Tag Archives: Ios6

Evernote intros Penultimate 4 for iPad, explores synced and searchable handwriting

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Evernote intros Penultimate 4 for iPad, explores synced, searchable handwriting

Evernote acquired the Penultimate app for iPad last year with the conspicuous goal of making handwritten notes as easy to synchronize as to-do lists and snippets from the web. After several months of silence, the newly reworked Penultimate 4 is the result. The drawing tool now treats Evernote not just as a sharing option, but an integral part of its being. While it's possible to skip the sign-in, those who link their account get both cross-platform access to their work as well as cloud-based searches of their more legible writing. There's likewise a simpler interface with more realistic pen input. Truth be told, however, we suspect that many of Penultimate 4's would-be adopters will just care that the app is now free -- as of today, the biggest cost is that of an optional Evernote Premium account. As long as they're using an iPad running iOS 6, note takers yearning for the flexibility of a pad and paper in an era of cloud syncing and tablets can give Penultimate a try at the source link.

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Source: App Store

WhatsApp’s data collecting violates Canadian and Dutch privacy laws

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DNP WhatsApp's data collection practice violates Canadian and Dutch privacy laws

According to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) and the Dutch data authority College Bescherming Persoonsgegevens (CBP), the popular cross-platform messaging application WhatsApp violates privacy laws. A joint investigation between the two groups revealed that, with the exception of devices running iOS 6, the app requires access to a customer's address book in order to use the software. This stipulation results in non-user contact information being recorded to WhatsApp servers without permission, which contravenes Canadian and Dutch privacy laws. In September of 2012, the company added encryption to its services as a response to these investigations, but both the OPC and CBP remain concerned about unauthorized data collecting. As it stands, both organizations will continue to monitor WhatsApp's progress toward compliance, with the Dutch agency reserving its right to impose fines against the firm if necessary.

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WhatsApp's violation of privacy law partly resolved after investigation by data protection authorities

Canadian and Dutch data privacy guardians release findings from investigation of popular mobile app

Ottawa, Canada and The Hague, The Netherlands, January 28, 2013 -The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) and the Dutch Data Protection Authority (College bescherming persoonsgegevens, (CBP)) today released their findings from a collaborative investigation into the handling of personal information by WhatsApp Inc., a California-based mobile app developer.

The coordinated investigation is a global first, as two national data protection authorities conducted their work together to examine the privacy practices of a company with hundreds of millions of customers worldwide. This marks a milestone in global privacy protection.

"Our Office is very proud to mark an important world-first along with our Dutch counterparts, especially in light of today's increasingly online, mobile and borderless world," said Jennifer Stoddart, Privacy Commissioner of Canada. "Our investigation has led to WhatsApp making and committing to make further changes in order to better protect users' personal information."

Jacob Kohnstamm, Chairman of the Dutch Data Protection Authority, adds: "But we are not completely satisfied yet. The investigation revealed that users of WhatsApp - apart from iPhone users who have iOS 6 software - do not have a choice to use the app without granting access to their entire address book. The address book contains phone numbers of both users and non-users. This lack of choice contravenes (Dutch and Canadian) privacy law. Both users and non-users should have control over their personal data and users must be able to freely decide what contact details they wish to share with WhatsApp."

Key findings and outcomes

The investigation focused on WhatsApp's popular mobile messaging platform, which allows users to send and receive instant messages over the Internet across various mobile platforms. While WhatsApp was found to be in contravention of Canadian and Dutch privacy laws, the organization has taken steps to implement many recommendations to make its product safer from a privacy standpoint. At this time however, outstanding issues remain to be fully addressed.

The investigation revealed that WhatsApp was violating certain internationally accepted privacy principles, mainly in relation to the retention, safeguard, and disclosure of personal data. For example:

In order to facilitate contact between application users, WhatsApp relies on a user's address book to populate subscribers' WhatsApp contacts list. Once users consent to the use of their address book, all phone numbers from the mobile device are transmitted to WhatsApp to assist in the identification of other WhatsApp users. Rather than deleting the mobile numbers of non-users, WhatsApp retains those numbers (in a hash form). This practice contravenes Canadian and Dutch privacy law which holds that information may only be retained for so long as it is required for the fulfilment of an identified purpose. Only iPhone users running iOS6 on their devices have the option of adding contacts manually rather than uploading the mobile address numbers of their address books to company servers automatically.
At the time the investigation began, messages sent using WhatsApp's messenger service were unencrypted, leaving them prone to eavesdropping or interception, especially when sent through unprotected Wi-Fi networks. In September 2012, in partial response to our investigation, WhatsApp introduced encryption to its mobile messaging service.
Over the course of the investigation, it was found that WhatsApp was generating passwords for message exchanges using device information that can be relatively easily exposed. This created the risk that a third party may send and receive messages in the name of users without their knowledge. WhatsApp has since strengthened its authentication process in the latest version of its app, using a more secure randomly generated key instead of generating passwords from MAC (Media Acess Control) or IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) numbers (which uniquely identify each device on a network) to generate passwords for device to application message exchanges. Anyone who has downloaded WhatsApp, whether they are active users or not, should update to the latest version to benefit from this security upgrade.
Next steps

The OPC and CBP have worked closely together, but have issued separate reports, respecting each country's data protection law (Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Dutch Data Protection Act (Wet bescherming persoonsgegevens (Wbp)). Following the issuance of their respective reports of findings, the OPC and CBP will pursue outstanding matters independently.

Following investigation, the Dutch Data Protection Act provides for a second phase in which the CBP will examine whether the breaches of law continue and will decide whether it will take further enforcement actions. The Dutch legal framework contains the possibility to enforce the Dutch privacy law by imposing sanctions.

Under Canada's PIPEDA, the OPC will monitor the company's progress in meeting commitments made in the course of investigation. In most cases, companies are cooperative in meeting their obligations, and WhatsApp has demonstrated a willingness to fully comply with the OPC's recommendations. Unlike the CBP, the OPC does not have order making powers.

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Via: Reuters

Source: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Delta introduces Fly Delta app for iPad, iOS 6 Passbook integration

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Delta introduces revamped Fly Delta app for iPad with iOS 6 Passbook integration

Not only has Delta been eagerly embracing WiFi onboard its flights, the company's also been rolling out a digital makeover. Joining upgrades to its website, the airline has introduced a new iPad, simply called Fly Delta. The free app lets you do the usual stuff like checking-in and booking flights, but it also goes a few miles further. Aside from serving as a light travel guide, offering up info on your destination, the app will also serve inflight needs, like purchasing WiFi and other onboard amenities. What's more, "Glass Bottom Jet" offers an interactive live-map view of the world below you with social networking integration. Best of all, Delta's iOS 6 iPhone App Passbook integration is now live, so you can leave that paper boarding pass at home. Full press release and video demos just past the break.

Continue reading Delta introduces Fly Delta app for iPad, iOS 6 Passbook integration

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Source: Delta, iTunes (App Store)

iOS Do Not Disturb bug gives some users the gift of silence on New Year’s Day (update: horribly timed video)

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iOS Do Not Disturb bug gives some users the gift of silence on New Year's Day

If you're running iOS 6, your smartphone, media player or tablet may be taking a bit longer than usual to shake that post-party hangover. Users are reporting that the latest Apple OS' Do Not Disturb feature remains engaged even after its scheduled period has ended, with the misstep linked to January 1st. As you can see in the screenshot above, the feature fails to flip off automatically, as confirmed by the crescent icon beside the current time -- adjusting the date does seem to offer a temporary fix. When enabled, Do Not Disturb flips the device to silent mode, so you'll need to keep an eye on the screen in order to catch phone calls, text messages and other notifications. The tool does not disable alarms set through the native Clock app, however.

There doesn't appear to be an official fix available, but if you're experiencing this issue, you can cancel that last-minute Genius Bar appointment -- Apple reps aren't likely to have a solution just yet. And, if you've been trying to reach an iPhone owner without success, expect a call back only once they've had a chance to check their device. New Year's bugs seem to be an annual tradition at Apple -- the alarm is a frequent target, and while this is the first year for an extended DND, the feature just launched in late 2012 with iOS 6.

[Thanks, Martyn]

Update: So, apparently Apple didn't get the memo. Cupertino's latest iPhone 5 ad, titled "Dream" and embedded after the break, transports you to the wonderful world of Do Not Disturb. Venus and Serena Williams are playing ping-pong and everything is white. So fun. And when was the ad first released? Just this morning. Didn't you get the notification?

Continue reading iOS Do Not Disturb bug gives some users the gift of silence on New Year's Day (update: horribly timed video)

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Square starts offering gift cards, ties them into Passbook for iOS 6 recipients (video)

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Square offers gift cards, ties them into Passbook for iOS 6 recipients

Square payments have so far been self-centered affairs that won't let us share the wealth with others. In rather convenient timing for the season, updates to Square Register and Square Wallet for Android and iOS have made a little of that sought-after generosity possible through the introduction of gift cards. Americans can now give and receive credit for any location that uses Square Register to process payments: if friends would like nothing more than to treat themselves to triple-shot espressos at the local indie coffee shop, you can make their day. The update also brings a treat for the Apple-inclined who've kept up-to-date with iOS 6, letting them redeem their cards quickly through Passbook instead of diving into Square Wallet or QR codes printed on old-fashioned paper. We're still waiting on word of gift card availability for our Canadian friends, but most everyone in the US just hast to check for the relevant app updates to spread some affection.

Continue reading Square starts offering gift cards, ties them into Passbook for iOS 6 recipients (video)

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Via: The Next Web

Source: Jack Dorsey (Twitter), Square

RE/MAX real estate agents to carry Passbook business cards on their iPhones

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REMAX real estate agents to deal out business cards through Passbook

We've seen some creative use cases for Passbook in iOS 6. Modernizing the dreaded business card exchange is still fresh, though, and that's where the real estate agents at RE/MAX come into play. Using a platform from Vizibility, the realtor is reportedly the first company rolling out a large-scale, Passbook-based method that lets 4,500 of its staff share their basic details, contact files and social networks from their iPhones. Profiles won't just be inert listings, either. Geofencing can limit the lock screen shortcut to an open house or the office, while cards can include company directories and update contacts over time. NFC transfers and QR codes are available for those who can rely on short-range wireless or still have to dish out traditional paper stock. Vizibility's Passbook approach won't guarantee a sale for a cramped house -- but it might keep a good bargain from being lost in the business card shuffle.

Continue reading RE/MAX real estate agents to carry Passbook business cards on their iPhones

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Source: Vizibility

Apple’s Eddy Cue reportedly fires Richard Williamson, who oversaw the iOS 6 Maps team

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Apple's Eddy Cue reportedly fires Richard Williamson, who oversaw the team responsible for iOS 6 Maps

We aren't apt to ever hear this in official fashion, but Bloomberg has it on good authority that Apple's newly-promoted Eddy Cue has just fired the guy who was unfortunately leading the Maps team at the time of iOS 6's release. If you'll recall, Cue was placed in charge of both Siri and Maps during an executive shakeup back in October, and it seems that he's clearing the runway in order to make things better in the months to come. The report also mentions that Cue is "seeking advice from outside mapping-technology experts and prodding digital maps provider TomTom to fix landmark and navigation data it shares with Apple." It's assumed that the goal here is to install a new leadership team within the Maps group, but it's unclear if it'll happen prior to Google's own standalone iOS app becoming available. For those curious as to why such a drastic move had to be made, head over to Apple's Cupertino campus and use iOS 6's Maps app to search for "convenience store." Evidently, the closest one is some 1.5 hours north in San Francisco. True story.

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Via: 9to5Mac

Source: Bloomberg

iPhone FaceTime over cellular for AT&T now available for some, even without LTE?

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AT&T's decision to let only its customers on shared and new data plans pick up FaceTime over cellular may have riled some, but at least it's been able to roll-out the functionality earlier than the two-month window suggested in early November. MacRumors' forums are abuzz with word that their iOS devices (mostly on the East Coast) are now able to make FaceTime calls without WiFi. Perhaps more importantly, according to these early reports, you might not have to wield an LTE iDevice to use it, with several non-4G devices running iOS 6 able to stream faces elsewhere. If you're still getting the pop-up of misery (seen above), forum users suggesting switching your phone off and on again.

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Via: iOS VLog

Source: MacRumors

Apple starts offering Passbook-enabled gift cards, may save our hides in holiday shopping

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Apple starts offering Passbookcapable gift cards, may save our hides in holiday shopping

Gift cards often get a bad rap as the last resort in holiday shopping, what we supposedly get only when all hope of a carefully considered present has gone out the window. Apple isn't quite so cyncial, and it may have injected new life into gift giving now that it has switched on buying gift cards through the recently updated Apple Store iOS app as of this weekend. Pick a color and a card value -- up to $2,000, if someone's been good enough to earn a MacBook Pro -- and the resulting email lets iOS 6-touting recipients load the card into Passbook. Besides saving some plastic, the Passbook entry adds some worth through geofencing that reminds recipients to splurge if they're near one of Apple's steel-and-glass stores. All told, the card may be more than welcome by iPhone fans and save the ignominy of a last-minute rush to the store. Just make sure the recipient doesn't mind going without a physical gift on the big day -- it wouldn't be right to drain all the romanticism out of a special occasion.

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Apple starts offering Passbook-enabled gift cards, may save our hides in holiday shopping originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Nov 2012 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple gives App Store categories their own highlights, lets niche apps have 15 minutes of fame

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Apple stealithly gives App Store categories their own highlights, lets niche apps have their 15 minutes of fame

It's tough to find truly stellar mobile apps, no matter what platform you're running, and that's even truer when delving into categories. Apple has made a gesture towards giving more titles their moment in the sun through a low-key update to the App Store in iTunes and on iOS 6 devices. Jump to at least some categories, such as games or education, and you'll get the same carousels, banners and other promotions that would normally be reserved for the main portal. The shift is a simple one, but it theoretically helps App Store shoppers go beyond the surface -- and developers to reap the rewards.

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Apple gives App Store categories their own highlights, lets niche apps have 15 minutes of fame originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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