Apple Can't Read Users' Emails and iCloud Wasn't Hacked, Cook Says; Linus Torvalds Has No Opinion on Systemd

Windows 9: What to Expect | Apple Tries to Hide Embarrassing iPhone 6 Camera Bulge To view a web version of this message, click here Send this message to a friend Apple Can't Read Users' Emails and iCloud Wasn't Hacked, Cook Says Linus Torvalds Has No Opinion on Systemd Windows 9: What to Expect NSA Still Trying to Figure Out Cyber Operations, Says Director Apple Tries to Hide Embarrassing iPhone 6 Camera Bulge Hot Comment: "I still don't understand which problem these smart devices would solve..." From the Vault: Take This GUI and Shove It Watch It: Robot Hexapods: Creepy or Cute? Poll Booth: On Independence for Scotland... Sponsored Resource: Mobility, Location and iOS 8: New Context for New Apps Apple Can't Read Users' Emails and iCloud Wasn't Hacked, Cook Says Apple CEO Tim Cook insists that his company doesn't and cannot read users' emails, and that Apple's iCloud service wasn't hacked. ZDNet presents highlights from Cook's two-part interview with Charlie Rose, including his claim that "if the government 'laid a subpoena,' then Apple 'can't provide it.' He said, bluntly: 'We don't have a key... the door is closed.'" Sound Off>> Linus Torvalds Has No Opinion on Systemd It's no secret that Linux creator Linus Torvalds has strong opinions and is not shy about expressing them. But when asked about systemd, which has caused a fair degree of angst in the world of Linux, he told ITWire he was neutral. "When it comes to systemd, you may expect me to have lots of colourful opinions, and I just don't. ... I don't personally mind systemd, and in fact my main desktop and laptop both run it." Sound Off>> Windows 9: What to Expect With about two weeks before Windows 9's official unveiling, an InfoWorld article provides a roundup of what to expect and the open questions around the new OS, given Build 9834 leaks and confirmations springing up all over the Web. The desktop's Start Menu, Metro apps running in resizable windows on the desktop, virtual desktops, Notification Center, and Storage Sense, are among the presumed features in store for Windows 9. Sound Off>> NSA Still Trying to Figure Out Cyber Operations, Says Director In a keynote speech at a security conference this week, new NSA Director Mike Rogers emphasized a need to establish behavioral norms for cyber war. "We're still trying to work our way through distinguishing the difference between criminal hacking and an act of war," said Rogers. "If this was easy, we would have figured it out years ago. We have a broad consensus about what constitutes an act of war, what's an act of defense." Sound Off>> Apple Tries to Hide Embarrassing iPhone 6 Camera Bulge If you've been browsing Apple's site leading up to the iPhone 6 launch, you might've noticed something a little odd. Apple has edited the handset's protruding camera out of every single side-on view of the phone. (The camera is, necessarily, retained for images showing the back of the device.) The absence is particularly conspicuous given the number of side views Apple uses to emphasize the device's thinness. Sound Off>> One day, someone will explain it to me. "I still don't understand which problem these smart devices would solve for me. It's a light switch. It's on when I want the lights on. It's off when I flick it. The thermostat requires my attention four times per year, when the season changes -- and software doesn't help because the floor registers need to be adjusted manually, and it's still no more than 5 minutes of "effort" per year. I sure as hell ain't letting software turn on my oven, and I'm not letting water nor fire run when I'm not home -- because I've read my house insurance policy; can you say "negligent behaviour"? And again, none of this was difficult to begin with. How about solving a problem that I have, instead of trying to convince me that I have a problem?" --by holophrastic Read More>>   Take This GUI and Shove It Four years ago, Deep End's Paul Venezia spoke out against the overemphasis on GUIs in current admin tools, saying that GUIs are fine and necessary in many cases, but only after a complete CLI is in place, and that they cannot interfere with the use of the CLI, only complement it. Otherwise, the GUI simply makes easy things easy and hard things much harder. Read More>>   Robot Hexapods: Creepy or Cute? "Roboticist, Electrical Engineer, Musician, and Rock Crawler" Matt Bunting built his first robot hexapod a few years ago for a robotics class geared toward implementing cognition in a machine. Since then, his creation has undergone a huge makeover, thanks to a 3D printer. In addition to bringing you footage of Matt's latest robots in action, Timothy Lord talks to him about lessons learned through building his crawling bots, and some advice for aspiring roboticists. Watch the Video>> On Independence for Scotland: I'm staunchly opposed I'm opposed, but not strongly I don't care I'm in favor, but not strongly I'm staunchly in favor There's some better compromise possible Give it back to the Picts! Cast Your Vote>> Mobility, Location and iOS 8: New Context for New Apps The mobile revolution is here. Phones, tablets, wearables and who-knows-what-will-come, all with IP addresses and Internet connectivity are finding homes in pockets, on wrists, even on eyewear. As a result, location services are changing the way developers and marketers think about how to utilize the knowledge of where a user -- consumer or business -- is located and turn that into an action that can drive revenue, improve productivity or give a competitive advantage. Take a look at research about the latest iOS 8 announcements, and how they might impact development in general and provide fuel for the coming wearable and contextual revolutions in app development and deployment. Learn More>> Follow Slashdot on Twitter and Facebook. To unsubscribe, click here or send an email to: unsubscribe-213087@elabs10.com To ensure delivery of this newsletter to your inbox and to enable images, please add slashdot@newsletters.slashdot.org to your e-mail address book or safe senders list. Slashdot | 594 Howard Street, Suite 300 | San Francisco, CA 94105 To view our Privacy Policy click here.