U.S. Drops New York Case Against Apple After Unlocking iPhone Without Assistance

The U.S. Justice Department dropped its fight to get Apple to help it unlock an iPhone in a New York drug case after someone provided the device’s passcode to authorities. In a letter to the judge, obtained by BuzzFeed News, prosecutors explained they no longer needed Apple’s assistance.

The government respectfully submits this letter to update the Court and the parties. Yesterday evening, an individual provided the passcode to the iPhone at issue in this case. Late last night, the government used that passcode by hand and gained access to the iPhone. Accordingly, the government no longer needs Apple’s assistance to unlock the iPhone, and withdraws its application.

In a statement, also procured by BuzzFeed News, Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Pierce said the case was never about setting a precedent, but instead about law enforcement’s “ability and need to access evidence on devices pursuant to lawful court orders and search warrants.” Pierce said that now that they have access to the data they wanted they no longer need any help.

Last week, Apple filed a refusal to help the Department of Justice unlock the phone at the center of the New York case, claiming that the government had not yet exhausted all other means of getting the data. Apple argued that the government should have provided evidence it exhausted all other options before asking Apple for help. Additionally, Apple said the FBI did not adequately demonstrate that the method it used to unlock San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook’s iPhone would not work on the iPhone in the New York case.

In late February, U.S. Magistrate Judge James Ornstein ruled that the FBI lacked the legal authority to order Apple to hack the New York iPhone. The U.S. Justice Department filed an appeal in March, and Apple responded with a denial last week.

The New York case dates back to October 2015, with the FBI seeking to access data from an iPhone 5s belonging to Brooklyn drug dealer Jun Feng. Although the FBI used “hackers” to access Syed Farook’s iPhone 5c, FBI Director James Comey says the method does not work on the iPhone 5s or later. Feng’s iPhone 5s is running iOS 7, which Apple does have the means to access, but the company is refusing to do after taking a harder stance on customer privacy and encryption.

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.

Tag: Apple-FBI
Discuss this article in our forums

Samsung Galaxy S8: What we want to see

Samsung announced the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge at Mobile World Congress in March. The two devices have received huge amounts of praise for their designs, powerful specs and great cameras.

No smartphone is perfect though. There will always be a few specs in the rumours that never see the light of day, leaving some disappointed and wanting more.

Rumours are few and far between for the Samsung Galaxy S8 just yet but it’s likely they will pick up soon, even if it’s probably going to be nearly a year before the smartphone is officially announced. That doesn’t mean we can’t start speculating ourselves though, so here is what we hope to see and what we think might appear on Samsung’s 2017 flagship.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Release date

If Samsung follows previous release patterns, chances are we will see the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 edge launch at Mobile World Congress next year.

The show takes place from 27 February to 2 March 2016, which would mean the potential launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S8 could be 26 February. Of course, Samsung might change everything up for the S8, but for now, an educated guess would suggest this is the date to pencil in the diary.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Design

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge followed their predecessors closely when it came to their design. A couple of refinements were made, including reducing the rear camera bump in comparison to the S6 and S6 edge but on the whole, the new flagships are largely the same on the surface.

We’d expect the Samsung Galaxy S8 to change things up a little bit more in the design department in comparison to what the S7 and S7 edge did. What that will be is difficult to say at the moment, given it’s months and months away but there are a couple of things we’d like to see.

As USB Type-C was missed off the S7 and S7 edge spec list, we’d expect to see them on board the the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge and we wouldn’t be surprised to see improvements in the audio. Both LG and HTC have made moves in this area in their recent handsets so it would be an obvious feature for Samsung to focus on for its next flagship to keep in line with competition.

We’d love to see the S8 slim down a little and it would be interesting to see what an all metal build would offer compared to metal and glass.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Display

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge both offer Quad HD displays for pixel densities of 575ppi and 534ppi, respectively.

The S7 has a 5.1-inch size while the S7 edge has a 5.5-inch size and we wouldn’t expect this to change for the S8, at least not by much. We might see the screen to body ratios improve slightly, but in terms of size, we’d expect the same as the S7 and S7 edge, assuming two handsets are announced of course.

Resolution might increase though. With VR becoming more and more popular, higher resolution displays are more important. The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium might be expensive, but if you’re into smartphone-controlled VR, its 4K display offers a great experience. As Samsung is already in the VR business, it would make sense to offer a compatible device with a higher resolution display for the Gear VR or any further VR devices.

Let’s just hope that if the resolution is increased for the S8 and S8 edge that battery life wouldn’t be compromised.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge feature a 12-megaixel rear camera with an aperture of f/1.7 and larger 1.44µm pixels. The front-facing camera is 5-megapixels, also with a f/1.7 aperture and both are fantastic.

Samsung pulled it out of the bag with the S6 and S6 edge when it came to the camera, improving the capability for the S7 and S7 edge. Chances are we will see further improvements for the S8 and S8 edge. We’d like to see OIS on the front camera, following in the path of HTC with its latest flagship.

There has been a rumour to suggest the company is working on a new 1/2.3-inch sensor that will be combined with a f/1.4 aperture. This would deliver even better low-light capabilities than the current flagships but whether it will appear on the S8 or S8 edge is unclear yet. The rumours also claim Samsung’s goal is to deliver a 1/1.7-inch sensor eventually, suggesting it has no intention of stopping improvements in the camera department.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Hardware

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge arrived in two models – one of which sported the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, while the other had the Exynos Octa 8 chip inside. Both models come with 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage with microSD support for further storage expansion. There is a 3000mAh battery inside the S7 and a 3400mAh battery inside the S7 edge.

With every new flagship, comes new hardware. A faster, more powerful processor will certainly be on board the Galaxy S8 and S8 edge, and possibly a jump in RAM. The Samsung Note 6 is rumoured to be coming with 6GB of RAM so perhaps the same will apply for the S8.

It’s likely Samsung will keep microSD support on board, as it didn’t go down so well when it removed it for the S6 and S6 edge, but we’d expect the same storage solutions, or the 32GB model on its own given Marshmallow’s Flex support allows users to combine the phone’s internal storage with the storage of the SD card.

A bigger battery capacity is always welcomed, but even if the capacity itself isn’t increased for the S8 and S8 edge, we’d like to see software improvements to help with power management. Samsung already does a good job in this field but it can always be better when it comes to battery life.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Software

Samsung’s Galaxy S7 and S7 edge both feature Android 6.0 Marshmallow, overlaid with the TouchWiz software.

There are some handy features with TouchWiz, but we would still like to see some more refinement for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 edge.

Vanilla Android will probably never happen and that’s ok, but it would be great to see the best of TouchWiz on top of a close to pure Android experience. HTC launched it’s latest flagship with a refined version of Sense over Android and it works well, delivering a cleaner experience with less duplication. We’d love to see Samsung do this too for its next flagships.

Samsung Galaxy S8: Conclusion

What will appear on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 edge? Who knows at the moment. We have months of waiting to do but it would be interesting to see a change up in design, more improvements in camera capabilities and software refinements.

There is a good chance of a more powerful processor and more RAM, as well as the potential for a larger battery capacity too, as is normally the case with next-gen flagships.

We will be keeping a close eye on the rumours of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 edge as and when they appear so keep checking back for updates.

You can now try Windows Ink, and here’s how

Those of you who love to use a stylus with a touchscreen Windows 10 device will be glad to know you can now try a new experience that’ll completely change the way you input – so long as you’re fine with beta testing.

The new experience is called Windows Ink. Microsoft talked about in early April during its Build developer conference, but now it’s announcing Windows Insiders can test the “rich capabilities” of Windows Ink, including the Windows Ink Workspace. If you’re curious about Windows Ink, but are wondering how to get it, look no further. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Windows Ink?

Windows has supported styluses since the Tablet PC Edition of Windows XP, but Windows Ink is the new name for Microsoft’s pen support. It is designed to make stylus input way more useful in Windows 10. Although it won’t be out for consumers until the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft is letting beta testers in the Windows Insider program try Windows Ink starting 22 April.

The latest Windows 10 test build includes Windows Ink and the new Windows Ink Workspace, which will let you play with improved sticky notes, a sketchpad, and a new screen-sketch feature. Microsoft is also including a new ruler so you can use it to freely create shapes and objects. You can learn more about the Windows Ink Workspace in the following demo video from Microsoft:

How can you try Windows Ink?

In late April, Microsoft released the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14328 for both PC and mobile. You must be apart of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program in order to get your hands on an Insider preview build, which is basically a beta. To become a Windows Insider, all you need is a Microsoft account and a PC running Windows 10. If you have both those, you’re able to join the Insider program whenever you’re ready.

Just go to Microsoft’s Windows Insider website, sign into your Microsoft account, and click Get Started. Read the Program Agreement, and join the program. In Windows 10, open the Settings app, click Update & Security, then Windows Update. From there, select Advanced Options. Under the Get Insider Preview builds section, select Get started. Now, Windows Ink is only available to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.

One you’ve joined the Windows Insider program, you can choose from various levels (rings) of preview builds, ranging from most stable with few new features to least stable with many, rapid changes. By default, you’re assigned to the Release Preview ring, but you can switch rings at any time. Simply go to the Windows Update menu in Windows Settings, then select Advanced Options and adjust the slider at the bottom.

When will Windows Ink be available for all?

Microsoft revealed at its Build developer’s conference in early April that Windows Ink would arrive with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in summer 2016, allowing Pen users to take advantage of the technology beyond a select group of available apps, such as Maps and Sketchpad.

Log in with your skull via bone conduction biometrics

Researchers looking for a better way to secure their face computers have come up with a novel solution for hands-free, head-mounted password entry. A device could potentially identify its wearer by emitting an ultrasonic hum through their skull and listening for the unique frequency that bounces back.

The “SkullConduct” setup was devised by university researchers in Germany and works on a modified pair of Google Glass. Using the integrated bone conduction speaker and microphone, the device played an imperceptible sound that was then picked up by the microphone. A test device was able to correctly identify the user 97 percent of the time in a lab.

While the researchers originally envisioned the system as a way to keep unwanted users from accessing devices like Glass, Gizmodo thinks it could potentially be another TouchID for your skull. Imagine, if you will, a scenario where you can unlock your phone by placing it against your ear. But, then again, who actually takes phone calls anymore?

‘Tekken X Street Fighter’ is on hold for now

There’s a chance Tekken X Street Fighter will never see the light of day. Or it could, but not anytime soon. In a recent interview with GameSpot, Tekken’s game director Katsuhiro Harada revealed that development for the highly anticipated crossover is on hold until further notice. “When we develop fighting games, we try to keep the core community in mind as well as the wider audience that wants to play these games,” he explained the circumstances behind the decision.

“But currently the situation is with fighting games, you have Street Fighter V that just released — a lot of people are playing that fervently — and there’s a large crowd out there waiting or Tekken 7.” As such, he added, “We don’t want to split these communities, so a good window in which to release Tekken x Street Fighter is something that’s become difficult recently. So it’s on hold for the moment.”

While Harada’s comments don’t necessarily mean the title won’t be released in the future, they’re also not reassuring to fans who have been waiting for the game. That said, there is hope for Tekken X Street Fighter. “It might seem like we haven’t started on it at all, but the character lineup has been decided upon since a very long time ago,” he told GameSpot. “And we’ve already finished the polygon models, moves, and systems.”

Source: GameSpot

HTC 10 to reportedly hit Australian shores on May 3 with a hefty price tag

Australian HTC fans may not have to wait long to get their hands on the company’s latest, the HTC 10. According to a report by Ausdroid, citing anonymous sources, HTC’s latest may arrive in the Land Down Under on May 3.

As far as price is concerned, the HTC 10 may set you back a pretty penny. From Ausdroid:

Further, we know that the recommended retail pricing for the HTC 10 will be $1,080, which puts it approximately $100 less than Samsung’s Galaxy S7, and almost $200 clear of the Galaxy S7 Edge.

It’s unclear what that pricing may look like once carrier deals are involved, but we should know more soon if this report holds true. And, as with all reports of this nature, take these details with a grain of salt — nothing is official until HTC says so. Still, if you’re waiting patiently for HTC’s latest, you have a potential date to look toward.

HTC 10

• HTC 10 review
• HTC 10 specs
• These are the HTC 10 colors
• Our first photo and video samples
• Meet the Ice View case
• Join our HTC 10 forums

HTC
Verizon

Minecraft-maker Mojang just released this free strategy game on Steam

Microsoft-owned Mojang has surprised everyone by simultaneously announcing and releasing a new game.

The Swedish game studio, which Microsoft acquired in 2014 for about $2.5 billion, has a new title called Crown and Council, as well as a new launch trailer on YouTube to promote it. According to the video’s caption, this is how the game is described: “Originally a jam game, Crown and Council is a casual strategy game of geopolitical drama. Conquer, expand, build and develop your kingdom, until all your foes are crushed!”

According to The Verge, only one member of the Mojang team – Henrik Pettersson – developed Crown and Council, which looks kind of like a pixelated version of Civilization. The idea behind the game is that you must acquire land, raise money, build a military, and create your empire. It’s now available on Steam, where Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, said it “relied on procedural generation for the 75 included maps”.

Mojang

The generator is built into the game, Mojang added, and you can generate new maps “on the fly”. This strategy game is all about conquering land and defeating rival monarchs, and it’s absolutely free to download from Steam.

It requires a machine running Windows 7 and up. 

Some of the greenest gadgets for Earth Day

Most of us know how we can be friendlier to the environment: we can drive less, recycle more, and bring tote bags to the grocery store. But what most people don’t realize is that we can make green choices when it comes to consumer electronics too. Thanks to rising environmental standards, it’s easier than ever to buy gadgets that won’t leave a huge carbon footprint. In honor of Earth Day, we present to you a list of some of the greenest products you can buy today.

Step inside the artistic algorithms of ‘No Man’s Sky’

Even if you haven’t played it yet, one thing is clear about No Man’s Sky: It’s stunning. The entire game hinges on the idea of procedural generation on a massive scale, meaning when artists at Hello Games create a patch of grass or a fluffy animal tail, these elements are mixed and matched in nearly infinite combinations across the entire in-game universe. But, it isn’t all left to random chance — there are complex algorithms working behind the scenes to make sure every planet is aesthetically pleasing in some sense. Controlled chaos, if you will.

“We have a really complex kind of color theory system so they all obey rules, like leaves having complimentary colors compared to the grass and things like that,” art director Grant Duncan says in a new video. “And the same goes for silhouettes. So, if a planet’s very hot, we’ll have things like everything becomes a little bit more dried out or you’ll get more sharp shapes.”

As players journey toward the center of No Man’s Sky’s universe, the creatures and landscapes will become more “unsettling,” Duncan says. That sense of discovery and weirdness is a main feature that will drive players through the game — not that Hello Games expects anyone to actually reach the center of No Man’s Sky’s universe.

Source: PlayStation on YouTube

Bank of America now supports Android’s fingerprint scanner

Sure, smartphone fingerprint scanners like Apple’s Touch ID and Google’s Nexus Imprint help keep your phone more secure. But they also make it easier to log into various apps or make purchases without having to type an unwieldy password into your phone. That’s why we’re glad to see the Bank of America app add support for Android Marshmallow’s native fingerprint recognition APIs. This means that Nexus 5X and 6P owners can now log into their bank accounts with their fingerprint, a feature that was previously reserved for Samsung phones with a fingerprint sensor.
This also means that future phones with fingerprint scanners should be able to take advantage of the feature easily, without Bank of America needing to rewrite or release a new app to support them. If you want to give it a shot, the updated app is live now in the Google Play Store.

Via: Android Police

Source: Google Play