Secret hearing on Friday in Apple and UK government data row
Apple's appeal against a UK government demand to be able to access its customers' most highly encrypted data is set to be considered at a secret hearing at the High Court on Friday, the BBC understands.It is due to be considered by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal - an independent court which has the power to investigate claims against the UK intelligence services.The US tech giant took legal action earlier this month in response to the Home Office's demand for the right to access customer information protected by Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme.Currently Apple cannot access data stored in this way and therefore is unable to share it with law enforcement if issued with a warrant.The government says it needs to be able to see it if there is a national security risk.The US tech giant took legal action earlier this month in response to the Home Office's demand for the right to access customer information protected by Apple's Advanced Data Protection (ADP) programme.Apple declined to comment. The Home Office and the Tribunal have been approached by the BBC.
The hearing is due to be held in private because it relates to the security services, but campaigners say the public has a right to hear it."This hearing should not be held in secret," Caroline Wilson Palow, legal director at Privacy International told the BBC."The public has a right to know whether or not the security of a service that could be used by millions or perhaps billions of people worldwide is being undermined."
The row began in February when it first emerged the government was seeking the right to be able to access data protected by ADP, using powers granted to it under the Investigatory Powers Act.The Act allows it to covertly compel firms to provide information to law enforcement agencies.ADP allows users with iCloud accounts and storage to secure photos, notes, voice memos and other data with end to end encryption, meaning no-one but the user - not even Apple - can access it. Getting round that would involve the creation of a so-called "backdoor" - a capability some fear bad actors would ultimately be able to exploit.At the time Apple reiterated its long-standing commitment not to weaken the privacy or security of its systems. "As we have said many times before, we have never built a backdoor or master key to any of our products, and we never will," a spokesperson told the BBC.Later in February the row escalated, as Apple announced it was pulling ADP in the UK.Shortly after that, the BBC learnt Apple was taking legal action by appealing to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to try to overturn the government's demand.On its website, the Tribunal lists a hearing to be held before its president Lord Rabinder Singh on Friday afternoon.The listing makes no mention of Apple or the government, nor has the Tribunal confirmed if they are the parties involved however a source familiar with the matter has indicated that is the case.In the statement it issued in February, Apple said it regretted the action it felt it had been forced to take."Enhancing the security of cloud storage with end-to-end-encryption is more urgent than ever before," it said."Apple remains committed to offering our users the highest level of security for their personal data and are hopeful that we will be able to do so in future in the UK."In a previous statement, a Home Office spokesperson said: "The UK has a longstanding position of protecting our citizens from the very worst crimes, such as child sex abuse and terrorism, at the same time as protecting people's privacy."The UK has robust safeguards and independent oversight to protect privacy and privacy is only impacted on an exceptional basis, in relation to the most serious crimes and only when it is necessary and proportionate to do so."
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Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Drivers warned to remove all gadgets from their cars this weekend or risk losing £1,000s
Almost all of your gadgets are at risk WHEELY BAD Drivers warned to remove all gadgets from their cars this weekend or risk losing £1,000s Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRITS need to take extra care with their gadgets this weekend – and definitely don't leave any in your car. All motorists risk a costly bill alongside a tech headache if they make a common mistake. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Make sure you don't leave your iPhone in a car on a hot day – it's a very bad idea Credit: Apple This weekend will see hot weather all weekend across the UK – and that's bad news for your expensive gadgets. It turns out that heat doesn't just make your gadgets run more slowly and shut them down, but causes permanent damage too. In fact, too much heat can permanently shorten the battery life of your phones, tablets, laptops, and even wireless headphones. And one of the worst things you can do is leave them in your car, where temperatures can quickly rise to damaging levels. OFFICIAL APPLE WARNING Most rechargeable gadgets that you have at home or in your car use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries degrade over time as you use them – leading to shorter battery life (and in some cases, slower performance as your device tries to protect the battery). When your iPhone gets too cold or hot, the battery struggles to perform effectively, which can lead to problems and even total shut-downs. But with heat, you also risk causing permanent damage to the battery cell. An official Apple warning explains: "Use iOS and iPadOS devices where the ambient temperature is between 0° and 35°C (32° to 95°F). "Low- or high-temperature conditions may cause your device to change its behaviour to regulate its temperature. Apple interview with Greg Joz Joswiak on new artificial intelligence, screening, hold assist, carplay, liquid glass and ios updates "Using an iOS or iPadOS device in very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life." It's not likely to break 35C this weekend, but you're still at risk. That's because your car temperature can go well above the outside temperature. So if you're leaving your phone in your car while you're swimming at the beach, that's a big mistake. 3 Be very wary if you're driving anywhere this weekend Credit: Unsplash And the same goes for tablets, laptops, and your Apple AirPods too. You're looking at gadgets worth thousands of pounds. "Store your device where the temperature is between -20° and 45°C (-4° to 113°F)," Apple warns. "Don't leave your device in your car because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range." Apple says you must always avoid "leaving your device in a car on a hot day" – and certainly don't let it linger in direct sunlight. Why does heat damage batteries? Here's what you need to know... Hot temperatures can cause permanent damage to batteries That's because batteries contain fluids, and work through chemical reactions When heat is applied to a battery, the fluid inside starts to evaporate This damages the internal structure of the battery Components like the voltage indicator can be affected by heat This can allow batteries to charge at too high a rate, which can lead to a loss of electrolytes This can reduce battery life over time As batteries heat up, chemical reactions inside will also occur faster Excessive chemical reactions can reduce long-term battery life Similarly, you want to avoid using your iPhone for navigation in a car when it's very hot or in direct sunlight too, unless you've got air conditioning. If your iPhone gets too hot, you might notice some of these changes: Charging slows or stops Display dims brightness or goes totally black Signal gets worse as mobile radio in phone enters low-power state Camera flash disables Apps have lower frame rate or longer loading times Navigation switches off or goes audio-only Your iPhone might also switch off entirely if it gets too hot. At this point, you'll need to make sure you get your iPhone to somewhere cool as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage. In extremely high-temperature situations where you leave gadgets in direct sunlight, there's even a fire risk – and that could result in staggeringly huge bills. HOW TO FIX YOUR IPHONE BATTERY If your iPhone does get serious heat damage, the battery will degrade. And if that happens too often, you'll find yourself with a worn down battery on a phone that holds increasingly less charge. You can check your phone's battery capacity compared to when it was new by going into Settings > Batter > Battery Health. 3 You can check your iPhone's battery health at any time in the Settings app Credit: The Sun Normally you'd expect to hit 80% at around 500 charge cycles (charging up and down), which typically takes a person about two years. So if yours is well below that, you'll want to take action or you'll be constantly stuck looking for a charger – and your phone may run more slowly too. One option is to just replace the device entirely, but this is very costly. A cheaper alternative is to pay for a battery replacement from Apple, which typically costs less than £100. IPHONE BATTERY SWAP – HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? Here's how much you'll pay for iPhone battery replacements in the UK and the US.. iPhone 5 Series iPhone 5S: £N/A / $69 iPhone SE Series iPhone SE (1st gen) – £N/A / $69 iPhone SE (2nd gen) – £65 / $69 iPhone SE (3rd gen) – £65 / $69 iPhone 6 Series iPhone 6 – £N/A / $69 iPhone 6s – £N/A / $69 iPhone 6s Plus – £N/A / $69 iPhone 7 Series iPhone 7 – £65 / $69 iPhone 7 Plus – £65 / $69 iPhone 8 Series iPhone 8 – £65 / $69 iPhone 8 Plus – £65 / $69 iPhone X Series iPhone X – £N/A / $89 iPhone XR/XS Series iPhone XR – £85 / $89 iPhone XS – £85 / $89 iPhone XS Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 11 Series iPhone 11 – £85 / $89 iPhone 11 Pro – £85 / $89 iPhone 11 Pro Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 Series iPhone 12 mini – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 Pro – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 Pro Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 Series iPhone 13 mini – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 Pro – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 Pro Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 14 Series iPhone 14 – £95 / $99 iPhone 14 Plus – £95 / $99 iPhone 14 Pro – £95 / $99 iPhone 14 Pro Max – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Series iPhone 15 – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Plus – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Pro – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Pro Max – £95 / $99 iPhone 16 Series iPhone 16 – £95 / $99 iPhone 16 Plus – £95 / $99 iPhone 16 Pro – £109 / $119 iPhone 16 Pro Max – £109 / $119 This will give your iPhone like-new battery life, and can even boost its performance too. But to avoid big bills, it's best to simply avoid letting your gadgets get too hot in the first place. That way, you'll have to replace your mobile less often.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Drivers warned to remove all gadgets from their cars this weekend or risk losing £1,000s
BRITS need to take extra care with their gadgets this weekend – and definitely don't leave any in your car. All motorists risk a costly bill alongside a tech headache if they make a common mistake. 3 This weekend will see hot weather all weekend across the UK – and that's bad news for your expensive gadgets. It turns out that heat doesn't just make your gadgets run more slowly and shut them down, but causes permanent damage too. In fact, too much heat can permanently shorten the battery life of your phones, tablets, laptops, and even wireless headphones. And one of the worst things you can do is leave them in your car, where temperatures can quickly rise to damaging levels. OFFICIAL APPLE WARNING Most rechargeable gadgets that you have at home or in your car use lithium-ion batteries. These batteries degrade over time as you use them – leading to shorter battery life (and in some cases, slower performance as your device tries to protect the battery). When your iPhone gets too cold or hot, the battery struggles to perform effectively, which can lead to problems and even total shut-downs. But with heat, you also risk causing permanent damage to the battery cell. An official Apple warning explains: "Use iOS and iPadOS devices where the ambient temperature is between 0° and 35°C (32° to 95°F). "Low- or high-temperature conditions may cause your device to change its behaviour to regulate its temperature. Apple interview with Greg Joz Joswiak on new artificial intelligence, screening, hold assist, carplay, liquid glass and ios updates "Using an iOS or iPadOS device in very hot conditions can permanently shorten battery life." It's not likely to break 35C this weekend, but you're still at risk. That's because your car temperature can go well above the outside temperature. So if you're leaving your phone in your car while you're swimming at the beach, that's a big mistake. 3 And the same goes for tablets, laptops, and your Apple AirPods too. You're looking at gadgets worth thousands of pounds. "Store your device where the temperature is between -20° and 45°C (-4° to 113°F)," Apple warns. "Don't leave your device in your car because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range." Apple says you must always avoid "leaving your device in a car on a hot day" – and certainly don't let it linger in direct sunlight. Why does heat damage batteries? Here's what you need to know... Hot temperatures can cause permanent damage to batteries That's because batteries contain fluids, and work through chemical reactions When heat is applied to a battery, the fluid inside starts to evaporate This damages the internal structure of the battery Components like the voltage indicator can be affected by heat This can allow batteries to charge at too high a rate, which can lead to a loss of electrolytes This can reduce battery life over time As batteries heat up, chemical reactions inside will also occur faster Excessive chemical reactions can reduce long-term battery life Similarly, you want to avoid using your iPhone for navigation in a car when it's very hot or in direct sunlight too, unless you've got air conditioning. If your iPhone gets too hot, you might notice some of these changes: Charging slows or stops Display dims brightness or goes totally black Signal gets worse as mobile radio in phone enters low-power state Camera flash disables Apps have lower frame rate or longer loading times Navigation switches off or goes audio-only Your iPhone might also switch off entirely if it gets too hot. At this point, you'll need to make sure you get your iPhone to somewhere cool as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage. In extremely high-temperature situations where you leave gadgets in direct sunlight, there's even a fire risk – and that could result in staggeringly huge bills. HOW TO FIX YOUR IPHONE BATTERY If your iPhone does get serious heat damage, the battery will degrade. And if that happens too often, you'll find yourself with a worn down battery on a phone that holds increasingly less charge. You can check your phone's battery capacity compared to when it was new by going into Settings > Batter > Battery Health. 3 Normally you'd expect to hit 80% at around 500 charge cycles (charging up and down), which typically takes a person about two years. So if yours is well below that, you'll want to take action or you'll be constantly stuck looking for a charger – and your phone may run more slowly too. One option is to just replace the device entirely, but this is very costly. A cheaper alternative is to pay for a battery replacement from Apple, which typically costs less than £100. IPHONE BATTERY SWAP – HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? Here's how much you'll pay for iPhone battery replacements in the UK and the US.. iPhone 5 Series iPhone 5S: £N/A / $69 iPhone SE Series iPhone SE (1st gen) – £N/A / $69 iPhone SE (2nd gen) – £65 / $69 iPhone SE (3rd gen) – £65 / $69 iPhone 6 Series iPhone 6 – £N/A / $69 iPhone 6s – £N/A / $69 iPhone 6s Plus – £N/A / $69 iPhone 7 Series iPhone 7 – £65 / $69 iPhone 7 Plus – £65 / $69 iPhone 8 Series iPhone 8 – £65 / $69 iPhone 8 Plus – £65 / $69 iPhone X Series iPhone X – £N/A / $89 iPhone XR/XS Series iPhone XR – £85 / $89 iPhone XS – £85 / $89 iPhone XS Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 11 Series iPhone 11 – £85 / $89 iPhone 11 Pro – £85 / $89 iPhone 11 Pro Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 Series iPhone 12 mini – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 Pro – £85 / $89 iPhone 12 Pro Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 Series iPhone 13 mini – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 Pro – £85 / $89 iPhone 13 Pro Max – £85 / $89 iPhone 14 Series iPhone 14 – £95 / $99 iPhone 14 Plus – £95 / $99 iPhone 14 Pro – £95 / $99 iPhone 14 Pro Max – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Series iPhone 15 – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Plus – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Pro – £95 / $99 iPhone 15 Pro Max – £95 / $99 iPhone 16 Series iPhone 16 – £95 / $99 iPhone 16 Plus – £95 / $99 iPhone 16 Pro – £109 / $119 iPhone 16 Pro Max – £109 / $ 119 This will give your iPhone like-new battery life, and can even boost its performance too. But to avoid big bills, it's best to simply avoid letting your gadgets get too hot in the first place. That way, you'll have to replace your mobile less often.
Geeky Gadgets
4 hours ago
- Geeky Gadgets
iOS 26 Apple AirPods: Every Essential New Feature You Need to
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This update underscores Apple's commitment to delivering high-quality sound for all types of content. Smarter Adaptive Noise Cancellation The noise cancellation feature receives a significant upgrade with adaptive capabilities that dynamically adjust to your surroundings in real time. For instance, when you're in a noisy environment like a bustling café or on public transport, the system minimizes background noise while maintaining audio clarity. This ensures that you can focus on your content without distractions. The adaptive nature of this feature makes it versatile, offering a seamless listening experience whether you're in a quiet room or a noisy outdoor setting. Personalized Spatial Audio Spatial Audio becomes even more advanced with iOS 26, offering a customized 3D audio experience. By using the TrueDepth camera on your iPhone, the system maps your unique ear shape to optimize sound positioning. This personalization enhances the sense of immersion, making it feel as though you're surrounded by the audio source. Whether you're watching a movie, playing a game, or listening to music, the tailored Spatial Audio feature delivers a heightened level of realism and depth, setting a new standard for immersive sound. Improved Battery Management Battery performance is thoughtfully enhanced in this update, addressing both longevity and usability. Smarter charging algorithms now reduce battery wear over time, helping to extend the lifespan of your AirPods. Additionally, more accurate battery level notifications allow you to plan your charging cycles effectively. For users who rely on their AirPods throughout the day, these improvements mean fewer interruptions and longer listening sessions, making sure your device is ready whenever you need it. Seamless Device Switching Switching between Apple devices becomes faster and more reliable with iOS 26. AirPods can now detect and connect to the active device almost instantly. For example, if you're watching a video on your iPad and receive a call on your iPhone, the transition happens effortlessly. This feature is particularly beneficial for users who frequently multitask across multiple Apple devices, offering a smoother and more integrated experience. Customizable Controls iOS 26 introduces expanded options for customizing AirPods controls, allowing you to assign specific functions to different touch gestures. For example, you can configure gestures to skip tracks, adjust volume, or activate Siri. This flexibility enables you to tailor the controls to suit your preferences, making your AirPods more intuitive and convenient to use. The ability to personalize these settings ensures that your AirPods adapt to your unique needs and habits. Enhanced Find My AirPods Integration The integration of AirPods with the Find My app sees significant improvements in iOS 26. New features include precise location mapping and proximity alerts, making it easier to locate misplaced AirPods. Additionally, the update introduces a 'Separation Alert' that notifies you if you leave your AirPods behind. These enhancements reduce the likelihood of losing your device and provide peace of mind for users who rely on their AirPods daily. Accessibility Enhancements Apple continues to prioritize inclusivity with new accessibility features for AirPods. The iOS 26 update introduces tools such as enhanced audio amplification and customizable sound profiles, specifically designed to support users with hearing impairments. These updates ensure that AirPods remain accessible to a broader audience, offering an inclusive listening experience that meets diverse needs. By focusing on accessibility, Apple reinforces its commitment to creating technology that is usable by everyone. Why This Update Matters The iOS 26 update represents a meaningful evolution for AirPods, addressing a wide range of user needs with thoughtful enhancements. Key improvements include: Enhanced audio quality for a richer and more detailed listening experience. Smarter adaptive noise cancellation that adjusts to your environment in real time. Personalized Spatial Audio for a fully immersive sound experience. Improved battery management to extend device longevity and reduce interruptions. Seamless device switching for effortless multitasking across Apple devices. Customizable controls for greater convenience and personalization. Upgraded Find My integration to prevent loss and locate your AirPods easily. Accessibility tools to ensure inclusivity for users with hearing impairments. This update not only enhances the functionality of AirPods but also ensures they remain versatile and user-friendly. Whether you're focused on sound quality, seamless integration, or inclusive design, iOS 26 delivers features that cater to a wide range of preferences and requirements. Browse through more resources below from our in-depth content covering more areas on iOS 26 AirPods Features. Source & Image Credit: HotshotTek Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone, Gadgets News, Guides, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
