new299

The problem is AirTag is only really viable because of the huge number of iPhone users. Anyone with a recent iPhone will pickup the AirTag signal and report the location to the owner.

Tile has somewhat similar functionality, but it doesn't really have the same ability to track the tile's location. And there are a comparatively tiny number of tile users.

That's a really interesting link, thanks. I'd not seen that. This statement:

> The service requires Apple to maintain access to your data to help you recover it. For your privacy, Apple can’t access or help you recover your end-to-end encrypted information, such as Keychain, Screen Time, and Health data.

Seems to suggest that there is no change to end-to-end encryption on iCloud.

This still seems like it would require a significant change in functionality, which they would likely announce. I.e. lose your lock code, lose all your data. Also, are you going to enter your lock code online to browse photos in a browser? What about syncing between devices?

In the absence of an explicit announcement regarding these changes in functionality it seems unlikely to me.

The point is that offline content detection on data that will be uploaded to iCloud feels like a prelude to offline detection of all content on your device.

In fact, given that Apple do not E2E encrypt backups and already implement CSAM functionality by scanning data in iCloud [1] it's not clear what the purpose of the new PSI/CSAM system is. Which leads many to speculate that it's only purpose is as a prelude to scanning all offline content.

[1] https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/01/09/apples-scanning-...

Some have speculated that with the introduction of the PSI/CSAM system Apple will enable E2EE backups. Given the lack of an explicit statement on Apple's part and their history regarding E2EE backups (this article, and other statements). It seems really unlikely to me that Apple will enable E2EE backups.

Under E2EE, assuming the device key is randomly generated, if you have one device (as many users do) and you lose that device you would lose all your data. The alternative is the key is derived from your iCloud password, in which case, if you forget your password, you lose all your data.

Right now, you can browse your photos online. There's been no statement that this is going away. Implementing this functionality with E2EE backups seem highly problematic.

These are huge changes to iCloud functionality that Apple would surely announce...

There are many open questions. And given that there’s no clear statement from Apple, I’m inclined to believe that they retain the ability to decrypt all data.

Given the lack of an explicit announcement this seems very unlikely.

I don’t think Apple are stupid, it would have been a clear PR win if they said “we’re adding E2EE”.

Given no explicit statement, and how drastically it changes the nature of their service, I don’t think your speculation is justified.

Sure, different devices can be used they share the same key as stated in the document.

But it’s still not clear how that key is derived. It’s not clear, as implemented that Apple do not hold a master key to decrypt all data (as they do currently).

In fact, if the key is randomly generated, if you have one device (as many users do) and you lose that device. Do you lose all your data? Even if you have your iCloud password?

It doesn’t make sense. It would be a massive change to how iCloud currently operates and is used. And I find this extremely unlikely.

Right now, you can browse your photos online. That functionality is going away?

There are seemingly many open questions. But given that there’s no clear statement from Apple, I’m inclined to believe that they retain the ability to decrypt all data.

This document contains the following:

> As part of setup, the device generates an encryption key for the user account, unknown to Apple.

The question is, how is this generated. Can it be re-derived from information Apple has? If not, how will Apple handle cases where the user loses or breaks their device?

Is it derived from the iCloud password? Currently Apple can reset your iCloud password and restore access to your images. Will Apple no longer be able to do this in the future?

It’s really unclear to me, and I’d want explicit answers to these questions personally.

Unless you have a public reference, I really doubt this is the case.

Because they’d also need to be announcing that you can no longer reset your iCloud password and recover to a new device. And I’ve not seen anything that suggests this.

So I suspect it is encrypted at rest, with a key known to Apple as before as well as this CSAM approach.

> Would you rather they keep photos non-E2E forever and have even more unfettered access to them than a "backdoor" allows? It does NOT scan photos that are not uploaded to the cloud, despite being on-device.

Yes I'd rather they do this. The fact that they're implementing on device checks doesn't suggest to me that they will be deploying E2E encryption. It suggests to me that they will be expanding on device scanning to all content in the future.

If they were going to make iCloud E2E encrypted, it would be a clear win to announce this at the same time as deploying on device scanning.

> I equate this to Ring cameras.

But it's just a totally different situation isn't it? I'm not personally opposed to the general concept of security cameras in public spaces. If you choose to install one on your property that doesn't seem unreasonable. If you choose to share that footage with the police that doesn't seem unreasonable.

The problem with Apple's system isn't even the current implementation (which is on device, but iCloud only). It's that the system can be trivially expanded to all on device content, and report the user of the phone for any unacceptable behaviour.

It's more like a camera in your home that reports you to the police if you do anything unacceptable. Would anyone choose to have that?

But the bigger problem is that Apple have been selling products based on "privacy first" marketing. By reporting on their users off-line content they break that trust. And there are really few viable options in smartphones so you can't really just move to another provider.

There was some structuring in 2005. But Ito Yokado acquired majority control in 1991.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_%26_I_Holdings

https://apnews.com/article/d5e836d5edac5600bbf626c97d8a2da3

The acquisition happened in 1991 so it’s not a new thing.

I’m really curious to understand how the relationship works though. And wonder if the US operations are largely independent or not.

Ito-Yokado bought out 7-11, they were previously running the Japanese franchise, they also run supermarkets in Japan. But yes, the US 7-11s are now owned by a Japanese company.

Reminds me of the Shaw quote:

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

They were already doing it on the cloud:

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/01/09/apples-scanning-...

So now they’re doing it on device too. This feels like it’s putting in place the foundation to scan all offline content.

Yes they already seem to scan iCloud:

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/01/09/apples-scanning-...

But I seriously doubt they will make iCloud end-to-end encrypted. If they wanted to do that they would have done so already. And why not announce it at the same time, which might give them an overall PR win? But we shall see I guess!

Apple can decrypt data stored on iCloud, and they scan it already it seems:

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/01/09/apples-scanning-...

Which it what makes adding the client side functionality even more problematic. They can easily extend this to scanning all offline content.

According to some reports they’ve been doing it server side for a while:

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/01/09/apples-scanning-...

Apple have a fairly detailed page on the approach including independent evaluations. Which states that it’s only for iCloud. But there’s no reason why this couldn’t change in the future.

https://www.apple.com/child-safety/

What confuses me is the requirement for this capability. The technology is only used on photos that are being uploaded to iCloud.

Apple can decrypt data on iCloud, so why not just do this offline? Doesn't make much sense.

It makes me think that the technology will be expanded to encompass all offline images at some point.

This is a wonderfully detailed page.

It makes me wonder if a formal naming process is also possible, given that origami is a largely linear, and well defined process.

You'd start with a prefix which denotes the shape of the paper (square or aspect ratio). Then lists the required transforms in order. There would be some ambiguity as order of certain transformations might not be critical. Perhaps you could develop standard notation there.

I see that there appears to be some academic software for modeling origami structures. So I assume this problem must have been addressed to some extent:

https://origami.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~tachi/software/

There is likely a certain amount of that:

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14393135

However I would guess people are less likely to exercise self restraint when you're holding a huge unnecessary event. When vaccine availability is unclear and vaccines are inconsistently deployed. And when there's limited financial support.

The mascots were selected by the public:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraitowa_and_Someity#Selectio...

And the mascot robots were designed around this, which isn't clear in the article.

I feel like any article on the Olympics should mention that >80% of the Japanese population was against holding the Olympics at this time [1]. And that Tokyo is now experiencing the highest SARS-CoV-2 daily infection rates it's seen to date. While government officials claim this is unrelated to holding the largest sporting event in the world [2].

[1] https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14351670

[2] https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14408562

In the context of my comment, I mean largest in terms of number of athletes and support staff. The Olympics is far larger in these terms I believe.

There’s no lockdown (as this is normally understood) in Japan. This concept doesn’t really exist (because it’s legally difficult to implement without changing the constitution as I understand it).

There’s a state of emergency in Tokyo (now expanded to surrounding areas). But this doesn’t really restrict people very much.

Yes, the majority are against holding the Olympics now (or cancelling it if it’s not possible to postpone). But you’d likely find support for delaying the Olympics until after COVID-19 (whenever that might be).

I feel like any article on the Olympics should mention that >80% of the Japanese population was against holding the Olympics [1].

And that in most respects it has be a disaster, I've lost count of the number of scandals and resignations... [2] Rather than being good PR for Japan, it feels like it's been overwhelmingly negative.

On top of this, COVID19 infections are rapidly increasing (now at their highest level). While the government expands the state of emergency, asking people to restrict their activities while holding the largest sporting event in the world...

[1] https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14351670

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jul/19/tokyo-olympics...

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/11/world/asia/yoshiro-mori-t...

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14347483

Ah that makes sense, it seemed familiar. Shame it's not credited on the page.

> I am slightly bemused by this because to all intents and purposes Darwin is unix

The oldest version of this article in the wayback machine is from 2003, but I see a reference from 2001 here:

https://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=912937

So I suspect it's from before the introduction of OS X.

It seems like a very different scenario as we don't have control Earths that we do case-control studies on...