2017年4月24日星期一

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


Trump: Mexico will pay for the border wall — ‘eventually’ and ‘in some form’

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 12:43 PM PDT

Trump: Mexico will pay for the border wall — 'eventually' and 'in some form'The president says he may not approve a government funding bill this week if it does not include funding for a "badly needed border wall" that he claims Mexico, "in some form," will "eventually" pay for.


GOP Scrambles to Keep Government Open As Demands Border Wall Funding

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 09:06 AM PDT

GOP Scrambles to Keep Government Open As Demands Border Wall FundingWhite House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus told NBC's Chuck Todd Sunday that he believed Congress would negotiate a deal before Friday's deadline to keep the government open. However, Pres. Trump took to Twitter to make his demand known.


The Latest: California police ask for help to find boy

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 05:27 PM PDT

The Latest: California police ask for help to find boyLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Latest on a missing boy whose father was found passed out in a Los Angeles County park (all times local):


The 56 Most Delish Burritos

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 12:08 PM PDT

The 56 Most Delish Burritos


Pulse-Pounding Video Shows Girl Falling Out of Church Bus

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 02:18 PM PDT

Pulse-Pounding Video Shows Girl Falling Out of Church BusThe 4-year-old suffered a broken jaw and is the process of recovering.


Lawyer representing United passenger takes on American Airlines

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 07:30 AM PDT

Lawyer representing United passenger takes on American AirlinesThe lawyer representing Dr. David Dao, who was dragged from a United Airlines plane, said he will also represent a woman whose clash with an American Airlines flight attendant went viral over the weekend. Thomas Demetrio told CNBC on Monday that he will represent both passengers whose recent confrontations with airline and airport employees sparked global outrage and prompted a nationwide conversation over U.S. carriers' treatment of passengers. The video is a microcosm of what's wrong with the airline industry today," Demetrio said in an interview with CNBC.


Sirens and silence as Israel remembers Holocaust

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 01:15 AM PDT

Sirens and silence as Israel remembers HolocaustIsraelis stood silent and sirens rang out for two minutes on Monday as the country held its annual remembrance of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Israeli radio and television stations have aired testimony, documentaries and films on the genocide carried out by the Nazis since Sunday night. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to destroy those who call for the destruction of Israel in a speech at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial to mark the start of commemorations on Sunday night.


American Killed in Ukraine, Kremlin Coy on Alleged Abuses of Gay Chechens: The Weekend Behind, the Week Ahead

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 06:31 AM PDT

American Killed in Ukraine, Kremlin Coy on Alleged Abuses of Gay Chechens: The Weekend Behind, the Week AheadThe headlines you might have missed this weekend, and the ones to watch this week.


Full Pelosi Interview: Trump Is Showing 'Weakness' With Wall

Posted: 22 Apr 2017 11:15 PM PDT

Full Pelosi Interview: Trump Is Showing 'Weakness' With WallIn an exclusive interview on Meet the Press, House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tells Chuck Todd that Democrats unite around a variety of issues, but stand opposed to the president's border wall plan.


Arkansas executes Jones; plans 2nd lethal injection of night

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 05:31 PM PDT

Arkansas executes Jones; plans 2nd lethal injection of nightVARNER, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas executed inmate Jack Jones Monday night and prepared for another lethal injection in what would be the nation's first double-execution since 2000.


Tad Cummins Due In Court Monday

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 06:07 AM PDT

Tad Cummins Due In Court MondayThe Tennessee teacher is accused of kidnapping 15-year-old student Elizabeth Thomas and disappearing for almost five weeks.


Ann Coulter's backers at UC Berkeley file lawsuit

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 03:44 PM PDT

Ann Coulter's backers at UC Berkeley file lawsuitBERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Ann Coulter is now at the center of a civil rights lawsuit filed Monday against the University of California, Berkeley by students who say the school is violating their right to free speech by canceling the conservative pundit's speaking event on campus this week.


Remembering ‘Happy Days’ Star Erin Moran, an Icon from the 70s Generation

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 09:21 AM PDT

Remembering 'Happy Days' Star Erin Moran, an Icon from the 70s GenerationFor nearly a decade, millions watched little Joanie Cunningham grow up on "Happy Days." She died Saturday afternoon at just 56 years old.


Cop Apprehends 2 Pygmy Goats Caught Wreaking Havoc and Eating Cat Food in Garage

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 12:29 PM PDT

Cop Apprehends 2 Pygmy Goats Caught Wreaking Havoc and Eating Cat Food in GarageSgt. Daniel Fitzpatrick was able to lure them into his patrol car using cat leashes, but he wasn't sure what to do with them next.


Trump pressures Democrats on Obamacare to get border wall deal

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 01:02 PM PDT

Trump pressures Democrats on Obamacare to get border wall dealPresident Donald Trump put pressure on Democrats on Sunday as U.S. lawmakers worked to avoid a government shutdown, saying Obamacare would die without a cash infusion the White House has offered in exchange for their agreement to fund his border wall. The escalated push to get Trump's priorities, which Democrats reject, into spending legislation could jeopardize prospects for an agreement to keep the government open. If talks fail, the government would shut down on Saturday, Trump's 100th day in office.


Erdogan accuses French researcher of inciting assassination

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 07:03 AM PDT

Erdogan accuses French researcher of inciting assassinationPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan's lawyer has lodged a complaint against a former French diplomat accusing him of inciting the assassination of Turkey's leader, his spokesman confirmed Monday. The move follows comments by Philippe Moreau Defarges about the outcome of the April 16 referendum on controversial constitutional changes that will tighten the president's grip on power. Defarges, now a senior fellow at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), said all legal paths to challenge Erdogan had been shut off and that the only two options left were civil war or assassination.


American Airlines Apologizes After Worker Allegedly Hit Passenger: 'We Are Deeply Sorry'

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 08:38 AM PDT

American Airlines Apologizes After Worker Allegedly Hit Passenger: 'We Are Deeply Sorry'The incident happened Friday and is the latest example of airline misbehavior.


Sweet home Chicago: Obama re-emerges in city where it all began

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 06:41 AM PDT

Sweet home Chicago: Obama re-emerges in city where it all beganBy Chris Kenning CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday makes his first major appearance since leaving office, having chosen Chicago, the city where his political career started, to emerge from a three-month hiatus from the public eye. Obama will meet youth leaders and promote community organizing near the same South Side neighborhoods where his own activism blossomed and propelled him to two terms in the White House that ended with Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served as Obama's first White House chief of staff, said that he was proud that Obama picked Chicago to make his last speech as president and the first in his post-presidency.


The Latest: Group decries the way statues are being removed

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 09:08 AM PDT

The Latest: Group decries the way statues are being removedNEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Latest on removal of Confederate monuments in New Orleans. (all times local):


Aaron Hernandez Left Multiple Suicide Notes: Report

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 09:57 AM PDT

Aaron Hernandez Left Multiple Suicide Notes: ReportThe notes were written to his fiancée, his daughter and a close prison friend.


Tesla is doubling the size of its charging network

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 09:58 AM PDT

Tesla is doubling the size of its charging network

The biggest complaint about electric cars has always been that there's nowhere to juice up. Well, that excuse just died if you own a Tesla. The company just announced plans to double the size of its charging network by the end of the year, promising more chargers at current locations, and new Supercharger sites for all those Model 3s that should be hitting the road.

According to Tesla's plans, the number of Superchargers available globally will double by the end of the year, from 5,000 currently to a total of 10,000. In the US, there's a planned Supercharger increase of 150 percent. The upgrades will be spread out between new sites along highways, capacity increases to existing sites, and more Supercharger locations in urban areas.

Currently, the Supercharger network exists to facilitate long road trips. Superchargers are Tesla-branded chargers that only work with Tesla vehicles, and are capable of charging Teslas much faster than any other kind of charger. Tesla has a network of charging stations along most major US highways, which allows owners to travel distances well in excess of the car's 200-mile range, without needing to stop overnight to charge.

With a flood of new vehicles expected to hit the roads when the Model 3 starts being delivered, the capacity improvements will be necessary to keep congestion down at Superchargers. Already, Tesla has begun seeing congestion at some stations, and it's had to start charging new Tesla owners for charging. Previously, charging at a Supercharger was free for Tesla owners.


France begins presidential vote in test for populism

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 04:18 AM PDT

France begins presidential vote in test for populismPARIS (AP) — Amid heightened security, French voters began casting ballots for their next president Sunday in a first-round poll that's seen as a litmus test for the spread of populism around the world and a vote on the future of Europe.


Off-Duty NYPD Officer Critically Injures 2 Women While Drunk Behind the Wheel: Cops

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 11:24 AM PDT

Off-Duty NYPD Officer Critically Injures 2 Women While Drunk Behind the Wheel: CopsNeville Smith, 32, rear-ended a Honda as he merged onto a highway before dawn Sunday.


Lawyer for Philippines hit-man files complaint against Duterte at ICC

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 05:51 AM PDT

Lawyer for Philippines hit-man files complaint against Duterte at ICCBy Clare Baldwin and Stephanie van den Berg HONG KONG/THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A Philippines lawyer filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday against President Rodrigo Duterte and senior officials, accusing them of mass murder in a nationwide anti-drugs crackdown. Attorney Jude Sabio said in the 77-page complaint that Duterte "repeatedly, unchangingly and continuously" committed crimes against humanity and that under him, killing drug suspects and other criminals has become "best practice". Sabio is the lawyer for Edgar Matobato, a man who has testified in the Philippines Senate that he was part of a hit squad that operated on Duterte's orders.


American OSCE monitor killed in rebel east Ukraine

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 07:43 PM PDT

American OSCE monitor killed in rebel east UkraineAn American monitor with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe died after a mission patrol vehicle hit a landmine in the Russian-backed separatist east, eliciting sharp words towards Moscow from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday. It marked the first loss for the security body's Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) since Europe's only current war broke out more than three years ago. The OSCE's announcement about the US monitor's death saw Kiev and the insurgents quickly trade blame over who was at fault for one of the most diplomatically sensitive episodes in a conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives.


ESPN Is an Albatross For Walt Disney Co (DIS) Stock

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 08:04 AM PDT

ESPN Is an Albatross For Walt Disney Co (DIS) StockPublished reports indicate that cable channel ESPN is preparing another round of cuts to its on-air talent, as parent company Walt Disney Co (ticker: DIS) continues to try to right the ship at the popular network. Traditional cable TV viewers have flocked to cheaper alternatives, and Disney is still trying to solve its ESPN problem. ESPN is expected to cut 40 jobs starting on May 1, including radio hosts, on-air personalities and writers.


N. Korea detains US citizen: Yonhap news agency

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 09:39 AM PDT

N. Korea detains US citizen: Yonhap news agencyA US citizen has reportedly been arrested as he tried to fly out of North Korea, becoming the third American to be detained there, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Sunday. The US State Department said it was aware of the reports, but there was no official confirmation of the arrest, which would come at a tense time in relations between Pyongyang and Washington. Yonhap quoted sources as saying the man, identified only by his surname Kim, was arrested on Friday at Pyongyang International Airport on his way out of the country.


Israel indicts U.S.-Israeli teen over bomb threats

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 05:45 AM PDT

Israel indicts U.S.-Israeli teen over bomb threatsBy Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An Israeli-American teenager was indicted in Israel on Monday on allegations he made thousands of hoax bomb calls, some targeting U.S. Jewish community centers, and earned $240,000 by offering to phone in threats against schools, hospitals and planes. The arrest of the suspect, who is Jewish, in Israel on March 23 drew headlines when he was identified by police as having been behind bomb threats against the centers in the United States that had raised fears of a surge in anti-Semitism. An indictment filed in the Tel Aviv District Court pointed to a threat-for-profit motive by the 18-year-old, who prosecutors said used electronic voice-altering equipment and a long-range WiFi antenna to cover his online tracks.


The latest attempt at a flying car doesn’t really look like a car

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 04:20 PM PDT

The latest attempt at a flying car doesn't really look like a car

Forget about self-driving cars for a second and imagine yourself "driving" a flying car. It may happen as soon as this year, as at least one company is looking to deploy a commercial version of a mini helicopter that you'd be able to fly yourself. However, it'll be a few years until these flying cars will be allowed to merge with regular car traffic — if that will ever happen.

Kitty Hawk, a company that's backed up by Google legend Larry Page, plans to launch the Flyer by the end of the year. You can already sign up for a three-year membership that costs $100 and will net you $2,000 off of the retail price. However, it's unclear at this time how much the Flyer itself will cost.

For the time being, the Flyer won't be allowed on public roads. Or above them. The device operates in the FAR 103 Ultralight Category of US FAA regulations, which means you won't need a pilot's license and may be flown in uncongested areas for recreational purposes.

The Kitty Hawk test flying car that was recently used in California "looked like something Luke Skywalker would have built out of spare parts," according to The New York Times.

"It was an open-seated, 220-pound contraption with room for one person, powered by eight battery-powered propellers that howled as loudly as a speedboat," the report notes.

The final version of the Flyer will likely be more quieter when it launches, though it might not look like a car at all.

The Times says that Page isn't the only entrepreneur chasing this dream. There are plenty of companies in the US and around the world looking to develop flying cars. Airbus is one of the most prominent rivals, given their extensive expertise in making things fly.

In addition to regulation and safety, there's one other concern that needs addressing before such devices become commercially available: battery life. It's unclear how long a Kitty Hawk drone would be able to fly.

A video below shows Page's flying contraption in action. And this is how it feels like riding one. Meanwhile, I can't but wonder how much we'll have to wait for self-driving flying cars to arrive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMWh4W1C2PM


Iranian candidate says nuclear deal failed to lift sanctions

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 11:42 AM PDT

Iranian candidate says nuclear deal failed to lift sanctionsTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian presidential candidate said Sunday the landmark 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers has failed to lift sanctions or improve the country's economy.


The Best Pocket Knife for Every Situation

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 12:18 PM PDT

The Best Pocket Knife for Every Situation


Brain-Damaged Woman Grins as Future Sister-in-Law Asks Her to Be a Bridesmaid

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 11:56 AM PDT

Brain-Damaged Woman Grins as Future Sister-in-Law Asks Her to Be a Bridesmaid"There's no reason not to include her," said Nichole Sullivan of her sister-in-law to be, who suffered a traumatic brain injury.


Afghan army chief, defense minister resign following attack

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 07:19 AM PDT

Afghan army chief, defense minister resign following attackKABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan's army chief and defense minister resigned on Monday, following a Taliban attack over the weekend that struck a northern army base, killing more than 100 military and other personnel, officials said.


Wooden Figurines 'Weave' at Tiny Looms Placed in Ancient Grave

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 06:01 AM PDT

Wooden Figurines 'Weave' at Tiny Looms Placed in Ancient GraveTiny wooden figurines have stood upright "weaving" at appropriately sized looms for more than 2,100 years in a Chinese tomb containing the remains of a middle-age woman, a new study finds. The discovery of the miniature scene astonished archaeologists, who were surveying an area slated for subway construction in Chengdu, a city in China's southwestern Sichuan province, in 2013. The looms may be small — the largest is about the size of a child's toy piano — but they're the earliest evidence on record of looms that could be used to weave patterns, the researchers said.


Russia boosts military spending despite sanctions: study

Posted: 23 Apr 2017 03:08 PM PDT

Russia boosts military spending despite sanctions: studyRussia became the world's third largest military spender in 2016 despite low oil prices and economic sanctions, as the global expenditure rose for a second consecutive year, a study said on Monday. Russia's military spending was $69.2 billion (around 64 billion euros) in 2016, a 5.9 percent rise over 2015, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a report, adding this was the highest proportion of its GDP since it became an independent state. "This increased spending and heavy burden on the economy comes at a time when the Russian economy is in serious trouble due to low oil and gas prices and the economic sanctions imposed since 2014," (by the West over the Ukraine conflict), SIPRI said.


S.African faces trial over axe slaying of his wealthy family

Posted: 22 Apr 2017 09:16 PM PDT

S.African faces trial over axe slaying of his wealthy familyIn a case that has gripped South Africa, the 22-year-old scion of a wealthy family goes on trial in Cape Town on Monday, accused of slaughtering his family in a frenzied axe attack. The case has also made headlines internationally, as police failed to arrest anyone for the grisly killings until Henri van Breda handed himself in. Van Breda is alleged to have killed his brother Rudi and parents Martin and Teresa and left his sister Marli struggling with nightmarish injuries.


Comcast knows you’ll pay anything for good Wi-Fi

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 02:44 PM PDT

Comcast knows you'll pay anything for good Wi-FiA new survey commissioned by Comcast has ranked apartment-dweller's need for good internet, relative to other niceties like basic hygiene. The conclusion seems to be that good Wi-Fi and high-speed internet are viewed as being the most critical. Comcast probably commissioned this survey to show how relevant its brand is to millennials or something, but the only actual truth to be found is this: Comcast knows that you will put up with basically anything to get good internet, so it's going to squeeze you for every last penny. The survey polled 2015 building managers and developers in the US about what features are the most important for prospective renters. A majority (59%) had either Wi-Fi access or fast internet as the most important feature, comfortably beating out a washer-dryer in unit as the must-have. This isn't so much a statement on the value of technology as it is a stunning indictment of broadband technology in the US. In a supposedly technology-literate, competitive, first-world country, access to the internet should be a given. But thanks to the oligopoly of cable companies that control access to the internet with very little regional competition, you're often left with little or no choice of cable providers. That means that if Verizon or Comcast only choose to supply your building with a 10Mbps, you're out of luck. So really, this survey just confirms to Comcast an important fact about its customers: it doesn't matter how bad the customer service is or if it flat-out calls its customers idiots: you don't have any choice and you need internet, so pucker up, lucky consumers.


Jury divided in 1st trial for Cliven Bundy's Nevada standoff

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 02:29 PM PDT

Jury divided in 1st trial for Cliven Bundy's Nevada standoffLAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal jury in Las Vegas found two men guilty Monday in an armed standoff that stopped government agents from rounding up cattle near Cliven Bundy's Nevada ranch in 2014, but then deadlocked on federal charges against four others.


Democratic state attorneys general decry student loan rework by Republicans

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 02:47 PM PDT

Democratic state attorneys general decry student loan rework by RepublicansBy Lisa Lambert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has been reworking student lending since her appointment in February, raising concerns among Democrats that she will undo former President Barack Obama's overhaul of college financial aid. On Monday, 21 state attorneys general, all Democrats, wrote to Republican DeVos decrying her decision to end the Education Department's work on reforming loan servicing, steps intended to ensure that borrowers understand their outstanding debt and repayment options.


2017 Honda Civic Type R sets Nürburgring lap record

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 05:56 AM PDT

2017 Honda Civic Type R sets Nürburgring lap recordThe all-new version of the Honda Civic Type R was always going to make a big slash when it was unveiled at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, but the Honda has now proved it has just as much substance as it undoubtedly has style. The Civic Type R has always been renowned for outstanding performance, but this model, which set the new record and was part of the all-new tenth-generation Civic's development program, really has set a new benchmark for the Type R and for its rivals. This development car set a time of 7 minutes, 43.8 seconds, which is almost seven seconds faster than the previous generation Civic Type R managed.


Tomb Full of Mummies Unearthed at Luxor

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 06:01 AM PDT

Tomb Full of Mummies Unearthed at LuxorSeveral mummies and more than 1,000 figurines have been discovered at an ancient cemetery located at Luxor in Egypt, archaeologists reported. A team of archaeologists with the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities uncovered the funerary complex during the ministry's ongoing excavations at the site. The funerary complex contains multiple tombs that were originally built for a man named Userhat, who was a judge in Luxor sometime during what modern-day archaeologists call Egypt's New Kingdom (1550–1070 B.C.) period, the ministry said in a statement.


Militants ambush convoy with off-duty Iraq soldiers, kill 10

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 03:06 AM PDT

Militants ambush convoy with off-duty Iraq soldiers, kill 10BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants in Iraq ambushed a convoy of off-duty soldiers near a town in the country's sprawling western desert, killing at least 10 and wounding 20, officials said on Monday.


Ten of the Quickest New Cars You Can Buy for Less Than $25,000

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 12:19 PM PDT

Ten of the Quickest New Cars You Can Buy for Less Than $25,000


Philips posts sevenfold jump in profits in Q1

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 12:53 AM PDT

Philips posts sevenfold jump in profits in Q1Dutch electronics giant Philips on Monday posted a sevenfold leap in first quarter profits after spinning off its lighting business last year. The year-earlier figure had been down some 63 percent, due mainly to taxes linked to its efforts to divest the lighting business. Growth was mostly due to sales of specialised medical equipment, up some three percent.


The inside story of why Tim Cook almost kicked Uber off the App Store

Posted: 24 Apr 2017 04:45 AM PDT

The inside story of why Tim Cook almost kicked Uber off the App Store

Uber's willingness to openly disregard Apple's App Store guidelines almost prompted Tim Cook to kick the popular ridesharing app off the App Store altogether, according to a new report from The New York Times. In a fascinating profile of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, a controversial figure to say the least, we learn that Kalanick in late 2014 instructed his software engineers to develop a way for the company to identify specific iPhones even when individuals deleted the Uber app from their devices.

When Apple got wind of what was going on in 2015, Tim Cook -- who has long been an outspoken proponent of user privacy -- took the issue incredibly seriously.

For months, Mr. Kalanick had pulled a fast one on Apple by directing his employees to help camouflage the ride-hailing app from Apple's engineers. The reason? So Apple would not find out that Uber had secretly been tracking iPhones even after its app had been deleted from the devices, violating Apple's privacy guidelines.

But Apple was on to the deception, and when Mr. Kalanick arrived at the midafternoon meeting sporting his favorite pair of bright red sneakers and hot-pink socks, Mr. Cook was prepared. "So, I've heard you've been breaking some of our rules," Mr. Cook said in his calm, Southern tone. Stop the trickery, Mr. Cook then demanded, or Uber's app would be kicked out of Apple's App Store.

According to the report, Kalanick's meeting with Cook left him "shaken."

Uber's app was never removed from the App Store but this wouldn't be the last time that Uber's tracking activities would make headlines.

Incidentally, Uber has since responded to the New York Times story regarding user tracking via a statement provided to Engadget.

We absolutely do not track individual users or their location if they've deleted the app. As the New York Times story notes towards the very end, this is a typical way to prevent fraudsters from loading Uber onto a stolen phone, putting in a stolen credit card, taking an expensive ride and then wiping the phone—over and over again. Similar techniques are also used for detecting and blocking suspicious logins to protect our users' accounts. Being able to recognize known bad actors when they try to get back onto our network is an important security measure for both Uber and our users.

As the Times explains in detail, the Uber app installed a piece of code capable of identifying a particular iPhone as means to help detect when a device was likely stolen and its contents erased. That may sound reasonable enough, but it runs afoul of Apple's App Store rules, which is to say that when a device is wiped clean, Apple wants there to be no data capable of linking a device back to a previous owner.

Consequently, Uber engineers, at the direction of Kalanick, came up with a clever way to surreptitiously install the code.

So Mr. Kalanick told his engineers to "geofence" Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., a way to digitally identify people reviewing Uber's software in a specific location. Uber would then obfuscate its code from people within that geofenced area, essentially drawing a digital lasso around those it wanted to keep in the dark. Apple employees at its headquarters were unable to see Uber's fingerprinting.

The ruse did not last. Apple engineers outside of Cupertino caught on to Uber's methods, prompting Mr. Cook to call Mr. Kalanick to his office.

Uber's underlying objective here may have been reasonable, but clearly, the actions it took to achieve its objective were unquestionably deceitful. Indeed, the thrust of the entire Times profile on Kalanick paints a portrait of a man obsessed with winning at all costs and all too willing to make contemptible decisions to bolster the company.

The Times profile of Kalanick certainly doesn't come at a good time for Uber. Recently, the company has garnered widespread media attention for all the wrong reasons, including a viral video featuring Kalanick getting into an argument with an Uber driver over employee-pay. The video generated an avalanche of criticism and even prompted Kalanick to write an apologetic letter stating that he needs "leadership help" and that he plans on getting it.

As a final point, mobile security expert Will Strafach took a look at an old build of Uber's iOS app and found the "shenanigans" involving Uber's private API calls.

https://twitter.com/chronic/status/856250223777206273


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