Google Store is offering a $75 credit when you finance more than $750 on a Pixel purchase

Paying over time can actually save you some money.

The Google Store is offering a $75 credit for people who finance more than $750 total when they buy a Pixel or Pixel XL with its zero-interest financing plan. The offer runs until June 18, and runs in tandem with the ongoing promotion that offers a free case with every Pixel XL order.

The terms are a bit convoluted, though. You have to spend $750 on one order, and as long as you make two payments on time you’ll receive a $75 credit towards the bill automatically. For the free case deal, that case also must be ordered at the same time as a Pixel XL.

Spending $750 on a Pixel XL is easy enough, but a standard Pixel order doesn’t quite hit the mark unless you go with 128GB storage and get $99 device protection — or perhaps pick up an extra cable or case at the same time. Device protection is never a bad idea though, and Google’s accessories, while pricey, are solid — so it’s not too terrible of a proposition. (Chances are that any sales tax you’re required to pay would go toward that $750 purchase threshold as well, but we’d check with Google Store support on that before making a purchase.)

Remember that since the $75 credit arrives after just a couple of billing cycles and comes in one payment, you could also theoretically just pay off your remaining balance after it has been applied. You don’t have to keep that financing account open for the full 24-month term. Just some food for thought.

Newer phones have come and taken the spotlight, but the Pixel line remains one of the best Android phones you can buy. Getting one and saving $75 isn’t horrible if you’re been looking.

See at Google

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Apple WWDC 2017: All the announcements that matter

WWDC 2017 has begun, and we’ve covered the announcements here.

Apple puts on a mostly-annual developers conference in California to showcase new software, software updates, and – sometimes – technologies that developers can leverage in order to make their apps more innovative and up to date. Apple calls this conference the Worldwide Developers Conference, and although it’s geared toward developers, consumers are invited to watch.

There’s usually a healthy dose of consumer excitement in the keynote. This year, for instance, Apple introduced a Siri-powered speaker called HomePod, a new iPad Pro with a 10.5-inch screen, watchOS 4 for Apple Watch, MacOS High Sierra for Macs, iOS 11 for iPhones and iPads, and more. In fact, here’s a round-up of all the announcements.

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When is WWDC 2017?

Apple’s WWDC 2017 conference takes places in San Jose, CA – rather than the usual city of San Francisco, CA – from 5 June to 9 June at the McEnery Convention Center. It means, for the first time, it is on the doorstep of Apple’s new Cupertino complex.

Where can you watch WWDC 2017?

Apple held its keynote address at 10am PST (6pm BST). It was available to watch online through the dedicated Apple website or the WWDC app on iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. It’s a two-hour event. We will embed the video here when it becomes available.

What happened at WWDC 2017?

iOS 11

Apple

• iOS 11 has a raft of new features, Siri gets new voice and more

Apple has announced the new version of iOS, expected for release in September. iOS 11 comes with a raft of new features. For instance, iMessages are now stored as part of iCloud, so they sync across all your devices. All your messages are stored in the cloud, but are still end-to-end encrypted for security. There are also new changes to Apple Pay, including the addition of person-to-person payments.

It works as an in-app add-on for iMessage so you can easily send payments to friends and families. Siri has a new, more natural voice and can translate from English to Chinese, French, German, Italian, etc. The Camera app improves in iOS 11, using HIEF compression for photos. They will look as good as normal JPEGs but at half the file size. Photos also now has a range of new options.

You have the ability to edit live images across the different frames, for instance. And finally, Control Center now packs all the features on one page, with sliders for volume and brightness. Then 3D touch will access individual controls, to tweak different aspects with more depth. Apple is yet to reveal the exact release date of iOS 11, but it should appear alongside the new iPhones later this “fall”.

WatchOS 4

Apple

• Apple unveils watchOS 4, new Toy Story faces and much more

Apple has revealed some of the new features coming to Apple Watch when watchOS 4 is released later this year. The company explained that there will be new watch faces, including a Siri Watch face to see relevant content, including diary notifications, and news stories. The Music app is also improved. It has been redesigned, can automatically sync music and show cover art on the screen, and more.

Apple also showed a demo of the new dock. It will show recently used apps, so you can scroll through more easily than before. New fitness features are coming too, with playlists in Music starting when a workout begins. There are many other new features too, which we’ll detail further soon. It is thought that watchOS 4 will be released in “the fall” – so a few months away yet.

MacOS High Sierra

Apple

• Apple announces major MacOS Sierra update called… High Sierra

Instead of announcing an all-new system with an all-new name, Apple announced MacOS High Sierra. It’s a major update to Sierra, which Apple announced and rolled out last year. And Apple executive Craig Federighi wasted no time telling developers that High Sierra is “fully baked”. The new macOS is about deep technology but also added some refinements, Federighi explained.

Safari is now the “world’s fastest desktop browser” with High Sierra and is going after Chrome and its upcoming ad-blocking features. Safari now offers AutoPlay blocking and no longer has intelligence tracking prevention. But one of the biggest area of refinement in High Sierra is in Photos. There’s now a persistent sidebar and a view that has all of your imports in chronological order.

Another big update announced is the new Apple File System. It’s 64-bit, from top to bottom. Other new High Sierra features involve video and graphics; for instance, it now supports the H.256 standard for video. Apple also introduced Metal 2 and Metal VR. Remember, VR and AR apps need heavy GPU power, so we’re not surprised to hear Apple announce is doubling down.

Steam VR SDK, Unity and Unreal engines are coming to the Mac as well.

Refreshed iMacs

Apple

• Apple iMac gets serious spec boost for 2017

Apple’s iMac lineup has received an almighty boost. They now have improved brightness of 500 nits and use 10-bit dithering.The processor have had a bit of a boost too. The iMacs will now be fitted with Intel’s 7th-gen Kaby Lake processors. They be specced with more memory than ever before: up to 32GB on the 21.5-inch display models and up to 64GB of memory on the 27-inch models.

Apple’s Fusion Drive storage system is now standard on all 27-inch iMacs and can be specced on the 21.5-inch models. The solid state storage drives (SSD) also now work up to 50-per cent faster and can be specced up to 2TB. Also, the entry-level 21.5-inch iMac now has Intel Iris Plus graphics, while the 21.5-inch iMac with 4K display uses discreet Radeon Pro 555 and 560 GPU processors.

The 27-inch iMac can now be specced up, too. You can get up to 8GB of VRAM, providing 5.5 teraflops of processing power, ideal for VR creation. Connections-wise, these iMacs will be gifted with two USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt 3. They are now available. The 21.5-inch iMac will start at $1,099, while the 21.5-inch with 4K display is $1,299, and the 27-inch with 4K display starts at $1,799.

iMac Pro

Apple

• Apple reveals the iMac Pro, its most powerful Mac ever

Not content with updating the regular line of iMac all-in-one computers, Apple’s also super-charging the iMac for professionals. The iMac Pro takes things to the next level with a huge amount of power. It comes in Space Grey and is based on the 27-inch 5K iMac design. The starting configuration equips you with an 8-core Xeon, but there will be options for 10-core or 18-core versions too.

It’s not just the CPU that’s ramped up, but it will be equipped with the new Radeon Vega GPUs, offering up to 16GB of vRAM. Apple said this is the most powerful Mac that it’s ever made. Of course this $4,999 machine isn’t pitched at the average consumer, it’s for those who want develop in the VR environment for that new VR support. Apple said it will be available from December 2017.

HTC Vive

Apple

• HTC Vive coming to Apple Mac, VR-friendly at last

HTC has confirmed that its virtual reality headset, the HTC Vive, will soon be compatible with Mac. Apple revealed that it is adding Steam VR support to High Sierra, its new version of MacOS to be released this coming “fall”, and that means it will be possible to use a Mac to control virtual reality experiences. It has been a PC exclusive so far. Demos of HTC Vive support were shown during WWDC.

iPad Pro 10.5-inch

Apple

• Apple introduces a new iPad Pro with a larger 10.5-inch screen

This iPad follows another new iPad from earlier this year. Called iPad, that device is 9.7 inches. It replaced the iPad Air 2 and starts at $329. Apple said it “take everything you love about the 9.7 inch and give you a whole lot more to love”. It looks like an iPad Pro, but with a larger 10.5-inch Retina display and reduced bezels. It weighs 1 pound, but it’s 20-per cent larger.

It allows for a full-size onscreen keyboard, and a full-sized physical keyboard you can attach. It also comes with a feature called ProMotion, which doubles the refresh rate to 120Hz and supports HDR Video. And its True Tone technology is 50-per cent brighter, Apple said. The new iPad Pro is powered by the A10X six-core CPU, too, with a 12-core GPU included. Cameras have also been upgraded .

It has a 12-megapixel camera on the back and a front-facing 7-megapixel FaceTime camera. It also has an embedded Touch ID sensor, LTE model option, 64GB of standard memory, an improved four-speaker sound system, and support for the Smart Connector and Apple Pencil. Oh, and the new iPad Pro uses Lightning, not USB-C. It is available for preorder now with a starting price of $649.99.

HomePod

Apple

• Apple’s HomePod Siri-enabled speaker is real

Apple has announced its own music system in the form of the HomePod speaker. It will be released later this year, but the company revealed a sneak peek during its keynote. The HomePod is designed to take on the Amazon Echo in smart functionality, but it also systems like Sonos in audio quality. It has a seven-beam forming tweeter array to fill a room multi-directionally, plus a 4-inch woofer.

The speaker is controlled by Apple’s A8 processor. This enables many features, such as multi-channel echo cancellation and separation. However, its the smart functionality, combined with Siri voice control (“Hey Siri”) and Apple Music, which, using six microphones around the circumference, streams tracks using plenty of contextual phrases. It can also, set reminders and timers and find out news, etc.

Apple’s HomePod will come in white and black, and as it comes with HomeKit built into the device, it works to control smart appliances around your home even when you just interact with your iPhone from another location. It’ll cost $349 and will ship in the US, UK, and Australia from December.

App Store

Apple

• Apple App Store completely redesigned with new daily recommendations

Apple has announced that it is redesigning the App Store as part of iOS 11, to be released later this year. It has a cleaner, simpler look on phone with separate Music app-style tabs separating content. There is an all-new Today tab, which shows new games and apps recommended for that day only. You can also see other days’ content just by scrolling down. There are also new tabs for Games.

The App Store will showcase a selection of the latest games, present gameplay videos and tips, and list popular games and in-app purchases. Apps also gets its own tab and is like Games. Every app and every game gets a new product page on the store with all new features and a friendly design. Apple also announced at WWDC 2017 that Monument Valley 2 is now available on the App Store.

Amazon Video

Apple

• Amazon and Apple finally playing nicely, Amazon Video coming to Apple TV

After several rumours suggesting it was happening, Apple has confirmed that itself and Amazon have finally settled some differences, as Amazon’s Video app will make its way to Apple TV later this year. Amazon Video is the last major video app missing from Apple TV, not including All 4 and ITV Hub, and its addition would make the Apple TV a more attractive option as a set-top box.

Want to know more?

Tune into Pocket-lint’s Apple hub for the latest news and analysis.

Apple iPad Pro 10.5 preview: A new iPad brings new tricks

Apple continues to find new reasons for users to want to upgrade their aging iPads, as the company looks to appeal to the pro user even more.

Announcing a new version of the iPad Pro at the start of its developer’s conference, WWDC, the newly announced iPad Pro 10.5 will come with a much brighter, bigger display, but not overly changed too much in size, thanks to changes to the design.

iPad Pro 10.5 design

At a distance, the new 10.5-inch model looks similar in design terms to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch screen models. However, it now features a much thinner bezel, allowing the company to create a device that is not overly large in comparison.

The new design is slightly heavier than the previous 9.7-inch model, as you would expect, but in the hand, the weight difference is barely noticeable. It’s still a very thin, very light device that is well balanced.

Pocket-lint

The increased size means it is still going to happily slip into a bag in the same way users of the 9.7-inch model have come to expect, and the new thinner bezel doesn’t affect holding the tablet.  

Of course, it is not just about a bigger display; the iPad Pro 10.5 gets a number of new enhancements in terms of power, cameras, software, and accessories, and that display isn’t just larger, but more capable, too, thanks to the introduction of a new technology called ProMotion.

The iPad Pro ProMotion display

Claimed by Apple as the most “advanced iPad display yet”, it is certainly bright, crisp, and clear. Adding to other buzz tech words used by Apple like its True Tone tech, ProMotion delivers a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz based on what you are doing on screen at the time.

In technical terms, that means that if you are viewing fast moving motion, you get the improved screen refresh rate to make things “buttery smooth”, but view something more static, and the iPad doesn’t need to over exert itself and therefore doesn’t gobble battery power either.

The technology isn’t just for high-octane, action-packed movies or video games, but it’s used all the time to do everything from make web scrolling smoother or app graphics better, and you can tell Apple is clearly hoping the improvements will appeal to those who want to push the iPad way beyond just watching the latest box set on Netflix or reading an email.

Better performance

A new model means more power. The 10.5-inch version gets the same two front and rear cameras from the iPhone 7, a new A10X fusion processor, and bigger storage options starting from 64GB and going all the way up to 512GB.

We weren’t able to really give the device a run for its money during our hands-on time after the keynote, but what we did see at this stage gave us no reason for concern.

Apps loaded fast, graphic demos for images, videos, and AR were smooth, and overall things look as impressive, if not more impressive, than what we’ve seen previously on the two current iPad Pro models.

iOS 11

Although the iPad Pro 10.5 is out in June, it will still come with iOS 10 to start with before iOS 11 eventually launches in the “fall”.

The latest operating system update from Apple features a number of new features, but in particular a number aimed at really “super-charging” the iPad for pro users, including a new dock, switching options, and a new app called Files. The changes look to make a huge difference and will compel the question of whether you even need to bother with a laptop in the future. 

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App switching, although looking complicated for the novice user, should make a huge difference for power users, and that, combined with a number of other features coming to the iOS, will only look to make things even better when it comes out later in the year.

We look forward to testing the new software when it’s updated first with the public beta at the end of June and then when it’s out in “September”. 

Accessories

The new iPad gets Apple’s usual array of cases and smart keyboards. The new size means the iPad Pro keyboard is now “full size”, which means typing isn’t so squished, while the introduction of a new smart case gives you a slot to store the Apple Pencil so you don’t lose it in the void of your bag.

Pocket-lint

First Impressions

The iPad Pro 10.5 looks like a lovely tablet. The enhanced speed, bigger screen, and eventually, new software options make this a worthy addition to the iPad Pro range – and one that is unlikely to disappoint. 

We’ve yet to properly live with the iPad Pro 10.5 to see whether the addition of the ever-so-slightly bigger screen makes a difference over the 9.7-inch version (which is now discontinued), but we suspect it will make multitasking so much easier.

This isn’t a drop-everything-and-upgrade solution, but if you’ve held off going Pro before, this is certainly going to appeal to many looking to their iPad to do much more than when it was first announced in 2010. 

Legacy ports on a MacBook Pro will cost you $1,999

Give our regards to anyone still clutching a four-pin USB cable out there: Apple is slowly winnowing down its MacBook Pro line and eliminating the remaining machines built with anything other than USB-C Thunderbolt ports. After Monday’s WWDC 2017 keynote, the low-end 13-inch, non-Retina, non-TouchBar MacBook disappeared from the Apple Store. That leaves the aging MacBook Air or the $1,999 previous-generation 15-inch MacBook Pro as the only Apple notebooks that won’t need a dongle to charge your iPhone.

If you’re willing to keep your machine plugged in, on the other hand, Apple’s most powerful computer yet actually comes with four USB 3, four USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and a 10-gigabit hardline ethernet jack, for all your various peripheral and backwards-compatible gear needs. It will not, however, fit in your laptop bag.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

The iPad is now the best Apple device for music

Apple unveiled a larger entry-level iPad Pro. At 10.5 inches, folks that love working on a touchscreen are going to be ecstatic to have all that extra real estate. Plus, with iOS 11 coming this fall with its fancy multi-tasking and customizable dock, it’ll much easier to convince your friends that you don’t need an actual laptop to get your work done. But in addition to a larger display and more memory, the iPad kept something that your iPhone lost last fall, the headphone jack.

In fact, the entire iPad line still has the most universally used port in the world to deliver music to your ears. Wanna jam to some Apple Music radio stations with your dope new Grados without a dongle, you’re set.

Maybe Apple realizes that the really busy people that work on the iPad Pro don’t have time to go searching in their bag for a dongle whenever they want to listen to Apple executive Dr Dre’s seminal album Chronic while toggling between apps. Have you ever tried to put together a presentation without listening to “Let Me Ride?” It’s impossible.

So, even though the iPhone is touted by Apple as the best portable music solution, it’s the iPad that keeps the headphone jack, and headphone lovers happy. Maybe it’s because the iPad has way more room inside its shell to accommodate the port. The iPhone is tiny. Well smaller. It’s tough getting all the parts in there even though Apple accomplished that feat up until the iPhone 7.

But remember, the iPhone got a battery life bump after killing the headphone jack. Of course using a Bluetooth headset sort of displaces that gain in energy storage. Buy hey, dongles!

When it comes down to it, removing the audio port from the iPhone remains an odd choice from a company that ended its WWDC keynote highlighting the importance of music to its history.

So plug your new iPad into anything music related. It’s your new digital jukebox that works everywhere and with everything. Hell, you can even use Bluetooth audio. Of course, it’s going to be tough to shove that huge display into your pocket, but you’ll figure it out. All it takes is a little shoving and something else… I forget the word.. Courage? Nah, that’s not it. Oh well, enjoy your tunes.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

The 15-inch MacBook Pro: What’s changed?

It’s been only seven months and nine days since Apple unveiled its first MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, and we’re already looking at a refresh. It’s not a redesign, so we need to peek under the hood to see what’s been souped up or tweaked. The big change is the addition of Kaby Lake, Intel’s latest generation processor. However, the amount of RAM remains the same, which is unfortunate for anyone hoping for a boost past 16GB. Check out the chart below to see if this upgrade is worth your time or if you’ll be just fine with last year’s model.

Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (2017)
Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (2016)
Price
$2,399 / $2,799
$2,399 / $2,799
Dimensions
13.75 x 9.48 x 0.61 inches (349.3 x 240.7 x 15.5 mm)
13.75 x 9.48 x 0.61 inches (349.3 x 240.7 x 15.5 mm)
Weight
4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)
4.02 pounds (1.83 kg)
OS
macOS Sierra
macOS Sierra
Display
15.4-inch IPS LED
15.4-inch IPS LED
Resolution
2,880 x 1,800 (220 ppi)
2,880 x 1,800 (220 ppi)
Processor
Intel Core i7 (2.8 GHz) / Core i7 (2.9 GHz)
Intel Core i7 (2.6 GHz) / Core i7 (2.7 GHz)
Memory
16 GB
16 GB
Graphics
Radeon Pro 555, Intel HD Graphics 630 / Radeon Pro 560, Intel HD Graphics 630
Radeon Pro 450, Intel HD Graphics 530 / Radeon Pro 455, Intel HD Graphics 530
Storage
256 / 512 GB SSD
256 / 512 GB SSD
Ports
Thunderbolt 3 (x4)
Thunderbolt 3 (x4)
Wireless
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2
Battery
76 WHr, 10 hours
76 WHr, 10 hours

* Specs listed are for default configurations and do not include upgrade options available at checkout.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

The iPad looks like the future of the MacBook with iOS 11

Apple hasn’t been shy about where the iPad is headed. With the traditional tablet market on the decline, the company started repositioning its slate as more of a laptop replacement with the iPad Pro a few years ago. The emphasis on a keyboard accessory and stylus, Apple’s Pencil, evoked Microsoft’s Surface strategy, but it also seemed inevitable. The iPad is getting more powerful every year, and it already does most of the things a typical consumer would want out of a laptop.

Now with iOS 11, the iPad looks even more like something that could eventually replace Apple’s MacBooks. Or, at the very least, it hints at a world where the two devices converge.

The biggest change this time around? The iconic dock from MacOS has now made its way to iOS. You access it by swiping up from the bottom of the iPad’s screen, allowing you to quickly switch between running apps. You can also drag an app up from the dock to be used side-by-side with whatever you’re running. It’s not exactly a surprising approach to the task switching dilemma on tablets, but it’s a useful one nonetheless.

Apple is also finally relenting and giving us full access to our documents on iOS with the creatively named Files app. It works a lot like the Finder on MacOS, letting you view everything on your device at a glance. As you’d expect, you can drag and drop files into other apps easily. The Files app also ties into cloud storage solutions like Dropbox, Google Drive and Box.

For years, Apple has touted the lack of a file system on iOS as a benefit for consumers. But while that might have been true when it was just a simple mobile OS, it’s harder to make that case when you’re pushing iOS as a platform meant to replace traditional laptops. Similarly, Apple couldn’t shy away from the fact that the mere act of multi-tasking on iOS was a pain, so it had bring over the dock to appease consumers.

Apple

While Microsoft is pushing Windows 10 as a single platform that can run across multiple devices, including phones, tablets and PCs, Apple has so far kept iOS and MacOS apart. Sure, we’ve seen some features and design elements from iOS make its way over to its desktop sibling, but there’s still no support for things like touchscreen displays and styluses on Macs. There’s a certain noble purity in keeping its platforms apart, but that leaves Apple’s users in a bind if they simply want a traditional laptop with a touchscreen. Their only option right now? Buy a Windows laptop (or even more sacrilegious, buy a Surface).

At this point, it seems more likely we’ll see a MacBook powered by iOS, rather than MacOS getting multitouch support. It’s the quickest way for Apple to catch up with some of the features PCs have offered for years. That’s particularly noticeable with all of the new Pencil features, like easy screenshot annotation, which mimic plenty of Windows Ink capabilities.

And if you really think about it, MacOS hasn’t really changed much design-wise over the past decade. It would simply be out of character for Apple to bolt entirely new interface paradigms onto MacOS just because Windows is doing it.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!

Surprise! The HomePod actually sounds incredible

“Hey Siri, what’s the weather like?”

That was the first of many questions I asked the HomePod Apple installed in the corner of its WWDC demo area, and the answer was the same each time: silence. Sure, the hazy light on top of the speaker ebbed and flowed — that doesn’t mean it understood anything I was saying. Spokespeople quickly clarified that this was a non-functional demo unit, but I did eventually hear one next to a Sonos PLAY:3 and an original Amazon Echo. Musically, it blew them both out of the water.

But first, it’s worth discussing the HomePod’s design. It looks almost exactly the way countless leaks and reports suggested: It’s a short, rounded cylinder covered in a fine fabric mesh with a blinky light on top. In fact, it bears a certain similarity to the Mac Pro, a beautiful tube of a PC that hasn’t been updated in three years. More importantly though, it looks like a speaker. The Echo, meanwhile, looks like a tube, and Google Home could be mistaken for an air freshener.

Chris Velazco/Engadget

The HomePod’s looks seem to emphasize its functionality as a speaker first, and an intelligent assistant second. That’s probably not a surprise considering the way Apple talked about it on-stage — Phil Schiller referred to the machine more as a “breakthrough home speaker” rather than the avatar of a virtual assistant. That’s almost certainly because Siri isn’t ready for it yet, but Schiller wasn’t wrong. The existing crop of intelligent home assistants sort of suck at audio.

The HomePod however, sounded crisp and bright no matter the musical genre fed through it — it rendered The Eagles as well it did Kendrick Lamar. As a reminder, there’s a huge woofer and seven tweeters inside, all meant to make audio sound as vivid as possible no matter where you are in a room. It works. The PLAY:3 was generally very good, but audio felt remarkably closed off when I wasn’t sitting right in front of it. (Note: It’s unclear whether the PLAY:3 was tuned using Sonos’ Trueplay technology, which can make a big difference in sound quality.)

And the Echo? Well, I’ll put it this way: if listening to the HomePod was like listening to a CD, then audio through the Echo sounded like AM radio. In my experience it’s excellent for audiobooks, but if given the choice, I’d rather have the HomePod pump out my jams.

It’ll be a while before the HomePod official goes on sale, but right now it has one clear edge over the competition: it’s just a killer speaker. It’s important to note that we have no idea how the virtual assistant angle works, though — Alexa in her current form is very capable, and Google Assistant is getting more sophisticated by the day. We know Siri is getting some more elegant voices, but we’ll have to see if how it makes the leap into this new body before rendering a final verdict.

Russian intelligence agents targeted US voting-software company

Russia’s military intelligence agency infiltrated a US voting-software company and conducted a phishing campaign targeting more than 100 local elections officials, according to top-secret National Security Agency documents published by The Intercept. The cyberattacks occurred in the months and days before the US presidential election in November.

The US intelligence community concluded in January that top Russian authorities directed a hacking campaign against the US election infrastructure, including launching cyberattacks against the Democratic National Committee and the staff of candidate Hillary Clinton. The NSA documents published today offer a glimpse into how Russia actually attempted to infiltrate US elections systems, and what kind of information agents were interested in manipulating. The report does not state whether these attacks directly affected the results of the election.

The NSA said Russian hackers sent phishing emails in August to employees of a private US company that builds polling-place sign-in software. It was unclear whether this phishing attempt worked, though the agency concluded it likely compromised at least one account, considering there were subsequent attacks.

“The actors were probably trying to obtain information associated with election-related hardware and software applications,” the NSA report reads.

The company isn’t named, though as The Intercept notes, the report mentions EViD, a product used by Florida-based voting-software vendor VR Systems. EViD is “is a network of electronic devices at voting sites communicating with each other and with the county’s voter registration system,” the company says. EViD accesses information including voter registration status, name and address. VR Systems has contracts in California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The hackers then set up an email account in the targeted company’s name and sent two trojan-riddled Microsoft Word documents to 122 local government officials and organizations. This was likely around November 1st, the report reads.

“Given the content of the malicious email it was likely that the threat actor was targeting officials involved in the management of voter registration systems,” the report says.

If someone opened one of the infected documents, it would trigger the invisible installation of additional malware that allows the hackers to constantly, quietly access the breached computer. The NSA says it’s unclear whether this phishing campaign hooked anyone.

Russian intelligence agents toyed around with two additional hacking campaigns around the same time, one aimed at another US election company and the other targeting the American Samoa Election Office. These attacks appear to have stalled out and their associated email accounts deleted.

JUST IN: FBI has arrested and charged the woman they say leaked a Top Secret document to The Intercept, federal official tells NBC News.

— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 5, 2017

As The Intercept’s NSA documents made their way across the internet today, so did reports that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was bringing charges against the person who leaked the top-secret report. The FBI has arrested government contractor Reality Leigh Winner on charges she unlawfully printed and shared top-secret information with a news outlet.

“The US Government Agency examined the document shared by the News Outlet and determined the pages of the intelligence reporting appeared to be folded and/or creased, suggesting they had been printed and hand-carried out of a secured space,” the affidavit reads. The agency noted six people had printed out the report at the office, and just one of them, Winner, had sent an email to the news outlet itself. Winner admitted to the leak, according to the affidavit.

Source: The Intercept

Watch Apple’s WWDC 2017 keynote in 15 minutes

What’s that? You weren’t able to sit through nearly three hours of Apple news earlier today as the company kicked off this year’s installment of WWDC? No worries. We’ve condensed all of the watchOS, macOS, iOS, MacBook, iMac and iPad news into a convenient 15-minute clip. And yes, we made room for that newfangled Siri speaker, the HomePod. Sit back, relax, and catch up on what you missed without sacrificing a of couple hours to the task.

Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!