MacRumors

Facebook is researching ways to analyze encrypted data, such as WhatsApp messages, without actually decrypting the information, according to a new report from The Information.

The report cites that Facebook has confirmed it is building a team of artificial intelligence researchers to "study ways of analyzing encrypted data without decrypting it." While it is still early in development, the research could enable Facebook to use users' encrypted WhatsApp messages and then utilize that information for targeted advertising.

This specific field of research is called "homomorphic encryption," which is hoped to allow companies to read information from encrypted sets of data while also preserving privacy to protect against cybersecurity threats. Facebook has advertised several related job roles on its website, noting that it wants to work on privacy-preserving technologies while "simultaneously expanding the efficiency of Facebook's market-leading advertising systems."

The company continues to recruit researchers with backgrounds in privacy-related technologies including homomorphic encryption, secure computation and data anonymization, according to job advertisements on its website. The technologies are aimed at preserving privacy while "simultaneously expanding the efficiency of Facebook's market-leading advertising systems."

Facebook has famously been the subject of scrutiny from lawmakers and members of the public over its privacy practices. The Information believes that homomorphic encryption could be Facebook's response to growing concerns over user privacy and its relation to the platform's business model of running ads.

For Facebook, homomorphic encryption could offer a way to continue to make money from ads that are targeted based on what it knows about individual users while also answering calls from lawmakers to take privacy more seriously and prevent the misuse or breach of its data. And it could aid the company's effort to make money from WhatsApp, whose messages are encrypted, meaning Facebook can't use them to target ads.

Facebook has considered a workaround to target ads to WhatsApp users in the meantime, but homomorphic encryption could allow Facebook to analyze the data without actually reading it or sharing it directly with advertisers.

A Facebook spokesperson told The Information that it is "too early for us to consider homomorphic encryption for WhatsApp at this time." The timing of Facebook's apparent ramp-up of research into new ways to target ads to users through their WhatsApp messages comes not long after Apple's rollout of ATT or App Tracking Transparency.

ATT is a framework on iOS 14.5 and later that requires that all apps to ask for user's consent before tracking them across other apps and websites. Facebook had been a vocal critic of the framework in the weeks leading up to its official launch; however, after its rollout, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it has had little impact on his company's performance so far.

Update: Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp, has tweeted in response to The Information's report that WhatsApp is not exploring the use of homomorphic encryption. Cathcart states that there should be skepticism of "technical claims that apps like ours could see messages in "good" cases only."

Apple Maps users in Belgium now have access to real-time transit information, offering information on whether a train is on time or possibly facing a delay, as reported by iCulture.

Transit information has been available in Belgium since November of 2018; however, real-time data is new. With real-time information, users can now more easily plan their commutes based on actual transit run-times rather than simply what's scheduled.

Apple has made the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, which previously was only available with the purchase of the new 24-inch iMac, available for purchase individually for $149.

Apple also retails the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and a numeric keypad for $179. A standard Magic Keyboard without ‌Touch ID‌ or a numeric keypad is available for $99, and a new Magic Trackpad for $129.

One major point to be aware of is that Apple says that the Magic Keyboard with ‌Touch ID‌ is only supported on Apple silicon Macs running macOS 11.4 or later. With ‌Touch ID‌ built into the keyboard, users of the M1 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini can now conveniently use ‌Touch ID‌ with an external keyboard.

The Magic Keyboard with ‌Touch ID‌ in both its numeric and non-numeric keypad forms begins shipping today alongside the new trackpad and can be purchased on Apple's website. All of the accessories are available in silver only, with other color options being exclusive to the 24-inch ‌iMac‌.

A bill that could require Apple and Google to allow third-party payment methods on their respective app stores in South Korea is gaining support ahead of a vote on the issue.

The bill proposes an amendment to the existing Telecommunications Business Act, which would bar Apple, Google, and any other company that operates its own app distribution platform, from forcing developers to use a specific payment method. Apple requires that all apps on the App Store use its own payment method for in-app purchases, which gives the company a 30% commission.

That 30% cut and restrictions on developers that prevent them from using third-party payment methods has been a significant point of contention between Apple and other companies. The Coalition for App Fairness, which consists of Epic Games, Spotify, and Match Group, has voiced their support for the bill in South Korea.

As reported by the Yonhap News Agency, the founder of the Coalition for App Fairness and the senior vice president for the Match Group, which operates Tinder, met with officials in the South Korean Democratic Party to express their support for the bill. As per the report:

Mark Buse, Match Group's senior vice president and a founding member of the Coalition for App Fairness, met ruling Democratic Party lawmakers at the National Assembly supporting the bill.

Buse expressed support for the bill, adding that it could spur more action from U.S. lawmakers. Similar movement has so far been made at a state level in the United States in around 15 states, according to Buse.

Apple has pushed back firmly against any measures that would open up its users to third-payment methods. In an interview earlier this year, Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, said that allowing third-payment methods on the ‌App Store‌ would turn the platform into a "flea market," noting that customers usually tend to have a low trust level for such markets.

The bill will first be reviewed by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee before being voted upon in the National Assembly.

ING Belgium today announced support for Apple Pay, offering the bank's customers another way to pay using contactless without needing their physical debit card to hand.

The 1.4 million customers who do their banking via the ING Banking app will now be able to use their ING cards with ‌Apple Pay‌ to make payments even more easily, said the bank in a press release.

"We're constantly looking for new ways to help our customers manage their money even easier, and Apple Pay is a great fit," said Amaury Vanthournout, Director of Payments at ING Belgium. "We've seen a major behavioral shift among our customers as a result of the pandemic, many of whom have become hesitant to use cash. Half of all payments are now contactless, a steep rise from 13% a year ago. By introducing Apple Pay in the ING Banking app, we are seizing the momentum by offering our customers a new payment method that offers incredible ease of use in shops, online and on the go."

ING said it had recorded 51.5 million contactless payments during the first five months of 2021, compared to 21.5 million over the same period last year. The contactless payments are said to have accounted for half of all in-store debit card payments and had an average amount of €19.

With support for ‌Apple Pay‌ now live, ING customers will have the added benefit of paying for things using their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, without having to enter their PIN, even for amounts over 50 euros.

ING already offers ‌Apple Pay‌ in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Romania, Poland, Australia and Germany. ‌Apple Pay‌ launched in Belgium in November 2018. The digital payment method first launched in the United States in October 2014 and has since expanded to many other countries around the globe.

Ahead of when the company is expected to reveal an updated iPad mini featuring an iPad Air-inspired redesign, Apple is out asking some existing ‌iPad mini‌ customers about whether the ‌iPad mini‌'s screen size is too big, too small, or whether it's "just right."

Apple often sends out surveys to customers. While they aren't always entirely indicative of the company's plans, it offers a glimpse into what Apple's teams are trying to gauge regarding customer's wants and needs. The latest survey, initially reported by ITHome, is an apparent attempt by the Cupertino tech-giant to understand the ‌iPad mini‌'s customers' base and demographic ahead of a significant redesign.

The first question Apple pitches in the survey is, "What do you think of the size of the ‌iPad mini‌ 4's display? Is it too small, just right, or too big?" The options include the display is "too small," "a little bit too small," "just the right size," "a bit too large," and "too large."

As the new ‌iPad mini‌ is expected to be just weeks away from launch, it is unlikely that the responses from the surveys will influence the ‌iPad‌'s screen size as it has already been finalized. However, Apple could use the responses from the survey for marketing purposes.

One of the most credible reports for the upcoming 6th-generation ‌iPad mini‌ indicate that it could feature a screen size upwards of 8.5 to 9-inches. Anywhere around that ballpark would place the new ‌iPad‌ on the lower end of the ‌iPad‌ spectrum, as the current smallest ‌iPad‌ after the ‌iPad mini‌ 5 is the baseline ‌iPad‌ with a 10.2-inch display.

Apple also interestingly asks customers to specify which activities they do on their ‌iPad mini‌ in portrait and landscape orientation. Specifically, Apple asks customers to specify whether they use landscape or portrait orientation to take notes, view photos and videos, and listen to music.

Bloomberg's reliable Mark Gurman has previously stated that the upcoming ‌iPad mini‌ will feature a redesign inspired by the iPad Air. Like the iPad Pro, the ‌iPad Air‌ features no Home Button, making it easier to use the ‌iPad‌ in whichever orientation users prefer due to the gesture-based navigation system, rather than having to find the Home Button physically.

The two remaining questions Apple asks are more generic, asking customers to state alongside their ‌iPad mini‌, what other devices they own such as laptops, other tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, and so on. Finally, Apple asks customers to single out what accessories they use with their current ‌iPad mini‌. Apple lists the following accessories for customers to choose from:

• Power adapters/chargers (not included in the box)
• Charging base
• Stylus
• Wireless keyboard
• Headphones or earphones
• External speaker
• Screen protector
• Protective cover or case made by Apple or a third-party (seperate choices)
• ‌iPad‌ cover or case with a built-in keyboard and trackpad made by a third-party
• ‌iPad‌ cover or case with a built-in keyboard made by a third-party
• ‌iPad‌ protective bag/holder made by Apple or a third-party (seperate choices)
• Car accessories such as a car charger, cable, and so on...
• Game controller

While it may seem like a random selection of choices for Apple to provide, it could offer some hints towards the next ‌iPad mini‌. Currently, unlike the latest iPhones, all iPads come with a USB power adapter in the box. Apple asking customers whether they use power adapters and chargers not included in the box could be its way of determining whether its ‌iPad mini‌ customer base uses the power adapter in the box or if it's being disregarded.

Eventually, it's safe to assume that as part of the company's environmental pledge, iPads may subsequently no longer include USB power adapters in the box. Apple has yet to make that move, however.

The baseline ‌iPad‌ and ‌iPad mini‌ are the only two remaining iPads in Apple's lineup to feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, which was famously removed from the iPhone with the ‌iPhone‌ 7. The survey asking customers about their use of external speakers and headphones/earphones could be interpreted that the 6th-generation ‌iPad mini‌ will remove with the headphone jack. Regardless of the survey, though, reports of an ‌iPad‌ Air-inspired redesign coincides with the expected removal of the jack.

Finally, Apple's surveys could add credibility to a report that the upcoming ‌iPad mini‌ will feature a Smart Connector, which would open up an entirely new class of ‌iPad mini‌ accessories capable of using the connector, such as keyboards and more.

The new ‌iPad mini‌ is expected to launch later this fall, alongside a slew of new product releases including new iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and MacBook Pros.

In iOS 15, Apple has significantly improved Siri by adding some much-anticipated features like on-device processing and support for offline requests, while also making the voice assistant more context-aware.

One result of ‌Siri‌'s increased contextual awareness is its ability to help you share whatever's on your iPhone screen with someone else via a Message, be it a website in Safari, a song in Apple Music, a photo, or just the local weather forecast.

To share something at any time, say "Hey ‌Siri‌," then "Share this with [person]." ‌Siri‌ will spring into action and confirm your request by asking "Are you ready to send it?" At that point, you can either say yes/no, or you can add a comment to the message using the input field and then hit Send.

If it's something that can't be shared directly, like the weather forecast, ‌‌Siri‌‌ will take a screenshot and send that instead. All you have to do is say "Share this with [person]," and ‌‌Siri‌‌ will take the screenshot, then confirm the request with you in the same way.

The feature works with ‌‌Apple Music‌‌, Apple Podcasts, Apple News, Maps, Safari web pages, photos, Messages, and more. When iOS 15 is released in September, expect third-party apps to gain support for sharing via ‌Siri‌, too.

Spotify is experimenting with a new ad-supported subscription tier that gives listeners more freedom over what they listen to compared to the existing free ad-based plan.

Called Spotify Plus, the tier costs $0.99 per month and lets users pick which songs they want to stream between ads, with unlimited skips and on-demand listening.

That's in contrast to Spotify's free ad-based tier, which limits users to skipping no more than six tracks every hour, and only lets them listen to tracks from 15 pre-selected playlists. If they don't want to listen to the playlists, they're limited to shuffling between tracks.

The streaming service confirmed to The Verge that it was piloting Spotify Plus with a limited number of users, but cautioned there was no guarantee that it would get a full rollout and that it "routinely conduct[s] tests to inform our decisions."

Spotify in February announced plans to introduce a new "HiFi premium" tier later this year, but despite some indications that it's been in testing, we've still to see the high-definition plan go live. Since then, Apple Music has launched Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and ‌‌Apple Music‌‌ Lossless, two features that became available to subscribers in June for no additional fee.

Apple Pay today went live for customers of South African bank FNB, allowing users to add a range of cards to the Wallet app on their iPhone for contactless mobile payments (via MyBroadband).

FNB cards supported on ‌Apple Pay‌ include Premier Fusion, Private Fusion, Private Wealth Credit, Business Debit, and Aspire Debit.

Adding an FNB card to ‌Apple Pay‌ is as easy as opening the Wallet app, tapping the plus button, and following the on-screen instructions. Customers can also update the official FNB app and they'll receive a message suggesting they add their card to ‌Apple Pay‌.

• How to Change Your Default Card for Apple Pay Purchases on Your iPhone

‌Apple Pay‌ launched in South Africa in March, with Absa, Discovery Bank, and Nedbank being among the first to adopt support for the digital wallet and mobile payment system. Apple first launched its mobile payment method‌ in 2014 in the United States, and it has seen a gradual rollout around the world as more countries and banks sign up to the system.

Popular writing app Ulysses today reached version 23, and this update improves its blog publishing features as well as the way session histories and writing goals are calculated.

For a while now, Ulysses has offered a writing goal feature to help writers foster a writing habit. The goal feature allows them to set a daily target – 500 words, say – and monitor their progress towards achieving it. Version 23 revamps the way the associated session history feature calculates those goals.

"Our original approach had a couple of design flaws," says lead developer Götz Fabian. "We must take numerous outlying factors into account, for example, when users sync through iCloud or collect material, which should not count toward their writing target. That's why a profound rewrite became necessary."

As well as providing a focused writing environment, Ulysses offers ways to publish texts from within the app to various blogging platforms. Version 23 refines the feature by indicating uploaded posts with a paper plane icon, making them easier to spot in the editor, while a text's publishing status now appears in the dashboard sidebar.

Users now also have the option to update previously published Ghost posts from within Ulysses. Up until now, updating was only available for WordPress, but the developers plan to add it for Micro.blog in the coming months.

Ulysses can be downloaded for free on the App Store, with version 23 rolling out to existing users today. After a 14-day trial period, a subscription is required to unlock the app on all devices. A monthly subscription costs $5.99, while a yearly subscription is $49.99.

Students can use Ulysses at a discounted price of $11.99 per six months. The discount is granted from within the app. Ulysses is also included in Setapp, the subscription-based service for Mac applications created by MacPaw.

Following the release of iOS 14.7.1 last week, Apple has stopped signing iOS 14.7, the previously available version of iOS that was released earlier in July. With iOS 14.7 no longer being signed, it is not possible to downgrade to iOS 14.7 if you've already installed iOS 14.7.1.

Apple routinely stops signing older versions of software updates after new releases come out in order to encourage customers to keep their operating systems up to date.

iOS 14.7 added MagSafe Battery Pack support and addressed several bugs. iOS 14.7.1 included a critical security fix for a bug that may have been actively exploited in the wild, and it addressed an issue that could prevent Touch ID phones from unlocking a connected Apple Watch.

Given that iOS 14.7.1 includes an important bug fix, it's important for all iOS users to upgrade as soon as possible if they have not done so already.

Apple must face a patent infringement lawsuit over the heart rate technology in the Apple Watch, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled today.

Back in 2018, Apple was sued by Omni MedSci, with the company alleging that Apple used its patented technology in the Apple Watch. Apple reportedly met with Omni MedSci between 2014 to 2016 to discuss a possible partnership, but Apple is said to have ended discussions and used technology from four Omni patents anyway.

According to Reuters, Apple attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed.

Omni MedSci is owned by Mohammed Islam, who has been described as a "poster child for a patenting professional." He owns six companies and has collected more than 150 patents. In the past, he has used those patents to sue companies that include Fujitsu, Alcatel-Lucent, Huawei, Nokia, and Siemens.

Islam is employed by the University of Michigan, and Apple's argument for dismissal was that his patents were owned by the university, which the University of Michigan supported on behalf of Apple. The appeals court decided that was not the case, and that Islam's employment agreement did not automatically assign his patents to the university.

Omni MedSci has claimed that Apple willfully infringed on its patents. The company is seeking an injunction to stop the sale of the Apple Watch, along with damages. Omni MedSci's attorney told Reuters that the company is "pleased by not surprised" by the ruling.

Twitter's "Sign in With Apple" feature is now widely available to iPhone and iPad users, following a beta test earlier this month.

Downloading the Twitter app presents an option to "Continue with Apple," which is available alongside the "Continue with Google" or "Create Account" options.

Using ‌Sign in With Apple‌, Twitter users who wish to create a new account can do so with their Apple IDs, and can elect to hide their true email addresses from Twitter. Signing up is as simple as confirming an account with Face ID, though Twitter users will still need to provide a date of birth and other info.

Account names appear to be generated based on user name and can be changed afterward, but there are some limitations to be aware of. Since Sign in with Apple does not create a password, it can be difficult to change an account's email address, select a new profile name, or deactivate an account.

Twitter says that Sign in with Apple support will be coming soon to the web.

In iOS 15, Apple's Maps app benefits from a range of new features and improvements, including the ability to use augmented reality walking directions in big cities.

In a nod to Google Maps, the new AR mode can map walking directions onto the real world by using your iPhone's rear camera, making it easier to see where you need to go in built-up areas and reducing the need to look down at your smartphone as you move.

First, initiate a walking route, then simply raise your ‌iPhone‌ and scan the buildings around you when prompted. The step-by-step directions will appear in the AR mode automatically, which should make it easier to get where you need to go, especially in situations where the directions are tricky.

The AR feature is available from late 2021 in major supported cities including London, Los Angeles, New York, Philadephia, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington DC.

Note that to get augmented reality walking directions, your ‌iPhone‌ will need an A12 chip or later. The A12 was first used in the ‌‌iPhone‌‌ XS, XS Max, and XR, which came out in 2018, which means that iPhones released after 2018 are compatible with the AR feature.

A Steve Jobs and Apple auction coming from Boston-based RR Auction in August will see the sale of several classic Macs and other Apple memorabilia, including a rare Apple-1 computer, an Apple II manual signed by Steve Jobs, a leather bomber jacket worn by Jobs, and more.

The Apple-1 that's going up for sale is from the collection of Roger Wagner, and it was previously sold in April 2002 at the Vintage Computer Festival in 2002. Wagner, who authored the first book on assembly-language programming for the Apple II, is a friend of Steve Wozniak.

The Apple-1 was restored to working condition by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen, and it is functional with a condition rating of 7/10. It comes with the original Apple-1 board, Cassette Interface, cassettes, Panasonic Portable Cassette Tape Recorder and Player, an Apple II keyboard, 11 original Apple-1 Operating Manual pages signed by Ronald Wayne, and more.

Apple-1 machines were the first computers produced by Apple and sold by Steve Jobs out of his parents' garage back in 1976. Priced at $666.66, there were originally 175 Apple-1 computers manufactured, but less than half of those are still in existence, so these machines fetch high prices at auction.

Bidding on the Apple-1 will start at $50,000, and RR Auction estimates that it could sell for as much as $450,000. Last March, a functional Apple-1 computer sold for $458,000, though it was in slightly better condition. Some Apple-1 machines have sold for up to $815,000.

Along with the Apple-1, RR Auction is selling Steve Jobs' bomber jacket, which was worn in the 1983 "middle finger to IBM" photo, and an Apple II manual that was signed by Steve Jobs and Mark Markkula. Addressed to Julian Brewer, the note in the manual reads "Julian, Your generation is the first to grow up with computers. Go change the world! Steven Jobs, 1980." Julian Brewer is the son of Michael Brewer, who negotiated distribution rights for Apple in the UK in 1979.

RR Auctions expects that the jacket and the manual could fetch prices upwards of $25,000.

There are several other bits of Apple memorabilia that are being auctioned off, including a Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Signed issue of Macworld, a program signed by Jobs, a letter signed by Jobs, a 128K Macintosh motherboard signed by Jobs and Jef Raskin, a Steve Jobs business card, and more.

All of the items in the auction will go up for sale on August 13.

Google today previewed its next-generation Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which are set to launch later this year. These are Google's new flagship smartphones, with a redesign that includes a rear camera bar and tons of other new technologies.

Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be the first smartphones using Google's custom-designed Tensor SoC that was created specifically for the Pixel phones.

Google says that the Tensor chip is designed to process AI and ML models directly on the Pixel 6 phones, which will bring improvements to camera technology, speech recognition, and more. With the Tensor chip, Google says that voice commands, translation, captioning, and dictation will be much improved.

The Pixel 6 has a 6.4-inch full-screen display with a 90Hz refresh rate, while the 6.7-inch Pixel 6 Pro has a 6.7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Both phones are larger than the 2020 Pixel 5, which was a 6-inch smartphone, and have an in-display fingerprint sensor and a Titan M2 security chip.

Each of the new smartphones is available in three color combos with a rear camera bar setup. The Pixel 6 Pro is equipped with wide, ultra wide, and telephoto camera lenses, and the telephoto lens has 4x optical zoom capabilities. The Pixel 6 lacks the telephoto lens, but both phones have an updated sensor that lets in 150 percent more light.

A Material You user interface will provide what Google says is a "fluid" experience for the colors, camera, and form factor of the new device.

Several sites, including Gizmodo, The Verge, and Business Insider were able to either test out the Pixel 6 or speak with Google executives about its capabilities, so those reviews are worth checking out for those who want to know more about Google's upcoming smartphones. The Verge has suggested that this is Google's first true attempt at a "competitive flagship phone."

Google has not yet provided a release date for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, but these new smartphones will directly compete with Apple's upcoming iPhone 13 lineup featuring the ‌iPhone‌ 13, ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini, ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro, and ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max.

Pricing is not yet available, but the Pixel 5 that came out last year cost $699, so Pixel 6 pricing could start at a similar level.