Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with ABC news for an exclusive interview with David Muir last night, in which Cook reiterated his adamant opposition to assisting the FBI in accessing the iPhone 5C used by one of the shooters in the San Bernardino incident. Later in the interview, Muir questions Cook’s decision to defy the FBI, going so far as to suggest they are protecting a terrorist’s privacy; to which Cook replied, “This is bad for America.”
What’s more, while the debate rages on, Apple is apparently scurrying to permanently close the loophole — or backdoor — that the FBI says they want to exploit. According to a report by the New York Times, Apple is actively working to deploy a version of iOS that would overwrite the iOS 9 currently on the iPhone 5C in question.
This new version of iOS would make it impossible for Apple to circumvent the security measure that ensures all data on the phone will be erased if the wrong passcode is entered 10 times. So not only is Apple saying it won’t help, the company is actively working on preventing what it believes is a violation of US citizens’ rights. No matter whose side you’re on, this battle just got a lot more heated, and the adversarial nature of it all has definitely been amplified.
Embarassingle Hackable Leaf EV
Japanese auto maker Nissan is suffering from a bit of a public relations black eye today as it has been revealed that its Leaf EV is one of the most easily hackable vehicles on the market. At a conference in Norway, it was discovered that you barely have to be a hacker to break into the Leaf’s smart system. Essentially, all you have to do is own the NissanConnectEV app and know the VIN number of the vehicle you want to get into.
That info is readily visible on the car’s dash near the windshield. Just type it into the app, and you’re in. That’s it. No passcode. Nothing. But while that may sound bad, \that’s not why people are getting upset — there’s actually not much you can do outside of take over climate control if you hack the vehicle. The car’s engine, steering, and brakes aren’t accessible.
What’s got people riled up is that Troy Hunt, the hacker who exposed the flaw, went to Nissan with this information a month ago. And while Nissan was reportedly respectful and thankful to receive the information, and even worked with Hunt, it did nothing until a blogger in Canada threatened to break the news for them. Suddenly Nissan leaped into action by removing the app and shutting the whole thing down the very next day.
Clearly a panic move, and not the kind disingenuous action you want to be associated with in a world where Volkswagen was just caught swindling people red-handed.
Mobile World Congress Wrap-Up
Finally, Mobile World Congress wrapped up yesterday, and we’ve got all the post-mortem goodies you could want. Check out our MWC award winners, in which the LG G5 took the crown for best in show, while the Samsung Galaxy S7 won the best smartphone award.
Also, on our way out the door, our crack MWC team member, Simon Hill, checked out a new battery technology that promises to charge your phone in five minutes. Did it work as advertised? Read the full story to find out.
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