AppleMagazine #177

A Justice Department proposal that could make it easier to locate and hack into computers that are part of criminal investigations is raising constitutional concerns from privacy groups and Google, who fear the plan could have broad implications. Federal prosecutors say their search warrant proposal is needed at a time when computer users are committing crimes in online anonymity while concealing their locations. But civil libertarians fear the rule change, under consideration by a federal advisory committee, would grant the government expansive new powers to reach into computers across the country. The proposal would change existing rules of criminal procedure that, with limited exceptions, permit judges to approve warrants for property searches only in the districts where they serve. The government says those rules are outdated in an era when…

A research firm is forecasting a bigger decline in personal computer sales in 2015. International Data Corp. projected Thursday that PC sales would drop 4.9 percent to 293.1 million worldwide. IDC had previously forecast a 3.3-percent drop. PC sales fell 2.2 percent in 2014. IDC said it cut its forecast because the stronger U.S. dollar is making computers more expensive in other countries and it expects Microsoft Corp. to scale back subsidies for some products. Shipments are also being pushed to later in 2015 as consumers wait for new products like Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system, expected later this year. PC sales have been slumping for the past two years as more consumers turn to mobile devices. But there have been recent signs the worst of the decline is…

BOOK HAS BLESSING OF FORMER COLLEAGUES What kind of man was the late Apple cofounder and CEO, Steve Jobs? Any selfrespecting follower of the Cupertino giant is sure to be intimately familiar with Walter Isaacson’s landmark book Steve Jobs, which was released in 2011 and went on to sell millions of copies. However, if there any criticism of it that has surfaced more often than any other, it is of a lack of sympathy towards the subject - a situation that a new book, Becoming Steve Jobs, aims to remedy. The new bio is at the centre of an ongoing debate about Jobs and what he was truly like, part of its summary stating that it “takes on and breaks down the existing myth and stereotypes about Steve Jobs. The…

Get ready to see more red warning signs online as Google adds ammunition to its technological artillery for targeting devious schemes lurking on websites. The latest weapon is aimed at websites riddled with “unwanted software” - a term that Google uses to describe secretly installed programs that can change a browser’s settings without a user’s permission. Those revisions can unleash a siege of aggravating ads or redirect a browser’s users to search engines or other sites that they didn’t intend to visit. Google had already deployed the warning system to alert users of its Chrome browser that they were about to enter a site distributing unwanted software. The Mountain View, California, company just recently began to feed the security information into a broader “safe browsing” application that also works in…

A live-streaming app called Meerkat, calls to online activism and pedicabs with a “Game of Thrones” Iron throne seat were the top topics of conversation at South by Southwest over the weekend, as 33,000-plus members of the technology, marketing and media industries poured into Austin, Texas. “You never know what’s around the corner at South By Southwest, it could be a small thing or it could be life changing,” said David Rubin, Pinterest’s head of brand, at the social media company’s annual barbecue on Saturday. He said the festival is a good place to schmooze with clients and do some recruiting. “Pinterest is about creativity and the employee base is quirky and interesting, so it’s a good place to meet potential employees,” he said. The five-day festival is not yet…

On the surface, “Insurgent/1 with its dystopian setting and teenage heroine, might just seem like another by-the-numbers young adult tale. Look a little closer and it’s clear that this second installment isn’t merely capitalizing on a popular genre, but, with its half dozen female leads and supporting characters, actually represents a subtle subversion of what audiences have been taught action films should be. When women lead up action-driven films and franchises, it’s usually one exceptional gal against the world. Here, they’re all over the place, serving as leaders, radicals and rebels, each wildly diverse, complicated, charismatic and flawed in their own unique way. “Insurgent,” out Friday, picks up shortly after the events of the first film, and finds Tris (Shailene Woodley) exposed as a statewanted “divergent,” or someone who doesn’t…