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Apple limits how apps can handle and share users' contact lists
Apple updated its app guidelines last week, and while the biggest news was a widespread ban on cryptocurrency mining, the company also tightened its grip on what developers can and can't do with user info. Specifically, it restricted apps' abilities to collect, harness and share anyone's contact information.
App Store's updated rules could help make iOS Steam Link happen
Apple blocked Steam Link's launch on iOS to protect its business: Valve's app reportedly broke App Store guidelines surrounding in-app purchases. Those generate serious money for the tech giant, which takes a 30 percent cut from every sale. Now, Cupertino has revised its guidelines to include what features are and aren't acceptable for mirroring apps like Steam Link. The rules won't only protect Apple's revenue stream, but will also clarify what developers need to do in order to make sure their applications get approved. In other words, they could pave the way for Steam Link's addition to the iOS App Store.
The new Mac App Store is inspired by iOS
Apple has revealed a redesigned Mac App Store at WWDC 2018, which takes clear design cues from the iOS version of the shop. You'll notice right away that it now looks a lot like the one on your iPhone and iPad, featuring a "Discover" tab that will highlight a wide range of curated content, anything from "best apps" lists to tutorials and behind-the-scenes stories from developers. Ratings and reviews of applications are now front and center, too, while video previews are making its debut on the Mac App Store for the first time -- that's a feature that launched on iOS in 2014.
Apple approves first Telegram update since Russia ban
Apple has finally rolled out the latest version of Telegram on the App Store, a day after company chief Pavel Durov said that the tech giant has been blocking its updates since April. Telegram version 4.8.2 will make the app GDPR-compliant -- something that it should've been since the EU enforced the data protection and privacy law on May 25th. It also adds features that'll allow you to stop updating your contacts and to delete your synced ones, as well as to disable link previews in Secret Chats.
Apple has blocked Telegram from updating its iOS app, says founder
If you're wondering why Telegram hasn't updated its iOS app in two months, there's a clear reason for that, according to founder and CEO Pavel Durov. He says Apple blocked Telegram from issuing updates after Russia ordered the app's removal from the App Store last month.
All you need for a Volvo XC40 subscription is your iPhone
Getting a new car is getting even easier these days. BMW, Lexus and Volvo have all started selling cars via subscription. The Care by Volvo program gives you an all-wheel-drive XC40, insurance, routine maintenance, roadside assistance and no money down for $600 a month. That sounds pretty great, but it's also super easy to sign up. Now you can sign up and pay for your monthly car sub via an iOS app and Apple Pay.
'Alto's Odyssey' took three years to make, and that's all right
It's been three years since Snowman, a tiny independent studio based in Toronto, launched Alto's Adventure on iOS devices. Back then, the Alto crew was three people -- Ryan Cash, Harry Nesbitt and Jordan Rosenberg -- and Alto's Adventure was their first real game. They didn't know what to expect when they published it in the App Store for $2.99 in Feb. 2015, but the team hoped for the best. That launch changed everything. Alto's Adventure was a huge success. Players devoured the serene, soothing experience set on the slopes of a snowy mountain range -- it was an endless-runner snowboarding and llama-herding game, and its only mechanic involved tapping the screen to jump. Though gameplay was simple, the atmosphere and art told a larger story about comfort, risk and the warmth of home. Apple users ate it up, and the next year, Android players got a taste as well.
Attackers used Telegram to deliver cryptocurrency-mining malware
Kaspersky Lab says it spotted evidence of a vulnerability in the desktop version of Telegram that allowed attackers to install cryptocurrency mining malware on users' computers. The zero-day exploit was used to trick Telegram users into downloading malicious files, which could then be used to deliver cryptocurrency mining software and spyware. According to Kaspersky, those behind the exploit used the computers their malware had been installed on to mine digital currencies like Monero, Zcash, Fantomcoin and others. Kaspersky also says it found a stolen cache of Telegram data on one of the attackers' servers.
Apple briefly pulled Telegram over child pornography distribution
When Apple temporarily pulled Telegram from the App Store over "inappropriate content," it left many wondering just what that content was. We now know: 9to5Mac has learned that the company removed the app after discovering that people had been distributing child pornography through the app. Apple both contacted Telegram's team and authorities (including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) to both address the specific violation and to ensure that there were "more controls" in place to prevent a repeat.
Apple removes Telegram from App Store due to inappropriate content (updated)
Telegram and an experimental app called Telegram X that the company announced for Android yesterday have been removed from Apple's App Store, 9to5Mac reports. A Reddit user posted about the absence yesterday. While one Redditor said Telegram support had told them that the removal was unintended and both apps should be back in the store sometime soon, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov tweeted that the removals were intentional. He said, "We were alerted by Apple that inappropriate content was made available to our users and both apps were taken off the App Store." He added that the apps would be available again once protections were put into place.
Apple brings its redesigned App Store to the web
If you thought Apple's iOS 11 App Store redesign was overdue, the tech giant is now finally getting round to updating its web interface. The overhaul borrows from the iOS 11 revamp, offering a clean look, with larger images arranged in card-like bubbles, and a focus on discovery and reviews. When you select an app, you'll see "this app is only available on the App Store for iOS devices" at the top of the page, below which are its description, version history, and more info such as its size and a price list of the in-app purchases it offers (for freemium apps). With the redesign, Apple is showcasing screenshots from the iPhone X for apps optimized for the flagship, according to 9to5Mac.
Some mobile games are listening to what children watch
Just in time for the new season of Black Mirror, another report of a company using smartphones to listen in on users has surfaced. The New York Times reported this week that a number of apps are using software produced by a startup called Alphonso and it uses a smartphone's microphone to listen for particular audio signals in TV shows, advertisements and movies. In many cases, Alphonso then has Shazam identify what those audio snippets are and all of the collected data can then be sold to advertisers who can use it to better target their ads.
iPhone X owners can't use Face ID to approve family purchases
Face ID on the iPhone X is helpful for authorizing a purchase for yourself, but don't expect to use it if you're approving a purchase for your kids. Numerous owners have discovered that the face authentication feature doesn't work for family purchases (that is, where a family member asks you to buy apps or music on their behalf) like Touch ID does on earlier iPhones. It's not a tremendous pain, but you probably won't relish the thought of punching in your password every time your little ones want a new game for their iPads.
Apple will allow apps built from templates
Apple has revised its App Store guidelines to allow apps built using templates and other app-generation services. The decision -- a one-eighty on its previous policy that banned such apps in the name of preserving quality -- is supposed to make it easier for small businesses and non-profits to offer their own apps without the expense or expertise of building their own. But it's Apple, so there are of course some caveats.
Apple may let the same app work across iOS and Macs
The app situation between iPhones and Macs is a bit of a mess. While mobile apps are updated regularly, the Mac App Store can often leave something to be desired. Now, Apple is finally tackling this chaos. According to Bloomberg, Apple may give developers the option to create a single app that will work across Macs, iPads and iPhones as early as next year.
There’s a fake version of ‘Cuphead’ on the App Store (updated)
Xbox's retro-inspired Cuphead is on the App Store. There's just one problem: it's a fake. While the iTunes preview page looks legit, the game isn't actually an official project from designer Studio MDHR. A quick whois search reveals that the phoney website is hosted in Hungary and that registered owner, Sheridens LTD. has done this sort of thing before with an unofficial mobile port of melee brawler Gang Beasts. In fact, the fake Studio MDHR website was set up less than two months ago.
'Fez Pocket Edition’ is now available on iOS
The 2D puzzle platformer Fez from the independent game studio Polytron has had a long road in its journey to iOS, but now it's finally here. You can now purchase Fez Pocket Edition from the App Store for $4.99. It's designed for both the iPhone and the iPad.
Amazon Prime Video finally arrives on Apple TV
Amazon might be fighting with Google over YouTube, but its own streaming service just got a big win. Amazon Prime Video has finally landed on Apple TV, around six months after Tim Cook first said it was coming. After downloading the app, you'll be able to watch Man in the High Castle and other shows provided you have a 3rd-generation or later Apple TV, according to iTunes.
Skype disappears from China's app stores
If you hope to download Skype to keep in touch while you're in China, you may be in for a rude surprise. Apple, Huawei, Xiaomi and other companies have been removing Microsoft's internet calling software from their app stores in recent weeks in response to a crackdown on VoIP apps that don't obey local digital security laws. The service still works if you already have the app installed, but you can't download a fresh copy or pay for features directly through stores.
Apple reluctantly agrees to help India solve its phone spam problem
Apple and India's telecoms regulator have been at loggerheads for more than a year over privacy concerns, but now it seems a tentative compromise has been reached, with the tech company agreeing to help the Indian government develop an anti-spam app for its iOS platform.
