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  • Apple’s Highly Publicized FaceTime Bug Fixed

    Apple’s Highly Publicized FaceTime Bug Fixed

    The highly-publicized FaceTime Bug that allowed users to eavesdrop on other Apple device owners has finally been fixed, according to Apple. The bug in question allowed people initiating a Group FaceTime to hear any audio input from the other members of the call. Apple disabled the functionality, which had launched in October, and set about work patching the bug immediately.

    FaceTime Bug Patched

    The Bug

    How the bug came to be is still unclear. However, after being discovered in late January, it was brought to Apple’s attention by numerous users. The functionality had just been added to iOS devices and Macs in October and allowed up to 32 people to be on the same FaceTime call. This highly-anticipated feature ground to a halt last month when it was discovered it could be used as a way to eavesdrop on people.

    The bug essentially allowed users to listen in on the conversations of anyone they dialed on a Group FaceTime call who didn’t answer. Even though the users would decline the call, the callers on the other end would still be able to hear them. When Apple was made aware of the severity of this easily-replicated bug they disabled the Group FaceTime feature temporarily.

    Apple’s Response

    “We take the security of our products extremely seriously and we are committed to continuing to earn the trust Apple customers place in us,” the company stated in a release on Friday. In the Friday release Apple assured users that the patch would be released sometime this week and would result in the bug being squashed.

    In the statement, the company specifically thanked the Thompson family for helping to discover the bug and make them aware of it. Michele Thompson’s teenaged son discovered the bug while trying to get his friends in a Group FaceTime for a session of Fortnite. Thompson noted she had difficulty getting acknowledgment of the bug from Apple, despite trying to contact them.

    This incident is a bit of an embarrassment for Apple, a company that prides itself on its extremely strict privacy controls. This uncharacteristic privacy leak is more in line with companies like Facebook than privacy stalwarts like Apple.

  • Apple FaceTime Bug Surprises iPhone Owners

    Apple FaceTime Bug Surprises iPhone Owners

    Apple’s FaceTime software has encountered a strange bug lately that has surprised iPhone owners and Apple alike. The bug was first detected by a 14-year-old gamer who was getting a group FaceTime together to play Fortnite with his friends. The boy’s mother attempted to warn Apple of this error around January 19th, though the bug wasn’t widely known until the 28th.

    Apple FaceTime Bug

    The Bug

    The bug itself is rather unnerving. Essentially, it occurs when someone starts a Group FaceTime. Whether or not the recipients of the call answer it, their conversations will be audible to those on the call.

    This is disturbing for a number of reasons. Primarily, it’s an issue when you consider how someone could simply call your device for a Group FaceTime and then just leave the line open and listen to your conversations. Essentially, the bug allowed any FaceTime-enabled device to become a listening device.

    Discovery

    Michele Thompson’s son, a 14-year-old boy, discovered the bug. Thompson then replicated the results herself a few times to make sure the bug was replicable. Upon discovering that it was, Thompson set about trying to inform Apple of the security breach.

    Thompson expressed frustration with how difficult it was to raise awareness of this issue with Apple. Finally, she even resorted to tweeting Apple CEO Tim Cook and warned him that this would be made public shortly. However, she felt bad about the Tweet later and deleted it.

    Apple’s Response

    Apple responded to the discovery of the bug (eventually) by having Group FaceTime disabled. The Group FaceTime functionality was added in October 2018, so security bugs like this were expected to occur in some capacity. This particular bug, however, is a bit distressing.

    Any bug that results in the device becoming a security breach is a major issue. Apple has promised to re-launch the software when the security breach has been patched. Hopefully this time the software doesn’t offer a window straight into user’s private conversations.

  • Top 5 Video Chat Services

    Top 5 Video Chat Services

    For years we were promised video chat in every movie and tv show that took place in the future. The Jetsons did it, Back to the Future did it. I grew up assuming it was weeks away from reality my whole life. Then one glorious day in 2010, Steve Jobs said the word Facetime and video chat was a everyday reality.

    Video chat is the best way to connect and call your friends, family and loved ones. Allowing you to instantly share special moments in real time. Since 2010 the market flooded with video chat options. With so many options which is the best? Ill figure this out, so you can tell which setup is right for you. From smartphones and tablets to laptops and TVs, there are plenty of ways to get you up and running, and here are five of the best.

    FaceTime

    Apples proprietary video telephony system. FaceTime is available on supported iOS mobile devices and Macintosh computers. FaceTime supports any iOS device with a forward-facing camera and any Macintosh computer equipped with a FaceTime Camera. Apple bought the “FaceTime” name from FaceTime Communications. CEO Steve Jobs announced FaceTime on June 7, 2010 in conjunction with the iPhone 4 in a keynote speech at the 2010 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. Support for the fourth generation iPod Touch (the first model of iPod Touch equipped with cameras) was announced in conjunction with the device’s release on September 8, 2010. Just like that everyone had video chat in a matter of days.

    if you have an iPad then the FaceTime app will already be installed ready for you to start using. From within there you can find contacts that are also using Apple hardware, and then it’s a simple as tapping the video icon and the app will make a call to them. It is the standard for video chat apps, The app that all other video chat apps are judged and found wanting.

    WhatsApp

    A far underestimated and often overlooked, WhatsApp is a real player in the video chat game. It is the default backup to facetime for global use. WhatsApp Messenger is a freeware and cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP service owned by Facebook. The Nice thing about Whatsapp is it is universal, and will work on almost any device anywhere in the world.

    Google Hangouts

    Yes, of course Google has its own option too – and it is called Hangouts. This allows for calls and video chat from within a browser on your laptop or PC, so anyone else with Hangouts on a computer, phone or tablet can be contacted. Hangouts lets you have multiple callers in one video chat too, intelligently spotting who’s talking and making that video the main one on screen. The app also allows for messaging so you can share photos but also allows for screen sharing. Lot of great features with Hangouts you don’t get in other apps.

    Skype

    Skype is a web-based communications tool that offers video chat, international calls, and texting via the web. This is very popular for its free video chat and communications capabilities, which are very basic at best. As a business communications tool, Skype is branded as the best and most inexpensive solutions provider for VoIP services. For those who want to fully maximize its potential and use it to improve productivity and drive revenue up, there is an enterprise pricing package for business communication that costs only $2 per user per month. With one simple platform, Skype for Business offers features like, Online meetings for up to 250 people and Secure communication lines via strong authentication and encryption.

    Facebook Portal and Video Chat

    Something new you probably didn’t know about. Facebook is launching its own device for video chat. Portal is aimed at connecting you to family and friends through video chat. The idea is that, instead of holding your phone up to your face for a jerky visual conversation with grandma and grandpa, you get a beautiful mini-TV, with a 10-inch screen.

    While not just a video chat service, Facebook’s Portal smart screen does more than just make calls. You can use it to watch videos, play games and find out the local weather, or help you tell children’s stories. Think an Alexa tablet powered and connected by Facebook.

    Pied Piper PiperChat

    A revolutionary middle-out compression was the missing piece in the video chat software world. PiperChat is similar to Google Hangout, FaceTime, and Skype. It is a video chat app that uses Pied Piper’s compression software. Piperchat is the most comprehensive and best video chatting application ever to be seen, using the same middle out compression algorithm as pied piper inc, piper chat can stream flawless 1080p video calling with only just a mere 3g signal.