Mac Certificate Check Stokes Fear That Apple Logs Every App You Run

Last week, Apple released macOS Big Sur and the rollout was anything but smooth. The mass upgrade caused the Apple servers responsible for checking if a user opens an app not downloaded from the App Store to slow to a crawl. Apple eventually fixed the problem, “but concerns about paralyzed Macs were soon replaced by an even bigger worry — the…

Your Computer Isn’t Yours

Security researcher Jeffrey Paul, writes in a blog post: On modern versions of macOS, you simply can’t power on your computer, launch a text editor or eBook reader, and write or read, without a log of your activity being transmitted and stored. It turns out that in the current version of the macOS, the OS sends to Apple a hash (unique…

India Opens Antitrust Case Against Google Over Its Payments App

India’s antitrust watchdog has opened an investigation into Google for allegedly abusing the dominant position of its app store to promote its payments service in the world’s second largest internet market. From a report: In its Monday announcement about opening an antitrust case against Google, Indian watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) said it would review claims of whether the Android…

Apple Says New ‘Nutrition Labels’ For App Privacy Will Be Required Starting December 8

Apple has announced today that developers will be required to provide new privacy details to users in the App Store starting December 8. From a report: These privacy “nutrition labels” were first introduced at WWDC over the summer, with Apple saying the goal is to better inform consumers of the privacy practices of individual applications. In a post on the Apple…

Hundreds of App Developers Want to Join New Apple-Defying Coalition

The Washington Post reports: App developers are defying Apple in record numbers, according to a new coalition of companies aimed at breaking the iPhone maker’s tight grip over its mobile software and the way it governs the App Store. The Coalition for App Fairness, which launched last month and counts as members video-game giant Epic Games, dating company Match Group and…

Xbox Game Streaming Will Land on iOS in 2021 Using Web Workaround

Project xCloud, the Microsoft game-streaming service that comes packed as a bonus in certain Xbox Game Pass subscription plans, may finally have a path to working on Apple’s range of iOS devices — well after a public row between the tech giants that put the possibility into question. From a report: The news comes from a report by Business Insider, which…

Fortnite Remains Banned From Apple’s App Store After Judge Refuses Epic’s Request

Epic Games “did not win its preliminary injunction in its antitrust action against Apple, which would have forced Apple to allow Fortnite back onto the iPhone, iPad, and Mac,” reports BGR, calling it “the decision we warned you about a few weeks ago.” Gonzalez Rogers hinted during the injunction relief hearing a few weeks ago that she wasn’t inclined to side…

Waymo Starts To Open Driverless Ride-Hailing Service To the Public

Waymo, the Google self-driving-project-turned-Alphabet unit, is beginning to open up its driverless ride-hailing service to the public. From a report: The company said that starting today members of its Waymo One service will be able to take family and friends along on their fully driverless rides in the Phoenix area. Existing Waymo One members will have the first access to the…

Apple Removes Two RSS Feed Readers From China App Store To Please China’s Censors

Two RSS reader apps, Reeder and Fiery Feeds, said this week that their iOS apps have been removed in China over content that deemed “illegal” by the local cyber watchdog. TechCrunch reports: Apps get banned in China for all sorts of reasons. Feed readers of RSS, or Real Simple Syndication, are particularly troubling to the authority because they fetch content from…

Indian Startups Explore Alliance and Alternative App Store To Fight Google’s ‘Monopoly’

Google, which reaches more internet users than any other firm in India and commands 99% of the nation’s smartphone market, has stumbled upon an odd challenge in the world’s second-largest internet market: Scores of top local entrepreneurs. From a report: More than 150 startups and firms in India are working to form an alliance and toying with the idea of launching…