Barack Obama

Barack Obama: ‘Smartphones Can’t Be Allowed to Be Black Boxes’ →

March 13, 2016 · 10:38

Justin Sink:

President Barack Obama said Friday that smartphones — like the iPhone the FBI is trying to force Apple Inc. to help it hack — can’t be allowed to be “black boxes,” inaccessible to the government. The technology industry, he said, should work with the government instead of leaving the issue to Congress.

“You cannot take an absolutist view on this,” Obama said at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. “If your argument is strong encryption no matter what, and we can and should create black boxes, that I think does not strike the kind of balance we have lived with for 200, 300 years, and it’s fetishizing our phones above every other value.”

I’m disappointed in Obama. I also don’t think he knows exactly what he’s talking about.

Pete Souza — Official White House Photographer — on Instagram in 2015 →

December 23, 2015 · 09:00

Pete Souza:

Throughout the year, I post photographs of my White House work on a regular basis to my Instagram, @PeteSouza.

Many followers have inquired about whether a certain photograph is taken with an iPhone or DSLR (digital single lens reflex camera). In choosing the photographs for my year on Instagram, I decided to select only iPhone photographs that were captured in the square format on an iPhone. For many purists, the square format was the original inspiration for Instagram. And I certainly admire those that continue to post only square photos taken with a smart phone.

My approach to my Instagram feed continues to be all square photos are taken with an iPhone, and full-frame horizontals and verticals are taken with a DSLR (usually a Canon 5DMark3, but I’ve also posted some from Sony, Nikon and Leica cameras).

I love the camera on my iPhone — it’s the main reason I upgrade every year. Apple still has room for improvement however, and I can’t wait for the day when I will finally ditch my DSLR/mirrorless setup and go iPhone only. In theory I could do so now, but I’d miss a few things, including the ability to take true long exposure photos.

In the meantime, make sure to check out Pete’s shots.