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UK spies collected journalists' email as part of a test
Want to know why many people don't like it when governments call for an end to encrypted communication? Here's why. A new round of Edward Snowden leaks at The Guardian has revealed that the intelligence agents at Britain's GCHQ collected email from major news outlets (including the BBC, Le Monde, the New York Times and the Washington Post) in 2008 while testing a system that stripped out data irrelevant to searches. While it's not clear that the agency singled out the press during the test, there's no indication that it got rid of the messages, either.
Hungary needs cash, so it wants to tax internet traffic
It's probably a good thing that Google got its Street View surveil of Hungary in when it did, because a new tax being proposed could make internet traffic in the country more expensive. A tax bill draft sent to parliament could impose a 150 forints fee (about $0.62) per each gigabyte transferred. Hungarian politicians are defending this move by saying that because of the way telecommunications have changed, so does how they need to be taxed. Estimates for the proposed income? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 billion forints, according to Reuters.
National Federation of the Blind: "Apple has done more for accessibility than any other company to date"
The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) recently passed a resolution calling upon Apple to work even more diligently to foster an app development environment where accessibility features are not discarded or diminished when an app is updated. In the wake of this resolution, Reuters took the news and ran with it in a bizarre direction. In a rather misleading article titled "Advocates for blind, deaf want more from Apple," Christina Farr paints a story where Apple and the NFB are at odds. In the process, Farr included a incomplete, and again, misleading quote from Apple's Tim Cook while also claiming -- erroneously -- that the NFB sued Apple in 2008. The Reuters article attracted quite a bit of attention, prompting NFB President Mark A Riccobono to pen a letter this past Friday wherein he clears up any misunderstanding resulting from the Reuters article. Suffice it to say, Riccobono was none too pleased with the Reuters piece, calling it a "provocative and poorly reported article." Indeed, he notes that Reuters was forced to correct the assertion that it had once sued Apple. Riccobono's letter reads in part: Apple has done more for accessibility than any other company to date, and we have duly recognized this by presenting the company with at least two awards (including our annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award) and publicly praising it whenever the opportunity arises. We do not want to needlessly antagonize a company that has been such an outstanding accessibility champion. Nevertheless, inaccessible apps continue to proliferate, and blind users cannot update the apps on their iPhones without anxiety. All in all, the NFB's stance is well balanced and reasoned: While the NFB appreciates all that Apple has done thus far, it wants to continue working with the company in an effort to make even more improvements going forward. Hardly the controversial or tense relationship that the Reuters article attempted to portray. On a related note, a listing of accessibility feature Apple currently supports for iOS can be found here.
TrueCrypt development stopped amid a cloud of mystery
Last Wednesday the SourceForge page for popular open-source disk encryption software TrueCrypt started recommending the use of BitLocker on Windows instead. Visitors were told that the application was "not secure" anymore. Of course, social networks exploded with speculation, with people claiming the page was hacked or that the government, using a National Security Letter, might be requesting "changes" on the software. The truth is much more mundane: a developer of TrueCrypt confirmed to Reuters that it had been shut down out of boredom. Security researcher Steve Gibson said that after 10 years of work, the developers simply got tired of the project.
The TUAW Daily Update Podcast for May 12, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
BlackBerry's about money first, phones second (and that's just fine)
BlackBerry's future as a phonemaker came into question yesterday when Reuters reported that CEO John Chen would consider selling its handset division. Naturally, the company sought to set the record straight... with a blog post from Chen himself published earlier today. "I want to assure you that I have no intention of selling off or abandoning this business any time soon," he wrote, noting that his comments were taken out of context. So what exactly did he mean? Chen quietly crashed a reporter's roundtable with BlackBerry enterprise chief John Sims this morning (apparently in search of a cup of coffee) -- here's what he told us about the Reuters interview and the future of BlackBerry's phones.
NSA reportedly cracks down on staff who thought it was okay to share their logins with Edward Snowden
In a slightly ironic twist for the National Security Agency, Reuters reports that as many as 25 members of its staff have been "removed from their assignments" because they shared their private passwords with Edward Snowden while he worked there. A number of government offices are currently trying to find out just how Snowden got hold of so much confidential data, and sources close to those investigations now claim that the PRISM whistleblower used his position as a systems admin to dupe colleagues into handing over their passwords. It's not clear whether the NSA staff involved in the breach have been fired or re-assigned, but if the allegations are true then there are likely to be some red faces at the agency once the various investigations reach their conclusions, because such a large-scale failure by supposedly highly-trained staff would implicate the NSA's systems and practices, rather than just a few naive individuals.
Reuters profiles Tim Cook
On August 24, 2011, Tim Cook assumed the CEO role at Apple. Now, about two years later, Reuters has an interesting profile up detailing Cook's management style and the ways in which Apple has changed and stayed the same under his command. Described as a hardworking and "even-keeled" executive, people close to Cook tell Reuters that the Apple CEO can actually be quite funny and charming in smaller group settings. Indeed, while Cook's public persona may easily be described as stoic and serious, he has shown a lot more of his personality and wit in recent one-on-one interviews. One thing that has never been in dispute is that Cook, who Jobs once described as a "cool customer," has a completely different management style than Jobs. Reuters reports: In the day to day at Apple, Cook has established a methodical, no-nonsense style, one that's as different as could be from that of his predecessor. Jobs' bi-monthly iPhone software meeting, in which he would go through every planned feature of the company's flagship product, is gone. "That's not Tim's style at all," said one person familiar with those meetings. "He delegates." Still, he has a tough side. In meetings, Cook is so calm as to be nearly unreadable, sitting silently with hands clasped in front of himself. Any change in the constant rocking of his chair is one sign subordinates look for: when he simply listens, they're heartened if there is no change in the pace of his rocking. "He could skewer you with a sentence," the person said. "He would say something along the lines of 'I don't think that's good enough' and that would be the end of it and you would just want to crawl into a hole and die." While Cook may not be prone to unleash swear-word-laden tirades, he -- like Jobs -- has no problem demanding perfection and acting decisively when those standards aren't met. For instance, recall that Cook was quick to let go of Scott Forstall in the wake of the controversy surrounding the release of Apple's homegrown Maps app. Rumor has it that the final straw was when Forstall refused to add his name in an apology letter Cook penned to Apple's customers. In any event, one thing that you have to give Cook credit for is that he's not blindly following in the footsteps of Jobs. With Cook running the show, Apple has been more transparent about its supply chain and environmental practices. Furthermore, Apple, under Cook, also began issuing quarterly dividend payments, something Jobs was seemingly reluctant to do. The full Reuters profile on Cook doesn't add anything shocking to Apple's current narrative, but provides some interesting insights into the mindset and management style of the typically private and low-key Cook. It's well worth checking out.
China Mobile, iPhone deal hindered by commercial, technical issues
China Mobile is the world's largest mobile carrier, and for Apple, the company represents a way to revive slumping sales in its second largest market. While both companies would benefit from having the iPhone on China Mobile's network, a number of commercial and technical issues have made that impossible. However, those barriers may be coming down in the near future, paving the way for Apple's flagship smartphone to run on the China Mobile network. The main technical issue facing Apple is that existing iPhones cannot work on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA 3G networks, nor can they operate on the rather rare TD-LTE 4G networks that the carrier is planning to deploy. As for the commercial issue, it's simple -- China Mobile doesn't want to commit to the cost of marketing and subsidizing sales of the iPhone. Both issues may be resolved if Apple introduces a new, lower-cost iPhone for emerging markets on September 10. The company is expected to be using new Qualcomm chips in the next-generation iPhones that can operate on just about any network, keeping Apple from having to create a special line of iPhones just for China Mobile. In addition, a lower-cost iPhone would make subsidies much more palatable to China Mobile, a company that desperately needs data-hungry smartphone users to pump up its revenues. Net profit for China Mobile has only risen 15 percent since 2008, and a flood of iPhone users could bolster the company's fortunes, much as it has for US carriers. Anand Ramachandran, an analyst with Barclays in Singapore, was quoted by Reuters as saying, "The circumstances and the issues that were a hindrance in the past seem to be getting resolved. So I think there's a higher probability that potentially there's something in the works." The announcements on September 10 could foretell an auspicious future for Apple and China Mobile.
Judge finds Apple guilty of fixing e-book prices (Updated)
According to Reuters, US District Judge Denise Cote has ruled against Apple in its big e-book price-fixing trial. The judge found that Apple conspired to raise the retail price of e-books and will now face a trial to determine damages. Update: Both Apple and the Department of Justice have released statements about this decision, according to AllThingsD. Not surprisingly, Apple is disappointed with the ruling and will appeal, while the DOJ is pleased. Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr confirmed the company will appeal and says, "Apple did not conspire to fix e-book pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations. When we introduced the iBookstore in 2010, we gave customers more choice, injecting much-needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. We've done nothing wrong and we will appeal the judge's decision." Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer writes, "This result is a victory for millions of consumers who choose to read books electronically ... Companies cannot ignore the antitrust laws when they believe it is in their economic self-interest to do so. This decision by the court is a critical step in undoing the harm caused by Apple's illegal actions."
Wibbitz is a fresh way to look at the news on your iPhone
Wibbitz is a clever, free iOS app that grabs the latest news, reads it to you and the quickly displays related images, like people who were mentioned, maps or other news service pictures that are generally relevant. When you first start the app, choose the type of news you want, like political, tech, sports or business. All the news I saw was sourced from Reuters, which is a good, reliable news service. The voices are computer-generated, of course. Headlines are read in a generic female voice with a Midwestern US accent. If you swipe up on a headline to get the whole story, the voice switches to a female with a British accent. Which is weird. There is no way to control the voices you get, or the speed of the reading. %Gallery-192845% In general, the app does a good job of matching images to the story being read. It's not perfect, but I only saw a few misses. Its main weakness is that it is limited when used in a hands-off fashion. If you want more on a story, you have to intervene. The app does read one news section and then goes on to the next section. The news selection is not very granular, so in sports, you'll get a lot of overseas sports you may not be interested in if you are a US resident. If you are reading from outside of the US, there will be probably too much US content. Some customization would be most welcome. Wibbitz is a great beginning, but basically needs more options for the user so it would be more useful in a hands-off mode. Winston is a similar app. It also uses Reuters, but includes other news sources as well. Winston also includes some pictures, but they are not as relevant as the images Wibbitz pulls up. Another iOS app, Earl, is interesting but full use requires a paid subscription. If you want a good idea of what Wibbitz can do, they have a video feed that will show you what to expect. Wibbitz is worth a look. If I could specify more detail about what I get, and if it would run hands-off without having to swipe a story for more detail, I would like it even more. Wibbitz is optimized for the iPhone 5 and requires iOS 6. It also runs fine under iOS 7 beta 2.
Reuters: Apple to show off iRadio streaming service next week
Reuters is reporting that among the announcements we'll see at next week's WWDC keynote, Apple will introduce a new music-streaming service called iRadio. The service will be free and ad-supported, Reuters says those in the know claimed, and will feature ads from the iAds team. The service is designed to dive into the already crowded market of music-streaming services, which includes Pandora, Rdio, Spotify, Slacker Radio and a number of other sizable options. I will buy this rumor, but I don't know if Apple's plan is simply to just introduce "another" music streaming service. The company has been working hard with iCloud and iTunes Match to get you access to your music from any of your devices, and my guess is that any "iRadio" reveal would be along those lines, aimed at providing you direct access to any tunes you want to listen to from anywhere. The iAds division was of course put together for running ads on apps, but it makes sense that Apple would want an in-house solution for them to sell, so it sounds like this could work. As with all of these rumors, we won't know what's true until Apple actually takes the stage next week. But at least we don't have too much longer to wait.
The Daily Roundup for 02.19.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Apple targeted by hackers
Reuters is reporting that Apple has been targeted in a cyber-attack. Apple announced the breach this morning, noting that malware had targeted a "limited number" of Mac systems. Reuters notes that the same hacker group is suspected of an attack on Facebook machines last week. In a statement the company made to The Loop, Apple said that the malware infected the systems through a vulnerability in the Java browser plug-in. "The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers. We identified a small number of systems within Apple that were infected and isolated them from our network. There is no evidence that any data left Apple. We are working closely with law enforcement to find the source of the malware." Macs with OS X Lion and Mountain Lion installed ship without Java, and OS X currently disables Java if it is unused for 35 days. Apple will release an updated Java malware removal tool today that will check Mac systems and remove this particular malware if it is found.
Apple's US Mac production to go beyond assembly
We've heard more about Apple's plans to start building some Macs in the United States, thanks to a Reuters news post that delved into the remarks made by Apple CEO Tim Cook to NBC's Rock Center program. It appears that the initiative is not just limited to assembly of new Macs, but will include investment in building many of the components on American soil as well. Apple won't be building all of those components, but will be investing money in US manufacturers to help them ramp up production for Apple and other companies. Some analysts scoffed at the announcement, saying it is only a public relations stunt that won't provide all that many jobs. But Cross Research analyst Shannon Cross said that wages and other costs for product assembly in China have risen sharply in past years, erasing much of the advantage of the Chinese plants. Cross also noted that building devices in the US mitigates the risk of intellectual property theft. Apple isn't the only company that has announced that it's moving production to the US -- Chinese PC manufacturer Lenovo announced that it will be doing some manufacturing in North Carolina. But Apple is viewed as an industry leader, so a move like this might have more far-reaching effects on bringing manufacturing and jobs back to the US.
Facebook and Zynga agree to new terms, create potential for official Facebook games
Facebook and Zynga have worked out a new set of terms in their partnership, enabling both parties to make and promote their own games. Before the alteration, Zynga was required to use Facebook's monetization platform, and Facebook couldn't create its own titles to compete with Zynga's. The latest agreement undoes both stipulations and opens up both sides for more independence.At this time, neither side has announced that it wants to change the way things work, so Zynga will likely still use Facebook's payments system, and Facebook hasn't announced plans to make any official games. A spokesperson for Facebook reiterated that "we will continue to work with Zynga, just as we do with developers of all sizes." It's not a break-up, in other words, but they are free to see other people.
Nikkei: Amazon to launch Kindle in Japan 'early October'
If it feels like we've heard about Amazon's intention to punch through the Japanese wall with Kindle before, it's because we have. However, if a new report on Reuters via The Nikkei is to be believed, it could finally be getting closer. It's said that the internet retailer had planned to launch its e-reader line in September, but supply chain problems put paid to that. Now we're told it'll land in "early October" with Amazon hurriedly securing Japanese content in time for the busy end of year sales period. The Kindle's still not out of the woods just yet though, as it's also been suggested that publishers are being asked to change data formats for their content, which is ripe for causing another bottleneck, should they not comply in time. Sadly, given the history of this tale, we're not expecting Japanese farm owners to be making any irrational bets just yet.
European carrier sources: Nokia to start selling the Lumia 920 in November (update: coming to AT&T on November 2nd)
While we heard practically everything else about Nokia's new Windows Phone 8 flagship, there were still two very important details still missing -- its price and release date. Now, according to Reuters' "telecom operator" sources, a spokesperson from an unnamed eastern European carrier said that sales of the PureView-packing Lumia 920 will start in the second half of November, with larger countries landing the device earlier in the same month. Another source from a Nordic operator then followed suit, stating that they expected the phone to arrive in stores around mid to late November. We've reached out to our contacts, and will update if we hear anything more -- especially if it involves a price tag. Update: It's being reported that the Lumia 920 will arrive in the US on AT&T's network November 2nd.
iPhone apps to help you follow the Olympics
The Games of the XXX Olympiad started on Friday with grandiose opening ceremonies in London, England that included a long list of notable English figures like the Queen of England, Mr. Bean and Paul McCartney. Now that the big kickoff celebration is over, it's time to start the competition -- and we've got a list of apps to help you keep track of the Olympic events on your iOS device. NBC began its TV coverage of the Olympics, and iOS owners with a cable or satellite subscription can follow the coverage on their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. To watch the events as they happen, you'll need the NBC Olympics Live Extra app, which is available for free from the iOS App Store. Besides the live events, you can also watch full event replays and simulcasts of Olympic-specific programming from NBC. There's even a DVR function for most live streams and all full event replays. If you're concerned about missing an event, you can setup push notifications and receive an alert before an event is about the begin. If you don't want to watch the live coverage (or if you don't have a pay TV subscription), NBC is also offering a basic version of its Olympics app that'll keep you apprised of the latest news coming out the summer games. It also includes video highlights, photographs and hometown athlete profiles, which let you follow athletes from your area. Reuters is also on board with the Olympics and offering its own Reuters Olympics London 2012 app. Available for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, the Reuters app has stunning photographs and up-to-date coverage of the results. Reuters also includes a section that tracks the medals awarded to each country and the Olympic records broken in each sport. If you're in the UK, you can check out the BBC Olympics app which provides non-stop coverage of the summer games. The Beeb is streaming up to 24 live videos at a time so you won't miss that important point, goal or race. There is also on-demand video highlights, commentary from BBC journalists and extensive coverage of the results. All content, including the video, is available via WiFi or 3G. Last but not least is the official London 2012 Results app which has breaking news, schedules and results. It has a strong focus on the athletes and provides performance updates, interviews and more.
Amazon plans for 'five or six' new tablets, will include 10-inch model, says Staples president
While we expect Amazon to refresh its Kindle Fire tablet sooner rather than later, Demos Parneros, president of US retail for Staples, has told Reuters that the online book-seller has bigger plans. Amazon apparently aims to introduce five or six new devices (or SKUs, stock-keeping units), though as noted by Android Central's Phil Nickinson, these could thin out to just two tablet models and several storage variants. According to the exec, the tablets will come in a range of sizes and would include a new ten-inch device -- going directly against another popular tablet. No word on whether these five or six device would include a smartphone, as screen sizes get increasingly closer. Amazon has also announced that it'll be creating a new R&D hub in London, focusing on its services and APIs for TVs, consoles, smartphones and PCs, aimed squarely at rolling these out across the globe. The original Kindle Fire -- and its Android app store -- is still not available outside of America. However, public plans for the new Amazon base currently center on relocating both Lovefilm and Pushbutton to this new hub. However, it's been about a year; about time for Europe to get a taste of Amazon's wallet-friendly tab.
