Your iPhone or Mac could be hacked with one iMessage
Probably time to update that software.
If you're the kind of person that is consistently running behind on the latest
software, it may be time to switch up your method.
That's if a report from Forbes
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2016/07/19/apple-iphone-ios-9-vulnerabilities-like-stagefright/#6877032d3947>
is to be believed, which indicates security vulnerabilities can allow hackers
to access your device by sending you a single iMessage. The bug is found in
almost every version of Apple's iOS
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a794812/ios-10-update-download-release-date-beta-features-compatible-devices-and-everything-you-need-to-know/>
and OS X
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/computing/feature/a797723/7-macos-sierra-features-that-will-give-your-mac-a-new-lease-of-life-from-siri-to-a-universal-clipboard/>
, except the latest updates.
The discovery was initially made by a researcher from Cisco
<http://blog.talosintel.com/2016/07/apple-image-rce.html> , finding that a
potential hacker could send a .TIF file (a simple photo file) that, once sent,
can give away your device's internal storage and stored passwords.
Here's how to avoid the potential hacking doom: update your device to the
latest version, iOS 9.3.3 or El Capitan 10.11.6.
Or, if you simply can't bear the thought of being up to date, just turn off
iMessage.
This Pokéball attachment ensures you'll never run out of battery again
Pokémon Go is the first game to fully take advantage of augmented reality. The
only downside, apart from consistent server problems
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/pokemon/feature/a801437/pokemon-go-in-the-uk-is-a-big-buggy-mess-why-isnt-anyone-angry-about-that/>
, is the huge drain on our smartphone battery.
Trainers are experiencing an approximate 30 percent drop in battery life for
every hour of gameplay. Even with the app's power-saving mode turned on, your
phone brightness turned so low you can hardly see where you're throwing
PokéBalls and Do Not Disturb also selected, becoming stranded while out on a
hunt is a very real possibility.
Obviously you could invest in a standard phone battery case, but why follow the
crowd when you can stay on the go thanks to a PokéBall USB charger?
That's right, you can now order the device attachment from an independent
seller on Etsy named magicalsuperstore
<https://www.etsy.com/listing/466681155/hand-made-pokeball-themed-battery-pack>
, who makes the balls by hand using a Dremel to shape the round plastic shell.
The seller claims it's a mammoth 5300mAh internal battery pack, which should be
able to recharge a run down phone up to three times.
The ball features a USB and Micro-USB port for connectivity, as well as LEDs
that indicate the status of a charge and a keychain loop so you can hang it
from your backpack or belt.
You can pick up one of the battery backups for £31, as well as this Pokédex
charge case
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a801779/pokemon-go-3d-printed-pokedex-phone-case/>
if you're really needing maximum power at all times.
Facebook Live has some big improvements on the way
If you consistently set up broadcasts using Facebook Live, or maybe just enjoy
watching babies being born
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a794704/dad-who-used-facebook-live-to-stream-his-sons-birth-had-no-idea-it-was-going-to-thousands-of-strangers/>
and watermelons explode
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/news/a790054/800k-people-tuned-into-a-facebook-live-broadcast-of-a-watermelon-exploding/>
, the service is about to see some improvements.
Most notably, Live will now allow broadcasters double the maximum streaming
time, shooting from two hours to fours, to accommodate those wanting to create
marathon streams. This doesn't quite put Facebook within reach of its rivals,
but it's a step in the right direction.
The function will now support full-screen broadcasts too, meaning you can both
watch and broadcast in portrait and landscape on iOS. For Android users,
though, the phone-tilting fun won't be available until later this summer.
If you're tired of the Live viewing experience being dragged down by constant
comments and reactions - which obviously hits more popular broadcasts hard -
both broadcasters and viewers will now have the option to turn the feature on
and off.
This will be performed by swiping left or right on the cast, and will no doubt
be useful for broadcasters not necessarily looking for viewer interaction
during the video.
The improvements are set to roll out immediately, though it appears it will
take several weeks for all platforms to experience the changes.
Facebook is expanding its Instant Articles feature
Facebook has been providing us with insta-load articles on its mobile app for
some time, greatly reducing the number of sighs we project at our smartphone.
Now, the social network has announced
<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157276382170195&set=a.10150310032495195.569659.800665194&type=3&theater>
the feature will be making its way to the standalone Messenger app.
When someone shares a link with you in a chat, a lightning bolt icon will
indicate that it's one of the quick-to-load stories, meaning you won't have to
sit and wait like a schmuck for it to appear like with a regular web link.
Ads will feature inside the Instant Articles like before, though the prospect
of pages appearing up to 10 times faster is a nice trade-off.
Facebook says the stories will debut on Android
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/android/news/a799802/google-announces-android-new-version-name/>
today, with iOS
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a794812/ios-10-update-download-release-date-beta-features-compatible-devices-and-everything-you-need-to-know/>
to follow in a couple of weeks.
British teen sentenced to 15 months in jail over Facebook photos
You might have thought everybody was aware that taking in-court photographs of
an active trial is prime to land you in trouble - but apparently not.
Damien Parker-Stokes, 19, was at court in 2014 to support his friend Ryan
Sheppard, who was being sentenced for murder.
He then decided to take five pictures and a video of the proceedings, later
posting one onto Another friend of Parker-Stokes, 18-year-old Kyle Cox, posted
the same picture to Sheppard's Facebook page, this time with the caption "Ride
or die certified south west g."
That wasn't enough, though, with Cox then proceeding to post a picture of a
different judge, with the caption "F*k the judge!"
While Cox later apologised and was handed a six-month suspended sentence, Lord
Chief Justice Lord Thomas has now found Parker-Stokes in contempt of court, and
sentenced him to 15 months in prison.
He said that Parker-Stokes had mocked the administration of justice and caused
the victim's family distress.
'Smart stitches' will monitor your wounds as you heal
While technological advancements continue to make the unimaginable a reality in
the world of medical science, stitches have been relatively left behind.
That is, until now.
If you've ever been unfortunate enough to require a threaded mend, you'll know
that the doctor asks you to check back with them around a week later to see the
progress of the healing — you could be infected, the wound could need cleaning
or you could be doing just great.
That tedious trip back to get your stitch report card could soon be a thing of
the past, as researchers from Tufts University
<http://www.nature.com/articles/micronano201639> have been creating "smart
sutures", which are essentially threads that the engineers have embedded with
sensors, microfluidics and electronics.
The aim is that these sutures will be able to collect information like Ph and
glucose levels, tissue temperature, stress and strain on the wound, and whether
or not an infection is on the cards.
The information can then be sent directly to a device owned by your doctor, who
is then able to remotely monitor your progress. This would mean less doctor
visits and potential alerts if anything isn't going to plan with your healing.
The researchers also believe that the tech could also be embedded in organs,
orthopaedic implants, or knitted into fabrics.
But with early testing still taking place, we're still pretty far away from
getting push notifications from the NHS about the status of healing wounds.
This is why your broadband isn't working
Have you been resetting your router all morning and realising how empty life is
without broadband sustenance?
Well, it turns out it's not you, it's BT.
The provider has confirmed that it's suffering from network issues that are
affecting BT and also PlusNet subscribers across the UK
The problems appeared to be related to BT's DNS servers, which help route
traffic on the internet. BT, though, in a later tweet, said the issue is linked
to power issues at one of its internet connection partners' sites in London.
Website reporting service Down Detector
<http://downdetector.co.uk/problems/bt-british-telecom> has indicated
thousands of complaints from across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool,
Sheffield, Leeds and Nottingham.
The timing couldn't be worse for the company, either, with MPs just yesterday
criticising the giant for not investing enough in BT Openreach, the broadband
infrastructure BT provides to other internet service providers.
Telecoms watchdog Ofcom, meanwhile, is currently considering whether Openreach
should be spun off into a separate company to prevent conflicts of interest
between BT and the competitors it also supplies.
Here's why the iPhone 7 could end up being a major flop
For almost the entire lifecycle of the iPhone
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a670501/iphone-7-release-date-rumours-news-specs-price-and-everything-you-need-to-know/>
, every other year has represented a sweeping redesign which kept our most
used tech companion feeling fresh.
With leaks and rumours
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/smartphones/news/a798708/iphone-7-apple-bog-standard-upgrade/>
offering a consensus of little change this time around though, it appears the
next instalment of the phone could send Apple's declining handset sales
plummeting further.
If the reports of a dull refresh are to be believed, customers have indicated
they will tap out on upgrading their iPhones later this year.
According to a new poll
<http://qz.com/726617/only-10-of-iphone-owners-say-theyre-very-likely-to-upgrade-this-year-if-apple-doesnt-release-a-new-phone-design/>
conducted by online magazine Quartz, in which 525 US iPhone users were
quizzed, just 10% said they would be likely or very likely to upgrade this year
if Apple doesn't redesign its flagship product.
In comparison, 25% of respondents noted how they were either extremely
interested or very interested in upgrading with each new iPhone redesign.
Altogether, the stats make grim reading for Apple. Just under 46% said they
wouldn't at all be likely to upgrade to this year's iPhone if it didn't get an
overhaul, 33% said they wouldn't be so likely to do so, and 11% said they would
be somewhat likely to upgrade.
So, all in all, 90% of respondents essentially said, 'Nah, I'm good' to the
prospect of a new iPhone without the usual tick-tock overhaul, which is exactly
what is forecast.
Best to start taking a look at Samsung's Galaxy Note 7
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/smartphones/feature/a793586/samsung-galaxy-note-7-release-date-rumours-news-specs-price-and-everything-you-need-to-know/>
or S8
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/smartphones/feature/a784828/samsung-galaxy-s8-release-date-rumours-specs-news-price-and-everything-you-need-to-know/>
instead then.
iPhone 7 leak shows off a THIRD different option as Plus & Pro versions are
teased
While we're accustomed to Apple releasing a Plus model alongside its regular
iPhone
<http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/apple/feature/a670501/iphone-7-release-date-rumours-news-specs-price-and-everything-you-need-to-know/>
, it now appears as if the company is set to launch a third option this
autumn.
That's if the latest <http://www.weibo.com/login.php> Weibo leak is anything
to go by, in which we can see a trio of iPhone 7 models (or whatever it ends up
being called) lined up alongside each other. As the placards show, the standard
model will reportedly be accompanied by a Plus and the rumoured Pro version.
Like current generations, the Plus model looks to be a larger version of the
normal iPhone, while the Pro would likely offer added features, such as the
dual-lens tech on display.
The rear of the phone also shows a Smart Connector, which means it could link
up with a number of accessories, akin to the iPad Pro.
Another small detail to point out is the 'S' underneath the 'iPhone' writing.
This would, if the leak turns out to be true, confirm recent reports suggesting
the company will wait until 2017 to use the iPhone 7 moniker.
The leak is contrary to what reliable tipster Evan Blass indicated via Twitter,
though, as he believes the tech giant has only been internally referring to two
iPhone 7 models, Sonora and Dos Palos
With speculation ramping up before the phone's usual September/October launch,
expect to hear more conflicting reports about the upcoming handset before all
the details are finally confirmed.
New BBC+ app gives the Beeb a customisable upgrade
Forget the dusty old Auntie, the BBC is moving with the times, launching its
latest app to give you a more personalised experience.
Dubbed BBC+, the iOS and Android-friendly smartphone app lets you pick and
choose the content you want to be exposed to, pulling them all together in an
app just for you.
Doing away with the trouble of finding something of interest within the BBC's
daily outpouring of more than 1,500 pieces of content, the BBC+ app should make
finding the things of interest and importance to you a little more manageable.
Like cycling but not football, tech news but not gaming, music but not
celebrity insights? You got it. Once you've signed in with your own BBC
account, you cherry-pick the content categories you want to be pushed your way.
Once you've customised your account to your wants and needs, you'll be able to
seamlessly swipe through your collection of content categories, with each
offering all manner of current, bespokely curated content.
It's not just news content either. The Beeb will pool all of its resources
across your selected categories, including video and radio content.
This is just phase one of the customisable BBC experience too. Paul Owen, Head
of Product for Homepage and BBC+, has promised things are going to continue to
evolve moving forward.
"BBC+ is a key part of the journey towards achieving a much more personal BBC
and truly brings topical information from across the whole organisation to your
pocket, ready for you to access at your convenience," he said.
"This is just the start for us, and over time the app will evolve and add new
features based on user feedback."
The BBC+ app is available to download now.
Ofcom says we're watching less live TV than ever before, thanks to Netflix &
BBC iPlayer
Live TV viewing is dwindling as young people turn increasingly to BBC iPlayer
and Netflix, according to a new report.
Ofcom
<http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/broadcast/reviews-investigations/psb-review/psb2016/PSB-Annual-Report-2016.pdf>
has estimated that just 63% of total viewing time in the United Kingdom is
taken up by live television.
For 16-24 year olds, it's even less - just 36% of telly watching is done live,
in part of what Ofcom calls a "widening gap" between the viewing habits of the
young and the old.
The report cites the popularity of on-demand services as a potential reason for
the fall in live viewing among younger age groups.
Six in 10 adults now use on-demand services, with that number rising to seven
in 10 among 15-24s and 25-34s.
Paid on-demand services - like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video - have seen a
surge in the last two years.
Time spent watching TV on these services has risen by 14% and now accounts for
a fifth of all viewing time for 16-24 year olds.
Together, free and paid on-demand services account for a third of daily viewing
time among 16-24s, more than any other age group.
The changes extend beyond just live TV watching, though.
Viewing on TV sets in general has fallen significantly over the last five
years, with the UK public watching 26 minutes less a day on average than in
2010.
That's a drop of 11% - and for 16-24 year olds and children, the dip is "more
than a quarter".
It seems older viewers, though, are stuck in their ways. Total per-day viewing
fell by just 5% among 55-64 year olds and remained largely unchanged for those
above 65.
