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Search results for: “Google Keep”

  • New Danger Alert: Harmful software hiding in the DeepSeek craze

    New Danger Alert: Harmful software hiding in the DeepSeek craze

    Are you tired of hearing about DeepSeek? This popular chatbot from China has taken over tech news and even topped the App Store charts. But with fame comes risk, as it’s now linked to scams, phishing, and dangerous software for Mac users. Here’s what you need to know.

    Welcome to our weekly security update, where we talk about keeping your Apple devices safe amidst the latest threats.

    Scams and Fake Apps

    Cyble, a well-known cybersecurity company, has been tracking various scams that use DeepSeek’s popularity. Scammers are tricking people into scanning QR codes for fake crypto deals or offering fake investments. There are also fake DeepSeek apps for Mac that look real, but the catch is, there’s no official DeepSeek app for Mac.

    Malware Alert

    The latest scam involves spreading AMOS, a notorious type of Mac malware, disguised as a DeepSeek app. AMOS, written in Swift, can work on both Intel and Apple Silicon chips. Hackers charge $1,000 a month to use this malware, which communicates with a cybercriminal’s server to steal your personal data like passwords, credit card details, and more.

    How It Works

    Here’s how you might get tricked:

    • You download a fake DeepSeek app from a website or an email.
    • The scammer tells you to open Terminal and drag a file into it.
    • What looks like a safe file actually runs harmful scripts, putting your Mac at risk.

    Protecting Yourself

    With macOS Sequoia, Apple made it harder for unsigned apps to run, but hackers have found ways around this by using Terminal. Remember, DeepSeek only has apps for iOS and Android, so any Mac version you see is not legitimate. Also, avoid using DeepSeek altogether because of privacy issues; in China, laws allow for extensive data access and censorship.

    Your Thoughts?

    Are you concerned about DeepSeek’s privacy issues? Share your thoughts with us.

    Stay safe out there, and keep your devices secure by being wary of what you download and where it comes from.

    For more on Apple security:

    • DeepSeek has raised privacy alarms, leading to investigations in the US and Europe, with the app already removed from Italy’s App Store.
    • Security flaws named SLAP and FLOP could expose your web tabs on Apple devices.
    • A court has put limits on how much data the FBI can search from tech companies under FISA.
    • Google Ads are still being used by hackers, despite Google’s advanced tech and resources.

    Stay informed and stay safe!

  • Apple Maps to add Tesla supercharger locations for Ford EV users

    Apple Maps to add Tesla supercharger locations for Ford EV users

    Apple Maps is getting a big update that will make planning trips easier for people driving Ford Mustang Mach-Es and F-150 Lightnings.

    The Apple Maps feature for electric vehicles (EVs) helps you plan your journey by adding stops for charging when you need them. It keeps track of your car’s battery and looks at things like how fast you’re driving, how high the road goes, and how quick the chargers are to figure out when you should charge and for how long.

    Right now, this feature only works with three cars: the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Ford F-150 Lightning, and the Porsche Taycan. Last year, Ford started sending out adapters to let these Ford cars use Tesla’s Superchargers. These cars have a CCS charging port, and the adapter changes it to work with Tesla’s NACS plug.

    However, Apple Maps hasn’t known about this yet. It only shows you where to go for CCS stations. But, that’s going to change. Ford’s lead engineer for the Mustang Mach-E, Donna Dickson, mentioned in a forum post that the system will soon know about these changes.

    Soon, you’ll be able to see where compatible Tesla Superchargers are right from the navigation in the new 2025 Mustang Mach-E. These locations are already visible on Google Maps for Android Auto users and will soon appear on Apple Maps for those using Apple CarPlay.

    There aren’t a lot of details yet on how this will all work, but it’s expected that Ford drivers with the NACS adapter can tell Apple Maps they can use both CCS and NACS stations. This will help Apple Maps give better, more accurate advice on where to charge.

    As a Mustang Mach-E driver, I’m excited about this update. I hope Ford and Apple will share more soon.

    If you own an electric car, consider charging it at home with solar panels on your roof. To find a good solar installer, check out EnergySage. It’s a free service where you can get personalized solar quotes, compare them online, and get advice from Energy Advisers. This way, you can save money and make sure you’re getting a quality setup without the hassle of sales calls until you’re ready.

  • iPhone 17 camera changes might affect 3D video

    iPhone 17 camera changes might affect 3D video

    Talk about the new iPhone 17 has been buzzing, especially when it comes to changes in how the camera might look. There’s a lot of talk that Apple might change the camera from the usual triangle shape to a long, flat strip like on the Google Pixel 9. But, some say it’s still going to keep the triangle look, so it’s all a bit confusing.

    The Big Camera Design Question

    The main worry with this new camera design is what it might mean for making 3D videos for the Apple Vision Pro. Right now, the iPhone 15 Pro and all iPhone 16 models can do this.

    What’s 3D Video?

    3D video, or spatial video, lets you experience videos in a more real way, kind of like you’re there. It uses two cameras that work together to give you a sense of depth, just like your eyes do. This makes the video feel more lifelike because you can move your head and the scene moves with you.

    How It Works Now

    The current iPhones do this by having the cameras lined up vertically. This setup helps in capturing the video in the right way when you hold your phone sideways.

    The Problem with a New Design

    If the iPhone 17 Pro changes to a horizontal camera strip, it might not work as well for 3D videos. The cameras would be side by side instead of one on top of the other, which might mess up how we capture these videos. If this happens, only the cheaper iPhone models might keep this feature, or no iPhone 17 might have it at all if they all get the new design.

    Could There Be a Fix?

    There’s hope though. New tech like Gaussian splatting, which can make 3D models from different camera views, might help. This technology is already used by Niantic in apps where you can explore 3D spaces. Maybe Apple is working on something similar for videos, but we don’t know for sure yet.

    What’s Next?

    We’ll find out all the details when Apple reveals the iPhone 17, probably in September. Until then, it’s all just guesses and rumors about how they’ll handle this cool 3D video feature with their new camera design.

  • Apple Calendar app gets better with iOS 18.3

    Apple Calendar app gets better with iOS 18.3

    Apple’s Calendar app has been around forever on iPhones but hasn’t changed much over the years. However, recent updates have started to make it more useful. With iOS 18.3, there’s now another cool feature that makes using Apple’s own app even more appealing.

    Big Changes in iOS 18 for Calendar

    Apple hasn’t done much with its Calendar app for a long time, which is strange because there are so many other good calendar apps out there like Google Calendar and Fantastical. But with iOS 18, Apple finally made some changes that are quite noticeable, even if they’re not huge.

    One of the best new features is that now you can manage your reminders right in the Calendar app. You can add, change, or look at your reminders without needing to switch apps. It’s a nice touch, though it would be better if you could choose which reminder lists show up in Calendar.

    Also, iOS 18 brought a new look to the app with better text and layout, plus a new way to see your month’s events all at once.

    A New Feature in iOS 18.3 for Calendar

    If you have an iPhone 16 with Camera Control, iOS 18.3 gives you a handy tool. By holding down on the Camera Control, you unlock a feature called visual intelligence, which uses AI to understand what your camera is pointed at.

    This new update lets you do something pretty neat: if you see a flyer or poster with a date on it, you can point your camera at it, and your iPhone will ask if you want to add that event to your Calendar. It’s an easy way to keep your digital calendar up to date with what’s going on around you.

    The catch is, this feature only works with Apple’s Calendar app because you can’t set another app as the default for this purpose. This small but smart update gives you one more reason to use Apple’s Calendar instead of looking elsewhere.

  • Apple hires new leader to boost Siri and AI

    Apple hires new leader to boost Siri and AI

    Apple is shaking things up inside its company to make Siri and its AI better, according to Bloomberg. They’ve brought in Kim Vorrath, who has been with Apple for 37 years, to lead the AI team under John Giannandrea, who is in charge of AI at Apple.

    Vorrath has a knack for managing big software projects and keeping everything on track. She’s known as Apple’s “bug fixer” and has been a big influence in the company. Before this new role, she was part of the team working on Apple’s AR/VR headset, the Vision Pro.

    This change comes right after lots of talk about how Siri didn’t do well when asked about Super Bowl scores. For a while now, Siri hasn’t been as good as other voice helpers, especially when compared to new AI chatbots.

    Apple has also been dealing with complaints about how its Apple Intelligence summarizes news, sometimes getting things wrong and confusing people. To tackle this, they’re planning to stop these summaries for news and entertainment apps in the next update, iOS 18.3, which should come out soon.

    Despite trying to make Siri better by adding ChatGPT from OpenAI, there are still issues. But Apple is working on it, with plans for more Siri improvements in the iOS 18.4 update and even bigger changes in iOS 19, where they might make Siri like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

    Moving Vorrath to the AI team shows that Apple thinks AI is more crucial than their work on Vision Pro. She’s good at organizing tech teams and making their work better. In a note about the change, Giannandrea mentioned that they want to focus on making Siri work better and improving Apple’s own AI systems.

  • UK Watchdog probes iPhone App Store dominance

    UK Watchdog probes iPhone App Store dominance

    The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has kicked off a thorough investigation into how mobile app stores operate, focusing on iPhone and Android systems.

    The study aims to look at whether Apple has too much control over the market and if they might be using this power in unfair ways. They’re checking how apps are sold to consumers and the rules developers have to follow to get their apps on the iPhone’s App Store.

    This investigation sounds a lot like what’s happening in the European Union, where they have rules to keep big tech companies in check.

    The CMA will look into how much competition exists between Apple and Google, including how hard it is for new companies to break into the market. They’ll check if Apple and Google are using their big influence over mobile operating systems to favor their own apps or limit choices in browsers. They’re also looking at the conditions app makers must agree to for their apps to appear in these stores.

    The investigation is set to wrap up by October 22, 2025. After that, we’ll know more about what might happen next. Possible outcomes could include penalties or changes in how these companies do business.

    In Europe, Apple was made to allow other app stores, let apps be downloaded from the internet, and give users more browser options. However, Apple also changed how they charge developers, which some big companies like Epic Games and Spotify say is still not fair. While the EU case continues, it’s likely Apple might use similar tactics when dealing with the CMA in the UK.

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  • Apple removes VPN apps from Indian app store amidst regulatory pressure

    Apple removes VPN apps from Indian app store amidst regulatory pressure

    The digital world once envisioned as a borderless expanse of information and freedom, is increasingly becoming fragmented by national regulations. Following a similar move in China years ago, Apple has begun removing Virtual Private Network (VPN) applications from its App Store in India, signaling a significant shift in the availability of online privacy tools in the country. This action comes in response to a controversial Indian law that mandates stringent data retention policies for VPN providers. 

    This isn’t the first time Apple has faced such a dilemma. Back in 2017, the company was compelled by the Chinese government to remove hundreds of VPN apps from its Chinese App Store. At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook explained that the company had to comply with local laws, despite its preference to keep the apps available. He expressed hope that the restrictions would eventually be loosened, but years later, those restrictions remain firmly in place. This precedent casts a long shadow over the current situation in India.

    The Indian government introduced the contentious law in 2022, effectively prohibiting anonymous VPN usage and requiring providers to maintain detailed logs of user activity. These logs must include sensitive information such as users’ names, addresses, IP addresses, and transaction histories, and be retained for a period of five years. Initially, the implementation of this law faced delays due to widespread objections. While it was eventually introduced, enforcement remained lax for a period. However, that period of grace has ended.  

    Recent reports confirm that Apple has started removing VPN apps from the Indian App Store to comply with the now-enforced regulations. This action follows similar removals from the Google Play Store, indicating a coordinated effort by Indian authorities to enforce the new rules.

    It appears that the government is taking a targeted approach, identifying and ordering the removal of non-compliant apps individually. This suggests that the process will be protracted, potentially leading to a significant reduction in the number of VPN apps available to Indian users, mirroring the situation in China. 

    Among the removed apps are several prominent VPN services, including Cloudflare’s popular 1.1.1.1 service. The removals were triggered by orders issued by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, as evidenced by official documents and disclosures made by Google to Lumen, a Harvard University database that tracks government takedown requests globally.  

    This situation puts reputable VPN providers in a difficult position. Complying with the Indian law would require them to compromise their core principles of user privacy and anonymity. Maintaining detailed logs of user activity goes against the very purpose of a VPN, which is to provide secure and private online access. Consequently, most reputable VPN providers are unlikely to comply with these demands, choosing instead to withdraw their services from the Indian market.

    For Apple, this situation presents a complex challenge. The company has consistently emphasized its commitment to user privacy. However, it also has a legal obligation to comply with the laws of the countries in which it operates. This creates a clear conflict of interest, forcing Apple to choose between its stated values and its business interests.

    While Apple could theoretically take a stand and withdraw from the Indian market altogether, such a move is highly improbable. India has become a crucial market for Apple, serving as its second-largest production center and a rapidly growing consumer base. Moreover, the precedent set in China, a far more critical manufacturing hub for Apple, suggests that the company is unlikely to prioritize principle over market access.  

    The removal of VPN apps from the Indian App Store represents more than just a reduction in available software. It symbolizes a growing trend of governments seeking greater control over online activity, often at the expense of individual privacy. This trend raises serious concerns about the future of internet freedom and the ability of individuals to protect themselves from online surveillance.

    The situation in India serves as a stark reminder that the fight for online privacy is an ongoing battle, one that requires constant vigilance and advocacy. The digital landscape is changing, and the implications for users in India, and potentially other countries, are significant.

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