FBI: It’s ‘Simply Too Early’ to Tell if Info on San Bernardino Shooter’s iPhone is Valuable
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation is still working on analyzing the information found on the iPhone of San Bernardino Shooter Syed Farook, reports The Wall Street Journal. FBI general counsel James Baker shared news on the iPhone earlier today at the International Association of Privacy Professionals conference, where he said it’s too early to tell if the data on the device is useful.
“We’re now doing an analysis of that data, as we would in any other type of criminal terrorism investigation,” Mr. Baker said, adding: “That means we would follow logical leads.” But because the agency has only had access to the data for a short period of time, he said “it’s simply too early” to say whether anything found on the phone has been valuable to investigators.
After a very public legal battle in which the FBI obtained a court order demanding Apple help the government unlock the iPhone used by Farook in a December shooting in San Bernardino, the Justice Department last week announced it had found an alternate method to gain access to the iPhone in question and dropped the lawsuit.
While the FBI has not shared how it was able to unlock the iPhone, nor shared details on what was found, it is believed Israeli mobile software developer Cellebrite, a company that offers “mobile forensic solutions,” was enlisted to break into the device.
According to Baker, the FBI has not decided whether or not it will divulge details on what was found on the iPhone and will not make a decision on whether to do so until the full analysis is complete on both the device and the cracking tool used to unlock it.
It remains unclear if the hacking method used to break into the iPhone is only viable for the iPhone 5c used by Farook, but in a previous piece, The Wall Street Journal said the FBI is testing to see if it can be used to unlock other versions of the iPhone.
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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2016 Audi S7 review – Roadshow
The Good The 2016 Audi S7’s flexible V-8 delivers both 450 horsepower thanks to twin turbocharging and up to 27 highway mpg thanks to cylinder deactivation tech. The sport Quattro AWD system and adaptive air suspension work together to deliver surprisingly nimble performance. The S7 also boasts some of the best cabin and driver aid technology in this class.
The Bad The sporty S7 requires multiple button presses to activate its Drive Select modes. The motorized MMI display’s size and resolution seem a bit small compared with displays in competing models.
The Bottom Line The 2016 Audi S7 starts with one of the best tech cars in this class and then adds a generous helping of track-ready performance.
An Audi A7 is a stellar example of automotive performance, style, liftback utility and some of the best tech in the business starting at around $68,300. It’s, in my opinion, one of the best high-tech executive sedans that money can buy.
The 2016 Audi S7 4.0T Quattro prowling Roadshow’s garage this week bases at $82,900 (or $95,525 as tested, not even fully loaded). Aside from sinister good looks and a red-and-chrome S on your badges, what are you getting for the healthy bump in MSRP? The short answer is two more cylinders, about 117 more ponies of power and so much more performance. To find out how much more, we took to the track.
450-horsepower turbo V-8
The S7 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter engine turning its crank to the tune of 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The engine is a V-8 configuration…most of the time. When full power isn’t needed, a variable displacement system can shut down half of its cylinders, operating on just four cylinders while cruising and helping the S7 achieve its optimal highway estimate of 27 miles per gallon. City and combined estimates are stated at 17 mpg and 21 mpg, respectively.
From the flywheel, power flows through a seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission and, ultimately, is split between all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system with optional sport differential, the latter added by $3,500 S7 Sport package. That package also adds dynamic steering and a sport exhaust go-faster bits.
The powerful engine and quick-shifting transmission work together to launch the low-slung sport sedan to 60 miles per hour from a static start in just 4.5 seconds. From there, the S7 rockets to an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Filling the wheel wells are the remainder of the major performance upgrades, which boost the S7’s handling prowess. From the ground up, the rubber meets the road at standard 19-inch wheels shod in 255mm wide summer tires — our example was equipped with optional 21-inch wheels and wider 275mm wide performance tires. Behind the wheels’ spokes are 15.7-inch rotors gripped by six-piston calipers on the front axle and 14-inch rotors with single piston calipers out back.
The highlight of the handling upgrades is the standard adaptive air suspension with its specific S-model tuning. The suspension features three drive modes that allow it to go from firm, low and responsive in its Dynamic mode to pliable, isolating and comfortable in its Comfort setting at the touch of a button.
Well, almost at a touch of a button. It’s more like a few touches of a few buttons. If I wanted to change from the Dynamic setting to the Comfort, Auto or Individual modes for street cruising, I’d have to first tap the Car button on the MMI controller and then use the MMI control knob to select the drive mode and press to confirm. I was annoyed that the S7 lacked a dedicated Drive Select button on the dashboard or steering wheel that could just be tapped to cycle between the modes, as in some other Audi models that I’ve tested.
On the track at Thunderhill West
We took the 2016 Audi S7 to Thunderhill West as part of our Tesla versus Audi Shootout; there, I was able to put the sporty executive sedan through its paces on a closed race track — no speed limits, no cops, no worries.
I began by putting the S7 into its Dynamic Drive Select mode and taking it through a few warm-up laps. The sedan impressed me with its excellent ability to accelerate, with its lightning-fast shifts and the intelligent programming of its S Tronic automatic transmission and with the Quattro all-wheel drive system’s excellent level of grip and neutral handling. Body roll was a minor issue, even with the adaptive air suspension’s autoleveling capabilities; even technology could only do so much to compensate for the physical realities of a vehicle this long (196.3 inches with 114.8-inch wheelbase) and heavy (4,564 pounds).
As the S7 approached its limits, understeer began to make itself apparent as physics and electronic safety nets conspired to rein in the fun.
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And then, I discovered the Sport Stability program, accessed by tapping the stability control button. This hidden mode loosens the stability control system’s reins and allows the sport Quattro all-wheel drive system more freedom to rotate the chassis when cornering. Honestly, Audi should relabel this the “FUN BUTTON” in big red letters, because it totally changed my opinion of the S7’s performance in just a few laps.
Freed somewhat from the electronic nannies, the torque-vectoring capabilities of the sport Quattro system’s rear differential can shine, changing the S7 from a powerful but understeering tourer to a truly dynamic sport sedan. Throttle-induced oversteer could be called upon with just a twitch of my right hand and, with a blip of the paddle shifter, four-wheel drifts weren’t at all out of the question.
The S7’s sport seats did leave a bit to be desired on the race track. The buckets were quite comfortable for daily driving and the occasional spirited session; however, after a day at the track, my knees were tender and sore from bracing myself against the door and transmission tunnel. In all fairness, the S7 isn’t a race car — despite its lapping ability — so I think its drivers will appreciate the emphasis on comfort over supportive bolstering.
I stated earlier that the 2016 S7 will hit 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. The fastest way to get there is by using the launch control feature. With the Drive Select set to Dynamic and the Sport Stability program activated, I came to a stop at the line. I matted the brake and accelerator pedals for a second until the engine’s revs settled at the launching rpm and then sidestepped the brake pedal. The resulting acceleration literally left me speechless for a few moments as the sedan rocketed forward, all four wheels instantly grabbing traction with almost no wheelspin, and then I found myself giggling with nervous energy seconds later as I finished our shortened drag at nearly three-digit speeds.
T-Mobile adds more services to Binge On and Music Freedom
T-Mobile’s Binge On and Music Freedom plans for streaming video and music without gobbling up your data add new services to the data-free initiative on the regular. Today, the Un-carrier is adding even more. Amazon Music and ESPN Radio are the two notable additions to Music Freedom while Binge On video now includes Nickelodeon, Spike, TV Land and Epix. Legere & Co. have been preaching this version of streaming for a while, and today the company says the options for streaming that won’t cut into your monthly allotment now tally over 100. And that includes porn.
Source: T-Mobile
Reddit Gives Gold to Alien Blue Pro Users, Says New App is Coming April 7
In March, Reddit released an updated version of its Alien Blue app for iOS, which included a free four-year Reddit Gold subscription gift for all Alien Blue users with Pro accounts. At the time, Alien Blue users were able to redeem the gift in the app, with Reddit promising to send the Reddit Gold credit at a later date.
As of today, Alien Blue users have begun receiving private messages informing them that their Reddit Gold subscriptions are activated, so all Redditors who used Alien Blue to redeem their free Gold subscription should be getting access to Gold features in the near future.
Reddit Gold is a membership program that allows Reddit users to turn off ads, activate themes, create custom alien avatars, highlight new comments, sync read links across computers, and more. Reddit Gold is normally priced at $3.99 per month or $29.99 per year.
For those unfamiliar with Alien Blue, it is one of the most popular apps for browsing Reddit on iOS devices. It was purchased by Reddit in October of 2014 and while Reddit initially planned to improve the app with new features, the company ultimately decided to nix its plans for an update and go with a fully revamped Reddit app.
In the Reddit Gold message sent to Alien Blue subscribers, Reddit says that its new iOS app will launch on Thursday, April 7. Reddit hasn’t shared many details on the new app, but it is believed that features included in the Pro version of Alien Blue for iOS will now require a Gold subscription to activate, hence the free Reddit Gold for those who previously owned the Pro version of the app.
Reddit has said that once its new iOS app launches, Alien Blue will be removed from the App Store. Customers who have already downloaded the app will be able to continue to use it, but the development team that worked on Alien Blue has moved on to the new Reddit iOS app.
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How to wear an Oculus Rift and HTC Vive with glasses – CNET
The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive can transport you to a whole new world, but first you’ve got to get the headsets on. If you wear glasses, that might be easier said than done.
I tested the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive on myself and several other CNET staffers who wear glasses and found that for the most part, you can make the headset work. Here are a few tips for wearing the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive with glasses.
Measure before you buy
Unfortunately, your glasses will either fit into the display or not. The good news is that most glasses we tested, both large and small frames, both headsets fit over them just fine. The bad news is there’s no way to adjust the width or height of the display part of either the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive to accommodate extra-large frames.
The Oculus Rift fits over glasses a bit better than the HTC Vive.
James Martin/CNET
Before you shell out a few hundred bucks for a VR headset measure your glasses to make sure they’ll fit inside. For the best results, measure the length and height of your frames, plus how far they extend out from where they meet your face. Compare those numbers to the measurements of the insides of the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
- Oculus Rift: 6 inches (152mm) wide, 2.5 inches (63.5mm) tall, and 2 inches (50.8mm) at the deepest spot from the lens to the edge of the face padding.
- HTC Vive: 6 inches wide, 2 inches tall and can go up to just over 2 inches deep at edge of padding (152 by 50 by about 51mm).
Get the right fit
When you first put the headset on, adjust all of the straps to the loosest setting. Put the headset on front to back, so that you fit the front display around your glasses, then gently tug the back strap and slide it over the back of your head.
Adjust the side straps so that the display fits snug around your face, but isn’t digging into your glasses or face. Your glasses will may wedge themselves into the foam padding, which is OK and will help keep them in place while you wear the headset.
Your glasses will probably get wedged into the display, but they’ll come out easily.
James Martin/CNET
With the HTC Vive, you can adjust the lens depth to give your glasses a bit more room; many glasses-wearers who tried it out found this was more comfortable than the Rift. The Vive also comes with a smaller face pad that gives you a bit more space for glasses.
Always front to back
Make sure your glasses fit into the headset first when putting on either headset so they don’t get smashed. Always put it on front to back, then take it off in reverse (which is different from how you’d put on the headset if you don’t wear glasses). Your glasses may get stuck in the foam padding when you take the headset off, but they’ll come out easily.
7 Firefox shortcuts you should start using right away – CNET
Whether you’ve been using Firefox for years or you just switched from, say, Chrome or Internet Explorer, there are some shortcuts you should know.
Many involve using the keyboard to navigate faster; others put you a mouse-click away from useful features. And no list would be complete without at least one extension — in this case, my favorite extension of all time.
Ready to shift your Firefox experience into overdrive? Here we go… (Note that in the case of any Ctrl-key shortcuts, Mac users will likely use the Cmd key instead. And Chrome users should check out the Chrome version of this list.)
1. Head for Home
You know the routine: You’ve read through to the bottom of a Web page (or well into the bowels of Facebook), and now you want to go back to the top. Do you furiously spin your mouse’s scroll wheel or reach for the scroll bar on the right?
Both moves take way too long. Instead, just tap the Home button on your keyboard. Presto: instant jump to the top of whatever Web page you’re viewing.
2. Where’d that download go?
Novice users often find themselves in the same pickle: unable to find the file they just downloaded. Instant fix: press Ctrl-J. That will immediately open Firefox’s Library window, with the Downloads folder already selected.
For any given download, click the accompanying folder icon to open its “containing folder” (i.e. the place it’s stored on your hard drive, which by default is the system Downloads folder).
3. A star is clicked
Of the many ways to instantly bookmark a Web page, it’s hard to beat the simplicity of this: Click the star at the far right of the address bar. OK, if you prefer keyboard shortcuts, it’s hard to beat the simplicity of pressing Ctrl-D. Both actions trigger the same result: a pop-up box for quickly adding the page to your favorites (with the name and folder of your choice).
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET
4. Tab-B-Gone
Everyone knows that when you want to close a tab, you click the little ‘x.’ Except it’s so little, it can be easy to overshoot with your cursor. (What’s more, if you have too many tabs open, you won’t even see the ‘x’ unless it’s the currently selected tab.)
Thank heaven for keyboard shortcuts! Just press Ctrl-W to send the current tab packing.
5. Become a space cowboy
The space bar: not just for spaces anymore. In Firefox, as long as your cursor hasn’t landed in a text field (like when you’re filling out a form), you can tap the space bar to scroll down an entire page at at a time — great for mouse-free reading.
Want to scroll back up again? Just press Shift-space.
6. Lost and Find
You already know how to search the Web; Firefox makes it easy to search within a page. Just press Ctrl-F, then start typing your search word or phrase. This is a dynamic search, meaning highlighted results start to appear with the very first letter you type. The more characters you enter, the more focused the search becomes.
7. Make Firefox faster with just one click
How do you judge PC speed? By how many browser tabs you can open before things start to seriously bog down.
OneTab is a Firefox extension that instantly collapses all your open tabs into a single, nicely organized tab — thus reducing the browser’s performance impact while keeping important tabs at the ready.
This is without question the single most important extension on my PC. (What’s yours?)
OK, Firefox users, go forth and work faster! Oh, but before you do, hit the comments and share your favorite time-saving tips.
How to watch baseball on Yahoo (for free) – CNET
Baseball season is back. And this year, you’ll be able to watch even more games online.
Enlarge Image
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
As as out-of-market Cincinnati Reds fan, I struggled with renewing my MLB.TV subscription. The Reds are almost certainly going to be at or near the bottom of the National League this year, but it wouldn’t feel like summer without following the Reds, so I re-upped.
But if you’re a passing fan and watching most games isn’t important to you, subscribing to MLB.TV isn’t the only option anymore.
How to watch MLB games on Yahoo
This season, Yahoo is streaming one MLB game per day for free on the main page of Yahoo Sports. Yahoo’s live stream doesn’t offer any DVR controls or the ability to choose which team’s announcers you’d like to hear call the game, but free baseball is free baseball.
Yahoo has posted the schedule for April, so you can check to see if your favorite team is included, or if there is a particularly good matchup worth watching. I would expect May’s schedule to appear as April draws to a close, hopefully like a lamb.
Change the Windows 10 log-in screen background – CNET
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET
You’ve probably noticed by now that Windows 10 actually has two log-in screens: The lock screen and the log-in screen. The lock screen is customizable, but the login screen — where you type your password — is not. You’re stuck with a dark blue background and a shiny, light-throwing Windows logo.
Or are you?
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET
Here’s how to change the log-in screen background from that tacky shiny Windows logo to the color of your choosing: Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen and scroll down. You should see a toggle under Show Windows background picture on the sign-in screen. Turn this toggle off and the next time you log in, you’ll see a solid color instead of the Windows logo on your log-in screen.
There’s also another fix, but it’s more complicated. If you’ve already used this fix in a previous version of Windows 10 (before update 10586), you will not see the toggle mentioned above.
Warning: This “fix” does involve editing the Windows Registry, and mis-editing the Registry can cause your computer to stop functioning. So if you are not completely comfortable editing the Registry, I recommend sticking with the default Windows 10 log-in screen for now.
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET
1. Go to Start > All apps > Windows System > Run. Type regedit in the Run textbox and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor.
2. In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Policies > Microsoft > Windows > System.
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET
3. Right-click System and click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Label this new DWORD DisableLogonBackgroundImage.
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET
4. Right-click DisableLogonBackgroundImage and click Modify.
Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET
5. Under Value data: type 1 (default will be 0). Click OK. (To switch back to the default Windows log-in screen, change this value back to 0.)
6. Press Windows key + L to lock your PC. When you login, you will see a flat color background (it will be the same color as your accent color) instead of the flashy Windows screen. If you want to change the color of this new log-in background, just go to Settings > Personalization > Colors and pick a new accent color.
Editors’ note: This How To post was originally published on August 18, 2015, and was updated on November 18, 2015, to reflect new information regarding Windows 10 Build 10586.
Kik’s new Bot Shop turns the chat app into an assistant
Messaging app Kik is giving people more chatting options with the addition of bots. Partnering with brands like Funny or Die, Sephora, and Vine, Kik Bots can find funny videos, check the weather, or give you makeup tips. To make it easy to find bots, Kik has built the Bot Shop.
From Kik:
The Bot Shop features bots from a list of our partners, including Funny Or Die, Riffsy, Sephora, Vine, and The Weather Channel, with more to come. Find laughs, watch videos, get makeup tips, see the hottest GIFs, and find out if it’s going to rain tomorrow… You can do it all on Kik. You can find the Bot Shop in Kik by tapping on the search magnifying glass, then “Find People.” On the web, you can visit bots.kik.com.
You can get started with Kik Bots in the latest version of the app, available on the Google Play Store now.
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