WSJ report says Cellebrite not behind SB iPhone hack, as FBI director says Apple ‘not a demon’
Unnamed sources cited by the WSJ contradict the widely-held belief that it was Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite which helped the FBI hack into the San Bernardino iPhone. The report say that the agency was instead approached by a group of freelance hackers who revealed an iPhone passcode vulnerability to the FBI in return for a one-time fee.
The FBI cracked a San Bernardino terrorist’s phone with the help of professional hackers who discovered and brought to the bureau at least one previously unknown software flaw, according to people familiar with the matter […]
The researchers, who typically keep a low profile, specialize in hunting for vulnerabilities in software and then in some cases selling them to the U.S. government. They were paid a one-time flat fee for the solution …
Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Cellebrite, FBI, iPhone, iPhone hack, San Bernardino
Apple now offering two-year leasing option for iPhone SE customers in India amid slow sales
Apple has expressed a growing interest in India over the past year, but sales of its newest and more affordable iPhone SE have been lukewarm in the country so far, reports claim. In order to combat these less-than-spectacular sales, Apple is offering a new way for customers to purchase the device.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: India, iPhone SE
Logitech to acquire Jaybird for $50M as it looks to expand active lifestyle wireless offerings
Computer peripheral company Logitech has today announced that it is acquiring popular audio company Jaybird. Jaybird, for those unfamiliar, has released a variety of headphone products over recent years, most of which have been wireless. Logitech says the deal is worth $50 million in cash, with an additional earn-out of up to $45 million based on achievement of growth targets over the next two years.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: acquisition, Jaybird, Logitech
Survey: Apple Watch the most popular smartwatch among teens as iPhone stays strong & iPad lags
A report released yesterday showed that Apple will still growing in the PC market, and now Piper Jaffray has released its latest survey focusing on the company’s performance in the teen market. According to the survey results, gathered from 6,500 teens with an average age of 16 and a half years, Apple still dominates across all product categories.
Filed under: Apple Watch, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, Apple watch, iPad, iPhone, survey
Here’s everything Facebook announced at F8 that’s coming soon to your iPhone
Facebook held its annual F8 developer’s conference today that laid out the foundation for what the company plans to accomplish as far out as the next ten years. Today’s keynote presentation focused more on what the next year at Facebook and its products would look like for customers. Putting a heavy emphasis on Messenger and Facebook Live, it’s fair to say that you’ll be seeing a lot of these changes coming to mobile very soon.
Filed under: Apps, Developers, iOS Devices Tagged: DJI, F8, Facebook, Facebook F8, Facebook Live, Facebook Messenger
9to5Toys Lunch Break: iPad Pro 12.9″ 128GB Wi-Fi + Cell $860, MagSafe 2 Adapter $27, Cable Modems from $30, more
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TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular in all colors: $860 shipped (Reg. $1,079)
Daily Deals: Apple 60W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter for 13-inch MacBook Pro $27, more
Save $120+/yr. by owning your cable modem: refurb Motorola DOCSIS 3.0 options from $30 shipped
Apple’s latest 256GB Retina MacBook Pro: $1,200 (Reg. $1,499) – $99 less than list price of 128GB model
Apple 12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB: from $1,250 w/ .edu
What if I told you that you could get a great Apple Milanese Loop knockoff for a tenth of the price ($16 Prime shipped)?
Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $27 Prime shipped (Reg. $35)
App Store Free App of the Week: Cut the Rope Time Travel for iPhone and iPad goes free for the very first time (Reg. $1)
Anthill for iOS drops down to its lowest price in years: $1 (Reg. $2)
Apple’s Pay Once & Play 50% off iOS game sale: Transistor, Brothers, Rules!, Implosion, Radiation Island, more
Brothers A Tale of Two Sons iOS puzzle-adventure game gets its first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)
Apple offers Day One 2 iOS journal app for free ($10 value)
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Smartphone Accessories: Lumsing Wireless Bluetooth Audio Stereo Receiver Adapter $17 Prime shipped, more
- It’s free cone day at Ben & Jerry’s! Here’s how you can grab a dip on the house
- Games/Apps: Ratchet & Clank (Prime only) $32, iOS freebies, more
- Huawei Watch Stainless Steel with Leather Strap + extra Mesh Band: $300 shipped ($449 value)
- Fashion: Haggar dress clothes 60+% off at Amazon, Tommy Hilfiger 40% off w/ free shipping
MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:
Twelve South brushed metal HiRise Apple Watch stand: $40 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)
Philips Hue discounted bundles: 4-pack A19 white & color bulbs (2nd gen) $199 shipped (Reg. $240), more
- Audio-Technica ATH-M30x Professional Studio Monitor Headphones: $49 shipped (Reg. $69)
- Audio-Technica’s best selling ATH-M50x studio headphones + FiiO A3 amp $130 ($180+ value)
- Samsung HDTVs: 65-inch 1080p Smart $799, more
- TP-Link Archer C7 AC Gigabit Wi-Fi Router + DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem $110 (Reg. $145+)
- Affordable RCA 4K Android TV will be available in June, starting at $499 for 50-inch model
- Green Deals: 2-pack Litom LED Solar Outdoor Spotlights $26 Prime shipped (Reg. $35), more
- Sports/Fitness: $50 Cabela’s gift card for $40 (20% off), more
- Upgrade your TV audio w/ Sony’s Bluetooth 2.1-Ch. Soundbar System for $90 (Orig. $140)
- Canvas Vintage-Style Messenger Bags: 15-inch $45 (Reg. $60), 13-inch $20 (Reg. $44), more
- Green Deals: Aukey 20W Solar Dual-USB Port Charger $39 (Reg. $47), more
- Bags: Tamrac Messenger for 15-inch MacBooks $25 (Reg. $43), more
- Add Bluetooth to nearly any speaker w/ the Mpow Streambot Mini for $14 Prime shipped
- LEGO Deals: Big Bang Theory Living Room $46, Minecraft Ender Dragon $49, more
- Mojang reveals 27 new skins for Minecraft Story mode, here’s how you can get them for free
- Browse reddit like a boss with a free 3-month gold membership upgrade ($12 value)
- iPhone SE and Galaxy S7/Edge cases in a variety of styles/colors from $3 shipped
- Walmart launches iPhone SE $100 discount, other Apple/Samsung devices too!
- Learn to build amazing apps with the Apple TV Developer Course: $19 (Orig. $199)
- Buy 3 accessories, save 20%: iPad Pro Keyboard $143, Apple Pencil $87, more
NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:
You probably won’t own Lytro’s new 755MP Cinema Camera but you’ll enjoy its benefits
- GoPro’s new Omni Virtual Reality rig leverages six HERO4 Black action cameras
- Epson’s latest ‘Small-in-One’ printer weighs in at a fraction of the competition
- Twelve South introduces new TimePorter capsule for Apple Watch and charger
- Ryobi’s new Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener has a Bluetooth speaker and more
- Roku introduces a new quad-core streaming stick with a slimmed down design
- Apogee releases its most affordable full-featured Mac recording interface yet
- The Yecup 365 travel mug uses your iPhone to heat or cool your drink
- ROAM-e follows you around in the sky and takes selfies on demand
- Sprint customers can now (but probably shouldn’t) pay monthly for Amazon Prime
- Seagate unveils the “world’s first” USB-powered 8TB desktop hard drive
Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, app deals, Apple watch, Apple Watch dock, Best Buy, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, Lytro, MacBook, video games
How-To: Quickly switch between audio input and output options on OS X [Video]
If you have multiple audio inputs or outputs connected to your Mac, then you’re probably aware that you can visit System Preferences to manage and switch between interfaces at will. But wouldn’t it be nice if there was a quicker way to switch to a set of speakers or a microphone without venturing all the way into the Sound panel of System Preferences? In this post, we’ll share with you a handy shortcut that we use every day to do just that. more…
Filed under:
How-To Tagged: Mac, Menu Bar, OS X, shortcut, System Preferences, Tips and Tricks
iPad Pro 9.7 analysis shows record display performance, iPhone 7 screen upgrade possibilities
DisplayMate is out today with its usual in-depth analysis of new Apple products, this time examining the display on Apple’s latest tablet, the iPad Pro 9.7-inch. The result? DisplayMate says the new iPad’s display isn’t just the best iPad display yet, but that it also includes record setting performance among all tablets it’s tested as well as hints at iPhone 7 screen upgrade possibilities.
Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: DisplayMate, iPad Pro
Opinion: Here’s what I’d do to rationalize Apple’s MacBook lineup
Apple has long been about simplicity and minimalism. Steve Job’s philosophy was effectively that usability trumps choice. Sure, you lose the ability to customize your iPhone or iPad in the way you can an Android device without jailbreaking it, but what you gain in return is a device that is both more reliable and a lot more secure.
Jobs applied that same philosophy to Apple’s product range. When he returned to Apple in 1997, one of the first things he did was to rationalize the company’s product lineup, paring it back to the essentials. In 2008, he proudly told Fortune that “Apple is a $30 billion company, yet we’ve got less than 30 major products.”
Apple has, for the most part, maintained that approach ever since, famously saying ‘no’ to a thousand product ideas for every time it says ‘yes.’ But I still think there’s a little more work to be done in terms of rationalizing the company’s MacBook lineup …
Filed under: Mac, Opinion Tagged: 12-inch MacBook, 13-inch macbook air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, 15-inch MacBook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, Mac, MacBook, MacBook line-up, MacBook range, Opinion
Airmail lands on iPad with Touch ID support, iOS 9 multitasking, & much more
Airmail made its way from the Mac to the iPhone a couple of months ago, and today the popular email app is completing the suite and releasing the first version for iPad. Airmail for iPad supports keyboard shortcuts and iOS 9’s multitasking features like Split View and Slide Over, so you can triage email in Airmail and browse Safari or Twitter at the same time. And the free update includes loads of other new features for both the iPad and iPhone versions including Touch ID support, custom shortcuts, a new gesture for moving between messages, and tons of new integrations and improvements.