How to help your family stay more secure online

Many of us travel during the holidays to visit family, have them visit us, or at least touch base with those we haven’t talked to in a while. One of the kindest gifts you can give beyond your own company and a new blender is to help relatives sort out online password and security problems that they may not even know they have.

The trick is to balance knowledge, agency, and capability. Don’t set up your 97-year-old grandfather with a two-factor authentication approach unless he both wants it and can, unaided, use it. Likewise, your 22-year-old daughter living away from home after college might appreciate mom’s password advice, but she might not take it to heart unless you share your own story of woe—and maybe pick up the cost of password-management software.

Apple's 'Communicating Stylus' for Capturing Digital Versions of Handwritten Notes Wins Patent

Apple today was awarded a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that concerns a new type of digital stylus that translates a user's handwritten note into a digital version when connected to a smartphone, tablet, or any "digital computing device" (via Apple insider). 

The patent also details various exchangeable tips for the stylus, including actual ink, markers for a whiteboard, or a rubberized nub akin to most popular tablet styli. The stylus activates when various motion-sensing hardware, including accelerometers, detects when the pen is picked up out of its dock, pressed to a writing surface, or simply turned on manually. 


Thanks to motion sensors able to detect a 3D plane, the stylus uses an initial zero point to transmit the movement and flow of handwriting as varying changes in position to the desired computing device. This technology also means an actual surface isn't needed to transmit data -- simply writing notes in the air would suffice. The patent even details ways for users to choose how the data is transmitted, including continuously or at chosen intervals, allowing battery life to be preserved. 

As noted by Apple Insider, there are many practical solutions for Apple's new patent. The pen allows a user to display their writing on multiple displays, a possible solution for work meetings and classrooms. It could also be a digital solution for note-taking, as the user would take notes with the pen on a paper tablet, and a digital copy would be sent to a phone or tablet tucked away in a bag. The automatically produced digital backup could then be more easily edited and shared. 

The patent isn't exactly new, being initially filed nearly five years ago in January of 2010, and is by no means a confirmation that Apple will be moving forward with a smart stylus of any kind. But, like most patents, it is an interesting glimpse into what possibilities the company is looking into for the future.

Apple drops iOS 8.1.2 to bring back vanished ringtones

Check your settings: Apple just released a software update for iOS 8 on Tuesday. iOS 8.1.2 includes general bug fixes and, most importantly, fixes a problem that caused ringtones purchased via iTunes to disappear from your device—which has been a known problem since iOS 8.0.2. 

While the update itself won’t bring your ringtones back from the dead, Apple has another way to restore missing purchases: After you install the update, follow Apple’s ringtone restore link(itunes.com/restore-tones) on your device, which will redirect you to iTunes. Follow the on-screen prompts from there.

Like iOS 8.1.1, released on November 17, iOS 8.1.2 is a minor update that focuses solely on bug fixes. It does not bundle in any of the major new features that are rumored for iOS 8, like improvements to Maps and split-screen multitasking for the iPad. Apple is also working on iOS 8.2 with the WatchKit SDK, which was seeded to developers in mid-November.

YouTube’s app for Apple TV gets major overhaul

Sure, Apple hasn’t done anything major with its Apple TV streaming device in a while, but that doesn’t mean content channels are neglecting it entirely. YouTube announced an update to its Apple TV channel on Tuesday, introducing a complete design makeover and some new features.

The design looks similar to YouTube’s channels found on the Roku and other streaming services, with crisp video thumbnails and tools for easy discovery. New features for the Apple TV include personalized recommendations based on other videos you’ve watched, predictive search, and the ability to subscribe to specific YouTube channels. YouTube’s video announcement calls it “the full YouTube experience, right from your TV.” Sounds about right.

Apple asks court to dismiss iTunes DRM case after curious plaintiff twist

Apple is asking a California U.S. District Court to dismiss the class-action case accusing the company of violating antitrust laws.

Apple’s attorneys argue that the two plaintiffs in the case over iTunes DRM, who represent about 8 million iPod owners, don’t have standing to sue Apple because they didn’t even own affected iPod models, according to a motion for dismissal filed Friday.

Apple asked Melanie Tucker on Thursday to produce proof that she purchased iPods between 2006 and 2009, before Apple ended use of DRM in iTunes. Tucker and co-plaintiff Marianna Rosen claim Apple prevented songs from rival music services from playing on iPods with firmware updates in iTunes 7.0 and 7.4. Tucker’s attorneys confirmed that she didn’t purchase iPods covered within the class, and removed her from the plaintiff list on Thursday.

How to mount and manage non-native file systems in OS X with FUSE

Mac OS X supports a handful of common file systems—HFS+, FAT32, and exFAT, with read-only support for NTFS. It can do this because the file systems are supported by the OS X kernel. Formats such as Ext3 for Linux systems are not readable, and NTFS can’t be written to. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t occasions when you’d want to use one of them. With FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) you can.

FUSE mimics the kernel’s handling of file systems and allows OS X to both interact with unsupported formats and use many other storage routines, some of which are rather creative. With FUSE, such formats can be handled very similarly to natively supported file systems and allow you to interact with drives your Mac otherwise could not read to or write from. Here’s how you can put FUSE to work.

Why Apple wiped some of your iPod songs without telling you

Interesting nuggets of information tend to come out of Apple trials, and this week’s iTunes class-action courtroom drama is no exception. The plaintiffs claim Apple would delete songs downloaded from rival music services when iPod owners synced their devices to iTunes over a two-year period from 2007 to 2009.

Apple didn’t deny the claim raised by attorney Patrick Coughlin in U.S. District Court Wednesday. Security director Augustin Ferrugia said Apple would remove songs to prevent users from syncing malicious files to their computers, according to a Wall Street Journal report from the courtroom.

Apple Releases Safari 8.0.1, 7.1.1, and 6.2.1

Apple today released Safari 8.0.1 for OS X Yosemite, Safari 7.1.1 for OS X Mavericks and a Safari 6.2.1 for older versions of OS X. The release comes nearly three weeks after the Safari betas were first seeded to developers. 

The new Safari builds can be downloaded through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store. Safari 8.0.1 for OS X Yosemite requires OS X 10.10 or 10.10.1, while Safari 7.1.1 for OS X Mavericks requires OS X 10.9.5 and Safari 6.2.1 for OS X Mountain Lion requires OS X 10.8.5. 

According to the release notes, Safari 8.0.1 fixes an issue that could prevent history from syncing across devices without iCloud Drive turned on, fixes an issue preventing saved passwords from being autofilled after two devices are added to iCloud Keychain, improves WebGL graphics performance on Retina displays, and allows users to import usernames and passwords from Firefox.

How to recover passwords with Keychain Access

If you’re the kind of upstanding person I believe you to be, over the coming holidays you’re going to spend some time with family and friends. And because you’re the kind of person who watches videos like this, you’re probably one of the tech savvier people they know. And because you are, sure enough you’re going to get this question:

“I need to get into my old email account but I can’t remember the password. What should I do?”

Sure, you could go through the steps to request a new password if it’s offered, but maybe you can avoid all that with this simple tip.

Launch Keychain Access, search for the name of the account you want to discover the password for, double-click on it, and an information window will appear. Enable the Show password option and you’ll be prompted for the user password for that account. Enter it and click Allow. The password will appear in the appropriate field.

Apple's $450 million e-books settlement gets final approval

A federal judge in New York has given final approval to a settlement in which Apple will pay $450 million for its role in a conspiracy to fix prices for ebooks.

Judge Denise Cote of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan called the settlement “fair and reasonable.” It requires Apple to pay $400 million to consumers who bought certain books between 2010 and 2012, as well as $50 million in attorneys’ fees.

Although the settlement is final, Apple only has to pay that amount if it loses its appeal of a 2013 price-fixing ruling. If the appeal is successful, Apple will pay only $50 million to ebook purchasers and $20 million to attorneys.

A hearing on the appeal is scheduled for Dec. 15 in Manhattan. Lawyers for the ebook buyers have said they “strongly believe” that Apple’s appeal won’t be successful.

Apple delivers another Yosemite beta as Wi-Fi issues persist

Apple has come out with a second beta of Mac OS X Yosemite for developers, but it’s not clear whether this latest build will address the Wi-Fi problems that continue to affect an undetermined but apparently substantial number of users.

With this build, labeled 10.10.2 (14C68k), Apple didn’t identify any specific problem areas it would like developers to focus on as they test the OS, according to multiple reports from news outlets and individuals with access to the release notes.

When Apple released the first beta of Yosemite a little over two weeks ago, it asked developers to pay particular attention to several issues, including Wi-Fi, which has been a constant source of complaints since the OS came out.

Mac won't boot? About Yosemite and your third-party SSD

About SSDs and LBA

An SSD writes small bits data to “pages,” and multiple pages make up blocks. The SSD uses something called Logical Block Addressing (LBA) to keep track of which pages and blocks have information on them. This is a kind of map that details which pages and blocks are and aren’t occupied with “good” data. When you delete information from an SSD, that information isn’t really deleted. Rather, a reference to it is removed from the LBA and it’s marked as invalid data. When the drive can’t find any remaining open pages, it looks for the pages that contain invalid data to erase to make room for the fresh stuff.

Mac users say Yosemite 10.10.1 update did nothing to fix Wi-Fi

Apple released Yosemite 10.10.1 on Monday to fix Wi-Fi problems that hundreds of Mac owners had reported since the operating system was released last month. But for many, the update did nothing to restore connectivity, and for some 10.10.1 caused Wi-Fi problems where none existed before.

Macworld readers their own issues with the Yosemite update, reflecting the current sentiment over on Apple’s support forums. A handful ofthreads on Apple’s Yosemite support forum indicate that 10.10.1 didn’t fix the problem of Wi-Fi connectivity dropping out, or if it did, Wi-Fi remains slow. Some users are resorting to Ethernet to get a connection.

Hints of Apple Watch apps emerge with WatchKit launch: Simplicity, 'light' interactions

With the launch of WatchKit for app developers, Apple has revealed a few more details on how the Apple watch will work.

WatchKit is the framework that developers will use to create Apple Watch apps. It's available now to developers as part of the iOS 8.2 SDK beta, along with new design guidelines that demonstrate how Watch apps should behave.

U.S. Customers Favoring iPhone 6 Over 6 Plus by 3:1 as 91% of Buyers Opt for Latest Models

Following the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus back in September, a new survey of U.S. customers by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) details the adoption rate of the first thirty days of the devices' lifespan. 

The survey data, shared in a research note published today by UBS analyst Steven Milunovich, indicates that 91 percent of iPhone owners bought either an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus in the first four weeks of launch, rising from 86 percent in the first two weeks. Uptake of the new models also compares favorably to last year's iPhone launch, which saw 84 percent of customers in the first thirty days opting for the iPhone 5s and 5c. 

Most of the increase in share for the new models since the initial launch period has come from the iPhone 6, which saw an increase of six percentage points to 68 percent, while the iPhone 6 Plus remains at around 23-24 percent of purchases, despite both facing high demand during their initial launch. The 3:1 ratio favoring the iPhone 6 over 6 Plus has come down slightly from early adoption rate data, but as highlighted by Apple's Greg Joswiak last month, the true balance of customer interest won't be known until production constraints, which more heavily affect the iPhone 6 Plus, are resolved. The balance will also vary significantly by country, with customers in Asian countries tending to prefer larger screens than those in other countries. The study by CIRP also measured future intentions on purchasing the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Of those asked, over 40 percent were planning to buy an iPhone 6 within the next year. Nineteen percent of Samsung users surveyed also plan to switch over to Apple for their next phone purchases, with over half of those intended purchases favoring the iPhone 6 Plus. While that marks a significant potential share gain for Apple, recent data has so far shown lower than expected shares of Android customers switching over to the iPhone 6. A more realistic picture will, however, come later as the surge of iPhone early adopters wanes. When the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launched in September, they sold over ten million units in their launch weekend, including 4 million first-day pre-orders. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also outpaced last year's nine million units of the iPhone 5s and 5c shipped in their opening weekend, but that figure is widely viewed as somewhat inflated by ample stocks of iPhone 5c units shipping into inventory channels.

Apple's Market Capitalization Sets First New Record High in Two Years at Over $660 Billion

Apple's market capitalization reached a record high today, breaking the $660 billion mark to sit in the range of $662-664 billion for much of the day's trading so far. The new high breaks a previous closing record of $658.15 billion set on September 19, 2012 and intraday high of nearly $661 billion reached two days later. Market capitalization measures the market value of a business and is calculated by multiplying the stock price by the number of available shares.

Apple comfortably leads all U.S. companies in market capitalization, with its closest competitors being Microsoftand Exxon, which have market capitalizations of just over $400 billion each. Fourth-place Google falls sits at roughly $370 billion. 

While Apple's share price has been routinely setting new records since surpassing its previous September 2012 high in August, it has taken a bit longer for Apple to return to its record market capitalization levels as the company's expanded stock buyback program has reduced the number of outstanding shares. 

Apple's stock has surged 17 percent in just the four weeks since Apple's October media event and subsequent earnings announcement where the company announced strong fiscal Q4 2014 earningsfueled by the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and record Mac sales. The company's share price is up approximately 50 percent over the past twelve months. 

Apple last quarter reported $8.5 billion in profit on $42.1 billion in revenue with sales of 39 million iPhones, 12.31 iPads and 5.5 million Mac units. While Mac and iPhone revenue climbed, iPad sales slumped with quarterly revenue dropping 14 percent year over year and 10 percent from the previous quarter. iPad sales are expected to temporarily rebound in the upcoming quarter following the introduction of the new iPad Air 2, with holiday season discounts expected to propel sales of Apple hardware. 

U.S. Government Warns iOS Users About 'Masque Attack' Vulnerability

The United States government today issued a bulletin warning iPhone and iPad users about the recent "Masque Attack" vulnerability, a security flaw that first surfaced on Monday of this week, reports Reuters. Masque Attack is a vulnerability that can allow malicious third-party iOS apps to masquerade as legitimate apps via iOS enterprise provision profiles. 

Written by the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Teams, the bulletin outlines how Masque Attack spreads -- luring users to install an untrusted app through a phishing link -- and what a malicious app is capable of doing.

An app installed on an iOS device using this technique may: 
-Mimic the original app's login interface to steal the victim's login credentials. 
-Access sensitive data from local data caches. 
-Perform background monitoring of the user's device. 
-Gain root privileges to the iOS device. 
-Be indistinguishable from a genuine app.

The post also advises iOS users to protect themselves by avoiding apps that have been installed from sources other than the App Store or an organization they're affiliated with, avoiding tapping "Install" on third-party pop-ups when viewing web pages, and tapping "Don't Trust" on any iOS app that shows an "Untrusted App Developer Alert." 

Masque Attack in action Computer security alerts issued by the government are fairly rare, and only 13 have been sent over the course of 2014. Other vulnerabilities that have prompted alerts include Heartbleed and an SSL 3.0 flaw called "Poodle." 

FireEye, the team that discovered Masque Attack, has notified Apple about the vulnerability, but it has not been patched in the recent iOS 8.1.1 beta thus far. It also affects iOS 7.1.1, 7.1.2, 8.0, and 8.1, and as of today, Apple has not yet commented on Masque Attack. 

Masque Attack, along with WireLurker, another vulnerability outlined earlier this month, is unlikely to affect the average iOS user so long as Apple's security features are not bypassed. Masque Attack works by circumventing the iOS App Store to install apps, while WireLurker is similar, infecting machines via third-party software downloaded outside of the Mac App Store. 

Both WireLurker and Masque Attack can be avoided by staying away from suspicious apps and avoiding links that prompt users to install apps outside of Apple's App Stores.

IOS 8 Now Installed on Nearly 60 Percent of Active iOS Devices

After seven and a half weeks of availability, Apple's mobile operating system is now installed on 56 percent of iOS devices, according to the lasted data posted on Apple's App Store support page for developers. 
iOS 8's installation numbers have increased approximately four percent over the past two weeks, which means iOS 8 adoption has jumped eight percent in the past month. During Apple's October 16 iPad event, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that iOS 8 was installed on 48 percent of devices as of October 13. Before that, as of September 21, iOS 8 was installed on 46 percent of devices, indicating that adoption is steadily increasing after several weeks of stagnation.

The boost in iOS 8 adoption follows the October 20 release of iOS 8.1, which included several new features like Apple Pay that likely have enticed users to upgrade. Other desired features included SMS Forwarding, Instant Hotspot, iCloud Photo Library beta access and the return of the Camera Roll. 

iOS 8's initial release was plagued by a number of bugs that may have scared some users away. All HealthKit-enabled apps were pulled from the App Store prior to the launch of iOS 8 due to a major HealthKit bug. iOS 8.0.1, a fix to that issue, introduced new bugs that disabled cellular service and Touch ID for thousands of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users. iOS 8.0.2 was soon released, fixing the bugs of the previous release but introducing several other bugs. And finally, iOS 8.1 fixed many more issues with the previous updates, providing the most stable version of iOS 8 yet.

Apple-owned Beats Electronics Introduces New $300 Solo2 Wireless Headphones

Following the appearance of a regulatory filing last week, Beats Electronics today announced the launch of its new Solo2 Wireless on-ear headphones, the first product release since Apple's acquisition of Beats officially closed. The new headphones are a wireless version of the wired Solo2 headphones introduced the day after the Apple-Beats deal was announced. 

Solo2 Wireless offers the same dynamic sound and streamlined design as Solo2, but with the added benefit of wireless capabilities. With its Bluetooth technology, Solo2 Wireless can move freely for up to 30 feet from your audio device. Take phone calls, skip songs, and change the volume using the “b” button and volume buttons on the ear cup. Its rechargeable battery allows you to enjoy up to 12 hours of wireless playback. Not charged? Not a problem. Just plug in the provided RemoteTalkTM cable and enjoy your music.The new Solo2 Wireless headphones, which are available in red, black, white, and blue, will be available through Apple and other retailers later this month at a retail price of $299.95. The red version is a Verizon Wireless exclusive through the end of 2014. Alongside the launch of the Solo2 Wireless headphones, Beats is also announcing new "Royal Edition" color options for the wired version of Solo2. The Royal Edition includes a "satin, iridescent finish" in Stone Grey, Hunter Green, Imperial Violet, Blush Rose, or Sapphire Blue, available later this month at the same $199.95 pricing as the original Solo2 headphones.

Staples Begins Accepting Apple Pay in Retail Stores

If you're the owner of the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, you might have heard that with iOS 8.1 that Apple has enabled the use of Apple Pay, the Cupertino company's newly launched mobile payment service. Now there are many places in the US where Apple Pay can be used, but if you're the type that shops at Staples every now and then, you might be pleased to learn that the retailer has begun accepting ApplePay.

The retailer had recently made an announcement stating that all of its 1,400 US retail outlets will begin to accept Apple Pay, which of course will require users to own the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. The payments can be made through the store's iOS app which basically also allows users of the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 to make secure payments.

So far it seems that Apple Pay appears to be quite a success, despite the fact that there are some big name retailers such as Walmart and Best Buy who will not be using the service as they are part of the MCX group which plans on launching their own mobile payment service, CurrentC, in 2015.

Apple has also recently set their sights in overseas markets such as China which they consider to be a key market. It was recently revealed that Apple and Alibaba were in talks about how Apple could potentially use Alibaba's back-end services to power Apple Pay in the country.

Apple Have Sent Out iOS 8.1.1 Beta To Developers

iOS 8.1 is only a couple of weeks old, but Apple has already seeded a beta of iOS 8.1.1 to developers.

Launched on Monday, the new beta carries with it various bug fixes and performance improvements, according to the release notes. No specific details have been revealed. And since it's a minor update, we probably won't see anything earthshaking added to Apple's mobile OS.

But one change concerns the Health app introduced in iOS 8, as noted by AppleInsider. Specifically, the display of blood glucose data has been temporarily disabled for the app. Disabling that data for for now will allow Apple to support devices that display the information in a unit of measurement known as mmol/L, or millimoles per liter, which is a standard way of measuring such levels.

Since this is just the initial beta of iOS 8.1.1, Apple may have more to add before the final release rolls out to users. But the company appears to be set with iOS 8.1 for now following a series of bugs and mishaps with prior versions of iOS 8.

Released on September 17, iOS 8 was saddled with some technical problems that prompted Apple to launch iOS 8.0.1 a week later. But 8.0.1 was even more problematic as users soon started griping that they could no longer use the Touch ID fingerprint sensor or connect to cell networks.

As a result, Apple was forced to pull the new update and push out iOS 8.0.2. That version appeared to resolve most of the issues, though some users still complained of Bluetooth connectivity failures among other things.

Apple rolled out iOS 8.1 on October 20. That version corrected the Bluetooth problem as well as a number of other glitches. However, some people have still reported issues with Wi-Fi, the performance of the Safari browser, and the usual battery drain. So iOS 8.1.1 may address some of these items.

iOS 8.1 also unveiled support for Apple Pay, the company's new mobile payment service, and brought back the Camera Roll feature so that people can more easily view their photos.

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Police Can Now force you to unlock Your iphone with Touch ID

The FBI and other government agencies are already up-in-arms following the introduction of increased mobile security measures in iOS 8 and Android 5.0 Lollipop. However, the government may have another way to force users to turn over mobile data: through fingerprint readers.

A court in Virginia recently ruled that, while an end-user cannot be forced to enter a password or passcode to unlock his or her device if police ask him or to, Touch ID is a completely different scenario. In this case, the court ruled that turning over DNA evidence can be forced by police officers and, since Touch ID requires a fingerprint, that could be used in this scenario.

This is one court ruling for one lawsuit, so it's not an overarching law that's been put in place by the U.S. Supreme Court, but it's an issue that's already becoming a reality. Owners of Apple devices outfitted with Touch ID, such as the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, can thwart this possible would-be legal obligation by turning off the device entirely, or by using a passcode instead of Touch ID.

“It's just a good wake-up call for people to realize that fingerprint ID doesn't necessarily provide the same sort of legal protection than a password does,” Electronic Frontier Foundation staff attorney Hanni Fakhoury explained to Mashable.

Of course, the whole benefit of Touch ID is that it makes unlocking your device and making purchases much easier and pretty much effortless. Arguably, the court should rule that a phone locked with Touch ID should be just as protected from government eyeballs as one that is locked using another method, but that may never happen. Touch ID users: beware.

Pangu Untethered Jailbreak Has Been Updated For iOS 8.1

Any and all activity on the jailbreak front these days is courtesy of a Chinese team known as Pangu. It emerged on the scene not too long ago and has been pretty active in providing an iOS 8.0.x and iOS 8.1 jailbreak for all supported devices. The first version of this jailbreak was meant for developers and it didn't include Cydia but Pangu has now come out with an updated version of the tool which brings Cydia as well.

For those who don't know Cydia is basically the alternative App Store that jailbroken iOS devices can access. It provides applications, themes, wallpapers and tweaks which are otherwise not allowed on a stock iOS device.

The updated Pangu tool brings untethered jailbreak for all iOS 8.0-8.1 devices and it also fixes an issue on some iOS devices that would cause them to heat up. The devices include iPod touch 5G, iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, iPad 2, 3 and 4 as well as the first generation iPad mini.

Those who jailbreak their device should keep in mind that it does void the warranty, but its easy to reverse a jailbreak, doing a clean software install on your device will remove all traces of it ever having been jailbroken.

Only one caveat exists with Pangu, its only available for Windows at this point in time.

Newest, Logic Board,Front Panel, Touch ID Botton Leaks For Ipad Air 2

While we've already seen a number of possible leaked images and mockupsof Apple's update to the iPad Air this year, a new set of pictures from a Taiwanese site shows a handful of what could be the tablet's internal components. Apple.club.tw has posted one of the first looks at parts including the logic board, a cable for the Touch IDhome button, a cable for the volume buttons, as well as the front panel.

The home button is of the style that we've already seen in Apple's newiPhone 6 and 6 Plus, as well as theiPhone 5s, that is with a stainless steel ring and an empty center for where a Touch ID fingerprint sensor would be placed. It's been widely rumored that Touch ID would be at leastcoming to Apple's larger iPad, so this part comes as no surprise. The image of the volume flex cable reveals the up and down volume adjust buttons, along with what may be the device'smicrophone. One of the more recent rumors for the tentatively dubbed iPad Air 2 is that it may be dropping the physical switch used for mute/screen rotation lock, and this cable may be further evidence for that design change.

Moving on, the logic board is shown with what is most likely the A8 processor chip from Apple, along with RAM. The part's layout differs slightly from that found in last year's iPad Air, in that in the board now has a dedicated space for the SIM card slot, whereas before it was placed in a separate compartment. We'll have to wait untilApple's live broadcast of the October 16th media event to see if the A8 chip in this iPad will be of a higher speed than the one found in the iPhone 6 models.

Lastly is the front panel, shown with the usual spaces cut out where the home button and frontward-facingFaceTime camera would be. As far as the screen for the new iPad Air goes, there has been speculation that it will have an integrated display, as well as some kind of new anti-reflective surface, however this new panel image offers little in confirmation of those rumors.

iOS 8 Jailbreak Update| Jail-Breakers Info>>

The Evad3rs and Pangu the Two top jailbreak releasers have already started working on a ios 8 jailbreak. However this does not mean that a jailbreak will be release soon this will take a couple of months if not more before the ios 8 jailbreak is available to download.  If your a jail-breaker you should not update your i-device to ios 8, Reason is that you will loose your jailbreak and at this point their is no guarantee you will be able to downgrade down back to ios 7.  

The Pressure Need To Bend/Break An Iphone 6 Or 6 Plus!!

Apple's iPhone 6 required less force to ruin than Apple's iPhone 6 Plus, but more force than what Apple itself has been claiming the iPhones can tolerate. According to those who attended a recent press tour of the company's "torture lab" for its iPhones, an iPhone 6 can handle at least 25 kilograms of weight—around 55 pounds—in a similar three-point flexural test. Apple maintains the iPhone 6 can actually handle more weight than that, but didn't specify how much.

According to Consumer Reports's tests, the iPhone 6 only started to deform, warp, or otherwise look different than it normally does once the test applied 70 pounds of weight to the smartphone. The iPhone 6 Plus held out for slightly longer, deforming at around 90 pounds.

The screen began to come lose from the iPhone 6's case a little bit earlier than the iPhone 6 Plus. At around 100 pounds applied to its center, the iPhone 6 achieved "case separation" status. It took 110 pounds for the same result on the iPhone 6 Plus.

 the iPhone 6's deformation weight tied that of the HTC One (M8), but was quite a bit lower than the LG G3 (130 pounds), iPhone 5 (130 pounds), and Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (150 pounds)—the latter, seemingly to have been constructed out of adamantium, as it also took 150 pounds to separate the smartphone's screen from its case. The LG G3 and iPhone 5 were also tougher when it came to screen separation, requiring 130 pounds and 150 pounds, respectively, to reach that point.

**More Apps Added In Health section "AppStore**

Now that iOS 8.0.2 is finally out in the wild (and apparently bug-free) those HealthKit-compatible apps that have been waiting in the wings can now go live. Apple's helping them to find their feet too, with a special promotional section within the iTunes App Store called Apps for Health.

Due to a few last-minute compatibility issues, HealthKit was disabled in the original iOS 8 roll-out, which meant apps that plugged into it had to play a waiting game. Now those apps can go live: WebMD, Human and FitStar Personal Tracker are three of the 14 apps that have so far shown up. Some of the bigger apps are waiting for confirmation that all the HealthKit bugs really have been ironed out, but you can expect to see them trickle into the App Store in the coming days.

iOS 8.0.2 Have Been Released To The Public

Apple quickly release iOS 8.0.2, the update that fixes iOS 8.0.1’s problem of zapping cellular reception on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices. It also includes all the fixes listed in iOS 8.0.1 originally, including a fix for the HealthKit bug that held up release of compatible Health apps in iOS 8. third-party keyboards, TouchID,photo access, ringtones issues are also fixed in iOS 8.0.2.  Apple says, "We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1"

Samsung galaxy s5 in gold.

There's really no doubt Samsung is working on a more premium version of its Galaxy S5—we've seen it on more than one occasion. The question is: why? Does the company think its current flagship isn't good enough? Is the company worried about the impending arrival of the iPhone 6? Maybe so—but it sure doesn't speak well to the decision making of Samsung's executives—or maybe it's genius—and it's pretty tough on early adopters.

Be that as it may, we're getting yet another look at what the device might offer thanks to a fresh picture from Evleaks. The device essentially look the same as the existing S5 model, except the rear casing now looks to be a brushed metal; we already saw a press render in silver, and now we're seeing it in gold. It looks a lot like the device we mysteriously show up on camera not long ago. The hue of this device reminds me of a fools gold, though apparently Samsung has gone with the “perfect golden” moniker.

The Galaxy S5 is a perfectly good device that offers a lot, and the screen is among the best we've ever seen. But such is the mobile market; it moves fast—sometimes too fast. Rumors of a “Galaxy F” have been cropping up for months now, so this is really nothing new. According to previous rumors, the Galaxy F is expected to sport a QuadHD display, Snapdragon 805 processor and improved camera, among other updated specs.

This particular photo displays a Sept. 12 date, which could be important (or not). What's clear is that something is coming soon.

IPhone 5s vs iPhone 6 new features expected on iOS 8 This Fall!!

The new iPhone 6 is expected to drop in September, so Apple fans might want to wait to upgrade to the next-gen iPhone. One of the most buzzed about new features of the iPhone 6, is that it will have a bigger screen. In fact, the larger screen is such a coveted feature that it is anticipated to trigger an avalanche of iPhone users upgrading to the iPhone 6, and even entice Android switchers back to the iPhone fold.

The iPhone 6 will likely be announced at Apple's annual iPhone event that is believed to be taking place on Sept. 9, with the refreshed iPhone going on sale Sept. 19. With the iPhone 6 release date coming up, Apple's next-gen smartphone is entering mass production at Foxconn and Apple's other manufacturers, which means that new leaks will likely be popping up. For instance, BGR reported the latest iPhone 6 leak from Weibo user DreamerJimmy, which shows a fully assembled iPhone 6 next to an iPhone 5s.

While we won't know for sure what the iPhone 6 release date will bring until Apple officially unveils the new iPhone, many rumored specs and features of the iPhone 6 have emerged. Here's how the expected iPhone 6 compares to the current iPhone 5s:

Display: The iPhone 6 is expected to have 4.7-inch display compared to the iPhone 5s' 4-inch display. The iPhone 6 is also believed to be marketed as having a higher resolution "Ultra-Retina" screen with a resolution of 960 x 1704 or 416 ppi. The iPhone 5s has a Retina display with a resolution of 640 x 1136 or 326 ppi.

While the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is almost certainly going to be released in the fall, there is also a rumor that another iPhone 6 model will be released with a 5.5-inch screen. It's unclear whether this even bigger iPhone 6 model will be announced at the same time or at a later date. Another iPhone 6 rumor is that the new iPhone will have a sapphire display, which would make it a lot more durable and touch sensitive than the iPhone 5s.

Design: The iPhone 6's larger screen size obviously means that the handset will be larger, but it will allegedly be noticeably thinner as well. The iPhone 5s is 7.6mm thick, while the iPhone 6 will supposedly be 5.58mm. While this doesn't seem like a big difference, it will feel a lot lighter. Per the latest iPhone 6 photo leak, the next-gen device looks to have more rounded edges, which would also allow the larger iPhone to fit more comfortably in your hand.

Performance: The iPhone 6 will likely feature a 2.6Ghz Apple A8 chip, which could potentially be twice as fast as the 1.3Ghz Apple A7 chip with 64-bit processor, which is very fast [] already. PhoneArena noted that the Apple A8 chip won't being much improvement to speed but will vastly improve battery life. On the other hand, Laptop noted that the iPhone 6 will feature a quad-core CPU (up from dual core), which would make it blazingly fast.

Camera: The iPhone 6 is expected to sport an 8-megapixel camera, just like the iPhone 5s. However, the iPhone 6 camera will supposedly have a bigger aperture size, as well as a bigger camera sensor that will make for brighter and better pictures. Apple's 8-megapixel camera might seem puny compared to Samsung's Galaxy S5's TK-megapixel camera or Nokia Lumia Zoom's 41-megapixel camera, megapixels don't matter as much as camera sensor size, which is why Apple's iPhone 5s camera is comparable its competitors.

Operating System: The iPhone 6 will most likely ship with the new iOS 8, but Apple's new mobile operating system will also become available to other Apple devices at that time. Apple announced iOS 8 at the WWDC 2014 keynote, introducing many new features such as revamped notification features, support for third-part keyboards, and a new health tracking app called Health. While these new iOS 8 features will make the iPhone 5s feel like new, Apple might have some tricks up its sleeves like health sensors that will better take advantage of the new mobile software.

Samsung galaxy note 4 leaked?

Since Samsung has already launched its 2014 flagship smartphone, we now await the launch of its new flagship phablet. The Galaxy Note 4 is expected to be unveiled this fall. Details about the phablet are scarce at this point in time and there's no confirmation from the company itself about any specifications and features that it may have. Today purported Samsung Galaxy Note 4 specifications have been leaked by an unofficial source. One thing is for sure though, the Galaxy Note 4 is certainly going to be an Android powerhouse. We can expected to see mighty power package with improved camera and possibly a couple of sensors as well.

Sammobile reports that two hardware configurations of the Galaxy Note 4 will be offered, one for the North American, Chinese, Japanese and Korean market and the other for all remaining markets. The former will reportedly have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 whereas the latter is believed to be powered by Samsung's Exynos 5433 system-on-chip.

There's no information about the display size but it is said that the Note 4 will have a Quad HD AMOLED display. A UV sensor is also expected to be onboard. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is said to come with a 16 megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, provided by Sony.

Obviously its too soon to have any information regarding pricing or availability, but potential customers in the U.S. can expect to pick up from any of the four major carriers. Samsung hasn't commented on these rumored specifications.