Table of contents for 193 in iPad & iPhone User

Apple’s operating system updates always have important security patches, which is why we urge users to update as soon as possible. The recent iOS and iPadOS 16.5 update, however, has a unique security patch that is essentially a follow-up to a previous patch. A report by Jamf (fave.co/3MWVY92) details the ColdInvite vulnerability, which is filed as CVE-2023-27930 in the CVE Programme database. ColdInvite “can be exploited to leverage the co-processor in order to obtain read/write privileges to the kernel”, according to Jamf. A bad actor can use ColdInvite to eventually gain control of the device. This hole was fixed in the 16.5 update. Interestingly, ColdInvite was discovered because of a previous vulnerability that Apple addressed last year in iOS/iPadOS 15.6.1. This older one (filed as CVE-2022-32894) is called ColdIntro and…

Apple has added a couple of new features with Apple Maps and Music to help users discover and explore live shows. New hand-curated Guides in Maps showcase music venues and allow you to browse their upcoming shows right in the app. In the Music app, a new Set Lists space lets you browse the set lists for major artist shows and tours. The Guides are somewhat limited. You can access them at apple.co/MusicVenues, or just browse Guides for one of the selected cities. While there are over 40 guides total, that’s only enough to span 10 cities worldwide: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, San Francisco, Berlin, London, Paris, Vienna, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney and Mexico City. The guides may be useful if you happen to live in or…

Everyone wants to talk about AI. Most of them don’t know what it is (artificial intelligence), but they still want to talk about it. Who’s got it and who doesn’t. What industries it’s ripe to disrupt. And the one company that’s not in the middle of that conversation is Apple. Viral images generated by Stable Diffusion, and pathological chatbots from OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google are the story of the day. Apple, meanwhile, has nothing. Or perhaps, considering the current state of Siri, less than nothing. Apple’s nowhere when it comes to AI. That’s the narrative. The thing is, it’s not true. At least, not yet. PRESENTING THE NEURAL ENGINE It’s hard to imagine that you could portray Apple as a company that’s been asleep at the AI switch when it…

At WWDC 2023, Apple previewed iPadOS 17, this year’s main software update for the iPad. While pre-event rumours suggested this would be a quiet refresh, there were several worthwhile changes and new features that are good news for iPad owners. “iPadOS powers our most versatile device and enables users to do so many things on iPad, and now with iPadOS 17, we deliver an experience that’s even more personal and capable,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. 1. LOCK SCREEN AND WIDGETS Last year iPhone users got the new ability to customize their lock screens, but tablet users missed out. iPadOS 17 now brings this option to the iPad. You can set photo shuffles or Live Photos as 1. the background, customize the font and colours,…

At WWDC 2023, Apple announced a surprising raft of new features coming to AirPods and AirPods Pro. These revolve around the ability to have your headphones adapt automatically to the sounds around you and adjust noise cancellation or transparency features to suit the situation. The 2nd-gen AirPods Pro get the bulk of the upgrades with three new features: Adaptive Audio, Personalized Volume and Conversation Awareness. Adaptive Audio is a new mode that sits midway between Transparency and noise cancellation. It reacts to different types of noise, knowing to mute some – such as leaf blowers and marching bands, based on the demo – and allow others through, such as the noise of incoming vehicles. In theory, at least this is a smart way to blend safety and convenience without requiring…

Price: Free (in-app purchases) from fave.co/45GK7op; Free (in-app purchases) from fave.co/3qqjhRb For years, iPad Pro owners have complained the ‘Pro’ is evident in the hardware, but the software is consumer-grade, making the high-end tablet just a very expensive way to run iPad apps that already run as fast as you could want on far more affordable iPad models. That has improved in small steps over the past few years, but the iPad Pro still doesn’t feel like a Pro device, and it’s a software problem. The most obvious example has been the lack of Apple’s own professional content creation software on the platform. Now, with the release of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, it’s a little easier to justify the ‘Pro’ in iPad Pro. REAL PRO SOFTWARE…

Price: £54 from fave.co/3OWIEnJ Like each of Amazon’s smart speakers, its second-generation Echo Buds in-ear headphones do a fantastic job of summoning the company’s digital assistant, Alexa. And like each of those speakers, audio performance takes a back seat to listening for and responding to that wake word. The second-generation Echo Buds are generally a more polished product than Amazon’s other audio gear – with the possible exception of the Echo Studio (£219 from fave.co/3CgHUlN) – so it’s not a surprise that they received a generally warm reception when released a couple of years back. They’re most definitely the best audio product I’ve heard from Amazon. Unfortunately for Amazon, it’s competing in a category filled with excellent alternatives, and these don’t really stack up. The Echo Buds have a sleek…

Multiple iPhone and iPad owners have complained that Apple’s latest mobile software updates, iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5, render their devices incompatible with Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter. The accessory, which costs £45 from Apple’s store (fave.co/3J2GGOV) was designed with older Lightning iPad Pro models in mind, enabling owners to transfer photos from a digital camera to their tablet for editing and sharing; more recent iPads are equipped with USB-C ports and consequently have less need for an adapter. But it’s compatible, in theory, with pretty much any Lightning iPhone or iPad, going back all the way to the iPhone 5 from 2012 and the original iPad mini. I say “in theory” because, according to MacRumors (fave.co/3NeCqyu), a lot of owners are currently finding that in practice the…

We loved this year’s WWDC, but there were some product launches that didn’t make the cut. According to images shared by Twitter user Kosutami (fave.co/3oRbefH), Apple made alternate versions of AirPods and iPhone accessories that never saw the light of day. Kosutami claims Apple made “coloured” prototypes of the MagSafe charging puck similar to the MacBook charging cable that comes in silver, Space Grey and midnight, “but with more saturation”. The leaker shares an image of a Magsafe charger with a gold ring and cable to illustrate the rumour. They also claim Apple was once working on a “Magic Charger” that looked something like a larger version of the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Dock that was discontinued last year. According to Kosutami, the Magic Charger would have been sold in…

A fter months – years, even – of rumours, Apple has finally unveiled its mixed-reality headset. Dubbed Apple Vision Pro, it supports both AR and VR applications and offers features and specs that make other competing products look like toys. Apple calls it “the most advance personal electronics device ever” and has filed over 5,000 patents related to it. But it will cost you. Apple says it starts at $3,499 (around £2,820) and will be available early in 2024, initially in the US only. No date has been set when we’ll be able to get our hands on it in the UK. Apple claims it is a high-end TV, sound system, computer, and more – making the cost a bargain by comparison. The tech giant calls it a new type…

At WWDC 2023, Apple announced the watchOS 10 software update, which brings a complete rethinking of how we use and interact with the Apple Watch. While a leak ahead of the event that claimed the company was redesigning the famous Grid View of apps didn’t happen, other fundamental aspects of the interface have received major revamps. “With watchOS 10, we’ve redesigned the interface, allowing users to experience Apple Watch like never before,” said Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of Human Interface Design. The most striking change is the introduction of the new Smart Stack, a collection of widgets accessible from any watch face (with a turn of the Digital Crown) that adjusts the information presented to the user based on the context: weather information at the start of the day,…

Apple had plenty of great things to show off when it unveiled iOS 17 at WWDC. We’re psyched about vastly improved autocorrect, StandBy, Live Voicemail transcriptions, custom contact posters, and all that other good stuff. But sometimes it’s the little things that have the biggest impact. A small interface change or tiny unsung feature might change the way you use your iPhone day-to-day more than all the fancy AI-powered gimmicks ever will. Here are some of the little things in iOS 17 that you didn’t hear about in the keynote, but are sure to have an impact on your iPhone. PING YOUR APPLE WATCH One of our favorite features of the Apple Watch is that you can open Control Centre and ping your iPhone, causing it to make a brief…

The iPad is a capable device for both art and productivity, but it becomes a stronger proposition in both areas if you have a good stylus to hand. Whether you’re sketching a new building design, taking notes during a work meeting or designing graphics, a stylus is a game changer. But with so many to choose from in just about every shape and size, which is the best for your needs? Everyone has heard of the Apple Pencil, but there are plenty of great alternatives that cost a fraction of the price. Here are the best iPad styluses available right now. 1. APPLE PENCIL (2ND GENERATION) Price: £139 from fave.co/3P0T85E The Apple Pencil is an obvious choice, what isn’t quite so obvious is which Apple Pencil you should choose. There…

Noise-cancelling headphones are one of the most popular types of cans, and for good reason. They block out ambient noise that can distract from you enjoying your favourite tunes. While they’re particularly useful for air travel and daily commutes – especially via public transport – they’re also great at isolating you from at-home noise pollution, whether that be the whoosh of your air-con system, the whir of your computer’s cooling fans, or your neighbour’s lawn mower. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Headphones with active noise cancellation (ANC) identify sound waves associated with noise and electronically generate an inverse sound wave that cancels it out. Here’s what we mean: a sound wave is similar to the ripples in a pond. Toss a pebble in the pond, then introduce ripples of the opposite…

Digital security firm Kaspersky has posted information about a recent cyberattack that targeted the iPhones of Kaspersky employees (fave.co/3CeATBZ), which were infected with spyware that is part of a campaign the company dubbed, ‘Operation Triangulation’. Hackers were able to infect the iPhones using what Kaspersky called an “invisible iMessage with a malicious attachment” that can be activated without user interaction. Once installed, Triangulation was able to gather sensitive information (audio recordings, photos, geolocation, and more) and transmit that data to remote servers. All of this can occur without the user being able to notice. In a separate, more technical post, Kaspersky points (fave.co/3qtFa27) out that “the most recent version of the devices successfully targeted is iOS 15.7”. An Apple representative told Ars Technica (fave.co/3NeUGXp) that “there’s no indication in Kaspersky’s…

We’ve all lost pens and pencils before. It’s annoying when it happens, but they’re easily replaceable, so you don’t give it much thought. But losing an Apple Pencil? That’s a real pain. Not only is it a specialized, unique utensil – it’s costly, too. A recent patent application by Apple hopes to save users from that aggravation. Patently Apple (fave.co/43Jolyr) reports on US patent 20230161545 (fave.co/3qnmUXU), which describes how acoustic resonators can be used in the Apple Pencil so it can alert a user as to its location. Finding a lost Pencil could work in the same way a user can use Find My to locate a misplaced iPhone, iPad, or Mac. The user launches the Find My app and goes to the Devices section, and Bluetooth (which is what…

At the WWDC keynote, Apple unveiled some of the new features coming in iOS 17. Among them a new app called Journal, Live Voicemail and a new way to use Stickers. Read on for the low-down on all the new features and improvements coming to your iPhone later in 2023. RELEASE DATE iOS 17 will be rolled out to iPhones in autumn 2023, almost certainly in mid-September. Over the past few years, the release of the new version of iOS has been fairly consistent: iOS 16: 12 September, 2022. iOS 15: 20 September, 2021. iOS 14: 16 September, 2020. iOS 13: 19 September, 2019. iOS 12: 17 September, 2018. We therefore predict an iOS 17 launch date of 11 September. Before the full version arrives, a series of beta versions…

A long with iOS 17, watchOS 10 and macOS 14 Sonoma, Apple announced tvOS 17, which includes a few new nice-to-have features, including a redesigned Control Centre and the ability to locate a lost Apple TV remote with your iPhone. But the main reason you’ll want to update this autumn is FaceTime. That’s right, Apple is finally bringing the FaceTime app for video calls on Apple TV 4K. Using Continuity Camera and the iPhone, users will be able to wirelessly connect to the iPhone while presenting calls on your television. With the advantage of the bigger screen, Apple is also introducing Split View for Apple TV which lets users enjoy watching shows or movies while on a call. Apple says video conferencing apps from Cisco, Zoom, and others will launch…

Price: $3,499 (around £2,820) At Apple’s WWDC23, I think I saw the future. [Pausing to ponder.] Yeah, I’m pretty sure I saw the future – or at least Apple’s vision of the future of computing. I recently got to try the Apple Vision Pro, the new $3,499 (around £2,820) mixed-reality headset that was announced earlier this month and ships next year. I’m here to tell you the details of my experience, but the overall impression I have is that the Vision Pro is the most impressive first-gen product I’ve seen from Apple – more impressive than the 1998 iMac, or the 2007 iPhone. And I’m fully aware that other companies have made VR headsets, but Apple does that thing that it does, where it puts its understanding of what makes…

Price: £199 from fave.co/3J1xw58 The Skullycandy Crusher ANC 2 is aptly named. It will almost literally crush your ears with its thumping bass response, but its active noise cancellation is pretty weak sauce. Skullcandy says it’s targeting ‘tech-savvy audiophiles’ with this headphone, but most audiophiles eschew active noise cancellation, and I don’t know of any who would seek out an audio product that so zealously overemphasizes a given frequency range the way the Crusher ANC 2 does the low end. But for those looking for a headphone with massive amounts of thump, this is the one to buy. Note: some places sell these headphones in a box labelled Crusher ANC XT 2, but the same product is inside. AUDIO QUALITY The Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 is equipped with 40mm drivers…