"The Apple-FBI showdown is about something more basic than software and laws" Quartz 12:33 PM
"Forcing Apple to Hack That iPhone Sets a Dangerous Precedent" [Article by Congressman Darrell Issa] Wired 7:08 AM
"Apple Should Have Same Confidentiality Rights As Attorneys, Priests: Technology companies know more about us than our loved ones, attorneys, or priests. To balance the availability of that information in matters of public safety, businesses should have a limited exemption to being required to provide such information." InformationWeek 5:51 PM
"Apple's tech allies oppose the FBI, but still want your data" Associated Press 12:33 PM
"Apple Shareholders Reject Plan to Recruit Minorities for Top Positions" Time 10:10 AM
"FBI contacted Apple, received data related to San Bernardino case 3 days after shooting" AppleInsider 7:15 AM
"Apple's 4-inch iPhone Strategy Could Devastate The Competition" Forbes 7:41 AM
"Apple, Samsung, Patent Fight Shows What's Still Wrong With Our Patent System" Forbes 7:06 AM
"Appeals court overturns Apple's $120M victory in quick links patent case with Samsung" 9to5Mac 12:32 PM
"Apple faces the most important PR battle in its history with the FBI" Mashable 2/26
"Apple Fight Could Hinge on First Amendment Protections of Computer Programs: Apple challenging ruling ordering it to bypass security passcode on iPhone of San Bernardino terrorist" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 2/26
"Apple privacy battle with Washington looms as watershed moment" Financial Times [Paid Membership Required] 2/26
"Apple Isn't Above the Law, Even If Tim Cook is Right About Protecting Privacy" Fortune 2/26
"Apple's lawyer: If we lose, it will lead to a 'police state'" CNNMoney 2/26
"Apple lawyer warns government on road to 'limitless' power in iPhone encryption fight" AppleInsider 2/26
"How many Apple engineers does it take to unlock an iPhone for the FBI? Six to 10 Apple engineers and employees would need to devote two to four weeks to developing the software a federal court has ordered it to create to help unlock a San Bernardino shooter's cell phone, the company said Thursday in a motion asking the court to drop its order." MarketWatch 2/26
"Apple rivals line up behind Cook and company against the US government" TechRepublic 2/26
"Google, Facebook Among Those Preparing To Sign Court Filing In Support Of Apple" Forbes 2/26
"Facebook, Google, Microsoft to join tech industry in supporting Apple in court" IDG News Service 2/26
"Mozilla sides with Apple against FBI -- proposes basic principles for government surveillance" BetaNews 2/26
"FBI director admits Apple encryption case could set legal precedent" The Guardian 2/26
"FBI director admits under oath that iPhone case would set a precedent; public & Republican candidates still on FBI side" 9to5Mac 2/26
"Apple: FBI seeks 'dangerous power' in fight over iPhone" Associated Press 2/26
"Apple asks judge to reverse iPhone unlock order" CBS News 2/26
"While it defies U.S. government, Apple abides by China's orders — and reaps big rewards" Los Angeles Times [Paid Membership Required] 2/26
"Samsung wins appeal in patent dispute with Apple: A U.S. appeals court on Friday overturned a $120 million jury verdict against Samsung, finally handing the South Korean smartphone maker a significant win in its longstanding patent feud with top rival Apple. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., said Samsung Electronics Co Ltd did not infringe Apple's 'quick links' patent, and that two other patents covering the iPhone's slide-to-unlock and auto-correct features were invalid. The court also said Apple was liable for infringing one of Samsung's patents." Reuters 2/26
"Apple's $120M jury verdict against Samsung destroyed on appeal: Apple's autocorrect and 'slide to unlock' are invalid in light of prior art." Ars Technica 2/26
"Court Throws Out Verdict for Apple in Samsung Patent Case: Previous jury verdict had awarded $119.6 million to Apple" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 2/26
"Apple's $120M patent victory over Samsung overturned on appeal" Engadget 2/26
"Court Overturns Apple's $120M Win in Second Samsung Patent Fight" The Mac Observer 2/26
"Samsung appeals patent dispute with Apple and wins" Neowin 2/26
"In second California case, Apple wanted billions from Samsung, gets nothing but must pay millions" Foss Patents 2/26
"Security Update Breaks Ethernet Port on iMacs and MacBook Pros" MacRumors 12:32 PM
"Recent OS X security update has disabled Ethernet port on some iMacs and MacBook Pros" iDownload Blog 5:45 PM
"Apple School Manager Web portal enters beta ahead of iOS 9.3 debut" AppleInsider 2/26
"Rumor: Photos app in iOS 10 and OS X 10.12 should be on par in terms of features with iPhoto" iDownload Blog 2/26
"Apple used a neat technical trick to make sure its site stays SFW" Mashable 2/26
AppleCare/Troubleshooting
"Apple Working on Fix for Spotify Kernel Panic Bug on OS X" MacRumors 2/26
"What happens when your Time Machine drive icon changes" Macworld 2/26
"Apple discussion includes issues with third-party repairs; tricks for merging pages in PDF documents; and more about critical issues of security, privacy and government demands for unprecedented access to personal iPhone information." MacInTouch 2/26
"User interface discussion continues on classic Save/Save As file management vs. Duplicate and AutoSave, plus Finder and performance problems, bad button design, etc." MacInTouch 2/26
Reviews/How-To/Tips
"The Vivaldi browser offers an easy upgrade from Google Chrome: Most browsers are now being dumbed down to appeal to appeal to the mass market, but Vivaldi - now at the beta 2 stage - is going the other way, to appeal to 'power users'" ZDNet 5:50 PM
"How to switch plans and disable auto-renewal for Apple Music on your Mac" iMore 12:32 PM
"How to add Apple Music to your iTunes library on the Mac" iMore 9:10 AM
"New To Mac OS X? here are 30 of the best apps available" Digital Trends 9:10 AM
"How to customize the look of Terminal" iDownload Blog 10:13 AM
"Airfoil Extends and Enhances Audio Streaming" MacStories 2/26
"How-To: Make Gmail the default mail app in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox on Mac" 9to5Mac 2/26
"OS X: Save Time Machine Backup Space by Excluding Items" The Mac Observer 2/26
"Snapheal for Mac OS X lets you have fun repairing and enhancing photos" Apple World Today 2/26
"Recording just part of your Mac screen with QuickTime is this easy" iDownload Blog 2/26
"Pointers: Writing and publishing e-books, part 6 -- we did it!" MacNN 2/26
"Tim Cook on Apple Car: 'It's going to be Christmas Eve for a while'" Business Insider 2/26
"Photos show Apple preparing to build store inside new World Trade Center hub" 9to5Mac 2/26
"This company hacked an iPhone with Play-Doh" MarketWatch 2/26
"In Republican Debate, Candidates Back FBI Over Apple" Wired 2/26
"Rubio to Apple: Your brand is not superior to national security" Mashable 2/26
"Most Americans still think Apple should comply with FBI orders, new poll shows: But 54 percent think requiring backdoor access to all tech companies would make their data less secure" The Verge 2/26
"Apple hires key dev behind Snowden's Signal pet secure messaging app: Well-regarded privacy advocate and coder Frederic Jacobs will be joining Apple to work on a critical security component of Apple's desktop and mobile operating systems." ZDNet 2/26
"Apple hires developer of Edward Snowden's favorite encrypted chat app Signal" Business Insider 2/26
"Apple makes interesting security hire as it compares FBI request to forcing pharma firm to make lethal drugs" 9to5Mac 2/26
"Apple Hires Security Pro Frederic Jacobs" The Mac Observer 2/26
"Report: Apple Pay arriving in France this year, but with a slow-burn roll-out over 3-5 months" 9to5Mac 2/26
"Mark Zuckerberg beats Tim Cook as tech's most popular CEO despite distrust for Facebook" The Verge 2/26
"Original Macintosh founder died 11 years ago today" Cult of Mac 2/26
Non-Apple News
"Google's PlaNet Can Now Determine Location Sans Geotags" Digital Trends 8:45 PM
"WhatsApp is dropping support for the BlackBerry platform" Engadget 7:39 PM
"Raspberry Pi 3 Breaks Cover In FCC Filing" HotHardware 4:38 PM
"The Amazing Transformation of Mark Zuckerberg: Beyond #BlackLivesMatter, Zuck has taken bold stances on a bevy of social causes that few other CEOs would touch." PC Magazine 7:37 AM
"Zuckerberg says learned from Germany about defending migrants" Reuters 7:37 AM
"For These Guys, Mark Zuckerberg Is a Lifestyle Guru" New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required] 7:13 AM
"Nintendo's 3DS sales are plummeting — the NX console can't come fast enough" ExtremeTech 2/26
"Sprint does a 180, brings back two-year contract options for smartphones" iMore 2/26
"Happy 125th Birthday, David Sarnoff (David Who?)" Re/code 2/26
"Samsung is in talks to buy Tidal" New York Post 2/26
"Samsung may take on Apple Music by acquiring Tidal" Cult of Android 2/26
"Want world peace? Share much more on Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg says: Keep sharing 'all those good things we value'" MarketWatch 2/26
"Mark Zuckerberg Is 'Obsessed' With Livestreaming, Making Live a Top Priority at Facebook" Re/code 2/26
"IBM's new Watson ad has Carrie Fisher leading a support group for robots" The Verge 2/26
"Here's how much the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge cost in the U.S." Mashable 2/26
"Foxconn's Sharp Buyout on Hold over Surprise Liabilities" The Mac Observer 2/26
"Apple's new 4-inch iPhone to enter mass production soon, estimated to ship 12M units in 2016" AppleInsider 7:14 AM
"New 4" iPhone With 12MP Camera Said to Cost $400-$500, iPhone 5s to Receive 50% Price Cut" MacRumors 7:15 AM
"KGI: New 4-inch iPhone to cost between $400-$500, feature 12 megapixel camera, 50% price drop for iPhone 5s" 9to5Mac 7:15 AM
"Leaked iPhone SE Display Assembly? [Photos] iClarified 10:11 AM
"Leaked images claim to show iPhone SE display, confirm lack of 3D Touch support" 9to5Mac 4:40 PM
"Photos of 'iPhone SE' Screen Display Confirm No 3D Touch" MacRumors 4:40 PM
"Apple Moves To Shore Up iPad Line" Seeking Alpha 7:40 AM
"Apple likely to drop the '5', call new 4-inch model the 'iPhone SE'" 9to5Mac 2/26
"Apple's Upcoming 4-Inch Smartphone May Be Called 'iPhone SE'" MacRumors 2/26
"Apple's upcoming 4-inch iPhone will have a different name than we first thought" BGR 2/26
"Apple tipped to launch 9.7in iPad Pro alongside iPhone 5SE next month" The Inquirer 2/26
"New Apple iPad to be a mini version of the iPad Pro, report says, as Apple changes the naming conventions of its tablets" The Independent 2/26
"What we think we know about Apple's spring collection" Computerworld 2/26
"Apple TV can p0wn you in more ways than it entertains you: Apple has patched 33 problems, collectively named in 58 CVEs, in its latest TV-enhancing computer-puck, of which 10 enable arbitrary code execution, six with system privileges. 32 of the flaws hit third-generation Apple TV devices and just one its newer, fatter, fourth-gen beast." The Register 2/26
Price Trackers/Deals
"Today's Top iPhone, iPad, Watch, TV, Mac App Freebies And Price Drops" App Sliced 2/26
"[The Sequence] For iPhone/iPad Is Free For The Very First Time (Normally $0.99)" App Sliced 2/26
"Delight -Quick Photo Editor For iPhone Is Free For The First Time In Ten Months (Normally $1.99)" App Sliced 2/26
"Your iPhone knows more than you may want Apple, feds or anyone to know" Chicago Tribune [Free Registration Required] 8:08 PM
"There would be 2 major downsides if Apple made iCloud literally impossible to hack" Business Insider 5:46 PM
"Sorry, Apple, Your 'Code Is Speech' Claim May Not Hold Up" Fortune 12:33 PM
"Apple enumerates cooperation with FBI in San Bernadino iPhone 5c case" MacNN 9:10 AM
"Most software already has a 'golden key' backdoor—it's called auto update: Software updates are just another term for cryptographic single-points-of-failure." Ars Technica 7:41 AM
"Questionable: Asking questions we already know the answers to" Macworld 7:15 AM
"FBI Director Comey Admits Apple Case Could Set Precedent" The Mac Observer 2/26
"Public Loves Apple CEO Tim Cook, Sides With Government Anyway" Fortune 2/26
"Will the iPhone 7 launch be delayed by the FBI's backdoor request?" BGR 2/26
"The 5 biggest reveals from Apple's motion to dismiss the FBI's court order" Macworld 2/26
"FBI vs. Apple: The Shift From Privacy to Security" Bloomberg Video 2/26
"A Brief Explanation of Apple's Showdown With the U.S. Government" New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required] 2/26
Apple Op/Ed
"Slick concept shows how Apple could upgrade Control Center with 3D Touch" The Verge 5:00 PM
"Sam Beckett's Advanced Control Center Concept" MacStories 5:00 PM
"This iPad Pro unboxing went horribly, horribly wrong: In this episode of 'Max's Macs,' your favorite Apple fanboy Max tries to unbox the new iPad Pro, but things go very very wrong. All those YouTube tutorials made unboxing look easy, but not everyone can be a star." Mashable 9:31 AM
"New iPhone Pro Teased By Apple's Powerful Naming Strategy" Forbes 7:56 AM
"Recent iPad Pro mini-scandal shows Apple is serious about keeping users happy" BGR 2/26
"How Will Apple Cope with Decreasing Demand as Robots Put People Out of Work?" The Mac Observer 2/26
"Apple is a cheapskate when it comes to R&D" USA Today 2/26
"Apple, bring on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro!" BetaNews 2/26
"Slowness is killing the Apple Watch" ["...I really think it's going to take a hardware revision to make this better."] 512 Pixels 2/26
"Yet another feature Samsung's Galaxy S7 stole from the iPhone" BGR 2/26
"Extensify: a simple and easy-to-use tweak store for non-jailbroken iPhones [Video] 9to5Mac 9:31 AM
"7 great car mounts for your iPhone 6s/6 or iPhone 6s/6 Plus" AppAdvice 7:19 AM
"Crescent Moon Games announces Zelda-style Legend of the Skyfish for iOS" AppAdvice 7:19 AM
"Offline Esperanto to English Language Dictionary 3.0 for iOS" prMac 12:33 PM
"Zone Diet Features Advice, Tools, Videos, Meal Delivery Info and More" prMac 7:11 AM
"Always play the right note with Ukulele Tuner Pro" prMac 7:11 AM
"Coming February 27: Gene Steinberg meets editor/publisher Adam Engst, of TidBITS, and security guru Dr. Timothy C. Summers, this week on The Tech Night Owl LIVE!" The Tech Night Owl LIVE 2/26
"There's a MacBook Selfie Stick and It's as Amazing as It Sounds" Time 2/26
"Eightythree Technology launches Stream Cloud Music Player on App Store" MacPrices 2/26
"Dragon Anywhere dictation app now available on Android, iOS" BetaNews 2/26
"Mailbox Sunsets Today, Here's The Best Alternative" Forbes 2/26
"MLB.com At Bat Update Brings Split View Multitasking, Picture in Picture Streaming for iPad" iClarified 2/26
"Best messaging apps for iPhone" [Slideshow] iMore 2/26
"Inbox's snooze feature just got way more useful" The Verge 2/26
"Leather Case for iPhone 6s and 6s Plus" Mujjo 2/26
"Apple TV gains 12 new categories in App Store" MacNN 2/26
"Powerful movie editing app Videoshop now available for free through the Apple Store app" iPhone Hacks 2/26
"Check your privilege! iOS app will split bills based on your sex and race" Cult of Mac 2/26
"Offline Yoruba to English Language Dictionary 2.0 for iOS" prMac 2/26
"LadyPlans 1.0 introduced for iOS - New Women Organizer App" prMac 2/26
"Kids Explore The Outer Reaches Of The Galaxy Aboard Bamba Space Station" prMac 2/26
"iMoodJournal for iOS - Top-Rated Mood Tracking App Supports Apple Watch" prMac 2/26
"Top Times Tables Makes it Easy for Students to Learn Multiplication" prMac 2/26
"Full Fat releases a Blocky Rugby Arcade Running Game for iOS" prMac 2/26
"Microsoft confirms pullout of its brick and mortar stores across Brazil" Neowin 8:04 AM
"Inside The New Microsoft, Where Lie Detection Is A Killer App: Jennifer Marsman recently tested a lie detector of her own design on her boss at Microsoft. Do you work for the best company in the world, she asked. Yes. Oops! According to the software, that was probably a fib. Will she get a promotion this year? Yes! This time her manager was most likely telling the truth." NDTV 8:04 AM
"Microsoft Officially Kills 'Project Astoria' Without An Apology" TechRez 8:04 AM
"Windows PCs are like stale fish: HP CEO Dion Weisler" Business Insider 8:04 AM
"Cybercrime witnessed a dramatic rise in 2015: Dell/Multinational computer technology company Dell warned that cybercrime increased significantly around the world in 2015 despite organisations deploying end-to-end security solutions perfectly." IANS 7:59 AM
"IBM, New York Genome Center collaborate to create comprehensive, open repository of genetic data to accelerate cancer research" Pharmabiz 8:00 AM
"IBM 'Spellchecks' Your Emotions To Help You Find Love" TechWeekEurope 7:09 PM
"International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) Assigned A+ Credit Rating by Morningstar" The Vista Voice 8:00 AM
"Pentium? Core i5? Core i7? Making sense of Intel's convoluted CPU lineup: It defies simple explanation, but here's how to know what you're getting." Ars Technica 10:54 AM
"Scientists built a book-sized, protein-powered biocomputer: Future applications could rival the likes of Watson in terms of energy efficiency and speed." Engadget 7:13 AM
"Can off-the-shelf software survive the cloud onslaught?" ZDNet 7:21 AM
"Windows 10's app problem is not going away any time soon, and this is why" Express 2/26
"Microsoft launches scheme to hire people with autism in the UK: Firm is looking for 10 autistic employees to boost its diversity" Daily Mail (UK) 2/26
"Microsoft Boosts Cloud Security For Office 365 And Azure To Better Compete With Google And Amazon" Tech Times 2/26
"Why Microsoft's Xamarin purchase is a blunder" ZDNet 2/26
"Microsoft's Xamarin Buyout: A Fight for Position among Developers" Market Realist 2/26
"Stocks mixed, but benchmarks up for second week" USA Today 2/26
"Upward Revision to 4Q GDP Hardly Good News: The higher number – economic growth came in at 1.0% during the fourth quarter, up from an earlier 0.7% estimate and well above the 0.4% forecast by analysts: is illusive because it's essentially a 'good' bad number. It means companies spent more than expected building inventory in the fourth quarter, which helped elevate economic growth." FOXBusiness 2/26
"U.S. Stocks Notch Second Straight Week of Gains: Recent rally in oil prices has U.S. equities more than 6% higher since Feb. 11" WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required] 2/26
"China stocks jump 1% a day after tumble: Markets in Asia closed mostly higher Friday, with Chinese shares ultimately edging up after a choppy trading session, recovering from the previous day's tumble." MarketWatch 2/26
"European stocks end higher, bolstered by oil moves: European stocks climbed Friday, and energy shares spearheaded the move as oil prices gained." MarketWatch 2/26
MacSurfer Headline News Staff
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: P. Pearson
Managing & Weekday Editor: D. Mahaffy
Evening Editors: S. Siegling and
D. Mahaffy
Weekend Editors: S. Siegling , A. Spaulding and
D. Mahaffy
CEO: T. Jefferson
CFO: K. Midas
Editor Emeritus: W. Shakespeare
Writers Emeritus: W. Lewis, R. Chandler, W. Morris, G. Simenon, C. Vallejo, F. Garcia Lorca,
P. White, R. Adams, P. Valery, C. Aiken, R. Bradbury, F. Pessoa, S. Bellow, F. O'Connor
Art Directors: V. Van Gogh, C. Monet
Advertising Managers: C. Chaplin, H. Marx
Public Relations Firm: Bits & Bytes
Bomb Squad: Type 11 Errors
Chief Scientists: I. Asimov, S. Hawking
Road Crew: R. Petty, J. Cooper
Mechanics: Tom and Ray
Fishing Crew: A. Lindner, D. Stange, K. VanDam
Head Chef: Mom
Head Travel Guru: D. Pearson
Mascots: Cyberdog, Clarus the Dogcow
General Counsel: #%@*$$$$!