This week in Apple news – bad guys are targeting the Cupertino-based company like never before, and Apple TV shows will be a thing in the near future.
Let’s start with the bad guys. What’s their deal? In a 2015 report, Apple’s OS has witnessed more malware than in the past five years combined. At least, that’s what the Bit9+Carbon Black security firm notes with their latest report released on the 14th of October 2015.
The report bluntly describes how the company has found a surge of malware attacks aimed at Apple’s Mac OS X in 2015. Compared to previous years, it has risen at an alarming rate.
These attacks that target Apple’s operating system may have grown along with the company’s machine popularity. Computer sales have gone up, and with them bad guys that want to get your sensitive data, the report released by Bit9+Carbon Black notes.
Apple has officially surpassed Lenovo as the third biggest supplier of computers in the US. Even though Apple has witnessed a 3.4 percent decline in their third quarter for computer shipments, claims the International Data Corporation via a report that surfaced last week.
During a ten week period, the B9+CB security company has analysed more than 1,400 malware attacks that were aimed at Apple’s OS. They have found that from 2010 to 2014 there were only 180 samples. In 2015, they discovered no more than 948 samples!
Research authors note that because of Apple aiming their machines, along with their home-bred OS, towards the business sector means that more and more big corps have been buying their products, and will continue to do so. This is a hacker’s wet dream. A vulnerable machine that houses sensitive information which can be either sold to the highest bidder, or ransomed for a ton of moolah.
You see, Apple devices are at risk because they have completely different security safeguards. Companies using them need to tailor their security tools because the commonly used Windows security programs don’t quite work – at all, I might add.
This august FireEye, a top dog security firm, has announced that hackers have found a successful recipe that lets them crack into Apple-made devices via a malignant app that resembles a reliable one.
The time that we considered Apple machines to be bulletproof has just ended folks. At least more video-games for the Mac are surfacing.
But enough with depression-inducing news, let’s look at the bright side of things. Apple TV shows are a real thing, CBS head hints. Well, the TV behemoth’s chief executive has announced that the company is in talks with Apple about how they can stream their content online. He notes that they will most probably sign a deal.
If the streaming deal goes through, this could mean that Apple will be in charge of rights to stream live broadcast shows, movies and other TV programmes.
Left to right: James May, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond.
Apple, however, is pretending to be coy. Les Moonves has told Bloomberg TV that the Cupertino-based company isn’t just talking with CBS – they are having conversations with anyone who listens. By anyone I mean giant networks.
While there have been plenty rumours of Apple going into the TV streaming service biz, Les Moonves’ discussion with Bloomberg TV is the closest thing to a confirmation that we have. But it won’t be shocking news if we see Apple unveiling some sort of streaming service in 2016. Moreover, considering that the tech giant has just rebranded Beats Music – now known as Apple Music; they are tackling the music streaming service like never before.
The big A is rumoured to be in talks with ABC and FOX, amongst other numerous broadcasters from the US. The service is expected to feature 25 channels or so with a subscription-based plan that will cost between $30 and $40 a month. This means that it will directly compete with the beloved Netflix and Amazon’s Prime service.
Daniel Ives, who is a FBR Capital Markets analyst has told Bloomberg that this little stunt will boast Apple’s revenue with $2, maybe even $3 billion by 2018.
Furthermore, bridging the gap between rumours and reality, Apple is known to have tried to make the Top Gear trio an offer they can’t refuse. This entails that Richard Hammond, James May and anger management student of the year Jeremy Clarkson would make some original Apple TV shows in the near future for them. Alas, it won’t come to fruition because Amazon managed to outbid Apple.
Apple is appearing to be branching out like never before – self driving cars, music and TV streaming services, their own gaming system and so on and so forth. So, when will Apple announce that they are planning a trip to Mars?
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