#Metlife ’s escape of ‘too big to fail’ label is defeat for #Obama administration

 A federal judge on Wednesday delivered a significant setback to the Obama administration’s efforts to rein in the financial sector and prevent a repeat of the conditions that caused the 2008 financial crisis.

In 2014, a government panel run by Treasury Secretary Jack Lew determined that MetLife should come under stricter federal scrutiny, essentially calling the nation’s largest life insurance company “too big to fail.” With that designation, MetLife would be forced to set aside a bigger financial cushion and put in place other safeguards to protect taxpayers if it fell into financial trouble.

MetLife sued, arguing that the new rules would force it to raise prices, and on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer sided with the New York-based firm. Collyer did not explain her decision in the two-page ruling.

“From the beginning, MetLife has said that its business model does not pose a threat to the financial stability of the United States,” Steven A. Kandarian, MetLife’s chairman and chief executive, said in a statement. “This decision is a win for MetLife’s customers, employees and shareholders.”

MetLife, which was founded in 1868, has a global footprint, 100 million customers and a market capitalization of $48 billion. The company’s stock rose 5 percent Wednesday to close at $45 a share.

The ruling comes at a time when the Obama administration is struggling to put in place the final portions of the massive 2010 financial reform package, the Dodd-Frank Act. That effort has come under greater scrutiny recently as Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has called for the breakup of large financial institutions.

This defeat could also give ammunition to Republicans in Congress who have argued that Dodd-Frank goes too far. The act “ominously grants the Federal Reserve near de facto management authority over such institutions, thus allowing huge swaths of the economy to potentially be controlled by the federal government,” Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.), chairman of the Financial Services Committee, said in a statement.

Washingtonpost.com

Will the FBI share its #iPhone-cracking method with police?

 The successful hack of a phone linked to the San Bernardino terror attacks is unlikely to help police win greater access to encrypted data in thousands of smartphones sitting in evidence lockers nationwide, legal experts and law enforcement officials say.

The process used to gain access to Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone 5c might not work on other devices, according to an FBI official with knowledge of the investigation.

Though the FBI might want to use the new tool to help solve other criminal cases, doing so would also make the process subject to discovery during criminal trials and place the information in the public domain, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Any application of the method used to access Farook's phone would probably be limited to investigations that are unlikely to result in criminal cases, the official said.

“A technical option developed for a particular computing device may not work on other devices,” the FBI official said. “The effectiveness of these lawful methods may be limited by time and resources, and may lack the scalability to be a viable option for most investigations.”

On Wednesday, an Arkansas prosecutor said the FBI has agreed to help his office gain access to an iPhone 6 and an iPod that might hold evidence in a murder trial. It was not clear if the FBI would employ the method it used to access Farook's phone.

News that the FBI found a way into Farook's phone Monday thrilled police, who have long complained that encrypted data represents a major roadblock to routine police investigations. Thousands of smartphones sit in police evidence lockers across the country. At least 400 locked devices are in the possession of the Los Angeles Police Department and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

But as it became clear that the FBI's success in the San Bernardino case wouldn't translate to broader access for law enforcement, officials once again called on Congress to settle the issue.

“We cannot ask crime victims across 3,000 local jurisdictions to stake their hope for justice on an unending technological arms race between the government and Apple,” Manhattan Dist. Atty. Cyrus Vance Jr., one of the leading national voices decrying encryption, said in a statement issued Tuesday. “The ongoing public safety challenge posed by warrant-proof encryption demands a comprehensive, legislative solution.”

Terrence Cunningham, the police chief in Wellesley, Mass., and president of the International Assn. of Chiefs of Police, said he respects the FBI's position but warned that criminals will continue to use encryption to deflect police investigations until a legislative solution is presented.

“The concern is that today's technology provides criminals with powerful new tools that keep police from protecting the public,” he said. “Data that rests in emails, text messages, photos and videos stored on mobile devices can help to locate a suspect or a victim, and in some cases, save lives. Law enforcement's mission is to keep the public safe and to protect communities, and collecting digital evidence from criminals and terrorists will help us do that.”

Federal investigators have offered few details about how they gained access to Farook's phone. The iPhone 5c was at the center of a court battle between the FBI and Apple, which led to a court order that Apple create software that would allow the FBI to access encrypted data on the device.

Farook disabled the phone's iCloud backup feature six weeks before the Dec. 2 attack, according to court filings. He had also enabled an auto-erase feature that would permanently destroy all data on the phone after 10 consecutive failed attempts to enter the device's password.

A third party provided the FBI with a way to disable the password entry limit, according to another law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Internal government policy might limit what, if anything, the FBI could share about the method used to hack Farook's phone, said Andrew Crocker, a staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group.

If the government exploited a flaw in Apple's security measures, it could be required to disclose that information to Apple under the Vulnerabilities Equities Process, Crocker said. The policy is weighted toward disclosure, but the government has successfully fought to keep such details secret before.

Government agencies are allowed to share information about digital security flaws with one another, he said. But if the government chose not to share that information with Apple, it could also conceivably be barred from telling police agencies about the process used to unlock Farook's phone.

“They certainly can share it within the federal government without disclosing it to Apple,” Crocker said. “The way I read the policy, sharing it with local police would be a dissemination outside the government.”

In the Arkansas case, Cody Hiland, prosecuting attorney for the state's 20th Judicial District, said the FBI's Little Rock field office had agreed to help prosecutors gain access to a pair of locked devices linked to suspects in the slayings of Robert and Patricia Cogdell.

Calls to the FBI's Little Rock field office were not immediately returned. An FBI spokesman in Washington, D.C., declined to comment.

Attorneys for Apple are researching legal tactics to compel the government to tell the company what, if any, flaws it exploited in gaining access to Farook's phone. But most experts believe the FBI has no obligation to comply. The FBI could also argue that the most crucial information is part of a nondisclosure agreement, solely in the hands of the outside party that assisted the agency, or cannot be released until the investigation is complete.

Though the debate over Farook's phone did not land in criminal court, the fight between law enforcement and Silicon Valley over access to encrypted data is far from over. The FBI may have claimed a victory this week, but some police leaders fear it won't take long for Apple or another company to build tougher encryption methods.

“If the FBI did in fact find some type of a flaw that they were able to exploit, clearly the industry is going to say, ‘We've got to find a way to plug that hole,'” Cunningham said.

Latimes.com

#Twitter Algorithm: 5 Things you Didn’t Know

 While we all love some things the way they are, sometimes a change is needed. Recently, Twitter updated their timelines in order to show the best tweets from people they follow. Since people tend to freak out when even a slight difference is made in their lives, I am here to clear things up for you. Don’t worry, you can still read the mindless ramblings of people you don’t care about, albeit just a bit differently. Here are five things you didn’t know about their new algorithm.

1. TWITTER’S NEW TIMELINE IS NOW DEFAULT

Previously, Twitter’s new timeline was optional, however, it is now on by default. Maybe you checked it out during the opt-in period and didn’t like it, well too bad. Now, you have no choice but to encounter its qualities. Before you go complaining  that your freedom is robbed, hold up.

2. YOU STILL HAVE A CHOICE

If you’re one of those boring, plain Jane’s who hates change, then this is for you. That familiar old timeline you know and love will still be there. You can revert back to it as you bask in the glow of nostalgia. No one will even bat an eye, but you should really think about changing that hairstyle you’ve had since the second grade.

3. THE BEST TWEETS WILL REIGN SUPREME

For users who choose to use Twitter’s new algorithm timeline, they will be rewarded with quality. Only the best Tweets from people you follow will float to the top. No more digging through the piles of crap other people Tweet just to get a gem.

4. EXPECT MORE LIVE COMMENTARY

According to Twitter, they have been seeing a trend with people who use the new feature. People now tend to Tweet more, which in turn creates live commentary with active conversations. Of course, this can only mean benefits for everyone as the features continue to improve. However, not everyone is so thrilled.

5. PEOPLE REALLY DON’T LIKE CHANGE

With this new algorithm change, one would think Twitter has ceased to exist. People were outraged at the fact their beloved pastime had a small upgrade. It’s not like this is Windows Vista. This upgrade is actually benefitting people. So stop your #RIPTwitter hashtags and get with times.
Clapway.com

#Skype is killing its smart TV app

Skype, the Microsoft-owned video calling service, has quietly announced that it will no longer offer an app for smart TVs from June.

Confirmation of the shutdown comes via a support page — first spotted by the BBC — which explains that smartphones and tablets have proven to be a more popular platform for Skype users.

Over the years, users have changed the way they use Skype, with the majority accessing it from a mobile device – including when in the living room. We want to make sure we prioritize delivering the best possible experience to the platforms our users are asking for, which is why we’ve decided to focus our efforts in other areas while supporting key functionality on Skype for TV for as long as possible.

Skype became available for smart TVs back in 2010. The app was pre-loaded on some sets — such as those from Samsung and LG — and available to download on many others, including models from Sony, Panasonic and Sharp. 

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As someone who had used it in the past, I found that the app didn’t quite deliver on its promise — which sounds great in theory. The service was somewhat unreliable and tricky to set up, whereas picking up a phone or tablet and launching an app is second nature to people these days. Plus, there are many more video calling options, including nearly every popular messaging app and Apple’s own FaceTime service.

Skype’s smart TV app will no longer receive updates after June 1, but those who have already downloaded it can continue to use it. There’s no confirmed date for when the app will cease to work, but it is living on borrowed time.

Techcrunch.com

This new #robot skin can glow, stretch – and walk

A newly developed artificial skin can both sense and respond to pressure or touch, and it could represent a more human future for robotics.

Most electronics can't handle pressure, and even wearable tech does not respond well when stretched to 500 percent of its original size. 

A new, cell phone-sized artificial skin developed at Cornell University, however, not only stretches under pressure, but also glows all the brighter.

"It’s actually much, much, much more stretchable than human skin or octopus skin," says Chris Larson, a doctoral candidate and researcher in Cornell's Organic Robotics Lab. "In terms of texture, it’s actually more like a rubber band or a balloon."

Some are comparing the new technology to "octopus skin," though Larson says he has more experience with the cutting-edge technology than with the cephalopod. He and his colleagues describe their findings Thursday in the journal Science.

The octopus comparison comes from an octopus beak, with its potential to move and stretch. The team was inspired by biology to create a balloon that bends when pressurized. The team placed an unyielding carbon fiber on the bottom and left the top free to respond to the pressure from both within and without.

"The researchers created a three-chamber robot from the material, with the newly developed 'skin' layers on top, and inflatable layers below that allow movement," according to a release from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "As the chambers expand linearly, the robot moves forward with a worm-like wiggle."

Such electronic skin is not a completely new invention. These skins can generally sense pressure, meaning they send a signal when touched to a computer, and it interprets and responds accordingly. They have not, however, been able to accept embedded electronics, which generally break when molded or stretched. The team's innovative solution to this problem is a hyperelastic, light-emitting capacitor (HLEC).

"Our system has that same capability [to sense pressure] but it also can emit light," Larson says. “So the type of skin that we’ve been able to develop is actually more similar to that of an octopus.”

A robot with this artificial skin moves with what researchers in the study described as an "undulating gait." And as it moves, it can glow even more brightly. Larson compares it to a sheet of rubber – when pulled in one direction, it compresses perpendicular to the line upon which it is stretched.

The glow results from the skin's embedded electric field, and it can glow in a variety of colors, depending on which of a series of metal powders are chosen for the mix. The technology is not unlike that of a car dashboard, or the exit signs in buildings, and the team sees potential for the skin in industry, where robots and humans are already working side by side. 

"We can take these pixels that change color and put them on these robots, and now we have the ability to change their color," said Rob Shepherd, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell, in a press release. "Why is that important? For one thing, when robots become more and more a part of our lives, the ability for them to have emotional connection with us will be important. So to be able to change their color in response to mood or the tone of the room we believe is going to be important for human-robot interactions."

It could also have short-term applications, as the team is already talking with several American automobile companies about replacing touch-screen interfaces, which require a driver to look away from the road, with a potentially light-emitting "button" that responds to human touch in both an electronic and tactile manner.

Larson says he also sees the potential for wearable tech that sits elegantly on the skin – and stretches under pressure.