Malicious Siri commands can be hidden in music and innocuous-sounding speech recordings
A group of students from Berkeley have demonstrated how malicious commands to Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa can be hidden in recorded music or innocuous-sounding speech.
Simply playing the tracks over the radio, streaming music track or podcast could allow attackers to take control of a smart home …
Apple’s Michigan Avenue store recognized for innovative lighting design at IALD Awards
Apple and architecture firm Foster + Partners were honored alongside sixteen other groups from eleven countries last night during the annual awards ceremony held by the International Association of Lighting Designers in Chicago. The IALD is a prominent organization operating with a goal of setting the global standard for lighting design excellence.
Dialog downplays possible loss of future Apple business, claims ‘growing’ relationship
Dialog Semiconductor yesterday announced its Q1 earnings, and CEO Jalal Bagherli played down the possible loss of future business with Apple. The company designs power management chips used in iPhones, and the Cupertino company is estimated to account for around 70% of its income.
Announcing revenues up 23% year-on-year to £332M but profit down 25% to $17.4B, Bagherli tried to strike a positive note as the company waits for news from Apple …
Korean report suggests this year’s LCD iPhone will borrow advanced display tech from LG G7 ThinQ
Apple’s 2018 iPhone line-up is widely expected to include a 6-inch/6.1-inch model with a similar design to the iPhone X but using a cheaper LCD display to target a $7-800 price.
Patently Apple speculated a few days ago that Apple might use a new form of LCD technology developed by LG, and a supply-chain report appears to lend weight to this idea …
AltConf to host evening event in London for WWDC keynote day, June 4
For the first time, AltConf are expanding beyond the US. The organizers of the free conference that runs alongside WWDC every year, are now experimenting with some international events. This year, AltConf is hosting an evening keynote viewing event on June 4th, the first day of WWDC 2018.
There will be a drinks reception, a big screen to show the keynote stream, followed by a panel discussion once the show ends. If you are in London on the 4th, you can grab a ticket for free here. There are about 400 seats, and they expect to sell out.
Mac-specific vulnerability discovered with Signal’s self-destructing messages
A Mac-specific vulnerability has been discovered in the secure messaging app Signal.
Signal allows you the option of sending ‘disappearing’ messages which are automatically purged from the app after a preset time. This feature is often used for passing on the most sensitive information, to ensure there is no permanent record afterwards. But a security researcher has discovered a serious failing specific to the Mac app …
Apple cancels plans for Ireland data center as it is hit with even more court delays
Apple has given up waiting for the go-ahead on its plans for a data center in Ireland, which the company first applied for in 2015. The project hit multiple setbacks over disputes with local groups on environmental concerns. A ‘final decision’ was ruled in Apple’s favor at the end of 2017, so the fate of the project was looking positive.
However, a fresh appeal overrode the judgement and sent the parties back to court. Specifically, the Irish court said it may have to refer to the European Court of Justice on some matters. Referrals to Europe can take many years and it seems that this was the straw that broke the camel’s back and caused Apple to withdraw its proposal.
Apple confirms use of drones to improve Apple Maps, says privacy remains a priority
Earlier today, a report explained that Apple was among a handful of companies who had applied for government permission to test drone usage beyond current FAA limits. Now, Apple has officially commented on these plans…
LumaFusion 1.6 adds support for GNARBOX portable backup and editing system [Video]
LumaFusion, far and away the most feature-dense video editing app on iOS, has been updated to version 1.6. This latest release brings some notable enhancements to the table: including improved media consolidation and Gnarbox integration.
I’ve covered LumaFusion several times before, and have been impressed by the amount of features that it has built in for serious video editors. Version 1.6 continues to build on the foundation already established by previous versions, and creates a noteworthy hardware partnership in the process. Watch our hands-on video for more details. more…
HomeKit favorite Schlage smart lock picks up Alexa voice unlock control
One of the more popular smart lock options on the market is getting a bit more versatile today. Schlage has announced that it is bringing expanded Alexa support to its Sense and Connect smart locks. While the two have long supported HomeKit and basic Alexa commands, this update gives further controls to users…