IntellectBeat

A local prosecutor has offered an unusual justification for forcing Apple to help hack an iPhone used by a San Bernardino mass killer: The phone might have been "used as a weapon" to introduce malicious software to county computer systems. San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos acknowledged to The Associated Press that there's no evidence of malicious software in the county's computer network. But he added, "I wouldn't call it a total hypothetical." Computer security experts say the prospect is unlikely. By late Friday, the prosecutor's claim had sparked a wave of social media postings, many of which mocked the DA's use of the non-technical term "cyber pathogen" to describe the supposed malware. Apple has resisted calls to help unlock the phone, arguing that building a software tool to override the phone's security features would render other iPhones vulnerable to criminals and government authorities around the w...

Amazon has confirmed it removed the ability to encrypt locally stored data on its Fire tablets, saying that customers weren't using the service. The change comes as Apple squares off against the FBI over access to an encrypted iPhone. Apple says giving the government access would make all other iPhones more vulnerable to hacks. But the encryption that Amazon has removed is somewhat different than the security involved in the Apple case. And Amazon made the change well before the brouhaha started. Amazon made the switch when it introduced its new Fire OS 5 in September with new Fire tablets. But it was brought to light this week as older versions of the tablets get operating system updates. Encryption helps protect user data by scrambling it and only allowing access with a password. Amazon removed device encryption, but communication between Fire devices and Amazon's cloud, as well as data stored within the cloud, is still encrypted. "All Fire tablets' communicati...

Some criminals have switched to new iPhones as their "device of choice" to commit wrongdoing due to strong encryption Apple Inc has placed on their products, three law enforcement groups said in a court filing. The groups told a judge overseeing Apple's battle with the US Department of Justice on Thursday that, among other things, they were aware of "numerous instances" in which criminals who previously used so-called throwaway burner phones have now switched to iPhones. They did not list a specific instance of this practice. The brief by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and two other also cited a jailhouse phone call intercepted by New York authorities in 2015, in which the inmate called Apple's encrypted operating system "another gift from God." The government obtained a court order last month requiring Apple to write new software to disable passcode protection and allow access to an iPhone used by one of the shooters in the ...

Astronaut Scott Kelly said on Friday he returned from a record-long US spaceflight with sore muscles, joint pain, over-sensitive skin and a sense he had been away for more than a year. “It seemed like I lived there forever,” Kelly told reporters at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and on a conference call during his first news conference since returning from a 340-day mission aboard the International Space Station. Kelly’s mission, which was about twice as long as astronauts typically serve aboard the station, was part of a pathfinder programme to prepare for missions to Mars that will last more than two years. Kelly, a veteran of three previous spaceflights, said he initially felt well after landing in Kazakhstan on Tuesday, but then fatigue and muscle soreness quickly set in. “I’m kind of surprised how I do feel different physically than the last time, with regards to muscle soreness and joint pain. That was something that was kind of unexpected,...

The top UN human rights official warned on Friday that US officials risked opening a "Pandora's Box" in the case against Apple Inc that could infringe the rights of millions worldwide and ease the way for authoritarian rulers and criminal hackers. The Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a court order last month requiring the company to write new software to disable passcode protection and allow access to an iPhone used by one of the shooters in December killings in San Bernardino, California. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement: "A successful case against Apple in the US will set a precedent that may make it impossible for Apple or any other major international IT company to safeguard their clients' privacy anywhere in the world.”

A SpaceX Falcon rocket thrust a communications satellite into orbit on Friday before the reusable main-stage booster turned around, soared back towards Earth and was destroyed when it failed to land itself on a platform in the ocean, the company said. SpaceX, owned and operated by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, previously said the chances of a successful return landing of the rocket's main stage at sea were slim, given its high speed when it separated from the spacecraft. A returning Falcon rocket main stage successfully touched down on a ground-based landing pad near the launch site in December following a less-demanding launch.

Tech giant Apple has sought permission from the government to import pre-owned iPhones for sale in India, Parliament was informed today. "An application from Apple regarding import of certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India and manufacturing certified pre-owned iPhones for sale in India has been received in the Ministry of Environment and Forests," Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. Prasad was replying to a question on whether any company has sought permission for refurbishing and selling used mobile phones in the country. The minister further said the government has not taken any decision on the matter. Apple is putting more energy in India to cash-in on the booming smartphone market in the country. The California-based company, which saw total iPhone sales grow by 76 per cent in the country, had earlier said it will continue to invest in markets like India in the long-term. Recently, Apple has also sent an application fo...