Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming iOS 9.3.3 update to developers and public beta testers, one week after seeding the fourth beta of iOS 9.3.3 and more than a month after the release of iOS 9.3.2, a minor bug fix update. iOS 9.3.3 has been in testing since May 23.
The fifth iOS 9.3.3 beta update can be downloaded from the Apple Developer Center or over-the-air with the proper configuration profile installed.
As a minor 9.x.x update, iOS 9.3.3 features under-the-hood bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements to address issues discovered since the release of iOS 9.3.2. No outward-facing changes or obvious bug fixes were discovered in the first four betas of iOS 9.3.3.
iOS 9.3.3 beta 5 comes following the developer launch of iOS 10, a new version of iOS that will be released to the public this fall, with the second developer beta of iOS 10 having launched just yesterday. iOS 10 includes features like a redesigned Lock screen experience, a revamped Messages app with its own App Store, a Siri SDK for developers, a new Home app for controlling HomeKit devices, a redesigned Apple Music app, and more.
Internet security software company Bitdefender's research lab has disclosed new malware targeting Macs called Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor [PDF]. Learn more about the malware and how to keep your Mac protected against attackers.
What is Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor?
Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor is new OS X/macOS malware arising from a malicious third-party app called EasyDoc Converter, which poses as a drag-and-drop file converter.
What is EasyDoc Converter?
"EasyDoc Converter.app" is a third-party Mac app that poses as a drag-and-drop file converter. The app has the following fake description:
EasyDoc Converter is a fast and simple file converter for OS X. Instantly convert your FreeOffice (.fof) and SimpleStats (.sst) docs to Microsoft Office (.docx) by dropping your file onto the app. EasyDoc Converter is great for employees and students looking for a simple tool for quickly convert files to the popular Microsoft format. EasyDoc Converter lets you get to work quickly by using a simple, clean, drag-and-drop interface. The converted document will be saved in the same directory of the original file.
EasyDoc Converter was previously available on software download website MacUpdate, but the app was removed by July 5. It may remain available for download elsewhere online. The app was never available through the Mac App Store.
The app was created with Platypus, a developer tool used for native Mac apps from shell, Perl, Python or Ruby scripts.
How is Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor distributed?
Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor infects Macs with EasyDoc Converter installed. The app installs a malicious script that is registered to system startup and allows an attacker to anonymously access the infected Mac.
How does Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor put my Mac at risk?
Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor creates a Tor hidden service that provides attackers with full anonymous access to the infected Mac remotely through a PHP-based local web server dubbed Web Service – via a Tor-generated address.
Attackers then have the ability to access and modify files, execute shell commands, capture images and videos from iSight or FaceTime webcams, and more through a web-based control panel:
• File manager (view, edit, rename, delete, upload, download, and archive files) • Command execution (execute commands) • Script execution (execute scripts in PHP, PERL, Python, Ruby, Java, C) • Shell via bind/reverse shell connect (remotely execute root commands) • Simple packet crafter (probe firewall rule-sets and find entry points into a targeted system or network) • Connect and administer databases • Process list/task manager (access the list of processes and apps running) • Send emails with attached files
What is a Tor hidden service?
Tor is free software that allows for anonymous communication over a computer network, known as onion routing. The software essentially re-routes network traffic through a network of computers so that it cannot be traced back to its source IP address, allowing users to browse the internet without being identified.
Tor hidden services are websites or servers configured to accept inbound connections only when they are routed through the anonymity network. A hidden service is accessed through its "onion" address, such as XXXpaceinbeg3yci.onion, which the attacker can connect to to gain remote control of the infected Mac.
Which Macs are affected?
MacUpdate listed EasyDoc Converter's system requirements as Intel-based Macs running OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) or later. OS X Snow Leopard is compatible with Macs that have at least 1GB of RAM and 5GB of free disk space.
Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor is thereby capable of infecting mid 2007 or newer MacBook models, all MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, mid 2007 or newer Mac mini and iMac models, and all Mac Pro models.
Identify your Mac model by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left macOS menu bar and selecting "About This Mac."
How do I protect myself against Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor?
The most important and obvious preventative measure is to avoid downloading "EasyDoc Converter.app" from any source. Installing unfamiliar apps from unidentified developers is almost always a security risk.
Apple's default Gatekeeper security settings already prevent EasyDoc Converter from opening, unless you ignore the warning dialog and proceed to manually open the app under System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
Mac users can also download a trusted anti-malware app such as BlockBlock, which continually monitors common persistence locations and displays an alert whenever a persistent component is added to the system.
Users that already installed EasyDoc Converter can download anti-malware software Malwarebytes, which has already been updated to detect and remove Backdoor.MAC.Eleanor.
How will Apple deal with this malware?
Apple will likely update its "Xprotect" anti-malware system to block EasyDoc Converter.
With around three months remaining until Apple is expected to announce the tentatively named iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, detailed renders of the next-generation smartphones continue to surface on the web.
The latest CAD renders, posted on Chinese social media and shared by French website NWE, provide a closer look at the possible design of the smartphones and paint a clearer picture of which features may be included.
iPhone 7 Plus with dual-lens camera (left) and iPhone 7 with larger camera (right)
There is also the addition of a second speaker grille occupying the space that would normally house the 3.5mm headphone jack, corroborating rumors that the iPhone 7 series may deliver stereo sound. At least one render has shown no stereo speakers in the past, however, so the feature's inclusion is still debated.
iPhone 7 with no headphone jack and two speaker grilles for stereo sound
On the bottom remains a Lightning connector, which is expected to evolve into an all-in-one port for audio output, charging, and accessory connectivity. There is also a traditional looking SIM card slot, which likely rules out a sketchy rumor about the iPhone 7 having dual SIM trays for use with multiple carriers.
Other features consistent with the iPhone 6s include a side-facing power button and pill-shaped volume controls, mute switch, dual-LED flash, and a microphone on the bottom and next to the rear camera.
The popularity of music streaming services has overtaken video sites for the first time in the U.S., according to market monitor BuzzAngle.
Services like Apple Music and Spotify delivered 114 billion streams in the first six months of 2016, compared to 95 billion video streams on sites like YouTube and Vevo. Overall, the market for streaming services increased by 58% year-on-year.
The surge in popularity was largely driven by the availability of albums by Beyonce, Rihanna and Drake. Rihanna's 'Work' is the most-streamed song of 2016 in the U.S, for example, while Drake's Views is the most requested album, being streamed 1.5 billion times since its release in April.
Adele's album 25 was not available to stream for seven months after it was released, yet figures show that it was streamed 168 million times in the first six days following its streaming debut on June 24.
The rise in streaming enabled music consumption in the U.S. to grow by 6.5%, despite CD sales being down 11% and digital sales falling 17%. Vinyl sales meanwhile enjoyed continuing growth, going up 17% to 3.1 million.
Spotify remains the world's most popular streaming music service with 30 million subscribers, boasting roughly twice as many paying subscribers as Apple Music, but the Swedish rival has been available in Europe for nearly eight years and in the U.S. since 2011, while Apple Music only just celebrated its first year of service.
Despite rising users and revenues, Spotify continues to operate at a loss due to expensive royalties and revenue sharing with music label partners. The service's losses rose by 10 percent to $195.7 million (173 million euros) last year, prompting some investors to question the viability of its business model.
For Apple Music's part, assuming that it maintains its current pace of growth, it is reasonable to assume that it will eventually eclipse Spotify as the top streaming service worldwide, benefiting from its prominence as a default app on iOS and offering a lengthy three-month free trial to get users hooked on the service.
Nintendo, The Pokemon Company and Niantic's augmented reality game Pokemon GO is rolling out in the App Store now. The game is available in New Zealand, Australia and is propagating through the App Store around the world and in the U.S.
The game uses augmented reality and real-world maps to allow users to venture into the real world to look for Pokemon to capture. Once collected, Pokemon can be leveled up, traded and used for battle. They can also be assigned to defend Gyms from other players. Gyms, like Pokemon, can be found by wandering out into the real world.
When a player is wandering through their neighborhood and a Pokemon is nearby, the game will send the player a notification. Certain Pokemon and items are only available in select locations. For instance, water Pokemon are available near bodies of water while certain PokeBalls are located near museums and other points of interest.
Players can also purchase an optional accessory called Pokemon GO Plus, a wrist-worn device that syncs with the game and alerts users to events happening in the game within their physical vicinity, like the appearance of a new Pokemon.
Our sister site TouchArcade shared some thoughts on the app compared to its beefier, handheld cousins on Nintendo DS.
While the feedback from the beta hasn't been entirely positive, and it's questionable whether the game will live up to the hidden complexity of the Nintendo handheld titles, Pokemon GO will certainly fill a void for anyone looking for critter catching action on their smartphone.
Pokemon GO is Nintendo's second game for iOS after Miitomo. Later this year, the company will launch two more games based on its Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing franchises.
Pokemon GO is available in the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
As a part of its push into mobile gaming, Nintendo is considering creating physical controllers and other kinds of hardware for different types of mobile games and experiences, reportsPolygon. Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo's general manager of entertainment planning and development, discussed the possibility at the company's annual shareholders meeting.
"Physical controllers for smart device applications are available in the market and it is possible that we may also develop something new by ourselves," Takahashi said. "I believe Nintendo's way of thinking is to look at whether action games are really not impossible (without a physical controller for smart device applications) to create and how we can make it happen to create such a game."
In the console and handheld gaming spaces, Nintendo has taken to crafting unique controllers that the company can take advantage of with its first-party games. Nintendo's unique controllers include a reverse trident design, motion control remotes and dual-screen handhelds.
Apple added support for iOS game controllers with iOS 7, expanding its Made for iPhone program to include game controller accessories. More recently, the company dropped its requirement for tvOS games to support the Siri Remote, allowing game developers to create more complex games for the fourth-generation Apple TV.
Nintendo also reiterated its commitment to create mobile app experiences that aren't games, like its social lifestyle game / app Miitomo. The company still has plans to release five smartphone games by March 2017, with Miitomo already released and Pokemon GO set to debut later this month. Smartphone games based on Nintendo franchises Fire Emblem and Animal Crossing will arrive later this year.
Today's release of the second developer beta of iOS 10 brought a number of tweaks and improvements, and we'll undoubtedly see more as Apple continues through the development and testing process ahead of a full public release likely in September.
In addition to the tidbits we listed in our original coverage, we've also put together this overview video to help highlight some of the changes and new features in the second beta. It takes a look at the new Messages App Store with some sticker packs from Apple, changes to the Control Center 3D Touch actions, Apple's new organ donor signup, and more.
For additional details on new features coming in iOS 10, make sure to check out our iOS 10 roundup. Also, don't miss out on our previous videos covering the first beta version of iOS 10:
In a wide-ranging commentary piece about why now is a bad time to buy a new iPhone, The Wall Street Journal has confirmed that the iPhone 7 will start with 32GB of storage, replacing the infamous 16GB base tier offered since the iPhone 3GS.
The new iPhones are expected to have more storage for those photos. Instead of 16GB as a starting point for the entry-level iPhone, the new starting point will be 32GB, according to a person familiar with Apple’s iPhone plans. Hallelujah! I’ve long said that keeping the 16GB iPhone was just a ploy for Apple to get people to buy the 64GB model—for $100 extra.
The bump from 16GB to 32GB of entry-level storage has already been widely rumored by multiple Asian sources connected with Apple's supply chain, but confirmation from The Wall Street Journal makes the claim much more credible.
Two of the three storage options for iPhone 7 will likely be 32GB and 128GB, while multiplesources have said that at least the larger Plus-sized 5.5-inch model will be available with 256GB of storage. It is unclear if the 4.7-inch model will also have a 256GB storage option. The current storage options for both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus include 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB.
Apple today seeded the second beta of macOS Sierra, the newest operating system designed for the Mac, to developers. macOS Sierra beta 2 comes three weeks after the software was first unveiled at Apple's 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.
The update can be downloaded through the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Apple Developer Center.
macOS Sierra is a major update that brings Siri to the Mac for the first time, allowing users to conduct voice searches to quickly find files, look up information, and more. New Continuity features offer an "Auto Unlock" option for unlocking a Mac with an Apple Watch and a Universal Clipboard for copying something on one Apple device and pasting it on another.
Deeper iCloud integration makes files stored on the desktop or the Documents folder of a Mac available on all of a user's devices, and Photos features new deep learning algorithms for facial, object, and scene recognition. There's a new Memories feature for displaying photo collections, and Messages has features like rich links, bigger emoji, and "Tapback" response options.
Apple Pay is coming to the web in macOS Sierra, with payments authenticated through an iPhone or Apple Watch, and new features like multiple tabs, Picture in Picture multitasking, and optimized storage are available.
- Auto Unlock via Apple Watch is now available. It requires that your iCloud account have Two-Factor (not Two-Step) Authentication enabled and that your Mac be from 2013 or newer. iOS 10 and watchOS 3 are also required.
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 3 update to developers for testing purposes, roughly three weeks after first unveiling watchOS 3 at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.
The second watchOS 3 beta can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on an iPhone by going to General --> Software update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the Apple Watch charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.
watchOS 3 introduces significant changes to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. A new dock, accessible by pressing the side button, replaces Glances and houses 10 favorite first and third-party apps. Apps on the dock are kept continually up to date and are stored in memory for instant launching.
Activity Sharing options allow Apple Watch owners to share workout and activity information with friends, and there are new options for Wheelchair users. A Breathe app guides users through daily deep breathing sessions, an Apple Watch can unlock a Mac, and Apple has added apps for Reminders, Find My Friends, and accessing one's heartbeat.
Watch faces support more complications, there are three new watch faces to choose from, including a new Activity watch face, and an SOS feature will make sure an option to get help in an emergency is always right at your fingertips. On the iPhone, there's a new Face Gallery for customizing Apple Watch faces, and watchOS 3 allows the Apple Watch to be located via Find My iPhone.
For full details on the new features coming in watchOS 3, which will be released to the public this fall, make sure to check out our watchOS 3 roundup.
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of tvOS 10, the next-generation operating system designed to run on the fourth-generation Apple TV. tvOS 10 beta 2 comes three weeks after the operating system was first shown off at Apple's 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference
tvOS betas are more difficult to install than beta updates for iOS and OS X. Installing the tvOS beta requires the Apple TV to be connected to a computer with a USB-C to USB-A cable, with the software downloaded and installed via iTunes or Apple Configurator. Once a beta profile has been installed on the device through iTunes, new beta releases will be available over the air.
tvOS 10 builds on the features initially introduced in tvOS, bringing expanded Siri capabilities with topic-based search, Live Tune-In for automatically accessing live channels, and options for managing HomeKit accessories.
Single-Sign On allows users to sign in and authenticate cable credentials just once instead of requiring authentication in all cable-supported apps, games are now able to require controllers, and there are new features for Photos and Music.
A dark mode offers a better visual experience for darker rooms, universal apps are automatically downloaded, and there's a new Apple TV remote for iOS devices that mirrors the Siri Remote.
Apple today released the second beta of iOS 10 to developers for testing purposes, just over three weeks after first unveiling the new operating system at its 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.
Today's update is available as an over-the-air download to those who installed the first beta or the beta configuration profile and it's available for direct download through the Apple Developer Center. The update is accompanied by a new beta of Xcode 8.
iOS 10 is a major iOS update with a host of new features and design tweaks, including a new Lock screen experience with 3D Touch-enabled notifications, a more easily accessible camera, a redesigned Control Center, and a new widgets screen.
Messages has been entirely overhauled with features that include background animations, bubble effects, Digital Touch, handwritten notes, Tapback replies, predictive emoji, and its own dedicated App Store, and Photos has gained impressive facial and object recognition capabilities along with a Memories feature for rediscovering forgotten moments.
There's a new Home app and apps like Maps and Apple Music have been redesigned, plus there are hundreds of smaller tweaks and changes in the operating system.
iOS 10 is only available to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to introduce a public iOS 10 beta in July before the official fall release of the software.
- The Messages App Store is now live with Apple's sticker packs available for download.
- The Filters icon in the bottom toolbar of Mail has been changed from the previous funnel-style icon.
- 3D Touch shortcuts on the flashlight and time in Control Center now have icons, and the brightness settings for the flashlight have been renamed to low/medium/bright light from low/medium/high intensity.
- The Music app now supports Dynamic Type, so those who have selected a smaller text size in Settings will see smaller fonts in the Music app, addressing a significant complaint from the beta 1 redesign.
- There is a new "Low Quality Image Mode" in the Messages section of Settings.
BlackBerry has announced that it will no longer manufacture the BlackBerry Classic, meaning that the touchscreen smartphone will no longer be available once remaining stock is depleted through official sales channels.
For many years, Classic (and its BBOS predecessors) has been in our portfolio. It has been an incredible workhorse device for customers, exceeding all expectations. But, the Classic has long surpassed the average lifespan for a smartphone in today’s market. We are ready for this change so we can give our customers something better – entrenched in our legacy in security and pedigree in making the most productive smartphones.
BlackBerry Classic, equipped with a physical QWERTY keyboard, was unveiled in December 2014 with a design similar to the once-popular BlackBerry Bold smartphone series released between May 2008 and November 2011. BlackBerry's dominance has shrunk considerably since then, however, with iOS and Android smartphones now combining for some 98 percent of worldwide market share.
BlackBerry said it will be updating its smartphone lineup with "state of the art devices," presumably with an Android focus like the BlackBerry Priv. The company will continue to support BlackBerry 10 with software updates, including version 10.3.3 due next month and a second update to follow next year. The BlackBerry 10-powered BlackBerry Passport and BlackBerry Leap remain available for sale.
Apple is demanding price cuts on components for the new iPhone from its overseas suppliers to maintain its high profit margins, despite a global slowdown in smartphone sales, according to Taiwanese website DigiTimes.
The report claims several large Taiwan-based component suppliers such as Foxconn, Largan Precision, and Pegatron have already been affected, while strong competition in Greater China forcing the companies to "compete aggressively" over Apple's orders by cutting prices.
Currently, Largan is facing strong competition from Japan-based Kantatsu over camera module orders, while Foxconn and Pegatron are seeing Apple adding new ODM partners such as Wistron for the production of its new iPhone.
Apple is set to give U.S. users of its mobile Health app a one-tap option to sign up as organ, eye, and tissue donors when the company releases iOS 10 this fall (via CNBC).
The option to enroll in the national donor registry will be made available via a button in the operating system's native Health app, which allows users to view and manage their health and fitness data.
Speaking to The Associated Press, CEO Tim Cook said he hoped the new option would help ease a longstanding donor shortage, a problem that hit home when Steve Jobs endured an "excruciating" wait for a liver transplant in March 2009.
Cook reportedly offered to donate a portion of his own liver because the two men shared a blood type, but Jobs turned down Cook's offer and later received a full liver transplant.
Jobs died of pancreatic cancer in October 2011, aged 56.
"Apple's mission has always been to create products that transform people's lives. With the updated Health app, we're providing education and awareness about organ donation and making it easier than ever to register. It's a simple process that takes just a few seconds and could help save up to eight lives," said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “Together with Donate Life America, we're excited to deliver this new feature to iPhone users in the US with iOS 10."
The U.S government is currently pushing an initiative to speed up the donor and matching service, while Facebook, Google and Twitter are also developing tools to achieve greater automation in the process, as part of their own public advocacy campaigns.
According to government statistics, someone is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 10 minutes and 22 people die while waiting for life-saving transplants every day.
Apart from an interface overhaul for the Health app, iOS 10 includes major updates for Messages, Siri, Photos, Maps, Apple Music, News, Apple Pay, Control Center, and more.
Update: Apple has published a press release that says all organ, eye, and tissue donor registrations submitted from iPhone will be sent directly to the National Donate Life Registry managed by Donate Life America.
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.
Walmart has announced that its mobile payments solution Walmart Pay is now available in 19 more U.S. states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
Last month, Walmart Pay widely expanded to Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. capital area. The service initially launched in Arkansas and Texas in May.
Walmart Pay is built into the Walmart app [Direct Link] for iOS and Android and works at any checkout lane with any major credit, debit, pre-paid, or Walmart gift card.
The payments solution is based upon a QR code checkout process that involves opening the Walmart app, selecting Walmart Pay, activating the camera, scanning the code displayed at the register, and waiting for the cashier to finish bagging your items. An electronic receipt is automatically sent to the app.
Walmart Pay is now available at more than 4,600 stores in all 50 states.
Walmart is among a handful of retailers that have refused to support Apple Pay since its American launch in October 2014. The retailer was originally committed to the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) consortium and its now indefinitely postponed payments service CurrentC before launching Walmart Pay.
In late 2015, Walmart senior vice president of services Daniel Eckert said that Walmart Pay allows "for integration of other mobile wallets in the future," providing at least some hope that the retailer may eventually accept rival payment services such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay at its stores.
Walmart Pay's resistance to Apple Pay continues despite some other large U.S. retailers including Best Buy and Rite Aid reversing course and accepting the iPhone-based payments service at their stores. Walmart rival Target, meanwhile, is developing a QR code-based mobile wallet solution of its own.
Majerczyk was charged in a Los Angeles, California district court, but will enter his guilty plea in the Northern District of Illinois. He faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. Ryan Collins, a 36-year-old Pennsylvania man who was also involved in the iCloud attack known as "Celebgate," likewise entered into a plea agreement in March with a recommended sentence of 18 months in prison.
Between November 2013 and September 2014, Majerczyk and Collins engaged in a phishing scheme to obtain the iCloud and Gmail usernames and passwords of over 300 victims, including female celebrities, according to court documents. The perpetrators sent their victims emails that appeared to be from Apple and Google, asking them to provide their usernames and passwords.
Majerczyk and Collins used the credentials to illegally access accounts and extract private information, which included nude photographs and videos. In September 2014, hundreds of nude photos of celebrities were then leaked on online image board 4chan before spreading to multiple internet sites, but investigators have not yet been able to find any evidence that either of the men were directly behind the leak.
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.
Apple is being sued by a subsidiary of China's broadcasting regulator over the showing of a propaganda film more than 20 years old, according to the Associated Press.
A Beijing court told AP on Saturday that the case had been brought by a state-run production center which alleges Apple has infringed on its exclusive online rights to broadcast Xuebo dixiao. The title loosely translates as "Bloody Fight with the Fierce Enemy", with the film depicting the Chinese army battling Japanese soldiers in northern China in the early 1930s.
The plaintiff is also suing Heyi Information and Technology, the company behind the Youku HD app that reportedly enabled users to watch the film, causing it "huge economic losses", according to the Beijing Haidian District People's Court.
The case was brought by Movie Satellite Channel Program Production Center, which comes under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SARFT).
The plaintiff wants the two companies to immediately stop broadcasting the film and is seeking compensation of 50,000 yuan ($7,500), plus 20,158 ($3,000) to cover the litigation costs.
This isn't the first time Apple has been targeted by China's media administrative wing. In April, the iTunes Movies and iBooks stores were reportedly forced down by SARFT. The store closures were linked to the release of controversial independent movie Ten Years, which imagines Hong Kong in 2025 with language police, radical protest, and social alienation rife.
The latest case also joins a line of legal spats for Apple in China in recent months. In June, the Beijing Intellectual Property Office ruled that Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus infringed on the patent rights of another smartphone sold within China, although the company that filed the patent infringement claim was said to "barely exist" following its victory.
In March, Apple lost its exclusive rights to the "iPhone" trademark in China when a Beijing court ruled that a leather goods manufacturer could continue to sell bags and cases under the same name without fear of legal repercussions.
Apple and other tech companies are also reportedly subject to security reviews in the country, to determine whether products "pose potential security threats" to China and Chinese consumers.
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.
Internet security software company Bitdefender's research lab has disclosed new malware targeting Macs called 
In a wide-ranging commentary piece about why 
BlackBerry has 
Apple is demanding price cuts on components for the new iPhone from its overseas suppliers to maintain its high profit margins, despite a global slowdown in smartphone sales, according to Taiwanese website 
Apple is set to give U.S. users of its mobile Health app a one-tap option to sign up as organ, eye, and tissue donors when the company releases iOS 10 this fall (via 
Edward Majerczyk, a 28-year-old Chicago man who played a role in the 
