Encrypt all the things! Facebook, Google and WhatsApp to increase privacy and encryption
Privacy and security has always been a hot topic, but never more so than in recent months. The Apple/FBI case has really brought things to a head, enlivening the debate between privacy and security advocates, and those who side with the government. As Apple fights to prevent the FBI from accessing the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, Facebook, Google and others are looking to increase encryption and lockdown user data even further.
The Guardian has learned that a number of Silicon Valley companies are working on ultra-secure encrypted messaging systems. With President Obama having made a sideways reference to supporting the inclusion of backdoors for government, Facebook is planning to not only bring encryption to Whatsapp's voice messages, but also to bolster the security of Facebook Messenger.
Microsoft continues to show Apple love -- adds Touch ID support to Outlook for iPhone and iPad
While both Android and iOS are solid and mature mobile operating systems, Apple's offering seems to get more developer support. Even though Google's OS reigns supreme from a market share perspective, iOS generates the most profit. Not to mention, Apple's products don't really deal with the fragmentation issues that Android does.
Microsoft doesn't discriminate between the two, offering many apps for both platforms. One of its most popular apps is Outlook. The email client works brilliantly, but on iOS, it is gaining a new trick -- Touch ID support. Yes, you can now protect your email on iPhone and iPad with biometrics.
Privacy and security killer: Obama supports backdoors to bypass encryption
The on-going battle between Apple and the FBI has brought encryption and security to the fore once again. After remaining silent on the subject for some time, President Obama -- speaking at SXSW -- said that he was opposed the idea of encryption mechanism that are so strong it prevents governmental access.
"If technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there is no key, there's no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer, how do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot?" he wondered aloud, his almost rhetorical question playing neatly on two of America's biggest fears. He suggested that security keys should be made available to third parties, saying "you cannot take an absolutist view" when it comes to balancing security and privacy. But Obama has a solution: backdoors.
Justice Department accuses Apple of false rhetoric, pooh-poohs privacy concerns
Ahead of the hearing due to be held on 22 March, the Justice Department has lashed out at Apple in its latest response to the company's refusal to unlock the San Bernardino iPhone. Playing an emotional game, the DoJ says "Apple deliberately raised technological barriers that now stand between a lawful warrant and an iPhone containing evidence related to the terrorist mass murder of 14 Americans."
It says that only Apple is able to remove the barriers that are currently in the way, "and it can do so without undue burden". Apple has already made it abundantly clear that it will not help the FBI in creating what it describes as a backdoor into the iPhone at the center of the case.
Apple says FBI case is the start of a slippery slope to mass surveillance via iPhone
The battle between the FBI and Apple over access to the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone is turning into little more than a battle of wills. Both sides are using the case to make a point; Apple posits that unlocking the phone would set a dangerous precedent, the FBI says not unlocking the phone amounts to aiding terrorists.
There have been heavy words thrown from both sides, and the latest round of blows sees Apple claiming that the FBI could follow up its phone unlocking demand with a demand to switch on iPhone cameras and microphone for the purposes of spying on users. "Where will this stop?" asks Eddy Cue. "Some day, someone will be able to turn on a phone's microphone. That should not happen in this country".
The FBI wants you to think Apple is a terrorist sympathizer
Speaking at the Common Cause Blueprint for a Great Democracy conference in Moscow via video link, Edward Snowden gave tech writers around the world an excuse to swear in headlines. Dismissing the FBI's claims as 'bullshit', the former NSA contractor says that Apple's involvement is not needed for the law enforcement agency to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone.
Snowden is not alone in decrying the demands being made by the FBI that Apple should create custom firmware to allow it to bypass the lock screen of the iPhone at the center of the terrorism case. He's one of a growing band of people convinced that the FBI is using the San Bernardino as a PR exercise. Apple has been criticized for being unhelpful, but more than this, the FBI is painting a picture that shows Apple as a terrorist sympathizer.
FBI should break Apple's encryption and keep it a secret
At the end of last month, Apple released a letter to its customers protesting about a US court order that could force the company to give the FBI a back door entry to individual iPhones. The case has brought the debate about government access to personal data and the protection of civil liberties to the fore once again. It has also made society and industry look more closely at the mechanics of data encryption and ask what makes the technology effective.
At its most basic, encryption provides a layer of protection for data at every stage of its journey from sender to recipient. If anyone tries to intercept or access the data without permission, they find themselves with a screen full of unintelligible gobbledygook. But encryption is only strong if there are no weak links in the chain. Apple argues that the FBI’s court order requesting a back door into its OS (Operating System) would force the company to create such a weak link in its encryption. This would undoubtedly speed up investigations of high profile crimes, but would come at high cost to the millions of law abiding iPhone users.
GCHQ: US and UK tech firms need to work together to solve encryption challenges
The head of GCHQ, Robert Hannigan, has called for greater co-operation between tech companies and governments. Speaking at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hannigan referred to the "highly charged atmosphere" surrounding the encryption debate in a barely-concealed reference to the on-going battle between Apple and the FBI.
He said that in the coming months Prime Minister David Cameron will set out plans to improve the relationship between tech companies and intelligence agencies. He was at pains to stress that the controversial snooper's charter (or Investigatory Powers Bill) would not be used as an excuse to allow governmental spying or to introduce a ban on end-to-end encryption.
Hillary Clinton says ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about Apple-FBI encryption battle
It seems that just about everyone has something to say about the on-going battle over encryption that is raging between Apple and the FBI. While tech firms have rallied behind Apple's decision not to help the FBI bypass the lockscreen of the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, Donald Trump has taken the opposing view and called for a boycott of Apple products.
Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is taking a more pragmatic approach. Describing the situation as "the worst dilemma ever", the former First Lady refused to side with either Apple or the FBI, saying "I am not expert in any way to tell you how to do it".
Microsoft acting like Donald Trump by attacking Apple MacBook Pro in new Surface Book videos
This may blow some peoples' minds, but both OS X and Windows 10 are great operating systems. True, Microsoft's latest offering has some major annoyances such as privacy concerns, but overall, it is solid. One major way the two OS experiences differ is with touch screens. Microsoft has embraced touch and drawing with its operating system, while Apple has not. In fact, the fruit-logo company has failed to manufacturer a touch-enabled laptop (some would argue wisely).
If you do not need a touch experience, or stylus, not having those things won't really matter. If you do need those things, however, a Windows 10 computer such as the Surface Book could be the smarter choice. To highlight this, Microsoft is straight-up attacking Apple's MacBook Pro in a series of new videos. Quite frankly, Microsoft seems a bit like a bully -- sort of like Donald Trump -- by attacking Apple in this way. Is the Surface Book truly better than Apple's offering as the videos suggest?
Mac users targeted by KeRanger ransomware -- here's how to remove it
Ransomware is a growing problem, with businesses and individuals increasingly having their data encrypted and held to ransom. As with so many forms of malware, it has been PC users that have borne the brunt of attacks, but over the weekend it was Mac owners that were targeted by the KeRanger ransomware.
The malicious software first appeared on Friday and is said to be the first fully-functional example of ransomware aimed at Apple devices. KeRanger was found to be installed alongside the Transmission BitTorrent client, and while Apple has used its Gatekeeper security system to prevent further infections, if you have installed Transmission 2.90 there are steps you need to take to clean up your system.
Developer criticizes Microsoft's 'monopolizing' approach to apps and gaming in Windows 10
A walled-garden approach to apps for operating system is something we've become used to in the mobile world. Apple, in particular, has been incredibly successful in creating a closed-off eco-system that ensures it remains -- broadly speaking -- in control of what hits the App Store. With Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to blur the boundaries between mobile and non-mobile, and developers -- especially game developers -- are not happy.
Windows 10's Universal Windows Platform (UWP) is described by Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney as a "closed platform-within-a-platform". More than this, Sweeney says that it is the "most aggressive move Microsoft has ever made", warning that the company is trying to monopolize app distribution to the detriment of consumers and the entire PC industry. Writing for the Guardian, Sweeney bellows out a call to arms saying that UWP "can, should, must, and will die".
Yahoo joins the club, throws its support behind Apple against the FBI
For the past couple of weeks the tech news has circled around Apple versus the FBI, after the iPhone maker refused to comply with a court order to unlock a phone used by one of the terrorists in the San Bernardino shootings. That handset may or may not hold data relevant to the case or perhaps reveal plans for future attacks.
We'll possibly never know, given the agency changed the Apple ID and there are claims that even the iPhone maker cannot now get into it. The FBI, for its part, has acknowledged that it made a mistake in changing that ID.
Why does Oculus Rift not support Macs?
To be on the cutting edge of technology you sometimes need to make some hard decisions. If you are a Mac user who is interested in Oculus Rift, you will have to choose between your love of Apple's computers and enjoying the virtual reality headset. That is because the two do not go hand in hand, as Oculus Rift only supports Windows PCs. Ouch!
Your Mac is not held back by Windows per se, because it can be easily installed via Boot Camp or Parallels -- and you get pretty much the same user experience as a PC user. The reason why Mac support is currently out of the question boils down to hardware limitations.
popSLATE 2 adds a smart second screen to your iPhone -- and it looks amazing [Updated]
Update: Despite raising over $1 million in funding, iPhone E-ink case creator popSLATE closes down
At BetaNews we get bombarded with Indiegogo and Kickstarter campaigns on a daily basis, the vast majority of which we never cover. Occasionally though, we see something that really makes us sit up and pay attention. popSLATE 2 is such a project.
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