Happy Pi day, everyone, it’s 3.14.16 (we’re rounding up) and as much as we wanted today’s leading headline to be something other than Apple vs. FBI, our hopes have been dashed. But this time, the buzz isn’t about a new development on the battle between the tech giant and federal investigators, it’s the fact that HBO’s Last Week Tonight host, John Oliver, went on an 18-minute tirade on the topic, eviscerating the FBI, and pulling more than just a few laughs along the way.
In his typically NSFW fashion, Oliver spelled out both sides’ cases, eventually taking Apple’s side, and using various illustration techniques to express what most Apple supporters have been saying this whole time: You can’t make a backdoor and then police it, and if you do create a backdoor, best expect the bad guys to come barreling through.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with the issue, Oliver’s rant is a lengthy but thorough explanation, and even if you’re more than well aware of what’s going on, his commentary is highly entertaining. You can watch the video and read more about the clip here.
If you’re still running Windows 7, you might want to keep a sharp eye on your machine over the coming days. This thread on Reddit with well over 2700 comments at this time is rife with upset PC owners who claim their machines automatically upgraded to Windows 10 without their permission.
Now we knew that Microsoft was going to start pushing Windows 10 as a recommended update, but the company has always said the end-user would have the last word on whether the software could proceed with the update. If these reports are true, Windows 10 has gone rogue and is carrying on all by itself. So, keep a close eye on those update prompts if you really, really don’t want to upgrade to an operating system that’s a little more in line with this century. Just in case.
I mean, I held out for a long time myself, but at some point it might be time to just let it happen. Hey, they brought the start menu back, and Cortana is harmless, really. It’s ok.
Finally, if you’ve been paying attention to rumors about the newest iPhone expected to be revealed at Apple’s “Loop us in” event, you know that the absence of a headphone jack is a very real possibility.
Apple could well ditch the 3.55 mm jack we’ve been using for decades and force users of its newest phone to either get some kind of adapter cable, or pony up cash for a new pair of lightning-connected headphones. It’s an issue that seems to have flown under the radar until now, but we’re pretty sure there will be outrage at some point. Anyway, if Apple does do it, then there’s going to be a real need for this device that just premiered on Indiegogo.
It’s called Pebble, and no it has nothing to do with the smartwatch company. Simply put, it’s a lightning-connected, iPhone-powered DAC and headphone amp that promises better sound quality than your iPhone could ever give you on its own. And while it’s aimed at audio enthusiasts, it could end up being something we’ll all need if we want to make the upgrade to a new iPhone in the coming months.
This is, of course, a crowd-funded effort, so whether it ever becomes an actual thing is anyone’s guess, but the folks behind it seem well put together and, it seems more likely now than ever before that Apple is about to shake things up big time at next week’s event.
