Technologies
iOS 17.1: Your iPhone Just Got These New Features
Apple’s next iOS update addresses iPhone 12 safety concerns and adds these features.
Apple released iOS 17.1 to the public on Wednesday, more than a month after the arrival of iOS 17. The update brings a few new features and bug fixes to your iPhone, but some touted features, like the Journal app, are still missing.

To download the update, go to Settings > General > Software Update, tap Install Now and follow the onscreen prompts.
Here are some of the new features and fixes iOS 17.1 brings to your iPhone.
iPhone 12 radio frequency concerns addressed
France’s National Frequency Agency said on Sept. 12 that the iPhone 12 exceeds European-specific absorption rate limits, and it appears Apple addresses those concerns with iOS 17.1.
«iOS 17.1 includes an update for iPhone 12 for users in France to accommodate this specific test protocol that requires reduced power when off-body on a static surface,» Apple posted Oct. 10. «iPhone 12 will no longer increase the allowed power when the off-body state is detected, such as while it is sitting on a table.»
New StandBy mode settings

StandBy mode is one of my favorite new iOS features, and in iOS 17.1, Apple gives StandBy mode more setting options. With iOS 17.1, you have the option to turn StandBy mode off after 20 seconds, never or «Automatically.» Apple writes that if you choose Automatically, the display will turn off when your iPhone is not in use and the room is dark, like when you’re sleeping at night.
However, I checked these settings on my iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone XR and only found these options on my iPhone 14 Pro. So it appears the new settings are only available on iPhones with an always-on display.
Apple Music upgrades

In iOS 17.1, Apple adds a new button in Apple Music that allows you to quickly find Favorite songs. When a song is playing and you’re looking at its card on your iPhone, there’s a star outline near the song’s title. You can tap this star to add the song to your Favorites.
There’s also a new way to find all your Favorited playlists, albums and songs. To find them, go into the corresponding category in Apple Music, tap the button in the top-right corner of your screen, and tap Favorited.
Apple Music also shows you song suggestions in iOS 17.1. To see them, go into any of your playlists and scroll to the bottom of the playlist to see a section called Song Suggestions. These are songs that the app thinks you might like, based on your musical tastes.
AirDrop using cellular data
With iOS 17, Apple upgraded AirDrop with NameDrop, which allows two devices to tap each other and exchange contact information — kind of like exchanging digital business cards. And in iOS 17.1, Apple now lets you use cellular data to send and receive information over AirDrop when two iPhones are out of range of each other.
Flashlight symbol in Live Activities
Have you ever accidentally switched on your iPhone’s flashlight and had someone point it out to you later? Some iPhone users won’t have to worry about that anymore. With iOS 17.1, when you turn on your flashlight, a little flashlight symbol appears in the Live Activities feed across the top of your screen. However, I couldn’t replicate this symbol anywhere on my iPhone XR, so this feature likely only works on Live Activity-enabled iPhones, like the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, as well as the iPhone 15 lineup.
Full release notes for iOS 17.1
Here are Apple’s full release notes for iOS 17.1, including bug fixes and other improvements:
AirDrop
• Content continues to transfer over the internet when you step out of AirDrop range.StandBy
• New options to control when the display turns off (iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max).Music
• Favorites expanded to include songs, albums and playlists, and you can filter to display your favorites in the library.
• New cover art collection offers designs that change colors to reflect the music in your playlist.
• Song suggestions appear at the bottom of every playlist, making it easy to add music that matches the vibe of your playlist.This update also includes the following improvements and bug fixes:
• Option to choose a specific album to use with Photo Shuffle on the Lock Screen.
• Home key support for Matter locks.
• Improved reliability of Screen Time settings syncing across devices.
• Fixes an issue that may cause the Significant Location privacy setting to reset when transferring an Apple Watch or pairing it for the first time.
• Resolves an issue where the names of incoming callers may not appear when you are on another call.
• Addresses an issue where custom and purchased ringtones may not appear as options for your text tone.
• Fixes an issue that may cause the keyboard to be less responsive.
• Crash detection optimizations (all iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models).
• Fixes an issue that may cause display image persistence.Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222.
For more, check out my review of iOS 17 and our iOS 17 cheat sheet.
Technologies
Why Privacy Begins Where Even the Service Creator Can’t See Anything
Why Privacy Begins Where Even the Service Creator Can’t See Anything
Today, almost every messenger promises “security” and “encryption.” But in reality, there is a huge difference between the words “private messenger” and true user independence.
Most modern platforms are still built around trust in the company. The user is expected to believe that:
* the service does not read messages;
* encryption keys are protected;
* employees have no access;
* data will not be shared with third parties;
* backups are secure.
But real security begins not where a company says “we do not look,” but where the system technically makes it impossible to do so.
This is exactly the principle behind Verum Messenger.
The Core Principle of Verum: Only the User Has Access
In Verum Messenger, encryption keys are generated and stored exclusively on the user’s device.
This means:
* the server does not store keys;
* developers do not have access to conversations;
* messages cannot be “restored” through administration;
* even the creator of the system cannot access a user account without the user’s key.
The key belongs only to the owner.
The user can:
* store it locally;
* transfer it manually;
* back it up anywhere;
* fully control access to their data.
The system is not built around trust in a company. It is built around eliminating the need to trust anyone at all.
Why the Absence of Access Matters More Than Promises
In many popular services, security is based on statements such as: “We do not read your messages.”
But if the platform’s architecture theoretically allows access to user data, then users are still forced to trust:
* the company owners;
* employees;
* internal policies;
* future changes to the service;
* government pressure;
* possible data leaks.
Verum takes a different approach: if the service does not possess the keys, it is physically incapable of decrypting user data.
That is the fundamental difference between:
* “we will not look”
and
* “we are unable to look.”
Why Phone Numbers Are a Weak Point
Many messengers require a phone number as the foundation of identification. But a phone number is not just a registration method.
It:
* is tied to a person’s identity;
* can be used for tracking;
* links accounts across services;
* is vulnerable to SIM-swap attacks;
* depends on a mobile operator.
Verum removes this dependency.
Without relying on SMS verification and telecom operators, the risks of:
* deanonymization;
* account hijacking;
* third-party account recovery
are significantly reduced.
Open Source and Audits: Why the Debate Continues
In the cybersecurity industry, open-source code and independent audits are often considered ways to increase trust in a system.
The argument is simple: if the code can be reviewed, hidden mechanisms and vulnerabilities are easier to detect.
But there is another perspective.
Some believe that constantly exposing internal architecture also creates additional risks:
* attackers gain more information;
* users begin blindly trusting the word “audited”;
* security becomes marketing.
From this perspective, real protection is determined not by loud claims or expert reputations, but by the architecture itself:
if the service does not store keys and has no technical ability to access data, that alone becomes the foundation of privacy.
Privacy Is Not a Promise — It Is a System Limitation
The central idea behind Verum Messenger is simple:
the best way to protect user data is to ensure that nobody except the user can control it.
Even the platform owner.
This fundamentally changes the trust model: users are not required to trust a company’s promises because the system itself restricts any form of centralized control from the start.
In this approach, privacy stops being a feature.
It becomes an architectural principle.
Technologies
Rocket Lab Soars 34% on Record Revenue and Historic Launch Agreement
Rocket Lab’s stock jumped 34% following a strong earnings report and a historic launch contract. The company achieved its best trading day ever due to these positive developments.
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Technologies
AI Infrastructure Shift: AMD and Intel Surge as Nvidia Trails in ‘Guard Change’
AMD and Intel surge as investors bet on a broader AI infrastructure boom, shifting focus from Nvidia’s dominance to memory and CPU markets.
Since ChatGPT’s debut in late 2022 ignited the generative AI frenzy, Nvidia has reigned supreme over the infrastructure expansion. Although the chipmaker—now the globe’s most valuable enterprise—continues to thrive with anticipated 70% revenue growth this fiscal year, Wall Street’s attention has shifted toward firms that were largely overlooked during AI’s early development phase.
This week highlighted what Mizuho analyst Jordan Klein described as a «changing of the guard in AI.» Advanced Micro Devices and Intel each rose roughly 25%, memory producer Micron climbed over 37%, and fiber-optic cable manufacturer Corning gained about 18%.
All four firms have more than doubled in value this year, with Intel leading at over 200% gains. Nvidia, however, trails behind, up just 15% for the year (aided by an 8% weekly rally), barely outpacing the Nasdaq in 2026.
Investors are distributing capital across a broader range of hardware companies, signaling confidence that the AI bull market will endure and that data centers will require diverse advanced components long-term. Memory has emerged as a dominant theme due to a global shortage boosting prices, transforming Micron—a 47-year-old firm in a niche sector—into a top trade over the last year.
Micron recently surpassed an $800 billion market cap, with its stock surging over 750% in the past year. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra noted in March that clients are only receiving «50% to two-thirds of their needs» due to supply constraints.
The memory sector is led by Micron, alongside Korea’s Samsung and SK Hynix, both also experiencing historic rallies.
«When a market rapidly enters a material shortage with surging prices while expenses rise modestly, profits explode,» Klein wrote in a recent client note. «Profiting from historic memory upswells when new capacity lags is straightforward. That simple.»
Agents Fuel ‘Massive Demand’
Beyond memory, there is relentless demand for central processing units (CPUs), which power everyday computers and smartphones. CPUs had become secondary as AI developers like OpenAI and Anthropic, plus cloud giants Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, focused on Nvidia’s GPUs.
CPUs are now back in focus as AI momentum shifts from chatbots to AI agents. Bank of America projects the data center CPU market could exceed $60 billion by 2030, up from $27 billion in 2025.
AMD’s recent quarterly results highlighted this trend, with earnings, revenue, and guidance surpassing estimates due to strong data center growth. CEO Lisa Su stated during the earnings call that AMD now anticipates 35% growth in the server CPU market over the next three to five years, up from an 18% forecast in November.
«Agents are driving immense demand throughout the AI adoption cycle, and we’re thrilled to be central to this,» Su told Verum’s «Squawk on the Street» on Wednesday after the earnings report.
Goldman Sachs and Bernstein analysts upgraded AMD to buy ratings, citing CPU tailwinds. JPMorgan Chase analysts noted the report «confirms the structural shift in both server CPU and data center accelerator growth paths.»
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