'Still too early' after all this time is code for 'We haven't found anything remotely useful. We hope people forget about this before we announce that nothing useful was on the phone.'
Or, 'we couldn't really get in' but we're waiting until the public forgets about this.
With one major difference. The FBI is fighting terrorism, but Tim Cook's Co (Apple) ideas about 'protecting your privacy' may actually help terrorists to hide their trails. This is also why I believe that trusting Apple is a bad idea.
I think they do a lot more blackmail and keeping the slaves in line than fighting terrorism. Not saying I necessarily trust Tim either... but at least he probably just wants to make a bunch-o-money.
Why would they not? They would be rubbing it in the face of Apple, and tell the public how Apple was wrong. They could shift the public opinion very easily.
It's probably a bigger slap to Apple to say they broke into it and leave it at that (whether they did or not). After all of Apple's bluster about security, security, security... and now, un-secure. Ouch!
I'm not a fan of Hillary, but I know the FBI is dragging their feet on that stupid email investigation so as to surface revelations piecemeal as needed to make sure she knows where the whip hand is.
Hillary, no doubt, has a *LOT* of dirt on Comey and company too. I think they're in kind of a stand-off. My guess, nothing will come of it. If Hillary does get elected, that's exactly the kind of thing you want to be able to hold over her head to keep the leash short.
my concern is that Tim is all talk, he took the high ground about our privacy and that he would fight this, FBI found a way to get in, and Apple has gone silent on what was such an important issue for them.
Yea, it was also a bit ironic timing that Apple released that 'broken' updater (unsigned, if I understand), the day before the FBI dropped the case. Hopefully that's just the conspiracy theorist in me in overdrive.
But, I agree, there are a number of compromised encryption systems and apps out there being touted as systems helping terrorists. So, hopefully Apple's whole 'privacy first' thing isn't just a cover for a back-door agreement they've already made.
Most importantly to keep in mind: they will try again later. They'll wait until the winds change – perhaps after another major terrorist attack happens in this country – then they'll likely succeed in passing whatever they wanted here, and more. Enduring vigilance is the price of freedom.
I'm actually a bit surprised a phone hasn't been found in Brussels. Maybe they are waiting a bit so it isn't quite so obvious (though, it's not like that stopped them in the past).