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A new report published by the child safety groups Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action details the alarming presence of inappropriate apps that are rated as suitable for children as young as four years old on Apples App Store. The groups worked with a researcher to review as many apps as possible in the span of 24 hours, and say they ultimately identified over 200 apps that contained concerning content or features given the ages they were rated for including stranger chat and AI girlfriend apps, gaming apps with sexual or violent prompts and imagery, and AI-powered appearance rating apps. Engadget has reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story upon hearing back. The research focused on apps with assigned age ratings of 4+, 9+ and 12+ in categories considered to be risky: chat (including AI and stranger chat apps), beauty, diet and weight loss, unfiltered internet access (apps for accessing schools banned sites) and gaming. Among the findings, the report says at least 24 sexual games and 9 stranger chat apps were marked as appropriate for kids in these age groups. The research also identified 40 apps for unfiltered internet access and 75 apps relating to beauty, body image and weight loss carrying these age ratings, along with 28 shooter and crime games. Collectively, the roughly 200 offending apps spotted during the 24-hour investigation have been downloaded over 550 million times, according to Heat Initiative. About 800 apps were reviewed in all, and the research found that some categories were more likely than others to carry apps with inappropriately low age ratings. For stranger chat apps and games, fewer were rated as appropriate for children, the report says. In most cases, they were 17+. But in the categories of weight loss and unfiltered internet access, nearly all apps reviewed were approved for kids 4+. The report calls on Apple to do better when it comes to child safety measures on the App Store, urging the company to use third-party reviewers to verify apps age ratings before they become available to download, and to make its age rating process transparent to consumers. You can read the full report, Rotten Ratings: 24 Hours in Apples App Store, here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/inappropriate-apps-rated-as-safe-for-young-children-are-prevalent-in-the-app-store-report-warns-213727965.html?src=rss
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Apple is working on the next generation of AirPods Pro, and they may come packing some new health features, according to Bloombergs Mark Gurman. In the Power On newsletter this weekend, Gurman reports that Apple has been testing features including temperature sensing and heart rate monitoring for the earbuds. So far, Apple has found that the Apple Watch still does the latter better, but the AirPods arent terribly far off in their readings, he writes. The company has also reportedly revived its idea of putting cameras into AirPods, a rumor weve heard a few times over the last year. According to Gurman, Apple now considers it a priority as it works to bolster its AI services. But, itd likely be years before any camera-equipped AirPods make their debut. As for heart rate monitoring, that may appear much sooner. Gurman writes, The capability could be ready for the next-generation AirPods Pro, which are in early development. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apples-next-airpods-pro-could-offer-heart-rate-and-temperature-monitoring-175757188.html?src=rss
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Apple is developing a smart doorbell and lock system that would use Face ID to unlock the door for known residents, Mark Gurman reports in the Power On newsletter. The face-scanning doorbell would connect to a smart deadbolt, which could include existing HomeKit-compatible third-party locks, according to Gurman. Or, Apple may [team] up with a specific lock maker to offer a complete system on day one. Itll likely still be a while before we see the doorbell-lock system hit the market, though, if we see it at all. Gurman reports that its in the early stages of development and wouldnt be ready until at least the end of next year. The doorbell would help Apple compete with the likes of Amazon's Ring and Google Nest, and it's just one of several smart home products Apple is working on, according to Gurman. The company is reportedly also developing a security camera for inside the home, which would work with its rumored smart home hub thats expected to make its debut as soon as next year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apple-is-reportedly-working-on-a-smart-doorbell-system-that-could-unlock-your-door-with-face-id-161504513.html?src=rss
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