We know iCloud is huge, with millions and millions of users syncing their iPhones, sending messages in iMessage and more, all powered by iCloud. However, today Apple is taking a moment to talk about iCloud for developers. Specifically, Apple is bringing iCloud to iWork. Now you can start off where you left off, no matter
iWork has been a traditional software suite ever since it first launched (the brief availability of iWork.com notwithstanding), but Apple is bringing it to the web in earnest today by revealing iWork for iCloud. The suite includes Keynote, Numbers and Pages, and each of the web apps preserves many of the same real-time editing features as its iOS and Mac counterparts. The collection officially supports Chrome, Internet Explorer and (logically) Safari, although you’ll likely be waiting awhile to try them: only developers get an iWork beta today, and a public beta is due later this year.
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Gallery: WWDC 2013: iWork for iCloud
Source: Apple
Apple really isn’t wasting any time today with their WWDC Keynote and are talking about numbers, the new Mac OS X Mavericks, App Store download numbers and Safari. Just to name a few. One important and awesome new feature is the iCloud Keychain. Apple’s way of unifying and improving the sign-in process across all devices,
To complement its new version of OS X, Apple’s also improved its native web browser, Safari. Alongside a cleaner homepage design, there’s now easier access to your Reading List and a new shared link function that’ll tie into sites that others have sent to you. On the technical side, there’s javascript improvements, a new shared memory resource cache, plus power-saving improvements and background tab optimizations. According to Apple, the new version will apparently use one third of the energy it takes to power Firefox and significantly bests even Chrome on Javascript benchmark tests.
Better still, iCloud keychain will now hold onto your passwords, credit cards and WiFi logins — all within Safari. In fact, the browser will even auto-suggest passwords. “A super-secure one,” apparently, but if you’re using Apple’s web browser (with the new iCloud keychain support) forgetting it won’t even be an issue.
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Apple introduced two-factor authentication (or two-step verification if you’d like to call it that) with iCloud back in March, adding an extra layer of security to its cloud backup system. However, security researchers say that iCloud is still vulnerable to a break-in if your password is stolen.
ElcomSoft, a company that specializes in password-cracking software, says that there are security holes in Apple’s two-factor authentication process, saying that “Apple’s implementation does not apply to iCloud backups, allowing anyone and everyone knowing the user’s Apple ID and password to download and access information stored in the iCloud.” When you log in to your iCloud account, you’ll have “full information to everything stored there without being requested any additional logon information.”
The company says that they were able to download an iCloud backup using login details without ever using two-factor authentication, and the physical iOS device that the backup came from wasn’t needed for credential purposes. Of course, this doesn’t mean your iCloud data is out in the open. As long as your password is secure, no one can access your iCloud backup.
ElcomSoft also mentions another security issue, which is the fact that Apple sends verification codes directly to an iOS device’s lockscreen. This means that the verification code is exposed to whoever can turn on the display and look at the lockscreen, meaning that you don’t need to unlock an iOS device in order to see the code. ElcomSoft says that the code should obviously not be displayed on the lockscreen, but rather require users to unlock the device first in order to see it.
However, two-factor authentication does prevents hackers from resetting a user’s Apple ID password, but it doesn’t keep hackers from copying or deleting files that are stored in iCloud. ElcomSoft thinks that Apple’s two-factor authentication “does not look like a finished product,” and “it’s just not as secure as one would expect this solution to be.”
VIA: Ars Technica
SOURCE: ElcomSoft
iCloud not protected by Apple’s two-factor authentication, say researchers is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
While it may seem far-fetched that Apple would consider following BlackBerry Messenger’s footsteps and bring some of its apps to Android, it turns out that such a move isn’t out of the question. “We have no religious issue with porting an Apple app to Android,” said Cook in response to whether iCloud should branch out to other platforms. “If it made sense for us to do that, we would do that. You could apply that to every area of Apple.” That’s far from a guarantee that apps coded by Cupertino will turn up on Google’s mobile OS, but the fact that we could see iMessage make a Google+ Hangouts-like pilgrimage to rival territory is tantalizing.
Update: We now have the full interview with Tim Cook right after the break.
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Filed under: Mobile
Ever since its official introduction two years ago, MightyText has seemed to expand its laundry list of features on an annual basis. Today is no exception, as the company is now adding “iCloud-like” syncing to its web app. As a refresher, MightyText acts as a client that syncs information between your computer and your Android device, giving you the ability to read and send SMS / MMS, look at your contacts, view your call logs and more from any browser. Now, photos and videos — along with an indicator and notifications regarding your phone’s battery life — are getting thrown into the mix as well. You can auto-upload (over WiFi and data, though you can opt out of the latter) your multimedia as you capture them, and once it arrives on the web app, it’s easily downloadable or shareable, depending on what you want to do.
While the feature is in beta, there’s also no limit to how much storage space you use up, and there’s no auto-delete function after any amount of time, so feel free to upload to your heart’s content. The only setback is that the images are compressed to ease the burden on your bandwidth (and data plan), so you’ll want to seek out other services if you need the full enchiladas. MightyText’s official statement on the new features is below the break, as is a link to check out their web app.
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Software, Mobile
After cluing us in on the state of its ever-stuffed coffers, Apple’s given us a quick progress report on its App Store, noting that it’s reached a total of 45 billion downloads — a 5 billion jump since the end of its last quarter. Cook’s crew also divulged that they’ve doled out $9 billion to developers who’ve sold their wares on the digital storefront, and they’re paying out $1 billion every quarter. Cupertino gave a quick nod to iCloud too, revealing that the service now has 300 million users under its belt, 50 million more than it claimed at the end of the firm’s last quarter. By the sounds of it, Apple’s data centers are being put to good use.
Filed under: Apple
It seems that Apple’s iCloud service and the iTunes Store are experiencing yet another outage. Apple’s system status webpage confirms that some users may experience issues with account & sign in for iCloud as well as purchases for iTunes. Other users are also reporting problems with Game Center and Apple ID.
Apple doesn’t mention how many users are affected, but simply that “some” users may be affected. The outages appear to be affecting multiple iCloud services including Mail, Find my iPhone, and third-party apps attempting to access iCloud credentials. Other users are simply receiving an error message when attempting to access any iCloud service.
Apple outages have been occurring quite a bit recently, with iCloud getting the brunt of most of the outages, but iMessage and FaceTime have both gone out in the recent past. We’re obviously not sure why these outages are occurring more often than in the past, but it seems users are starting to get fed up with it.
On a slighty-related note, Engadget reports that Twitter is also experiencing a slight outage, and users are reporting that tweets being sent are timing out before they can be sent off. However, it seems Twitter is aware of the issue and have top men on the case. Is this the end of the internet as we know it? Most likely not, but it seems websites are getting hit hard today.
iCloud and iTunes hit by another outage is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apple’s iCloud service seems to be having a less than optimal 2013 as two months ago, the service experienced ongoing issues which resulted in nearly all of its services being completely down. Today, iCloud users are once again complaining they’re unable to access various services such as Mail, third-party applications which attempt to access iCloud credentials and Find my iPhone. Other iCloud users are reporting simply receiving an error message when they attempt to access any iCloud service as well as receiving requests to reset their passwords.
Apple updated its System Status page earlier this morning to reflect the issues its having with not only its iCloud services, but its iTunes Store as well. In regards to iCloud, Apple says some of its users are experiencing issues with account & sign in, while its iTunes users are experiencing issues by being unable to access the iTunes Store or complete purchases. Hopefully Apple can resolve the issues its experiencing today soon as we know how many of you probably rely on both iCloud and iTunes.
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Match.com Survey Finds That iPhone Users Go On More First-Dates Than Other Smartphone Users, FocusTwist iPhone App Gives Your Phone Lytro-like Capabilities, 
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