Month: February 2024
Apple Expands Do-It-Yourself Repair Program to M3 Macs
Apple will soon expand its self-service repair program to the M3 iMac, M3 14-inch MacBook Pro, and M3 16-inch MacBook Pro, according to a trio of support documents published today. (Update: Parts for M3 Macs are now available — see below.)
First introduced in the U.S. in 2022, Apple’s repair program lets customers purchase genuine Apple parts and tools. Apple also provides manuals so that customers can repair their devices without having to visit an Apple retail location or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Repairs have been available for Apple’s notebooks and desktops since 2022, but repair components and instructions for the M3 models were just made available.
The support document covering the M3 MacBook Pro models details replacing the bottom casing of a MacBook, the parts needed to make a repair, and what tools are necessary to complete the repair. For the iMac, Apple provides a detailed list of part numbers required for various repairs on the display, logic board, fans, housing, and more.
At the time of writing, some of the part numbers listed in the support documents are not available on Apple’s Self Service Repair Store, but we will likely see them added soon. It is not clear when Apple plans to announce the expansion of the repair program to M3 Macs.
(Thanks Nicolás Álvarez!)
Update: Now Live
Following our report, Apple has added parts for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and iMac with M3, M3 Pro, and/or M3 Max chips to its self-service repair store in the U.S. and select European countries.Tag: Self Service RepairThis article, “Apple Expands Do-It-Yourself Repair Program to M3 Macs” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple will soon expand its self-service repair program to the M3 iMac, M3 14-inch MacBook Pro, and M3 16-inch MacBook Pro, according to a trio of support documents published today. (Update: Parts for M3 Macs are now available — see below.)
First introduced in the U.S. in 2022, Apple’s repair program lets customers purchase genuine Apple parts and tools. Apple also provides manuals so that customers can repair their devices without having to visit an Apple retail location or an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Repairs have been available for Apple’s notebooks and desktops since 2022, but repair components and instructions for the M3 models were just made available.
The support document covering the M3 MacBook Pro models details replacing the bottom casing of a MacBook, the parts needed to make a repair, and what tools are necessary to complete the repair. For the iMac, Apple provides a detailed list of part numbers required for various repairs on the display, logic board, fans, housing, and more.
At the time of writing, some of the part numbers listed in the support documents are not available on Apple’s Self Service Repair Store, but we will likely see them added soon. It is not clear when Apple plans to announce the expansion of the repair program to M3 Macs.
(Thanks Nicolás Álvarez!)
Update: Now Live
Following our report, Apple has added parts for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and iMac with M3, M3 Pro, and/or M3 Max chips to its self-service repair store in the U.S. and select European countries.
This article, “Apple Expands Do-It-Yourself Repair Program to M3 Macs” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Save Up to 43% When You Add Apple’s Magic Keyboard to Your iPad Today – CNET
Turn your iPad into a bona fide laptop with these bargain Apple Magic Keyboards with trackpads built right in.
Turn your iPad into a bona fide laptop with these bargain Apple Magic Keyboards with trackpads built right in.
iPhone 15 Sales in China Increasingly Dependent on Promotions
Apple resellers in China are offering discounts on iPhone 15 models by as much as $180, indicating an unusually lengthy drop in demand, reports Bloomberg.
According to the media outlet, Alibaba’s Tmall is trying to drive sales of the premium handsets by offering them at less than the roughly $120 discount Apple offered around the same time last year.
The discounts follow Apple’s own rare price reductions on its website ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in February. Apple has since returned to selling its iPhone 15 lineup at original prices.
The promotions indicate Apple’s latest iPhone generation is struggling to achieve the same popularity of previous models in China. Apple sales in China dropped 13% to $20.8 billion in the quarter ended December, falling short of the $23.5 billion predicted by analysts.
Strong interest in Android phones with generative AI features are believed to be fueling the trend, which is expected to deepen throughout 2024. “The pressure was mainly coming from other Android vendors as we saw Apple decline by around 10% year-on-year in the month while Huawei grew triple-digits over the same period, IDC analyst Will Wong told Bloomberg.
Apple’s next major software update, iOS 18, is expected to include a slew of new AI features, while some AI capabilities are rumored to be exclusive to upcoming iPhone 16 models. But it’s unclear how game-changing the features will prove to be, and whether they will arrive in time to revive the slump in iPhone sales. Tag: ChinaThis article, “iPhone 15 Sales in China Increasingly Dependent on Promotions” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple resellers in China are offering discounts on iPhone 15 models by as much as $180, indicating an unusually lengthy drop in demand, reports Bloomberg.
According to the media outlet, Alibaba’s Tmall is trying to drive sales of the premium handsets by offering them at less than the roughly $120 discount Apple offered around the same time last year.
The discounts follow Apple’s own rare price reductions on its website ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in February. Apple has since returned to selling its iPhone 15 lineup at original prices.
The promotions indicate Apple’s latest iPhone generation is struggling to achieve the same popularity of previous models in China. Apple sales in China dropped 13% to $20.8 billion in the quarter ended December, falling short of the $23.5 billion predicted by analysts.
Strong interest in Android phones with generative AI features are believed to be fueling the trend, which is expected to deepen throughout 2024. “The pressure was mainly coming from other Android vendors as we saw Apple decline by around 10% year-on-year in the month while Huawei grew triple-digits over the same period, IDC analyst Will Wong told Bloomberg.
Apple’s next major software update, iOS 18, is expected to include a slew of new AI features, while some AI capabilities are rumored to be exclusive to upcoming iPhone 16 models. But it’s unclear how game-changing the features will prove to be, and whether they will arrive in time to revive the slump in iPhone sales.
This article, “iPhone 15 Sales in China Increasingly Dependent on Promotions” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Original NSA statement regarding C++: skip the filter of reading a news piece written about this by someone non-technical
submitted by /u/HappygilmoreL [link] [comments]
submitted by /u/HappygilmoreL
[link] [comments]
Surprise, this $30 video doorbell has serious security issues
Video doorbells manufactured by a Chinese company called Eken and sold under different brands for around $30 each come with serious security issues that put their users at risk, according to Consumer Reports. The publication found that these doorbell cameras are sold on popular marketplaces like Walmart, Sears and Amazon, which has even given some of their listings the Amazon Choice badge. They’re listed under the brands Eken, Tuck, Fishbot, Rakeblue, Andoe, Gemee and Luckwolf, among others, and they’re typically linked to a user’s phone via the Aiwit app. Outside the US, the devices are sold on global marketplaces like Shein and Temu. We found them on Chinese website Alibaba and Southeast Asian e-commerce website Lazada, as well.
Based on Consumer Reports’ investigation, these devices aren’t encrypted and can expose a user’s home IP address and WiFi network name to the internet, making it easy for bad actors to gain entry. Worse, somebody with physical access to the doorbell could easily take control of it by creating an account on the Aiwit app and then pressing down on its button to put it into pairing mode, which then connects it with their phone. And, even if the original owner regains control, the hijacker can still get time-stamped images from the doorbell as long as they know its serial number. If they choose “to share that serial number with other individuals, or even post it online, all those people will be able to monitor the images, too,” Consumer Reports explains.
Based on the ratings these doorbells’ listings got on Amazon, the platform has sold thousands to people who were probably expecting the devices to be able to provide some form of security for their homes. Instead, the devices pose a threat to their safety and privacy. The doorbells could even put people’s well-being and lives at risk if, say, they have stalkers or are domestic violence victims with dangerous exes who want to follow their every move.
People who own one of these video doorbells can protect themselves by disconnecting it from their WiFi and physically removing it from their homes. Consumer Reports said it notified the online marketplaces selling them about its findings in hopes that their listings would get pulled down. Temu told the publication that it’s looking into the issue, but Amazon, Sears and Shein reportedly didn’t even respond. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/surprise-this-30-video-doorbell-has-serious-security-issues-130630193.html?src=rss
Video doorbells manufactured by a Chinese company called Eken and sold under different brands for around $30 each come with serious security issues that put their users at risk, according to Consumer Reports. The publication found that these doorbell cameras are sold on popular marketplaces like Walmart, Sears and Amazon, which has even given some of their listings the Amazon Choice badge. They’re listed under the brands Eken, Tuck, Fishbot, Rakeblue, Andoe, Gemee and Luckwolf, among others, and they’re typically linked to a user’s phone via the Aiwit app. Outside the US, the devices are sold on global marketplaces like Shein and Temu. We found them on Chinese website Alibaba and Southeast Asian e-commerce website Lazada, as well.
Based on Consumer Reports’ investigation, these devices aren’t encrypted and can expose a user’s home IP address and WiFi network name to the internet, making it easy for bad actors to gain entry. Worse, somebody with physical access to the doorbell could easily take control of it by creating an account on the Aiwit app and then pressing down on its button to put it into pairing mode, which then connects it with their phone. And, even if the original owner regains control, the hijacker can still get time-stamped images from the doorbell as long as they know its serial number. If they choose “to share that serial number with other individuals, or even post it online, all those people will be able to monitor the images, too,” Consumer Reports explains.
Based on the ratings these doorbells’ listings got on Amazon, the platform has sold thousands to people who were probably expecting the devices to be able to provide some form of security for their homes. Instead, the devices pose a threat to their safety and privacy. The doorbells could even put people’s well-being and lives at risk if, say, they have stalkers or are domestic violence victims with dangerous exes who want to follow their every move.
People who own one of these video doorbells can protect themselves by disconnecting it from their WiFi and physically removing it from their homes. Consumer Reports said it notified the online marketplaces selling them about its findings in hopes that their listings would get pulled down. Temu told the publication that it’s looking into the issue, but Amazon, Sears and Shein reportedly didn’t even respond.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/surprise-this-30-video-doorbell-has-serious-security-issues-130630193.html?src=rss
LockBit ransomware officially returns — hackers hit back with new attacks following apparent shutdown
Weeks after apparent shutdown operation, LockBit is back, with new ransom notes, new infrastructure, and new websites.
Infamous ransomware operator LockBit has apparently returned, boasting new encryptors, new infrastructure, and new data leak and negotiation websites.
Earlier this week, cybersecurity researchers from Zscaler reported that new LockBit victims received a ransom note with a different Tor URL for further steps, with BleepingComputer also finding two new encryptor variants uploaded to VirusTotal in two consecutive days, both holding the new notes.
The publication also confirmed that LockBit’s negotiation server is up and running again, but works only for new victims, the ones infected after Operation Cronos.
Affecting the elections
The news comes weeks after the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), together with a team of international partners, broke into the infrastructure of one of the largest ransomware operations in the world. It managed to obtain decryptors, plenty of data stolen from different victims, as well as a list of almost 200 LockBit affiliates. To add insult to injury, the NCA also defaced LockBit’s data leak site and left a message to its visitors, ending with “Have a nice day.”
Soon after the operation, LockBit’s owners came forward to state that the law enforcement broke into the servers thanks to a bug in the PHP, and due to the fact that they were lazy after “swimming in money” for five years. They promised improvements to the infrastructure to make it more resilient, and further promised more attacks against government institutions, in retaliation.
They also claimed to have been a target because of the data they stole from Fulton County earlier this year. Allegedly, the data stolen there contains sensitive information regarding the court cases against Donald Trump which, if leaked, “could affect the upcoming US election,” they said.
When the NCA first took down LockBit’s infrastructure, it made no arrests. Without detainments, it was only a matter of time before the threat actors bounced back.
More from TechRadar Pro
Unsurprisingly, LockBit ransomware crew has returnedHere’s a list of the best firewalls around todayThese are the best endpoint security tools right now
Android switchers are choosing these iPhones when making the big move to iOS
Some new data reveals the most popular iPhone models among Android switchers – and how that compares to existing iOS fans.
Android switchers last year mostly moved to the iPhone 14 / 14 Plus10% of those switching from Android to iOS went for the iPhone SEAndroid switchers chose older models more than iOS upgraders
Last year, we saw Android fans switching to iPhone in record numbers. That trend has now plateaued, but new data has revealed which iPhone models most Android defectors are switching to – and there are a few surprises
According to new data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), which tracks last year’s sales to the end of December 2023, the most popular iPhone models for those moving from Android were the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.
(Image credit: CIRP)
That’s perfectly understandable, given the iPhone 15 only arrived in September 2023. But some of the other popular picks are very revealing. The overall trend for Android switchers – compared to iPhone upgraders – was towards cheaper models; for example, 10% went for the iPhone SE, despite that phone now being four years old.
A much larger proportion of Android switchers last year (8% of the total), also went for the iPhone 12 (twice as many, by proportion, as upgraders who were already within the iOS ecosystem). That said, Android leavers certainly weren’t averse to picking up an iPhone Pro or Pro Max – overall, 37% of people switching from Google’s mobile OS to iOS picked up one of those models.
The biggest difference between those switching from Android to iPhone and existing iPhone owners upgrading, though, is clearly a greater preference for older, legacy models. Last year, 29% of people switching from Android to iPhone picked up an iPhone SE, iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. That compared to only 21% of existing iPhone owners doing the same.
What’s behind the differences?
(Image credit: Future)
In some ways, these differences in upgrade tastes between Android and existing iPhone owners might be a little surprising. After all, switching to an entirely new operating system is a bigger move than staying within iOS – so you might expect Android switchers to make a correspondingly bolder leap with their choice of iPhone, in order to get the most from that new OS.
But then again, the disparities are also likely explained by price. This trend has been seen in previous years – and as CIRP notes, many Android switchers are coming from more affordable phones. And perfectly capable older models like the iPhone SE or iPhone 12 are likely a better budget match, particularly given Apple’s record for lengthy software support. iPhone owners may also get a better trade-in price for their phone, as Apple’s phones typically retain a better resale value.
Another completely understandable reason is that Android switchers may feel they don’t need the latest iPhone to experience the best of iOS. That’s certainly the case, with iOS 17‘s latest features, like StandBy mode and NameDrop (not to mention iMessage and FaceTime) all working perfectly fine on these so-called ‘legacy’ models.
With iOS 18 also rumored to be supporting the same phones as iOS 17 – which would mean any model from 2018’s iPhone XR onwards – those popular iPhones among Android switchers will be future-proofed for a good few years yet. For example, if Apple’s iOS support follows a similar pattern, the iPhone 14 shouldn’t be dropped from software support until at least 2029.
So while many people buy newer iPhones as a future-proofing strategy, a lot of Android switchers are rightly seeing a sweet spot in slightly older models that only differ from the iPhone in minor ways. Whether or not the rumored AI upgrades coming to iOS in 2024 and beyond changes this remains to be seen.
You might also like
How to switch from Android to iPhone using Move to iOSI ditched my Android for an iPhone 15 for a week – and Apple has some work to doI want Android to get a lot better so I’m telling people to buy an iPhone 15A 3-year-old iPhone will always offer the best bang for your buck, seriously
Inspired Capital secures $330M fund to take venture capital ‘back to the studs’
As part of the new fund, Inspired Capital wrote a manifesto that highlights how the venture capital firm thinks, what it believes in and what it is looking for.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
As part of the new fund, Inspired Capital wrote a manifesto that highlights how the venture capital firm thinks, what it believes in and what it is looking for.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.