I talked about the FBI attempting to force Apple to unlock their iPhone for them, but now it seems like the FBI doesn't need that anymore. That's because they've allegedly hacked the encryption on the iPhone themselves, and are already agreeing to help Arkansas prosecutors hack their iPhone as well. While we don't know exactly how the FBI hacked the iPhone, we do know one thing. If it can be done to one, it can be done to them all. Most people aren't against the government having the ability to get into their homes if they're breaking the law (and for probable reason) but this isn't just one phone. Imagine the government making a master key that can unlock every person's house door. What if it got stolen? What if a corrupt official were to use it without probable cause? These kinds of questions are what are being raised about the technique the FBI used to hack the iPhone.

Not only is this bad news for us, but it's also bad news for Apple. Now there is a security issue in their phones, which can cause people to not buy them. This is the government directly getting in the way of free enterprise. If the government keeps this all-access key instead of giving it up to Apple to fix, I can only see Apple retaliating. For a country that is so lucky to have so many tech giants' headquarters reside, it sure is odd that our government is so against technological progress.

Thankfully, the government probably won't have use for this vulnerability for much longer. Since it's almost inevitable that an exploit like this will not stay a secret, it will eventually get leaked and make its way back to Apple. Still, when so many iPhones will stay in evidence, unupdated, it begs the question of just how many iPhones local and federal governments will have access to.

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.  - Benjamin Franklin

Image source: Forbes 

A few days ago, Apple's event shocked millions with more amazing innovation. Just kidding. Apple's "Let us loop you in" press event was a failure of the highest caliber. First of all, they announced the iPhone 4—I mean, the iPhone SE. No doubt you've heard of it, with every iPhone Apple announces making national news due to the exclusivity of its platform. Nevertheless, design-wise, the phone is reverting Apple back to 2010. Sure, it updated it with Touch ID and some new specs, but who cares? In an ever-evolving smartphone world, companies should be trying to be new and innovative, not going back to six years ago. Coupled with this, Apple announced the iPad Pro, something literally everyone was expecting. It's a bigger iPad. That's basically it.

Apple has shown in the last few years to not be a pursuer of innovation, but one of greed. Apple knows that it can release and re-release whatever it wants and it will not suffer a significant loss in sales. And when it does take chances, say, with the Macbook, it's a massive failure. Near-mobile specs and thinness that sacrifices usefulness? Yeah, that sounds like a great laptop. But with Apple's demographic, as long as it comes in a pretty color and boasts a new "thinness" nobody will care. Why is this?

Apple's advertising and brand revolves around the "magic" of "it just works." Apple hides its specs behind buzzwords such as "Retina" which causes users to become too trusting in the brand. When Apple is "magic" and other brands are "nerdy tech" it isn't a competition between what phone is better. It doesn't matter if one phone has the processing power of four iPhones, as long as Apple can say it has the "The most advanced chip ever in a smartphone," the vast majority of consumers will not care. Apple knows all of this and exploits this. It uses this as an excuse to not innovate. 3D touch was a cool concept, but in practice, nothing more than a novelty. I think that in the past few years not only has Apple been lacking in innovation, but it has become a one trick pony.

I have no doubt the iPhone SE and the iPad Pro will sell like hot cakes. That's the kind of consumers Apple panders to. I just hope that Apple will see that it doesn't have to use repeat designs and uninnovative tactics. You're one of the biggest tech companies in the world! Do something with what you have.

Why is Apple considering ditching the headphone jack on the next iPhone? Space. Apple is all about fitting the most stuff into the smallest amount of space. When you consider the amount of space inside an iPhone dedicated to the large headphone jack, it's actually quite a lot. Whether this space could be used to make the battery bigger or add more features, it doesn't really matter. If Apple goes through with this, I won't be surprised due to the decisions they made with the new Macbook. Most likely instead of a headphone jack, the next iPhone could just use the Thunderbolt connector. This isn't only bad for headphone manufacturers, it's even worse for the consumer. If you want to be able to use your old headphones, you'll have to buy an adapter. Headphone manufacturers will have to spend more money creating two different versions to fit iPhones, increasing the overall cost. Oh, and forget about charging your phone and listening to music at the same time without an adapter as well. I can't see this decision being good for Apple in any way, but I also think they can get away with it like they did with the adoption of the Thunderbolt port and the use of a single USB-C port on the Macbook. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see if they go through with it, and if they do, see what kind of backlash they receive.

Source: Forbes

Battery cases have been around since battery life became a problem, aka since the conception of smartphones. They can be useful for when you want that extra bit of juice but don't want to carry around a power brick. Apple just recently decided that they would jump on this, announcing a battery case for their iPhone in response to the lackluster reviews of the iPhone 6s's battery. But unfortunately, it's one of Apple's biggest design, engineering, and product failures ever. (Right up there with the Apple Watch and MacBook 2015.)

This new battery case has been infamous for its ugly hump on the back. Instead of rounding it out to match the width and height of the phone, Apple went for a "pop-out" approach similar to what they did with the iPhone 6s camera. Something not big enough? Let's just have it stick out the back instead of having a flush surface! That's not the only design issue, though. Apple also made the absolutely stupid decision of having an LED light inside the case to tell if it's charging. What use is that? Are you going to take your phone out of the case to make sure it's charging?

The battery case doesn't even match up to its competition. It won't even provide a full 100% charge, and you can't decide when it activates. The only thing that makes the case good is the ability to see the battery level on your iPhone, since it coordinates with the OS. This is once again Apple using its exclusive hold over their OS to sell their product.

Once again, it's $99! For a case! Even if it did what it's supposed to, that's hugely steep. You can get better ones, that actually fill your whole battery, for below $20 on Amazon. What is Apple doing? Does it just know people will buy it because it's Apple? This case is for people who don't want to think about anything, and just buy something that works. Even if that's over $80 more for a worse product. Apple's recent decisions have been like icebergs, and frankly, I can't wait to watch Apple sink.