Kindle security exploit allows hackers to access your Amazon credentials

As if there haven't been enough security scares in 2014 already, it looks like another household electronic device could be putting our private information at risk. According to security consultant Benjamin Daniel Mussler at B.FL7.DE , Amazon's Kindle Library is currently vulnerable to XSS attacks, in which malicious code is inserted into the metadata for an eBook.

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Posted in 2014 at 11:00PM, September 16

Apple Launches Guide for Android Users Switching to iPhone

Ahead of the launch of the large-screened iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has released a detailed support document that walks Android users through moving data from their Android devices to the iPhone.



The document includes information on moving email accounts to the iPhone, giving Android users instructions on how to add email accounts to the Mail app. It suggests using a third-party app (Copy My Data [Direct Link]) to transfer data like contacts, calendars, and photos.





Apple suggests Android users can transfer photos, videos, books, and music from Android devices to iPhones using iTunes on a Mac or PC, giving step-by-step instructions. The document also walks users through transferring various documents to iCloud, which can then be opened in Pages, Keynote, and Numbers via iCloud and on iOS devices using the three apps.



Ahead of the launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, analysts suggested that the introduction of a larger-screened device could trigger a massive spike in upgrades and lure Android users who were using the Android platform due to the availability of devices with big screens.



Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook made similar statements, suggesting the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus would trigger "the mother of all upgrades" with Android users also looking to switch to the iPhone due to the fact that the phones are "appreciably better in every single way."



On Monday, Apple announced that it had processed more than four million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders on the first day of pre-launch dales, doubling the previous iPhone 5 pre-order record set in 2012. Pre-order supplies of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus dwindled quickly, with iPhone 6 Plus shipping estimates slipping to 3 to 4 weeks early Friday morning and iPhone 6 shipping estimates slipping to 7 to 10 days on Friday evening.



Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in stores beginning on Friday, September 19. Early pre-orders will also begin arriving to customers on that date.

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Posted in 2014 at 08:46PM, September 16

Official iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Cases Arriving Ahead of Friday's iPhone Launch

While shipping vendors have been instructed to hold deliveries of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus until Friday's official launch date, there is no such restriction on the official Apple cases designed for the new devices. As a result, several MacRumors readers and others who placed orders for cases when iPhone pre-orders went live last Friday have already begun receiving their case orders.



iLounge has shared some good photos of the brown leather iPhone 6 Plus case. The cases are very similar to the leather iPhone 5s cases with a microfiber interior to protect the iPhone itself, although the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases have an open bottom edge where as the iPhone 5s cases are enclosed with distinct holes for the various physical features.





At least one MacRumors reader has received his black leather case for the iPhone 6 Plus, while others are receiving iPhone 6 cases as well.





A Reddit poster has received one of each size of case, allowing for a comparison between the two sizes. The poster has also shared some photos showing how the two cases fit in the hand.





Apple's leather cases are priced at $45 for the iPhone 6 and $49 for the iPhone 6 Plus, while silicone cases are also available priced at $35 for the iPhone 6 and $39 for the iPhone 6 Plus. The leather cases are currently shipping with delays of a few business days, while silicone cases are listed as shipping in October.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:22PM, September 16

One of the most exciting iOS 8 features might not be ready for tomorrow

We all still have a few days to wait until our iPhone 6 and 6 Plus shipments begin arriving, but the final release of iOS 8 is just hours away. At some point on Wednesday, likely around 1 p.m. ET, Apple will roll out the latest update for its mobile operating system, but there's a slight chance that one of its most anticipated new features won't be ready for primetime.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:06PM, September 16

iCloud.com Now Utilizing Two-Factor Authentication

Apple's two-factor authentication system is now enabled for iCloud.com, with the site asking for a verification code before allowing users with two-factor authentication enabled to access various iCloud.com apps.



Access to iCloud.com apps like Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote is restricted until the verification code is entered on the website, but Find My iPhone remains accessible.





Users also receive an email when their Apple ID is used to sign into iCloud via the web browser, a feature that was implemented following the recent hacking of celebrity iCloud accounts that led to hundreds of photos being shared on the Internet.





Following the hacking incident, Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to improve iCloud security by expanding two-factor authentication and sending out security emails when a device is restored, iCloud is accessed, or a password change is attempted. Cook also said that Apple will aim to increase awareness about two-factor verification.



Originally implemented back in March of 2013, two-factor verification is an opt-in system designed to increase Apple ID account security by requiring identity verification before allowing users to make account changes or purchase content on new devices. It replaces standard security questions with a security code delivered to a trusted device.



Apple first tested two-factor authentication for iCloud.com back in June, well ahead of the iCloud breach, but the feature was not implemented until today.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:53PM, September 16

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Shown Off in Early Hands-On Videos

Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus won't be available to consumers until Friday, September 19, but some devices have been trickling out early ahead of the phone's launch. Korean site UNDERkg has managed to get both an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 6 Plus, sharing hands-on videos and photos.



The first video focuses on the 4.7-inch gold iPhone 6, walking through all of the features including the display, the Touch ID home button, the protruding lens, and the power button, which has been relocated to the right side of the device for easier one-handed access.



In the video, the iPhone 6 is also compared to earlier models of the iPhone, like the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 3G, as well as Samsung devices like the Galaxy S5 and Alpha. The device is shown running iOS 8, with several of the apps demonstrated in the video. Authenticity is of the iPhone 6 in the video is confirmed via a FaceTime call.






UNDERkg's second video shows off the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, again running through all of the newly introduced design features, including the wraparound screen, relocated power button, and redesigned pill-shaped volume buttons.



As with the iPhone 6, the 6 Plus is shown powered on, with the reviewer showing off a few apps on the phone as well as the larger available home screen space. The iPad-style landscape mode is also demonstrated, showing how the device uses its additional real estate.






Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be available to consumers beginning on Friday, September 19. The devices will be available in stores on that date, and that is also the date that early pre-orders will begin arriving. Official iPhone 6 and 6 Plus reviews should be available tonight.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:41PM, September 16

Netflix Launches in Germany, Including on Apple TV [Mac Blog]

Netflix today officially launched [Google Translate] its subscription movie and TV show service in Germany, and as noted by ifun.de [Google Translate], the launch includes day-one support on the Apple TV.





Apple has significantly expanded content offerings on the Apple TV over the past year or two, but many of the additions have been limited to the United States. The Netflix channel has, however, been available in many of the markets served by Netflix, which has included the U.S., Latin America, and a number of countries in Europe. As a result, it is unsurprising that the channel has expanded to Germany, but viewers there will be happy to see Apple TV support arriving right alongside the general launch of Netflix in the country.

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Posted in 2014 at 06:03PM, September 16