MacRumors

At least 76 popular iOS apps have been found to be vulnerable to data inception, according to a report from a security expert.

The discovery was made by app binary code scanning service verify.ly and published in a Medium post by Sudo Security Group CEO Will Strafach, who revealed that the apps failed to make use of the Transport Layer Security protocol.

The TLS protocol secures communication between client and server. Without the protection, the apps are susceptible to data interception by an attacker with access to custom hardware such as modified smartphone, which can be used to initiate TLS certificate injection attacks. The interception is possible regardless of whether the developers chose to use Apple networking security feature, App Transport Security.

The truth of the matter is, this sort of attack can be conducted by any party within Wi-Fi range of your device while it is in use. This can be anywhere in public, or even within your home if an attacker can get within close range.

There is no possible fix to be made on Apple's side, because if they were to override this functionality in attempt to block this security issue, it would actually make some iOS applications less secure as they would not be able to utilize certificate pinning for their connections, and they could not trust otherwise untrusted certificates which may be required for intranet connections within an enterprise using an in-house PKI. Therefore, the onus rests solely on app developers themselves to ensure their apps are not vulnerable.

Apps in the vulnerable list included a number of popular downloads like third-party Snapchat apps, the official app for Vice News, and banking apps for banks based in Puerto Rico and Libya.

Strafach sorted the 76 apps into low, medium, and high risk categories, and says he is reaching out to developers to fix the problems before disclosing the most high-risk apps in the list. According to Strafach, more than 18,000,000 downloads of the vulnerable app versions have been downloaded from the App Store.

Until the issues are dealt with, Strafach advises users of the apps to avoid accessing them over Wi-Fi, as it's harder to exploit the vulnerabilities over a cellular network.

Truphone has introduced international data plans for iPad users with an Apple SIM, including 500MB for €8, 1GB for €11, and 3GB for €20. Each plan lasts up to 30 days and can be used in 40 countries, such as the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

For now, iPad users need to be in Spain when purchasing an Apple SIM plan from Truphone for the first time, but the data can then be used in any of the 40 participating countries. Truphone said it plans to roll out its Apple SIM plans for purchase across Europe and beyond in the coming weeks.

Apple SIM enables iPad users to easily switch between different short-term data plans from select carrier partners without needing multiple SIM cards. Apple SIM can be used in more than 140 countries and territories around the world, making it particularly convenient for staying connected while traveling.

Apple SIM is embedded in the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and preinstalled in cellular-enabled iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models sold in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

Apple SIM is also available for purchase separately at Apple Store locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Keep in mind that not all carriers support Apple SIM, and it is not available in China.

Truphone data plans can be purchased or topped up on compatible iPads by tapping Settings > Mobile Data > Set Up Mobile Data. No Wi-Fi connection is needed to purchase a plan. First-time customers can get 100MB for free.

Other Apple SIM partners around the world include AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Three UK, EE, AlwaysOnline Wireless, GigSky, SoftBank, and au by KDDI. As a pricing comparison, rival global network GigSky offers data in over 140 countries for between 1 and 10 cents per MB depending on the region.

Apple Maps has recently been updated to provide users with real-time traffic conditions in Argentina. As usual, highly congested areas will display orange or red lines along the roads to indicate that drivers may face delays. Argentina is the fourth Latin American country to support the feature after Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.

Apple Maps shows traffic conditions in over 40 other countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, and elsewhere.

During Tim Cook's visit to France over the weekend, he met with French newspaper Le Figaro for an interview (via MacGeneration [Google Translate]) covering topics ranging from augmented reality to Apple's future retail plans in France.

Much of what Cook said has been mentioned before in past interviews, conference calls, and other public appearances, but he did have some France-specific details to share. He reportedly confirmed rumors that have suggested Apple wants to open an Apple Store on Champs-Élysées, the most famous avenue in Paris.

In regard to a rumor that Apple secured a Champs-Élysées lease in early 2016, Cook said Apple is deciding what to do with the space. That particular rumor said an Apple Store could open on the avenue in 2018 or 2019, but no additional information has been available. Cook also had high praise for France in general, calling it a "special place" for Apple.

France has always had a special place for Apple. This is the best place to discover and chat with all musicians, graphic designers, designers or photographers who use our products. There is such creative energy.

On the topic of taxes and an ongoing dispute with the European Commission, Cook reiterated that Apple pays more taxes than any company in the world and is not involved in tax evasion. "In our view, the law is clear," he said. "We have to pay taxes where we create value."

Cook also spoke about iPhone production, a topic that's arisen as Apple faces pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to manufacture its goods in the United States. According to Cook, "the whole world" is represented in Apple's supply chain and discussions often don't take that into account, instead focusing on where products are assembled. "We have 4,600 suppliers in Europe and have spent $11 billion on the continent," he said.

In the final portion of the interview, Cook reiterated some comments he has made about Augmented Reality, once again pointing out Apple's interest in the topic. He also spoke on artificial intelligence, saying AI has become indispensable and "makes the iPhone even better."

Cook's full comments are available on Le Figaro's website, but there is a paywall in place.

On his trip to France, Cook has also visited the Apple Store in Marseille, met with Shot on iPhone photographer Jean Claude Luong, had dinner with VizEat co-founders Camilla Rumani and Jean-Michel Petit, and met with Paris-based fashion designer Julien Fournié, who designed his latest collection with the iPad Pro.

Later this week, Cook will continue his European tour as he travels to Scotland to accept an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow.

Target is currently discounting its entire Series 1 Apple Watch lineup by $70, dropping prices as low as $199.99 on 38mm models and as low as $229.99 on 42mm models. Regular pricing is at $269.99 for 38mm Apple Watches and $299.99 for the 42mm Apple Watches.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Target and may earn commissions on purchases made through these links.

A total of eight models are available at the discounted price, which is a solid deal for customers looking to pick up an Apple Watch. The Series 1 Apple Watch models feature the same faster processor that's available in the Series 2 models, but lack the GPS, improved display, and superior waterproofing.

For customers who do not swim and do not need GPS positioning for fitness purposes, the Apple Watch Series 1 is ideal. A full list of discounted models is below:

• 38mm Space Gray Aluminum with Black Sport Band - $199.99
• 38mm Silver Aluminum With White Sport Band - $199.99
• 38mm Rose Gold Aluminum With Pink Sand Sport Band - $199.99
• 38mm Gold Aluminum With Concrete Sport Band - $199.99
• 42mm Space Gray Aluminum with Black Sport Band - $229.99
• 42mm Silver Aluminum with White Sport Band - $229.99
• 42mm Rose Gold Aluminum With Blue Sport Band - $229.99
• 42mm Gold Aluminum With Cocoa Sport Band - $229.99

Target is only discounting Apple Watch Series 1 models at this time, with no discount available on the Series 2 models. Free shipping is available on the Series 1 models, and many brick and mortar Target stores have them in stock.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 3.2 update to developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the first watchOS 3.2 beta and two weeks after the release of watchOS 3.1.3, the current public version of the operating system.

The watchOS 3.2 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General --> Software Update after installing the proper configuration profile on the iPhone. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

watchOS 3.2 includes a "Theater Mode" designed to let customers quickly mute the sound on the Apple Watch and disable Raise to Wake, preventing the screen from lighting up with arm movement.

Theater Mode, originally introduced in watchOS 3.1.3, is being made available in watchOS 3.2. Customers are still able to receive haptic feedback-based notifications, and information can be viewed by either tapping the screen or pressing down on the Digital Crown.

watchOS 3.2 also brings SiriKit to the Apple Watch, allowing customers to ask Siri to do things like send messages, send payments, book a ride, log a workout, make a call, or search through photos.

SiriKit has been available on iOS devices since the release of iOS 10, but is new to the Apple Watch.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 10.2 update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after seeding the first tvOS 10.2 update and more than two weeks after releasing tvOS 10.1.1, the current release version of tvOS.

Designed for the fourth-generation Apple TV, the second tvOS 10.2 beta can be obtained by connecting the Apple TV to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, downloading and installing the software from a registered developer account via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Once a profile is installed, subsequent betas can be downloaded over the air.

Given the tricky installation requirements, tvOS betas are limited to developers and will not be provided to the public.

According to Apple's release notes, tvOS 10.2 introduces improved scrolling behavior, allowing tvOS users to scroll through large lists of information more quickly. A large swipe on the Siri remote automatically activates the new scrolling mode, and a swipe on the far right side of the remote allows users to navigate specific indexes.

It's likely there are other small feature tweaks and bug fixes included in tvOS 10.2, even though additional changes have not been specifically outlined by Apple. We'll update this post should any new content be found in the second tvOS 10.2 beta.

Apple Maps has been updated with comprehensive transit data for the New Orleans, Louisiana metropolitan area, enabling iPhone users in the city and select suburbs to navigate using public transportation, including RTA buses and streetcars. Jefferson Transit buses and Amtrak routing is also available in the area.

Apple introduced Transit in Maps as part of iOS 9 in select cities around the world, including Baltimore, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sydney, Toronto, and over 300 cities in China. The feature has its own tab in Apple Maps on iOS 10 for entering directions.

Transit continues to expand to several other cities, including Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City, Melbourne, Miami, Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Montréal, Pittsburgh, Portland, Prague, Rio de Janeiro, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria.

In December, Apple expanded transit directions throughout Great Britain, beyond the London area already supported. The feature now works almost anywhere in England, Scotland, and Wales, such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Portsmouth, Nottingham, and Cardiff.

Mardi Gras is February 28, with parades taking place in New Orleans and Southern Louisiana throughout the month.

(Thanks, Bernd!)

Apple remained the fourth largest smartphone vendor in China in 2016, beaten out by Oppo, Huawei, and Vivo in first, second, and third places, respectively, according to new data from research firm IDC. As a whole, IDC said it was a good year for the smartphone market in China, which saw a 19 percent year-over-year growth in 2016, and a 17 percent quarter-over-quarter growth in the fourth quarter of the year.

Unfortunately for Apple, 2016 also represented its first ever year-over-year decline in the Chinese smartphone market. IDC noted that the new iPhone 7 debut "did not create as much of a frenzy compared to the past" launch of other iPhone models, but the firm doesn't think that vendors like Oppo, Huawi, and Vivo are stealing Apple's market share away. IDC believes that most of Apple's loyal Chinese users simply took an off year in 2016 in anticipation of 2017's "iPhone 8."

2016 was the first time ever that Apple saw a YoY decline in the PRC market. Even though the new black colored iPhones caught the attention of consumers, overall, the new launches did not create as much of a frenzy compared to the past.

Despite the decline, IDC does not believe Chinese vendors have actually eaten away Apple's market share. Most Apple users are expected to be holding out for the new iPhone that will be launched this year, and that will help the brand to see a growth in 2017. Apple's 10-year anniversary iPhone will also likely attract some of the high-end Android users in China to convert to an iPhone.

The overall growth in the smartphone market in China is said to be fueled by an "increased dependence on mobile apps" that led to consumers seeking device upgrades. Even in lower tiered cities, users sought out upgrades, which Apple's iPhone was too high-priced to justify. Instead, Oppo and Vivo "aggressively pushed mid-range smartphones in these cities," according to Tay X iaohan, IDC senior market analyst.

The last note in the research firm's report focused on the slowdown of online shopping in 2016, with companies shifting to bolster their brick-and-mortar retail presence in China. This includes Xiaomi -- ranking as the fifth largest smartphone vendor -- which opened new Mi Home stores throughout the year to drive retail growth. "Apple has also been aggressive in increasing its offline retail presence," according to IDC. Just last month Apple launched its seventh retail location within Shanghai, China.

One of Apple's biggest achievements in China is the App Store. In the third quarter of 2016, the country became the number one largest market in the world for App Store revenue on iOS devices, according to App Annie. Otherwise, Apple has been slowly losing market share in China for a while, with Europe last summer regaining its position as Apple's second biggest market after the United States and ahead of China.

Snapchat has secured the rights to stream six exclusive mini episodes of hugely popular BBC nature documentary series Planet Earth II (via The Verge).

The short run of mobile episodes is due to start on February 17, one day before the full series is scheduled to begin broadcast on BBC America.

The 4-6 minute episodes accessible to Snapchat users will consist of content shown on the BBC in late 2016 – Islands, Mountains, Jungles, Deserts, Grasslands, and Cities – but will also feature exclusive content not seen before on TV.

However, the episodes won't include presentation and commentary from Sir David Attenborough, with actress Sophie Okonedo the narrator instead. Snap says the episodes will also feature binaural (3D) audio. The episodes will appear weekly in the Discover section of the app alongside the regular daily content created by other publishers. Users interested in the episodes can subscribe using the app's QR-style Snap codes.

The announcement indicates Snapchat's continuing attempt to kickstart growth of its user base, which is currently at 158 million daily active users but has slowed significantly in recent months. Snap recorded $514.6 million in losses last year and faces stiff competition from Instagram, which continues to successfully ape its features. In addition to its push into original content with mobile versions of shows like The Voice, Snap filed for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange last week, hoping to raise $3 billion from investors.

Snapchat is a free download for iPhone available on the App Store. [Direct Link]