A Bluetooth flaw allows most Apple devices to be Tracked

A Bluetooth flaw allows most Apple devices to be Tracked

A flaw was just discovered in bluetooth that would allow a bad actor to track a wide range of devices. These devices include  iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches.  Other devices are any laptops running windows 10 and fitbit wearables. However Andriod devices are not at risk.

A reported by TNW, Boston University researchers, Johannes K. Becker and David Starobinski,  discovered the vulnerability.

Researchers from Boston University (BU) have discovered a flaw in the Bluetooth communication protocol that could expose most devices to third-party tracking and leak identifiable data […]

The vulnerability allows an attacker to passively track a device by exploiting a flaw in the way Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is implemented to extract identifying tokens like the device type or other identifiable data from a manufacturer […]

To make pairing between two devices easy, BLE uses public non-encrypted advertising channels to announce their presence to other nearby devices. The protocol originally attracted privacy concerns for broadcasting permanent Bluetooth MAC addresses of devices — a unique 48-bit identifier — on these channels.

However, BLE tried to solve the problem by letting device manufacturers use a periodically changing, randomized address instead of their permanent Media Access Control (MAC) address.

The vulnerability discovered by BU researchers exploits this secondary random MAC address to successfully track a device. The researchers said the “identifying tokens” present in advertising messages are also unique to a device and remain static for long enough to be used as secondary identifiers besides the MAC address.”

Basically, it is possible to link the current address to the next one and therefore identify as the same device. This allows someone to be able to track the device indefinitely. However only at the short range of bluetooth signals.

The researches  have propsed a solution.

To protect devices from address-carryover attacks, the researchers suggest device implementations should synchronize payload changes with MAC address randomizations.

With Bluetooth device adoption growing at a massive scale, they caution that “establishing tracking-resistant methods, especially on unencrypted communication channels, is of paramount importance.”

They didn’t explain if Apple would even be able to fix this vulnerability and implement this change in an over the air update. However in the meantime there is a simple workaround.

“Switching Bluetooth off and on in the System Settings (or in the Menu Bar on macOS) will randomize the address and change the payload.”

If you want to read the full paper that contains the findings, you can read it
.

Components of the Apple Watch Series 4

Components of the Apple Watch Series 4

The Apple Watch Series 4 evolution provided a whole new different outlook and point of view on the product. There were many obstacles in creating and improving a well known device. The challenge was to attempt increasing the size of the case without making it noticeable or come to an agreement in terms of saving battery. Having narrower boarders authorizes a viewing area that is over 30% larger, while a new backplane technology known as LTPO improving on saving battery percentage. All of the dimensions have been redesigned to provide information with richer detail allowing you to see more and do more at a glance. 

The Digital Crown

The Digital Crown inducted within Apple Watch Series 4, provides a much easier way for customers to navigate around. It was designed so that it delivers a click-like feel easily perceived, as we scroll. With the Apple Series 4 mechanics totally re-engineered, the Digital Crown adds more ability and components into a significant less amount of space.

The entire components of the Digital Crown is 30 percent smaller than the previous Apple watch, yet it included 21 percent more components. The titanium electrode included on the top of the watch also allows you to use the ECG app, which is able to provide information about your heart rate and heart rhythm just by touching the Digital Crown!

 

The S4

The newest released Apple watch 4 could be used up to 18 hours with a single charge! The S4 chip included in the inner portion of the apple watch 4 is more than what it seems, it’s a System in Package (SiP). This latest apple watch have its entire system fabricated onto this tiny space! In fact Apple Watch is the one, and only product that completely runs on SiP.

The CPU and Speaker

The central processing unit(CPU) in the fourth-generation has been the fastest compared to before. Up to 2x speed, apps opens more quickly and performance is also leveled up. The speaker provides up to 50 percent louder speaker, significantly larger sounds for Siri and Walkie-Talkie. Changes have also been made to the microphone which, it has been relocated to the opposite side to reduce echoes.

Overall, the Apple Watch Series 4 has a variety of new developments that are beneficial. From having a proactive health monitor to becoming your ultimate workout partner. The Apple Watch Series 4 doesn’t only have one function. Throughout their partnerships with Nike plus and Hermes, they can be designed to demonstrate an active appearance and a professional appearance by changing the bands. There is an Apple Watch Series 4 for anyone.

Apple watch fall detection saved an 87 year olds life

Apple watch fall detection saved an 87 year olds life

The Apple Watch series 4 has an interesting feature that allows for emergency services to be called if it detects a hard fall. This fall detection looks for the three most common types of falls, straight down, a trip or a slip. If one of those falls are detected it will alert the wearer that a fall was detected and then if no movement is detected by the wearer it will call emergency services and send a message to the wearers emergency contact. This feature is very useful for older people who may be prone to falls. 

For example, in Kennebunk Maine, an 87-year-old woman, Dotty White,  got in a car crash on her way home from the grocery store. She was unable to reach for her phone or call for help. The Apple Watch she was wearing detected a hard fall, triggering the fall detection feature. After the warning feature, it called emergency services as well as alerted her emergency contacts.

Dotty White explained to News Center Maine, “The watch dialed my son in Florida, it dialed my daughter in Massachusetts and my daughter in Maine. So they knew something had happened and they knew where it happened.”

Because her family members were notified of her location they were able to immediately go to where to go to help Dotty White.

She came out of the incident mostly ok with only a few broken bones.”It’s pretty nice to just have it on your wrist,” she added said.”You have the time, the weather and help.”

By default, the fall detection feature is disabled. You can manually enable the feature if you go to Emergency SOS.  To learn more on how to set up the feature click here.

AirPower Trademark Secured to Apple

AirPower Trademark Secured to Apple

On Thursday, March 21, Apple has finally secured the AirPower trademark since their first attempt in summer 2018.  Advanced Access Technologies had filed an earlier application to trademark the term.  However, Apple opposed their application in the trademark of AirPower in January 2019 because it would result in confusion with already existing products, such as AirPlay, AirPort, AirPods, and AirPrint.

After acquiring the AirPower trademark, there are more rumors suggesting the launch for their long-awaited charging accessory. AirPower is a charging mat that has been designed to charge Qi-based iPhones, the Apple Watch and AirPods, using a specially designed  wireless compatible AirPods Charging Case, which has also been expecting a soon release. The new mat is big enough to charge all three devices at once, with the AirPower being connected to an external power source.  It also has a feature that lets the iPhone display the battery level of each device on the charging mat.

Although the AirPower charging mat was initially to be released in 2018, it has been reported that they are still working out manufacturing issues for the product, such as software bugs and potentially overheating. As far as pricing for the AirPower charging mat, there has not been a given price except for rumors saying it will be between $130-$200. Based on existing Apple products and wireless accessories,, this sounds like the right price range for this new release.

Apple Watch Series 4 – Saving Lives In No Time

Apple Watch Series 4 – Saving Lives In No Time

Can an Apple watch really save a life? The answer to this is yes. This advanced technology that you wear on your wrist can actually be of use to your health. This watch is programmed to alert you of high blood pressure, strokes, hard falls, etc. Reminders such as “breathe” is sent to you as it monitors your breathing patterns. If your heart rate goes above 120bpm or lower than  40bpm then you Apple watch will send a notification. There are also motion detectors, meaning if your apple watch feels you’ve taken a hard fall, immediately emergency services will be dialed. If you don’t respond within 1 minute, the watch calls for you and help will be on the way.Image result for apple 4 watch health
Another feature the watch has is the irregular rhythm feature which detects irregular heart rates. There has been quite a few cases where the Apple watch has been proven to work.
For example, a man named David Gilley, 61, living in Atlanta was feeling under the weather. He went to the hospital (his watch told him to) and when he got there he was diagnosed with abnormal heart rate condition. 
Another man, Gaston D’aquino, 76,  didn’t even know that 2/3 of his coronary arteries were blocked. The only functioning one had 10 percent of it’s usual capacity. 
Ira Flatow’s brother didn’t know that his heart rate was 80 bpm over the average until his watch notified him. 
My brother was saved by his Apple Watch. After he felt a rapid heart beat >200 bpm, his watch told him to “go to the hospital.” He did and his tachycardia was diagnosed.
If you’re currently  shopping for new technology, keep this in mind. Investing in buying an Apple watch can also be useful if you’ve been diagnosed with heart issues.  For more information, please visit Apple Watch — Real Stories — Apple
Advantages Of The Apple Watch

Advantages Of The Apple Watch

The apple watch to some people seems like a waste of money. What happened to good old fashion wrist watches? Quite honestly, the apple watches are extremely helpful. The biggest help is staying healthy. This watch keeps you in check when your heart rate is too high or when you need to breathe. Here are some of the many highlights to the watch, besides that it tells time.
  1. If your heart rate goes higher than 120 bpm or lower than 40 bpm, the watch will notify you. This is helpful if there are any medical problems you may face that you don’t even realize. The app includes a higher heart rate notification and a low heart rate notification.
  2. The irregular rhythm feature on the watch detects any irregular heart rates. Symptoms could be related to an AFib. 
The apple watch series 4 includes all of the above, and then some. 
  1. The ECG app comes in handy because it records and takes note of rapid and skipped heart beats. 
  2. The fall detection app allows a person to get assistance. If the watch detects a hard fall it’ll immediately redirect you to let emergency services and if you don’t respond within 1 minute, they’ll call for you and help will be on the way. 
Overall, the apple watch is the best choice you can make. If you or a loved one have a medical matter being dealt with, the watch will help and be better assistance to you. It provides a feel of comfort and protection. You won’t have to fear not having any help around when you’ve fallen, or not knowing when your heart is too high or too low. 
Siri Gets Much Smarter as Apple’s Investments Pay Off

Siri Gets Much Smarter as Apple’s Investments Pay Off

Apple’s digital assistant, Siri just vaulted past Alexa and Cortana in an 800-question test.

Siri
HomePod / Apple

 

Over the recent few years, voice-controlled digital assistants, like Siri, have popular in our everyday life. For more examples there are Amazon’s Alexa, Alphabet’s Google Assistant, and Microsoft’s Cortana inhabit all kind of electronic devices.

When Siri got back in 2010, this digital darling was revolutionary, but other companies started to follow this new sensation. Plus, Apple didn’t move fast to adapt the artificial intelligence (AI) that powered its digital assistant. On the other hand, competitors invested aggressively and gained acceleration from the beginning.

Over the past couple of years, however, Apple has been working to restore Siri to her former glory. New data released by Loup Ventures shows that Siri is quickly gaining ground.

A comprehensive exam

Longtime Apple follower Gene Munster and fellow analyst Will Thompson set out to test the performance of the digital assistants. These are four of the most widely used smart speakers: Amazon Echo (Alexa), Google Home (Google Assistant), HomePod (Siri), and the Invoke (Cortana) by Harman Kardon, a division of Samsung Electronics.

The process of the test was asking a series of 800 questions to each. They observed how the digital assistants answered the questions which held in five categories.

  • Local: Where is the nearest coffee shop?
  • Commerce: Can you order me more paper towels?
  • Navigation: How do I get to uptown on the bus?
  • Information: Who do the Twins play tonight?
  • Command: Remind me to call Steve at 2 p.m. today.

Dramatic improvement

Siri took second place, and this was just right behind Google Assistant. Also, the report revealed that Siri’s score improved by more than 22 points — more than any other competitor. Siri answered 74.6% of questions correctly, and it is an improvement from the 52.3% tested in February 2018.

The report cites HomePod’s tight integration with Siri on the iPhone and its ability to access email, calendar, and messaging as contributing to its victory in that category. It took second place in three of the remaining four categories, but came in last in the Information segment.

Those investments are paying off

Earlier this year, Apple hired John Giannandrea to let him take the lead its recently reorganized AI, machine learning, and Siri teams.  Also, Giannandrea had got promotion to the  executive team, as senior vice president of machine learning and artificial intelligence strategy.

Apple has long been behind in the AI field, because the company primarily had rigid stance on user privacy. AI uses  large data sets but at the same time, involves transferring user data to the cloud. Apple has been trying to develop alternative ways. For instance, they can process data at the device level, which keeps user data more secure by keeping it out of the cloud.

This article is written by reference of: here

An Apple Watch saved a man having irregular heartbeat

An Apple Watch saved a man having irregular heartbeat

When Ed Dentel updated his Apple Watch on Thursday night, he didn’t expect it to upend his weekend, much less change his life.

Apple Watch
Ed Dentel, a man saved by an Apple Watch / abcNews

 

The 46-year-old communications consultant from Richmond, Virginia, does taekwondo with his family three times a week, bikes and skis frequently. He said he has exercised steadily and had no disease before. And then Apple Watch gave him an alert about his heart irregular heartbeat with the electrocardiogram app.

Ed Dentel received an alert from his Apple watch about an abnormal heart rate. On Friday morning, over breakfast with his 7-year old daughter, he put his watch back on. And the Apple Watch kept saying the same thing even he switches left to right again and again: “AFib.” Then he started to get a little bit alarmed about his health.

Atrial fibrillation, commonly called AFib or AF, is a specific kind of irregular heart rhythm. If left untreated, it can damage heart muscles and increase the risk of stroke. So it’s important to catch the symptoms at the initiatory stage. And this is what Apple Watch did.

Dentel drove to a nearby urgent care center while thinking it’s silly. But the one last time he checked his watch, it said ‘AFib’ again. Even Checking in, Dentel felt like a hypochondriac explaining that his watch told him that his heart has a probem. But after an exact exam, the doctor confirmed his diagnose.

After that Dentel started learning about AFib and what its impact and how important it is to get an early notice of it.

This article was written by reference of: here. Click the link if you wanna know more about atrial fibrillation.

Spotify App Launches for Apple Watch

Spotify App Launches for Apple Watch

On November 13, Apple launched its Spotify app for the Apple Watch. Now, users can control their music and playback options. The only downside is that users are not able to sync songs for offline playback on their watch. Because they have claimed it to be their “first version,” it is expected to roll out more advanced features in the future.

Features of this first version Spotify app include playback, choosing music to play, playing to Spotify Connect devices, and creating a favorites list for your music.

To choose music, simply swipe to the left and it will show you recently played music from your Spotify account. Here, you can scroll with your finger or the digital crown and swap albums or playlists. The negative side to this is that you only get to choose recent items and cannot select songs within those items, only skip through.

With a shortcut to Spotify Connect on the Apple Watch, you are also able to play your music to any compatible devices, including your smartphone, Amazon Echo or Sonos speaker.

A great feature with the app is that you have the ability to favorite and add music to your library right from the Apple Watch screen; just tap the heart and the track will be added to your music library. To retrieve the list, just go to the Songs list in your Spotify library.

Although the Apple Watch Spotify app offers no LTE streaming straight from the Apple Watch to a pair of headphones, there is potential in the future versions that will offer this feature.

 

Apple’s Next Big Event

Apple’s Next Big Event

Well, it’s about that time of year again for Apple’s event, where we’re all excited to find out about the latest version of Apple’s hottest product – top being the iPhone. On September 12th, we’ll hear about the redesigned version of last year’s iPhone X, new Apple Watch, and upcoming software.

iPhones: First up, the iPhone XS is an updated version of last year’s iPhone X,  having the same size 5.8-inch screen, but with improved internal specs, such as the other -S class updates Apple has had in the past. Next, the iPhone XS Max, also rumored as the iPhone XS Plus, is a larger, 6.5-inch version of the XS that offers a bigger screen and larger battery. Both XS phones will have the same features as last year’s X, with the new changes coming internally. There is, however, the chance that Apple will have some new feature for the XS models as previous -S class updates. Lastly, the new iPhone is said to be a cheaper, 6.1 inch version of the iPhone X/XS, and would still offer the bezel-less display and Face ID. Instead, it would possibly cut some of the X and XS phone’s more premium features like the OLED screen, stainless steel frame, and possibly the 3D Touch system. 

Watch:  It has been rumored that Apple will be offering a bigger display on the new Series 4 Watch for a nearly edge-to-edge design, along with a slimmer size than the previous versions since it had been introduced in 2015. Similar to last year’s Series 3, the new version will also have LTE capability, with a more subtle red ring on the digital crown to indicate the cellular status. The new version will come with watchOS 5, which adds automatic workout detection, a walkie-talkie mode, and better notifications.

Software: Although we’re all looking forward to seeing Apple’s latest products at this year’s event, we will also likely to be getting some final release dates for iOS 12, watchOS 5, tvOS, and possibly macOS Mojave. New features to be seen this year include Screen Time for tracking your time spent on your phone, better notifications, and a new custom emoji called “Memoji”.

We all know anything can happen at an Apple event, so we’re ready for some surprises too!