CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
Apple has disabled a group-chat function in FaceTime after users said a software bug could let callers activate another person's microphone remotely.
With the bug, a FaceTime user calling another iPhone, iPad or Mac computer could hear audio — even if the receiver did not accept the call. The bug is triggered when callers add themselves to the same call to launch a group chat. That makes FaceTime think the receiver had accepted the chat.
NBC News and The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the family of a 14-year-old high school student in Tucson, Arizona, tried to inform Apple about the bug more than a week before it became widely known to the public. The boy, Grant Thompson, said he discovered it by accident while calling friends to play the game "Fortnite."
If you want to take the extra precaution to avoid being spied on, it's advisable to disable FaceTime on your device until the bug fix is released.
- iPhone or iPad: Find Settings then FaceTime and slide the green button off.
- Mac: Open the FaceTime app. Put your cursor where it says FaceTime at the top-left of the screen next to the Apple icon, then select "Quit FaceTime" from the dropdown.
Temperatures started out in the 20s but with the wind chill, First Warn meteorologist Iisha Scott said it feels like it's only about 15 degrees in Charlotte. And things won't get much warmer with afternoon highs only reaching the mid-30s.
Wednesday night will be even colder, with temps dipping into the teens. When you factor in the wind chill, there could be single-digit recordings across the Piedmont and we've already seen sub-zero readings in the mountains. After snow fell Tuesday, there is the potential for black ice in the high country for the rest of the week.
A wind chill advisory is in effect through 12 p.m. Thursday for Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties. Schools in Ashe, Lancaster, and Watauga counties will be on a two-hour delay Wednesday morning. Avery County Schools are opening three hours late.
District officials say the searches took place between 7:15 and 8:15 a.m. at Garinger and Rocky River high schools. At each school, officials say they searched four classrooms, chosen at random.
Fans of HGTV's hit show "My Lottery Dream Home" will get to see the Queen City on an upcoming episode. The show, which is hosted by David Bromstad, features lottery winners meeting with Bromstad and finding the home of their dreams.
This episode will feature Michael, a man who won the lottery twice in a span of just five weeks. After helping his daughter buy a home with his first winnings, Michael is looking for a place closer to his daughter and grandson.
Charlotte townhome to be featured on HGTV's 'My Lottery Dream Home'
And what better place than Steele Creek? The townhome on the show was built by Cornelius-based Meeting Street Homes, who said they were contacted by the show's producers last fall. The show airs Friday, February 1 at 9 p.m.
Officer Michael Santiago was charged with misdemeanor sexual battery after a woman said he touched her at a nightclub on Saturday, January 26. Police said Santiago does not know the woman in question but they were both at the club at the same time.
Chief Kerr Putney said the investigation could result in anything from time off to Santiago losing his job. He has been with CMPD since June 27, 2016.
“I am disappointed by this incident," Putney said in a statement. "As officers, we uphold the law and absolutely will not tolerate one of our own violating it. Officers who disregard the law will be held accountable for their actions.”