Apple is a company that usually likes to maintain as much control over both its hardware and software as possible. Given this, you’d expect that the company would want to build out its own cloud infrastructure so that it wouldn’t have to rely on the likes of Google, Amazon and Microsoft. However, as a new report from The Information’s Amir Efrati and Steve Nellis makes clear, Apple isn’t even close to having that kind of independence from its biggest rivals when it comes to cloud infrastructure.

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The report reveals that Apple has no problems buying up the necessary infrastructure to build out a world-class cloud of its own. The problem, interestingly enough, comes on the software side.

“The scale of Apple’s cloud infrastructure needs means that off-the-shelf gear and software from conventional vendors like Cisco or H-P run into performance problems,” they write. “Apple’s iCloud, by the estimates of two people familiar with it, requires storing many exabytes of data, meaning that there is no ready-made software on the market that is adequate to handle it. Google and Facebook have similar needs and similar challenges, but both have spent years developing custom hardware and software to address them.”

This is interesting because online services have long been Apple’s biggest weakness. Apps like Apple Music and Apple Maps have definitely improved as they’ve aged but they’ve also generally launched well after competing services have grown more popular and they’ve come with several hiccups along the way.

So for now, Apple will have to rely on Google and others to fulfill its cloud needs. In fact, The Information says that it will take years for Apple to catch up, if it ever does.

Check out the whole report at this link.

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Another day, another big Android vulnerability revealed. A report from security firm Lookout informs us of a new threat that can permanently “compromise” a device, including Google’s Nexus handsets and tablets that usually run the latest version of Android. However, while the new threat can compromise many Android handsets, it’s likely it’s not actively used in attacks at this point.

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Millions of Android handsets are at risk, Lookout discovered. The problem lies with a Linux vulnerability that was patched in April 2014. But even so, Android developers did not fix it even after the vulnerability received vulnerability identifier CVE-2015-1805 last February, Ars Technica reports.

Google is very much aware of the problem and it looks like at least one rooting app that could take advantage of the flaw has been discovered in the wild. Rooting Android devices is popular among power users, as the procedures gives them the liberty of further customizing their Android experience.

“An elevation of privilege vulnerability in the kernel could enable a local malicious application to execute arbitrary code in the kernel,” said an Android security advisory last week. “This issue is rated as a critical severity due to the possibility of a local permanent device compromise and the device would possibly need to be repaired by re-flashing the operating system.”

The vulnerability is present in Android devices that use Linux kernel versions 3.4, 3.10 and 3.14, including Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 devices, as well as a large number of handsets coming from major manufacturer brands. Kernel versions 3.18 or higher are not susceptible to such attacks.

As Ars points out, the good news is that this vulnerability requires a local exploit, meaning that drive-by web attacks are “infeasible if not impossible.”

Google has updated the Verify Apps feature to make sure that devices block the installation of rooting apps that exploit the vulnerability, and the rooting app that can take advantage of the security hole is not available from Google Play.

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“Lukewarm” would be a charitable way to describe the reaction to Man of Steel. Comic book fans and general audiences alike were turned off by Zack Snyder’s dark, gritty take on Superman in 2013, so you might not be surprised to learn that it looks like they feel the same way about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

SEE ALSO: 5 reboots that managed to surpass the original movies in every way

At the time of writing, Batman v Superman is sitting at a paltry 41% on Rotten Tomatoes and has garnered a depressing Metascore of 47 on Metacritic. Those are both lower than the respective Man of Steel ratings, but to be fair, they’re still in flux as reviews will continue to trickle out throughout the week.

Let’s check out a few of them, shall we?

Entertainment Weekly’s Chris Nashawaty had some kind things to say about Ben Affleck’s turn as Batman, but was mostly underwhelmed:
“Dawn of Justice starts off as an intriguing meditation about two superheroes turning to an all-too-human emotion: hatred out of fear of the unknown. Two and a half hours later it winds up somewhere very far from that—but at the same time, all too familiar. It’s another numbing smash-and-bash orgy of CGI mayhem with an ending that leaves the door open wide enough to justify the next 10 installments.”
Andrew Barker, reviewing the movie for our sister site Variety, had a more positive theater experience, praising the excitement and bombast of the film:
“As a pure visual spectacle […] “Batman v Superman” ably blows the hinges off the multiplex doors […] As overblown as the lengthy showdown might become, Snyder gets closer than ever before to the chiaroscuro palette of classic comics, and even if his scrupulous efforts to avoid reopening “Man of Steel’s” collateral damage debates are a bit on the nose, at least he’s clearly received the message.”
Finally, one of the harshest reviews I read comes from Joshua Rothkopf at Time Out New York. Other than the score, he couldn’t find a single thing to commend:
“Shamelessly, Batman v Superman lunges for a funereal mood in its final stretch, but come on: We all know superheroes don’t die, not when there are reboots in the balance. After this one, you’ll wish a few of them did.”
Ouch.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice releases in theaters on March 25th.

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At first glance, it’s easy to see why many people are overlooking the significance of Apple’s new iPhone SE. After all, the device doesn’t feature a crazy new form factor nor does it offer up any technologies we haven’t seen before. In fact, the iPhone SE by all accounts is simply an iPhone 5 jam-packed with technologies Apple originally introduced on the iPhone 6s six months ago.

Nothing special here, right?

Wrong.

The iPhone SE is not only poised to be Apple’ sleeper hit of the season, it’s just the device Apple needs to breathe a bit of life into slowing iPhone sales.

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Even though Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s models set new sales records over the last two years, Apple’s foray into larger screened devices left many iPhone users out in the cold. The reality is that many iPhone users find Apple’s 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone models too clunky and unwieldy to use. As a result, there exists a surprisingly large pool of iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s users who opted to stick with their current device and not upgrade to Apple’s bigger iPhone models.

Just last month, research data from Mixpanel found that 38% of all iPhone users were still using iPhone models that were released before the iPhone 6. The research specifically that Apple’s lineup of 4-inch iPhone models (5s, 5c, 5) accounted for 32.54% of active iPhones with iPhone 4s and iPhone 4 models accounting for approximately 5.7% of active iPhones.

What’s more, Tim Cook earlier this year said that a whopping 60% of iPhone owners who owned devices before the iPhone 6 was launched still haven’t upgraded to either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6s. And driving home the point that there’s an immense market for 4-inch iPhones, Apple yesterday said that it sold 30 million 4-inch iPhone models in 2015 alone. In short, the pool of iPhone users on the verge of upgrading is remarkably large.

All that said, it’s overwhelmingly clear that Apple, in its zeal to catch up to Android and release larger screened devices, either inadvertently or purposefully ignored a large contingent of users who find the 4-inch form factor ideal. With the iPhone SE, Apple is finally providing an advanced smartphone option for this large group of users.

As we detailed yesterday, the iPhone SE is jam-packed with Apple’s most advanced technologies. From its A9 processor and advanced camera to faster Wi-Fi and LTE components, the iPhone SE is finally a device content iPhone 5 and 5s users can get excited about. Clearly, Apple learned a thing or two from its missteps with the iPhone 5c.

With a March 31 release date, the iPhone SE obviously won’t have an impact on current quarter iPhone sales, but it will extremely interesting to see how iPhone sales during the upcoming June quarter stack up against the previous year.

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The kitchen is easily one of the most difficult rooms in your house to shop for. It’s often the case that the best-looking, highest-quality kitchen gadgets are also astronomically priced, while the affordable stuff out there is generally pretty ugly. Well, we’ve found you one of the few exceptions to the rule and it instantly became one of our favorite kitchen purchases in a long time.

Meet the KitchenAid KCM0812OB Siphon Coffee Brewer, an efficient and well-designed machine that is equal parts utility and art.

Here are a few highlights from the product description:

Automated full immersion siphon brewing delivered through precise temperature and vacuum technology.
Brew unit stand securely holds brew unit once brewing is complete.
Flavor Profile: Bright and rich with a clean finish.
Premium glass construction with stainless steel accents.
Magnetic locking seal securely fastens the brew unit and carafe together.
Includes siphon coffee brewer, cleaning brush/coffee scoop, brew unit stand, dual purpose lid, 360° rotation removable base, reusable stainless steel filter and cloth filter pack.

KitchenAid KCM0812OB Siphon Coffee Brewer: $199.00 with free Prime shipping

Follow @BGRDeals on Twitter to keep up with the latest and greatest deals we find around the web

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Does Facebook racially profile you to serve you more relevant ads? The company tells Ars Technica that it doesn’t engage in racial profiling but it’s hard to see another way to describe its new advertising platform that groups users into “ethnic affinities.”

So here’s how it works: Facebook admits that it builds ethnic profiles for users but it doesn’t do so based on census data, your name, your photos, or your private information. That said, if it sees that you like NPR, craft beer and farmers markets, then you’ll get categorized in an affinity group for white urban liberals. Or if you like hip-hop and are part of groups online like BlackLivesMatter, Facebook will say you have an affinity for black American culture.

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“They like African-American content,” one Facebook representative explained to Ars. “But we cannot and do not say to advertisers that they are ethnically black. Facebook does not have a way for people to self-identify by race or ethnicity on the platform.”

Sure, except making these profiles still involves using data to see what different ethnic groups are typically interested in. So while being white, black or Latino doesn’t guarantee you’ll get ads targeted to your ethnicity, Facebook nonetheless creates advertising categories based around those ethnic stereotypes.

If there’s any comfort here, it’s that Facebook’s system has divided these broad ethnic groups into several different subgroups whose ads are completely separate from each other. So if you really love Miles Davis and John Coltrane, that doesn’t mean you’re going to get served ads for Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West albums just because all four are black musicians.

You can read more about how this profiling system works at this link.

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The following video isn’t an action sequence from a future Die Hard movie. It’s a video that was just released to the public that shows a daring and hilarious helicopter escape from jail that happened three years ago in Canada. The video, obtained by Journal de Montreal shows how two inmates tried to climb on top of the St-Jerome prison to get into a helicopter that would then transport them to safety. However, they failed to do so, and their accomplices weren’t able to really help either.

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The two criminals, including an accused murderer and a person serving time for breaking and entering and arson, tied their feet to the rope that was lowered to hem, and the helicopter took off with them hanging off it. The men were found several hours later, the Toronto Sun reports.

The entire thing took more than six minutes and was recorded on video by prison guards. However, it looks like no guards intervened for the whole time the helicopter was on the jail’s roof, which seems oddly surprising at first. But the guards were not able to shoot at the helicopter, as they’re not armed inside the prison walls.

Less than 15 months later, a similar escape took place at the Orsainville prison, with three convicted drug traffickers escaped. They were apprehended two weeks later.

Check out the video of the helicopter jailbreak below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q2vpRDyvZs

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Apple on Monday announced a couple of new products that had been revealed weeks before by assorted leaks. Some say the iPhone SE and iPad Pro are boring updates on existing products, but that’s hardly the case. The iPhone SE is as powerful as the iPhone 6s, and the 9.7-inch tablet has some features that are better than what’s available on the 12.9-inch model.

But Apple really surprised audiences with some of its pricing announcements: The Apple Watch is now cheaper than ever, and the iPhone SE has $400 entry price.

Is it possible that the iPhone7 will be cheaper than expected?

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It’s clear that Apple is interested in making some of its new products more affordable, even if that means its margins might take a hit in the process. But it’s one thing to reduce the price of an iPhone that has an old design that’s more affordable to manufacture, and quite a different thing to do it with a brand-new iPhone design such as the iPhone 7.

However, just like the iPhone 6 almost two years ago, the iPhone 7 could be cheaper than its predecessors, without Apple changing its pricing structure. How can that happen? One word: Storage.

The iPhone 6s is available in three options, including 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB, which retail for $649, $749, and $849, respectively. These are the same versions and prices of the iPhone 6 – and sound theories explain why Apple kept in place de 16GB for one more year with the iPhone 6s rather than replacing with a 32GB option.

This year, Apple may very well make a significant change to storage tiers, opting for a 32/128/256GB or 64/128/256GB setup. Rumors say that Apple may have a 256GB iPhone in stores this year, joining its iPad Pro models, both of which are available in 256GB memory options. As for pricing options, Apple would likely keep in place the same tiers, without modifying a single thing.

However, regardless of iPhone 7 model, doubling base storage (the 32/128/256GB model) while maintaining the same price in place essentially gives you a cheaper iPhone. You won’t have to shell money for a more expensive iPhone just because the 16GB model is insufficient. You won’t have to pay more for cloud storage, and you won’t need to purchase external flash memory for the iPhone.

Of course, this is just speculation at this point, based on Apple’s latest announcements and taking into account what some rumors say about a 256GB iPhone 7.

Two things are clear, though: 16GB of storage on iPhone doesn’t seem to cut it anymore. I’ve purchased 64GB versions of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, and I’m usually using more than 40GB of storage, so it’s likely I’m never going to buy a 16GB iPhone in the future. Secondly, Apple seems to favor a 32/128/256GB lineup for its iPads, which is a subtle way of acknowledging that 16GB isn’t enough for the base models, so we might see the same storage setup adopted for the iPhone of the future.

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In the dark days before Netflix, TV fans had to patiently wait for new episodes of their favorite shows to air on a per week basis. Once Netflix became obsessed with churning out its own original content, it completely turned the traditional notion of TV viewing on its head. Rather than releasing episodes on a weekly basis, Netflix opted to release entire seasons of new shows in one fell swoop, ultimately resulting in the creation of the phrase ‘binge watching.’

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In what seemed like an instant, ‘binge watching’ transitioned into a phrase used casually in everyday conversation.
“What’d you do over the weekend?”

“Not too much, just binge watched Making a Murderer and season 7 of Dexter.”
Though Netflix itself didn’t create the term, the streaming giant was quick to embrace it despite some initial reservations. As Netflix VP of Product Todd Yellin explains, the company was, ever so briefly, concerned that the phrasing didn’t sound very healthy or fun.

But once ‘binge watching’ began to pick up steam as a popular saying, there was no stopping it, and Netflix hopped on board the bandwagon.

Now given that premium channels like HBO and Showtime still release their hit shows on a week to week basis, it’s not unreasonable to wonder why Netflix remains committed to releasing entire seasons of its original productions all at once. Tackling this question head on, Yellin recently explained why the company believes it’s business model empowers TV viewers and, in turn, delivers a more enjoyable user experience.
To us, binging is really about consumer control. It’s not about someone telling you that you only get one hour a week, and we’re going to slowly parse out the story you’re enjoying… “Hold on! All scenes from next week. Tune in next Sunday at 8 o’clock!” … It’s not about that. It’s about giving the control back to the consumer – “Here’s the whole story, now watch as much as you want.”

It’s been I think 170- years since anyone published a book where they go, “We’re only giving you one chapter, next week we’re giving you the next chapter.” They give you the whole book!

…

And that’s the way TV should be. Give me the whole friggin’ story and then I can watch as much or as little as I want.
Interestingly, Yellin added that just a small percentage of users actually binge watch entire seasons of a show the moment it goes live. Rather, most Netflix viewers watch about 2-3 episodes in an evening and perhaps a bit more on the weekends.

You can check out Yellin’s full take on binge watching below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yDh6LzScrM

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Google Now is arguably the best thing about using an Android phone. If you give it permission, Google will track everything about you, extract the right information and present it in an easy-to-digest form right when you need it most. But who knew that among the many things Google can do is offer you tips on how to download pirated copies of blockbuster movies?

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One Android user was surprised to find a card in his Google Now updates that offered him a linked to a site that hosts pirated copies of Deadpool.

Using Google Now on a Nexus 6, Torrent Freak reader Ryan got a “Download Torrent Deadpool” card, as seen below, sandwiched between news items from The Guardian and The New York Post.

It’s not clear what triggered this particular recommendation from Google Now. It’s certainly strange that it didn’t tell Ryan where to see Deadpool near where he lives and instead chose to point him directly to a Torrents site. Does that mean Ryan likes to download movies illegally here and there? You know, just enough for Google Now’s advanced AI to pick up the habit and make a note of it for future recommendations?

Such Google Now recommendations are all the more hilarious considering that copyright content owners have assaulted Google in the past by suggesting the giant search engine doesn’t do enough to prevent pirates from discovering illegal downloads online. With this new revelation, they may have a point.

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