Apple is increasing the stakes in its big privacy push, extending anti-tracking systems to apps as well as websites, and shutting down so-called "invisible pixel" tracking in emails. It's part of an ongoing war on data sharing - or, more accurately, data sharing that happens when users aren't aware it's taking place - which has set Apple at odds with some heavyweights in the tech world.
The big Google Photos change is almost upon us, and if you've been enjoying free, unlimited uploads since the cloud storage service launched then you're about to get an unpleasant surprise. Switching to a paid model will help keep Photos around, Google argues, but the good news is that there's a decent chance you could already be paying for an alternative.
![App Store, iMessage & iCloud all seeing outages and issues right now [Updated]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/iphone-12-pro-max-12-1280x720.jpg)
Apple is currently experiencing outages of the App Store and issues with iMessage, iCloud, and other services, the company has confirmed. The problems have seen some users unable to access the App Store and Mac App Store altogether, while the two download stores are still available but much slower to respond than normal for others.
Many computer software, be it locally or on the cloud, are designed to take into account ways that people, intentionally or not, could break the system. Programmers tend to account for potential errors in human input or intentional methods of gaming the system, but it's statistically impossible to be prepared for all of them. One strange case, in particular, has seemingly locked an Apple iCloud user from her account for months, just because Apple cloud storage software wasn't prepared to handle someone whose last name happens to be "True".
Apple is making it easier for iCloud users to transfer their images and videos to Google Photos. The ability is made possible using a newly launched Apple service for iCloud users, one similar to the transfer option Facebook offers for shuttling content to a Google account. Images transferred to Google Photos will remain available in the user's iCloud account.
![If Apple iCloud is down right now, you’re not alone [Update: iMessage & iWork outage]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/apple-mac-mini-m1-4-1280x720.jpg)
If you've been having trouble with some of Apple's online services today, you're not alone, with the company confirming numerous ongoing outages as well as more that have been fixed. Issues are being reported across iCloud in particular, with Backup, Mail, Notes, Calendar, and Keychain all among the services affected.
Apple has been slowly but surely bringing some of its apps and services on Windows, allowing Apple users to stay within the security of their chosen platform even while on someone else's operating system. Cupertino's latest offer was an extension for the Chrome web browser on Windows that allowed it to access passwords stored on Apple's iCloud. Now that extension is temporarily unusable because the version of the iCloud app on Windows that it requires has been suddenly pulled out.
Today Apple revealed the Password Manager Resources open source project to assist in the development password management systems of all sorts. This new system was made by Apple to be open sourced in order to invigorate the global digital community with password management protocol that's as secure as today's tech will allow. This system from Apple allows developers to integrate website-specific requirements used y the iCloud Keychain password manager "to generate strong, unique passwords."
Apple is starting the day by rolling out a number of its services to a bunch of new countries around the world. The services Apple is bringing to new regions include the App Store, Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple Podcasts, and iCloud. All of them are launching in 20 new countries, while Apple Music is launching on its own in an additional 32 - meaning Apple Music is available in 52 new countries today.
For the past years, Apple has painted itself as a champion of user privacy, as long as said user is also a customer. Its privacy advocacy has become so central to its message that it has, after decades of formal absence, attended CES but only as a panelist in a privacy roundtable. There will always be some who will doubt a for-profit's ulterior motives and they may have just been given a smoking gun that implies Apple did secretly cave in to the US governments wishes to have easier access to iCloud users' unencrypted backups.
The death of passwords is at hand, or at least that's what proponents of biometrics security would like to say. It might be a while before it becomes as commonplace as the password field but every small step takes us closer. The next small step will seemingly come from Apple who is now testing ways to more securely and more conveniently log into iCloud.com using not strong passwords but stronger fingers and faces instead.
The three big tech companies, namely Google, Apple, and Microsoft, can best be described as being best frenemies. They are rivals and critics in the industry but also can't but help cooperate with each other to some extent. Usually that involves making services and apps available on the others' platforms even if they're dying to keep them exclusive. The latest proof of that unavoidable cooperation is the all new iCloud app for Windows that has just became available on Microsoft's app Store.