New iPhone brings face recognition (and fears) to the masses

Apple will let you unlock the iPhone X with your face — a move likely to bring facial recognition to the masses, along with concerns over how the technology may be used for nefarious purposes.

Apple’s newest device, set to go on sale November 3, is designed to be unlocked with a facial scan with a number of privacy safeguards — as the data will only be stored on the phone and not in any databases.

Unlocking one’s phone with a face scan may offer added convenience and security for iPhone users, according to Apple, which claims its “neural engine” for FaceID cannot be tricked by a photo or hacker.

While other devices have offered facial recognition, Apple is the first to pack the technology allowing for a three-dimensional scan into a hand-held phone.

But despite Apple’s safeguards, privacy activists fear the widespread use of facial recognition would “normalize” the technology and open the door to broader use by law enforcement, marketers or others of a largely unregulated tool.

“Apple has done a number of things well for privacy but it’s not always going to be about the iPhone X,” said Jay Stanley, a policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union.

“There are real reasons to worry that facial recognition will work its way into our culture and become a surveillance technology that is abused.”

A study last year by Georgetown University researchers found nearly half of all Americans in a law enforcement database that includes facial recognition, without their consent.

Civil liberties groups have sued over the FBI’s use of its “next generation” biometric database, which includes facial profiles, claiming it has a high error rate and the potential for tracking innocent people.

“We don’t want police officers having a watch list embedded in their body cameras scanning faces on the sidewalk,” said Stanley.

Clare Garvie — the Georgetown University Law School associate who led the 2016 study on facial recognition databases — agreed that Apple is taking a responsible approach but others might not.

“My concern is that the public is going to become inured or complacent about this,” Garvie said.

– Advertisers, police, porn stars –

Widespread use of facial recognition “could make our lives more trackable by advertisers, by law enforcement and maybe someday by private individuals,” she said.

Garvie said her research found significant errors in law enforcement facial recognition databases, opening up the possibility someone could be wrongly identified as a criminal suspect.

Another worry, she said, is that police could track individuals who have committed no crime simply for participating in demonstrations.

Shanghai and other Chinese cities have recently started deploying facial recognition to catch those who flout the rules of the road, including jaywalkers.

Facial recognition and related technologies can also be used by retail stores to identify potential shoplifters, and by casinos to pinpoint undesirable gamblers.

It can even be used to deliver personalized marketing messages — and could have some other potentially unnerving applications.

Last year, a Russian photographer figured out how to match the faces of porn stars with their social media profiles to “doxx” them, or reveal their true identities.

This type of use “can create huge problems,” said Garvie. “We have to consider the worst possible uses of the technology.”

Apple’s system uses 30,000 infrared dots to create a digital image which is stored in a “secure enclave,” according to a white paper issued by the company on its security. It said the chances of a “random” person being able to unlock the device are one in a million, compared with one in 50,000 for its TouchID.

– Legal battle brewing –

Apple’s FaceID is likely to touch off fresh legal battles about whether police can require someone to unlock a device.

FaceID “brings the company deeper into a legal debate” that stemmed from the introduction of fingerprint identification on smartphones, according to ACLU staff attorney Brett Max Kaufman.

Kaufman says in a blog post that courts will be grappling with the constitutional guarantees against unreasonable searches and self-incrimination if a suspect is forced to unlock a device.

US courts have generally ruled that it would violate a user’s rights to give up a passcode because it is “testimonial” — but that situation becomes murkier when biometrics are applied.

Apple appears to have anticipated this situation by allowing a user to press two buttons for two seconds to require a passcode, but Garvie said court battles over compelling the use of FaceID are likely.

Regardless of these concerns, Apple’s introduction is likely to bring about widespread use of facial recognition technology.

“What Apple is doing here will popularize and get people more comfortable with the technology,” said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, who follows the sector.

“If I look at Apple’s track record of making things easy for consumers, I’m optimistic users are going to like this.”

Garvie added it is important to have conversations about facial recognition because there is little regulation governing the use of the technology.

“The technology may well be inevitable,” she said.

“It is going to become part of everyone’s lives if it isn’t already.”

Mark Zuckerberg welcomes second daughter in Facebook post

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife welcomed their second daughter — August — to the world on Monday with a post on the leading social network.

As they did with after the birth of their first daughter, Maxima, in late 2015, the couple wrote the girl a letter, but this one spoke of reveling in the wonder of childhood instead of visions of a better world on the horizon.

“You only get to be a child once, so don’t spend it worrying too much about the future,” said the letter signed by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan.

“You’ve got us for that, and we’ll do everything we possibly can to make sure the world is a better place for you and all children in your generation.”

A Zuckerberg Chan Initiative established by the couple has pledged billions of dollars to improving life for their children’s generation with goals such as eliminating disease.

The Facebook co-founder is among billionaires who have vowed to donate most of their wealth to charitable causes.

“With all the advances in science and technology, your generation should live dramatically better lives than ours, and we have a responsibility to do our part to make that happen,” the couple wrote, referring back to a letter written to their first daughter after her birth.

“But rather than write about growing up, we want to talk about childhood. The world can be a serious place. That’s why it’s important to make time to go outside and play.”

And, like many parents, they expressed hope their new baby would sleep soundly and take frequent naps.

Princess Diana’s life in 10 key dates

Below are 10 key dates in the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, who died 20 years ago on Thursday in a car crash in Paris:

– July 1, 1961: The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer is born on Queen Elizabeth II’s Sandringham private estate in eastern England.

– July 29, 1981: Marries Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne.

– June 21, 1982: Gives birth to Prince William, second-in-line to the throne.

– September 15, 1984: Her second son, Prince Harry, is born third in line to the throne.

– April 10, 1987: Her handshake with a person suffering from AIDS is beamed around the world, at a time when sufferers were ostracised.

– December 9, 1992: Separates from Charles. Several months earlier, tabloid reporter Andrew Morton had published — with Diana’s covert help — a biography detailing the breakdown of the royal couple, Diana’s struggle with the eating disorder bulimia and her attempts at suicide.

– November 20, 1995: In an explosive BBC television interview she reveals her infidelity as well as that of Charles and casts doubt on his suitability to be king.

– August 28, 1996: Gets divorced from Charles. She can no longer be called “her royal highness” but retains her title of Princess of Wales.

– June 25, 1997: Hands over 79 of her dresses to an auction for AIDS and cancer research, two of the many causes she defended. The sale nets $5.7 million.

– August 31, 1997: Dies in a high-speed car crash in Paris with her new boyfriend Dodi Fayed.

Memorable moments from the MTV Video Music Awards

The MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday gave its top prize to rapper Kendrick Lamar in a televised party that drew some of the music world’s top names.

With political tensions high in the United States and mega-storm Harvey bearing down on Texas, the glitzy annual gala was more somber than usual, with fewer of the show’s signature incidents designed for shock value.

Here are some of the memorable moments of the VMAs, which took place at The Forum in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood:

– Fiery Kendrick –

Kendrick Lamar literally dominated the awards, closing by winning the coveted Video of the Year and opening with a fiery performance inspired by martial arts.

Lamar put on a medley with his nominated song “HUMBLE.,” initially staying hidden between the laser rays before he was chased on stage by ninjas.

One ninja stunned the crowd by appearing to set himself ablaze while still twirling around, before the back of the stage turned into a fence of fire.

– ‘Make Heather’s death count’ –

Two weeks after 32-year-old anti-racism protester Heather Heyer was killed in Charlottesville, her mother Susan Bro came to the awards and vowed to “make Heather’s death count.”

Heyer was killed when a white supremacist supporter plowed his car into counter-demonstrators against a rally involving neo-Nazis in the Virginia city.

Bro, keeping control of her emotions as the crowd applauded, announced that she was setting up a foundation in her daughter’s name to offer scholarships for people pursuing careers in social justice.

– 1-800-273-8255 –

In another social message, the rapper Logic brought the crowd to its feet with the song “1-800-273-8255” — the number of the US suicide prevention hotline.

Accompanied by two rising stars, pop singer Alessia Cara and rapper Khalid, Logic was joined on stage by dozens of people who had attempted suicide and wore the hotline number on their shirts.

– Space frontiers for Katy Perry –

Pop superstar Katy Perry, serving as host of the VMAs, took the stage by floating from the sky in a spacesuit — the emblem of the awards — before incessant wardrobe changes.

While Perry has bared a new sultry side on her latest album, her jokes showed more innocent humor. She called up astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk the moon, and asked if he created “the moonwalk” — the signature dance of Michael Jackson.

Perry also brought a baby doll — teasing DJ Khaled, whose infant son appears in a video — and ended the show back in the sky, this time to slam-dunk basketballs.

– P!NK embraces androgyny –

Pop singer P!NK was presented the Video Vanguard Award for lifetime achievement and marked the occasion with a performance atop a car that looked like it would fly into the audience.

Accepting the prize from television host Ellen DeGeneres, P!NK recalled that her six-year-old daughter — watching from the audience — had complained of not conforming to girls’ ideas of beauty.

P!NK said she replied by giving her daughter a PowerPoint demonstration to teach her to welcome androgyny, pointing to the long list of successful gender-bending artists.

– Lorde makes most of illness –

Lorde, the young New Zealand singer with a knack for the quirky, came down with the flu ahead of the VMAs but went ahead with a performance.

Instead of singing, Lorde took her cues from ballet as she pranced around the stage to her song “Homemade Dynamite ”

Expressing herself with her body rather than voice, Lorde contorted her body before offering big smiles and throwing herself to the ground.

– Fruit before all –

One musician who draw attention on social media did so inadvertently. Jack Antonoff, the producer who also performs in bands fun. and Bleachers, was caught on camera intently eating a banana, undistracted by Katy Perry.

His partner Lena Dunham, the author and director best known for the HBO series “Girls,” tweeted: “My boyfriend just casually eating a banana at the VMAs is a good reminder of why we’ve been at it half a decade.”

Jay Z announces new LP and film 4.44

                                                      Jay Z has announced his new album ‘4.44’ and and a film is to be released exclusively on TIDAL on June 30.

The ‘Encore’ rapper’s company TIDAL shared the details on Twitter posting a 30-second clip of a new song called ‘ADNIS’.

The video features ‘Moonlight’ actor Mahershala Ali, 43, as a boxer using a punch bag, which is be being held by the trainer portrayed by Danny Glover, 70, and it also features actress Lupita Nyong’o.

A second image shared on the micro-blogging site revealed the release date of June 30.

Alongside the image, it reads:”@S_C_ x ‘4:44’ album x 6/30 http://Sprint.TIDAL.com #TIDALXSprint (sic)”

The track appears to be a letter to the 47-year-old hip-hop legend’s father filled with lyrics he’s never brought up before.

He raps: “Letter to my dad that I never wrote/Speeches I prepared that I never spoke/Words on a paper that I never read/Prose is never penned, they stayed in my head (sic)”

The movie is reportedly set to be released through TIDAL only via a partnership with Sprint.

It comes after billboards with ‘4:44′ were spotted around New York City earlier this month.

Jay is set to perform at V Festival this August Bank Holiday Weekend in England and has several US festivals coming up.

They include Made In America in Philadelphia on September 2 and 3 and the Meadows Festival at Citi Field on September 15.

The ’99 Problems’ hitmaker’s last studio album was 2013’s ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’.

The album couldn’t come at a more fitting time with Jay welcoming twins into the world over the weekend with his wife Beyonce Knowles, 35, whom he also has five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy with.

The ‘Crazy in Love’ singer’s father Mathew Knowles confirmed the arrival of the power couple’s newest additions to their brood on Sunday (18.06.17).

He posted a picture of a birthday note, which read: “Happy Birthday to the twins! Love, Granddad. (sic)”

And he captioned the snap: “They’re here!#beyonce #twins #jayz #happybirthday (sic)”

BET honours Princess of Africa, Yvonne Chaka Chaka

South African music legend Yvonne Chaka Chaka is being honoured internationally with a BET International Global Good Power Award, on 29 June 2017.

Yvonne Chaka Chaka’s latest accolade, BET’s International Global Good Power Award, isn’t for her music, but for her work related to improving the health of Africans.

The South African songstress, fondly known as the Princess of Africa, has long been synonymous with excellence in the music industry, locally and internationally.

Her lyrics resonated with freedom fighters during the apartheid years. After democracy, her focus shifted when one of her backup singers died of malaria.

“She began the Princess of Africa Foundation, where she works to eradicate the effects of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV and to carry out community and social charity works,” said BET. “There, Chaka Chaka focuses on healthcare, education and sanitation.”

The foundation’s work includes making healthcare and vaccinations available to those in need. It also provides items such as bed nets and anti-mosquito sprays. “The foundation also educates citizens about malaria treatment and prevention, and works to promote literacy.”

Beyoncé’s father confirms the arrival of twins

Beyoncé’s father Mathew Knowles has confirmed the arrival of her twins as he wished them a Happy Birthday on social media.

The 35-year-old singer and her husband Jay Z – who already have five-year-old daughter Blue Ivy together – were believed to have welcomed the two newest additions to their brood after reports of the birth surfaced in the early hours of Sunday (18.06.17) morning, and now the star’s father Mathew Knowles has confirmed the happy news.

Taking to Twitter, Mathew posted a picture of a birthday note which read: “Happy Birthday to the twins! Love, Granddad.”

And he captioned the snap: “They’re here!#beyonce #twins #jayz #happybirthday (sic)”

Mathew also posted the same picture on his Instagram account, which featured the same caption.

Meanwhile, all other details on the birth have yet to be announced.

The power couple – who got married in 2008 – announced they were adding to their brood in February when the ‘Formation’ hitmaker posted a photograph of her burgeoning baby bump on her social networking sites.

She wrote at the time: “We would like to share our love and happiness. We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two, and we thank you for your well wishes. – The Carters. (sic)”

The pair have remained relatively silent throughout the pregnancy but Beyonce’s mother Tina Knowles hasn’t been able to contain her excitement.

She said recently: “I’m so excited. I can’t wait.”

And 63-year-old Tina – who is also mother to 30-year-old singer Solange Knowles – has also praised her eldest daughter for being an “incredible parent”.

She said: “[Beyoncé and Jay Z are] incredible parents. She’s a really good mom. Really patient and kind. [My biggest lesson was] teaching them that what is on the inside counts more than what’s on the outside. I see her passing it on, and it makes me really proud because that was my biggest lesson.”