Apple

A number of undocumented features in iOS have been found to essentially create backdoors for siphoning large amounts of users' personal data from Apple devices.

Jonathan Zdziarski, a researcher who often trains federal and state law enforcement agencies in forensic techniques, revealed the existence of the mostly hidden features. The data-stealing avenues have evolved over the last few years and may have been used by the U.S. National Security Agency to collect data on potential targets, Zdziarski said.

Intel on Sunday released a batch of new Core i5 and Core i7 Haswell processors for high-end laptops like Apple's MacBook Pro, each boasting the usual speed bumps when compared to prior versions.

The new chip lineup includes three Core i5 and four Core i7 CPUs ranging in clock speed from 2.2GHz to 3.0GHz, reports CPU World. Apple usually launches spec-bumped MacBook Pros twice a year and the latest Intel processors are prime candidates for the next update.

Apple is planning to release a publicly available beta of the upcoming OS X Yosemite later this month, according to sources briefed on the plans. This release will mark the first time Apple has released a public beta of a new OS X version in over a decade.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reports Apple is asking suppliers to produce between 70 million and 80 million 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models by the end of December, the biggest initial handset order in company history.

As noted by the publication, the supposed order is much larger than the initial production run for combined iPhone 5s and 5c models, which came out to between 50 million and 60 million units in 2013.

Is former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney talking to Apple about becoming its new head of PR? That’s the question still circulating around Silicon Valley after a pair of conflicting reports came out earlier this week.

According to a friend of Carney’s who spoke anonymously to Bloomberg, Carney has indeed talked to Apple about potentially filling the recently vacated position.

Although some brand it as "all gravy" and clever marketing, analysts agree that Apple's deal with IBM will benefit both sides.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a television interview with CNBC about Apple's newest partnership with IBM, said, "It's profound. It's historic. It's landmark."

In a carefully and respectfully worded post on Apple’s Chinese website the company denied claims made on Chinese television that iPhones were a concern to national security.

Coming via Taiwanese website Apple.Club.Tw, the single photo purportedly shows a 4.7-inch display cover bound for Apple's next-generation iPhone 6. Unlike recent "leaks," Thursday's includes what appears to be metal bracket hardware and EMI shielding for the LCD and Touch ID home button.

It appears the part has no LCD installed, however, as the hand of the person holding it can be seen through the glass.

I attended both Apple and Google's developer conference keynotes last month, and I experienced strong deja vu on more than one occasion. Both companies talked about design and consistency. Both companies talked about improving back-end services. And both companies talked about new initiatives to make stuff on your phone appear seamlessly on your tablet or laptop.

In addition to iOS 7.1.2, Apple today released OS X version 10.9.4 for all Macs running Mavericks. While 10.9.3 was a relatively large update that improved 4K display support on several Macs and restored local contact and calendar syncing, 10.9.4 is only a few hundred megabytes and focuses on smaller problems.