Thursday 21 April 2016

Game of Thrones: Everything You Need to Know Before Watching Season 6

A spoiler-free refresher on where we left off.

It’s been a long time since we visited the Starks, Lannisters, Targaryens, and more. Though speculation about what might happen next year is sky high, many have stayed out of the guessing game. For those who prefer to be surprised by what’s in store for Season 6, this should serve as a handy refresher of where we left off with your favorite characters. So enjoy catching up before we fully dive back in on Sunday.

JON SNOW
When last we saw the Lord Commander he was bleeding out into the snow in the courtyard of Castle Black. This is as much as book readers know, too. (Though, sure, they have their theories.) Kit Harington says he won’t return for Season 6, but there’s no escaping Jon Snow on the posters and in the trailers for the upcoming year, so he’ll at least continue to be important. Also worth remembering that Melisandre conveniently arrived at the Wall just before the Night’s Watch turned on Jon. She may not always be right (R.I.P. Shireen), but she does have powers (R.I.P. Renly).


MELISANDRE AND DAVOS
As we said, Melisandre has just arrived at the Wall after torching Shireen and then watching Stannis lose very badly to the Bolton army. (R.I.P. Stannis) This shakes her faith because she believed he was the one true king and the mythical hero Azor Ahai reborn. If Stannis isn’t the real savior, then she did all those awful things (R.I.P. Shireen, Renly) for nothing. Meanwhile, Davos knows his king (Stannis) and his favorite (Shireen) are dead, but he doesn’t know how they died. So we’ll see if there’s fallout for Melisandre when he discovers she torched his best friend and reading tutor, and how he plans to avenge Stannis’s death.

BRIENNE
Having just lopped off Stannis’s head (sorry, Baratheon truthers, it’s true), Brienne is somewhere in the wintry woods outside of Winterfell. So that puts her close to Ramsay, Sansa, Theon, and we presume Pod. Where did Pod go, anyway? He was last seen luring Brienne away from the window with news of Stannis just before Sansa put her candle out. Anyway, with or without her squire, Brienne is on the snowy ground up North.

SANSA, THEON, AND THE BOLTONS
Nearby, in Winterfell, Sansa and Theon just bumped off Ramsay’s favorite sex partner (the sadistic Myranda) and took a leap of faith off the high Winterfell wall into what we hope was a very soft snowbank. Sansa is an important bargaining chip to the Boltons. As a living breathing Stark she gives their claim on Winterfell legitimacy. So Ramsay and his father Roose are going to be none too pleased if Sansa either breaks her neck in that fall or manages to escape into the frosty woods. And, as we know, Ramsay is very fond of hunting girls in the woods. It’s also good to remember that Roose’s wife, Walda, is newly pregnant, so Ramsay’s shaky claim to the Bolton name could be made even shakier by a rival heir. He needs that Stark girl.

MISCELLANEOUS STARKS
It’s also good to remember (and easy to forget!) that Sansa isn’t the only Stark tromping around in the snow. In Season 3, Rickon, Osha, and Shaggydog took off for House Umber. If they made it safely, they’re at Last Hearth, which is approximately halfway between Sansa and Theon in Winterfell and Jon at the Wall. There’s also the matter of Bran Stark. When last we left him in Season 4, he, Meera, and Hodor (R.I.P. Jojen) were taking up residency with the mystical Three-Eyed Raven and the Children of the Forest way North of the Wall. Will any of these wandering Starks meet up with each other this season? If they did, it would be the first time since Season 3 a Stark laid eyes on another Stark. (Unless you count Bran seeing, but not speaking to, Jon Snow in Season 4.)

SAM AND GILLY
We can wrap up the Northern crew with Sam and Gilly who had the good sense to get away from the Wall and its rapey occupants as fast as their cart could carry them. They’re headed to Oldtown, where Sam hopes to crack the mystery of how to defeat the White Walkers. We know Jon Snow’s sword works, but what else? Sam doesn’t know that about the mutiny or Jon’s death, so he has that revelation ahead of him. Also, can someone please explain why Gilly’s baby is still an infant (she gave birth early in Season 3) when everyone else has aged several years?

ARYA
Across the narrow sea in Braavos, Arya was struggling through the worst internship ever at the House of Black and White. She broke the rules of her internship in order to carry out her own personal act of vengeance on Ser Meryn Trant. (He killed her fencing master, you see.) As punishment (?), training (?), a combination of the two (?), Jaqen H’ghar made her blind. Worst. Internship. Ever.

DAENERYS AND DROGON
Having fled a terribly violent uprising in Meereen, Dany is now in the middle of nowhere with her biggest dragon, Drogon. As Drogon was napping, Dany went exploring and found herself surrounded by a Dothraki horde. (Drogon must have taken her pretty far.) Dany dropped her ring in the grass, so, if she gets taken by these new horse lords, it’s possible Jorah and Daario (hot on her trail) could help her out. That is if Jorah’s greyscale doesn’t get the best of him.

TYRION AND VARYS
With Jorah and Daario gone, it’s up to Tyrion, Grey Worm, and Missandei to hold down the fort in Meereen. It looks like they might have some help from Varys. He showed up right at the end of Season 5 to make the whole miserable rioting city a lot more fabulous. It’s worth remembering that Tyrion et al haven’t fixed their Meereenese problem. Drogon may have flambĂ©ed a few, but the golden-masked Sons of the Harpy are still out there.

CERSEI
While we’re on the subject of fabulous Lannisters, Cersei just completed a harrowing Walk of Shame, which does not exactly clear her of her association with the Sparrows. It got her out of her cell, but she’s still in trouble for her sins. Will she choose trial by combat and this new hulking knight as her champion? Not even book readers know. But we know from the glint in her eye and her blood-soaked backstory that the Queen Regent isn’t likely to take this treatment lying down. (Margaery and her brother Loras are taking their punishment lying down. For the time being, they’re still both locked away in cells.)


Tuesday 19 April 2016

iPhone 7: All the rumors about the specs, design and features of Apple's 2016 iPhone

Announcement and release dates
According to Apple's traditional cadence, iPhone models always debut in the fall. That changed on March 21, with the introduction of the iPhone SE, a new model that combines the look of the iPhone 5S with the soul of the iPhone 6S.
That noted, the iPhone SE is a relatively minor, mid-cycle update that brings nothing new to the table in terms of design, features, or specs. Given this, there remains a pervasive expectation that we'll see the next major iPhone update, right on schedule, in the fall of 2016.

Design
For the past several years, Apple's iPhone updates have followed a predictable cycle: major design changes in even-numbered years, followed by "under the hood" tech upgrades that keep the same basic physical chassis in odd-numbered "S phone" years. For 2016, then, a total redesign is a near certainty -- possibly with some dramatic innovations.

Amid rumors that the company has developed multiple iPhone 7 prototypes, Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac reports that Apple is experimenting with three different handset designs including a "completely new, thinner look," and a "backup" design that's similar to the iPhone 6S. More recently, MacRumors has suggested that the iPhone 7 will have a design that's "very similar" to that of the iPhone 6 and 6S, though without the antenna bands that run across the current generation. And we still expect the company to release two versions of the phone -- ostensibly, a standard-sized, 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and larger 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus.
Given the regularity with which folks drop phones in toilets and other bodies of water, could Apple develop a water-resistant or waterproof chassis? (By the way, here's what to do when it inevitably happens to you.) Other manufacturers have already gone there, of course: Samsung with the Galaxy S5, Sony with its Z5 Premium and Motorola with its entry-level Moto G. Still, the fact that Samsung did not make the Galaxy S6 waterproof suggests that it's not a critical feature for most consumers.

That noted, Business Insider reports that Apple has filed for a new waterproofing-related patent. Titled "Electronic Device with Hidden Connector," the application suggests that ports could be covered with a "self-healing elastomer." According to the patent description, iPhone ports equipped with this technology would be covered with membranes, which could be penetrated by a headphone or USB connector, for example, and which would seal back up once the connector is withdrawn.

Building on this narrative, 9to5Mac has reported that Apple is developing a new set of Bluetooth earphones that could be introduced simultaneously with the iPhone 7. The fruit of the company's acquisition of Beats Electronics, the new earphones, potentially called "AirPods," are rumored to be completely wireless, similar to the Motorola Hint.
One of the more interesting iPhone 7 predictions involves a move away from the physical home button. As CNET reported earlier, recent iPhone innovations -- specifically the pressure-sensitive 3D Touch screen and increasing always-on hands-free functionality of Siri -- have diminished the need for it, and that a buttonless iPhone would be a natural move for a company with such a strong preference for clean lines as well as simple design. That would also allow the large top and bottom bezels to shrink, effectively allowing Apple to squeeze a larger screen into the same size body. The trick, of course, would be keeping the all-important Touch ID fingerprint sensor somehow integrated into the device.

Note that the melodramatic iPhone 7 "leaked concept" video in circulation on social media has been flagged as a fake. The video shows a cleansuit-clad employee, ostensibly of Foxconn, one of Apple's longtime suppliers, handling a home button-less iPhone 7 until, offscreen, someone shouts, "Hey!". Nice try, folks.

Security
Though security hasn't often been a major focus of the iPhone rumor mill, the biggest Apple story of 2016 involved Apple's battle with the FBI over just that. The Financial Times reported that Apple is working on ways to encrypt data stored via its iCloud service, which could further frustrate law enforcement agencies in investigations. And according to the New York Times, Apple engineers are now working on new security measures to prevent iPhone-hacking.

One hopes that this development will bring security closer to the fore for both smartphone consumers and manufacturers. If nothing else, it's an issue with all kinds of interesting ramifications for issues ranging from the iPhone's user interface to its privacy settings.

Display
There is a particularly durable rumor about a sapphire display, which would offer a higher degree of scratch and shatter-resistance than the current models' Gorilla Glass. In fact, the higher-end Apple Watch models have sapphire displays -- as well as OLED technology that provides best-in-class black levels, contrast and colors on a growing assortment of smartphones (including the Samsung Galaxy S7).
In fact, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo at KGI Securities predicts that Apple may revamp its lineup of iPhones next year to include a new curved display. The new iPhone screen will be based on active matrix organic light-emitting diode, or AMOLED, which offer several advantages over the LCD (liquid crystal display) screens currently used in iPhones. OLED displays are thinner, lighter and more flexible than LCDs. They're also more power efficient, giving you more bang out of a single battery charge. Earlier reports predicted that Apple would switch to OLED displays in 2018. Either way, this will likely debut on whatever model succeeds the iPhone 7.

Connections
One of the most most widely speculated upon topics to date involves the connectivity standards the iPhone 7 will support. Rumor has it that Apple may potentially omit the 3.5mm headphone jack, a standard on every preceding iPhone, in favor of an all-in-one Lightning connector. This would accommodate a thinner chassis -- perhaps shaving off as much as one millimeter. And there is fact to support this thesis: Philips showed off Lightning-only headphones earlier in 2015, though they apparently have yet to be released.

According to Barclays analysts, however, as reported by AppleInsider, the iPhone 7 will indeed omit a 3.5mm headphone jack. But, in its traditional place will be a second speaker, powered by an amp manufactured by Cirrus Logic. The analysts also countered recent rumors suggesting that the iPhone 7 would have dynamic noise cancellation, suggesting that it will use a digital codec instead.

How about swapping out Lightning for USB Type-C? Despite its growing ubiquity as the standard for other smartphones, tablets and PCs, it feels unlikely. Yes, Apple made USB-C the only connector in its 2015 MacBook revamp, but the company has elsewhere doubled-down on Lightning in the past year, adding it to new Mac accessories, Beats speakers, the iPad Pro's Pencil accessory and the new iPhone Smart Battery Case.

Components
The iPhones equipped with A9 processors -- the SE, 6S and 6S Plus -- are all red-hot performers, showing off the improved speed of their 64-bit dual-core processors. And as each successive iPhone generation is expected to deliver improved speed, we expect to see an A10 chip powering the iPhone 7. Likewise, just as the 6S and 6S Plus (and SE) got a bump in RAM from 1GB to 2GB, it's not unreasonable to expect to see an iPhone 7 that comes equipped with 4GB of RAM.
In 2014, Apple doubled the top two tiers of the iPhone from 32GB and 64GB to 64GB and 128GB, but kept pricing the same. (The entry-level model remained at 16GB.) The company kept the same capacities for its 2015 line and 2016's SE model. Will it finally offer 32GB on the baseline model? Anything's possible, but getting customers to pay up for the 64GB model may be too much of a profit incentive to give up.

Related to the waterproofing rumors summarized above, the Commercial Times (via DigiTimes), reports that the iPhone 7 will contain "new compound materials" that will help hide the antenna, which is currently housed in bands on the back of the phone.

According to multiple sources, including a CLSA Securities analyst, Intel will provide 30 to 40 percent of the iPhone 7's modem supply -- specifically, the Intel 7360 LTE, which supports 450 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload speeds.

Another story that has surfaced involves the possibility of the iPhone 7 -- or perhaps the subsequent generation -- supporting wireless charging. One potential narrative has Apple narrowing connectivity to a single Lightning port, making it impossible to charge the phone and use wired headphones simultaneously. Hence: wireless charging. Mmmm...we'll see.

Camera
Many sources reported that there would be a significant step up in quality with the iPhone 6S's camera; a 10-megapixel camera and a two-lens DSLR-style camera were presented as two distinct possibilities. And though the 6S upped the standard iPhone's game with a much improved front-facing camera, only the 6S Plus features optical image stability capabilities that deliver higher quality photos and video in low light environments.

In mid-March 2016, Taiwanese site Apple.club.tw posted what it says are images of a dual-camera module that it says will be included on the iPhone 7 Plus. Since then, sources have reported that the dual lens array will be available only on the 5.5-inch Plus version and not the base iPhone 7 model.

There might also be technology leveraging Apple's 2015 acquisition of Israeli technology company LinX Imaging, which has developed smaller sensors that can deliver DSLR-quality images with optical zoom and improved performance in darker environments.

Thursday 7 April 2016

Vulnerability in iPhone 6S Allows Access to Contacts and Photos

A security bug in iPhone 6S and 6S Plus can allow anyone bypass the phone lock and access personal data without the passcode. The flaw was discovered by Jose Rodriguez, who also discovered a similar security flaw in 2015. This bug needs Siri to execute, but unlike many other iPhone hacks, this one is quite easy.

You just need to fire up Siri from the phone lockscreen and ask it to search Twitter for any email address. When at least one is found, you can 3D Touch the email address, which brings up a menu offering to create a new contact or add to an existing one. In other words, this action gives the attacker access to all the contacts. Moreover, the Contacts app usually has a permission to access the photo library, which means that the attacker can also browse user’s photos by pretending to make an attempt to add a photo to the contact. Needless to say, the access is granted without unlocking the iPhone.
Is there any way to protect yourself from having your private data accessed with the lockscreen bypass? Yes, there is. You can simply deny Siri and the Contacts app access to your photo library within the Privacy settings. In the meantime, preventing access to contacts through the bug is a bit more complicated: you need to disable Siri while the device is locked both in the Touch ID and Passcode settings.
Security experts remind that the bypass flaw only affects Apple devices with 3D Touch screens. In the meantime, the timing of the flaw coincides with the FBI’s battles with the manufacturer to unlock the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone 5C. The FBI has yet to divulge how it unlocked the device and whether it used a security flaw to bypass the passcode. A few days ago, the agency promised US local and state law enforcement to help them unlock Apple mobile devices in criminal cases.