Latest app update lets you control your Nest thermostat from your Apple Watch

The key selling-point of a smart thermostat like Nest or Tado is that you shouldn’t often need to control it manually, as it learns your preferences and monitors whether family members are home or away. But for those times when you do want to make manual adjustments, the process just got more convenient: the latest update to the Nest app adds Apple Watch support …

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Filed under: Apple

Security researcher finds message storage flaw in WhatsApp, says same vulnerability present in iMessages

WhatsApp may have this year followed iMessage’s lead in adopting end-to-end encryption for its messages, but a security researcher says that both still have a security flaw that can allow deleted messages to be recovered – either from the device, or remotely from iCloud backups.

Jonathan Zdziarski found the flaw in the current version of WhatsApp.

The latest version of the app tested leaves forensic trace of all of your chats, even after you’ve deleted, cleared, or archived them… even if you ‘Clear All Chats.’ In fact, the only way to get rid of them appears to be to delete the app entirely.

Zdziarski says that data was left behind no matter what deletion method was used: archiving, clearing or deleting threads – and he suggests that the same flaw is present in iMessages …

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Filed under: Apple

Apple launches new Spanish language App Store account on Twitter

Apple today has quietly started a Spanish language account on Twitter for the App Store. The purpose of the new Twitter feed is to reach a broader audience when it comes to marketing and promoting applications. The account carries the username of @AppStoreES and is touted as offering “all you need to know about apps directly from the App Store editorial team.” more…

Filed under: Apple

Apple reportedly redesigning Apple Store app, will add ‘For You’ tab for personalized product recommendations

In a report by Bloomberg, Apple is said to be preparing an update to its iOS Apple Store app, where customers can buy Apple’s hardware and accessories online. The new update will feature recommendations for suggested purchases, in a new ‘For You’ tab (mirroring Apple Music).

The privacy implications of the move are unclear; Apple will use a customer’s purchase history to suggest additional relevant products for them to buy, a tactic already heralded by most other online stores like Amazon. For example, if a user buys a set of Philips Hue lightbulbs, the app may also suggest adding other smart lighting HomeKit products to their cart, from the same range as well as other brands like the Lutron light systems, for instance.

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Filed under: Apple

Apple’s security chief to go behind the scenes of iOS security during upcoming BlackHat USA 2016 briefing

Apple is planning on discussing various aspects of iOS 10 security in “unprecedented detail” at the upcoming BlackHat USA 2016 security conference. Ivan Krstic, head of Apple Security Engineering and Architecture, will give a 50-minute briefing to discuss cryptographic design, the Secure Enclave found in Touch ID-enabled devices, and a new JIT hardening mechanism in iOS 10. more…

Filed under: Apple