Apple unsettled by the UK’s draft surveillance bill
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s position on encryption is pretty clear: it’s important and shouldn’t be weakened with so-called “backdoors” that would give governments open access to communications. Now, the company has emphasised its stance yet again in a written response to the UK’s draft Investigatory Powers Bill, a new piece of legislation that seeks to collate, clarify and extend the surveillance capabilities from previous laws.
According to The Guardian, Apple’s submission to the Joint Select Committee, which is currently evaluating the draft bill, reads:
“We believe it would be wrong to weaken security for hundreds of millions of law-abiding customers so that it will also be weaker for the very few who pose a threat. In this rapidly evolving cyber-threat environment, companies should remain free to implement strong encryption to protect customers.”
But it’s unclear exactly how the Investigatory Powers Bill would affect encryption. In the opening section of the draft legislation, published in November, the UK’s Home Office says there will be no “additional requirements in relation to encryption” above what is already set out in RIPA, the UK’s primary piece of surveillance legislation. That law requires companies, when served with a notice tied to an interception warrant, to hand over customer data in a readable, preferably decrypted format. That’s reliant on the company actually having that capability, which Apple doesn’t — at least not for iMessage, which uses end-to-end encryption.
In its submission, Apple is said to have highlighted a passage in the draft bill that would, it believes, give the UK government the power to forcibly alter iMessage. This, it argues, would break encryption and finally allow agencies like GCHQ to access private communications. Apple’s concerns could be referencing the “technical capability notice” that’s mentioned in the new draft bill. Such a request could include “the removal of electronic protection applied by a relevant operator to any communications or data.” The full extent of that wording remains unclear, however. Would it stop companies from offering end-to-end encryption in the first place? Or would it mean, like now, that it’s only valid if the company in question has the ability to remove such protections?
Apple seems concerned that it would lead to required “backdoors.” Its submission reportedly reads: “The creation of backdoors and intercept capabilities would weaken the protections built into Apple products and endanger all our customers. A key left under the doormat would not just be there for the good guys. The bad guys would find it too.”
These comments echo what Tim Cook has said in recent interviews with the Telegraph and the CBS TV program 60 Minutes.
The Guardian says Apple has also slammed the government’s proposals which make clear, for the first time, the powers that UK law enforcement agencies have to hack phones and computers. The draft bill includes “a new obligation” to “assist in giving effect to equipment interference warrants.” Again, the full extent of this power is unclear, but it could mean that the government would be able to force a company like Apple to tinker with its hardware or software. It reportedly told the Committee:
“It would place businesses like Apple – whose relationship with customers is in part built on a sense of trust about how data will be handled – in a very difficult position.”
The company’s full, eight-page report should eventually be published by the Joint Select Committee, giving us a better understanding of its complaints and how they relate to specific passages in the bill. The BBC says Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo and Twitter have filed responses too, most likely with some similar concerns. They’ll add to the chorus of companies that are questioning not just the feasibility of the bill’s proposals, but the wording and how each policy would work in practice.
Source: The Guardian, The BBC
The best-selling unlocked Android phones from Best Buy (December 22)
Motorola’s 2nd-Gen Moto G is at the head of the pack
Purchasing a new smartphone can be quite the expensive endeavor. Moreover, it can also be a bit of a headache as you try to consider which phone, which carrier, and which rate plan is right. We’re here to help you with at least one of those segments: the phone.
Why unlocked?
The benefit of an unlocked smartphone, for those who aren’t aware, is that it can be used on a variety of wireless service providers. Moreover, going this route ensures you don’t have to worry about contracts or long-term obligations. Want to hop from T-Mobile to AT&T or vice-versa? That’s no problem when you’re using an unlocked GSM phone.
We’ve gathered up the 10 best-selling unlocked Android devices from Best Buy so you can get a sense for what’s available. Indeed, you’ll see a nice mix of big-name vendors and devices from other, scrappy players. Note that we’ve omitted color variations; you might find other colors available.
So, the next time you need to replace your existing phone, consider scooping up one of these. It’s often a heck of a lot cheaper than going through your carrier in the long run.
- Motoroloa Moto G 2nd Generation 8GB – $99.99
- Sony Xperia C4 16GB- $249.99
- Blu Advance 4 4GB – $49.99
- Motorola Moto G 3rd Generation 8GB – $179.99
- Samsung Galaxy S6 32GB – $449.99
- Huawei P8 Lite 16GB- $219.99
- BLU Life X8 8GB – $129.99
- BLU Studio X 8GB- $124.99
- Motorola Moto X Pure 16GB – $399.99
- Google Nexus 5X 16GB- $379.99
The post The best-selling unlocked Android phones from Best Buy (December 22) appeared first on AndroidGuys.
[Deal] Pay what you want for the VPN Lifetime Subscription Bundle
When it comes to keeping our information private, there are folks out there who will pull out all the stops. Whether it’s creating fake emails, or fake accounts to keep their email out of the hands of spammers, or signing up for a VPN to keep your browsing history out of the wrong hands. Today’s deal aims to provide great options for both of those solutions.
The first deal in today’s bundle is for a greaVirtual Private Network (VPN) service option through AnonVPN. AnonVPN is one of the most trusted VPN services on the market. What sets this VPN service apart from the rest is that it’s a “zero log VPN”. This means that the service does not keep any of your personal information on any of their servers. This is something that is forgotten when signing up for services., because if you’re trying to keep all your information out of cyberspace, there are still some pieces that end up on the VPN server itself.
- Enjoy fully secure Internet at full speeds
- Bypass geological restrictions & censorship to stream anything, anywhere
- Utilize multiple server locations in the US, London, Amsterdam & Singapore
- Access your chat, email client & web apps securely on public Wi-Fi networks
- Get peace of mind that none of your personal info is stored on AnonVPN’s servers
- Enjoy the Zero Log policy
The next deal in today’s bundle is one that will help keep those spam emails out of your personal and private inbox(es). The Lifetime Subscription to Nonkly Disposal Email will alleviate any spam from finding its way into your inbox due to the fact that you can create, and monitor, fake email addresses. This is beneficial when signing up for new services and you don’t want that wave of emails flying in and cluttering up your already cluttered inbox.
- Protect your private email address from spam
- Prevent incoming & future spam
- Sign up for new services without getting overwhelmed w/ emails
- Generate completely new email addresses for every unique online interaction
- Reply to sites like Craigslist, while keeping your personal email private
- Get lifetime access & unlimited email addresses
Now the fun part. If purchased separately, you would be spending upwards close to $300. Instead, today’s deal is a “Pay What You Want” kind of thing. We’ve had a few of these in the past and they seem to be the best bang for your buck. Simply “Beat the Average Price” and you’ll unlock all of the goodies and get some great services for incredible prices.
At the time of this writing, the average price for the bundle is only $16.28. So if you beat the average price, you’ll get the lifetime subscriptions for both AnonVPN and Nonkly Disposal Email. So if you look at the regular prices for both of those, you’ll be saving 95% on both services. Now, when you do beat the average price, you’ll also get a year of AnonVPN thrown in for free. That’s a savings of $69.99, and you can either use it for yourself, or gift it to one of your friends or family members who is in the market for a reliable VPN service.
Drop us a line and let us know if these kind of deals pique your interest, and if you decided to treat yo’self to this great deal from AndroidGuys and StackCommerce.
You can find this, and many other great tech bargains through our Deals page. Backed by StackCommerce, there are daily promos, giveaways, freebies, and much more!
AndroidGuys Deals: Pay What You Want: VPN Lifetime Subscription Bundle
The post [Deal] Pay what you want for the VPN Lifetime Subscription Bundle appeared first on AndroidGuys.
[Deal] Unlocked 32GB Galaxy S6 only $399 on eBay
The Samsung Galaxy S6–an unlocked 32GB variant–has been discounted to just $399 on eBay, down from it’s standard MSRP of $699.
Samsung has launched a handful of premium smartphones since the Galaxy S6’s launch, making the handset feel old and outdated. However, with its gorgeous 5.1-inch display and powerful Exynos 7420 processor, it’s still one of the top devices on the market.
At $399, buying the Galaxy S6 off-contract is well worth the price. Unfortunately, it won’t work on Sprint or Verizon, but will run like a champ on AT&T and T-Mobile LTE networks.
There’s a limited quantity available, so those wanting to snag this handset on a deal will need to act fast!
[eBay]
Come comment on this article: [Deal] Unlocked 32GB Galaxy S6 only $399 on eBay
OnePlus X in Champagne available to buy without an invite in some countries today
OnePlus revealed last week that the OnePlus X would be available to purchase invite-free every Tuesday, but this Tuesday is particularly special, as the company is now opening up orders for the Champagne-colored model.
Open sales for the device might not be open just yet, as OnePlus is selling it invite-free in local times. With that in mind, sales will open in Hong Kong, Europe, and North America at 4pm in their respective time zones.
Unfortunately, the Onyx version will continue to be the only variant available in North America, with the Champagne model expected to hit shores at some point in January.
The OnePlus X sports a 5-inch Full HD display, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, a 13MP rear-facing camera, and a 2,525mAh battery, all for just $249.
Consumers are able to buy the OnePlus X exclusively through OnePlus’ online store.
source: OnePlus
Come comment on this article: OnePlus X in Champagne available to buy without an invite in some countries today
SwiftKey is offering discounts on select theme packs for a limited time
SwiftKey, the popular third-party keyboard app, is offering a handful of discounts on many of its theme packs for the holidays.
The company is giving away the “Holiday Presents” theme pack for free, which comes with five festive themes, such as Hazy Winters, Ninja Pro, and Gift Wrap: Gold themes. It also has the Winter Night and Frosted Winter Night themes bundled with it.
SwiftKey is also selling the “Everything Megapack” bundle, containing an arsenal of 77 keyboard themes, for 70% off. This brings the price down to just $8.99, giving you access to every theme pack currently available on the SwiftKey Themes store.
Buying this pack unfortunately isn’t likely to include any future themes added, but it still offers great value considering that it normally runs for $29.99.
SwiftKey recently began publicly testing a new initiative called SwiftKey Symbols, which aims to help those with speaking disabilities communicate through images.
If you haven’t sprinkled festive cheer all over your keyboard yet, SwiftKey is available to download from the Play Store for free.
Come comment on this article: SwiftKey is offering discounts on select theme packs for a limited time
Nexus 4 receives its first Marshmallow CyanogenMod 13 nightly
Nexus 4 owners may have been feeling a little left out as the younger Nexus models all began receiving their Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates, but the custom ROM community has come to the rescue once again. A number of Marshmallow ROMs have already appeared for the trusty old smartphone and there’s now the first CyanogenMod 13 nightly available for the Nexus 4 (mako) as well.
The built went live in the early hours of the morning and contains all your regular Android Marshmallow features, along with CyanogenMod’s additional tweaks. It’s a pretty standard sized download at 277.01MB. But before you run out to grab it, just be aware that as the first nightly build you are probably going to run into a few bugs and issues until the ROM becomes more stable. It might be best to wait a little longer or try a ROM that has had a few updates applied if you are looking to use Marshmallow as your daily driver.
What to expect: A tour of Android 6.0 Marshmallow
If you are still interested enough to hop into this early build, you can grab the download files from the source link below. Don’t forget to seek out your own copy of GAPPS too.
GoPro’s streaming channel finally lands on PlayStation
GoPro’s been feeding the other gaming platform its curated video channel for over half a year. Now, it’s ready “for the players.” The console app will allow PS3 and PS4 owners to stream all the sane GoPro content, as well as shop for the company’s products, directly from their gaming systems. The channel will launch with at least one exclusive video, though, The 66th Parallel – Discovering Iceland with Ben Brown. Though, it will only be an exclusive until December 29th, at which time it will disseminate to GoPro’s other platforms including Amazon Fire TV, Xbox, and Roku.
[Image Credit: Getty]
ICYMI: The best robot news of the year
Today on In Case You Missed It: We hit just over 120 episodes since our launch in June and from the beginning, we have been obsessed with robot innovation. That’s why we put together a special year-end episode of ICYMI, rounding up our very favorite robot stories.
If you’re new to the obsession, you can get started with watching a montage of the DARPA Robotics Challenge.
Please share any interesting science or tech videos with us! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd. Tomorrow’s show will cover the innovations of the year in health news, so please check back in for that.
ICYMI: The best robot news of the year
Today on In Case You Missed It: We hit just over 120 episodes since our launch in June and from the beginning, we have been obsessed with robot innovation. That’s why we put together a special year-end episode of ICYMI, rounding up our very favorite robot stories.
If you’re new to the obsession, you can get started with watching a montage of the DARPA Robotics Challenge.
Please share any interesting science or tech videos with us! Just tweet us with the #ICYMI hashtag to @mskerryd. Tomorrow’s show will cover the innovations of the year in health news, so please check back in for that.
AIVAnet 