Apple Pay Coming to China Through Partnership With China UnionPay

Apple today announced a new partnership with China UnionPay, which will see Apple Pay expanding to China in early 2016. Through the partnership, China UnionPay cardholders will be able to use their bank cards with Apple Pay on the iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad (within apps).

“Apple Pay has revolutionized the way millions of people pay every day with their iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “China is an extremely important market for Apple and with China UnionPay and support from 15 of China’s leading banks, users will soon have a convenient, private and secure payment experience.”

Apple Pay in the country will work with the China UnionPay Quickpass, an existing contactless payment service. Customers will be able to hold an iPhone or Apple Watch near a UnionPay QuickPass-enabled point-of-sale terminal to make a payment at participating stores.

Reaching a deal to bring Apple Pay to China has been a priority for Apple, given China’s increasing importance to the company. A partnership between Apple and China UnionPay was first hinted at in February, when the first iOS 8.3 beta introduced support for the China UnionPay network. Talks reportedly stalled later that month, but in the weeks ahead of today’s announcement, rumors pointing towards a deal picked up.

A recent rumor has suggested Apple is aiming to launch Apple Pay in China before February 8, 2016, which marks the start of Chinese New Year. According to Apple’s press release, the service will be available following “relevant tests and certification” required by Chinese regulators.

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Here are the devices law enforcement use to spy on you

The Intercept obtained the catalog of devices used by federal and local law enforcement to collect and monitor cell phone data. The tracking hardware — including the infamous Stingray — in the catalog is accompanied by its capabilities including, limitations, “planning factors,” price and manufacturer. From handheld pieces of electronics that can track a few phones to boxes that can target as many as 10,000 unique cellphones the list is chilling reminder that even if you’re not under investigation, you’re being tracked if you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The publication obtained the list from a source within the intelligence world and it unearths dozens of devices that most were unaware of before today. Judges and privacy advocates have long asked for information about how many of these items work but have been thwarted by claims of national security. Plus, law enforcement agencies sign NDAs before purchasing a tracker. Many local law enforcement agencies purchase these items with Department of Homeland Security grants then use them for crimes that have nothing to do with stopping terrorism.

The technology found in the catalog is used to spoof cell networks like AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and others. In other words, a machine creates a fake cell tower that phones connect too and the device tracks the data that is sent between the phone and device. The information can be used to locate an individual, eavesdrop on calls and text messages, and even extract media from the phone.

In addition to being used for tasks that have nothing to do with the reason for which they were purchased, the dragnet solution that many of these devices offer violates fourth amendment search and seizure rights. Because judges are unable to determine the scope of capabilities of the technology, many believe search warrants issued that use this type of technology can be overly broad. At least now these judges can see just how powerful these pieces of hardware are before unleashing them upon the public.

Source: The Intercept

Free Data Programs From T-Mobile, AT&T and Comcast Scrutinized by FCC

The United States Federal Communications Commission yesterday sent letters to T-Mobile, AT&T, and Comcast questioning the companies about mobile services that allow customers to access certain content without paying for the data usage, reports Bloomberg. While the FCC has been careful to note the inquiry is “not an investigation” and designed to help the FCC “stay informed as to what the practices are,” there have been some questions about whether such services violate net neutrality rules.

Under scrutiny is T-Mobile’s Binge On program, which allows customers to stream 480p video that doesn’t count against a data cap, AT&T’s Sponsored Data program that lets AT&T customers view sponsored content for free, and Comcast’s Stream TV, a video service that does not count against data caps in areas where data caps are imposed. Ars Technica has uploaded a copy of the letters that were sent to the three companies.

Back in February, the FCC voted in favor of new net neutrality rules preventing Internet providers from blocking or throttling web traffic or offering prioritized service for payment, but it has not specifically addressed these “zero-rating” data exemption programs. Last month, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler said the organization would keep an eye on T-Mobile’s Binge On service, but praised it as being both “highly innovative and highly competitive.”

In a statement, a T-Mobile spokesperson said the company is “looking forward” to talking with the FCC, and believes Binge On is “absolutely in line with net-neutrality rules.” Comcast expressed a similar sentiment, stating it looks forward “to participating in the FCC’s fact-gathering process relating to industry practices.” An AT&T spokesperson said AT&T is committed to “innovation without permission” and expressed hope the FCC is too.

The FCC has requested “relevant technical and business” representatives from T-Mobile, AT&T, and Comcast be made available for discussions by January 15.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Samsung+ helps your parents navigate their Galaxy devices so you don’t have to

Samsung+ is the app you need so that your relatives don’t need you. With the holidays fast approaching, every techie’s nightmare looms. You know it’s coming, but there’s no way you can escape it. However, this just might be the tool you need to survive.

You should know that it’s your own damn fault. It’s okay, we all screw up, but you forgot the golden rule. Always always feign 100% ignorance of all things technical around your family. But you slipped. You goofed up. You showed Grandma how to “get email on her phone” that one time and that was the end of it. You sealed your own fate, and you became Tech Guy.

Now you’re staring down the barrel of an entire weekend of yuletide troubleshooting. There might be some good news, however. If your family members own Galaxy devices, you can at least shovel mobile tech assistance off to Samsung+. You’ll still have to configure the router and get the new TV up and running, but at least you won’t have to worry about smartphones and tablets.

Samsung+ aims to be a one-stop-shop for all things Galaxy related. If you’re an avid Android fan, then it’s probably not going to be of any use to you. You already know everything your device can do, and you’re maxing out your Galaxy’s capabilities with gusto.

However, it is the ideal app for someone who doesn’t have a clue what they’re doing (like Grandma). Samsung+ has a clean, unconfusing interface with prominently displayed links to Samsung’s IT support. It also has guided tours that can help new users learn more about their device. A library of tips and tricks is being constantly expanded, so users who aren’t interested in staying abreast of the latest updates can be gently reminded about what’s different about their smartphone or tablet throughout the software’s evolution.

See also: 10 tips for improving Samsung Galaxy Note 5 battery life8

So this holiday season, when you’re trying to enjoy your eggnog and Uncle Pete can’t get this “damn contraption to work,” do yourself a favor and point him to Samsung+. However, if he wants you to unhook that “PlayBox” so he can watch The Christmas Story on repeat, we’ve got nothing for you.

If you want to see what Samsung+ looks like before chucking it at your relatives, click the button below to grab it from the Google Play Store.

Get it from the Google Play Store

Next: 10 best new Android apps of November 2015

Juniper Networks finds backdoor code in its firewalls

One of the reasons corporate users and the privacy-minded rely on VPNs is to control access to their networks and (hopefully) not expose secrets over insecure connections. Today Juniper Networks revealed that some of its products may not have been living up to that standard, after discovering “unauthorized code” in the software that runs on its NetScreen firewalls during a code review. Pointed out by security researcher “The Grugq,” the backdoor has been present since late 2012 and can only be fixed by upgrading to a new version of software just released today.

Telnet / ssh exposes a backdoor added by attackers to ScreenOS source code. This has been there since August 2012. https://t.co/lG5DEzyRjH

— the grugq (@thegrugq) December 17, 2015

The pair of issues that created the backdoor would allow anyone who knows about it to remotely log in to the firewall as an administrator, decrypt and spy on supposedly secure traffic, and then remove any trace of their activity. Obviously this is a Very Bad Thing, although Juniper claims it has not heard of any exploitation in the wild (which would be difficult, since no one knew it existed and attackers could hide their traces) so far.

Beyond sending IT people sprinting to patch and test their setups, now we can all speculate about which friendly group of state-sponsored attackers is responsible. US government officials have recently been pushing for mandated backdoor access to secure networks and services, but the Edward Snowden saga made clear that even our own country’s personnel aren’t always going to ask permission before snooping on any information they want to check out. I contacted Juniper Networks regarding the issue, but have not received a response at this time.

[Image credit: Shutterstock]

Via: the grugq (Twitter)

Source: Juniper Networks

Vine adds new ‘For You’ channel across the top of your feed

Vine wants to help you discover videos and people to follow with its new, For You channel that will populate the top of your feed in the iOS app. The company says that the videos surfaced will be customized to you. So if you really like goat vines, there’s a good chance you’re going to see some goats up there. The new channel will be available for Android soon.

Source: Vine