A $2,000 iPhone: It's coming. It's inevitable

A $2,000 iPhone: It's coming. It's inevitable

Now that Samsung has introduced a new Galaxy Note 9 starting at $1250, the experts say a $2000 iPhone is around the corner.  Hell, I can't sell a $499 desktop but people will spend a thousand plus for a phone...

The new Galaxy Note 9 has beaten Apple at their own game with the $1249 price for a phone with more RAM, storage and screen real estate, 6.4 inches.  There is a 512GB model for an extra $250 plus you can add a 512GB micro SD card for 1TB of storage.

Apple currently offers a base model 64GB iPhone X for $999 and a 256GB model for $1249.  According to rumors, Apple is preparing to release 3 new models.

Now you have to admit Apple is genius at making money.  The recent earnings announcement highlighted how services revenue had grown for Apple.  They offer a 64GB and 256GB model and give you 5GB iCloud storage to back up your phone with.  Wow, how generous of Tim Cook and company.

iCloud storage plans and pricing
When you sign up for iCloud, you automatically get 5GB of free storage. If you need more space in iCloud, you can upgrade to a larger storage plan.

Read all about it at;

https://www.zdnet.com/article/a-2000-iphone-its-inevitable/?ftag=TRE-03-10aaa6b&bhid=2219791

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WikiLeaks dump, CIA capabilities, your security and Best Buys assist FBI

Many things were revealed last week after the WikiLeaks dump.  Cybersecurity experts have been focusing on the "zero-day" vulnerabilities detailed in the documents.  These are holes in the code that can be used to infect a device with spyware/malware or to steal personal information.  The CIA has been criticized because they did not attempt to notify tech companies of the security flaws so they could be addressed but instead left Americans vulnerable to potential cyber criminals.

According to documents released in the dump, the CIA has the ability to hack into and control iPhone, Android and Samsung TVs.  It doesn't stop there, Skype, Wi-Fi networks and anti-virus programs can be manipulated as well.  If the CIA can hack these devices so can others.

The dump unveiled the agency's ability to hack into devices remotely and turn on cameras, microphones for tracking a person's location and messages.  The CIA along with intelligence services in the UK developed a hack targeting Samsung Smart TVs that enabled them to record surroundings while the TV appeared to be off.

In addition to the WikiLeaks dump, new federal court filings revealed a close relationship between the FBI and Best Buy’s Geek Squad.  The FBI was using Best Buy's Geek Squad to monitor and gather data on individuals.  Now I'm all for the capture of info that assists in getting child pornographers, criminals and other scumbags but I was still surprised to learn of the training and management of Geek Squad staff as FBI informants.


After CIA leaks, tech giants scramble to patch security flaws

Apple, Microsoft, and Google are analyzing leaked CIA documents to see if their products are affected, but security researchers say that most of the flaws have long been fixed.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/tech-giants-scramble-for-cia-hacking-fixes-most-flaws-patched/?loc=newsletter_large_thumb_featured&ftag=TRE17cfd61&bhid=2219791

FBI Used Best Buy’s Geek Squad To Increase Secret Public Surveillance

http://fortune.com/2017/03/12/rbi-best-buy-geek-squad/

http://www.ocweekly.com/news/fbi-used-best-buys-geek-squad-to-increase-secret-public-surveillance-7950030

The battle for online privacy:  What you need to know

https://www.cnet.com/news/online-privacy-what-you-need-to-know-faq/?ftag=CAD1acfa04&bhid=21042726186831923270015874178287


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