Apple sued over iOS 9’s eagerness to chew up cellular data
Not happy that iOS 9’s WiFi Assist feature is quietly gobbling your iPhone’s cellular data for the sake of boosting your WiFi performance? You’re not alone — and you might get compensation for your troubles. A California-based couple has filed a class action lawsuit accusing Apple of doing too little to warn iPhone owners about WiFi Assist’s data use. Allegedly, the guide it posted in response to concerns about the feature doesn’t cut the mustard. It “downplays” the kind of overage charges you could rack up after upgrading to the newer iOS revision, according to the complaint.
Via: Slashdot
Source: AppleInsider
Watch this iPhone screen protector heal scratches within a second
The folks who came up with the self-healing iPhone case is now back with something a lot more impressive. Innerexile’s earlier technology could repair light scratches within about half a minute (given the right temperature, that is), but the latest version can do the same within just a second! Seriously, you’d have to study very hard to witness that brief magical moment, which proved to be tricky in our bronze brush test video after the break. So what’s the secret sauce behind this new coating? Well, it’s dotted with microcapsules that contain an adhesive-like liquid, and when damaged, the liquid will fill the void so quickly that you probably won’t even realize you’ve just scratched your case or screen protector.
Source: Amazon (for iPhone 6/6s), (for iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus)
DOJ: Apple owns your iPhone’s software, so it should have a backdoor
The Department of Justice is trying to get Apple to unlock a defendant’s iPhone. While Apple has stated that it can technically bypass the phone’s passcode security, it has so far refused to do so for various reasons. So the DOJ has come up with a new strategy, force Apple to comply because it licenses the software on the phone. Because of that, the DOJ contends that the iPhone maker actually has a relationship with the phone that’s currently evidence in a case. In a reply to Apple’s response to the court order to unlock the phone, the government states, “Apple cannot reap the legal benefits of licensing its software in this manner and then later disclaim any ownership or obligation to assist law enforcement when that same software plays a critical role in thwarting execution of a search warrant.” In other words, it’s your software Apple, not the defendant’s, unlock it.
Via: Boing Boing
Source: DOJ
Update Facebook on iOS now to keep it from draining your battery
Facebook users on iOS have had a sneaking suspicion that the app was starting to misbehave, to the detriment of their phone’s battery life. After saying it was looking into the issue, Facebook has now confirmed the problem and pushed out an update to the iOS app to help offer some relief. Facebook engineering manager Ari Grant said as much in a post today on (where else) Facebook, saying that the company “found a few key issues and have identified additional improvements, some of which are in the version of the app that was released today.” While there’s more Facebook says it can do to lessen battery draing, updating the app today should provide some immediate relief.
Source: Facebook
iOS and OS X updates arrive with a ton of new emoji
If you’ve ever wanted to text taco pics from your iPhone or give the middle finger from your Mac, today’s your lucky day. Apple has released iOS 9.1 and OS X El Capitan 10.11.1, both of which add a slew of new Unicode emoji ranging from Mexican food through to rude gestures. There are some important under-the-hood fixes, too. Your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus is now smart enough to stop recording Live Photos when you lower the device, and OS X shouldn’t run into trouble with Office 2016. Whichever platform you’re using, you’ll likely want to update pronto — if just to see the cutesy characters you’d otherwise miss.
[Image credit: Emojipedia]
Source: MacRumors (1), (2)
Facebook’s Instant Articles comes to all iPhones
In a blog post and at WSJD Live, Facebook has just announced that Instant Articles will now be available for all iPhone owners, with an Android beta rolling out starting today. That means that even more people will be able to read Instant Artlcles — full news stories directly from the publisher — right in their Newsfeed. An Instant Article link will have a lightning bolt icon at the top right corner. Facebook’s Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said on stage that you’ll start to see thousands of Instant Articles everyday.
As was announced earlier this year, Instant Articles are designed to load, well, instantly and often feature rich media like videos and photos. Few publishers initially signed up for it, but now Facebook says dozens more are on board — they include CNET, CBS News, Business Insider, Hollywood Reporter, Mashable, Huffington Post, Vox Media and more. Earlier last month, the Washington Post even announced that it would make every one of its articles available as Instant Articles.
According to Cox, one of the reasons Facebook is so keen on Instant Articles is because it makes the mobile experience so much better. Instead of waiting for a page to load, the story will be right there — Instant Articles typically load about 10 times faster. The company has always been bullish on improving the mobile experience, so this is yet another attempt at that. It all fits within Facebook’s core philosophy of being both a “directory” and a “medium,” says Cox.
Cox also touched a little bit on Facebook’s diverse products. Messaging allows for more expressive and fun ways of communicating, while Groups and Events are for a larger audience. Nice photos go on Instagram, while Facebook is for a video of your kid dancing, he said. In the end, he sees Facebook as a suite of products that people can use everyday. “Daily use is an important measure of value,” he said.
Source: Facebook
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