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Feds move to postpone iPhone hearing

Iis this the FBI backing down from pressure either inside the government or from Apple’s various lobbying efforts or have they legitimately found a way around it? Either way is troubling.

Critical software update for Kindles

Most of you probably have already updated but keep in mind those who may not be as technically knowledgeable as you are. I’ve already told 4 Kindle-using friends about this because they had no idea there was any kind of issue.

Thoughts on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro

There was definitely a theme to Monday’s Apple event: take the newest technology and put it to smaller form factors. They did it with the iPhone SE, and they did it with the iPad Pro. […]

Thoughts on iPhone SE: An iPhone 6s in an iPhone 5s body

There is no doubt that some people prefer a 4-inch iPhone over the larger iPhone 6s introduced last year. However, if you wanted the power of the newest version, you had to give up the more compact design… until now. […]

ResearchKit and CareKit

At today’s Apple Event, Apple spent a good period of time talking about ResearchKit and CareKit. I’ve got a couple of doctor friends who are research scientists and they’ve been really excited about ResearchKit and I’m sure will be just as excited about what they can do with CareKit. Research is all about data and these tools from Apple allow researchers to gather more data than they’ve even been able to in the past.

Apple goes greener with big renewable energy push

While many on Twitter bemoaned this segment of the event today, I love hearing about Apple’s efforts to become more environmentally friendly. It’s really interesting to see them forge ahead, even in areas where it would be easy to throw their hands up and say they couldn’t solve the problem. The solar arrays on 800 rooftops in Singapore is a perfect example.

Apple ‘privacy czars’ grapple with internal conflicts over user data

Whether Apple employees “loathe or fear” these czars mostly depends on how decisions affect their work. I’ve heard frustration from some but, overall, employees are happy and proud of Apple’s privacy stance both externally and internally, even if it causes frustration with what they are trying to accomplish.

Video spots from the Apple event

On their YouTube page, Apple has posted four videos of the spots they played at this morning’s Apple event. They include the new iPad Pro introduction, one on “ResearchKit — Empowering doctors, researchers, and now” and the nostalgic and whimsical “Apple – 40 Years in 40 Seconds”, with a very funny Newton reference.

Liam – An innovation story

The most fun to be heard while watching today’s Apple event was the live audience and Twitter reaction to the “iPhone Killing Robot, Liam”.

Apple introduces iPhone SE

Except for the lack of 3D Touch, it seems like Apple jammed all the good stuff of the iPhone 6 into the new iPhone. This is going to be a great upgrade to those who want a new iPhone but don’t need the bulk or screen size of the 6.

Apple hires new security chief

Apple appointed George Stathakopoulos, formerly vice president of information security at Amazon.com and before that Microsoft’s general manager of product security, to be vice president of corporate information security, the people said.

Stathakopoulos will be in charge of protecting corporate assets.

The products released at Apple’s Town Hall

Jason Snell and Stephen Hackett take a fun look back at all the products Apple released at events held at Town Hall on its Cupertino Campus. I was there for every one of them. Tomorrow’s event will also be held at Town Hall.

Apple Watch vs the Fitbit Blaze

Even though the Fitbit is made for Fitness, I prefer the Apple Watch because it can do more things. The ecosystem is obviously a huge advantage for Apple too.

Apple’s security expert will testify on Tuesday in iPhone case

The FBI has requested an evidentiary hearing, which means the court will hear testimony from witnesses on both sides.

Those witnesses will include Eric Neuenschwander, Apple’s head of product security and privacy, who can speak to the company’s security measures and the feasibility of the government’s proposed system. Neuenschwander filed a declaration to the court on Tuesday, which argued the government’s order would potentially endanger the Trusted Platform Module system used throughout the industry, including specific systems built by Tesla and Microsoft.

I was on the call today with Apple and they remained steadfast in their view that weakening encryption would be a bad thing. The fact the government requested an evidentiary hearing speaks volumes—I don’t think they feel they can rely on the law alone to win this case.

Remember, you have a voice in this fight too. There are things you can do.

Stand to work if you like, but don’t brag about the benefits

Standing desks are very trendy right now (I have one from Oristand I’m testing for review) but always seemed to me to be one of those “too good to be true” things. Turns out, I may be right. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t stand, or at least, not sit for 10 hours a day but it seems the health benefits have been overblown.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) puts 65,000 works of modern art online

One of the greatest advantages of the internet is the dispersion of knowledge into places that would never have received it otherwise. Imagine being a kid in Iowa who may never be able to visit the MoMA in New York City. That’s sad but, with online collections like this, at least that kid can see a version of some of the most important works of art of the 20th century.

FBI warns vehicle owners about risks of hacking

“The FBI and NHTSA are warning the general public and manufacturers – of vehicles, vehicle components, and aftermarket devices – to maintain awareness of potential issues and cybersecurity threats related to connected vehicle technologies in modern vehicles,” the agencies said in the bulletin.

Here’s an idea: Let’s weaken the security of the iPhone, so the FBI can issue a warning about the risks of hacking of those devices too.

Full transcript of TIME’s interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook

I love this full court press (sorry – March Madness just started) Cook and Apple are putting on via the media. Granted, they have to but it’s still good to see Apple executives being more publicly involved in the world they live in. What they do affects many of us so it’s good to have them voicing their thoughts and opinions.

The world’s top fighter pilots fear this woman’s voice

I love these kinds of stories. I once talked to a guy involved in the “tech support” of the F22 fighter and he said they argued for hours over exactly the right kind of voice they needed for the plane to get the pilot’s attention in case of emergency.

Chinese minister meets with FBI director

Chinese State Councilor Guo Shengkun met with Director of U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey on Monday, pledging to strengthen law enforcement cooperation.

“Let me know if you get that iPhone master key. We have 100 million iPhones over here we’d love to get into.”

Colonels of truth

What a fascinating story of a figure we all know but generally have no idea of the history behind. Turns out, the Colonel was quite the foul-mouthed rogue who didn’t start making his chicken until much later in life. This is one of those articles that make a perfect “Read It Later” story.

The law is clear: The FBI cannot make Apple rewrite its OS

The more I read about this issue, and I’ve read a lot, the more I see that the government may have made a huge mistake with this particular case. Obviously, a judge could rule differently but every non-partisan opinion I’ve read says there’s no way the government can get a court to do what they want.