Instead of complying with an encryption backdoor mandate in the UK, Apple pulled features like Advanced Data Protection. A similar result could occur in Canada if a new bill passes.

Apple won’t weaken encryption for any government entity because doing so would allow good guys and bad guys better access to user data. As it argued with the FBI after the San Bernardino shooting, there is no such thing as a backdoor “just for the good guys.”

Canadian legislators believe that lawful access to encrypted data should be required, which is why Bill C-22 exists. According to a report from Reuters, Apple and Meta are pushing back.

“At a time of rising and pervasive threats from malicious actors seeking access to user information, Bill C-22, as drafted, would undermine our ability to offer the powerful privacy and security features users expect from Apple,” Apple said in a statement. “This legislation could allow the Canadian government to force companies to break encryption by inserting backdoors into their products – something Apple will never do.”

Meta shared a similar statement suggesting that the bill would “force providers to install government spyware directly on their systems.”

If the bill passes, Apple will likely do whatever it needs to without breaking encryption, security, or user privacy. If that means withdrawing a feature like Advanced Data Protection like it did in the UK, it will.

The encryption problem

If Apple created a special way to access iPhone encryption in Canada, it would no doubt leak and become a powerful tool for authorities and bad actors around the world. The best security is a system without an access point, secret code, or backdoor.

End-to-end encryption on iPhone means various apps and services are stored in a way that not even Apple can access.

Every Apple product encrypts the following by default:

• Health data
• iCloud Keychain
• Wi-Fi and Cellular credentials
• Home data
• Payment information
• Siri information
• iMessage and FaceTime

This data can’t be accessed by Apple even when a government lawfully requests it. The only exception is iMessage stores an encryption key in iCloud backup.

For users that want to encrypt as much as possible, Apple added Advanced Data Protection. It increases the number of things end-to-end encrypted, which includes the device backup.

Users should only enable Advanced Data Protection if they understand the risk. If they lose access to their account and don’t have a method of reentry, everything is gone.

Here’s what’s encrypted with Advanced Data Protection:

• Device backups
• Messages backups
• iCloud Drive
• Notes
• Photos
• Reminders
• Safari Bookmarks
• Voice Memos
• Wallet passes

If Canada passes that law and tries to force Apple’s hand, it could take away Advanced Data Protection as a feature for Canadian users. It’s a way of trying to meet authorities in the middle, but it may not be enough.

The UK ultimately backed down, but there’s no predicting what Canada might do. Apple could halt business in the country altogether if it feels it is necessary, but there are several other tactics it can pursue before taking such drastic measures.

Apple’s stance on user privacy and security may sound like marketing silliness, but it has withstood the test of time. Even as companies remove encryption from messaging apps or don’t bother with increasing device security, Apple finds new ways to protect users.

Forward progress is made for Apple product security even if it means being a thorn in the side of entities like the FBI and now the Canadian government.

If you’ve ever wished your work desk had a dedicated screen for reviewing your system’s performance, chat windows, or streaming controls, so that you don’t have to disturb your main monitor, Asus has heard you. 

The ROG Strix XG129C is a 12.3-inch secondary display with a touchscreen, designed to sit beneath your primary monitor and handle everything that could be a distraction on your main screen, and it costs $199. 

What exactly does the Strix XG129C do?

The Strix XG129C is a 1920 x 720 IPS panel carrying a 24:9 aspect ratio, making it wide but short in height, exactly the type of screen that easily lives under a standard monitor, without competing for vertical desk space. 

The 10-point capacitive touchscreen can handle multi-finger gestures, app shortcuts, hotkey execution, and streaming overlays. For a secondary screen, the Strix XG129C’s color performance is surprisingly strong. It covers 125% of the sRGB and 90% of the DCI-P3color space. 

Asus is also bundling a one-year AIDA64 Extreme subscription, which turns the display into a real-time hardware dashboard tracking GPU load, CPU temperature, and fan speeds, via exclusive ROG SensorPanel themes. 

A single USB-C cable handles power, video, and touch simultaneously, which keeps the setup clean. You also get another USB-C (20W PD) and HDMI 1.2 ports for broader compatibility. 

How does it stack against the competition?

Where Elgato’s Stream Deck offers physical buttons without a true display, the Strix XG129C delivers a full touchscreen, which not only looks elegant and modern but also provides more control. 

Its most direct rival is the Corsair’s Xeneon Edge at 14.5 inches, and a similar price, but the XG129C’s tighter aspect ratio and ROG ecosystem integration make it a more compelling pick for people who’re already in the ROG setup. 

To me, the concept sounds similar to the secondary screen on the Zephyrus Duo laptops. Asus has essentially brought the ScreenPad experience to the desktop, but with a more refined and intentional approach. 

Offbeat

Imagine taking a dip 177m above the streets of London’s West End

Visitors to London’s iconic Telecom Tower might soon be able
to go for a rooftop swim, according to plans revealed by the developer turning the building into a hotel.

The iconic 177 meter (581 ft) high structure in Fitzrovia in
London’s West End was sold off by BT Group in 2024 to US-based hotel
owner-operator MCR Hotels for £275 million ($346 million).

At
the time, the firm said it wanted to preserve the Grade II listed building,
while converting it into a hostelry.

Now, MCR has announced a small number of public consultation events it
is holding on May 11, 12, and 16 where those interested can view the emerging
proposals for the site, meet the project team, and share any feedback on the
plans.

Those proposals include public access to
the top of the tower and its podium buildings for the first time in almost half
a century. The 34th floor was famously home to a revolving restaurant that gave
diners a panoramic view of Britain’s capital as it slowly turned once every 22
mins, but this was closed in 1980.

Also part of the proposals are a new publicly accessible
square plus retail shops and restaurants at ground level, and a rooftop
swimming pool.

London is home to a number of high-rise swimming venues already.

There is the vertigo-inducing Sky Pool which
spans two apartment buildings ten stories up at the Embassy Gardens development
in the Nine Elms region of Wandsworth. You will find an infinity pool at the Shangri-La hotel
on the 52nd-floor of the Shard building near London Bridge, and there is also a
pool on the roof of the Berkeley Hotel, overlooking Knightsbridge.

The BT Tower was originally known as the Post Office Tower
when it was first built in 1964, and its main purpose was to support microwave
antennas used to beam telecom signals between London and the rest of the
country.

The tower will not be turned into a vertical hotel immediately.
BT said payment for the site is spread over six years to 2030, during
which time the company will gradually remove all of its telecoms equipment from
the building.

As we reported previously, the BT Tower also famously fell
victim to a giant kitten in an episode of the British 1970s TV comedy
series The Goodies.  ®

Education customers in the US will need to verify eligibility to make a discounted purchase, as Apple expands its verification process to the US and other countries.

Starting on Friday, May 8, Apple has started to more strictly enforce its education pricing. Previously, while Apple Stores would verify eligibility in person, anyone was able make discounted purchases by visiting the virtual education store.

Apple has partnered with Unidays on a new verification system. Students will be able to verify their enrollment and faculty will be able provide the appropriate documentation with the new automated process.

Most will receive verification instantly. In rare cases it may take up to 24 hours to be verified before you’re able to make a purchase.

This new program will apply to buyers both in-store and online. Users shopping online can go through the portal and can complete the same forms in-store. Users are able to complete the verification first before going into the store to help expedite the process.

Some countries already had a verification process. The countries gaining verification for the first time include:

• U.S.
• Australia
• Canada
• Chile
• Hong Kong
• Turkey

This program is also is able to verify homeschool teachers. By providing the requested information, including identification numbers and other materials, they can be approved more easily.

The new verification program will help curb people from abusing the education pricing. This is especially important on new, lower-margin items like the MacBook Neo that offers a substantial 16% discount on the base model.

Apple has a similar program for military member purchase. That has a different verification process, that has been in place for some time.

On Thursday, Apple also updated its education program to include Apple Watch for the first time. Discounts are about 10%.

Lower prices can be found elsewhere

There are often steeper discounts on Apple products at third-party resellers that are available to the general public, so you don’t have to go through the EDU verification process.

At press time, B&H has the standard 1TB 14-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M5 Pro chip marked down to $1,949 via an instant rebate and in-cart coupon. This beats the EDU price by $100.

The 2026 M5 MacBook Air is on sale from $949 at Amazon, which is $50 cheaper than Apple EDU pricing.

And for Apple Watch shoppers, Amazon is taking $100 off multiple Series 11 styles.

It’s worth checking out our Apple Price Guides for the latest specials across iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and more.

September 2025? January 2026? Delivery dates keep slipping for the Trump Organization’s “Trump Phone” — a gold-coloured Android smartphone priced at $499 (£370). But in March the Verge spotted signs the phone was moving forward:

FCC listings for a smartphone with the trade name “T1” show that it was tested late last year, and granted certification by the FCC in January… [T]he phone was submitted for testing by another company entirely: Smart Gadgets Global, LLC… Smart Gadgets Global’s website promises “Top Quality Electronics created for ‘YOUR’ customer!”

But in April the Trump phone revised its “Terms and Conditions” for preorders. The new language?
A preorder deposit provides only a conditional opportunity if Trump Mobile later elects, in its sole discretion, to offer the Device for sale. A deposit is not a purchase, does not constitute acceptance of an order, does not create a contract for sale, does not transfer ownership or title interest, does not allocate or reserve specific inventory, and does not guarantee that a Device will be produced or made available for purchase….

Estimated ship dates, launch timelines, or anticipated production schedule are non-binding estimates only. Trump Mobile does not guarantee that: the Device will be commercially released… Trump Mobile will not be responsible for delay, modification, or failure to release a Device due to causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to regulatory review, carrier certification delays, component shortages, labor disruptions, governmental orders, acts of God, transportation interruptions, or third-party supplier failures…

If Trump Mobile cancels or discontinues the Device offering prior to sale, Trump Mobile will issue a full refund of the deposit amount paid… If Trump Mobile cancels, delays, or does not release the Device, your sole and exclusive remedy is a full refund of the deposit amount actually paid, and you waive any claim for equitable, injunctive, or specific performance relief relating to preorder priority or Device allocation.
There was an unconfirmed report on social media that the updated Terms were also emailed to customers (cited by the International Business Times). And the new language also hedges that for the gold T1 phone, “Images, prototypes, beta demonstrations, and marketing renderings are illustrative only and may not reflect final production units….”

But then eight days ago The Verge reported that phone “has just passed another milestone on its slow road to release,” described as “a requirement for any phone launching in the US…”

“The phone has received the little-known PTCRB certification, a first step toward being certified to work on major networks and be issued with IMEI numbers.”
[A]t least, I think it’s been certified. What’s actually been certified by the PTCRB is the SGG-06, a smartphone from Smart Gadgets Global, LLC, with support for 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G networks.

• Watch Wardley vs Dubois on DAZN (worldwide)
• Undercard start time: Saturday, May 9 at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST / 3am AEST (Sun)
• Wardley vs Dubois ringwalks (approx): 6pm ET / 3pm PT / 11pm BST / 8am AEST (Sun)
• Unlock DAZN stream with NordVPN (up to 75% Off Right Now)

The Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois live stream is for Wardley’s WBO world heavyweight title and has the potential to be an all-British barnstorming classic from the Co-Op Live in Manchester. Two knockout artists who throw and land big – what’s not to like? Don’t miss it.

The 31-year-old Wardley’s interim WBO strap, won after stopping Joseph Parker last October, was upgraded to full honors with Oleksandr Usyk vacating the title. The Ipswich fighter, trained by Ben Davidson, came up through the white-collar boxing scene and is now a world champion after two come-from-behind wins against Justis Huni and Parker. Wardley has heavy hands and the engine to go deep and cause upsets late on in fights.

UFC 328 live streams feature two titles up for grabs in the Octagon, with middleweights Khamzat Chimaev vs Sean Strickland headlining proceedings after a flyweight title tussle between Joshua Van vs Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday night.

The impressive Chimaev remains unbeaten throughout his professional MMA career and makes the first defense of the UFC gold he won last August thanks to a unanimous points victory over Dricus du Plessis. With the often controversial ‘Tarzan’ Strickland having made his debut Octagon appearance more than 12 years ago, however, Chimaev comes up against a Californian fighter who has a wealth of know-how, tradecraft and experience of winning this championship before.

My nerd cred, painstakingly built up over the last 30 years, is about to take a big hit. Until 2021, I’d never seen The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Until 2026, very recently, I’d never played Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. I’d made attempts, you understand, way back in the wilderness years of the 2010s, but it never really grabbed me. Then, just recently, I gave it another go, and, it really did.

The thing is, I think what I needed more than a really strong awareness of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) was a bit of patience. The game begins with a fairly lengthy bit of tutorial before opening up properly, but once you’re in, the world is extremely entertaining in a very similar way to the Arkham series.