Apple relaxes App Store rules to permit game emulators

Apple has loosened its App Store rules to permit the inclusion of "retro game console emulator apps" on its platform.

This move comes after years of pressure from users and legislators, particularly in Europe, where enthusiasts previously had to resort to jailbreaking their devices or using complex workarounds to access emulation apps on their iPhones.

In an update to its App Review Guidelines at the end of last week, Apple confirmed the policy change. While app...

8 April 2024 | App Stores

Jpegli boosts high-quality image compression by 35%

Google has introduced Jpegli, a JPEG coding library that maintains high backward compatibility while offering enhanced capabilities and a 35 percent compression ratio improvement at high quality compression settings.

According to Google, the new JPEG coding library is designed to be faster, more efficient, and more visually pleasing than traditional JPEG. It employs several new techniques to deliver:

Compatibility: Jpegli provides a fully interoperable encoder and decoder...

5 April 2024 | UX/Design

JetBrains launches 2024.1 with local AI code completion

JetBrains has released the 2024.1 updates for its IDEs with several major new features, headlined by full-line code autocompletion powered by local AI models.

The new full-line code completion functionality ensures code suggestions are processed entirely on the user's device, minimising latency and providing a seamless offline experience.

“We’ve developed models that run directly on your device, and the IDE verifies each suggestion,” explained Mikhail Kostyukov,...

4 April 2024 | Artificial Intelligence

Bitwarden strengthens passwordless authentication with magic links API

Credential management firm Bitwarden has announced an enhancement to its Passwordless.dev platform with the release of a magic links API.

Bitwarden’s latest offering empowers developers to seamlessly integrate passwordless authentication into their applications, providing a more secure and user-friendly experience for end-users.

The magic links API enables developers to send unique one-time-use links via email, allowing users to securely access their accounts or easily...

2 April 2024 | API

PyPI suspends registrations amid malware attack

The Python Package Index (PyPI) has suspended new project creation and user registration to mitigate an ongoing malware upload campaign. This move comes as security researchers at Checkmarx uncovered a campaign involving multiple malicious packages related to the same threat actors.

The attackers are targeting victims through typosquatting attacks, tricking users into installing malicious Python packages through their command-line interface. This multi-stage attack aims to steal...

28 March 2024 | Developer

Apple refutes all of the DoJ’s antitrust claims

Apple has firmly rejected the US Department of Justice's (DoJ) antitrust claims, dismissing them as either outdated or misrepresentations of the company's business model.

The DoJ's antitrust lawsuit against Apple alleges that the tech giant has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act on multiple fronts, including imposing restrictive contracts and commissions on developers, limiting the functionality of non-Apple apps, and diminishing the capabilities of competing products...

27 March 2024 | App Stores

Redis switches to more restrictive license

Leading in-memory database vendor Redis is adopting a dual-licensing model, imposing far stricter terms on companies offering Redis as a service. 

In an official announcement, Redis Labs stated that starting with version 7.4, Redis will be dual-licensed under the Redis Source Available License (RSALv2) and the controversial Server Side Public License (SSPLv1).

This is not the first time Redis has changed licensing terms. In 2018, it shifted some modules to a more...

22 March 2024 | Databases

Epic to launch iOS and Android store with controversial 12% cut

In the ongoing saga of tech giants battling over App Store fees and policies, Epic Games is being accused of hypocrisy as it attempts to introduce its own 12 percent commission store.

The gaming company – joined by heavyweights like Meta, Microsoft, X, and Match Group – is protesting against Apple's handling of App Store fees and its anti-steering policy in California.

Following a series of legal battles between Apple and Epic, which mostly ended in Apple's favour, a...

21 March 2024 | Android

GitHub’s code scanning autofix enters public beta

GitHub has announced that its code scanning autofix feature, powered by GitHub Copilot and CodeQL, is now available in public beta for all GitHub Advanced Security customers.

The autofix tool aims to remediate over two-thirds of vulnerabilities found during code scanning with minimal editing required by developers.

"Our vision for application security is an environment where found means fixed," said GitHub in a blog post. "By prioritising the developer experience in...

20 March 2024 | Developer

NVIDIA employs GenAI for rapid software vulnerability detection

NVIDIA has demonstrated how its generative AI technologies can help to quickly identify and mitigate common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) and other software security risks.

The NVIDIA NIM and NeMo Retriever microservices – along with the Morpheus accelerated AI framework – enable security analysts to detect and mitigate risks in a matter of seconds, a task that previously took hours or even days using traditional methods.

Traditional cybersecurity methods...

19 March 2024 | Artificial Intelligence