While much of our attention has been focused on iOS 14 for the past few weeks, Apple was wrapping up some final updates for the iOS 13 release series, and this week released iOS 13.6 and associated updates for other platforms. New iOS features include audio stories for Apple News +, support for digital car keys, and more.
An incredibly popular story (and indeed one of our most popular stories in years) was about a new Apple support document that warns users to be careful when installing physical webcam covers on their Mac laptops. Other important stories included A major breach of Twitter security that saw the official Apple account tweet a Bitcoin scam, the opening of the presentation of cash payments on demand for iPhone “Batterygate”, and more.
Watch our video above and read on for more information on all of this week’s top stories!
Apple warns against closing MacBooks with a lid on the camera
In a new support document this month, Apple has advised customers not to close the lid of a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro with a lid over the webcam, noting that this practice can damage the screen and also interfere with the ambient light sensor and prevent functions like auto brightness and True Tone from working.
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Apple said that customers should look for a green indicator light to find out when the webcam is active and decide which apps can use the camera in System Preferences. Apple makes sure that the camera is designed so that it cannot be activated without the light also turning on.
Apple releases iOS 13.6 with Car Key, Apple News + Audio and more
This week, Apple publicly released iOS 13.6 with a handful of new features, including support for digital car keys in the Wallet app, audio stories for Apple News + subscribers, and a toggle switch to enable or disable automatic download of iOS updates.
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At launch, the Car Key feature is limited to certain BMW models manufactured after July 1, 2020, including models 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, X5, X6, X7, X5M, X6M and Z4.
Apple has also publicly released macOS 10.15.6, watchOS 6.2.8, tvOS 13.4.8, and a HomePod update.
Apple Twitter account hacked by Bitcoin scammers
Apple, Uber, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West were just a few of the high-profile brands and individuals involved in a major Twitter security breach this week.
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All compromised Twitter accounts tweeted a similar message saying that users could send Bitcoin to a certain address and receive double the amount in return. Hackers appear to have received more than $ 100,000 in cryptocurrencies before Twitter took action.
Twitter continues to investigate the breach, which it described as a “coordinated social engineering attack by people who successfully targeted some of our employees with access to internal tools and systems.”
IPhone users can now apply to receive around $ 25 from Apple through ‘Batterygate’
Earlier this year, Apple agreed to settle a US class action lawsuit that accused the company of “secretly strangling” older iPhone models, and affected customers can now claim their end of the bargain.
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Apple will provide a cash payment of approximately $ 25 to each eligible iPhone owner who files a claim, with a total payment of between $ 310 million and $ 500 million. The exact amount each iPhone owner receives may vary slightly based on the number of claims submitted.
Class includes any U.S. resident who owns or has previously owned an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus and / or iPhone SE running iOS 10.2.1 or later, and / or an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus running iOS 11.2 or later, prior to December 21, 2017. Class members must have experienced “reduced performance” on their devices in order to qualify.
Five Mac apps worth checking out – July 2020
Every month, we share a video that highlights a handful of Mac apps worth watching. This month’s picks focus on productivity and feature great tools for working from home.
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For more information on our Mac apps, check out our essential Mac apps archive.
MacRumors Newsletter
Every week, we publish an email newsletter like this one that highlights Apple’s top stories, making it a great way to get a brief recap of the week touching on all the top topics we’ve covered and piecing together related stories for a great … image view
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