Instagram may turn its black-and-white filter on itself

The blue, black and white days of Instagram might become 33% less chromatic, as leaked screens showing the app's next update posit a stark, black-and-white interface to come.

A tip to The Verge points towards a cleaned-up app, which is apparently being focus-tested in smaller groups before a public release.

In addition to stripping the color - save for your feed of images - the update also simplifies the icon bar at the bottom of the app in a way we can only describe as "iOSian."

An Instagram representative told the site that the new look is currently "a design test only." Feedback from the community will likely decide if the future of Facebook's photo-sharing service is bright, albeit colorless, or if the blues will stick with the app for a bit longer.

• Instagram is also focusing more on moving pictures, too

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We'll probably never know how the FBI unlocked the San Bernardino iPhone

The FBI is pleading ignorance about the method used to hack a terrorist's iPhone. The bureau claims it "knows so little" about the method that it doesn't make sense to launch an internal review to disclose to Apple what vulnerability was used.

FBI Director James Comey said the bureau is "close" to deciding whether or not to start the review process. Comey says the decision rests on whether the agency was "aware of a vulnerability, or did [the FBI] just buy a tool and don't have sufficient knowledge of the vulnerability."

Assuming the review were to be performed, the onus would fall on various government bodies including intelligence agencies. The study would determine if there's a vulnerability, how many people are possibly affected by it, and how likely it will be exploited. The review will also have to decide whether keeping the vulnerability open will benefit national security, or whether it's too dangerous to be left unpatched.

Otherwise, the FBI plans to alert the White House that it doesn't know how the underlying code used to break into the phone works, and thus shouldn't have to investigate and disclose the vulnerability.

The decision not to disclose this iPhone vulnerability could draw ire from come privacy advocates as an attempt by the FBI to chip away at encryption and cyber security.

An Apple spokesperson speaking with The Wall Street Journal said the company was confident that the exploit the FBI paid for would have a short shelf-life, as the company is constantly auditing and improving the security of its products. This does seem the case, as the exploit used by the FBI only works on the iPhone 5C running iOS 9, but won't work on the iPhone 5s and newer iPhone models.

Fighting for encryption

The battle between Apple and the FBI began when Apple refused to comply with the bureau's request to break into an iPhone used by terrorist Syed Rizwan Farook. Apple claimed the FBI wanted the company to build a backdoor into iOS for government mass surveillance.

Now the battle continues as Apple tries to find out how the FBI broke into the iPhone. The issue is complicated by the fact that the FBI didn't hack the iPhone by themselves, instead hiring a still undisclosed company over $1 million to break into the phone.

• Apple is reportedly working to make the iPhone unhackable

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Gaping Windows security flaw leaves business PCs wide open

An issue in the business versions of Microsoft Windows has been discovered which allows a hacker to dodge around AppLocker white-listing protection and successfully run a malicious app on a target machine.

The flaw in the enterprise versions of Windows 7 through to Windows 10 was discovered by security researcher Casey Smith, and is truly worrying because it doesn't require admin access to leverage, and neither does it leave any signs in the Registry.

The exploit involves using Regsvr32 and pointing it to a remotely hosted file at a location the hacker controls, thus allowing the running of any app including malicious applications with no worries about AppLocker protecting the intended victim.

Smith noted: "In order to further prove this out, I wrote a PowerShell server to handle execution and return output." He has put his proof of concept up on Github.

No patch yet

Obviously this is a very worrying prospect for businesses out there, particularly with the exploit becoming more widely known now it's being reported on. There's no patch for the problem as yet, but you would hope Redmond is prioritising this one.

As Engadget notes though, to be safe, you can always get your firewall to block Regsvr32, although obviously that's not an ideal solution.

Of late, Microsoft has been making a big deal of how secure Windows 10 is, but of course this flaw still affects the latest enterprise version of the OS. Earlier this month, Redmond even announced its intention to soon make it compulsory for the manufacturers of Windows 10 PCs, tablets and smartphones to include TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) in their devices for much improved security.

• Windows 10 wants to help you understand why your PC crashed

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FreshTeam app brings unity to mobile teams, solves the 'Where Are You?' problem

As the working world inches its way into this millennium, we're seeing a greater number of teams work remotely. These highly mobile crews, oftentimes distributed all across the globe, are no doubt impactful, but struggle to keep tabs on who happens to be where.

FreshTeam is a new app that aims to solve that quandary, billing itself as the "anti-messaging app." Teams (or families) that embrace it are able to opt-in to sharing, whereby they're able to see at a glance where someone is, if they're in transit, if they're busy/available, and even if their phone's battery is about to exhaust itself.

The app aims to cut out the trite "where are you?!" messages and calls that eat up precious time, and it also includes a built-in voice and video chat system that can handle up to 100 participants.

The app is free of charge on both iOS and Android, though a $9.99 in-app purchase throws in unlimited group capping and allows you to "set FreshTeam Places for your office, customer sites, and more."

The ideas presented here are certainly sound, but it faces a pretty big obstacle: how do you persuade a team to embrace an entirely new tool? Changing habits and workflows is daunting enough as an individual, but it's an entirely different beast when you're trying to change the way an entire team operates.

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Chrome OS gets a flat Material Design makeover

With Google tying Android ever more closely with Chrome OS, it was inevitable that Material Design would bleed into Chromebooks and now a designer has revealed all with screenshots no less.

Google designer Sebastien Gabriel wrote a blog post on Dribble detailing how the next version of Chrome OS will include a complete revamp of the core interface. The overall look of the browser and menus is flatter, shaper and follows a much lighter tone as well. Some more minute changes include sharper corners on windows and reshaped tabs.

Just like Material Design on Android, users will see more lively animations such as rippling and morphing buttons states. In the most dramatic shift windows will transition into a new dark when they activate Incognito browsing.

Alternatively, Google has also added a new "hybrid mode" made specially for touchscreen enabled Chromebooks. When activated, the interface becomes more touch friendly by enlarging virtual buttons on the screen.

The new design will rollout to Chromebooks as part of the latest update, coincidentally celebrating the big version 50 milestone.

The Material Design makeover is also coming to Chrome OS on Windows and Mac. And if you want to start using it now, simply download Chrome Canary and turn on "Material design in about:flags – though Gabriel warns that it's still a work in progress.

Via The Verge

• You've come to the right place if you're looking for the best Chromebook

Image Credit: Sebastien Gabriel

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Windows Ink and Cortana upgrades come to the latest Windows 10 beta

Windows 10 power users will be happy with the latest Insider Preview build of the operating system. Build 14328 features a ton of small tweaks that come together to make Windows 10 more powerful than ever.

The biggest addition to Windows 10 is the new Windows Ink feature, which is a sketch and notepad to help you quickly jot down your thoughts. Windows 10 will automatically detect if you have a compatible stylus like the Surface Pen, allowing you to quickly access plethora of options by press the pen button.

Currently, most pens can only activate an eraser mode, and OneNote if there are two buttons. Ink is a quicker, less intrusive way to jot down notes quickly and access many more options like a digital ruler and other bite sized options.

The Start menu is getting an overhaul as well, getting you to your apps with fewer clicks and scrolling. The most used apps and All apps list have been merged into one, and important shortcuts for File Explorer, Settings, and Power are now located to the left side.

The full-screen All Apps list makes its return on Windows tablets, letting users quickly find apps, though the icons are still frustratingly small.

And since artificial intelligence is the next big thing, Microsoft is making it easier to use its Cortana virtual assistant. Cortana can now be summoned from the lock screen, but she'll ask you for your password to access sensitive data. New users also won't have to set up Cortana before getting to use it.

Beyond these updates, there are ton of smaller tweaks in the Taskbar like a redesigned clock, which integrates your calendar events and the ability to switch audio devices quickly. Be sure to read Microsoft's entire change log to see just how many tweaks the company made to Windows 10.

The Windows 10 Preview build is available today for both PC and Windows Phone for those who have opted into Insider Preview builds. Head over to your Settings app and click on "Advanced options" under the Windows Update section. Scroll down and you'll see an option to "Get Insider Preview builds."

Be warned, as these preview builds have their fair share of bugs so use a virtual machine or a spare computer to try out the updates to be safe.

All of these changes are expected to come out late this summer in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

• What does Apple have cooking up for OS X Fuji?

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Siri gets chatty about Apple's recycling robot for Earth Day

In celebration of Earth Day, Apple's digital assistant Siri is opening up about Liam – the company's automated system for taking apart and reusing iPhones.

All it takes to learn more about Apple's recycling initiative is a voice command. A quick, "Hey Siri, tell me about Liam," yields one of several quips Siri has on the brain regarding the robo-recycler.

Siri then follows up with a link to Apple's Renew program, where old iPhones, iPads, and Macs are taken apart to be reborn, shiny and chrome.

The program has also proven to be a massive financial success for Apple, with Liam taking back tens of millions of dollars in reusable materials just this year alone.

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99Rc4hAulSg&feature=youtu.be

Apple has been no slouch in the past few weeks leading up to Earth Day, cross-promoting several products in the App Store with the World Wildlife Fund, literally going green in several Apple Stores, and promoting renewable energy in the data centers that handle your iMessages:

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7U7Eu8u_tBw&feature=youtu.be

• The future of plastic recycling could be...composting?

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