Technology - Google News

Apple received over 32,000 user data requests in six months - Engadget
Nike's Next Self Lacing Shoe Will Go on Sale for $350 in 2019 - Interesting Engineering
Samsung Galaxy S10 display leak hints at even thinner bezels - TechRadar

Apple received over 32,000 user data requests in six months - Engadget

Posted: 21 Dec 2018 05:24 AM PST

Apple's bi-annual transparency report is here and it now has its own interactive page on Apple's website. As usual, it details the personal data requests Apple received from governments worldwide. Only the new look makes it easier to review and digest thanks to a slider at the bottom that lets you scroll through report cards for each country. And if you're a fan of the old ways, you can still download a PDF crammed with the same data.

According to the report, which covers the first half of this year, Apple received 32,342 demands for user data from governments -- up 9 percent from the previous period -- spanning access to 163,823 devices. Germany made the most requests (42 percent), the majority of which were due to "stolen devices investigations," issuing 13,704 requests for data on 26,160 devices.

The US was in second place with 4,570 requests for 14,911 devices. More than half of these requests (2,397) were for users' basic account information or content, revealed Apple. The US also asked for 918 financial identifiers -- which cover suspected fraudulent credit, debit, or gift card transactions -- attributing them to iTunes gift card fraud.

In addition, Apple received 4,177 global account requests, up 25 percent from the previous period, for 40,641 devices. Apple explains that these requests include iCloud info from Apple IDs, such as account holder name and address, and can also span content, including photos, email, iOS device backups, contacts or calendars. The spike, according to Apple, was attributable to China, which asked for almost 19,908 device data requests "predominantly due to a fraud investigation."

Apple also changed the way it reports on U.S. national security requests for user data. For the first time since it began reporting data requests in 2014, it separated out FBI-issued National Security Letters and requests under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. In the first half of 2018, Apple said it received 0 to 499 National Security Letter requests related to 1,000 to 1,499 accounts.

The report doesn't include the number of FISA requests because of a legally required six-month reporting delay. By combining the data in the past, Apple was able to publish the figures ahead of other tech companies, reports Reuters.

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Nike's Next Self Lacing Shoe Will Go on Sale for $350 in 2019 - Interesting Engineering

Posted: 21 Dec 2018 03:29 AM PST

You have waited and your time has finally come. The self- lacing Nike Mags Marty McFly’s are one of the most iconic shoes in sneaker history capturing the minds and hearts of sneaker enthusiasts around the world.

However, the Back to the Future sneaker is one of the hardest and most expensive shoes to get. Nevertheless, Nike has plans to release a different, lighter and cheaper iteration of the sneaker to the market next year. 2019 may be your year.

2019 E.A.R.L

In 2017 Nike’s HyperAdapt self-lacing shoe graced the market, promising sneaker enthusiasts the opportunity to wear the same self-lacing technology found in the iconic Nike Air Mags. The self-fitting shoe was equipped with Nike’s E.A.R.L technology.

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Designed by legendary sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield, Nike’s E.A.R.L technology gives users the ultimate sneaker experience. The electronic shoe adjusts to the wearer's foot size in real time.

The main goal of this technology is to create shoes that adapt to an athlete's performance.

As described by Nike, “Step into a shoe that comes to life when you put it on. It lights up. It senses you. It adjusts to the shape of your foot and activity in real time. You run, it runs. You jump, it jumps. It's a revolution disguised as a robot, disguised as a self-lacing shoe.”

Nike's Next Self Lacing Shoe Will Go on Sale for $350 in 2019 — Source: *Nike*

Nevertheless costing $720 and thousands of dollars in resell, the Hyperadapt was very difficult to get for the average sneaker wearer.

Expected to be released in Spring 2019, the next generation of Hyperadapt sneaker will probably have a price point of around $350 and will be more widely available than previous sneakers.

The overall technology of the next-gen hyperadapt is expected to be a lighter and more advanced version of the 2017 model.

Will you get yourself a pair of Hyperadapt Self Lacing sneaker this year? Leave your comments below.

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Samsung Galaxy S10 display leak hints at even thinner bezels - TechRadar

Posted: 21 Dec 2018 02:05 AM PST

The Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus and Galaxy S10 Lite could well boast the slimmest bezels ever on a flagship from the South Korean firm according to a new leak.

HTML5 test benchmarks, spotted by Mobiel Kopen, claim to be from the Galaxy S10 Lite (SM-G970F) and the Galaxy S10 Plus (SM-G975F) and reveal their screen resolutions and a new aspect ratio.

According the the leak, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will feature a full HD, 1080 x 2280 display, while the Galaxy S10 Plus screen is expected to be a QHD, 1440 x 3040 offering.

Compare the S10 Plus resolution to the 1440 x 2960 display on the Galaxy S9 Plus and you'll note there are more vertical pixels packed in, suggesting a taller aspect ratio of 19:9 over 6.4 inches for the new handset (versus 18.5:9 over 6.2 inches on the S9 Plus).

An increase in height of the displays on the Galaxy S10 trio (we assume the standard S10 will also adopt the 19:9 ratio) hints at a reduction in bezel size above and below the display.

It also further pushes forward rumors pointing towards the use of Samsung's Infinity O display (which sees the front-facing camera completely surrounded by screen in a 'pinhole' design).

Samsung's also working on a new camera night mode

The Galaxy S10 handsets may offer up a new camera feature as well, with reports claiming that Samsung is working on a camera mode to rival Google's impressive 'Night Sight' on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.

According to XDA Developers, who decompiled the Samsung Camera APK on the Galaxy Note 9, the feature is called 'Bright Night' and will work in a similar way to Google's night mode.

The following code was discovered by XDA Developers:

<string name="Title_bright_night">Bright night</string>  <string name="smart_tips_bright_night_description"> Suggest mode to take bright pictures even in very dark conditions. </string>  <string name="super_night_guide_capture"> Hold your phone steady. Taking picture. </string>  <string name="super_night_guide_ready"> Brighten up this shot with Bright night. </string>  <string name="bright_night_summary"> Take bright pictures even in very dark conditions </string>  <string name="SM_NIGHT"> Night </string>  <string name="SM_NIGHT_description"> Take multiple shots and combine them to get brighter, clearer pictures in low light without using the flash. </string>  <string name="bright_night_summary"> Take bright pictures even in very dark conditions. </string>

There's no guarantee that Bright Night will launch alongside the Samsung Galaxy S10, but it would make sense and we could see the feature hit the Note 9 and S9 duo as well, considering information on it is already in the code for the former.

We expect the Samsung Galaxy S10 launch to take place either at MWC 2019 at the end of February, or sometime in March 2019.

Via PhoneArena

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