Was all that hard work for nothing? Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
It’s been more than two weeks since the FBI was able to gain access to the iPhone belonging to San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, and as per a new report, the FBI has still not found anything of “real significance” on the handset.
The FBI may not legally own the process used to crack the iPhone 5c under investigation. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
We’ve heard plenty of bluster about how the FBI won’t tell Apple how it cracked the iPhone 5c at the heart of the San Bernardino shooting case, but there’s another possibility, too: that the Feds can’t tell Apple how it did it.
Why? Because according to a new report, citing Obama administration sources, it may not actually have legal ownership of the method in question.
Israeli tech firm may not have been the ones who hacked San Bernardino iPhone. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The FBI signed a $15,000 contract with Israeli-tech firm Cellebrite to crack the iPhone 5c at the heart of the San Bernardino shooting investigation. However, according to a new report, Cellebrite may not have been the ones who successfully hacked the smartphone, after all.
Instead, the Feds reportedly broke into the iPhone 5c with the aid of a group of professional hackers who discovered and brought to the bureau a previously unknown iOS flaw — letting them get around the iPhone’s four-digit pincode feature, without accidentally erasing the iPhone’s data in the process.
N.Y. cops may soon be able to instantly check if you were using your phone while driving. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Cellebrite, the Israeli tech firm which helped the FBI hack the iPhone 5c at the heart of the San Bernardino shooting case, is reportedly working on a “textalyzer” device that will allow authorities to find out whether a person as unlawfully driving while using their smartphone.
The device would initially be used in New York, where proposed legislation may let law enforcement officials access certain cellphone information — without a warrant — to find out whether drivers are distracted at the wheel.
Gymaholic plugs the gaps in Apple Watch's fitness offering
Fitness is not just about walking, running and cycling, despite what your Apple Watch may have you believe. Strength training is also important. Without it, your fitness routine is like a one-hand clap. Whether you are aiming for a ripped beach body or just to improve your overall health, you need to lift some weights.
Apple Watch and iPhone do not offer built-in support for strength training, but the good news is there are plenty of third-party apps that can plug the gap. Apple Watch weightlifting apps can help in three ways: by telling you what to do; showing you how to do it; and keeping a log of what you’ve done.
iPhone SE is nicely priced at $399, but it's still not cheap. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
The iPhone SE is finally starting to sell out after making its official debut last week, greeted by glowing reviews from fans and critics. It’s the best 4-inch phone money can buy, but is it enough to win over the millions of consumers buying affordable Androids?
It certainly has the looks, and with the same internals as the iPhone 6s, the iPhone SE has plenty of power, too. But while its $399 price tag ($499 if you want a decent amount of storage) makes it much cheaper than Apple’s high-end devices, it’s still not cheap.
Will the iPhone SE really worry Android makers, then, or is it another iPhone 5c — a slightly cheaper version of its larger siblings that will be only moderately successful?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we attempt to answer those questions.
iPhone will never be 100 percent hacker-proof. Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac
The FBI dropped its case against Apple to hack the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone, but the Department of Justice filed a new letter today demanding Apple help it unlock a different iPhone.
The iPhone in question belonged to meth deal Jun Feng in New York. Federal authorities believe the device may contain critical evidence and plan to appeal a ruling made by a magistrate judge in Brooklyn who decided the government can’t force Apple to hack its own device.
In its letter of appeal, the DoJ argues that because Apple helped prosecutors unlock at least 70 iPhones in the past, the company should do it again.
You’ll have to pry the iPhone SE out of my tiny hands. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
For the last year and a half I’ve been using the massive iPhone 6 Plus. I love its 5.5-inch screen for watching videos, checking my social media pages, and browsing the web.
But after spending the last week with the diminutive, 4-inch iPhone SE, my thoughts on whether I need such a big phone have changed.
Remember when hackers were the good guys? Photo: Hackers, United Artists
The FBI’s not cluing Apple in on how it allegedly hacked the iPhone 5c at the heart of the San Bernardino investigation, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happy to spill the secret to select members of Congress.
According to new reports, the feds have began briefing certain anti-encryption U.S. senators about the way in which it managed to access data on the handset belonging to shooter Syed Farook.
The SE might as well stand for "So Expensive" in India. Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac
The 4-inch iPhone SE may be billed as Apple’s most affordable iPhone yet, but it won’t be nearly so reasonably-priced when it launches in India — one of Apple’s biggest potential markets — this Friday.
Compared with the $399 price tag it carries in the U.S. (which translates to around $430 after taxes in most states), the iPhone SE will set customers in India back 39,000 rupees ($586). For those keeping track at home, that’s a 36 percent premium compared with the U.S. price.