T-Mobile today introduced a new Magenta MAX smartphone plan that offers truly unlimited LTE and 5G data in the United States, meaning that speeds are not throttled after using a certain amount of data per month.
Magenta MAX will be available starting February 24 for both consumers and small businesses, with pricing starting at $57 per month ($47 per month for a limited time) with three lines of service and AutoPay automated billing enabled, including taxes and fees. T-Mobile informed MacRumors that pricing for one individual line is $85 per month with AutoPay enabled, including taxes and fees, equal to its existing Magenta Plus plan.
The plan's only limitation appears to be Mobile Hotspot tethering to other devices, with high-speed data capped at 40GB per month for this. After this limit is reached, T-Mobile says speeds will be capped to the equivalent of 3G.
Magenta MAX also includes unlimited talk and text in the United States, a free Netflix Basic subscription for individuals and a free Netflix Standard subscription for families, 5GB of high-speed data when roaming in Canada and Mexico, unlimited Wi-Fi on flights with Gogo Inflight Internet, access to T-Mobile Tuesdays freebies, and more.
T-Mobile is also introducing a new standard Magenta smartphone plan priced at $47 per month ($40 per month for a limited time) with more limitations, including high-speed data capped at 100GB per month, high-speed Mobile Hotspot capped at 5GB per month, streaming video limited to 480p, and no free Netflix Basic for individuals.
T-Mobile says existing Magenta and Magenta Plus customers can easily upgrade and keep their current device or line promotions.
Epic Games will not be able to expand its ongoing Fortnite fight with Apple in the UK after a judge said the case could not continue in London, reports Bloomberg.
In January, Epic Games submitted a complaint to the United Kingdom's Competition Appeal Tribunal in an effort to get the Fortnite app back on the App Store in the UK. Epic Games argued that Apple's decision to remove Fortnite was unlawful, and tried to convince the Appeal Tribunal that it was acting on behalf of consumers and developers in the UK impacted by "Apple and Google's misuse of market power."
The judge ruled that Epic Games' case against Apple Inc. was better decided in the United States, but Epic Games is allowed to sue Apple (UK) Limited, a European arm of the company, and Google.
Epic Games in a statement said that it will reconsider pursuing a case against Apple in the UK after the U.S. case is finished.
"We are pleased that the Court has granted Epic permission to pursue our case against Google in the U.K. Epic will reconsider pursuing its case against Apple in the U.K. after the resolution of the U.S. case. We note the Competition Appeal Tribunal's assessment that Apple and Google's anticompetitive app store policies are 'serious issues to be tried' under UK Competition law, and that it is 'well arguable' that their conduct has 'an immediate and substantial effect in the UK'. We are unwavering in our commitment to stopping Apple and Google's anti-competitive practices and will continue to fight for fairer app distribution globally."
Apple and Epic Games will continue their legal fight in the United States, with the two companies set to face off in court in July 2021.
Apple today shared new Apple Watch ads on its YouTube channel, highlighting the water resistance, ECG, and sleep tracking capabilities of the Apple Watch Series 6.
The short 38 second ads each focus on a specific Apple Watch feature, with a narrator explaining how the Apple Watch works under water, when taking an ECG, and when being used for sleep tracking.
All of the ads feature the tagline "The future of health is on your wrist" and link to the Apple Watch Series 6 website.
Apple has not heavily advertised the Apple Watch Series 6 since its September release, and this is the first ad campaign focused on the Apple Watch that we've seen in recent months.
Apple's impending iOS and iPadOS 14.5 update will make zero-click attacks considerably more difficult by extending PAC security provisions, according to Motherboard.
Apple has made a change to the way in which it secures its code in the latest betas of iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 to make zero-click attacks much harder. The change, spotted by security researchers, has now been confirmed by Apple and is slated to be included in the final update.
Zero-click attacks allow hackers to break into a target without the need for victim interaction, such as clicking a malicious phishing link. Zero-click attacks are therefore considerably harder for targeted users to detect and are considered to be much more sophisticated.
Since 2018, Apple has used Pointer Authentication Codes (PAC) to prevent attackers from leveraging corrupted memory to inject malicious code. Cryptography is applied to authenticate pointers and validate them before they are used. ISA pointers instruct a program about what code it should use when it runs on iOS. By using cryptography to sign these pointers, Apple is now extending PAC protection to ISA pointers.
"Nowadays, since the pointer is signed, it is harder to corrupt these pointers to manipulate objects in the system. These objects were used mostly in sandbox escapes and zero-clicks," security firm Zimperium's Adam Donenfeld told Motherboard. The change will "definitely make zero-clicks harder. Sandbox escapes too. Significantly harder." Sandboxes aim to isolate applications from each other to stop code from a program interacting with the wider operating system.
While zero-clicks will not be eradicated through this change, many of the exploits used by hackers and governmental organizations will now be "irretrievably lost." Hackers will now need to find new techniques to implement zero-click attacks on iPhone and iPad, but the security improvements to ISA pointers are likely to make a significant impact on the overall number of attacks on these devices.
In today's deals we're tracking a few offers on Apple's MacBook Pro family, including up to $350 off the 16-inch MacBook Pro, with one of the best prices on the 1TB model that we've seen in a few weeks. Additionally, there's a 50 percent off sale on the Beats Solo Pro happening this week on Woot, all of which you can find listed below.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
16-Inch MacBook Pro
To start, Amazon has Apple's 1TB 16-inch MacBook Pro for $2,449.99, down from $2,799.00. You'll see this sale price once an automatic coupon worth $49.01 is applied at the checkout screen, and it's available in Space Gray and Silver.
This is about $50 off from the best price that we've ever tracked on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and since we haven't seen that deal for a few weeks now, Amazon's offer is definitely a solid deal. You can also get the 512GB model for $2,149.00, down from $2,399.00.
M1 MacBook Pro
If you're shopping for the newer 13-inch MacBook Pro, Amazon is offering the 512GB model for $1,399.00, down from $1,499.00. This sale is a match of the previous low price seen on this model, and it's available in both Silver and Space Gray.
B&H Photo is matching the price on this model. On the lower end, the 256GB M1 13-inch MacBook Pro isn't seeing any notable discounts this week.
Beats Solo Pro
Woot today has the Beats Solo Pro Noise Canceling Headphones for $149.99, which is half off the regular price of $299.99. These are in new condition and come with a 1 Year Apple Manufacturer Warranty, and Woot is selling them in Dark Blue and Light Blue options.
Woot's sale is the best around online this week, and it's beating rival retailers like Best Buy by about $30. Overall, this is one of the best deals we've ever tracked on a new pair of the Solo Pro headphones. Head to Woot to check out more audio deals today, including discounts on products from Bang & Olufsen, Samsung, and Sennheiser.
Keep up with all of this week's best discounts on Apple products and related accessories in our dedicated Apple Deals roundup.
Over the weekend, we reported on the second known piece of malware compiled to run natively on M1 Macs. Given the name "Silver Sparrow," the malicious package is said to leverage the macOS Installer JavaScript API to execute suspicious commands. After observing the malware for over a week, however, security firm Red Canary did not observe any final payload, so the exact threat to users remains a mystery.
Nonetheless, Apple has since informed MacRumors that it has revoked the certificates of the developer accounts used to sign the packages, preventing additional Macs from being infected. Apple also reiterated that Red Canary found no evidence to suggest the malware has delivered a malicious payload to Macs that have already been infected.
For software downloaded outside of the Mac App Store, Apple said it has "industry-leading" mechanisms in place to protect users by detecting malware and blocking it so it cannot run. Since February 2020, for example, Apple has required all Mac software distributed with a Developer ID outside of the Mac App Store to be submitted to Apple's notary service, an automated system that scans for malicious content and code-signing issues.
Malware targeting M1 Macs has simply been compiled to run natively on the Arm-based architecture of the M1 chip, now that Intel-based Macs are slowly being phased out. For more details about the "Silver Sparrow" malware, read our earlier coverage.
In a blog post shared by ZDNet, security researcher Vishal Bharad claims that he found a bug that would have allowed a hacker to inject a virus or malicious script onto Apple's iCloud website.
According to Bharad, the vulnerability consisted of creating a Pages or Keynote document on the iCloud website with the name field containing the XSS payload. Sharing the document with another user, creating a change, saving, and then clicking "Browse All Versions" under Settings would have triggered the XSS payload.
Given the vulnerability revolved around the iCloud website, it's not linked to a recent software update and has reportedly been patched by Apple server-side. Bharad says he submitted the issue to Apple on August 7, 2020, and received a $5,000 bounty on October 9, 2020. We've reached out to Apple for comment and we'll update if we hear back.
Chinese smartphone company Huawei has today unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the Mate X2, at a special event in China.
The successor to 2019's Mate X, the phone has received a radical redesign and now features a large uninterrupted 8-inch screen that folds inwards, rather than having the main display on the exterior, as with the original device.
The main screen uses a 180Hz display with an 8:7.1 aspect ratio, and when the phone is folded, a second 6.45-inch display (with a 12:9 aspect ratio) on the outside can be used, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Fold design. Both displays feature a wide color gamut and an ultra-low reflection feature that bests the reflectance level of Apple's Pro Display XDR, claims Huawei.
In a neat-looking innovation, a new multi-dimensional hinge design allows for a "seamless" fold without a gap, using a water drop-shaped cavity that houses the fold inside. Its dual-spiral structure is made from high-intensity steel that "eliminates the problem of display creasing," and also enables a 40% flatter panel design, claims Huawei.
Camera wise, the Mate X2 features an Ultra Vision Leica Quad setup that offers a "DSLR-level experience," with a 50-megapixel sensor, a 50-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom, and an 8-megapixel "SuperZoom" camera with a 10x optical zoom.
The camera module is housed in the thickest part of the phone, which tapers off. However, despite the tapering design, the device folds in a uniform left and right fashion, so that the taper is not apparent when closed. The majority of the handset's mass is also on the right side of the phone to make it easier to hold when unfolded in either portrait or landscape.
The Mate X2 is powered by the Kirin 9000 5G chip, which debuted in Huawei's Mate 40 Pro last year. It's supported by 8GB of RAM, and a 4,400mAh battery that can be fast-charged at up to 55W. The device also supports dual-SIM 4G/5G use, and comes supplied with a leather case featuring a kickstand.
The Mate X2 launches in China on February 25, available with either 256GB or 512GB storage, for ¥17,999 (around $2,785) and ¥18,999 (around $2,940), respectively.
It's unlikely that the Mate X2 will be available in the United States, given Huawei's conflicts with the U.S. government. At any rate, the Mate X2 will launch without support for Google's apps or services, which is likely to limit its appeal outside of China.
There have been several rumors suggesting that Apple is exploring folding screen technology. Apple's rumored foldable iPhone has been said to feature an OLED display from Samsung, according to reports of internal durability testing and display sample orders.
In January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was testing foldable iPhones with a range of display sizes. A recent report from Taiwanese website Economic Daily News claimed that two prototype foldable iPhones had passed internal tests, and said that the device could launch in late 2022 or 2023.
Given the influx of multiple folding smartphones coming to market and the uptick in rumors, Apple is surely looking into the feasibility of its own similar device. Rumors about Apple working on a foldable iPhone actually date back to 2016, and the company has filed a significant number of patents related to a foldable iPhone.
A leaker known as "WalkingCat" has shared seemingly official Samsung concept videos that depict "Samsung Glasses Lite" and "Samsung AR Glasses." Samsung Glasses Lite give the illusion of a 2D display in front of the user, while Samsung AR Glasses are able to display interactive 3D objects and environments.
Samsung Glasses Lite can be used as a virtual movie theatre or a computer monitor, and the video shows various practical uses for this, such as piloting a drone with an overlaid first-person view. The glasses do not appear to be responsive to gestures, instead relying on a Samsung smartwatch for controls, or even a keyboard and mouse in "Dex" mode, and are seemingly incapable of displaying 3D objects or offering a wide field of view. The video also shows that Samsung Glasses Lite feature an auto-dimming "sunglasses mode."
Samsung AR Glasses appear to be a more capable, higher-end AR product akin to Microsoft's HoloLens. The device is able to display interactive 3D objects and environments with a wider field of view. Unlike Samsung Glasses Lite, Samsung AR Glasses look to be responsive to hand and arm gestures. It is reasonable to expect that the device's additional capabilities would result in a higher price tag.
It is unclear how closely these videos depict consumer-ready products or Samsung's imminent plans for AR glasses, but they do suggest that the company is planning to compete with similar products from Apple in the future. The devices appear to be clearly targeted at two different price points and offer one of the best looks yet at how tech companies may be planning to market AR glasses.
It is difficult to avoid comparing these two concept products to Apple's similar rumored devices, with Samsung AR Glasses being a potential competitor to Apple's mixed-reality headset and Samsung Glasses Lite being a possible rival to Apple's AR glasses. Apple is believed to be planning to launch its mixed-reality headset as soon as the first quarter of 2022, with a separate AR glasses product following in 2023.
Last month, Samsung beat Apple's long-rumored AirTags product to launch with its SmartTags item trackers and it is possible that the company may be planning to do the same with AR glasses.
More than a month ago, LG's 24-inch 4K UltraFine display was removed from Apple's online store across Europe. Now, the higher-end 5K, 27-inch UltraFine display has also been removed from Apple's online store in several European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK.
Interestingly, both the 4K and 5K UltraFine displays remain listed and available for order in the United States. The 5K UltraFine display retails for $1,300 and offers one Thunderbolt 3 port and three USB-C ports. The display features up to 500 nits of brightness with a 5,120 x 2,880 resolution and P3 wide color gamut, and offers built-in stereo speakers, a camera, and a microphone.
Apple is reportedly working on a new lower-priced external monitor, according to Bloomberg. The new monitor would be offered alongside the current high-end $4,999, 32-inch Pro Display XDR. According to Bloomberg, the new monitor would be cheaper and aimed at mainstream consumers, rather than the professional market that the Pro Display XDR is aimed at.
(Thanks, Colin!)
Update: According to MacGeneration, a soon-to-be-implemented regulation across the European Union and the UK is the cause of the display's disappearance from Apple's online store in those regions.
Apple overtook Samsung to become the largest smartphone vendor worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2020, a feat not achieved by Apple since 2016, according to market data by Gartner.
In the final quarter of 2020, Apple sold 80 million new iPhones, largely driven by the launch of the first 5G-enabled iPhone series. Anshul Gupta, Senior Research Director at Gartner, says that 5G and improved camera features helped convince customers to upgrade to iPhone 12 models in the final quarter of the year.
Even as consumers remained cautious in their spending and held off on some discretionary purchases, 5G smartphones and pro-camera features encouraged some end users to purchase new smartphones or upgrade their current smartphones in the quarter.
Compared to 2019, Apple sold more than 10 million extra iPhones in the fourth quarter and saw its global smartphone market share increase by almost 15%. Samsung, the closest rival to Apple, saw its market share decrease by 11.8% and sold around eight million fewer devices compared to just one year ago, according to the market data.
Apple's near 15% increase in market share yielded it an "upgrade super-cycle," according to Annette Zimmerman, the lead analyst for Apple at Gartner, quoted by the Financial Times. In Q1 of 2021, Apple saw its largest number of iPhone upgrades ever, according to CEO Tim Cook. The iPhone alone generated more than $65 billion in revenue for the first quarter of the year.
For the greater picture, however, global smartphone sales decreased by 12.5% in 2020. Out of the top five smartphone makers, Apple and Xiaomi were the only two unscathed by the global decline in sales. Apple's growth comes despite the fact that it launched its iPhone 12 series out of the normal September timeframe due to the global health crisis.
Across the board, the accelerated growth of 5G adoption around the world drove up demand for 5G compatible smartphones. In a year stricken by economic difficulties, consumers were looking for lower-end, affordable 5G smartphones, instead of higher-end models with price tags of up to $1,500. On that front, the iPhone 12 mini, despite reports of it performing poorly relative to other iPhone 12 models, likely helped Apple overtake Samsung thanks to its small form factor and relatively affordable $699 price tag.
Looking further ahead into 2021, Gartner expects that the availability of lower-end 5G smartphones, such as the iPhone 12 mini, will be a "deciding factor for end users to upgrade their existing smartphones." Apple is expected to continue the "mini" model for next year's model, and the entire iPhone 13 lineup is rumored to feature an under-the-screenTouch ID sensor, always-on-display, and improved cameras.
Apple's $10 million donation to COPAN Diagnostics from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund led to more than 15 million COVID-19 tests being shipped across the United States, according to an Apple press release.
Apple's chief operating officer, Jeff Williams, said the company is proud of its continued funding to support frontline healthcare workers who are battling the pandemic across the United States.
We are proud our Advanced Manufacturing Fund is supporting companies like COPAN who are playing a critical role in the fight against COVID-19 and assisting healthcare professionals and communities across the country.
Apple says that it's continuing to work with COPAN and more than a dozen other companies to find new and innovative ways to increase the production of COVID-19 tests by developing new machinery at COPAN's facility in Southern California.
Apple's Advanced Manufacturing Fund is "designed to foster and support the innovative production and high-skill jobs." Apple's investment in the fund so far accounts for more than $1.3 billion and supports 450,000 suppliers jobs across all 50 states.
In an internal memo this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple informed service providers that it is aware of and investigating an issue that may result in "pink squares or pixels" appearing on displays connected to an M1 Mac mini.
This issue has been reported by users across the Apple Support Communities, MacRumors Forums, and Reddit since the M1 Mac mini launched in November, but the exact cause is unclear. Based on comments from affected users, it appears that the issue may be more common when connecting displays via HDMI compared to Thunderbolt.
Apple did not provide a specific timeframe for a fix. The memo was issued on February 19, over a week after the release of macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, which does not appear to address the issue. It is possible that a fix could be readied in time for the release of macOS Big Sur 11.3, which has been in beta testing since February 2.
In the meantime, Apple outlined the following troubleshooting steps:
Put the Mac mini to sleep
Wait two minutes and wake the Mac mini
Unplug the display from the Mac mini, and then plug the display back in
Adjust the display's resolution in System Preferences > Displays
If the issue reoccurs after restarting the Mac mini, Apple says to repeat the steps above.
A new image claims to offer our first real world look at Apple's next-generation AirPods. The image, shared by 52audio, showcases both AirPods and the charging case for what the site claims to be the third iteration of the wireless earbuds.
52audio has in the past shared images claiming to showcase different parts of the third-generation AirPods. Most notably, the site in November shared an x-ray image claiming to be the new AirPods, however, it was later proven to be faked and simply a compressed x-ray image of the current-generation AirPods Pro.
The image shared today, however, is in line with what we know so far about the third-gen AirPods. Bloomberg has reported that the new AirPods will take design cues from the AirPods Pro by having a smaller stem and silicone ear tips, but they will reportedly lack high-end features such as Active Noise Cancelation.
According to 52audio and a provided caption of the leaked image, the new AirPods will feature a pressure-relieving system, the same technology featured in the AirPods Pro. The system is meant to equalize pressure within your ear to remove any discomfort from using the AirPods for a prolonged period of time. Based on the image, the charging case will be less rectangular than the case that comes with the AirPods Pro, and more in keeping with the original AirPods case, but with the addition of an LED charging indicator on the front.
The third-generation AirPods may also be borrowing touch controls from the AirPods Pro. According to accompanying 3D renders from 52audio, each new earbud will feature touch control surfaces, instead of the single and double-tap controls on the current AirPods (first and second generation).
The new AirPods are expected to offer the same five hours of continuous audio playback as the second-generation AirPods, according to the latest report. This differs from details provided earlier by Bloomberg, however, which claims that Apple is looking to improve battery life on the new model beyond the current five hours of audio playback. Additionally, the new report claims that Spatial Audio support, a feature currently exclusive to the AirPods Pro, is "highly" probable for the new AirPods.
Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo said in November that mass production for the new AirPods will take place in the first half of the year. According to 52audio, the new AirPods are set to debut at the beginning of March. This week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurmanpoured cold water on speculation that Apple will hold an event on March 16. He did however leave the door open for an event on another date in March.
Leaker Jon Prosser, who has a mixed track record when it comes to reporting on Apple's plans, recently reported that an event on March 16 (now unlikely) will headline AirTags and new iPads. Apple released the AirPods Pro via a press release in 2019, so it remains to be seen how and when Apple will release the next-generation AirPods.
WhatsApp has revealed how it will gradually limit the features available to accounts held by users who do not accept the platform's impending privacy policy changes, due to come into effect on May 15.
WhatsApp's new banner explaining the privacy policy changes
According to an email seen by TechCrunch to one of its merchant partners, WhatsApp said it will "slowly ask" users who have not yet accepted the policy changes to comply with the new terms over the coming weeks, "in order to have full functionality of WhatsApp" starting May 15.
If they still don't accept the terms, "for a short time, these users will be able to receive calls and notifications, but will not be able to read or send messages from the app," the company added in the note.
The company confirmed to TechCrunch that the note accurately characterizes its plan, and that the "short time" will span a few weeks. WhatsApp's policy for inactive users states that accounts are "generally deleted after 120 days of inactivity."
WhatsApp first announced its new usage terms early last month, and the changes at the time were interpreted by many users to mean that the platform would share their messages with parent company Facebook.
In fact, private messages between users will remain end-to-end encrypted, so that they can only be accessed by those in the conversation. WhatsApp also lets users message businesses, however, and the same protections won't apply to those messages. Data in business messages will be able to be used for commercial purposes like ad targeting on Facebook, with some data stored on Facebook's servers.
The misperception caused a backlash amongst users of the Facebook-owned platform, causing an exodus to rival messaging apps like Telegram and Signal, both of which were quick to exploit the situation by coaxing former users with more mainstream chat features.
WhatsApp has since used in-app Status updates to clarify that the update does not affect data sharing with Facebook in terms of user chats or profile information, with the new terms instead applying to those who use the business chat feature.
In the weeks leading up to May, WhatsApp will begin to roll out a small, in-app banner (pictured above) that users can tap to re-review the privacy policies.
Tapping the banner will show a more detailed summary of the changes, including further specifics about how WhatsApp works with Facebook. The Facebook-owned company says it will eventually remind users to read the new policy and accept it to continue using the app.
Under normal and lightweight web browsing, Google Chrome uses 10x more RAM than Safari on macOS Big Sur, according to a test conducted by Flotato creator Morten Just (via iMore).
In a blog post, Just outlines that he put both browsers to the test in two scenarios on the latest version of macOS. The first test was conducted on a virtual machine, and the second on a 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro with 32GB of RAM. In the first round of testing, Just simulated a typical browsing pattern of opening Twitter, scrolling around, and then opening a new tab with Gmail and composing an email.
Under that test, Just found that Chrome reached 1GB of RAM usage, while Safari used only 80MB of RAM. The two-tab test was only the start, however.
With 54 tabs open, Just found that Google Chrome used 24x more RAM per tab compared to Safari. Both browsers, according to Just, were free of any extensions, and this specific test was conducted on his actual MacBook Pro, not a virtual machine. Per his findings, Chrome used 290MB of RAM per open tab, while Safari only used 12MB of RAM per open tab.
While the results are stark, Just does say that Google Chrome is likely "going out of its way to manage its memory usage across tabs," in efforts to keep the current tab "fast and responsive." In his tests, Just finds that his own application, Flotato, a lightweight alternative to Chrome that creates apps based on webpages, used significantly less RAM than both Safari and Chrome.
Chrome is known to being a memory hog on Mac and Windows computers, an issue Google has recently attempted to solve.
With macOS Big Sur, Safari received significant updates that saw it further outpace Chrome. Apple says that Safari on macOS Big Sur is "50% faster on average at loading frequently visited websites than Chrome," and that Safari provides up to one and a half hours longer of streaming video, and up to one hour longer normal web browsing on a single charge, compared to Chrome and Firefox.
Given the name "Silver Sparrow," the malicious package is said to leverage the macOS Installer JavaScript API to execute suspicious commands. After observing the malware for over a week, however, neither Red Canary nor its research partners observed a final payload, so the exact threat that the malware poses remains a mystery.
Nevertheless, Red Canary said the malware could be "a reasonably serious threat":
Though we haven't observed Silver Sparrow delivering additional malicious payloads yet, its forward-looking M1 chip compatibility, global reach, relatively high infection rate, and operational maturity suggest Silver Sparrow is a reasonably serious threat, uniquely positioned to deliver a potentially impactful payload at a moment's notice.
According to data provided by Malwarebytes, "Silver Sparrow" had infected 29,139 macOS systems across 153 countries as of February 17, including "high volumes of detection in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, and Germany." Red Canary did not specify how many of these systems were M1 Macs, if any.
Given that the "Silver Sparrow" binaries "don't seem to do all that much" yet, Red Canary referred to them as "bystander binaries." When executed on Intel-based Macs, the malicious package simply shows a blank window with a "Hello, World!" message, while the Apple silicon binary leads to a red window that says "You did it!"
Red Canary shared methods for detecting a wide array of macOS threats, but the steps are not specific to detecting "Silver Sparrow":
- Look for a process that appears to be PlistBuddy executing in conjunction with a command line containing the following: LaunchAgents and RunAtLoad and true. This analytic helps us find multiple macOS malware families establishing LaunchAgent persistence. - Look for a process that appears to be sqlite3 executing in conjunction with a command line that contains: LSQuarantine. This analytic helps us find multiple macOS malware families manipulating or searching metadata for downloaded files. - Look for a process that appears to be curl executing in conjunction with a command line that contains: s3.amazonaws.com. This analytic helps us find multiple macOS malware families using S3 buckets for distribution.
Wireless CarPlay works over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, allowing for an iPhone to be connected to the infotainment system without a Lightning cable. In addition to being convenient, this wireless connectivity will soon become more important, as reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously claimed that Apple will introduce at least one high-end iPhone without a Lightning connector this year, resulting in the device being completely portless.
The fourth-generation Outlander is equipped with a 9-inch touchscreen that provides access to both wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless smartphone charging is also available alongside standard USB-A and USB-C charging ports.
Depending on the trim level, the 2022 Outlander can be fitted with up to 20-inch wheels, a 10.8-inch heads-up display on the windshield, a 10-speaker Bose audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and other options. The vehicle is powered by a 2.5L four-cylinder engine and is equipped with three-row seating as standard equipment.
Mitsubishi says the 2022 Outlander will be available at North American dealerships starting April 2021, with U.S. pricing starting at $25,795.
Wireless CarPlay is finally beginning to see wider adoption, with several automakers now rolling out the feature in select regions, including Hyundai, Honda, Ford, GM, Chrysler, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Car audio brands like Alpine and Pioneer also offer aftermarket wireless CarPlay receivers for do-it-yourself installation.