A gun-shaped iPhone case is a bad idea in general, and doubly so when you take one to the airport. That’s the important life lesson one man learned when police stopped him in London Stansted Airport with what appeared to be a gun that turned out to be his smartphone.
News
Apple Launches iOS 10 and macOS Sierra Public Betas
Apple delivered on its promise of public betas for iOS 10 and macOS Sierra on Thursday. The betas were previously available only to developers, but now everyone can get in on the pre-release action.
Backdoor.MAC.Elanor Malware Access Mac Webcams, Steals Data, More
There’s a new Mac malware threat in the wild dubbed Backdoor.MAC.Elanor that’s particularly nasty because it lets attackers take control of your Mac’s camera, download data from your computer, and remotely run code. Mac users can fall victim to the threat by downloading what otherwise appears to be a legit app and has even shown up on some mainstream Mac software repositories.
3 Great iPhone Apps for Learning about Juno and Jupiter
NASA’s Juno probe spent five years traveling to Jupiter, and on July 4th it safely arrived and slid into orbit. That means we’ll have loads of new information about the gas giant soon, and thanks to our iPhones and iPads, we can stay on top of the latest discoveries. The Mac Observer put together a few apps for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch so you can find out more about the mission, get the latest Juno news, and learn about Jupiter and the Juno probe, too.
Apple Adds Organ Donor Registry to iOS 10 Health App
Apple is making it easier to be an organ doner by adding the ability to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor in iOS 10’s Health app, due to ship this fall. Apple teamed up with Donate Life America, which manages the National Donate Life Registry, to add the feature to iOS 10.
Happy July 4th!
In honor of Independence Day—a U.S. holiday—The Mac Observer is taking off Monday, July 4th. We will return on Tuesday, July 5th, with our usual Apple, Mac, iPad iPhone, and Apple Watch news. Enjoy the holiday!
Senator Warren: Apple, Amazon, Google Killing Competition
Apple, Amazon, and Google are abusing their market strength to block competition from smaller companies, according to Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). In a speech at the America’s Monopoly Problem on Wednesday, she said the three companies are using their size to “snuff out competition,” and she’s at least partly right.
Why I'll be Buying a New iPhone 7
Some say, the iPhone 7 will be a yawner. What’s forgotten is that our appetite for new (useful) toys and being state-of-the art always outweighs the cynicism of skeptics and critics. John’s going to have a new iPhone 7, and states why you should think seriously about one too. Ignore the voices that seek control.
Apple Patent Blocks Smartphone Recording, and it's Creepy
Musicians and other live performers could have a new way to stop attendees from using their smartphones to record video, photos, and audio at events thanks to a new patent from Apple. The iPhone and iPad maker was awarded a patent this week for a system that remotely disables recording with infrared signals. The system could be used in other ways, too, like blocking recording in secure facilities, or by governments to prevent free speech.
Apple Hit with $13B Lawsuit for Stealing the iPhone Concept
Thomas Ross says he invented and patented the idea of the iPhone in the early 1990s, so he’s suing to the tune of US$13 billion Apple for stealing his intellectual property. Never mind the fact that his patent was declared abandoned in 1995, he didn’t go after Apple when the MessagePad was a thing, and he isn’t suing other smartphone makers.