MacRumors

Yahoo today confirmed that "at least" 500 million Yahoo accounts were compromised in an attack in late 2014, leaking customer information like names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birthdates, hashed passwords, and both encrypted and unencrypted security questions and answers.

Yahoo does not believe unprotected passwords, payment card data, or bank account information was accessed, as that data is not stored in the system that was hacked. According to Yahoo, account information was stolen by a "state-sponsored actor" and the company is working with law enforcement on a full investigation.

Starting today, Yahoo will notify all affected users and is asking them to change their passwords immediately if passwords have not been changed since 2014. All compromised security questions and answers have also been invalidated. Yahoo has laid out a set of recommendations for all customers who might have had data stolen:

-Change your password and security questions and answers for any other accounts on which you used the same or similar information used for your Yahoo account.
- Review your accounts for suspicious activity.
- Be cautious of any unsolicited communications that ask for your personal information or refer you to a web page asking for personal information.
- Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.
- Additionally, please consider using Yahoo Account Key, a simple authentication tool that eliminates the need to use a password altogether.

Yahoo first said it was investigating a data breach earlier this summer after hackers started selling account access online. The full scope of the attack was not revealed until today and could potentially affect Yahoo's sale to Verizon.

Apple recently acquired its third machine learning company since 2015, purchasing India-based company Tuplejump, reports TechCrunch. Tuplejump focused on simplifying data management techniques and creating tools to make it easy to deal with large quantities of data. From an archive of the now-defunct Tuplejump website:

A few years ago people realised that the volume of data that businesses generate was becoming unwieldy. A new set of technologies to handle this huge amounts of data cropped up. We were one of the early adopters of these 'big-data' technologies. Having helped Fortune 500 companies adopt these technologies we quickly realised how complicated they were and how much simpler they could get.

Thus started our quest to simplify data management technologies and make them extremely simple to use. We are building technology that is simple to use, scalable and will allow people to ask difficult questions on huge datasets.

According to TechCrunch, Apple purchased Tuplejump for its "FiloDB" open source project designed to use machine learning concepts and analytics on massive amounts of data in realtime. It appears FiloDB will continue on as an open source project.

Apple confirmed the acquisition of Tuplejump with its standard statement: "Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans."

Other recent machine learning acquisitions include Perceptio and Turi. Apple is employing machine learning techniques across its operating system, using the technology for features like object and facial recognition in Photos, the new "Portrait" mode in the iPhone 7 Plus, major Siri improvements, and more.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra update to public beta testers, one day after seeding the beta to developers and two days after releasing the first version of macOS Sierra to the public.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the macOS Sierra beta through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and macOS Sierra betas. Betas should not be installed on a primary machine due to the potential for instability.

macOS Sierra 10.12.1 appears to focus on bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that have popped up since macOS Sierra was first released. It also includes album support in Photos for the new Portrait feature in iOS 10 on the iPhone 7 Plus.

macOS Sierra is a major update that introduces features like Siri support, cross device copy paste, improved iCloud functionality, the ability to unlock a Mac with the Apple Watch, an Optimize Storage option, and more.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 10 update to public beta testers for testing purposes, just under two weeks after releasing iOS 10 to the public and one day after providing the iOS 10.1 beta to developers.

Beta testers who have signed up for Apple's beta testing program will receive the iOS 10 beta update over-the-air after installing the proper certificate on their iOS device.

Those who want to be a part of Apple's beta testing program can sign up to participate through the beta testing website, which gives users access to both iOS and macOS Sierra betas. Betas are not stable and include many bugs, so they should be installed on a secondary device.

iOS 10.1 introduces a "Portrait" mode for the iPhone 7 Plus, which was first shown off when the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus debuted on September 7. Portrait mode is designed to mimic the kind of shallow depth of field images that can be taken with a high-end DSLR, with a front subject that stands out over a blurred background.

The two cameras in the iPhone 7 Plus capture images, which are scanned by the built-in image signal processor. Machine learning techniques are use to recognize people and/or foreground images, keeping people and main objects in while applying an artful blue or "bokeh" to the background.

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Portrait mode is an iPhone 7 Plus-only feature because it requires two images to create a depth map. iOS 10.1 also likely includes bug fixes and behind-the-scenes updates to address issues that have popped up since release.

iOS 10 offers features like a redesigned Lock screen, a Siri SDK to allow third-party apps to integrate with Siri, and a completely overhauled Messages app with stickers, a full App Store, Digital Touch, Bubble Effects, and more. Other new additions include a dedicated "Home" app for HomeKit users, new facial and object recognition capabilities in Photos, and redesigned Maps and Apple Music apps.

An increasing number of customers who ordered the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus have noticed irregular movement on their shipments, as confirmed by multiple tipsters who have contacted us. The peculiar UPS tracking information has also been documented by several Twitter and Reddit users.

MacRumors reader Daniel G., for example, has seemingly seen his iPhone 7 Plus order move between Shanghai, China and Anchorage, Alaska, only to end up back in China. The shipment even made a brief stop in Osaka, Japan, before heading to Louisville, Kentucky en route to Long Island City in Queens.

My iPhone got stuck in China, was sent to Alaska, sent back to China, and is now in Japan. I called Apple and they noted I am one of several who has called about this issue. I placed my order on September 11th. Original shipping estimate said the 27th to the 29th. This was soon changed to September 19th, and then 20th. Once it was delayed, it said shipping date unknown. Apple said they would look into it and call me back.

Other MacRumors readers said likewise in discussion topics titled "My iPhone is on a travel adventure" and "Waiting for UPS."

Reddit user AlphaAnger, too, shared a nearly identical scenario:

I preordered the iPhone 7 from the Apple website and it shipped out at the beginning of the week. Anyone else's iPhone just taking a tour of China and Korea? My UPS says it just keeps going back and forth between Korea and China with no estimated ship date.

Twitter user Minton, who shared the UPS tracking information pictured above, has seen his iPhone order travel from Zhengzhou, China to Incheon, South Korea to Louisville, Kentucky, at which point it was seemingly sent back to Hong Kong. The entire movement took place within a span of just three days.

Minton is not alone, as several Twitter users have noticed similarly irregular movement on their iPhone orders this week.In some cases, shipments have moved between the U.S. and Asia in only a few hours, which is unrealistic even when accounting for time zone differences. UPS has allegedly told some customers the irregular movement is related to paperwork, but weather and mechanical issues could also be involved.

Whatever the underlying reason may be, the issue appears to be slowing down iPhone deliveries for at least some customers in the United States. Some customers on Twitter have complained that their new iPhone is "stuck in Korea," while others have vented their frustrations towards UPS's customer service account.

While many Mac notebook users have been long awaiting refreshes for the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups based on Intel's 6th-generation Core "Skylake" processors, a recently leaked April roadmap for Intel's processors beyond Skylake posted to the AnandTech forums raises questions about future updates for the 15-inch MacBook Pro in particular.

The update bottleneck for future Mac notebooks is primarily related to the performance of Intel's integrated graphics, and it appears that an emphasis on processing cores over graphics by Intel may force Apple to make some changes to its graphics strategy down the road.

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Just one week after Apple said there would be no iPhone 7 Plus stock on launch day for walk-in customers, in-store availability of the dual-camera smartphone has reached its widest level yet across the United States. iPhone Upgrade Program members can use Apple's online reservation system to secure their model for in-store pickup, or visit an Apple location as a walk-in customer.

iStockNow, a website that uses Google Maps to visualize the real-time status of iPhone availability at Apple Stores, currently shows iPhone 7 Plus models in select colors and storage capacities available in dozens of states, such as California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, the Carolinas, and Texas. Jet Black models, however, remain out of stock at stores across the country.

iPhone 7 Plus models in select storage capacities and colors, sans Jet Black, are also available in Canada at Eaton Centre in Toronto, Markville Shopping Centre in Markham, Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, Masonville Place in London, Rideau Centre and Bayshore Shopping Centre in Ottawa, and Place Sainte-Foy in Québec City. Availability in western provinces should be updated around 8:00 a.m. local time.

Reserve and Pick Up in Canada is not tied to the iPhone Upgrade Program, and simply allows customers to reserve and pay for an iPhone at a local Apple Store, with a 30-minute check-in window. Activation is available for carriers like Bell, Rogers, and Telus, or customers can buy an iPhone outright and use their own SIM card. Make sure to have a piece of government-issued ID with you upon pickup.

iPhone 7 Plus availability could change at any time. iPhone 7 models remain more widely available in both the U.S. and Canada.

When Apple announced the iPhone 7 Plus, one major feature it focused on was a new "Portrait" mode that allows the device's camera to simulate a shallow depth of field effect, similar to what can be achieved with a high-end DSLR.

Portrait mode wasn't ready to go when the iPhone 7 Plus shipped, but Apple promised to introduce it at a later date and did so today, with the release of iOS 10.1. Available as a beta feature, Portrait mode is built into iOS 10.1, and we went hands-on with it to see how well it performs.

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Portrait mode uses the 56mm lens to capture the image and uses the wider 28mm lens to generate a depth map of a scene. Using the small differentiations between the 28mm and 56mm lenses, the iPhone separates the different layers of an image and uses machine learning techniques to apply a blur that simulates a shallow depth of field.

When shooting, Portrait is similar to other modes in the camera app, with a timer to take an image and a Tap to Focus tool to set the focus. One helpful feature is the ability to see the depth effect live before snapping a photo.

In order for the Portrait effect to work properly, you need good lighting and a subject that's properly placed -- it can't be too close or too far away.

Portrait mode is in beta, and is currently only available for developers running iOS 10.1. This Friday, Apple will also make iOS 10.1 available for public beta testers, so Portrait mode will be more widely available. There are some issues and quirks that still need to be worked out during the beta testing process, but as a first effort, Portrait mode can produce some impressive images.

Today's new iOS 10.1 beta, available now to developers, includes a new "Portrait" camera mode for iPhone 7 Plus users, which was shown off at the iPhone's debut event but wasn't quite ready for release.

Portrait mode is designed to mimic the kind of shallow depth of field images that can be taken with a high-end DSLR, with a front subject that stands out over a blurred background.

To achieve this look, Apple's built-in image signal processor scans a scene, using machine learning techniques to recognize the people in the image. From there, it creates a depth map of the image from both of the two cameras included in the device, keeping the people in focus while applying an artful blur or "bokeh" to the background.

According to TechCrunch, Apple's Portrait option was built on technology acquired from camera company LinX. Portrait mode is using the 56mm lens to capture the image while the wide-angle lens gathers perspective data to build the depth map and divide the image into layers.

Once it has this 9-layer slice, it can then pick and choose which layers are sharp and which get a gaussian (randomish) blur effect applied to them.

Once the telephoto lens detects the subject, using autofocus and other stuff we'll talk about in a second, the image processor inside the iPhone 7 will then apply blur in greater and greater amounts to the layers that are further away from that subject.

It's in beta, so there are some quirks Apple will need to work out. Apple has said that Portrait won't be used all the time, and it does appear to require good lightning and the right focusing distance between objects to function properly. It will take some experimentation to get good shots with Portrait.

Portrait mode is a new feature in the camera app that can be found alongside other video and photo taking options like "Video" and "Panorama." It even includes a Live Preview effect that lets you see what the image will look like before you take it, something that's unique to the iPhone.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming macOS Sierra update to developers, just a day after releasing the new operating system to the public.

macOS Sierra Beta 10.12.1 is available for download through the Apple Developer Center and through the Software update mechanism in the Mac App Store.

It is not clear what improvements the first update to macOS Sierra will bring, but it's likely to include bug fixes and performance improvements for issues that have been encountered between the time between the beta testing period and release.

We'll update this post with any new features that are found in macOS Sierra 10.12.1.

Apple today seeded the first beta of an upcoming iOS 10 update to developers, a little over a week after releasing iOS 10 to the public. iOS 10.1, as a major point update, will likely introduce bug fixes and perhaps bring a few new minor features to the operating system.

Registered developers can download the new iOS 10.1 beta from the Apple Developer Center. On Friday, Apple plans to make a public beta of iOS 10.1 available for public beta testers.

iOS 10.1 includes a new "Portrait" mode for the iPhone 7 Plus that allows it to use two cameras to create shallow depth of field portrait photos with blurred backgrounds.

iOS 10 has been described by Apple as the "biggest release ever" for iOS uses, with features that include a redesigned Lock screen, a Siri SDK to allow third-party apps to integrate with Siri, and a completely overhauled Messages app with stickers, a full App Store, Digital Touch, Bubble Effects, and more.

Other features include a dedicated "Home" app for HomeKit users, new facial and object recognition capabilities in Photos, and redesigned Maps and Apple Music apps.