A new document, submitted to court in connection with a drug investigation, has been discovered that provides a rare look at the amount of data the government can pull from a seized iPhone using advanced forensic tools.
Of course, we all know that phone searches are a common law enforcement tool. But up until now, we've mostly been in the dark regarding what information the government can grab with this invasive search technique...
The U.S. government and its defense agencies have been dropping BlackBerries for iPhones and Androids for some time and at an alarming pace, too. Back in March 2012, the U.S. Air Force placed a cool $9 million order for 18,000 iPads. Last December, The Washington Post dug up a Defense Department document revealing the Pentagon had tapped contractors to test iOS and Android devices.
Then Bloomberg last month claimed Consolidated Analysis Center Incorporated, a federal contractor, altered thousands of iPads for use by high-ranking government officials, including the President. And finally, Tuesday came the official confirmation that the U.S. Defense Department is working to open its networks to about 100,000 mobile devices from Apple and Google...
On January 26th of this year, the DMCA exemption that made unlocking your cell phone legal, expired, subsequently making the popular practice illegal. Now, folks who go about unlocking their handsets risk serious legal repercussions.
Obviously, people weren't too happy with the way this played out, so an online petition was started to re-legalize unlocking. And as of today, that petition has surpassed 100,000 signatures, meaning the White House must issue a response...
Among the many moves monitored by tech company watchers is who is spending what money, where. Whether it be on R&D, acquisitions, or patent litigation, knowing where a company spends its cash is important to understanding its business.
A new report, for example, takes a look at how much each of the big tech firms spent on D.C. lobbying in 2012 (trying to influence politicians and their legislation to work in their favor). And surprise, surprise, Google spent more than everyone else...
The New Zealand Police Department has announced that it will be doling out 10,000 iOS devices to its officers over the next few months as part of a new technology push. It says that 6000 of its officers will be receiving iPhones, and 3900 of them will also receive tablets.
According to Police Commissioner Peter Marshall, the decision to go with Apple's platform came after field testing a range of different devices, including those running Android and BlackBerry operating systems. The deal is said to be worth in upwards of $5 million...
CACI, or Consolidated Analysis Center Incorporated, is a federal contractor that delivers various information technology services to government agencies. Its primary focus is security, and it goes through great lengths to provide protected business solutions for its clients.
A good example of this is the work it's doing with Apple's mobile products. In a recent interview, CACI's CEO Dan Allen said that his company has altered 'thousands' of iPads so that they can be used securely by high-ranking government officials—including the President...
RIM may have a new name, operating system and a pair of devices on the way, but Australia's chief information officer Peter Alexander says that it's almost too little too late. The comments follow a recent announcement that the country's Treasury Department would be trading in their BlackBerry devices for iPhones—a seemingly popular trend lately...
Cloud computing has really taken off in recent years as a cheap, flexible way for folks to store their documents and data. Apple's iCloud service, for example, has garnered more than 250 million users in just a little over a year.
But while we're all busy uploading our lives to the cloud, it's worth mentioning that it's not totally secure from prying eyes. A recently renewed Surveillance Act gives US authorities permission to access your data without a warrant...
By now, you've likely heard of the recent change in DMCA policy that makes the act of unlocking newer cell phones illegal. And even though the EFF clarified some things for us earlier today, it still sounds like we're getting screwed.
In fact, some folks feel so strongly about the new law that they've started a White House petition calling for the Obama administration to either rescind the decision, or create a new bill making unlocking permanently legal...
In a new report from The Washington Post based on a document by the Defense Department, the Pentagon is reported as tapping contractors as it preps to deploy at least 162,500 iOS and Android devices, potentially expanding to up to eight million devices. It's another blow to Canada-based Research In Motion, which despite its single-digit smartphone share in the United States still enjoys a relatively large, albeit diminishing following amongst governmental agencies. This would mark the first time the Pentagon opened its network to iPhones and Android devices...
Wikipedia defines lobbying as the act of attempting to influence decisions made by government officials. A lot of companies do it to persuade members of regulatory agencies to act in their benefit.
You can actually tell a lot about a company by how much they spend on lobbying and what they lobby for. That's what makes the recently released congressional lobbying disclosure reports so interesting...
Standards-essential patents. You hear this magical phrase brought up quite often in high-stake technology lawsuits. Heck, it might even have been mainstreamed by an ongoing legal spat between Apple and Google over an alleged Android infringement.
It's no secret that industry watchers and the media have long insisted that the patent system is broken beyond repair and that it should be scrapped altogether. Leveraging patents deemed essential to an industry standard can damage an infringing party in tens of millions of dollars worth of fines.
Patent experts have long considered the system unreasonable and punishments too severe. And now, deciding enough is enough, the United States Congress is considering forbidding sales bans related to essential patents. If the proposal is accepted, technology giants like Apple and Samsung may no longer be allowed to request bans on infringing devices...