London police crackdown on phone snatching sees 230 arrests in one week
A Metropolitan Police crackdown on phone snatching in London has seen 230 people arrested and more than 1,000 phones recovered in the space of just one week. The police service also reported that a gang found guilty of handling more than 5,000 stolen phones have been sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison … more…

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Apple to unveil iPhone SE 4 as early as next week
Apple is set to reveal a significant update to the iPhone SE in the coming days, aiming to modernize its budget-friendly model to boost sales… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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How to transcribe audio to text for free in Notes
Audio to text transcriptions are free in iOS 18. Add a voice memo to a note, and your phone will automatically transcribe it. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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UK Orders Apple To Let It Spy on Users' Encrypted Accounts
The UK government has ordered Apple to create a backdoor allowing access to encrypted cloud backups of users worldwide, Washington Post reported Friday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The unprecedented demand, issued last month through a technical capability notice under the UK Investigatory Powers Act, requires Apple to provide blanket access to fully encrypted material rather than assistance with specific accounts. Apple is likely to discontinue its encrypted storage service in the UK rather than compromise user security globally, the report said. The company would still face pressure to provide backdoor access for users in other countries, including the United States. The order was issued under Britain's 2016 Investigatory Powers Act, which makes it illegal to disclose such government demands, according to the report. While Apple can appeal to a secret technical panel and judge, the law requires compliance during any appeal process. The company told Parliament in March that the UK government should not have authority to decide whether global users can access end-to-end encryption. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple breaks the Mac App Store for macOS Sierra users
A back end change to the Mac App Store appears to have shut out users of macOS Sierra and older versions, blocking not just purchases, but also downloads of software already bought.Apple's macOS Sierra came out in 2016While users of the current macOS Sequoia have recently benefited from Mac App Store changes, it's being reported that users on 2016's macOS Sierra are no longer able to use the store at all.As first spotted by blogger Michael Tsai, macOS 10.12.6 Sierra users are now just getting an error message when the attempt to sign in. It's not certain whether it is affecting all or only some macOS Sierra users, but reports are spreading on Apple support forums and social media. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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The new iPhone SE launch might be just days away
Macworld The 4th-gen iPhone SE was widely expected to launch at a dedicated press event in spring 2025, but the latest report claims it will be here quite a bit earlier than that. In an article for Bloomberg published Thursday, the respected leaker-analyst Mark Gurman predicted that the next version of Apple’s budget smartphone would be unveiled “in the coming days” before clarifying that the company expects this to happen “as early as next week.” That means some time between February 10 and 14, as opposed to the March or early April timing that a spring event normally means. These claims are largely based on the usual anonymous sources “with knowledge of the matter,” but Gurman tends to be right more often than he’s wrong. And he does offer the corroborating evidence that stocks of the 3rd-gen iPhone SE appear to be dwindling, at least in his neck of the woods; U.S. retail employees have been turning away potential SE customers, he reports, while online buyers face shipping delays until March. This sort of thing is frequently indicative that Apple has started winding up production ahead of a new launch. (I’m based in the U.K. and stocks here, by contrast, seem to be holding up. I tried ordering each model and in every case was offered delivery the very next day, and most were available for pickup from a local retail store the same day. Make of this what you will.) If the iPhone SE 4 is coming early, that wouldn’t be a total surprise. The 3rd-gen model may still be available in the U.S. and the U.K., but it had to be withdrawn from sale across the EU at the start of this year because it doesn’t comply with new regulations mandating USB-C ports on smartphones. The same fate befell the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, leaving Apple with no remotely budget-focused smartphones across a major market for more than a month now… almost as if it didn’t have years to prepare. Once you add in the fact that Apple needs a cheap device with Apple Intelligence, it becomes clear that the sooner the new SE arrives, the better. To keep up with all the latest news and rumors, check out our regularly updated iPhone SE 4 superguide.

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Forget flowers, this right-priced Apple charger is just what your Valentine wants
Macworld Valentine’s Day is coming and if you’re tired of giving your sweetie chocolate and flowers, this deal is just what you’re looking for—Apple’s 35W dual USB-C power adapter is on sale for $39 right now, a savings of $20 on its $59 MSRP and within pennies of its all-time low. With a sleek design and a pair of USB-C ports, this power adapter will fit right in with the rest of your Apple gear. It’s also travel-ready, thanks to the foldable prongs, which means it won’t snag onto fabrics inside your backpack or luggage, and it won’t scratch the screens of your gadgets. It has 35W of power, which is more than enough power to fast charge most of your Apple devices, from iPhones to iPads and even Apple Watches. It can even charge a MacBook Air (though not a MacBook Pro). Go ahead and save 35% on this Apple power adapter while it’s still on sale for $39 and get your Valentine something they’ll really love. Save $20 on this dual-port Apple chargerBuy now at Amazon

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Irving B. takes a brutal stand in the icy Severance wilderness [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆
Our "Severance" season 2 episode 4 recap finds the team lost in a winter waste. Two get busy in a tent and one makes the ultimate sacrifice. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Irving B. takes a brutal stand in the icy Severance wilderness [Apple TV+ recap] ★★★★☆
Our "Severance" season 2 episode 4 recap finds the team lost in a winter waste. Two get busy in a tent and one makes the ultimate sacrifice. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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Multiple security flaws found in DeepSeek iOS app, including sending unencrypted data
Multiple security flaws have been found in the DeepSeek iOS app, which is still one of the most popular downloads in the App Store after topping the charts when it first launched. The latest findings are far worse than the previous security failure which exposed chat history and other sensitive information in a database requiring no authentication … more…

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Report: iPhone SE could shed its 10-year-old design “as early as next week”
New budget phone may include bigger screen, USB-C, Face ID, Apple Intelligence.

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DeepSeek's iOS app sends unencrypted data to Chinese servers
Chart-topping AI iPhone app DeepSeek has been found to be sending data to Chinese-owned services, as well as collecting extensive user data that is held and sent unencrypted.DeepSeek logoDeepSeek is a generative AI app, similar to ChatGPT, which launched in January 2025 and practically immediately went to the top of the US App Store charts. That was despite the DeepSeek Chinese AI startup company being found to have a major security lapse."[DeepSeek is] not equipped or willing to provide basic security protections of your data and identity," said Andrew Hoog, co-founder of security firm NowSecure told Ars Techica in a statement. "There are fundamental security practices that are not being observed, either intentionally or unintentionally. In the end, it puts your and your company's data and identity at risk." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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British government secretly ordered Apple to create a worldwide iCloud backdoor
It’s being reported that the British government secretly ordered Apple to create a security backdoor into all content uploaded by iCloud users anywhere in the world. Apple is certain to refuse the demand, leading to the possibility of a similar privacy stand-off to the one seen between the iPhone maker and the FBI back in the San Bernardino shooter case … more…

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UK secretly orders Apple to let it spy on iPhone users worldwide
The UK government has issued an order to Apple telling it to allow officials full access to any iCloud content belonging to any user across the globe.UK ParliamentDuring Conservative Boris Johnson's tenure as Prime Minister, the UK government claimed to be in discussions with Apple about creating a backdoor into iOS that would allow it access to all user data. If there really ever were such discussions, they will have been short because US company Apple has refused the FBI the same thing.Now the new Labour government in the UK is demanding that Apple create this backdoor, according to The Washington Post. Under UK law, it is a criminal offense for Apple to even reveal that such a demand has been made, and so consequently the company has refused to comment. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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I received the worst iPhone text scam ever. Thanks, Apple
Macworld Last month, we covered a new SMS phishing scam specifically targeting iPhone users. The idea behind the scheme is to trick the recipient into replying to a text in order to activate a link, which would then be clicked, either purposefully or inadvertently, and activate a piece of malware. Messages in iOS 18 has a feature that turns off hyperlinks when receiving a text from a number that’s not in your Contacts list. That extra bit of security makes it difficult for scammers to trick you into clicking their links—unless you then reply, which unlocks the link. The idea is that the original text tricks you into replying with something as simple as a Y or N so the link will become clickable.  It’s usually a question or some kind of opt-out trick to get you to respond. But the one I received on Thursday was neither clever nor tricky. The first tip-off was the sender’s name, which was too long to even display on the screen: hanwen.zhanyi.1991_zhongweicong-yulunchui@musician.org. The second clue was the message text, which told me my car had an unpaid toll and asked me to “settle properly” to avoid “excessive late fees.”  Foundry After all that scary text was a web address without a hyperlink because the number was unknown. Instead of trying to trick me into responding, however, the rest of the message read: “Please reply Y, then exit the SMS and reopen to activate the link, or copy the link to your Safari browser and open it.” That’s about as obvious as a smishing attempt can get. I suppose it’s possible that an unsuspecting user could unwittingly follow those instructions and open their phone to malware, but mostly it’s just an advertisement for Apple’s excellent security measures to prevent attacks before they can even start.  So sorry, hanwen.zhanyi.1991_zhongweicong-yulunchui@musician.org, maybe next time try an Android user.

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Ugreen CM850 USB4 Enclosure review: Fast 40Gbps with any NVMe SSD
Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Fastest external enclosure outside of Thunderbolt 5 Super affordable for 40Gbps USB4 Handsome, easy-access design with silicon jacket Cons Thermal issues under super heavy load with jacket on Our Verdict UGreen’s solid, good-looking CM850 USB4 enclosure outperforms everything except Thunderbolt 5, and gives that more than a run for its money in real-world transfers. it also does so for significantly less cash. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed$90 Best Prices Today: Ugreen CM850 USB4 NVMe enclosure Retailer Price $89.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If you’ve shopped Thunderbolt in your quest for fast external Mac storage, you’ll know that sticker shock is often a pitfall of the process. You can reduce the monetary jolt by switching your search to USB4, which, being an outgrowth of Intel’s PCIe over-a-wire technology is just as fast as Thunderbolt 4. And it’s significantly cheaper than Thunderbolt, especially if you roll your own with something such as the UGreen CM850 NVMe M.2 enclosure. The CM850 is a more affordable version of the Ugreen’s CM642 that uses the same ASMedia ASM2464PD chip. It’s a gun-metal gray aluminum enclosure that’s approximately 4.75 by 2.1 by 0.6 inches and weighs 4.4 ounces. Its heft is nice, as is the top panel that pops off to reveal the internal M.2/NVMe slot that supports 2230 (22mm wide, 30mm long) to 2280 SSDs secured by a captive screw. The panel doesn’t have small screws to deal with (or lose). The CM850’s interior M.2 slot. Note the fan underneath the screw that’s used to secure the NVMe SSD. Your options on the Mac for 20Gbps/40Gbps performance are Thunderbolt 3, 4, or 5, all of which involve significantly pricier enclosures, and are not supported on the majority of Windows machines. That can be important if you work in a mixed environment. Adding an NVMe SSD to the CM850 will cost you anywhere from $40 (256GB) to $650 (8TB), with the sweet spot being the 1TB ($60) to 2TB ($160) range. Note that USB4 (or Thunderbolt for that matter) can’t use the extra bandwidth provided by PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 SSDs. PCIe 3.0 SSDs are quickly disappearing, but the point is, don’t overbuy. Beyond that, avoid QLC SSDs if you regularly write large amounts of data, and buy a DRAM design if you’re going to run an operating system off the drive or want top random performance. The best bang for the buck however will be cheaper TLC host memory buffer (HMB) drives. The CM850 with it’s silicone jacket in place. Artistically lit as well… Ugreen CM850: Performance The CM 850 is darn fast. In fact, in the aggregate, it’s the fastest external SSD we’ve tested. Take that with several grains of salt, however, as I populated the CM850 with the super-fast 8TB WD850X for my testing. Also, the Thunderbolt 5 OWC Envoy Ultra was significantly faster in Mac synthetic benchmarks, though its real-world transfers were little faster than SSDs with less haughty benchmark results. The charmingly simple, but generally quite accurate Disk Speed Test from Blackmagicdesign shows the 3GBps plus you get both reading and writing with the CM850–given a suitably fast NVME SSD inside. The charmingly simple, but generally quite accurate Disk Speed Test from Blackmagicdesign shows the 3GBps plus you get both reading and writing with the CM850 — given a suitably fast NVME SSD inside. AmorphousDiskMark (a port of the original CyrstalDiskMark) also shows well over 3GBps transfers. AmorphousDiskMark (a port of the original CyrstalDiskMark) also shows well over 3GBps transfers. ATTO Disk Benchmark says that the CM850 is perfectly capable of utilizing much of the performance any NVMe SSD will deliver. Within the confines of 40Gbps that is. PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 SSDs can go much faster than the 3GBps USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 allow. ATTO Disk Benchmark says that the CM850 is perfectly capable of utilizing much of the performance any NVMe SSD will deliver. Within the confines of 40Gbps that is. PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 SSDs can go much faster than the bus allows. I also ran the CM850 through PCWorld’s battery of tests, which is how that “fastest” claim is substantiated. The following are the results from CrystalDiskMark 8, as well as PCWorld’s 48GB transfers and 450GB write. These are all run on the PCWorld storage test bed’s Thunderbolt 4 ports, not a Mac. They’re still indicative of superior performance — given a superior NVMe SSD inside of course. Overall, the CM850 is number one among all external SSDs tested on that platform, with the CM642 finishing a very close second. That said, the Adata SE920 and OWC Express 1M2 are still both very fast drives that didn’t have the uber fast WD 8TB SN850X to help out. The UGreen siblings give their pre-populated rivals more than a run for their money. Keep in mind the super fast WD SN850X was inside. Longer bars are better. In both CrystalDiskMark 8’s sequential (above), and random (below) performance tests, the CM850 did very well. The UGreen siblings didn’t dominate in the 4K tests, but the results are still very good. Again, the super fast WD SN850X inside helped. Longer bars are better. The CM850, again with the aid of the WD SN850X was the fastest external enclosure we’ve tested with our 48GB transfers. The CM850 and its cousin bested both their rivals in our 48GB transfers, though the difference is within the margin of error. Shorted bars are better. The CM850 turned in the fastest 450GB write we’ve seen from an external drive. Bear in mind that the CM642 had the same 8TB WD SN850X inside. The WD SN850X allowed the UGreen enclosures to finish number 1 and 2 in our all time 450GG write times. Shorter bars are better. I did run into an issue with the CM850. While performing the 450GB write in the PCWorld testing, the drive would disappear with the sleeve on. No doubt due to thermal issues, internal fan or no. Removing the silicone jacket allowed it to finish, as did running a fan over it. Other than that, I was absolutely delighted with the CM850’s performance. (Who other than PCWorld writes 450GB files on a regular basis?) Should you buy the Ugreen CM850? The CM850 (or its pricier CM642 cousin) is an absolutely fantastic way to add 40Gbps storage to your Mac without paying that heavy Thunderbolt surtax. If you already have an NVMe SSD great, if you don’t, buy one and have at it. Good job, Ugreen.

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I still trust Apple–but how much longer is the question
Macworld I had a strange experience recently. I reached for my MacBook Pro to start work at around 7 am one day (before my first coffee, even!) and discovered that the device, stowed in my bag since the day before, was alarmingly warm. What was going on? Now, the machine is more than four years old and already a bit beat up. But I hadn’t dropped it, nor was there any other reason to fear thermal runaway (aka “imminent battery explosion”). Maybe it was something to do with macOS 15.3, which I had already downloaded during the day? The computer might have tried to install the update overnight. But not when it’s closed, you’d think. The suspicion turned out to be correct. When I opened up the Mac, its screen was completely black… apart from the film of dirt built up over the past four years, which really comes into its own when the machine is switched off. I plugged the Mac into a power supply. Nothing happened at first; fearing that the battery was almost flat, I had at least expected it to display the sad face screen once power was connected. My MacBook Pro strangely decided to install a macOS update—even though it was supposed to be asleep.Petter Ahrnstedt I then pressed the power button, and after a short time, the Apple logo appeared. Five minutes later, the familiar boot process, which fills several progress bars in a row after a system update, was complete and I was able to start working on a MacBook Pro that was now getting noticeably cooler. Back to business as usual, then. But I couldn’t help worrying. Sure, a desktop Mac installs downloaded system updates during the night, even if you haven’t shut it down in the evening but just put it to sleep. But surely a MacBook Pro that’s closed and stowed away in a briefcase should sleep much deeper than a Mac mini, iMac, or Mac Studio? That was the sort of common-sense approach that I trusted Apple to adopt. Now my trust has been shaken. Who can you trust these days? Your own experience and acquired knowledge, your own intuition? Institutions like the WHO? Or a company like Apple that feels like an institution to long-standing customers? On balance, I have decided that yes, we can trust Apple, even if it seems to be doing a lot these days to squander that trust. On far more serious issues than those that result in a hot MacBook Pro. Testing our trust At the end of January, we learned of a security gap in Apple silicon chips from M2 and A15 onwards that allows attackers to access sensitive data. According to the researcher who found the vulnerability, Apple has been aware of it for some time but has still not responded with a security update. iOS 18.3 and macOS 15.3 have closed some gaps and bolstered security, but the two vulnerabilities in SLAP and FLOP were not included. This is probably what prompted the Georgia Institute of Technology to go public. The Apple Watch has come under criticism for the safety of its bands.Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry At least the security researchers confirmed Apple’s statement that there is no immediate danger. This makes us feel better about the issue not being addressed until iOS 18.3.1 or iOS 18.4. The release of the findings may have accelerated matters, of course. In the same month, toxins were discovered in smartwatch bands. As Apple is not only the best-known brand in this sector, but also by far the market leader, a class-action lawsuit was only filed against the Cupertino-based company. Apple put out a statement insisting that its wristbands do not pose any health risks, and we trust this statement. Apple explained years ago that it would ban toxic PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) from its products, and that this was a long-term process. The company has repeatedly succeeded in removing environmental toxins from its products, often as a pioneer for the entire industry. PVC and brominated flame retardants have both been raised as concerns in the tech industry, and both are addressed in Apple’s environmental FAQs. But that’s the thing about trust. It doesn’t matter how hard you work to earn it; once you lose it, it’s difficult to regain. One breach of trust could be one too many. On thin ice I haven’t lost my trust in Apple, and the answer to the question in the headline is yes. However, in these times when the ice of civilization is growing thinner and thinner, the smallest thing could be enough to break through and drown in the waters below. I hope Apple will prove itself more resistant to declarations about the Gulf of Mexico, tariffs, and, most of all, diversity and inclusion. Simply put, how can Cupertino make the best products if it can no longer hire the best minds in the world? And how can the company be trusted if it betrays its cherished principles? (To be fair, there have been some positive indications in this direction.) In the next pandemic, people around the world may need Apple (and Google) to prove themselves more trustworthy than the U.S. health authorities. I also have to trust that Tim Cook knew what he was doing when he donated $1m from his personal fortune for the presidential inauguration. Because there’s a hell of a lot at stake, and in the end, trust is all you have.

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OCR-based crypto wallet theft programs surface in Apple, Android app stores
It’s a bit of a technical story about apps that wound up on both the Apple and Google app stores, but it’s interesting. In March 2023, a group of security researchers at ESET discovered malware implants embedded into various messaging app mods. Some of these scanned users’ image galleries in search of crypto wallet access […] Source

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Former iPhone 7 owners begin receiving payouts up to $349 as a result of class action lawsuit
If you have an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus model, the legal system just worked in your favor via a class action lawsuit. In 2023, Apple agreed to pay $35 million to settle a U.S. class action lawsuit that alleged that both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models were prone to audio […] Source

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Sonos scrapped plans for MagSafe iPhone speaker
Sonos prototyped a MagSafe speaker for iPhone, eventually scrapping the project due to limited market reach and technical limitations. (via Cult of Mac - Apple news, rumors, reviews and how-tos)

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