Recently, the media supposedly outed Apple for a bug in their FaceTime application.

The bug would allow people to eavesdrop on iPhone owners using the app.

The real story is that the bug was discovered weeks before the media heard about it by 14-year-old Grant Thompson (below with his mom), who tested his theory and then immediately alerted Apple, who then fixed the problem.

IOL with the details:

[Grant Thompson] stumbled upon the hack last month when he was calling a friend to play the video game Fortnite.

When his friend did not pick up the FaceTime call, he added a second friend to the group call, which caused the original call to “pick up” even though his friend did not answer.

The security flaw let Grant eavesdrop on the other line. He recreated the hack several times with his friends and his mom to confirm the existence of the bug, he said.

Apple is rewarding Grant for helping them fix the problem. The company has committed to paying the Thompson family an unspecified amount and making a contribution to Grant’s education.

Appearing with his mom on CNBC this week, Grant said he was surprised to find the flaw before Apple did, adding that he would remain an iPhone user despite the bug.

“In general, I think that Apple tries to keep our privacy safe, and I respect that,” he said.

He was also asked whether his popularity at school has changed since Apple credited him with discovering and reporting the bug.

“Quite a few of my friends know of it and think it’s pretty cool,” he said.

Apple is one of the few tech companies that does actually take privacy seriously. They’ve even spoken openly about their disdain for Facebook and Google’s dodgy privacy practices.

While we don’t expect you to find a glitch in Apple’s software any time soon, there is still some Apple-related good news for students like Grant.

Digicape, South Africa’s largest independent Apple retailer, is rewarding students, lecturers, teachers and tertiary education staff with massive discounts on Apple iPads and Macs.

Money off new Apple goodies – yes, please.

You can also give yourself the incentive to reward yourself for a job well done when you track your fitness goals using an Apple Watch, with doctors raving about the health benefits.

In general, you should just reward yourself for being awesome, because why not?

[source:iol]