News - page 1045

Internet privacy activist and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has come out in favor of Tim Cook’s decision to deny a federal court judge’s request that Apple help the FBI hack the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone 5c.

Snowden is calling Apple’s battle over security the most important tech case in a decade, and has called out Google for not coming to the public’s side on the issue. In a series of tweets expounding on the issues, Snowden said the FBI’s efforts to force Apple to give them a key bypasses citizen’s ability to defend their rights.

A federal judge has ordered Apple to comply with the FBI’s demands to unlock the San Bernardino terrorist’s iPhone 5c. Apple CEO Tim Cook has boldly and politely refused. However, his reason has nothing to do with whether Apple has the ability to hack the iPhone.

It simply doesn’t want to.

Apple has spent the past few years making its devices more secure by adding Touch ID and a secure element. The iPhone 5c doesn’t have Touch ID, though, so the FBI wants to brute-force unlock it by guessing the terrorist’s PIN. The problem is, iOS will automatically wipe the device after too many unsuccessful attempts — and iOS also delays how often you can guess a passcode. So the FBI created a plan for how Apple can help the bureau get around it.

If you haven’t already grabbed a free trial of Spotify, you’re in luck – this deal makes joining the streaming music service even more enticing.

Today through February 28, when you buy three months of Spotify Premium for $29.97, you’ll get a free Chromecast.

Google takes a leaf out of Samsung’s marketing playbook in its latest Android ad, with a subtle swipe at Apple and the lack of choice you get when you choose iOS.

“Monotune” is part of the company’s “Be together. Not the same.” campaign, and it’s nothing short of brilliant.

Apple just granted the Apple TV App Store another small update today. It now supports developers adding video previews to their app description pages. These videos can be up to 30 seconds and showcase how the app works or aspects of the gameplay.

If Apple had any common sense, they would just succumb to the FBI’s demands and unlock the San Bernardino terrorist iPhone, claims the all-wise and powerful Donald Trump. However, in his bold letter refusing to comply with a court order to create a backdoor to iOS, Apple CEO Tim Cook argues that doing so would set a dangerous precedence and leave customers vulnerable to hackers.

This is the biggest challenge Apple’s ever faced when it comes to iPhone security. The company has made iOS devices impossible for even it to hack, but that could be coming to an end if the federal government has its way.

So, who’s right?

Vote in our poll below and share your thoughts in the comments:

Jony Ive and Tim Cook graced the pages of fashion bible Vogue this week in a brief and slightly odd interview talking about everything from the new spaceship campus destined to open at the end of the year, to the iPhone-maker’s new status as a fashion icon.

“In what we do,” Tim Cook observed, “design is crucial, as it is in fashion.”

Apple’s been steering its ship deeper into the water of the fashion world ever by launching the Apple Watch and hiring a bevy of fashion house talent, and based on Jony Ive’s remarks, it sounds like Apple plans to dive much deeper into wearable tech.

Twitter and animated GIFs are a popular combination – the social media company’s users shared 100 million of them last year – but finding just the right one has been more art than science.

Today, however, Twitter rolls out a new way to search for your animated funnies from within the 140-character service itself.

Android has long been the best platform for smartphone buyers on a budget, and now entry to Google’s ecosystem is even more affordable.

Indian handset maker Ringing Bells just launched the new Freedom 251, an ultra affordable device that looks a lot like an iPhone, priced at 251 rupees — or about $3.67.

iPhone sales may be beginning to slow, but the addition of a 4-inch “iPhone 5se” handset could net Apple an extra 10 million+ units — or the equivalent of an extra 23 cents per share for Apple’s earnings — according to RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani.

The iPhone 5se could be the pinkest iPhone Apple’s ever made if you believe the rumors, but what if it came the body like an iPhone 6 instead of a 5s?

In a new concept of Apple’s 2016 iPhone lineup, the folks at Curved have put a pink spin on the iPhone 5se that’s expected to be unveiled on March 15th. They also created concepts of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus that add rumored features like a dual lens camera on the 7 Plus and a simpler frame with fewer antennas and no headphone jack.

Take a closer look:

If you’re planning to grab Nintendo’s first smartphone game when it lands next month — or any of the others it has planned for 2016 — then it’s time to claim your Nintendo Account before someone takes the username you wanted.

Donald Trump has slammed Apple for its refusal to unlock gunman Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone 5c after being requested to do so by the FBI.

“Who do [Apple] think they are? They have to open it up,” Trump told Fox and Friends when asked about Apple’s responsibility to help with the investigation following the attack in San Bernardino, California, which killed 14 people.

The case involving San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook’s iPhone 5c and whether Apple should help unlock it has brought the company’s stance regarding strong encryption to the forefront.

Since this privacy-versus-security debate isn’t going away anytime soon, here’s what you need to know about it so far — and why it’s a much, much bigger issue than just one legal case.

Apple’s new retina MacBooks uniquely charge by the new standard, USB-C. Unfortunately, many of those cables are faulty, and Apple is looking to replace them. But now, Apple is starting to send out their replacement cables.

Waiting for the day when iPhones leave consoles in the dusk? That day might be well at hand. Today, an executive from ARM said his company’s chips could be as powerful as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 very, very soon. Maybe as soon as the end of next year.

As the next giant untapped market shimmering on the horizon, Apple is looking to grow its brand in India — and to do so it’s taking the bold step of exiting the rapidly-growing sub-Rs 20,000 ($290) smartphone category by stopping selling its older iPhone 4s and 5c handsets.

But the reason totally makes sense.

Apple could be in for its worst ever quarter for iPad shipments, with a new report claiming that the first three months of 2016 are set to hit a historic low for Apple’s tablets with just 9.8 million units shipping.

If correct, those numbers would be down 39.1 percent on quarter and close to 20 percent on-year. While Apple has been experiencing falling iPad demand for some time now, this would be especially bad considering that Q1 2016 is also expected to bring the first ever quarter of declining iPhone sales.

Apple has posted an open letter, signed by Tim Cook, in response to the FBI’s request that Apple unlock the iPhone at the center of a San Bernardino court case.

While United States magistrated judge Sheri Pym wants Apple to hand the FBI a custom firmware file that would allow the unlocking of the handset in question, Apple argues that this represents an, “unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers.”

And Cook wants the public to be aware of all the details.

In December 2015, Syed Rizwan Farook shot up an office party in an apparent terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. He may have coordinated the attack on an iPhone 5c.

Since then, authorities have been trying to decrypt the device. And now, a U.S. magistrate is trying to force Apple to unlock it.

We may be a small step closer to the robot wars thanks to former Apple designer Mike Matas.

Matas’ previous work includes user interfaces for Apple’s Maps, Photos, and Camera apps, as well as the Nest smart thermostat. And he showed off his latest creation, an artificial brain called (appropriately enough) The Brain, via a quick demo on YouTube. It’s a neural network that with an expectedly sharp and clean interface, and in the video, he shows how he can teach The Brain to spit out emojis based on different shapes that he draws.

Check it out below.

Gadget maker Elgato has been churning out HomeKit-compatible devices like crazy, and it’s just dropped another that takes the smartplug concept one further.

Eve Energy became available for sale in the U.S. today after a European launch. It plugs into your wall, and then a device of your choice plugs into it. You’ll be able to turn the thing off and on with your phone either through Elgato’s app or with Siri, and plenty of things on the market already do that. But Energy will also tell you how much power the thing plugged into it uses, which adds a new layer of functionality to the gadget.

Is this the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen on your wrist? Yes, yes it is. It’s the tiniest game of pong you ever did see, too.

Game developer Matt Wiechec has made A Tiny Game of Pong for the Apple Watch and it hits all the right nostalgic notes for ancient gaming fans like myself and retro-cool folks like you.

Check it out.

Apple is allegedly planning to beef up the iPhone 7’s shielding against electromagnetic interference this year with new protections for all of the device’s major chips.

The iPhone 7 may not be able to survive a devastating EMP attack — like the one presidential candidate Ted Cruz has been really worried about lately — but it should lead to better performance, according to a report out of South Korea claiming Apple has already hired StatsChipPac and Amkor to do the shielding.

Apple has set its sights on taking over the smartphone market in India and its planning to bring more than just retail jobs to the country in the process.

The company confirmed today that it is planning to invest $25 million in a new office complex this year in Hyderabad that will bring 4,500 jobs to the area during the construction process.