Wednesday 22 June 2016
Apple is letting developers peer into the core of its mobile operating system for the first time - a move that could have major implications for security.
Last week the tech firm released a preview version of iOS 10.
Its kernel - the central component that controls how software is processed by a device's hardware - was unencrypted.
The move should make it easier for researchers to flag flaws that could otherwise be exploited by hackers.
However, the BBC understands that was not Apple's motivation for making the change.
Even so, experts say it could make it harder for organisations to keep secret techniques they have used to overcome privacy measures on iPhones and iPads.
In a recent high-profile case, the FBI refused to share an exploit it had used to to crack an iPhone used by a gunman who had killed several people in San Bernardino, California.
"In general, transparency is good for security," commented Dr Steven Murdoch from University College London.
"Well-resourced attackers like government intelligence agencies have always been able to find vulnerabilities.
"And while Apple's move will make that job easier, it will also make it easier for less well-resourced security researchers to find the vulnerabilities and get them fixed."
Apple has not commented on the matter, and it was a report by MIT Technology Review that made it public .
It noted that the move could also be used by "jailbreakers" - people who release code that removes an operating system's restrictions to allow a wider range of software to be used.
Unlike many tech firms, Apple does not currently run a bug bounty programme that pays researchers to alert it to flaws.
One researcher suggested that it might now be a good idea to introduce one.
"If Apple has deliberately opened up its code, then it needs to make sure it is very thoroughly reviewed by the community and the firm must then be very responsive in fixing stuff that is found," said Ken Munro from Pen Test Partners.
"A bug bounty would get everyone interested, meaning the security community would be working for Apple for a comparatively low cost."
Instagram users top 500 million
There are now half a billion active users on the photo-sharing app Instagram, the company has said.
More than 300 million people use it at least once a day, it added.
The service was bought by Facebook in 2012 for about $1bn (£677m), and has grown rapidly ever since.
According to the company, an average of 95 million photos and videos are posted each day. Co-founder Kevin Systrom told the BBC its success was the result of "a lot of hard work".
In its five and a half years, Instagram has rocketed past Twitter, thanks in part to its adoption by high-profile celebrities and sports stars.
Instagram's biggest competitor for youthful eyeballs, Snapchat, is understood to have surpassed 100 million users.
'Not about ads'
Instagram was launched in 2010, with 25,000 people downloading the app on its first day.
In growing to the 500 million milestone, the app has suffered its fair share of controversy.
In 2012, changes to its terms of service had users worried it was looking to sell their pictures to advertisers. The changes were rolled back - the service insisted the furore was due to a failure of communication, rather than a nefarious monetisation plan. Still, users were unnerved.
Unease about how a Facebook-owned company would seek to bring in profits has followed ever since.
One recent announcement - that photos would be ordered by an algorithm rather than shown in chronological order - was heavily criticised. There was speculation the move was made to cause more adverts to surface in people's feeds.
"I can say for a fact that's absolutely not what this is about," Mr Systrom told the BBC.
"Nothing about ads or how many ads we show is affected by what happens with the algorithm. This is all about making sure that you see the best stuff."
Also irking users of late has been Instagram's logo change.
Out went the nostalgia-tinged old camera icon, and in its place, a simpler rainbow-coloured replacement. It didn't go down well. But then again, logo changes never do.
"Before we launched it, I knew that it would be a tough time for Instagram," Mr Systrom disclosed.
"What separates companies that make transitions like that and they are successful and the ones that fail, are the ones that have resolve and do it for the right reasons.
"We wanted to create a mark that was universal. We did all these studies of companies and how their marks have evolved over time.
"What you see is they go from complex to simpler and simpler and more iconic. We skipped a few steps, and we went straight to iconic."
Self-obsession
If seflie culture is some kind of new religion, Instagram is a digital Mecca.
But thought-provoking posts from stars, detailing the excruciating effort that goes into the perfect selfie, have made some question the impact apps like Instagram are having on our views of body image and lifestyle.
Mr Systrom likens selfie culture to art works he studied at school.
"People like to think selfies are new. But if you look at the history of art, what's one of the largest formats?" he asks.
"It's the portrait. Now everyone can be an artist.
"That sense of identity when you're growing up, remembering where you were and what you were doing, is nothing new. I think Instagram just makes it very easy.
"At the same time, we see lots of very impactful images being taken."
Those images range from users posting from within secretive North Korea, to small businesses using Instagram to get products and ideas moving.
But compared with Twitter and Facebook, it could be argued, Instagram lacks the same reputation for social disruption.
"I don't think our job is to wish we are part of any movement more than it happens organically," Mr Systrom said.
"[But] I actually think we are part of the global discourse around these moments, and I'm excited that takes place on Instagram."
Age concern
With Instagram celebrating its milestone, and a growth in revenue, it's hard to pick holes in its co-founder's strategy.
Fears that Instagram would lose its identity once Facebook stepped in have proved to be unfounded, as were concerns that bringing advertising into the platform would send people away. It hasn't - at least not yet.
But in the dossier of impressive statistics dished out by Instagram ahead of Tuesday's announcement, there was little in there about the types of users they have. We know there are 500 million of them, and that 80% are outside the US.
But what Instagram is less open about is the profile of those users. The health and future potential of any social network rests with new users, and the perception of being a "cool" place to hang out in the digital world.
That makes it difficult to properly assess Instagram's standing against Snapchat and other rivals.
But Mr Systrom says he is not worried about running the coolest network.
"Of course, we have lots of people signing up who are coming of age and learning to use social media," he said.
"Our job is not to be the cool place to be, our job to is to be the most useful and interesting place to be."
Sunday 19 June 2016
Thursday 16 June 2016
SAMSUNG TO START PRODUCING GALAXY NOTE 7 NEXT WEEK
Posts
