Is iOS 10.3 on the way already? Rumor claims Apple's update could debut this month with 'Theater Mode' for texting during a movie
- Tweets shared Friday reveal Apple could be working on its next iOS
- The new software could be iOS 10.3, rumored to be released on Jan. 10
- It may include a 'Theater Mode' to make devices ideal in movie theaters
- The feature disables sound systems and haptic feedback
- It would also block incoming calls and message and reduce screen brightness
Apple's iOS 10.2 may be just a few weeks old, but new rumors suggest the firm is set to release another software update this month.
A pair of tweets hit the web on Friday that say an iOS 10.3 beta is scheduled to debut January 10.
Sources also believe the software will include a 'Theater Mode' presented as a popcorn shaped icon that dims the display and disables features to make devices suitable for movie theaters.
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Apple's iOS 10.2 may be just a few weeks old, but new rumors suggest the firm is set to release another software update this month. A pair of tweets hit the web on Friday that say an iOS 10.3 beta is scheduled to debut January 10
The news was leaked by Sonny Dickson on Twitter last Friday, who is known for sharing inside Apple details.
The rumored iOS 10.3 update, and whether it will really feature a Theater Mode, has not yet been confirmed.
However, AppleInsider explains that the new mode could 'quickly disable sound systems and haptic feedback, block incoming calls and message and reduce initial screen brightness during a movie'.
The new function could be similar to the iPhone's 'Do Not Disturb' feature that mutes alerts when activated.
Apple also owns a patent for 'Theater Mode', which it had published in 2012.
The patent doesn't list 'Theater Mode', but describes similar technology that would be automatically activated by specific GPS coordinates and cellular triangulation.
'While the user is in the movie theater, the mobile device deactivates its cellular communications interface and/or automatically sets the device to a silent mode,' reads the patent published in 2012.
'When the user leaves the movie theater, the portable device enables phone communications and/or restores the ringer setting to the setting utilized prior to the device's deactivation.'
Sources also believe the software will include a 'Theater Mode' presented as a popcorn shaped icon that dims the display and disables features to make devices suitable for movie theaters
'Hence, a theater owner or operator may feasibly charge additional in the way of ticket price (or offer as a free incentive) the feature of 'no cell phone interruptions' during certain movies.'
Although Apple may be revving up to release a new software update, a bug was recently found in the current iOS that causes the iMessage app to crash after receiving malicious text.
The prank message contains an attachment to a large file known as a vCard.
This is a type of virtual business card that lets you share contacts on your phone.
Because iMessage can't handle the file size and complexity of the vCard, it freezes completely - and a reboot won't fix the problem.
Instead, when victims who do a hard reset are greeted with a blank screen.
AppleInsider explains that the new mode could 'quickly disable sound systems and haptic feedback, block incoming calls and message and reduce initial screen brightness during a movie - this would keep people from annoying others around them while in the theater
The new exploit was found by hacker vincedes3 who has also provided a fix.
'When you click, iOS want to read the text, the text in the file is very complicated for the system and cause a CPU average: the app freeze,' vincedes3 wrote on his site.
'You close the app, want to reopen but iOS want to reload the previous message but can't because it's the vcf file.
Vincedes3's vCard has 14,281 lines of code, which is far more than the average VCard which has around 300.
A simple solution to the problem is to open this site on the Safari browser.
This will trigger a process to fix the crash and restore the iMessage app.
When this is done, a message will appear on your screen saying 'I have just saved your iPhone bro ;)' in the messaging app.
This flaw affects the latest versions of iOS.Â
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