 128 GB Wi-Fi for $799.99 ($100 off): Silver, Space Gray, Gold

Apple TV
– Up to $30 off: 64 GB $169.99 and 32 GB $127.49

MacBook
– 1.1 GHz/256 GB $1,149.99 ($150 off): Silver, Space Gray, Gold, Rose Gold
– 1.2 GHz/512 GB $1,449.99 ($150 off): Silver, Space Gray, Gold, Rose Gold

MacBook Air
– $200 off discontinued 11.6-inch MacBook Air with 128 GB or 256 GB of flash storage

iTunes
– Buy one iTunes gift card, get one of equal or lesser value 20% off: $15, $25, $50, $100, 3 x $10

Target

Target’s 15% off site-wide sale is still going on through the end of the day. There are a few restrictions, but other than iTunes gift cards, Apple products are included in the offer.

B&H Photo Video

B&H Photo Video is offering some of the better Cyber Monday deals we’ve seen on Apple products. We’ve listed some of the notable discounts below.

Macs
– Early 2015 13″ MacBook Air (1.6GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/128GB SSD) for $879 ($150 off, regular $1,029)
– Early 2015 13″ MacBook Air (1.6GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $1,039 ($160 off, regular $1,199)
– Early 2015 13″ MacBook Pro (2.7GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/128GB SSD) for $1,149 ($150 off, regular $1,299)
– Mid 2015 15″ MacBook Pro (2.7GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $1,299 ($200 off, regular $1,499)
– Late 2016 13″ MacBook Pro sans Touch Bar (2.0GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $1,399 ($100 off, regular $1,499)

Apple Watch Series 1
– 42mm Apple Watch Sport (Space Gray/Black Sport Band) for $199 ($150 off, regular $349)
– 42mm Apple Watch Sport (Space Gray/Black Woven Nylon Band) for $199 ($150 off, regular $349)
– 42mm Apple Watch Sport (Silver/Orange Sport Band) for $199 ($200 off, regular $399)
– 42mm Apple Watch Sport (Silver/Blue Sport Band) for $209 ($190 off, regular $399)

iPad
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi + 4G LTE/128GB/Rose Gold) for $629 ($200 off, regular $829) — sale ends at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time

MacMall

MacMall is offering Cyber Monday deals on a range of Apple products, including iPads, Macs, and accessories. The discounts are similar to what it offered on Black Friday.

iPads
– iPad mini 4 (Wi-Fi/32GB/Space Gray) for $359 ($40 off, regular $399)
– iPad mini 4 (Wi-Fi/128GB/Silver) for $474 ($25 off, regular $499)
– iPad mini 4 (Wi-Fi + Cellular/128GB/Space Gray) for $589 ($40 off, regular $629)
– iPad Air 2 (Wi-Fi/32GB/Space Gray) for $347 ($52 off, regular $399)
– iPad Air 2 (Wi-Fi/128GB/Space Gray) for $435 ($64 off, regular $499)
– iPad Air 2 (Wi-Fi/128GB/Silver) for $459 ($40 off, regular $499)
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi/32GB/Space Gray) for $491 ($108 off, regular $599)
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi/32GB/Gold) for $491 ($108 off, regular $599)
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi/32GB/Silver) for $491 ($108 off, regular $599)
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi + Cellular/32GB/Space Gray) for $611 ($118 off, regular $729)
– 9.7-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi + Cellular/32GB/Silver) for $611 ($118 off, regular $729)
– 12.9-inch iPad Pro (Wi-Fi + Cellular/128GB/Gold) for $887 ($142 off, regular $1,029)

Macs
– Early 2015 13.3″ MacBook Air (1.6GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $1,115 ($84 off, regular $1,199)
– Early 2016 12″ MacBook (1.1GHz Core m3/8GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $1,172 ($127 off, regular $1,299)
– Mid 2015 15″ MacBook Pro (2.2GHz Core i7/16GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $1,819 ($180 off, regular $1,999)
– Mid 2015 15″ MacBook Pro (2.5GHz Core i7/16GB RAM/256GB SSD) for $1,959 ($140 off, regular $2,099)
– Mid 2015 15″ MacBook Pro (2.2GHz Core i7/16GB RAM/512GB SSD) for $2,160 ($139 off, regular $2,299)
– Early 2015 13″ MacBook Pro (2.7GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/128GB SSD) for $1,195 ($104 off, regular $1,299)
– 27″ iMac with Retina 5K Display (3.2GHz Core i5/8GB RAM/1TB HDD) for $1,673 ($126 off, regular $1,799)
– Late 2013 Mac Pro (3.5GHz Intel Xeon E5/16GB RAM/256GB SSD/Dual AMD FirePro D500) for $3,639 ($360 off, regular $3,999)

Other
– 64GB Apple TV 4 for $159 ($40 off, regular $199)
– AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook/MacBook Air/13″ MacBook Pro for $215 ($34 off, regular $249)
– Apple Pencil for $89 ($10 off, regular $99)
– Smart Keyboard for 9.7-inch iPad Pro for $139 ($10 off, regular $149)

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is offering a “free memory upgrade” on the iPhone 7, with 128 GB models selling for $650 and 256 GB models selling for $750, which is a savings of $100 on both phones. Offers are only available online and through T-Mobile telesales (1-877-413-5903).

Twelve South

Twelve South is offering up to 50% off on a collection of its MacBook accessories, as well as some headphone stands. Those who place an order on Twelve South today will also receive free shipping in the United States. Like most offers, it ends at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time tonight, while supplies last.

– Fermata – $69.99 (regular $79.99)
– BookBook for MacBook – $39.99-$69.99 (regular $79.99-$99.99)
– BaseLift for MacBook – $19.99 (regular $39.99)
– BookArc möd for MacBook – $29.99 (regular $59.99)
– HoverBar for iPad – $29.99 (regular $59.99)
– MagicWand – $14.99 (regular $29.99)
– BassJump 2 for MacBook – $34.99 (regular $49.99)

Pad & Quill

Pad & Quill is giving its customers a site-wide discount of 15% off on Cyber Monday, including accessories for the MacBook, iPad Pro, and even Apple Pencil. Take an additional 5% off with coupon code “PQ5” entered at checkout.

Incase

Incase is offering a 50% discount site-wide on Cyber Monday, including a collection of its MacBook bags, cases, battery packs, and more, with the code CYBER50. Additionally, anyone who spends over $50 before 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 28, when the sale ends, will receive a free gift in their order.

Belkin

Belkin is giving its customers a 30% discount on all of its products today with the code HAPPYDAY. The two exclusions to the offer include the $99.99 PowerHouse Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone and the $39.99 Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar, which lets users listen to music and charge their iPhone 7 simultaneously. The company is also offering free ground shipping on all orders placed within the U.S., currently running through January 2, 2017.

Speck

Speck’s deal running today is 30–40% off almost everything site-wide.

ZAGG

Like last year, ZAGG is offering a 50% discount site-wide on Cyber Monday, with three exclusions: Slim Book Pro, Rugged Book Pro, Glass+, and Sapphire Defense.

ZAGG’s offer runs later than most sites’, closing on Tuesday, November 29 at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, with an additional limit of only three discounted items allowed per customer.

Other Deals

– Griffin has extended its Black Friday sale so customers can continue to save 30% site-wide with the code CYBERMONDAY.
– OtterBox is automatically taking 25% off of all orders placed on its website today.
– Staples is offering 15% off of $50 and $100 iTunes gift cards only.
– OWC has a collection of deals on Thunderbolt dock solutions, EarPods, Beats by Dre accessories, and more.
– Incipio is offering 50% off site-wide, with orders of $100+ gaining a promo code for 20% off a future purchase.
– DODOcase is offering 30% off site-wide with promo code CM30.
– Native Union has a selection of docks, cables, cases, and watch bands for up to 80% off.

MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
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Malicious Video Link Causes iOS Devices to Freeze, Requiring a Hard Reset

A malicious video link that when played in Safari causes iOS devices to crash has been discovered this morning.

Playing the MP4 video in question through Safari appears to have no effect at first, but gradually the operating system slows down before it freezes completely, after which only a hard reset will bring the device back to life. YouTube channel EverythingApplePro has posted a demonstration (i.e. not the original video) showing the exploit in action.

The bug appears to affect iOS builds as far back as iOS 5, while iPhones running iOS 10.2 beta 3 are said to power off and show the spinning wheel indefinitely.

If you fall victim to the prank, you’ll need to hard reboot to get your device working again. According to a Reddit post by user Riddle, currently the top level domains hosting the video appear to be vk.com and testtrial.site90.net, but bear in mind that the video could be hosted on other sites quite easily and that URL shorteners can mask the actual address you’re being linked to.

This kind of prank isn’t new. Three years ago, a text exploit made the rounds that caused both Mac and iOS devices to crash.

(Via 9to5Mac.)
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Apple Launches ‘Touch Disease’ Repair Program for iPhone 6 Plus

Apple today launched a new repair program for the iPhone 6 Plus, addressing complaints about a manufacturing issue that can cause the iPhone 6 Plus to become unresponsive to touch.

According to Apple, some iPhone 6 Plus devices may exhibit Multi-Touch issues after “being dropped multiple times on a hard surface,” causing damage to the device. Under its repair program, Apple will fix affected iPhone 6 Plus devices for a service price of $149.

Customers who paid more than $149 to have their devices fixed before the repair program was implemented will be able to get their money reimbursed by Apple.

Complaints about the iPhone 6 Plus touchscreen issue started in August, after iFixit published a video highlighting the bug and dubbed it “Touch Disease.” Touch Disease presents as a gray flickering bar at the top of the screen and a display that becomes unresponsive or less responsive to touch.

The problem is believed to be caused by the touchscreen controller chips soldered to the logic board of the phone, making repairs difficult. Third-party repair outlets speculated that the issue could be linked to the same structural design flaw that caused the major “Bendgate” controversy, and Apple’s suggestion that it is caused by repeated physical damage seems to confirm that.

Customers who have an iPhone 6 Plus with Multi-Touch issues can visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider or an Apple retail store to see if they qualify for the $149 repair fee.
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Swift Playgrounds Updated With New Coding Lessons, Hour of Code Challenge

Apple’s Swift Playgrounds app received its first update today, introducing a new set of coding lessons and a few new features to enhance the coding experience.

Included in the update is the “Learn to Code 3” module, which features a fresh guided learning experience designed to walk children and adults through basic coding with Apple’s Swift programming language. Learn to Code 3 features lessons based around Blu, a fun character that’s aimed at making it easy to learn to code.

Along with Learn to Code 3, Swift Playgrounds version 1.1 features an Hour of Code challenge, which Apple says is meant to give new Swift Playground users a taste of the Learn to Code lessons.

Apple today announced plans to host several free one-hour Hour of Code workshops between December 5 and December 11 at retail stores across the world. Registration for Hour of Code is now open.

Also new in Swift Playgrounds are music and sound effects, notifications for new content, and a feature that highlights each line of code as it is run.

What’s New in Version 1.1
– Learn to Code 3 continues the guided learning experience as you help Blu explore the universe
– Hour of Code challenge gives a Byte-sized introduction to the Learn to Code lessons
– Step through your code to highlight each line as it is run
– Learn to Code now includes music and sound effects
– Notifications for new and updated content

Note: Download new copies of Learn to Code from the Featured page to get the music, sound effects, and line highlighting features.

Swift Playgrounds, which is available for all the iPad Air and later, iPad mini 2 and later, and all iPad Pro models, can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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PlayStation Vue Now Available on Apple TV

PlayStation today announced that its PlayStation Vue television service has expanded to the fourth-generation Apple TV, allowing PlayStation Vue subscribers to watch live TV and access other Vue features on Apple’s set top box.

Priced at $30 to $65 per month, PlayStation Vue provides several different live streaming television packages that include live TV, sports, movies, and more, plus it offers on-demand video and cloud-based DVR streaming so recorded content can be watched across multiple devices.

Starting today, PlayStation Vue will be supported on Apple TV (4th generation), leveraging Apple TV’s latest hardware to create an innovative experience. You will be able to take advantage of Apple TV’s Siri Remote and easy navigation with touch, while enjoying PlayStation Vue’s sleek look and feel. PlayStation Vue brings popular programming to Apple TV, from live sports networks like ESPN and NFL Network, to premium channels like AMC, FX, HBO, and Showtime.

PlayStation Vue subscribers can link their accounts to the Apple TV after downloading the PlayStation Vue app, which is available as of this morning. PlayStation Vue allows for content to be streamed simultaneously on up to five devices at once, making it ideal for families.
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Apple to Halve App Store Fees for Subscription Video Apps

To appease video content makers and lure new video services to the App Store, Apple plans to cut the fees it charges streaming video apps, reports Bloomberg.

Apple normally takes a 30 percent cut of all App Store app purchases and subscriptions, but for subscription-based streaming video apps like Netflix and Hulu, Apple plans to cut its fee to 15 percent. Apple has already reduced the fees for some of its video partners, and will soon extend the 15 percent rate to all subscription video services that are integrated with the company’s upcoming TV app.

Apple’s hefty cut of sales made via its App Store has long angered partners, some of whom have accused the technology giant of anti-competitive behavior. The concessions speak to the growing importance of video to Apple, which next month will introduce a new app devoted to TV shows and movies.

For non-video subscription apps, Apple will continue to charge 30 percent, but will reduce that amount to 15 percent after an Apple customer has been subscribed to the service for a year, a change that was announced earlier this year.

Fee reduction rumors come as Apple is preparing to launch the aforementioned TV app, which will be available on both the fourth-generation Apple TV and iOS devices. Currently in beta testing, the TV app is designed to make it easier for users to find content to watch across multiple apps.

Because TV app is reliant on third-party content providers, it is in Apple’s best interest to lure as many content providers to its platform as possible for the best user experience.
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