Apple reportedly hired Amazon exec to lead corporate security operation

Rumour has it Apple has managed poach Amazon’s vice president of information security days ahead of its meeting with U.S. prosecutors in court over a highly contentious encryption battle over an iPhone connected to the San Bernardino terror attack. Reuters via Fortune reports George Stathakopoulus has been working for Apple for about a week already to head its corporate security operation. It’s said he’s reporting to CFO Luca Maestri. He is supposedly responsible for securing corporate computers used to design and create products and software. He’s also working on systems storing sensitive customer data.

There’s no confirmation yet if he’s been hired and his LinkedIn page still lists Amazon as his employer. But according to Fortune, a reporter called Apple’s switchboard and asked to speak with Stathakopoulus and was then connected to a person who answered, “George’s office.”

Source: Apple Insider

Nike unveils production version of its self-tying shoes

via GIPHY

Sorry to disappoint Back to the Future fans but the self-tying shoes Nike outs for mass production isn’t like the 2015 Air Mag (a.k.a. the literal incarnation of Marty McFly’s famous sneakers). What the sports brand introduced is a more practical (and yes, we have to admit a bit boring) version of it. Called the HyperAdapt 1.0, these new running sneakers, as advertised, will tie the laces on its own once you put them on. While it seems like we’re taking away an important rite of passage for kids (learning to tie laces), these shoes are meant to take the worry away from runners of loosening laces while they pound the pavement. You will need to charge the sneakers though every two weeks.

Tiffany Beers, a Nike senior innovator who worked as the lead on the sneaker, said they started working on the shoe’s technology about 10 years ago but fellow designer Tinker Hatfield had the idea or “vision” for it when he worked on it for Back to the Future II. But they had to wait for the technology to evolve and for motors to become small enough. Their team sourced servo motors, which is similar to the ones used in small train engines and helicopter wings, and studied the transportation industry’s engineering feats to develop their motor. To adjust the fit of the shoes or release the foot, there’s a small plus-minus buttons on the side. And while it has been tested in water, Beers doesn’t recommend these be taken out in a rainstorm. The HyperAdapt will be available to Nike+ app members in three colorways starting in the 2016 holiday season. There’s no retail price for it yet.

Source: HuffPost Sports

Facebook rumoured to be unveiling ‘Bot Store’ at F8 conference

Facebook will reportedly unveil a game-changing feature at its upcoming F8 developer conference. The social network will supposedly introduce the Bot Store, which will allow its users to download a range of automated programs that they can interact with through Messenger. For example, you can download a bot for a fast food joint. You can just send the bot your message and it’ll ring that up for you. These bots could change the way we use the Internet and even replace browsers and apps, centralizing everything in this one service.

Chat platforms like Slack and Telegram have been using bots for a while but bringing said feature to Facebook’s one billion users will bring the feature to the mainstream market. The F8 conference is happening on April 12 to 13 in San Francisco. We have to wait ‘til then to get news.

Source: Independent

Samsung's experimental Hum On! app can turn your humming into a piece of music

Samsung has got a skunkworks operation where it dreams up new apps and solutions including Hum On! Samsung says "Hum On! is an app that allows just about everyone—from industry veterans to the less tonally-aware—to score, arrange and share hummed melodies in mere minutes."

The app records hummed melodies, instantly transcribes them into musical notation, and then plays it back to you using your preferred arrangement style: R&B, classical or rock. “For hundreds of years, music has only been created by a select few, but that will no longer be the case,” explains David Choi, Creative Leader of the project. “With Hum On!, we aim to provide a platform where anyone can turn their inspiration into great music.” Currently in Beta, Hum On! is expected to come to market soon.