Discussing the FBI case with a friend yesterday, one distinction that seems worth addressing is the difference between a backdoor into iPhones – which is what law enforcement agencies have so far been calling for – and what we might term a master key, which is what the FBI is calling for in this particular case.

Law enforcement agencies have so far been calling for Apple to abandon its use of strong encryption. Technically, they want Apple to build in a backdoor route into that encryption for use by law enforcement agencies, but that’s the same thing: strong encryption with a built-in flaw is not strong encryption. It’s only a matter of time before hackers find and exploit it.

What the FBI is asking in the San Bernardino case is quite different. Instead of asking Apple to weaken the encryption, they want it to weaken the lock guarding access to the phone by removing the auto-wipe and time-delay functions. That would leave the phone vulnerable to a brute-force attack.

And, the FBI assures us, it isn’t asking Apple to do this for all iPhones, just this one specific device. It’s a very different scenario, and one that sounds superficially harmless …

Again, I emphasise that I fully sympathize with the FBI’s intentions in the San Bernardino case. If there are other terrorists out there waiting to launch similar attacks, we want to know about them. If this iPhone could lead to those possible terrorists, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to agree to this one request.

The problem, however, is that it is never ‘just this once.’ Any time we give up one of our civil liberties in a good cause, the legal precedent is set. There will be a second exception, and a third and … Effectively, if we permit just a single exception to a Constitutional right, we give up that right forever.

Some are arguing that there are sufficient safeguards in this case such that we don’t need to worry. Only Apple would hold the key, and it would only use it when presented with a court order. The FBI and other agencies would have no ability to carry out warrantless searches, and it would likely only seek court orders in the most serious of cases.

Again, however, we need to look beyond what is being asked for in the short term to what is likely to follow. In this particular case, the FBI wants Apple to unlock the phone. (Technically, Apple would remove the safeguards and the FBI would unlock the phone, but that’s a semantic argument.) Apple continues to hold the key.

But it is an extremely short distance from there to arguing that there will be some very time-critical cases where the delay involved in knocking on Apple’s door is too damaging. The classic ‘time-bomber in custody’ scenario. That the FBI needs to hold the key to prevent delay. It still wouldn’t do so without a court order, so where’s the harm? It would simply be cutting out the middleman.

So soon, the FBI would hold the key. Then other law enforcement agencies. In time, that key would be held in every police precinct house. We would then be trusting more than a million people with access to that key to abide by the rules. Government agencies don’t always have the best of track-records in doing that.

Ok, you could argue, but where’s the harm? This is the ‘nothing to hide’ argument. That if we’re all law-abiding people, why should we fear the government snooping in our phones? As I’ve argued before, however, that’s a silly argument. If you take that line, then you could equally argue that everyone should be fitted with a GPS chip embedded in their skin to track their movements, and we should have blanket CCTV coverage on every street and in every building.

And lots of people have perfectly legitimate things to hide, from a partner sending intimate photos to cheer up a soldier serving overseas to journalists with contact details for confidential sources.

But even if we would trust our government with that much power, it isn’t just one government we have to consider. The USA almost certainly has agreements with friendly governments to share certain technologies, and the iPhone master key could well join the list. History shows that a country considered an ally today may well be an enemy tomorrow.

Even if you were prepared to risk that, there is no getting away from the fact that terrorists may be evil, but they are generally not stupid. In the San Bernardino case, it appears the shooters destroyed their own phones and hard drives, and the FBI is somehow hoping they might still have left incriminating evidence on a work phone. Do we doubt that they had the wit to use a strong passcode too? Terrorists and major criminals use burner phones to plan their attacks, not their own iPhones, registered in their own names and using their own Apple IDs.

So the arguments I made before this all happened haven’t changed. We would still be asked to sacrifice our right to privacy. We would still have no control over who ends up with the ability to access our devices. And it would still achieve nothing worthwhile.

Filed under: Opinion Tagged: Apple, backdoor, Encryption, master key, privacy, Security

For more information about Apple, Opinion, and Security continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Opinion: Why an iPhone master key is better than a backdoor, but still too dangerous” with our community.

Apple is today rolling out another new way to buy an iPhone at an Apple Store, a combination of its existing iPhone Upgrade Program and trade-in offers. Right now, on the normal iPhone Upgrade Program, customers can pay about $32 a month for a brand new iPhone 6s on a two-year agreement with an annual trade-in option.

What the ‘Trade Up With Installments’ offers is a reduction of that monthly fee, in exchange for a trade-in of your existing smartphone. For example, you can trade in your current iPhone 6 to get a new iPhone 6s with a 2-year payment plan of $15/mo. What’s interesting is that you can trade in an Android device, not just iPhones — Apple will give up to $300 in trade-in value for Android handsets.

Exact pricing varies based on the age of the device being traded in and the new phone you are looking to buy. Moving from one iPhone generation to another works out to a monthly price of about $15 for 24 months, but moving from an iPhone 4 to a 128 GB iPhone 6s Plus will result in a $35.37 monthly bill, via USA Today.

You can trade in an iPhone dating back as far back to the iPhone 4. You’ll pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 a month for each step up in model, with the interest-free term again lasting for 24 months.

For example, if you step up from an iPhone 4 to an iPhone 5S, you’ll pay $14.58 a month for 24 months. If you move from an iPhone 6 to a 6S, the monthly tab is $14.54. To take the most extreme example, to move from the iPhone 4 to the largest-capacity (128 GB) iPhone 6S Plus, you’ll pay $35.37 a month.

Effectively, the new program is an interest-free loan with credit handled by Citizens Bank. It’s an alternative option to the existing iPhone Upgrade Program and trade-in Apple Store credit opportunities the company offers at its stores. On Apple’s most recent earnings call, Tim Cook said that 60% of the install base prior to iPhone 6 has still yet to upgrade … this new plan seems like a targeted move on incentivizing some of this existing user base to upgrade.

For now, the Trade Up With Installments plan is only available at Apple Retail Stores in the United States. In most cases, buying an iPhone outright is still the cheapest way of buying a new device in the long run, but many iOS customers are unable (or simply do not want) to pay >$650 as a lump sum at once. Hence, Apple and carriers now offer a plethora of interest-free-loan smartphone payment plans just like this one.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, buying an iPhone, carrier, ihpoen subsidy, iOS, iPhone, iPhone 6s, payment plan

For more information about AAPL Company, iOS Devices, and Apple continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple launches iPhone ‘Trade Up With Installments’ plan from $15/mo, yet another way to buy a new iPhone in the US” with our community.

HomeKit-certified devices are the slickest way to control your technology, but if you have any dumb technology powered by AA batteries, you can now remotely switch it on and off using your iPhone.

The Tethercell AA Smart Battery Adapter is a really simple idea. Replace one of the device’s AA batteries with this adapter, which takes a smaller AAA battery, and you can then switch it on and off from an app on your iPhone.

It’s Bluetooth LE rather than Wi-Fi, so range will be limited (the company claims 50-60 feet), but if the device is close enough, it’s a cheap and easy way to add remote control functionality. It’s compatible with all iPhones from the 4S onward.

The adapter costs $20 for two from Amazon.

Via BGR

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: AA battery, AAA battery, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, Home automation, smart AA battery, smart home

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of iOS Devices, Bluetooth, and Home automation.

What do you think? Discuss “Use your iPhone to control any AA-powered device with this simple $10 adapter” with our community.

It’s no surprise that 95% of U.S. consumers share up to six passwords with other people when you consider that this includes WiFi passwords for home Internet connections and sharing Netflix passwords with family members, but a survey by LastPass showed that 59% also re-use the same passwords for multiple sites. Put the two facts together and people could potentially be allowing access to rather more than they intended.

The younger you are, the more likely you are to share passwords with a friends: 40% of 18-29 year olds do so, dropping to 15% for those aged 30-44 and 6% at 45-59. Only just over a quarter bother to reset a password after they’ve shared it with someone else.

While the company’s motivation is to promote the emergency access and password-sharing features it introduced last month, it does provide a nudge to ensure you’re not using your WiFi password for anything sensitive.

Filed under: iOS Devices

For more information about iOS Devices continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “LastPass survey finds 95% of Americans share passwords, 59% use same password for multiple sites” with our community.

Skype told us a month ago that it would soon be rolling out group video calling to both iOS and Android devices, and the company has today advised that the rollout is now underway.

Today, we’ve started rolling out group video calling on iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets in Western Europe and North America and we expect to have completed our roll-out to these markets over the next week or so. We plan to be fully available worldwide in March

This brings the mobile experience in line with that already available on the desktop.

The UI lets you choose between a grid view of all those in the call, and a focus view that automatically switches to the person speaking. Alternatively, if you only really care about one person in the call, you can use a ‘pin’ feature to stick with your view of them.

Via Engadget

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Skype, Skype for iOS, Skype for iPad, Skype for iPhone, Skype group video

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of Apps, Skype, and Skype for iPhone.

What do you think? Discuss “PSA: Skype’s group video calling on iOS & Android rolling out from today” with our community.

A Bloomberg profile of Apple’s ‘chief chipmaker’ – SVP of hardware technologies Johny Srouji – talks about how the iPad Pro was launched behind schedule, and almost ended up being less powerful than the iPhone 6s.

The original plan was to introduce the iPad Pro with Apple’s tablet chip, the A8X, the same processor that powered the iPad Air 2, introduced in 2014. But delaying until fall meant that the Pro would make its debut alongside the iPhone 6s, which was going to use a newer, faster phone chip called the A9 […]

The iPad Pro would look feeble next to the iPhone 6s. So Srouji put his engineers on a crash program to move up the rollout of a new tablet processor, the A9X, by half a year.

While the piece predictably doesn’t reveal much we didn’t already know, it does contain one surprising fun fact about the original iPhone …

Srouji said that because the original iPhone had to piece together existing components from a range of suppliers, it couldn’t be as powerful as the company had hoped, with a low-powered processor, no front camera, connectivity limited to 2G and poor battery life. One of those components?

Elements from a Samsung chip used in DVD players.

It was disappointment in what could be achieved using existing components, said Srouji, that led Steve Jobs to conclude that Apple needed to design its own chips.

Steve came to the conclusion that the only way for Apple to really differentiate and deliver something truly unique and truly great, you have to own your own silicon. You have to control and own it.

The whole piece makes for an interesting background read.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Inc, Chips, iPad, iPad Pro, iPhone, iPhone 6s, Johny Srouji, Samsung, Steve Jobs

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of AAPL Company, iOS Devices, and iPhone.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple’s chief chipmaker reveals how the iPad Pro was late & almost out-powered by the iPhone 6s” with our community.

Civil rights organizations have expressed strong support for Apple’s resistance to a court order instructing it to create special firmware that would allow the FBI to break into an iPhone – with tech companies doing the same, albeit in a weaker fashion.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) posted a statement in which it said that it applauded Apple for standing up for the rights of its customers, and would be making its views known to the court.

Essentially, the government is asking Apple to create a master key so that it can open a single phone. And once that master key is created, we’re certain that our government will ask for it again and again, for other phones, and turn this power against any software or device that has the audacity to offer strong security […]

EFF applauds Apple for standing up for real security and the rights of its customers. We have been fighting to protect encryption, and stop backdoors, for over 20 years. That’s why EFF plans to file an amicus brief in support of Apple’s position.

The Verge notes similar support from both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Amnesty International …

ACLU staff attorney Alex Abdo said that the court order was unconstitutional, and Apple deserved praise for its stance.

This is an unprecedented, unwise, and unlawful move by the government. The Constitution does not permit the government to force companies to hack into their customers’ devices. […] Apple deserves praise for standing up for its right to offer secure devices to all of its customers.

Amnesty’s Deputy Director of Global Issues Sherif Elsayed-Ali echoed the widespread view that the case would set a dangerous precedent.

Apple is right to fight back in this case: the FBI’s request, which would in practice require Apple to rewrite its operating system to weaken security protections, would set a very dangerous precedent. Such backdoors undermine everyone’s security and threaten our right to privacy.

Unsurprisingly, Edward Snowden also tweeted his support for Apple, describing it as “the most important tech case in a decade” and quoting a NYT piece that argued that if the US government was allowed to access iPhones, the Chinese government would demand the same.

I noted yesterday that other tech giants had remained quiet, but a number of them have since voiced their support for Apple’s stance – though as we noted on 9to5google, not always in the most unequivocal of terms.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai posted a series of five tweets in which he said the case could set “a troubling precedent.”

Important post by @tim_cook. Forcing companies to enable hacking could compromise users’ privacy. We know that law enforcement and intelligence agencies face significant challenges in protecting the public against crime and terrorism. We build secure products to keep your information safe and we give law enforcement access to data based on valid legal orders. But that’s wholly different than requiring companies to enable hacking of customer devices & data. Could be a troubling precedent. Looking forward to a thoughtful and open discussion on this important issue.

Microsoft chose not to issue a statement directly, but instead quoted a statement on the Reform Government Surveillance website, an organization of which the company is a member.

Reform Government Surveillance companies believe it is extremely important to deter terrorists and criminals and to help law enforcement by processing legal orders for information in order to keep us all safe. But technology companies should not be required to build in backdoors to the technologies that keep their users’ information secure. RGS companies remain committed to providing law enforcement with the help it needs while protecting the security of their customers and their customers’ information.

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum, however, used stronger language in a Facebook post in support of Apple.

I have always admired Tim Cook for his stance on privacy and Apple’s efforts to protect user data and couldn’t agree more with everything said in their Customer Letter today. We must not allow this dangerous precedent to be set. Today our freedom and our liberty is at stake.

A clear majority of 9to5Mac readers also support Apple’s stance. Some 86% of you said that Apple should maintain its current position, while 11% felt the company should cooperate with the FBI and 3% were indifferent. This is down from the 93% support expressed prior to the San Bernardino shootings and subsequent court order, but this is not surprising – we of course always feel sympathy for the victims and loved ones of specific attacks. But, as the old saying has it, hard cases make for bad law.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: AAPL, ACLU, all writs act, American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International, Apple Inc, California, court order, edward snowden, EFF, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Encryption, FBI, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Google, iPhone, Microsoft, privacy, San Bernardino, Security, Tim Cook, WhatsApp

For more information about AAPL Company, iPhone, and Google continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Civil rights groups and tech companies express support for Apple’s stand against the FBI” with our community.

Apple today has debuted a pair of new ads for its iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The two ads, one simply titled “Live Photos” and the other titled “Less Time,” are fast-paced 30 second spots that quickly jump between using a pair of features that differentiate the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus from their predecessors…

In “Live Photos,” Apple touts the new Live Photos feature of the iPhone 6s lineup. “Live Photos are more than just photos,” Apple says in the ad. “They come alive when you touch them and then they go back to still when you let go.” The ad showcases people using Live Photos in a variety of instances, including with animals, sightseeing, and playing the snow.

In the second ad, “Less Time,” Apple demonstrates the 3D Touch feature of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. As the title of the ad implies, Apple is bragging that using 3D Touch allows you to save a considerable amount of time by using things like Peek and Pop and 3D Touch pressing on app icons to jump to specific menus and actions.

The two new ads can be seen below. Apple last debuted new iPhone ads in December, showing off the improved performance capabilities of the iPhone 6s, as well as always-listening ‘Hey Siri’ support. Recently, however, the company rebooted its award-winning Shot on iPhone campaign to include images shot with the latest generation of devices.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 3D Touch, ad, Apple, iPhone, iPhone 6s, iphone 6s plus, Live Photos

For more information about iOS Devices, Apple, and iPhone continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple shares new iPhone 6s ads showcasing 3D Touch, Live Photos” with our community.

After a number of reports in recent months regarding Apple’s preparations to launch its Apple Pay payments service in China, the company today announced the service is now available to customers in the country.

The announcement comes via Apple’s news site for developers and notes that apps and goods in the country can now accept the Apple Pay payments service using supported credit and debit cards. 

Apple first announced back in December of last year that it was partnering with China UnionPay to bring Apple Pay to users in China sometime in 2016. Today it announced they can now begin using the service to pay for goods and services within apps using both China UnionPay credit and debit cards:

You can now support Apple Pay for your customers in China, providing an easy, secure, and private way for them to pay using their China UnionPay credit and debit cards. Apple Pay lets users buy physical goods and services within your app without having to enter payment or contact information.

CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about growth in China including plans for Apple Pay, recently noting that he “very much” wanted to launch the platform there and that he is “very bullish” on its prospects in the country.

Yesterday we noted that the China launch was rumored for this week as Apple also reportedly eyes a launch for France this year. Today’s launch adds China to the list of supported Apple Pay countries alongside the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Earlier today Apple added another 40 banks and credit unions to its list of officially supported institutions for Apple Pay in the US.

Filed under: iOS Devices

For more information about iOS Devices continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple officially launches Apple Pay in China” with our community.

While China is expected to get Apple Pay anytime now, dozens of additional banks and credit unions across the United States have joined in supporting Apple’s mobile payment service. More than 40 new banks have joined the list of Apple Pay partners, which already totals to over 1,000 across the US and 15 across the UK. These are the latest additions:

ABNB Federal Credit Union
Beneficial Bank
Central Bank & Trust Co.
Central Bank of Jefferson County
Chartway Federal Credit Union
Chicopee Savings Bank
Commerce Bank of Washington
Commonwealth Bank & Trust Company
Cornerstone Community Bank
Cortrust Bank
Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union
Duke University Federal Credit Union
Exchange Bank
Fannin Bank
First Electronic Bank
First State Bank and Trust Company
Guadalupe National Bank
Heritage Grove Federal Credit Union
Heritage South Community Credit Union
Jackson Community Federal Credit Union
KALSEE Credit Union
Kitsap Bank
Lake County Educational Federal Credit Union
Lakeland Bank
Lone Star State Bank of West Texas
Louisiana Federal Credit Union
Mainstreet Credit Union
Monroe Bank & Trust
Mutual Credit Union
Nassau Educators Federal Credit Union
New Era Bank
North Carolina Press Association Federal Credit Union
Northwest Community Bank
Option 1 Credit Union
Otero Federal Credit Union
PlainsCapital Bank
Richfield Bloomington Credit Union
Sanford Institution for Savings
Town and Country Bank
Trinity Bank
TruStone Financial Federal Credit Union
Tulsa Federal Credit Union
Virginia National Bank
West-Aircomm Federal Credit Union
Yakima Federal Savings

You can find Apple’s full list of bank partners here. If you’re setting up Apple Pay for the first time, start by opening the Wallet app on iPhone, or Wallet section on iPad or within the Apple Watch app, then add payment.

Apple Pay lets you pay for purchases in stores that support contactless payment methods using new iPhones and Apple Watches. You can also make payments in apps on new iPhones and iPads.

If you’re bank isn’t yet supported, keep checking back as Apple is continuously adding new partners regularly.

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple pay, Apple watch, iPad, iPhone

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of iPhone, iPad, and Apple watch.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple Pay comes to over 40 more banks and credit unions” with our community.