Last week, Apple announced that it was taking new steps to prevent the distribution of CSAM on its platform. This included a system to detect such material by scanning the images in people’s iCloud libraries, which has proved controversial. Privacy campaigners have said that this is the first step on a slippery slope to allowing governments all over the world access to people’s phones. That could have implications for activists and journalists in more authoritarian countries, something Apple has prior form in bowing to.
That’s why Engadget’s Karissa Bell has taken a deep, deep dive into what exactly is going on with all of this. If you’ve only heard snatches of what’s going on, and don’t quite get what the real world impacts are, then we’ve got you covered. She’s explored how the technology works, what Apple has said, and if anyone really needs to be concerned.
Zoom knows that not even the internet can dampen the allure of watching the class clown instead of your teacher. That’s why the company is unveiling Focus Mode, which is designed for educators trying to wrest control of their lesson back from the students. With it, teachers can see all of the students on their own feed, but each student can only see the teacher and whatever presentation the teacher is giving. That could be a key tool to keep kids paying attention especially with the Delta variant threatening to derail the start of school. Continue Reading.
It says it needs to in order to protect its users.
Amazon is planning to license keystroke-monitoring software to keep an eye on its employees when they work from home. A leaked document purportedly from the company says that there is a concern that remote working could lead to a rise in data breaches. As such, it’s planning to use software from a company called BehavioSec which tracks keyboard and mouse use. In a statement, Amazon said that it treated the security of user data with the highest respect, and that it was always exploring new ways of safeguarding its customers. Continue Reading.
If you’ve been waiting for VR to mature to the point where you can really get some value out of the technology, now may be the time. A number of companies are now making comfortable, usable and in some cases surprisingly affordable headsets for standalone and PC gaming. In our latest buyer’s guide, we explore the best VR gear for most people, the most affordable way to get set up, and which headset comes out on top as the best that money can buy. Continue Reading.
Honor, for many years, was a subsidiary of Chinese mega-corp Huawei responsible for making budget phones. When the US sanctions against the company began to bite, however, Huawei sold Honor off so it could try to flourish as a standalone business. Now, Honor is reintroducing itself to the world with the Magic3, a new flagship with a “more-is-more-is-more” approach to photography. The Magic3 Pro+, for instance, has a 50-megapixel primary camera, flanked by a trio of 64-megapixel sensors for zoom, wide-angle and monochrome photography. Honor says that it can even shoot cinema-quality video, which is a feature we can’t wait to test. Continue Reading.
The best Star Trek series since Deep Space Nine is back, and it’s as good as it ever was in its first year. Lower Decks features the crew of the USS Cerritos, with an emphasis on those folks who aren’t doing all of the top-tier adventuring on the bridge. In our preview of the second season premiere, you’ll find out if it remains as funny as it was, if it stays true to the show’s core and if it’s worth tuning in, although given that it airs on Paramount+, we probably shouldn’t say “tuning in'' any more, should we? Continue Reading.
It can be hard for a single host to manage large unruly video meetings, particularly given the complexity and features available in video conferencing apps these days. Now, Google has a solution for its Meet app with a new feature that allows you to have up to 25 co-hosts in a meeting, as 9to5Google has reported. That way, they can split chore like muting participants, launching polls, managing Q&As and more, while you focus on the business at hand.
Until now, the feature was only available to Google Workspace for Education customers. Now, it's on all of Google's Meet apps across desktop and mobile, including users with personal Google accounts.
On top of that, Google introduced new controls for meeting hosts, which can be extended to co-hosts. All hosts will be able to limit who can share their screen, limit who can send chat messages, mute all with one click, end the meeting for all and control who can join the meeting and how they can join with the "quick access" setting. The latter allows participants in the same domain to enter automatically.
“Quick access” allows automatic video call entry for users in the same domain. If disabled, hosts must join first, and those that are not invited will have to request permission to enter. Otherwise, the host must join first and give permission to anyone who isn't invited.
The last feature, the "People" panel, adds search to let hosts quickly find participants if moderation actions are needed. The new features will begin rolling out next week on the web and Meet for Android, and the iOS version will arrive at the end of the month.
It looks like HomePod and HomePod mini will soon have support for spatial audio and lossless audio via Apple Music. The HomePod 15 beta 5 includes options that enable lossless and Dolby Atmos playback.
Not all beta users will see the toggles, according to 9to5Mac. If you're running the latest iOS 15 and HomePod betas, you can check whether they're active by accessing the home options menu in the Home app, tapping your profile, then Media and Apple Music.
Earlier this year, Apple said it would bring Apple Music lossless streaming to HomePod and HomePod mini through a software update, but it didn't provide a timeline. Now, it seems the speakers will be able to stream lossless music soon (unless the option's already life for you in the beta).
Apple is expected to roll out its latest operating systems broadly within the next couple of months. When it does, you'll be able to pair a second HomePod mini to Apple TV for stereo audio.
When the Galaxy Z Flip 3 goes on sale later this month, you’ll be able to buy it from Google Fi, marking the first time the MVNO has sold a foldable device. Moreover, if you decide to pre-order the clamshell phone from the search giant, you can get a $400 bill credit.
If you’re new to the carrier, you’ll need to port your number to Fi from your current wireless provider. As part of the promotion, you can also get a $150 credit from Samsung, which you can use on its website, provided you order the foldable before its August 27th release date and then register your purchase through the Samsung Shop app before the end of September 26th. The credit is valid until November 9th. You can find the full details of the deal on Google’s website.
When Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Flip 3 at its Unpacked event on Wednesday, it said it was ready to make foldables mainstream. With a more affordable $1,000 price tag, the company certainly has a chance to make that happen. It also doesn’t hurt to have aggressive promotions like the one Google is offering through Fi.
Microsoft is updating some of the apps that come preloaded with Windows 11. To start, you’ll find a new version of the Snipping Tool that borrows a handful of features from Microsoft’s Snip & Sketch app. Press the “Win,” “Shift” and “S” keys on your keyboard simultaneously to activate the software and then select the part of your screen you want to capture. Once you’ve snapped a screenshot, you’ll find various tools that allow you to edit and annotate the image. With Windows 11, the Snipping Tool also finally includes a dark mode, and you can set it independent of your system theme.
Microsoft
Microsoft is also updating the Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 11. You’ll notice they now feature rounded corners “and other adjustments” that should help make them feel more like a natural extension of the operating system.
Last but certainly not least, the humble calculator app has received some love from Microsoft. It too now includes a dark mode you can set independent of Windows. The company has also rewritten the software in C# in hopes of more people contributing to its development over on GitHub.
According to Dave Grochocki, a senior program manager lead for Windows inbox apps, Microsoft plans to release “even more updates to the apps that come in Windows 11.” Look for previews of those to arrive before the company releases Windows 11 later this year. In the meantime, you can test the newly updated apps if you’re in the Windows Insider Dev Channel.
Last week, Apple previewed a number of updates meant to beef up child safety features on its devices. Among them: a new technology that can scan the photos on users’ devices in order to detect child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Though the change was widely praised by some lawmakers and child safety advocates, it prompted immediate pushback from many security and privacy experts, who say the update amounts to Apple walking back its commitment to putting user privacy above all else.
Apple has disputed that characterization, saying that its approach balances both privacy and the need to do more to protect children by preventing some of the most abhorrent content from spreading more widely.
What did Apple announce?
Apple announced three separate updates, all of which fall under the umbrella of “child safety.” The most significant — and the one that’s gotten the bulk of the attention — is a feature that will scan iCloud Photos for known CSAM. The feature, which is built into iCloud Photos, compares a user’s photos against a database of previously identified material. If a certain number of those images is detected, it triggers a review process. If the images are verified by human reviewers, Apple will suspend that iCloud account and report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Apple also previewed new “communication safety” features for the Messages app. That update enables the Messages app to detect when sexually explicit photos are sent or received by children. Importantly, this feature is only available for children who are part of a family account, and it’s up to parents to opt in.
Apple
If parents do opt into the feature, they will be alerted if a child under the age of 13 views one of these photos. For children older than 13, the Messages app will show a warning upon receiving an explicit image, but won’t alert their parents. Though the feature is part of the Messages app, and separate from the CSAM detection, Apple has noted that the feature could still play a role in stopping child exploitation, as it could disrupt predatory messages.
Finally, Apple is updating Siri and its search capabilities so that it can “intervene” in queries about CSAM. If someone asks how to report abuse material, for example, Siri will provide links to resources to do so. If it detects that someone might be searching for CSAM, it will display a warning and surface resources to provide help.
When is this happening and can you opt out?
The changes will be part of iOS 15, which will roll out later this year. Users can effectively opt out by disabling iCloud Photos (instructions for doing so can be found here). However, anyone disabling iCloud Photos should keep in mind that it could affect your ability to access photos across multiple devices.
So how does this image scanning work?
Apple is far from the only company that scans photos to look for CSAM. Apple’s approach to doing so, however, is unique. The CSAM detection relies on a database of known material, maintained by NCMEC and other safety organizations. These images are “hashed” (Apple’s official name for this is NeuralHash) — a process that converts images to a numerical code that allows them to be identified, even if they are modified in some way, such as cropping or making other visual edits. As previously mentioned, CSAM detection only functions if iCloud Photos is enabled. What’s notable about Apple’s approach is that rather than matching the images once they’ve been sent to the cloud — as most cloud platforms do — Apple has moved that process to users’ devices.
Apple
Here’s how it works: Hashes of the known CSAM are stored on the device, and on-device photos are compared to those hashes. The iOS device then generates an encrypted “safety voucher” that’s sent to iCloud along with the image. If a device reaches a certain threshold of CSAM, Apple can decrypt the safety vouchers and conduct a manual review of those images. Apple isn’t saying what the threshold is, but has made clear a single image wouldn’t result in any action.
Apple also published a detailed technical explanation of the process here.
Why is this so controversial?
Privacy advocates and security researchers have raised a number of concerns. One os these is that this feels like a major reversal for Apple, which five years ago refused the FBI’s request to unlock a phone and has put up billboards stating “what happens on your iPhone stays on your iPhone.” To many, the fact that Apple created a system that can proactively check your images for illegal material and refer them to law enforcement, feels like a betrayal of that promise.
In a statement, the Electronic Frontier Foundation called it “a shocking about-face for users who have relied on the company’s leadership in privacy and security.” Likewise, Facebook — which has spent years taking heat from Apple over its privacy missteps — has taken issue with the iPhone maker’s approach to CSAM. WhatsApp chief, Will Cathcart, described it as “an Apple built and operated surveillance system.”
More specifically, there are real concerns that once such a system is created, Apple could be pressured — either by law enforcement or governments — to look for other types of material. While CSAM detection is only going to be in the US to start, Apple has suggested it could eventually expand to other countries and work with other organizations. It’s not difficult to imagine scenarios where Apple could be pressured to start looking for other types of content that’s illegal in some countries. The company’s concessions in China — where Apple reportedly “ceded control” of its data centers to the Chinese government — are cited as proof that the company isn’t immune to the demands of less-democratic governments.
There are other questions too. Like whether it's possible for someone to abuse this process by maliciously getting CSAM onto someone’s device in order to trigger them losing access to their iCloud account. Or whether there could be a false positive, or some other scenario that results in someone being incorrectly flagged by the company’s algorithms.
What does Apple say about this?
Apple has strongly denied that it’s degrading privacy or walking back its previous commitments. The company published a second document in which it tries to address many of these claims.
On the issue of false positives, Apple has repeatedly emphasized that it is only comparing users’ photos against a collection of known child exploitation material, so images of, say, your own children won’t trigger a report. Additionally, Apple has said that the odds of a false positive is around one in a trillion when you factor in the fact that a certain number of images must be detected in order to even trigger a review. Crucially, though, Apple is basically saying we just have to take their word on that. As Facebook’s former security chief Alex Stamos and security researcher Matthew Green wrote in a joint New York Times op-ed, Apple hasn’t provided outside researchers with much visibility into how all this actually works.
Apple further says that its manual review, which relies on human reviewers, would be able to detect if CSAM was on a device as the result of some kind of malicious attack.
When it comes to pressure from governments or law enforcement agencies, the company has basically said that it would refuse to cooperate with such requests. “We have faced demands to build and deploy government-mandated changes that degrade the privacy of users before, and have steadfastly refused those demands,” it writes. “We will continue to refuse them in the future. Let us be clear, this technology is limited to detecting CSAM stored in iCloud and we will not accede to any government’s request to expand it.” Although, once again, we kind of just have to take Apple at its word here.
If it’s so controversial, why is Apple doing it?
The short answer is because the company thinks this is finding the right balance between increasing child safety and protecting privacy. CSAM is illegal and, in the US, companies are obligated to report it when they find it. As a result, CSAM detection features have been baked into popular services for years. But unlike other companies, Apple hasn’t checked for CSAM in users’ photos, largely due to its stance on privacy. Unsurprisingly, this has been a major source of frustration for child safety organizations and law enforcement.
To put this in perspective, in 2019 Facebook reported 65 million instances of CSAM on its platform, according to The New York Times. Google reported 3.5 million photos and videos, while Twitter and Snap reported “more than 100,000,” Apple, on the other hand, reported 3,000 photos.
That’s not because child predators don’t use Apple services, but because Apple hasn’t been nearly as aggressive as some other platforms in looking for this material, and its privacy features have made it difficult to do so. What’s changed now is that Apple says it’s come up with a technical means of detecting collections of known CSAM in iCloud Photos libraries that still respects users’ privacy. Obviously, there’s a lot of disagreement over the details and whether any kind of detection system can truly be “private.” But Apple has calculated that the tradeoff is worth it. “If you’re storing a collection of CSAM material, yes, this is bad for you,” Apple’s head of privacy toldThe New York Times. “But for the rest of you, this is no different.”
According to an internal company document obtained by Motherboard, Amazon plans to monitor how its employees use their keyboards and mice to prevent customer data leaks. The retailer is reportedly leaning toward licensing tools from a company called BehavioSec.
"The software does not rely on personally identifiable information or other static data," a FAQ page from BehavioSec states. Instead, the company claims it uses "behavioral biometrics" to generate a profile of how someone types and uses their computer. Its software then utilizes that profile to verify that a hacker or imposter hasn't compromised an employee's device. BehavioSec's website lists Cisco and Deutsche Telekom as "partners," suggesting Amazon wouldn't be the first company to use its software. Amazon reportedly looked at other employee monitoring solutions. However, due to "challenges around collecting keystrokes data," concluded it was best to turn to more "privacy-aware" models like BehavioSec.
In the document, Amazon claims it needs such software to combat various security threats. The company points to at least four cases where its security team identified incidents where someone posed as a service agent to obtain customer data. "We have a security gap as we don't have a reliable mechanism for verifying that users are who they claim they are," the company states in the document.
With more of its employees working remotely due to the pandemic, it's also worried about a higher risk of "data exfiltration." Amazon points to several hypothetical scenarios it wants to protect itself against, including one where a customer service employee forgets to lock their computer, and a nosy roommate steals the company's data. By 2022, it estimates the software could help it reduce imposter takeover by 100 percent.
"Maintaining the security and privacy of customer and employee data is among our highest priorities," Kelly Nantel, director of national media relations at Amazon, told Engadget. "While we do not share details on the technologies we use, we continually explore and test new ways to safeguard customer-related data while also respecting the privacy of our employees. And we do this while also remaining compliant with applicable privacy laws and regulations."
While Amazon's reasons for considering BehavioSec appear to be well-intentioned, the company doesn't have the best history with employee monitoring software. A recent report from CNBC found Amazon's Mentor app was far too overbearing to do its intended job effectively, and it would needlessly penalize drivers for things like going over the occasional bump on the road.
Google has banned SafeGraph, a company that captured and sold Android users' location data. Android developers who used the company's software development kit (SDK) were given seven days to remove SafeGraph's location gathering tools from their apps or face possible ejection from the Play Store, as Motherboard reported.
Some of the data SafeGraph obtained was from apps that harnessed the SDK. The apps were able to track user locations, though many people many not be aware how companies use their data.
Google brought the hammer down on SafeGraph in early June. It's not clear if any apps are still using the SDK or if Google has taken action against developers who haven't removed SafeGuard's plug-ins. Engadget has contacted Google for comment.
With context, it's possible to find out details about individuals using location data, even when it's supposedly anonymized. Data Motherboard bought from SafeGraph showed the movement of users between points of interest. The company also sells secondary information from other companies to augment the location data, according to the report. Other datasets are said to include the names of people who own property in the US, which could reveal details about individual users.
SafeGraph reportedly sells its location data to almost anyone willing to pay for it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is said to be among SafeGraph's customers, while The New York Times used SafeGraph data for a project that showed where people were gathering after COVID-19 lockdown restrictions were loosened. The publication told Motherboard that it aggregated the location data.
In February, Google took a similar action against Predicio, which is linked to a company named Venntel. Public contracts that emerged last year showed that US Customs and Border Protection bought data from Venntel, reportedly for warrantless phone tracking. Google and Apple both banned X-Mode, another location data broker, last December. Location data brokers sometimes pay app developers to use their tracking code so they can sell the information, which is against Google's rules.
Verizon (currently Engadget's parent company) is still betting on streaming bonuses to win over new subscribers. The carrier has launched a promo that gives Fios and wireless subscribers up to a year of 'free' AMC+ streaming. Not surprisingly, you'll only get the full 12 months if you spend the most — you'll have to either sign up for a Mix & Match Fios plan or activate a new line on one of the network's better unlimited wireless plans (Play More, Do More or Get More) while buying one of the company's "best" 5G-capable phones.
Cellular subscribers who either activate a Start Unlimited plan or upgrade to a top-tier 5G phone on an existing line will get a more modest six months of AMC+ service. The promo expires for Fios customers on February 10th, 2022, but there's no mention of an expiry date for wireless.
Verizon isn't shy about the timing — The Walking Dead season 11 premieres August 22nd for most viewers, and the company is clearly hoping to reel in customers who want to watch more of AMC's humans-are-the-real-monsters drama. We'd add that this comes just a day after Samsung revealed the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 — the bonus AMC+ access could serve as an incentive to update your phone.
The question, as with other carrier perks, is whether or not this is really adding value. Verizon already gives all its users at least six months of Disney+, Discovery+, Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass and Apple Music — if you aren't a hardcore Walking Dead fan, what's another service you'll try a few times and cancel? There's also the question of pricing — what if you were comfortable dropping the freebies in return for a lower rate? While networks like Verizon don't say how much it costs to offer bonuses like this, there's a mounting concern that the costs could add up.
Zagreus might struggle to escape the Underworld, but he's no longer bound by the confines of PC and Nintendo Switch. Hades, widely regarded as one of the best games of 2020, is coming to Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4 and PS5 on August 13th. It'll be on Xbox Game Pass on Xbox and PC on the same date.
Supergiant Games says the dungeon-crawling roguelike is targeting 60 frames per second at 1080p on Xbox One and PS4. It'll run at up to 60 fps in 4K on Series X/S and PS5.
Physical editions will come with a bonus download code for the soundtrack and a 32-page booklet. The Xbox One and Series X versions will be available on the same disk. Both the physical and digital PS4 versions offer a free upgrade to the digital PS5 version.
Unfortunately, unlike the Switch version, you won't be able to transfer Hades saves between PC and Xbox or PlayStation consoles. Still, Xbox and PlayStation owners will at last get their chance to tackle Hades again and again and again in a couple of months.
