Technology - Google News

Apple will proxy Safe Browsing requests to hide iOS users' IP from Google - The Hacker News
PS5 DualSense Controller Drift: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Sony - IGN - IGN
iPhone 13 Rumored to Include Always-On Display With 120Hz ProMotion, Astrophotography Capabilities,... - MacRumors

Apple will proxy Safe Browsing requests to hide iOS users' IP from Google - The Hacker News

Posted: 15 Feb 2021 03:41 AM PST

Apple's upcoming iOS 14.5 update will come with a new feature that will redirect all fraudulent website checks through its own proxy servers as a workaround to preserve user privacy and prevent leaking IP addresses to Google.

A built-in security-focused feature in the Safari browser, "Fraudulent Website Warning," alerts users about dangerous websites that have been reported as deceptive, malicious, or harmful.

To achieve this, Apple relies on Google Safe Browsing — or Tencent Safe Browsing for users in Mainland China — a blocklist service that provides a list of URLs for web resources that contain malware or phishing content, to compare a hash prefix calculated from the website address and check if the website is fraudulent.

Any match against the database will prompt Safari to request Google or Tencent for the full list of URLs that match the hashed prefix and subsequently block the user's access to the site with a warning.

While the approach ensures that the actual URL of a website a user is attempting to visit is never shared with a safe browsing provider, it does leak the IP address of the device from which the check was made.

With iOS 14.5, all these verifications are expected to be re-routed through an Apple-owned proxy server, thereby making all requests appear as originating from the same IP address.

"In the new iOS beta, Safari does indeed proxy the service via Apple servers to limit the risk of information leak," said Maciej Stachowiak, head of WebKit engineering at Apple, last week in a tweet.

The new change in iOS and iPadOS is part of a number of privacy-oriented measures that Apple has been rolling out lately, including mandating app developers to disclose their data collection practices in App Store listings using "privacy nutrition labels."

In addition, iOS 14.5 will also require apps to ask for users' permission before tracking them across other apps and websites using the device's advertising identifier as part of a new framework dubbed App Tracking Transparency.

iOS 14.5 is currently in beta and is slated to be released later this spring.

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PS5 DualSense Controller Drift: Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Sony - IGN - IGN

Posted: 15 Feb 2021 05:07 AM PST

A US lawfirm has filed a class action lawsuit against Sony, alleging that the PS5 DualSense controller is defective due to drift, and that Sony was aware of the problem without disclosing it. The suit calls Sony's conduct, "fraudulent, deceptive, unlawful, and unfair".Last week, we reported on an investigation into DualSense drift by law firm Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP (CSK&D). The firm has now formally filed a class action suit in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. In documents provided to IGN, the suit is filed on behalf of plaintiff Lmarc Turner and "all others similarly situated", and names the defendants as Sony Corporation of America and Sony Interactive Entertainment. To IGN's knowledge, this is the first such suit filed against Sony regarding DualSense – it may well not be the last.

The complaint describes the PS5 DualSense controller as "defective", as it contains "a defect that results in characters or gameplay moving on the screen without user command or manual operation of the joystick", known popularly as controller drift. Further, the complaint alleges that Sony has "at all relevant times" been aware of the problems with drift, "through online consumer complaints, complaints made by consumers directly to it, and through its own pre-release testing."

Have you played PlayStation 5?

The suit also alleges that Sony's options for controller repair are too limited: "When consumers experience the Drift Defect, the options for repair are slim. Reportedly, Sony PlayStation's dedicated portal for issues with PS5 hardware—including the DualSense Controller—is experiencing a backlog and redirecting consumers to contact a customer service agent via the contact page for PlayStation support. Customers are experiencing long wait times and having to deal with a maze of pre-recorded phone prompts before finally speaking with an agent concerning repairs for DualSense Controller drift."

The suit seeks a jury trial, and "monetary relief for damages suffered, declaratory relief, and public injunctive relief." The documents point to counts of breach of excess warranty, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, unjust enrichment, and violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act.

The Virginia-based plaintiff, Lmarc Turner, reportedly bought their PS5 on or around February 5, 2021, and found that it was suffering from drift on the same day. Turner apparently then contacted Sony customer service, and was told to reset the game and console, but offered no further assistance. The issue not solved, Turner then bought a second DualSense. "Had Plaintiff been aware of the Drift Defect prior to purchasing his PS5," the documents add, "he otherwise would not have purchased the PS5, or would have paid substantially less for it."

One interesting extra detail: Turner admits to having agreed to Sony's terms and conditions when setting up the PS5, but reportedly sent a letter to Sony expressing an intent to opt out of "any disputes with Sony through individual arbitration." A separate CSK&D class action suit against Nintendo regarding controller drift was recently compelled to arbitration before reaching the courts. It may be that a similar move isn't possible in this case, making it more likely to reach the requested jury trial.

Aside from Turner's report, the documents show a number of examples of social media comments regarding PS5 drift, with players complaining of drift out of the box, or within days of use. CSK&D points to reports of drift on the PS4's Dualshock 4 controllers, too – given that the sticks inside both controller models are similar, CSK&D adds that to its evidence of Sony's prior knowledge of the problem.

The suit says there is "no indication" that Sony has developed a fix for drift in the DualSense: "Rather, it appears to simply perform some sort of minor refurbishment and send the DualSense Controller back to consumers still defective and susceptible to manifestation of the Drift Defect in the future."

The suit calls for relief in the form of an order to stop Sony's "unlawful, deceptive, fraudulent, and unfair business practices", the set-up of a recall or free replacement program for DualSense controllers, compensatory damages, and more.

IGN has contacted Sony for comment on the lawsuit.

Drift has become an increasingly hot topic in recent years. We've previously called drift in Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers a "disaster" for the company, and Nintendo is now facing official scrutiny and lawsuits across the world, including an investigation from the European Commission.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

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iPhone 13 Rumored to Include Always-On Display With 120Hz ProMotion, Astrophotography Capabilities,... - MacRumors

Posted: 15 Feb 2021 02:47 AM PST

This year's iPhone 13 lineup will include an always-on display with a 120Hz refresh rate, improved camera capabilities for astrophotography, stronger MagSafe magnets, and a finer matte finish on the back, according to leaker Max Weinbach (via YouTube channel EverythingApplePro).

Weinbach is a well-known leaker who has shared information via the YouTube channel in the past regarding the 2020 iPhone 12 lineup, some of which came true. Regardless, take the following with a grain of salt. According to his sources, Apple is planning to include an always-on display in the ‌iPhone 13‌ series, with the technology being similar to the always-on display in the Apple Watch Series 5 and later.

Always-on displays are typical in most flagship Android smartphones, and the technology allows users to see information on their screen at all times without having to power on or unlock the device. Ever since the iPhone X, which was the first iPhone to feature an OLED display, many have speculated Apple will bring this feature to ‌iPhone‌ users.

OLED displays use less power than LCD displays, since each pixel is individually controlled, unlike LCD panels which use backlights to light up all of the pixels, even to show a small piece of information on the screen. With OLED displays, Apple is able to only light up the pixels needed to show users the time, battery, or some form of indicator for app notifications, without using a significant amount of battery power.

Weinbach claims that the always-on display will look like a "toned down Lock screen," where the clock and battery charge are always visible, and past notifications are shown through "a bar and icons." When users receive a notification, the notification will "pop up normally except that the screen will not entirely light up." Instead, "it will display it just like you're used to right now, except dimmed down and only temporarily," according to the leaker.

The leaker also "confirms" that a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate is happening on the 2021 Pro ‌iPhone‌ models, a feature that was widely rumored to appear on the ‌iPhone 12‌. An always-on and ProMotion display would not require a change in physical design, and Weinbach reports there will indeed be no change to the actual chassis on the ‌iPhone 13‌ family compared to the ‌iPhone 12‌ lineup. The only potential hardware change will be a matte back with a "grippier, more comfortable" feeling, similar to the finishing on the back of the Google Pixel series.

Internally, ‌MagSafe‌ will be getting "considerably" stronger, according to the leak. The ‌iPhone 12‌ features ‌MagSafe‌ on the back that allows users to magnetically attach different accessories and offers an alternative way to charge the device, but the magnets have been criticized by some for being weak. Apple is looking to alleviate those concerns by adding stronger magnets, according to Weinbach, although the addition is not expected to be the sole reason for a rumored increase in device thickness. As for the cameras, Weinbach reports that Apple is increasing its efforts in astrophotography.

Astrophotography, the photography of astronomy, typically requires complicated camera setups to proficiently capture the nighttime's dark sky. The integration of the ability into the ‌iPhone‌ is expected to be seamless, with the leak claiming the ‌iPhone‌ will automatically switch to the mode when it registers a user pointing to the sky. The mode will allow the phone to detect different artifacts such as the moon and stars and adjusts settings such as exposure accordingly. Corroborating Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the leak says the ultra-wide camera across the entire lineup will be getting an improved sensor and lens.

The newest information from the leak points toward the ability to take portrait videos on this year's ‌iPhone‌. Users have been able to take portrait photos since the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ 7 Plus, but it has remained entirely limited to still photos. Portrait mode adds a depth feel to your photos, blurring the background and keeping the center subject fully in focus. With videos, the task becomes much harder since the subject is actively moving, making it harder to add a depth effect in real-time.

The new information joins an already long list of features we're expecting for the 2021 ‌iPhone‌. A Bloomberg report suggests that the biggest headlining feature of the lineup will be the reintroduction of Touch ID on the iPhone. According to that report, Apple is testing burying the Touch ID sensor below the display, allowing users to unlock their device if Face ID is deemed unusable, such as when you're wearing a mask. Unlike the ‌iPhone 12‌ which saw delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‌iPhone 13‌ is expected to launch on time in September.

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