Apple and FBI Face Off Over Encryption, iPhone 7 Rumors, 'Error 53' and '1970 Date Bug' Updates - MacRumors

Tim Cook: Apple Won't Create 'Backdoor' to Help FBI Access San Bernardino Shooter's iPhone Earlier this week, Apple was ordered to comply with an FBI request to help authorities access information stored on the iPhone 5c used by one of the shooters in last year's San Bernardino, California terrorist attack. Within hours, Tim Cook posted an open letter on Apple's site outlining his objections to the demand over the precedent it would set in Apple being forced to compromise user privacy and security. The standoff has sparked new public discussion about encryption, privacy, and national security, with tech executives such as Google's Sundar Pichai, presidential candidates like Donald Trump, and the general public all weighing in with their thoughts.   Read Full Article Popular Stories Feb 18, 2016 iPhone 7 Predicted to Gain Second Speaker in Shift to Lightning Headphones It's been rumored for some time that the iPhone 7 will not include a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, with Apple looking to push users toward Lightning or wireless headphone solutions, but a new analyst report claims Apple may use the space gained with the removal of the headphone jack to add a second speaker on the bottom of the device. The analysts also believe the iPhone 7's Lightning headphones won't support noise cancelation features at first, but may do so in next year's iPhone 7s lineup. In other iPhone 7 rumors, Apple is said to be increasing its use of single-chip electromagnetic interference shielding on the device's main logic board, allowing chips to be placed closer together without electrical signals interfering with each other as power and frequencies increase.   Read Full Article Apple Releases Updated Version of iOS 9.2.1 to Fix Devices Bricked by 'Error 53' One of the bigger stories last week centered around a so-called "Error 53" some users have been running into after replacing their Touch ID home buttons with third-party parts, leaving their devices bricked and unusable. After initially saying the issue was a security measure designed to ensure hardware integrity of the fingerprint sensor system, Apple this week released a new update to address the issue on affected devices. Apple now says the error message was part of a factory test that should not have been exposed to the public. With the new update, users' devices will no longer be bricked after a home button replacement, although Touch ID will be disabled unless a genuine Apple part is used and properly authorized with the device.   Read Full Article Apple Will Fix 'January 1, 1970' Date Bug in Upcoming iOS Update Another significant bug gaining attention this week is affecting users who set their dates on their iOS devices to January 1, 1970, the earliest possible date allowed by the software. The bug is a doozy, forcing the device into a constant reboot cycle that renders it unusable without some inconvenient or tricky steps such as opening up the device and disconnecting the battery. Apple has acknowledged the bug and says a fix is on the way, but it's unclear when that update will be released.   Read Full Article Apple Launches USB-C Charge Cable Replacement Program for Retina MacBook Apple late last week launched a new program to replace defective USB-C cables that shipped both with the company's new Retina MacBook and as standalone accessories. The defective cables could cause charging issues with the notebook, and Apple is sending out free replacements to all users. Some users have already begun receiving their new cables, as Apple is automatically sending them out to those for whom it has contact information.   Read Full Article Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi Discuss Bloated Software Accusations, Upcoming iTunes Plans Apple executives Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi recently appeared on an episode of John Gruber's The Talk Show podcast, sharing their thoughts on a number of different topics. One of the most interesting discussions centered around perceptions of declining software quality and complaints about software such as iTunes having become bloated by trying to do too much. Cue noted that Apple will be delivering an improved version of iTunes on the desktop next month to make things easier for music users, presumably alongside OS X 10.11.4.    Read Full Article

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