Instagram Celebrates 10th Birthday With Stories Map, New Icons, and More

Instagram is ten years old today, and the photo-based social platform is celebrating by introducing an easier way to find old Stories, custom icons, and new tools to prevent online harassment.


As reported by TechCrunch, a new private Stories Map and calendar offers users a retrospective of the Stories and photos they've shared over the last three years so they can look back at their favorite moments and re-share them if desired.

Users can access the new Stories Map and monthly calendar view from the "archive" menu under their profile.

Instagram has also announced new anti-bullying features that aim to automatically hide potentially abusive comments. Hidden comments aren't completely deleted, however, and can still be viewed by tapping a "View Hidden Comments" button.

Instagram is also expanding its comment warnings when people repeatedly attempt to post potentially offensive comments.

The platform already has a feature that notifies users when their comment may be considered offensive by giving them a chance to reflect and make changes before posting it. Now this feature will target repeat offenders and suggest that they take a moment to step back and reflect on their words and the potential consequences of posting them.

Lastly, to celebrate 10 years, Instagram is allowing users to switch up the app's icon on their Home Screen. Users can choose between a range of new and classic icons in shades of orange, yellow, green, purple, black, white and more.


To access the new icons, open the settings section within the app and do a long swipe down on the screen. A column of emojis should appear at the top of the menu, after which the icons will be revealed.

To get the new features, make sure you've updated to the latest version. Instagram is a free download for iPhone on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Instagram

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Apple's T2 Chip Has Unpatchable Security Flaw, Claims Researcher

Intel Macs that use Apple's T2 Security Chip are vulnerable to an exploit that could allow a hacker to circumvent disk encryption, firmware passwords and the whole T2 security verification chain, according to a cybersecurity researcher.


Apple's custom-silicon T2 co-processor is present in newer Macs and handles encrypted storage and secure boot capabilities, as well as several other controller features. In a blog post, however, security researcher Niels Hofmans claims that because the chip is based on an A10 processor it's vulnerable to the same checkm8 exploit that is used to jailbreak iOS devices.

This vulnerability is reportedly able to hijack the boot process of the T2's SepOS operating system to gain access to the hardware. Normally the T2 chip exits with a fatal error if it is in Device Firmware Update (DFU) mode and it detects a decryption call, but by using another vulnerability developed by team Pangu, Hofmans claims it is possible for a hacker to circumvent this check and gain access to the T2 chip.

Once access is gained, the hacker has full root access and kernel execution privileges, although they can't directly decrypt files stored using FileVault 2 encryption. However, because the T2 chip manages keyboard access, the hacker could inject a keylogger and steal the password used for decryption.

According to Hofmans, the exploit can also bypass the remote device locking function (Activation Lock) that's used by services like MDM and FindMy. A firmware password won't help prevent this either because it requires keyboard access, which requires the T2 chip to run first.

For security reasons, SepOS is stored in the T2 chip’s read-only memory (ROM), but this also prevents the exploit from being patched by Apple with a software update. On the plus side, however, it also means the vulnerability isn't persistent, so it requires a "hardware insert or other attached component such as a malicious USB-C cable" to work.

Hofmans says he has reached out to Apple about the exploit but is still awaiting a response. In the meantime, average users can protect themselves by keeping their machines physically secure and by avoiding plugging in untrusted USB-C cables and devices.

Lastly, the researcher notes that upcoming Apple Silicon Macs use a different boot system, so it's possible that they won't be impacted by the vulnerability, although this is still being actively investigated.

Tags: exploit, cybersecurity, T2 chip

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Spotify Rolls Out Search By Lyrics Feature on iOS

Spotify users can now search for songs by lyrics, following an update to the streaming service's mobile app (via 9to5Mac). Spotify designer Lina shared the news on Twitter.

My team just shipped something on iOS and Android -

now you can find songs by lyrics 😉 on Spotify

Give it a try 😊 pic.twitter.com/bOs4Ob9O84

— Lina (@linafab) October 5, 2020

The feature is integrated into the main search function, which now returns playlist, song, album, and matching lyric results.

The ability to search by lyrics is a welcome addition to the service, especially for times when you know a phrase or chorus line but don't know the name of the song. Spotify is late to the game though – Apple Music subscribers have been able to search by lyrics since 2018.

Earlier this year, Spotify also introduced a real-time lyrics feature, thanks to an agreement with lyrics provider Musixmatch. The feature allows listeners to follow the lyrics to a song or sing along in real time.

Tag: Spotify

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Apple Stops Selling Third Party Headphones and Speakers [Report]

Apple has stopped selling third party headphones and speakers from Bose, Sonos, and Logitech, reports Bloomberg.

All headphones and speakers from Bose, speakers from Logitech’s Ultimate Ears brand and Sonos’s latest smart speaker disappeared from Apple’s online store at the end of last month, according to checks by Bloomberg. Employees at Apple’s physical retail locations were also instructed to remove the products for sale at stores in recent days. Shares of Sonos fell as much as 7% in extended trading following the news.

We couldn't find any non-Apple earphones or headphones available to purchase online and just one non-Apple speaker. That's the Pioneer Rayz Rally Lightning-Powered Conference Speaker, an iPhone accessory that wouldn't be used for playing music.





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Apple Pay and Express Transit Mode Now Support PASMO Transit Cards in Japan

Japanese smart payment system PASMO today announced that it has launched support for Apple Pay, allowing users to pay for transit fares and other transactions using their iPhone or Apple Watch. Express Transit is also supported, which allows users to quickly pass through transit gates without having to wake or unlock their devices or authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID.


PASMO is similar to and interoperable with Suica, a transit system that has been compatible with Apple Pay and Express Transit mode for several years. PASMO is accepted on a number of train lines and bus lines in numerous areas of Japan, although it is most prevalent in the Tokyo metropolitan area.

(Thanks, JKAussieSkater!)

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Tag: PASMO

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