Apple and Google’s app stores promote ‘nudify’ apps despite rules banning them, new investigation finds
Apple and Google’s app stores are promoting “nudify” apps despite rules banning them, a new investigation by the Tech Transparency Project… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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New Apple Intelligence features for iOS 27 found in hidden code
Macworld Some backend, hidden code discovered by Nicolás Alvarez and confirmed by MacRumors provides insight into some new features coming to Apple Intelligence in the future (almost certainly in iOS 27, or an update to it). The first two features are for Visual Intelligence. Apple is leaning heavily into visual AI as it prepares products like smart glasses, an AI-powered pin, and AirPods with cameras. One feature lets you scan a nutrition label to get more information and possibly integrate with the Health app. There have been rumors that Apple is looking to add food tracking to its Fitness or Health apps, and reading nutrition labels would be a step beyond the barcode scanning common in current food tracking apps. Another feature would let it add printed phone numbers and addresses to your Contacts. You can already add dates to your calendar with Visual Intelligence, so this is a natural evolution of the feature. Safari is getting a minor feature to automatically name tab groups based on the tabs within. If you’re a heavy user of tab groups, I guess that could come in handy. And finally, a very handy feature for the Wallet app to scan physical tickets, passes, and membership cards and produce digital versions of them within the Wallet app. Digital passes and cards are extremely handy, but not all events or businesses offer them or integrate with Apple Wallet; instead, they just send a pass via email. The ability to take a lot of those things, from gym cards to movie tickets, and add them to Wallet would be a great quality of life feature. Naturally, all of this was hinted at in backend code that is not yet ready for release. It’s all to be considered very much in development, and could change or be dropped at any time. All four of these features are good examples of how useful AI is more than just chatbots and AI slop images/video/music.

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OpenAI’s Codex Mac app adds three key features that go beyond agentic coding
OpenAI is releasing a new version of its Codex desktop app today. The latest Codex update adds three key features that expand its use beyond agentic coding. Today’s release signals the start of a shift for Codex. The app is going from strictly developer-focused to having more general utility as an AI tool on the Mac. more…

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Apple TV’s gripping London thriller returns next week: first reviews here
Apple TV’s London-set crime thriller, Criminal Record, returns next week for a new season. Here’s what early reviews are saying about Criminal Record season 2. more…

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What’s the point of the App Store, if it can’t protect users?
Macworld Apple’s app-vetting procedures are in the spotlight this week, as not one but two news stories demonstrate the grave consequences of what appears to be a troublingly lackadaisical approach at the Cupertino-based company. (Updated April 16 to include Apple’s response.) Case study 1: “Ledger Live” On Tuesday, the crypto news site CoinDesk reported on a week-long phishing campaign predicated on the use of a cloned Mac app. Financial hackers created a cloned app called Ledger Live, using the former name of a legitimate wallet app for iOS and macOS, and managed to get it accepted by the Mac App Store. Users of this app were prompted to enter recovery phrases, and those who did so had their wallets completely emptied. CoinDesk says the scam affected more than 50 victims and resulted in the loss of at least $9.5m worth of Bitcoin, Ether, and other cryptocurrencies. One victim, a musician going by the name G. Love, vented his frustrations on X. “I had a really tough day today,” he wrote. “I lost my retirement fund… All my BTC [Bitcoin] gone in an instant.” He later clarified that his losses totalled 5.9 BTC, which at current valuations is worth almost $75,000. To most of us such a loss would be devastating. But the scam’s unluckiest victims were hit a great deal harder. ZachXBT reports that the three biggest individual losses were worth $2m, $2.1m, and $3.2m respectively. The app has now been removed from the App Store, but victims and commentators are questioning how the software made it past Apple’s vetting process in the first place. It’s also unclear how the fake app remained on the store for a fortnight, reportedly taking people’s money for the entire second week of that period, before the company took action. ZachXBT has even floated the idea of a class-action lawsuit, although at this point that remains speculation. Case study 2: Freecash With unhappy timing, news of this scam broke in the same week as the banning of Freecash, as reported by Macworld’s sister site TechCrunch. In adverts, Freecash offered to pay users to scroll on TikTok, but this was a flimsy veil for its real purpose: harvesting sensitive data. By installing and running the app, users were giving up data about anything from their religion to their sexual orientation, which the makers happily sold on to third parties. Many free apps are built on a data-harvesting business model, and such practices are not in themselves illegal or against the App Store’s terms and conditions. But critics complained that Freecash was harvesting data in a way which was manipulative and misleading. In January, Wired reported that the app used deceptive marketing techniques (the app’s makers deny this allegation, stating that “Our apps are fully compliant with the Apple App Store and Google Play Store policies, as demonstrated by the fact that they are live and regularly pass platform reviews”), and TikTok banned some of its ads. But it wasn’t until this week–shortly after being contacted by TechCrunch, perhaps coincidentally–that Apple finally pulled the app. That decision would appear to indicate that Freecash does not, contrary to its makers’ protestations, meet the standards of Apple’s App Store. (The Android app is still showing up for me in Google search, but the URL it directs to no longer works. Presumably, then, it’s been kicked off Google Play too.) But once again, it’s unclear why Apple’s vetting team wasn’t able to spot this shortcoming before welcoming the app on to the company’s official storefront. Or why it took so long to take action against an app whose murkier practices had been highlighted by journalists months previously. Rotten to the Store: The wider story I should emphasize at this point that the main reason I’ve discussed these two cases in the same article is that the stories happened to break in the same week. They each, in their own way, reflect poorly on Apple’s vetting procedures, but that doesn’t mean they’re in the same ballpark of misbehavior. The first case study above is straightforward larceny, while the second is more complicated: an ethically dubious developer choosing to skirt the boundaries of what is and isn’t permitted for personal gain. The principle is the same, but the offenders are not. There are two facts which unite these two apps. First, Apple allowed them on to the App Store when it absolutely should not have done. Second, when problems emerged, it let them stay there longer than it had any business doing. And these raise major concerns about the way the App Store is run, and the rationale behind Apple’s stewardship of the market for apps on its products. After all, the whole point of the App Store is to give owners of Apple devices peace of mind that the software they’re installing is legitimate and won’t cause any problems. Craig Federighi has claimed that sideloading, the installation of apps through non-official means, is a cybercriminal’s best friend. But what are customers supposed to think when even officially sanctioned software is liable to steal their secrets and their money? In what way is the official store better than buying it (likely at a lower price) direct from the developer? What does vetting actually involve, other than a malware scan and the eager exchange of bank details? What is the App Store bringing to the table at this point, other than an outstretched hand? This week has been unusually bad, but stories of this sort don’t come as a surprise any more. The App Store of 2026 is absolutely stuffed with slop, scams, and clones, propped up by an ecosystem of fake reviews pushing undeserving apps to the top of the charts. Phil Schiller was complaining about “insane” scam apps 14 years ago, and to the casual eye it’s difficult to see that things have got any better. Reports in the past few years have identified everything from fleeceware VPNs and exploitative knockoffs of popular games to (theoretically banned) AI nudify apps. Search is broken, foregrounding apps blatantly designed to trick you into clicking on the wrong thing; selling ads here doesn’t help matters. So-called trash apps are essentially a licence to print money. The App Store, in other words, is rotten. And whatever Apple’s app-vetting procedure is, it’s not working. Perhaps that reflects the magnitude of the job. At last count there were approximately two million iOS apps on the store, which across its 18-year history equates very roughly to 9,000 per month. Factor in the acceleration over time, not to mention all the other apps that were vetted once but have since been removed because the developers stopping updating them, and that’s a lot of vetting, even for a company with major resources. (Update: In fact the numbers are vastly higher. See Apple’s response, below.) But is that an excuse? Not really. If running an app store is too much trouble, close it down. If comprehensive vetting is impractical, stop pretending the App Store is completely safe. (And definitely stop scaremongering about sideloading.) If you can’t make the App Store a truly reliable resource for good, safe, legitimate software, then give iPhone users the freedom to install from other places. Or just stop pretending the App Store monopoly is about anything other than revenue. Apple’s response Shortly after we published this story, Apple’s PR team got in touch and requested the opportunity to make a comment… although, in accordance with a controversial policy, the company insisted that Macworld agree not to quote the comment directly, but rather to paraphrase it “on background.” We don’t think much of this policy, but wanted to hear what the company had to say, and agreed to those terms on this occasion. So while the following information was contained in a lengthy email from Apple, the precise words are mine. Regarding Ledger Live, Apple told us the app was removed for malicious bait-and-switch functionality, as per rule 3.1.2(a) in the App Review Guidelines. The developer’s account has been terminated. Regarding the banning of Freecash, the company again referenced rule 3.1.2(a), and also invoked rule 2.3.1: “Developers are prohibited from marketing their apps in a misleading way, such as by promoting content or services that they do not actually offer.” For violations of these rules, as well as the Apple Developer Program License Agreement, Freecash too has been removed from the App Store, and the developer’s account terminated. In neither case did Apple give us any explanation or apology for the apps being approved in the first place. Speaking about app vetting more generally, Apple told us it has a zero-tolerance approach to fraudulent and malicious activity on the App Store, which it says is designed to be a safe and trusted place for users to discover apps. It pointed out that users can report illegal or abusive content using this link, and insisted it takes such reports seriously. Finally, the company pointed to its own research on this topic, which includes some startling statistics: Apple’s app review team, for example, processes an average of nearly 150,000 submissions per week. More than 7.7 million App Store submissions were reviewed in 2024, and 1.9 million of them were rejected. Bait-and-switch violations alone accounted for more than 17,000 removals and rejections.  Thanks to Apple for getting in touch.

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Blackmagic Camera app for iOS updated to version 3.3, headlined by Apple Watch companion
Ahead of NAB 2026, Blackmagic Design has launched its latest update to the Blackmagic Camera app. The video-focused mobile application gives video shooters far more control over the iPhone’s cameras than the stock iOS Camera app, and the new version 3.3 update continues to build on this. A new companion app for Apple Watch headlines the changes, serving as a wrist-bound control element. There’s also support for full-screen portrait mode via HDMI output for vertical video creation, and ATEM camera control with the Blackmagic Camera ProDock. more…

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Perplexity’s Personal Computer AI assistant feature launches on Mac for subscribers
Last month, Perplexity announced Personal Computer, a Mac-based personal AI assistant. Today, the Mac-specific version of the company’s Perplexity Computer system, inspired by OpenClaw, is launching. more…

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Apple App Store hosts AI nudify apps despite ban, report finds
Macworld A study released by the Tech Transparency Project shows that it is not difficult to find software on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store that can be used on real images to “make them look naked, put them into pornographic videos, or turn them into sexually explicit chatbots.” These apps exist on Apple’s App Store despite rules against them. TTP’s research involved using search terms such as “nudify,” “undress,” “AI NSFW,” and “deepnude,” and found that about 40 percent of the apps found were able to “render women nude or scantily clad.” TTP also found that the App Store made autocomplete suggestions that led to recommendations for new terms for finding such apps. Apple did not comment on TTP’s study, but TTP reported that Apple removed 15 apps after TTP shared their findings. As of this writing, the search terms “nudify” and “undress” resulted in no results, but “deepnude” was successful and included several apps that offered outfit or body transformations. Macworld did not check these apps to see if they could take real images and create AI nude versions. One of the apps recommended by the “deepnude” search was Grok, the AI chatbot created by X. Earlier this week, a report stated that Apple privately threatened to remove Grok from the App Store because of the app’s ability to generate deepfake nude images. It’s not clear if the apps that were TTP reported as removed by Apple were given the same warnings as X. Grok remains in the App Store. Searching for “Deepnude” resulted in dozens of apps that take real images of people and create AI modifications.Foundry In addition to successful searches, TTP found that the App Store responded to search queries with ads for nudify apps. Even though Apple’s App Store ad policies state that “Ad content that promotes adult-oriented themes or graphic content” is prohibited content, TTP found that the App Store failed to enforce the policy. TTP’s report comes after reports earlier this week that two apps in the App Store, Ledger Live and Freecash, were not legitimate services but scams. Ledger Live stole bitcoin accounts, while Freecash harvested user data secretly.

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Liquidmetal could be Apple’s secret weapon for the foldable iPhone
Apple appears ready to unleash Liquidmetal in one of the most demanding roles imaginable: the hinge of its first foldable iPhone… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Pilot killed during Apple Vision Pro immersive video shoot
It just came to light that a pilot died during an Apple Immersive Video shoot for Vision Pro in 2024 following safety complaints. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Deals: 1TB M5 MacBook Air $150 off, AirPods Max 2 up to $86 off, Apple Pencil Pro, Milanese Loop, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break is headlined by Apple’s least pricey Apple Watch Series 11 at $100 off. We also have a chance to land Apple Pencil Pro at one of the best prices to date and AirPods Max 2 at up to $86 off (Best Buy ‘Excellent’ open-box). Those offers join Apple’s Slate 46mm Milanese Loop at the Amazon all-time low and Anker’s 2026 Earth Day charger deals up to 40% off. Head below for a closer look. more…

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Smartphone buyers are more loyal than ever, but they still switch to iPhone
Smartphone buyers are becoming increasingly loyal to their chosen platform, whether that's Apple's iPhone or Google's Android.Buyers are switching from and to the iPhone less than everThe increased loyalty also means that smartphone buyers are less likely to switch from Android to iPhone and vice versa. That's according to new research that found that of those who do switch, Android users are more likely to buy iPhones than the other way around.However, switching does still happen. And Android phone owners are still more than willing to switch to iPhones despite their increased loyalty. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: Cupertino fires back after Microsoft’s ‘Apple tax’ ads
On April 16, 2009, Apple hit back following a Microsoft ad that criticized Cupertino for failing to sell decent laptops for less than $1,000. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Reddit’s iOS app is adding Liquid Glass soon, here’s how it looks
Apple’s new Liquid Glass design launched last fall in iOS 26, but third-party apps continue to roll out support, and Reddit’s iOS app will do that very soon. Here’s what Liquid Glass in the Reddit app looks like. more…

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U.S. Android users are nearly four times more likely to switch than iPhone users
In the ever-competitive world of smartphones, loyalty speaks volumes about which platform truly wins hearts (and wallets). According to the… The post appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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This refurbished Magic Mouse is only $35
Macworld Apple Magic Mouse 2 View Deal (function () { document.querySelector("#sticky-promo-block a").addEventListener("click", function(e) { const debug = document.location.host.search(/lndo.site|go-vip.net/) !== -1; const text = this.closest("#sticky-promo-block").querySelector("p.promo-title").textContent; const data = { event: "stickyConversionUnitClick", eventCategory: "Sticky Conversion", eventAction: "Click", eventLabel: text }; if(debug)console.log("Sticky Conversion CLick - pushing to dataLayer: ", data); dataLayer.push(data); return true; }); })(); Apple’s Magic Mouse isn’t exactly the most affordable out there. But if you want an Apple-branded mouse to, say, go with your new MacBook Neo, Woot is selling refurbished models for just $35, which is quite a bit less than their original $79. While the product is marked as refurbished, it’s going to be in great shape. They even offer a 90-day Woot Limited Warranty, so you’re covered for a while if anything is to happen. These things we thoroughly checked, though, so it should all be good to go. The mouse comes with a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, so you won’t need to swap batteries every now and then. Instead, you can just pop in the USB to Lightning cable to charge the mouse (note that new versions of the Magic Mouse use USB-C instead of Lightning). A single charge will give you about a month of use, while a quick two-minute plug-in gives you enough juice to last you through the day. You’ll, of course, get to enjoy everything that makes this mouse famous, such as the Multi-Touch surface and that super smooth glide. This Magic Mouse will work with just about any Mac on the market, including the Neo, so if you got one of Apple’s most affordable laptops, you might as well get the mouse on sale too. Since this mouse is available at Woot, you should hurry and make the purchase sooner rather than later. Deals here are only available for a set time (there are two days left for this deal at the time of writing) or until sold out. Since Woot is an Amazon company, your Prime benefits, like free shipping, will transfer here as well.

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Anthropic reveals new Opus 4.7 model with focus on advanced software engineering
Anthropic has announced its latest AI model with Claude Opus 4.7. The new version arrives two months after the previous model upgrade, matching Anthropic’s previous upgrade cadence. more…

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iPhone stops shooting solo with remote control in Blackmagic Camera
Blackmagic Design's Blackmagic Camera app for iPhone further enhances professional workflows with Apple Watch control, deeper ATEM integration, and new hardware support.Blackmagic Design's iPhone camera appThe update shifts the camera app beyond standalone recording by tying the iPhone into coordinated production environments. Remote monitoring from Apple Watch, control through Blackmagic's ProDock, and support for dedicated focus and zoom hardware position the device as part of a larger, managed camera system rather than a self-contained tool.The changes arrive as iPhone video continues to gain traction in production environments. However, the update shows Blackmagic focusing less on casual creators and more on integrating the iPhone into its existing broadcast ecosystem. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Apple hits record recycled material use, eliminates plastic packaging
Apple hit record recycled-material use, got rid of plastic packaging, saved water and more, its latest Environmental Progress Report says. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple has four new iPhone satellite features rumored, here’s what’s coming
Apple’s satellite partner, GlobalStar, was acquired by Amazon this week. But now Apple and Amazon are working together, and rumors indicate there are four new satellite features coming to iPhone soon. more…

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