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Pangu

The latest jailbreak tool is the one for the iOS 9.1 but that might change with the alleged release of the iOS 9.3 jailbreak.

Jailbreak fans are looking forward to the release of the iOS 9.3 jailbreak, which rumors say is currently in development. Hacking teams are rumored to come up with the said jailbreak tool as early as this month.

Apple just released the iOS 9.3.1, which is a bug-squashing software update launched just mere days the iOS 9.3's release and after glitches in it were found.

Forbes suspects that hacking teams have been working on an iOS 9.3 jailbreak tool but are waiting until Apple releases an update of this build, which, of course, already happened with the rollout of the iOS 9.3.1.

With that said, Apple users with a knack for jailbreaking should expect the iOS 9.3 jailbreak release anytime soon. Hopefully, hacker groups have been working on a jailbreak for iOS 9.3 instead of one for 9.2.1.

Apple's iOS 9.3 boasts some of the most important features the software will offer prior to the iOS 10 release. This makes it more logical for hacking teams to focus their energies on the newer build.

The latest jailbreak tool available to Apple users is the iOS 9.1 jailbreak, which was released last month by Pangu. There aren't many users who benefited the release, though, because Apple already came out with the iOS 9.2 around that time.

It also took Pangu months to crack the code. It was so long that some users were given the impression that jailbreaking Apple's software has become impossible, especially after the Cupertino-based company took measures in fortifying their software releases.

At the moment, there has yet to be an official iOS 9.3 jailbreak released to the public. There was no iOS 9.2 jailbreak released as well. Users are advised to be wary of the fake ones floating around online.

Apple iOS 9.3 packs in a set of big features like the Night Shift mode and the new Touch ID security on the Notes app.

Apple Watch 2 release date is near. As per the latest updates, Apple Watch 2 will be out between June and September.

According to Christian Daily,  Apple Watch 2 will be unveiled during Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2016 in June, or in an Apple convention in September alongside the  iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Apple Watch Original was second highest sold wearable last year. Now, the competition is tough. Seeking Alpha says Qualcomm is joining hands with Chinese smartwatch brands inWatch and IoT solutions player Borqs. Swiss Watchmakers are also eyeing at the market of Apple. As we already know, HTC is likely to launch its smartwatch along with the flagship device.

Apple Watch 2 Features: A New Wifi Chip?  

In order to face the competition, Apple will add multiple new features. Apple has already received a patent for a magnetic wristband. "In one configuration the wristband is magnetically coupled around a user's wrist. In another configuration the magnetic wristband can be magnetically coupled around an electronic device to which it is attached," Apple's patent reads. The rumored wristband will look like Milanese loop version and leather version.

The best rumor we heard is about Apple's plan to make Watch 2 a self-reliant device.The brand is adding Apple Pay, calling facility and fast internet connectivity to implement its plan. These features will reduce the dependency on iPhone. Tech experts are saying that Apple will use  new premium materials, such as titanium, tungsten, palladium and platinum for some models.

Watch 2 is likely to pack its own GPS chip. It will feature an OLED display, and a powerful battery. The battery life of the device will be better compared to Apple Watch Original. If Apple is going to consider ARM Cortex A32 processor, the power consumption will be under control. It's also reported that Apple is working on a new Wi-Fi chip, which can perform multiple tasks like email, messages and so on over Wifi without an iPhone. There will be few useful health-centered features.

Stay connected to Bitbag for more updates.

Another vulnerability has been found in iOS, Apple's mobile operating system. The mobile device management (MDM) interface for iOS, according to security researchers, can be exploited to gain complete access to the device. Apple insists that it's not a vulnerability, but a social-engineering trick.

Security researchers at Check Point Software Technologies claim that an approach dubbed "SideStepper" can allow an attacker to hijack enterprise management functions by sending a malicious link to the device.

According to the researchers, clicking on that link will give attackers full control of the MDM software, and allow them to push malicious apps to the device as well as make changes to other configuration settings. In other words, MDM software in iOS is susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks and can be exploited to install malware on non-jailbroken devices. The vulnerability was demonstrated at Black Hat Asia 2016.

The researchers claim that Apple patched a similar vulnerability last year with iOS software update, however, it left one hole. These MDM tools are used by companies to control, and configure their employees' devices. These devices have access to a private app store.

Speaking to Ars Technica, Apple has refuted the claims, adding that it was a social-engineering attack, and per se, not a weakness in iOS. "This is a clear example of a phishing attack that attempts to trick the user installing a configuration profile and then installing an app," a spokesperson for the company told the publication.

"This is not an iOS vulnerability. We've built safeguards into iOS to help warn users of potentially harmful content like this. We also encourage our customers to download from only a trusted source like the App Store and to pay attention to the warnings that we've put in place before they choose to download and install untrusted content."

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By: AP | Cupertino (california) | Updated: April 3, 2016 12:44 pm Apple turned 40 on Friday, and it's a very different company from the audacious startup that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched in in 1976. (Source: AP)

Apple turned 40 on Friday, and it's a very different company from the audacious startup that Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak launched in a Silicon Valley garage in 1976.

Today, the maker of iPhones and Mac computers is the world's most valuable public corporation, with 100,000 employees and a new, multi-billion dollar headquarters in Cupertino, California, set to open next year. But despite its astounding financials — Apple reported $53 billion in profit on $233 billion in sales last year — some critics have suggested Apple's best years are behind it, as it has struggled to come up with new products and match the phenomenal success it has had in recent years.

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Not surprisingly, longtime employees like software vice president Guy "Bud" Tribble disagree.

"We still think we're going to change the world," said Tribble, one of a half-dozen Apple staffers selected by the company to briefly reminisce with reporters this week. Tribble started with Apple in 1980 and worked on the original Macintosh team. He added: "We had no idea back then that Apple would grow to the size that it is."

Read: Xiaomi Mi 5 Live blog review: At Rs 24,999, this flagship is incredibly light

The company now boasts that more than 1 billion Apple devices — iPods, iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches — are in regular use around the world. Those products are widely admired and imitated. But Apple depends on the iPhone for two-thirds of its revenue. And after selling a record number of iPhones last year, analysts say sales are leveling off and may even decline this year.

As it enters middle age, Apple may find it difficult to maintain its leadership in the industry. Some experts say it's getting harder to come up with new advances to distinguish Apple's products from those of its competitors.

"Apple is still as good as it used to be, but everyone else has gotten better than they used to be," said James McQuivey, a tech analyst with Forrester Research.

He cited longtime rival Microsoft, once viewed as an industry laggard, but now credited with pioneering tablet computers with detachable keyboards — a category even Apple is embracing with the business-oriented iPad Pro. By contrast, he noted, Apple's latest iPhone is a downsized version of earlier models.

Longtime staffers said Apple still has the zeal to create revolutionary products.

"We've done this more times than anybody else," said Greg Joswiak, a 30-year employee and vice president for product marketing. He listed the iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes and the company's online App Store, the new Apple Watch and recent initiatives to create new health-tracking and medical-research apps for the iPhone and Watch.

Apple is widely believed to be exploring new businesses, from electric cars to virtual reality, but analysts say developing products in those categories could take years.

Must Read: Apple iPhone SE first impression: iPhone 5S gets the innards of iPhone 6s

"We want to go into new industries … and really challenge the status quo," said Divya Nag, a former medical researcher and entrepreneur hired in 2014 to work on Apple's health projects. Always secretive about specific plans, Apple declined to provide Nag's job title. Her resume shows a track record of helping win FDA approval for new medical inventions.

Apple's growth hasn't been smooth. Jobs was forced out in the 1990s, leading to a revolving door for chief executives until he returned in 1997, as the company he co-founded was on the brink of collapse. "There was a time when you were worried about keeping engineers here," said Cheryl Thomas, a vice president for software engineering who joined Apple in 1989.

And in 2000, when the dot-com bubble burst, Joswiak said Jobs refused to cut spending when competitors were tightening their belts. Joswiak said Jobs pledged to "invest in ourselves more than ever before. We then suffered through 11 straight quarters" of dismal financial returns.

Jobs' death from cancer in 2011 led to the elevation of current CEO Tim Cook, who's intense but softer spoken. Tribble credits Cook with maintaining Apple's focus on quality products, even as Cook has taken his own path in running the company.

Far more than Jobs, Cook uses his prominence to speak out on social issues, from global warming to civil rights and individual privacy. He recently challenged the U.S. government in a high-stakes legal dispute over an encrypted iPhone used by an extremist killer. While that drew criticism from top Justice Department officials and GOP presidential contender Donald Trump, Joswiak said he was proud of Apple for taking what he considers a principled stand.

Apple remains one of the most sought-after brands. BAV Consulting, a firm that tracks brand reputation, said that after reaching a low in 2001, just before the iPod came out, Apple is now in the top 1 percent of American brands. And it's in the top 2 percent of brands "being worth paying more for" — which means it can get away with charging more for its products, according to BAV.

Photos: Apple at 40: iPod, iPhone and other revolutionary products

Even at 40, the company hasn't lost its passion, Thomas said. She said she wanted to work there since seeing the famous 1984 Macintosh commercial, in which a young woman hurls a hammer at the giant image of a Big Brother figure.

The idea of joining what was then a tech upstart didn't sit well with her father, a career IBM scientist, who advised Thomas: "You need to think with your head and not your heart."

But Thomas said: "I thought with my heart."

Image source: Apple.

As I said in a previous article, I planned to place an order for Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) latest iPad, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, as soon as they were available on the iDevice maker's online store. Sure enough, I did just that and several hours ago my iPad Pro arrived in the mail.

Although I plan to follow this column up with a more detailed review once I've spent some more time with the device, there are several thoughts that I would like to get out there following my first several hours using the device.

Without further ado, let's get to it.

New display is awesome; True Tone is incredible One of the big problems that I've had with many iDevices is that they are simply calibrated out of the factory to be "too blue." When Apple's new True Tone feature (which adjusts the color temperature of the display to match current ambient lighting conditions) is disabled, the display is -- as per usual for Apple's iDevices -- too blue.

However, when the True Tone feature is enabled, the white balance of the display looks far more accurate and pleasing. Additionally, the display appears to have a higher contrast ratio than my older iPad Air 2 and looks about on par with the display on my iPhone 6s.

Finally, as somebody who is a fan of the "AMOLED Photo" display mode on the Samsung (NASDAQOTH:SSNLF) Galaxy S7/S7 Edge series of phones (which enlarges the color gamut to Adobe RGB, a much wider color space than sRGB), I enjoy the richer color saturation of the iPad Pro 9.7-inch display. Coverage of the wider DCI P3 color gamut in this new iPad makes colors really "pop" compared to those on my older iPad or even on my iPhone 6s.

Excellent sound Another one of the big features of the iPad Pro lineup is the use of a quad speaker setup. Sound on this new iPad is quite loud and "full" compared to that on my older iPad Air 2. When playing games, listening to music, and playing video clips/TV shows, the new speaker system is a big step up from the one found in the Air 2.

Crazy speed The iPad Air 2 was already quite fast -- arguably the fastest non-Windows tablet out there aside from Apple's larger iPad Pro. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro packs in a performance-reduced version of the A9X processor inside of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, but it's still appreciably quicker than the iPad Air 2.

Web pages load a bit quicker, intense 3D games like Dead Trigger 2 appear to run more smoothly, and scrolling also seems smoother (the new content that's being pushed onto the display seems to render quicker).

This is an incredibly quick tablet; I suspect that in terms of performance the device will age quite well (which is good for the consumer, but obviously not-so-great for Apple which likely wants to find ways to shorten iPad upgrade cycles, not lengthen them).

Is it worth the money? Can it save the iPad business? I don't think very many people upgrade their iPads every year or even every two years; unless you're just a big fan of having the latest iPads, I would say that sticking to a cycle of three to four years seems sensible.

For users of the iPad Air 2, there are clear benefits to the new Pro but probably not enough to justify the $599-plus price tag for most people. However, for all users of older iPads – say, iPad 2 through 4 -- the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is probably a worthwhile upgrade.

The only fly in the proverbial ointment is that a good portion of older iPad users probably have newer, larger iPhones. Although a 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch display isn't anywhere close to as large as the 9.7-inch display on the new iPad Pro, the larger phones will be "good enough" for most use cases.

Although I really like the new iPad Pro so far, I'm not convinced it'll be enough to put iPad back on a growth track. 

3 companies poised to explode when cable diesCable is dying. And there are 3 stocks that are poised to explode when this faltering $2.2 trillion industry finally bites the dust. Just like newspaper publishers, telephone utilities, stockbrokers, record companies, bookstores, travel agencies, and big box retailers did when the Internet swept away their business models. And when cable falters, you don't want to miss out on these 3 companies that are positioned to benefit. Click here for their names. Hint: They're not the ones you'd think!

Ashraf Eassa has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]ForbesApple Watch To Get Several Major UpgradesForbesThe patent explains how Apple AAPL +0.90% c ould use interchangeable watch straps as modules, that adds extra functionality to the watch. For example, adding an extra wireless-charging battery module could double battery life, or even a battery add-on ...Should Investors Be Worried About the Apple Watch?Motley FoolFriday Apple Rumors: Patent Hints at Apple Watch Sign Language SupportInvestorplac e.comApple Watch is now $50 discount if bought with an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus – Lincoln Daily NewsDaily Star GazetteMorning Ledger -The Cheat Sheet -PYMNTS.comall 550 news articles »

  At the release of its new 9.7 inch iPad Pro, Apple presented a video of Dillan, a young man who is both autistic and non-verbal, who was able to begin expressively communicating via apps on his iPad. Today, the App Store is featuring more of Dillan's story and a range of apps developed for autistic people.

Apple has a featured page on its website recognizing April as Autism Acceptance Month. The site includes both a link to ResearchKit studies (including autism work being done at Duke University and University of Cape Town) and autism related apps, podcasts and iBooks that can be found in the App Store.

Apple points out that that CDC notes that 1 in 68 U.S. children are affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). iPad in particular has generated positive feedback from parents, therapists and Autistic children and adults themselves as being a breakthrough communication tool, as featured in the "Dillan's Path" video below.

Apple's "Voices of Autism" collection of apps in the App Store includes Proloquo4Text, a text‑based AAC (Augmentative Alternative Communication) app demonstrated by Dillan in the video.

Proloquo4Text presents a customizable single screen layout to enable non-verbal people to join a conversation using free, natural-sounding voices in 18 languages, with word and sentence prediction, social media sharing and more.

The app works on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple Watch, and is currently featuring a 50 percent discount over the weekend from Saturday, April 2 to Monday, April 4.

Another app, Assistive Express, is also designed to allow users to express themselves in natural sounding voices in the most simple and efficient manner. It uses word prediction to minimize keystrokes and features a favorites list to quickly access often-used phrases. It works on iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

Apple also featured Keeble, an iOS accessible keyboard for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch that Dillan uses in the video. The Keeble keyboard features many customization options, and is designed to enable people with physical or vision impairments to type within any app.

Accessibility has long been a primary focus for Apple, and its its efforts in promoting and facilitating use of its products by all people regardless of their disabilities has regularly been recognized by accessibility advocates and individuals with impairments—including blind from birth performer Stevie Wonder, who praised Steve Jobs back in 2011, saying "his company took the challenge in making his technology accessible to everyone."

Last December, Tim Cook drew attention to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation using Siri, and over the past year the company directed prominent attention to accessibility features in Apple Watch and iOS devices for Global Awareness Accessibility Day and 25 years of the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act.