Apple Warns of ‘Surveillance’ Future; New Ransomware Impossible to Crack

Posted March 17th, 2016 at 11:35 am (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

FILE -  Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during a news conference in New York, April 30, 2015. (AP)

FILE – Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during a news conference in New York, April 30, 2015. (AP)

Even CEO Tim Cook is Suggesting Apple Could Be Forced to Build ‘Surveillance OS’

Apple CEO Tim Cook, in an in interview with Time, warned that the future could very well herald a scenario where the government can force tech companies to develop software to spy on their users. The comment comes in the context of Apple’s ongoing showdown with the U.S. government over the company’s refusal to unlock an iPhone belonging to a California mass shooter, a move that could set a precedent far beyond this one case.

Researchers Say TeslaCrypt Ransomware Now Impossible to Crack

An improved version of a nasty piece of ransomware known as TeslaCrypt now makes it impossible for users of hijacked computers to decrypt their files, according to Cisco’s Talos Research. Users whose computer files were locked by the previous iteration of TeslaCrypt were able to exploit a flaw in the ransomware that allowed them to liberate their files without paying ransom.

Steve Wozniak on Apple Watch: ‘This isn’t the Company That Apple Was Originally’

Apple has changed; and its co-founder Steve Wozniak conceded Wednesday that the company’s current approach doesn’t necessarily conform to the original vision he and Steve Jobs had when they launched Apple. The comment reflects Wozniak’s concern about the reduced focus on hardware and Apple’s move away from tech into the jewelry market with the iWatch.

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Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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