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China's Xiaomi to use smartphone chips designed in-residence

China's most valuable start-up Xiaomi Inc [XTC.UL] is aiming to use cellphone processor chips designed in-house in a number of its decrease-priced handsets within the second half of of this year, a source with direct information of the matter told Reuters.

The flow would mark the primary time that Xiaomi has used chips designed in-house, something analysts have stated should placed strain on enterprise leaders consisting of Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) and MediaTek Inc (2454.TW), which supply the organization. 

The in-residence cellphone application processor chips are designed for Xiaomi's mid- to low-priced phone version RedMi be aware collection, however it is doubtful how many Xiaomi is making plans to make this year, said the supply, who declined to be named because the information is not public. 

The move comes as Beijing ploughs billions of greenbacks into home-grown chip businesses in a bid to stop China's reliance on foreign semiconductors.

the world's fifth-biggest phone supplier, Xiaomi has employed 200 to 300 people to paintings on phone chip design in towns together with Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing, the source stated.

"Xiaomi is copying the version of designing processor chips in-residence from Apple Inc (AAPL.O), Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and Huawei technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL]," the source said, regarding the handiest three companies who've the ability to place self-designed cellphone processor chips into business use in the interim. 

LONGSTANDING AMBITION

Xiaomi has long been eager on making in-residence chips.

chinese chip fashion designer Leadcore technology Ltd, a subsidiary of nation-backed Datang Telecom (600198.SS), in 2014 signed an settlement with privately-owned Beijing Pinecone Electronics to mutually layout 4G multiple mode chips, a stock alternate filing confirmed. 

Beijing Pinecone Electronics is controlled via Xiaomi, the source and enterprise analysts instructed Reuters. Xiaomi declined to touch upon its ties with the company. 

Analysts stated chinese cellphone vendors' targets to design telephone chips have come to be one in all their fundamental strategies to maintain market proportion and margins amid intense competition.

MediaTek was probable to return below strain because it supplied maximum of Xiaomi's mid- to low-cost cellphone chips, analysts said. MediaTek shipped approximately 20 million processor chips to Xiaomi ultimate 12 months, consistent with a document via Jefferies. 

"Designing chips in-house without a doubt expenses extra if the scale of phone companies is not sufficient to guide the cost of R&D," Taiwan-primarily based MediaTek stated. "ultimately, they nevertheless have to outsource that to professional chip providers."

Common cellular software should have opened San Bernardino shooter's iPhone

The felony showdown over U.S. needs that Apple Inc AAPL.O release an iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Rizwan Farook could have been avoided if his enterprise, which owns the tool, had prepared it with unique mobile smartphone software program it troubles to many employees.

San Bernardino County, which employed Farook as an environmental fitness inspector, requires a few, but no longer all, of its people to put in mobile-tool management software program made by means of Silicon Valley-based totally MobileIron Inc MOBL.O on government-issued telephones, in line with county spokesman David Wert.

That software is designed to comfy corporate statistics. It additionally permits facts era departments to remotely free up telephones, even without help of the smartphone's customers or get right of entry to to the password had to open the smartphone and unscramble the information.

"If that particular iPhone become using MobileIron, the county's IT branch should unlock it," MobileIron vp Ojas Rege instructed Reuters.

The hassle is that the MobileIron software program turned into no longer mounted on Farook's phone due to the fact his department did not use it. "The app become no longer installed on that tool," Wert stated.

If it were, the high stakes legal battle that has pitted Apple and lots of the generation industry against the U.S. authorities might have been averted altogether. The branch of Justice, in court docket filings, has said there may be no manner to get at the facts inside the phone without Apple engineering a special software solution.

Apple, that's refusing to conform with a choose's order to release the smartphone, could not be reached right now for comment.

Wert said he did not recognise why some departments opted out of using the cell-management software. He said that the county may evaluate the policy after the debacle over gaining access to Farook's phone.

"I suppose all and sundry who's within the business of offering mobile gadgets to their employees might be taking a sparkling appearance after those past couple days," he said.

County leader information Officer Jennifer Hilber couldn't be reached for comment.

other main cellular tool management software program makers encompass BlackBerry Ltd BB.TO, worldwide commercial enterprise Machines Corp IBM.N and VMware Inc VMW.N.

David Goldschlag, a mobile-safety professional with Pulse cozy, showed that MobileIron is able to unlocking phones without the user's passcode, and he stated the enterprise's most important competition have similar features.

Representatives with BlackBerry and IBM declined remark. A VMware spokesman said he had no instantaneous remark.

To make certain, cell safety experts warned that Farook may want to nevertheless have avoided the county from remotely accessing his phone through virtually deleting the MobileIron software from his phone. 

however this type of deletion would at a minimum have alerted managers to a trouble, safety experts said.

Apple says debate over encryption should be decided by Congress

Senior Apple executives stated on Friday that the proper location to find a method to the encryption debate turned into in the U.S. Congress, rebuffing the Justice department's a hit pursuit of a court docket order to free up an iPhone linked to one of the San Bernardino shooters.

The executives, speakme to journalists on a press call, stated they were taken aback that the request to write down software program code to disable the passcode protections on the telephone became occurring inside the usa and not another usa with lesser traditions of privateness and civil liberties.

Republicans chide Apple over order on shooter's phone

Distinguished Republicans criticized Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on Wednesday for opposing a central authority request for help hacking into an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino attackers, calling the issue tough however crucial to boosting national security.

The technology corporation past due on Tuesday said it was opposing a court order to help the Federal Bureau of research wreck into an iPhone that belonged to the male shooter, Rizwan Farook, earlier than the deadly Dec. 2 assaults in San Bernardino, California. Apple leader government Officer Tim prepare dinner stated the demand threatened the security of Apple's customers.

Donald Trump, a main candidate for his birthday party's nomination to run for president on Nov. 8, stated on Wednesday that unlocking the iPhone is "commonplace sense."

"Who do they think they are?" the billionaire developer said of Apple in an interview on Fox news. "We ought to open it up."

"I agree one hundred percent with the courts," he stated.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, another candidate looking for the Republican nomination, called it a "tough trouble" that could require government to paintings intently with the tech enterprise to discover a answer.

At a campaign forestall in Mount pleasant, South Carolina, Rubio said he was hoping Apple could voluntarily follow the courtroom order.

"in the long run, I suppose being a great corporate citizen is vital," he said.

On Capitol Hill, U.S. Senator Richard Burr, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, echoed the candidates' statements and said Apple have been asked to paintings with the FBI below a valid court order.

"court docket orders aren't elective, and Apple should comply," Burr said in a announcement.

Twitter users returned Apple in combat with U.S. over iPhone get entry to via Gina Cherelus

Edward Snowden and others on Twitter rallied on Wednesday in aid of Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) competition to a U.S. courtroom order to help federal investigators by means of unlocking an iPhone used by one of the shooters in December's deadly assault in San Bernardino, California.

"Apple" and "San Bernardino" have been trending closely as subjects on Twitter following Apple leader government Tim cook's decision to fight the order by using a federal choose in la that Apple provide "reasonable technical help" to the Federal Bureau of investigation inside the case.

prepare dinner on Tuesday called the order, issued that day, "a risky precedent," adding in a declaration on Apple's website that "the consequences of the authorities’s demands are chilling."

cook dinner's and Apple's reaction to the demand changed into regarded definitely universal on Twitter, according to social media analytics company Zoomph.

Snowden was amongst several excessive-profile digital privacy advocates who weighed in.

"The @FBI is creating a global where citizens rely on #Apple to shield their rights, in preference to the opposite manner round," said a tweet from the former country wide security organization contractor(@Snowden). Snowden, who is accused of violating U.S. espionage laws by means of leaking details of government surveillance applications, now lives in Russia.

prominent era author and entrepreneur Anil sprint (@anildash) tweeted, "Apple displaying excellent leadership resisting demands to weaken its encryption."

several Twitter and fb customers applauded Apple's announcement by means of the use of the hashtag #standwithapple. Peter M (@monkieboy99) stated: "thank you @tim_cook for persevering with to position the security of Apple clients first. #Apple #iPhone #standwithapple"

but the support on Twitter for Apple's stance became no longer unanimous.

Ian Bremmer (@ianbremmer), the president of Eurasia group, a political chance studies and consulting company, tweeted, “Didn’t understand you could simply oppose a decide’s order as if it was a request. #Apple #ThinkDifferent.”

modern and former Apple employees also weighed in, wishing cook the satisfactory in his opposition to the order.

"I’ve said it earlier than, and i say it again: @tim_cook is wonderful and i stand in the back of each bit of this. thanks, Tim," wrote Jade Pennig (@zahnster), a consumer interface engineer at Apple, in line with her LinkedIn web page.

Yahoo to cut more than three hundred jobs

Yahoo Inc (YHOO.O) on Wednesday said it would cut extra than three hundred jobs by way of April 18, as a part of 1,500 layoffs announced in advance, San Francisco Chronicle mentioned.

The layoffs cover 128 personnel at Yahoo's headquarters in Sunnyvale, California; 46 personnel in San Francisco and 60 in los angeles, the newspaper said bringing up a agency's observe to state officers.

The company additionally plans to close down its Burbank office, affecting ninety employees, in line with San Francisco Chronicle.

The layoffs have an effect on humans in Yahoo's media department, as well as personnel in different roles which includes engineering or research, San Francisco Chronicle suggested. 

Yahoo become now not at once available for remark. 

Yahoo earlier during the day stated it would close down its digital magazines as part of a plan to simplify its commercial enterprise.

Yahoo announced final week it will lay off 107 employees inside the first of what is expected to be more than 1,500 task cuts.

The employer said in advance this month it'd keep in mind "strategic alternatives" for its middle net commercial enterprise and cut approximately 15 percent of its body of workers.

Apple Pay takes on China's net kings in cell payments by Paul Carsten

Apple Inc released its cellular charge gadget in China on Thursday in a bid to convince the hundreds of thousands and thousands of users of the u . s .'s entrenched, dominant services to replace.

"We assume China will be our largest Apple Pay market," Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay, told Reuters in an interview in Beijing.

In an early raise, China's largest lender, commercial and business bank of China Ltd (ICBC), changed into a number of the banks that stated earlier this week that clients would be capable of use Apple Pay from Thursday.

however, Apple Pay has now not had an clean journey thus far in China, the 5th united states of america to get the provider. Even in its U.S. home market, Apple has faced skeptical outlets in its effort to develop a new revenue circulate. 

China is not in all likelihood to prove any less difficult to crack.

"human beings switch applications for extensively better experiences, it (Apple) has to supply now not only a little bit greater comfortable, or a bit bit less difficult to apply," stated Mark Natkin, founding father of Marbridge Consulting. 

more China is Apple's second-largest market by using sales, and the world's largest smartphone marketplace. through the end of 2015, 358 million human beings, extra than the U.S. population, had already taken to buying goods and services by means of cellular smartphone, in line with the China internet community data center.

The substantial majority are using payment services from China's  biggest net companies that have existed for years.

Social networking and gaming company Tencent Holdings Ltd operates WeChat price, and e-commerce agency Alibaba group holding Ltd, via its net finance associate Ant financial services organization, runs Alipay.

"With one hundred percent saturation of nearby price systems, no one in China is clamoring for Apple Pay," stated one retailer who declined to be named for fear of harming commercial enterprise prospects. "nowadays, all and sundry has a neighborhood charge choice on their phone, so Apple Pay is an answer in need of a hassle."

BANKS ON BOARD

Deeply ingrained in China's internet, domestic price offerings cowl much greater than trip hailing, meals shipping and on line shopping. customers can spend money on wealth management funds, pay utility payments, ship presents to pals and provide to charity.

An Ant economic spokeswoman said Alipay has over 400 million lively customers, with 80 percentage on cell.

"Alipay is an app for both (Google software program) Android and (Apple's) iOS machine and has little necessities for the make and version of the cellular cellphone," she said.

The U.S. company has 19 of China's biggest creditors as partners. which means eighty percentage of China's credit and debit playing cards are eligible for Apple Pay, usable at about one-0.33 of all locations that receive the ones cards, Apple's Bailey said.

Apple's approach is to not compete with banks and UnionPay, stated Bailey.

"China UnionPay and our Apple Pay answer has a massive benefit, given the footprint of China UnionPay," she said. "Its merchant acceptance network some distance exceeds what any of the opposite cell structures have nowadays."

although banks have been competitors elsewhere, enterprise watchers say this tactic may also offer Apple its great prospect.

Zhao Longkai, accomplice professor of finance on the Peking college Guanghua school of management, stated China's banks, and state-subsidized charge card monopoly China UnionPay, have rankled at the popularity of alternative mobile structures related to Alibaba and Tencent.

"The entry of Apple Pay has the potential to alternate the strategic panorama," said Zhao. "UnionPay now has an opportunity to deliver a new alliance to defend the market that it is losing to Tencent or Alibaba - Apple Pay first wishes to figure out a manner to win over chinese customers."

The big apple-based cyber crime startup inks deal with Europol, raises $1.6 mln

Chainalysis Inc, a big apple metropolis-primarily based startup specializing in countering cash laundering and fraud within the virtual currency industry, is collaborating with Europol's european Cybercrime middle, the corporation said on Thursday.

The settlement, within the form of a memorandum of know-how, comes as virtual currencies such as bitcoin are getting greater famous and ability opponents to established on-line payment mechanisms but also are a target for criminals to commit fraud and extortion. 

"This new collaboration is an essential subsequent step within the enterprise to move digital currencies out of the arms of the criminals and into the hands of customers and blooming trade," said Michael Gronager, chief govt of Chainalysis, in a declaration.

Europol said in a report remaining 12 months that cyber crime is turning into a big enterprise with criminals taking gain of cloud infrastructure and often extorting their sufferers in bitcoin.

Chainalysis targets to fight cyber crime by means of tracking virtual identities linked to virtual currencies. The organisation's software detects suspicious interest at once and presents investigative equipment for law enforcement.

separately, Chainalysis stated it raised $1.6 million in funding led through point nine Capital, a Berlin-primarily based early-degree project capital firm.

Techstars, virtual currency organization, FundersClub, and Converge assignment companions additionally participated in the financing round. these groups are energetic inside the bitcoin and blockchain international.

On Thursday, one bitcoin traded at $417.30, up zero.three percent at the day at the Bitstamp platform.

Amazon increasing deliveries through its 'on-demand' drivers

Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) is quietly inviting drivers for its new "on-demand" shipping carrier to deal with its trendy packages, as the on line store recognized for low costs and razor-thin income margins appears to hurry up shipping instances and tamp down its growing multi-billion dollar logistics invoice. 

The pass, which has now not been introduced publicly, is the modern-day sign that the sector's largest e-trade agency desires to manipulate extra of its own deliveries. Media reports have said the enterprise plans to lease its personal fleet of jets, and CEO Jeff Bezos eventually desires to use drones to get packages to clients. 

Amazon mentioned information of its today's plan over the last few weeks in an e-mail to settlement drivers who deliver parcels for Amazon Flex, a software launched final year to deal with rapid deliveries of commonplace family items to clients the use of high Now, a cell app that includes Amazon's famous $ninety nine-a-12 months top membership. they're not Amazon employees. 

If the gambit works, enterprise analysts stated it could help Amazon include its shipping expenses, which grew greater than 18 percentage to $eleven.5 billion ultimate 12 months. 

it'd additionally create a logistics network to compete with United Parcel provider Inc (united states of americaN), FedEx Corp (FDX.N) and the patchwork of nearby providers which presently deliver Amazon programs.

An Amazon spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday that Flex drivers in Texas are already turning in Amazon.com applications and no longer just top Now orders. The Seattle-primarily based organisation did now not pass into information of its plans, but stated it's going to "discover new methods to provide customers with faster service and shipping companions with extra opportunities." 

In a current profits name, an Amazon govt stated the company changed into now not looking to replace partner carriers but rather locate ways to deal with greater of its personal deliveries at height times.

Amazon Flex works like on-call for journey-hailing carrier Uber. Drivers use the app to sign up for shifts to pick up applications at small warehouses near metropolitan regions - instead of Amazon's large success centers - and supply them to clients' doors. this system is now available in 14 towns along with Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Dallas. 

3 Flex drivers in northern Texas informed Reuters they acquired an e-mail in current weeks from Amazon inviting them to take part in a brand new "opportunity to deliver Amazon.com orders," cut loose current prime Now deliveries. 

that is a huge distinction for drivers. prime now is a extraordinarily area of interest carrier with tens of heaps of gadgets, a fragment of the greater than 200 million merchandise on Amazon's predominant e-commerce website online. 

"This new circulate of packages will create new transport opportunities," Amazon wrote inside the email to drivers, which changed into reviewed via Reuters. The growth appears to be constrained to this point to pick out drivers inside the Dallas-castle really worth place. 

in an effort to qualify, Amazon said drivers need to have a 4-door car that could be a "mid-sized sedan or larger" and that drivers would be paid an introductory charge of $18 in keeping with hour. they are able to agenda shifts among eight a.m. and four p.m seven days every week. 

Flex drivers could make among $18 to $25 in keeping with hour, in keeping with Amazon. they have much less manage over their schedule but can receive suggestions, which is not the case for handing over normal Amazon packages. As contractors, drivers have to pay for their very own coverage and gasoline. 

A Texas-based totally driver who attended an orientation session for this system, and asked anonymity because he became concerned approximately affecting his popularity as a driver, turned into advised via an Amazon consultant he might want to pressure to a larger success middle to pick out up containers for transport. 

Amazon's e-mail stated drivers who sign on for the new program might now not first of all be able to keep delivering for high Now, but would be allowed to deliver each sorts of programs "later this 12 months."

Routing greater deliveries thru its very own community of agreement drivers might provide Amazon greater control over its deliver chain and reduce prices. 

The "remaining mile" part of transport - the very last and normally most pricey stretch of a bundle's journey from a retailer's warehouse to a purchaser's the front door – has emerge as increasingly more vital as customers assume cheaper and quicker delivery.

The flow may be specifically price-effective in out-of-the-way regions wherein smaller, local couriers supply parcels to Amazon clients. 

Such couriers charge an average 35 percentage of the overall transport cost, said Rob Howard, chief executive of Grand Junction, a San Francisco-based totally logistics generation agency.

"that is a massive aggressive gain for Amazon," said Howard. "it's not a loss of life sentence but for local vendors however it is a new path."

Privateness vs protection at heart of Apple telephone decrypt order

A court order demanding that Apple Inc help the U.S. authorities free up the encrypted iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters is shaping up as a essential check case of ways some distance the authorities can cross in forcing generation companies to help safety and intelligence investigations.

regulation enforcement businesses have for years confronted off against tech companies and privateness advocates over their capacity to display virtual communications, and the authorities so far has largely lost the conflict.

but the specific occasions of the San Bernardino case, a younger married couple who sympathized with Islamic nation militants and killed 14 people and wounded 22 others in a taking pictures rampage at a vacation celebration, may want to deliver authorities officials the felony precedent they need to reverse the tide.

A federal judge in l.  a. on Tuesday ordered Apple to provide "affordable technical help" to investigators seeking to study the statistics on an iPhone 5C that were utilized by Rizwan Farook, who alongside together with his spouse, Tashfeen Malik, done the shootings.

The government argues that the iPhone is a essential piece of evidence. but civil liberties businesses warn that forcing companies to crack their very own encryption endangers the technical integrity of the internet and threatens now not just the privateness of customers but potentially that of residents of any u . s ..

On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates got here out strongly at the side of law enforcement, elevating the possibility of every other legislative effort to require tech businesses to put “backdoors” in their merchandise. 

White house spokesman Josh Earnest said the branch of Justice changed into asking Apple for access to simply one tool, a central a part of the government's argument, which Apple leader govt Officer Tim cook dinner has stated became "definitely now not authentic."

"they are now not asking Apple to redecorate its product or to create a new backdoor to considered one of their merchandise," Earnest told newshounds at a every day briefing.

The branch of Justice pressured in a assertion on Wednesday that its request became "narrowly tailor-made," and chided Apple. "it's far unfortunate that Apple keeps to refuse to help the branch in acquiring get entry to to the phone of one of the terrorists concerned in a major terror attack on U.S. soil."

maximum technology safety specialists, including many who've served in authorities, have said technical efforts to provide authorities get right of entry to to encrypted gadgets inevitably degrades protection for every body. it's far an argument that has been made because the Nineteen Nineties, when the authorities attempted and failed to force tech businesses to contain a unique chip into their products for surveillance purposes.

“The authorities shows this device ought to only be used once, on one telephone," cook dinner stated in a announcement on Tuesday. "however that’s simply not proper. as soon as created, the method will be used again and again again, on any variety of devices."

Google leader executive Sundar Pichai encouraged prepare dinner's stance in tweets on Wednesday.

"We build comfy merchandise to hold your statistics secure and we deliver regulation enforcement get admission to to records based on valid prison orders," he wrote. "but that’s utterly distinct than requiring organizations to enable hacking of client devices & facts. will be a troubling precedent."

legal combat

Representatives of numerous tech businesses did no longer reply to requests for comment on the ruling. not pretty, however, change organizations that count lots of software program businesses, smartphone makers and community protection firms as members decried the authorities's function, even as law enforcement groups subsidized the Justice department.

The industry become "devoted to running with regulation enforcement to preserve americans safe," the software program & records industry affiliation said, however within the Apple case, "the government’s function is overbroad and unwise."

The Computing era industry affiliation stated if the order turned into performed, "it may give the FBI the strength to name for a few kind of returned stop to encryption each time they see in shape."

If the federal choose, Justice of the Peace Sheri Pym, rejects Apple's arguments, the Cupertino, California-primarily based employer can enchantment her order to the district court docket, and then up the chain to the 9th U.S. Circuit court of Appeals in San Francisco and ultimately the U.S. ultimate court docket.

The 9th Circuit is understood to be seasoned-privateness. "The authorities in the end can have an uphill combat,” said Robert Cattanach, a former Justice branch legal professional who advises organizations on cyber protection issues.

Farook changed into assigned the phone via the county fitness branch for which he labored, prosecutors stated in a courtroom filing on Tuesday. The health branch had "given its consent" to authorities to go looking the tool and to Apple to assist investigators in that seek, the document said.

San Bernardino County's pinnacle prosecutor, District legal professional Mike Ramos, stated Apple's refusal to unlock the smartphone become a slap within the face to the sufferers of the shooting and their families.

"They’d want to know info like several folks in the us would really like to understand. have been there different threats? were there different individuals involved?" Ramos said in a telephone interview.

'master KEY' 

Dan Guido, an professional in hacking operating systems, said that to free up the phone, the Federal Bureau of research could need to put in an replace to Apple's iOS running device so investigators ought to sidestep the security protections, consisting of one which wipes information if an wrong password is entered too regularly.

He stated only Apple could provide that software program because the phones will most effective deploy updates which might be digitally signed with a mystery cryptographic key.

"That key is one of the most precious pieces of data the complete agency owns," he said. "a person with that key can change all the statistics on all of the iPhones.”

The perception of supplying that secret is anathema to the digital Frontier basis, an online rights institution. "once this grasp key is created, governments around the world will genuinely demand that Apple undermine the security of their citizens as nicely," the muse said in a announcement.

Lance James, an expert in forensics who is leader scientist with cyber intelligence agency Flashpoint, said Apple ought to respond to the order with out imparting crypto keys or specialized tools that could be used to free up different telephones.

Apple technicians should create software that could liberate the telephone, allowing the corporation to create a backup report with all of its contents that they may provide to law enforcement, James said.

American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney Alex Abdo stated the government's request risked a "risky" precedent. “The charter does now not allow the authorities to pressure businesses to hack into their clients' devices," he stated.

Apple was a subject of debate at the presidential marketing campaign path on Wednesday.

Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican celebration's nomination to run inside the Nov. 8 election, said on Fox information Channel’s Fox & buddies, "I agree a hundred percentage with the courts. if so, we have to open it (the iPhone) up ... We should use commonplace experience."

every other Republican candidate, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, known as it a “difficult problem” that would require government to work carefully with the tech enterprise to find a answer. Rubio said he was hoping Apple might voluntarily comply with the court order.

Tech entrepreneur sparks outrage online with weblog on homelessness

A technology entrepreneur is facing the wrath of Twitter after writing a weblog publish seen through many as insensitive or even antagonistic towards San Francisco's homeless population.

Justin Keller, founder of Commando.io, an internet server control platform, posted the publish on his personal blog this week and drew great, negative reactions online that even swept an unsuspecting namesake into the controversy.

in the post, titled "Open letter to SF Mayor Ed Lee and Greg Suhr (police leader)," Keller complained approximately escalating homelessness and drug abuse in San Francisco.

"I shouldn’t should see the pain, struggle, and melancholy of homeless humans to and from my manner to paintings every day," Keller wrote. "I want my parents when they arrive visit to have a fantastic revel in."

Social media customers quick reacted.

"So #JustinKeller is any other future @realDonaldTrump who needs the homeless be eliminated from his view," tweeted liberalgranny50 (@peppersandeggs) on Thursday.

a few in comparison him to Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical govt who raised the charge of a drug used to treat a dangerous parasitic contamination to $750 from $thirteen.50.

"appears like Martin Shkreli and Justin Keller should forge a lovely friendship," tweeted Chris Simpson (@chris_e_simpson).

Keller defended himself on Twitter. "we have the right to feel secure," he (@johnny5sf) wrote in response to a tweet calling his blog put up "tone deaf" and "offensive."

statistics from San Francisco's nearby Homeless Coordinating Board confirmed that the metropolis's homeless accelerated 7 percent among 2005 and 2015. The wide variety of homeless people there in a January 2015 factor-in-time be counted was 7,539.

any other technology expert inside the Bay place who is additionally named Justin Keller became the object of midsdirected Twitter outrage he became improper for Keller the blogger.

Justin Keller said he had acquired angry tweets during the last two days and a threat on LinkedIn. "sort of the closing area you would suppose to get a chance," said Keller. He stated he had written a blog publish inviting his namesake to join him as a volunteer at a homeless offerings institution.

Dish net earnings tumbles in 2015 as subscribers drop

Dish community Corp (DISH.O) pronounced decrease net profits in 2015 from a 12 months earlier amid a drop in pay-television subscriptions and a wi-fi airwaves auction-related rate, sending its stocks down extra than four percent on Thursday.

The No. 2 U.S. satellite tv for pc television provider stated full-12 months internet income as a consequence of the business enterprise tumbled 21 percentage from a year in advance to $747.1 million, or $1.61 consistent with share. This changed into underneath the common analyst estimate of $1.97 a proportion, in step with Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. 

Dish said it incurred a $516 million price associated with a u.s.Federal Communications fee public sale of wi-fi airwaves. An asset-impairment fee of $123 million additionally weighed on earnings. 

Dish's shares were down four.five percent at $forty three.99 on the Nasdaq in afternoon trading.

because the pay-tv enterprise tackles subscriber losses, Dish has been looking to trap viewers to its less expensive $20-per-month Sling television, a web streaming service with a smaller package deal of channels.

The corporation exited 2015 with about 13.9 million pay-television subscribers consisting of Sling television, a decline of eighty one,000 subscribers from a yr earlier. 

Churn, or the rate at which subscribers defect to other offerings, grew in 2015 to one.seventy one percentage from 1.59 percent within the previous year.

Dish does no longer report Sling television numbers. 

MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett estimated in a studies observe that Dish brought 129,000 Sling tv subscribers and lost 141,000 television subscribers inside the fourth area through Dec. 31.

As Dish's core commercial enterprise struggles, buyers have wondered what chief executive Charlie Ergen will do with wireless airwaves that it has spent billions stockpiling through the years.

inside the lengthy-time period, Dish has "a myriad of options to grow value inside the organisation and a number of this is absolutely going to be driven through what we do with the spectrum," Ergen said at some stage in a conference name to talk about the organisation's income. 

Dish has filed an utility with the FCC to "potentially participate" within the authorities's upcoming 2016 airwaves auction with a purpose to begin March 29, it stated on Thursday. 

Executives on the call declined to offer info on their method in the approaching auction.

Dish, whose marketplace capitalization is set $20 billion, has spectrum that could be well worth almost $45 billion on a pretax basis or about $32 billion after tax changes, in line with Jefferies analyst Mike McCormack.

For the full 12 months, revenue grew about three percent to $15.07 billion, above analysts' estimate of $15.02 billion. 

Dish stated internet loss due to the company inside the fourth zone changed into $125.3 million, or 27 cents a share.

FCC approves proposal to reinforce television set-pinnacle field competition

The Federal Communications commission accepted on Thursday a proposal to permit customers swap highly-priced cable packing containers for less expensive gadgets and apps, a alternate that would raise opposition in the $20 billion television set-top container marketplace while handing over a blow to predominant cable businesses.

the new rule, unveiled by means of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in January, would allow customers to acquire video offerings from carriers consisting of Alphabet Inc, Apple Inc and Tivo, rather than cable, satellite and other television providers such Comcast Corp and Verizon Communications.

The suggestion handed in a 3-2 vote, with 3 Democratic commissioners including Wheeler in desire and  Republican commissioners dissenting. 

Wheeler stated the concept is the start of an "records-collecting technique” wherein the FCC will allow cable providers and other stakeholders a 60-day comment period. If applied, the enterprise might then have two years to conform with the rule of thumb. 

"generation lets in it, the industry at one point proposed some thing just like it and the customers deserve a smash and the choice," Wheeler said at Thursday's FCC meeting.

The idea has set off a frenzied lobbying battle pitting a tech industry eager to faucet into the rewarding marketplace in opposition to cable and tv organizations, that can lose billions of bucks in rental charges for set-top packing containers. lots of those industry carriers spoke out in opposition to the measure after the vote Thursday. 

"at the same time as purchasers are embracing an apps-based method that offers an expansion of content material on extra than 450 devices, the FCC has selected to go down a route that threatens the very competition and innovation that has caused this colourful market," stated Bob Quinn, AT&T's senior vice chairman of federal regulatory.

Stanton circumvent, preferred counsel of Dish network Corp, stated: "it's far surely now not clear to us that any new law is needed to encourage innovation and in reality might honestly hinder it."

The FCC says ninety nine percent of U.S. clients now ought to get their packing containers from their cable groups, and that they pay on average $231 a yr to hire the devices.

The fee has stated commencing the set-top field marketplace to alternatives together with a clever tv or tablet would help lower prices for customers, noting that set-pinnacle container condominium costs have risen 185 percentage in view that 1994.

The cable companies say the video marketplace is already evolving as extra clients replace traditional pay tv offerings with streaming internet video.

Underscoring the fierce industry warfare and the FCC's concerns, the employer on Tuesday  canceled a Twitter city corridor in which it changed into slated to detail the thought and its impact on minority and unbiased programmers.

An FCC spokeswoman said the light Act prohibits out of doors parties from lobbying it on a pending item at some stage in the week earlier than a complete fee vote, and said the city hall might be rescheduled after the inspiration turned into voted on by means of the commission and launched publicly.

The proposed rule could require cable and satellite tv for pc providers to give opportunity tool makers - their eventual competition - get admission to to cable and satellite programming. 

even as this is presently possible, cable and satellite tv for pc companies regularly impose regulations on 1/3-party device makers, ensuing in a digital lockup of the marketplace.

Cyber attack snarls los angeles hospital's patient database

The FBI is investigating a cyber assault that has crippled the digital database at Hollywood Presbyterian clinical middle for days, forcing doctors at the l.  a. health center to rely on telephones and fax machines to relay affected person statistics.

The foundation of the computer community intrusion was unknown however since it started out overdue closing week has bogged down communications among physicians and clinical workforce newly depending on paper records and medical doctors' notoriously messy handwriting, doctors and a Federal Bureau of investigation spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

"it is right there on paper, but it is able to no longer be legible," Dr. Rangasamy Ramanathan, a neonatal-perinatal professional affiliated with the 434-bed facility, said. "The most effective trouble is doctors' writing."

although the cyber assault has twisted up the hospital's patient database, doctors have managed to relay necessary scientific records the old school manner via telephone traces and fax machines, Ramanathan said.

The FBI is seeking to pinpoint hackers accountable for the intrusion, FBI spokeswoman Ari Dekofsky said. She declined to release similarly info.

Allen Stefanek, the hospital's president and CEO, advised los angeles television station KNBC-television the medical institution declared an internal emergency on Friday, after encountering widespread statistics technology problems because of the hack.

Apple opposes order to assist unencumber California shooter's phone

Apple Inc adversarial a court docket ruling on Tuesday that ordered it to assist the FBI destroy into an iPhone recovered from a San Bernardino shooter, heightening a dispute between tech companies and law enforcement over the bounds of encryption.

Leader government Tim cook dinner stated the courtroom's call for threatened the safety of Apple's clients and had "implications a long way past the criminal case at hand." (apple.co/1Lt7ReW)

in advance on Tuesday, choose Sheri Pym of U.S. District court in l.  a. stated that Apple must offer "reasonable technical help" to investigators looking for to release the facts on an iPhone 5C that were owned by using Syed Rizwan Farook.

That assistance includes disabling the telephone's automobile-erase characteristic, which activates after 10 consecutive unsuccessful passcode attempts, and assisting investigators to submit passcode guesses electronically.

Federal prosecutors requested the court docket order to compel Apple to help the research into the Dec. 2 shooting rampage by using Farook and his wife, killing 14 and injuring 22 others. the 2 were killed in a shootout with police.

The FBI has been investigating the couple's ability communications with Islamic nation and different militant businesses.

"Apple has the unique technical manner which would assist the government in completing its seek, but has declined to provide that help voluntarily," prosecutors stated.

U.S. government officials have warned that the improved use of robust encryption is hindering national protection and crook investigations.

Technology specialists and privateness advocates counter that forcing U.S. agencies to weaken their encryption would make non-public statistics at risk of hackers, undermine the security of the internet and provide a aggressive benefit to companies in different international locations.

In a letter to customers posted on Apple's internet site, prepare dinner said the FBI desired the organization "to build a backdoor to the iPhone" via creating a new version of the iPhone operating machine that could keep away from several security functions.

"The authorities is looking Apple to hack our very own users and undermine many years of safety improvements that defend our clients - including tens of hundreds of thousands of yankee residents - from state-of-the-art hackers and cybercriminals," prepare dinner stated.

He said Apple changed into "tough the FBI's demands" and that it'd be "inside the quality hobby of all people to step returned and recall the results."

In a similar case final yr, Apple told a federal decide in ny that it became "impossible" for the employer to release its gadgets that run an operating system of iOS eight or better.

According to prosecutors, the phone belonging to Farook ran on iOS 9.

Prosecutors said Apple should nonetheless assist investigators via disabling "non-encrypted boundaries that Apple has coded into its operating machine."

Apple and Google both adopted strong default encryption in overdue 2014, amid growing digital privateness issues spurred in part by way of the leaks from former countrywide safety enterprise contractor Edward Snowden.

Forensics professional Jonathan Zdziarski stated on Tuesday that Apple might ought to write custom code to conform with the order, providing a novel query to the court about whether the government ought to order a non-public employer to hack its own tool.

Garmin beats on robust demand for health, aviation gadgets

GPS-primarily based machine maker Garmin Ltd stated higher-than-anticipated quarterly sales, helped by using strong call for for navigational gadgets utilized in aircraft and fitness trackers.

shares of Garmin, which also forecast complete-12 months sales above estimates, rose as a good deal as 19 percentage to $41.ninety seven on Wednesday.

sales from the employer's health enterprise, which money owed for nearly 30 percentage of overall revenue, rose thirteen.6 percent in the fourth sector ended Dec. 26.

Garmin benefited from strong call for for its health merchandise that consist of its Vivo own family of wrist bands and smartwatches mainly in the course of the holiday season.

however, the commercial enterprise faces stiff competition from smartwatches and fitness gadgets from corporations along with Fitbit Inc and Garmin has been spending heavily on research and marketing.

"We consider those investments have paid off in advanced pinnacle-line trends across the business enterprise's Forerunner, Vivoactive, and Vivofit product traces," Raymond James analyst Tavis McCourt stated in a preview be aware on Tuesday.

revenue within the enterprise's aviation business, which makes gadgets together with altimeters and transponders, rose 11.6 percent in the quarter.

New structures, promotions and a rush of deliveries on the cease of the region helped raise the business, chief executive Cliff Pemble stated, including that macro challenges in the aviation market nevertheless remain.

"We aren't necessarily completely pessimistic however we recognize that the general trends are a mission, in particular as you notice more stock market volatility and, of path, the lingering impact of lower oil costs," he stated on a conference call with analysts. 

automobile revenue, but, fell 21 percentage to $268.5 million as its biggest commercial enterprise become hit by a fall in call for for its non-public navigation gadgets consisting of Nüvi and Zumo. 

The organisation's internet profits fell to $132.four million, or 70 cents per share, from $210.2 million, or $1.09 according to percentage.

It stated pro forma profits of seventy four cents according to proportion, handily beating the average analyst estimate of 48 cents, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

net income fell 2.7 percent to $781.four million, nevertheless above the common analyst estimate of $760.1 million. 

The business enterprise forecast 2016 sales of $2.82 billion. Analysts on common had been expecting $2.seventy eight billion.

up to Tuesday's near, Garmin's inventory had fallen 37 percent within the past one year.

Twitter now not reliable predictor of election effects

In politics, it's far stated that every one press is good press. but that does not necessarily practice to tweets, in line with a take a look at launched this week.

In fact, it's miles difficult to are expecting the outcome of an election based on the quantity of Twitter buzz a candidate gets, in line with the examine from the Social technology computer review.

The examine, whose relevance to this year's U.S. election turned into sharply disputed by means of Twitter, targeted at the 2013 German federal election and located that Twitter facts became a greater correct measure of the level of interest in candidates rather than the level of aid they'll receive.

"terrible activities, which include political scandals, in addition to undoubtedly evaluated events, together with accomplishments, can (each)underlie attention for a celebration or candidate," stated the have a look at, posted on Monday.

but scandals and accomplishments affect the level of assist for a candidate in completely special methods.

"The analysis does no longer help the easy 'more tweets, more votes' formula," the have a look at located.

for example, a video clip of a candidate's campaign gaffe broadcast on the nightly news may result in a spike in Twitter interest, however probably now not bring about more average political support, in step with the take a look at.

"The day by day volume of Twitter messages regarding applicants or events fluctuates heavily depending at the activities of the day - along with televised leaders’ debates, high-profile interviews with candidates - or the insurance of political controversies and scandals," the study stated.

The records also showed that Twitter customers did now not necessarily replicate the demographics of the population as a whole. in the united states, social media platforms like Twitter and Yik Yak are regularly greater popular amongst millennial citizens.

A Twitter spokesman argued the observe was no longer relevant to the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

"i would advocate passing the next time a person sends alongside German Twitter data from 3 years in the past inside the context of the 2016 U.S. election," stated Nick Pacilio, a spokesman for the social media web site's government and information department.

Pacilio mentioned a Time mag internet site record that showed Twitter chatter desired the winning candidates, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump, within the Iowa caucuses this month.

Republican and Democratic contenders are vying for his or her parties' nominations for the Nov. 8 election to succeed President Barack Obama.

Is Apple proper?

It is not clean why Apple might worry about the specially created software being stolen or misused, for the reason that work might take location in Apple's labs and would presumably be no greater problem to robbery than any other Apple software. Apple is thought for its strong security and there are not any known incidents of its supply code or cryptographic keys being stolen.

further, the same approach could no longer paintings on gadgets released after the 5c because they're geared up with a chip called "comfy Enclave," which helps encrypt data using each the password and a unique user identification this is provisioned throughout manufacturing and not acknowledged to Apple.

the larger difficulty is the precedent. If Apple complied, it'd mark the first time a software corporation created a device to break into its own products in response to an order from regulation enforcement. era businesses and privacy advocates fear an limitless circulate of comparable requests - no longer simply from the U.S. 

government, however additionally from foreign governments or even litigants in civil cases. Technologists are horrified with the aid of the very concept of intentionally creating software that undermines security.