Apple has released new iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 betas, with the sixth version of the software answering complaints about the Safari address bar. However it also confirms that SharePlay, a new feature announced at WWDC 2021, has not only been removed from the beta but will not be present initially in the final iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 versions this fall.
Cloud-based game streaming hasn't been making headlines of late unless you count the negative press that Google Stadia has been getting. In fact, the latest game streaming news once again puts Stadia at a disadvantage, even if it isn't about Google's service at all. Microsoft let it be known almost in passing that its Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming will be rolling out to web browsers in the next few weeks. That includes Safari, which will become Xbox Cloud Gaming's gate pass into iPhones and iPads, something Stadia has yet to achieve.
Apple has unveiled its next evolution in Safari, the company's browser found across Mac, iPad, and iPhone. The browser is getting a sleek new design, as well as new features that'll make it easier to manage tabs, find what you're looking for, and view content without unwanted intrusions. Apple has big plans for its browser, including the arrival of web extensions for iPhone and iPad users.
Bugs in software aren't exactly out of the ordinary, even bugs that can compromise the security of a system. Of course, those get fixed eventually but some bugs are time-sensitive and their patches need to be rolled out as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, one security researcher points out that Apple may not see one such vulnerability as an urgent matter as it hasn't rolled out a fix to iOS and macOS that would plug up a WebKit bug that not only causes Safari to crash but also leaves a door open for attackers to exploit.
Apple's recently-released iPhone and iPad update doesn't just fix a privacy bug, but patch two significant security issues which the Cupertino firm says may have already been exploited in the wild. The company's advice is that users update to iOS 14.5.1 and iPadOS 14.5.1 as soon as possible, in addition to Macs and Apple Watches, so as to protect their devices from the potential hack.
This week Microsoft's bringing Xbox Cloud Gaming to a variety of machines in a limited Beta. Information comes from Catherine Gluckstein, VP and Head of Product, Cloud Gaming at Microsoft, who announced this new limited beta release. According to Gluckstein, there'll be a limited beta in Chrome and Edge browsers, to start - so it'll roll with as wide a variety of devices as possible right from the get-go.
Last month, Google said that it was testing an iOS implementation of Google Stadia. At one point in the past, we thought we'd never see Stadia come to iOS, as restrictive App Store rules made launching a game streaming service technically possible but realistically challenging. Thankfully, the iOS version of Stadia sidesteps the App Store entirely, launching as a Safari webapp instead.
The Internet has made the world a smaller place but, unless you've taken time to learn multiple languages, chances are you'll come across pages that are incomprehensible to you. Translation tools and browser add-ons do exist, of course, but, in typical Apple fashion, Safari will soon have the ability to translate a page without requiring an extra package or, worse, exposing your data to third parties or even Apple itself.
A few years ago, Spotify suddenly dropped support for the Safari browser, forcing macOS users to either listen to their favorite music using a different browser or the Mac Spotify app. That has quietly changed in recent days, users have noticed, once again giving Safari users the option of streaming music, podcasts, and other content directly through Apple's web browser.
The Web has become a bigger place and, at the same time, has also become more dangerous. Seeing that most users are unlikely to change bad habits, browser makers are taking up the cause to implement secure and private features that are eventually enabled by default. One such feature is called Safe Browsing and has become enabled by default in iOS 13 with every little warning beforehand. Now it turns out that this feature is sending some information, particularly IP addresses to Google and to Chinese Internet giant Tencent.
Web browsers, particularly Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, have lately taken stronger actions against unscrupulous, not to mention potentially illegal, tracking by websites and third parties. Curiously silent is one browser maker who has painted itself as the champion of privacy in the modern digital and tech world. Apple, however, was simply waiting for the right moment to announce its own new policy against the misuse of tracking and cookies. But while it might be the harshest and strictest policy among web browsers, it could also be one of those that breaks the Internet the most for users.
In what might be the biggest Android user-aimed feature of the year, Apple just added Google Docs support to Safari. Safari is Apple's web browser for iOS, and it's just been delivered a slew of new features. For those users that've never taken the time to download the Google web browser Chrome, these features might seem new and amazing.