Hardened Security Features of iPhone 5s Successfully Hacked in LAPD Murder Investigation
Los Angeles police investigators have discovered a workable method to bypass the hardened security features of a locked iPhone 5s, according to The Los Angeles Times.
In court documents seen by the newspaper yesterday, LAPD detectives found a “forensic cellphone expert” who could unlock the iPhone 5s belonging to April Jace, the slain wife of “The Shield” actor Michael Jace, who is accused of killing her at their L.A. home in 2014.
The claim appeared in a search warrant filed during the same period that the FBI was demanding Apple unlock the earlier model iPhone 5c of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. In that high-profile case, the FBI eventually unlocked the phone with the help of professional hackers, paying them up to $1 million for a tool exploiting a security vulnerability.
According to FBI director James Comey, the method obtained by the bureau only worked on a “narrow slice of phones”, which did not include models of the iPhone 5s and after, presumably because the latter devices are equipped with Apple’s proprietary Secure Enclave, a separate security-hardened portion of the core processing chip with its own secure boot and personalized software where private encryption keys are stored and used to secure data.
Prior to the the FBI’s acquisition of its hacking method, several security experts warned that the ability the bureau sought from Apple would in fact work on later devices, while Apple claimed back in February that the method the FBI asked it for to unlock an iPhone 5c was also possible on newer devices with the Secure Enclave. According to TechCrunch, Apple said at the time that the technical solutions would be different than they are on the iPhone 5c, but not impossible.
According to The Times, the search warrant filed in the April Jace killing did not detail the method used by the LAPD to open the later-model iPhone 5s, nor did police reveal the identity of the cellphone expert. It’s also unclear what operating system April Jace’s phone had.
The iPhone 5s has been at the center of the investigation after it was claimed that the actor and his wife argued “about their relationship” via text message shortly before he is alleged to have shot her. Michael Jace’s attorneys successfully persuaded a judge to delay his murder trial, arguing that the dead woman’s phone should undergo a more exhaustive search than one initially conducted by police.
Shortly after her killing, April Jace’s cellphone was locked by a passcode, which “hindered” the investigation. But in January 2015, an Apple technician was ordered by an L.A. judge to help police extract data from the phone, according to the search warrant.
That attempt apparently failed to obtain any information and a second attempt by the L.A. County district attorney’s office the same month left the phone “disabled”. The following month, authorities tried to inspect the iPhone but it didn’t even turn on, the warrant stated.
But in March, investigators learned that a forensic cellphone expert could “override” the security features and let authorities view the phone’s contents. A senior investigator with the district attorney’s office was apparently then able to examine the phone in April. Jace, 53, is currently awaiting trial in the case.
Last week it was reported that the FBI will not reveal to Apple the method it used to hack into the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter, because it does not have the rights to the technical data about how the method functions. Apple wants details on the flaw so a fix can be implemented. Until it does, the FBI can keep using the vulnerability so long as it remains unpatched.
Amid its dispute with the FBI, reports suggest Apple has already begun work on implementing stronger security measures to protect iOS devices in order to counter the threat of hackers rather than the government. Apple has also said it has revamped its internal security teams.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
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Bentley Apple Watch App Puts In-Car Controls on Passenger’s Wrist
British luxury car maker Bentley has released an Apple Watch app that treats Bentayga SUV passengers to a bevy of car functions not seen before on a smartwatch.
The app uses “bespoke digital architecture” that synchronizes with the vehicle’s Touch Screen Remote (TSR) system, enabling passengers to access in-car climate control and entertainment systems, including the ability to adjust the heating, ventilation, and massage functions of their seats.
Elsewhere, users can also monitor real-time car information from within the app, such as vehicle speed, distance travelled, and outside temperature. Meanwhile, media functions for hi-fi and digital TV include the ability to change volume, adjust playback controls, and switch media sources.
And if the driver seat is too reclined for passengers’ liking, this can be adjusted from the app, too.
The Bentayga TSR app is a free download available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]
The Bentayga SUV starts at $229,100.
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Airmail might be the perfect email app for your iPhone
Airmail is a well-known, well-received email client on Macs. But when you have a huge screen, keyboard and mouse, a good email app on the desktop doesn’t have to try so hard. However, making a good email app on a smartphone is a whole different can of worms. So here’s Airmail for iPhone, which launched last week. It gives you all kinds of ways to deal with (or delay) the email problem, and it’s claimed a space in my hallowed four-space iPhone dock. No more Mail, and no more Gmail.
I have two email accounts: my personal Gmail account and my Engadget address (which is also powered by Google). While I don’t have many inboxes, though, I do have a few legacy email addresses that auto-forward to the main Gmail address. It’s not a complicated or elaborate setup, but I lean heavily on email for work, travel, organizing app-based notifications (Twitter, Facebook, Amazon etc.) and communicating with folks back home. (I live overseas.) And because I deal with email throughout the workday, I’m willing to pay to make it easier. Specifically, $4.99 for the download. I’m likely to be in the minority, however.
It’s hard for email apps on the iPhone to make it big. Given that the preinstalled email app doesn’t do a bad job, and there’s no shortage of challengers, it’s hard for any single contender to break through, much less one you have to pay for. We’ve seen Dropbox’s Mailbox appear and disappear despite a handful of clever ideas, and Google’s Inbox-made automated responses aren’t perfect — and then you’re already splitting a fraction of users away from the Gmail app itself.
Airmail’s appeal on the iPhone is simply how much freedom you have to customize the app. This is particularly true for things that I constantly do. When immediately dealing with email from my lock screen, I can customize the two options. Want to star important emails before you’ve even opened them? Snooze for later? Archive that newsletter right now? You choose. You can toggle off starring functionality or sharing from the menus, or, when in the app itself, you can choose which folders (from which accounts) to have in the swipe-to-the-right lineup. You can even add tasteful spacers (gaps between folders, filters and accounts) if your design aesthetic demands it. If you’ve got one of Apple’s latest phones, you’ll also enjoy 3D Touch support for previewing emails. As it happens, I use a mere iPhone 6 Plus myself, so I didn’t get to test that out.
Within the settings, you’ll also find one of the most useful features: the sheer number of compatible apps you can pair with Airmail. Dropbox, Google Drive, Trello, Google Tasks, Pocket, Evernote and plenty more can all be connected to your inbox. Select an email and choose “action list” (or make it a swipe if you want to) and you can instantly create a PDF file of your email, load remote images or send it to Dropbox, among other tricks, all of which are usually several more touchscreen presses away. It’s not the easiest app to use, but it’s set up in such a way that the option you need is right where you expect it to be — or is duplicated in several places, so you can’t miss it.
Are there useless features here? Subjectively, yes. I don’t care if my inbox is labeled in icons or colors, as long as I can distinguish one account from another. Do I really need to reorder each divider of my email accounts (sent, unseen, drafts, spam)? Nope, but it’s there if I or, more important, you want the feature. That is the best thing about Airmail: It is what you make of it.
iPhone soon becoming ‘full replacement’ for Apple TV remote
TV remotes are all well and good, but they have a nasty habit of coming up missing at the worst possible moment — Apple TV’s new wand isn’t immune to this malady. It should come as good news then that Cupertino’s planning an update for the remote app on iOS with new features like voice commands with Siri. The news comes by way of an interview with Apple’s Eddie Cue and Craig Federighi on tech pundit John Gruber’s podcast this week.
More than that, if you’re playing a two player game, an iPhone can sub in as a second controller. Handy! “It really is a full replacement,” Federighi says. Beyond “a couple of months,” though, there’s no firm release date for the update. If you want more insight into Apple TV stuff (like Bluetooth keyboard support), check out the full episode; app talk starts at 22:09.
Via: TechCrunch
Source: Daring Fireball
Apple urges judge to make up mind about unlocking phones for Feds
Today, Apple tried to prod New York Magistrate Judge James Orenstein into settling a months-old debate about unlocking an iPhone at the heart of a criminal investigation. A letter submitted by one of the company’s attorneys maintains these sorts of unlocking requests aren’t going to to stop anytime soon, and that both Apple and the Department of Justice agree the judge should make a ruling. And really, that’s about the only thing those two players agree about.
To fully understand this story, let’s flashback to October 2015 when a man named Jun Feng plead guilty after being charged with possessing and conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Normally that would be the end of the story, but what happened after was even more interesting — federal prosecutors tried to compel Apple to unlock Feng’s iPhone 5s so they could sift through potentially juicy details hidden inside. If Feng had updated his phone to run iOS 8, there’s not a thing Apple could have done — the update brought with it strong file encryption and security so Apple can’t get at a device’s sensitive data. Older versions, like the iOS 7 build on Feng’s phone — didn’t have those enhanced protections, leaving Apple with the ability to unlock them if legally forced.
At the end of the day, the DoJ wanted Apple to unlock Feng’s phone to help with its ongoing investigation into a narcotics ring. Apple, meanwhile, was concerned how a forced extraction of data “could threaten the trust between Apple and its customers and substantially tarnish the Apple brand”. And until Judge Orinstein makes a decision — one that will definitely be appealed anyway — the folks in Cupertino and D.C. will remain in a sort of legal limbo.
Via: Ars Technica
Apple’s new 4-inch iPhone and iPad Air 3 are rumored to arrive on March 18th
The Apple rumor mill has been in full swing over the last month or so, with as-yet-unconfirmed March 15th event that’s said to introduce a new 4-inch iPhone and the iPad Air 3. Those rumors are getting a little more concrete today, as 9to5Mac’s Marc Gurman is saying that both of those products will go on sale on March 18th — the Friday after the rumored event. Gurman’s been posting reports about this event and what we might see for weeks now, and this just appears to be further evidence that the company’s March plans are solidified. Of course, nothing’s official yet, but Gurman’s track record suggests these will be the big product introductions Apple has on tap.
The 4-inch iPhone is supposedly dubbed the iPhone 5se (special edition) and will combine the hardware guts of the iPhone 6 (including Apple Pay) with a modified body that is still more reminiscent of the iPhone 5s than the iPhone 6 and 6s. As for the iPad Air 3, it’ll keep the 9.7-inch screen the line is known for but may borrow some tricks from the iPad Pro, including its speaker arrangement and Apple Pencil support.
It sounds like these products will launch without the typical pre-order period that Apple typically offers, which is a little bit unusual for the company. But these products will certainly launch with less hype and fanfare than the flagship iPhones typically do, so perhaps the company doesn’t expect sales to be so overwhelming as to warrant a preorder period. Regardless of those plans, mid-March is coming up fast — Apple should be sending out invites for this event very soon if it’s going to happen.
Source: 9to5Mac
Apple Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over ‘Error 53’ iPhone 6 Bricking
Seattle-based law firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala (PCVA) today followed through with plans to bring a class action lawsuit against Apple over the “Error 53” controversy that made headlines last week.
“Error 53” is the error code that some iPhone 6 owners have received after third-party repairs that affect Touch ID were made to their iPhones, rendering the devices unusable. As explained by iFixit, repairs made by third-party services using non-original components cause the iPhone to fail a Touch ID validation check because the mismatched parts are unable to properly sync. Parts that can impact Touch ID include the screen, flex cable, and Home button.
When this Touch ID validation check fails during an iOS update or restore, Apple disables the iPhone, effectively “bricking” it in an effort to protect Touch ID and the related Secure Enclave that stores customer fingerprint information. Apple says that without the validation check, a malicious Touch ID sensor could be used to gain access to the Secure Enclave.
PCVA attorney Darrell Cochran, who is leading the Error 53 lawsuit, claims that Apple’s security argument is invalid because affected iPhones often work fine for several months following repairs as the validation check only occurs when downloading a new version of iOS. He also cites Apple’s failure to give a warning about the consequence of an update as an issue that will be featured in the lawsuit.
“No materials we’ve seen from Apple ever show a disclosure that your phone would self-destruct if you download new software onto a phone,” Cochran said. “If Apple wants to kill your phone under any set of circumstances and for any reason, it has to make it crystal clear to its customers before the damage is done.”
Compounding the problem, according to Cochran, is how disagreeable Apple’s reaction to the problem has been. “The error code 53 signals the death of the phone, and Apple’s response has been to say ‘you have no options; it’s not covered under warranty, and you have to buy a new phone.’”
PCVA is aiming to get affected iPhone customers new, working devices to “provide immediate relief” to consumers. It is also seeking upwards of $5 million in damages and an update to eliminate the repair restrictions. PCVA is asking customers who have been impacted by Error 53 to get in touch.
Aside from explaining the reasoning behind the Error 53 message and its consequences, Apple has remained quiet about the controversy. MacRumors has, however, heard from a retail source that certain Apple Stores have received the go ahead from Apple to replace third-party screens and other components to resolve the issue. It is not yet clear if this replacement policy will be extended to all Apple Stores or if Apple will make an official comment on the situation.
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Homemade Robot Masters iPhone Game and Voice Dictation
A new video by YouTube user Junya Sakamoto posted over the weekend shows off a homemade robot, created by Sakamoto, that masters the trickiest stages of popular mobile game Puzzles and Dragons (via Kotaku). The four minute video uploaded to Sakamoto’s self-titled YouTube channel details the initial creation and design of the robot to the final, tangible realization of the iPhone game-beating device.
Puzzles and Dragons requires users to match colored orbs to defeat monsters, with patterns that get increasingly tricky the further the game progresses. Connected to a laptop, the robot analyzes and predicts the best moves possible in the current level, resulting in high-scoring combos that would be extremely difficult for the game’s players to naturally achieve.
In an earlier video (the first of only two on Sakamoto’s channel), the robot’s creator uses an attached microphone to dictate commands to the device and navigate the iPhone without touching it. Using only voice, the robot unlocks the iPhone, transcribes a note, and even plays a piano app.
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Apple CEO Tim Cook can’t take a good picture with his iPhone
When you’re the CEO of Apple and you have nearly 2 million followers on Twitter, your Twitter photo game better be on point all the time.
Sadly, Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t remember that bit of wisdom Sunday when he posted the photo seen above to his Twitter stream.
Taken from what appears to be about the 15 yard line of Levi’ Stadium in San Francisco, the photo of the postgame celebration after the Broncos won Super Bowl XL was a bit blurry. And the Twitterverse was not shy about letting him know it.
One user responded with this:
@tim_cook Uh… Is the message here that iPhones take terrible photos of important moments?! Because that really seems to be the msg here.
— Rich Brome (@rbrome) February 8, 2016
Another posted this response:
@rbrome@tim_cook Don’t blame the tools, blame the workman!
— Anthony Henderson (@AntPHenderson) February 8, 2016
And it appears Tim Cook actually blocked this user after his response:
New iPhone campaign starring @tim_cook pic.twitter.com/BXXxGsOV5h
— Soju Boy Tell ‘Em (@andykoh_) February 8, 2016
Just goes to show you that nobody, not even Tim Cook, is safe from the wrath of the Internet.
Source: Tim Cook (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Apple CEO Tim Cook can’t take a good picture with his iPhone
Apple Open Sources Swift Benchmark Suite
Apple today announced that its Swift benchmark suite is open source, just over two months after making its Swift programming language open sourced as promised at the 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Apple’s Swift benchmarking suite is designed to track Swift performance with 75 benchmarks that cover multiple important Swift workloads, libraries with commonly needed benchmarking functions, drivers for running benchmarks and displaying performance metrics, and a utility for comparing benchmark metrics across multiple versions of Swift. The Swift benchmark suite is available on GitHub.
Introduced in 2014 and launched alongside iOS 8 and OS X, Swift is Apple’s programming language built for iOS, OS X, watchOS, and tvOS, designed to work with Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks along with Objective-C while also being widely accessible. In 2015, Apple debuted Swift 2 with new features like advanced error handling and syntax enhancements.
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AIVAnet 