From the FBI's case against Apple to unlock the phone of the San Bernardino gunman to what happens to our digital lives after we die, there's plenty to choose from in this week's Long Reads.
Fools' paradise: How April 1st became the hoodwinking holiday
They actually come earlier than April, these days. Pranks and paltry attempts to hoodwink and trick, and make thicks of all of us. Hardly surprising, really, given that a well-timed and clever April Fools can live on for years afterwards, perennial clickbait whipped out at the dawn of summer time.
"The person who writes for fools is always sure of a large audience," said Arthur Schopenhauer, the German philosopher, credited with inventing viral content. Well, that last part is a lie, but that’s the point of the day, no?
What happens to our digital lives when we die?
They may only be around just over a decade, but social media is where many of us live a significant portion of our lives.
Birthdays, babies and blazing hangovers are all shared and spoken about online. Very often these days, when a couple get engaged they share an image online and that’s how people find out. But have you ever wondered what happens to all of these moments when you’re no longer alive to appreciate them?
Jimmy Burns: Johan Cruyff helped Barcelona rediscover why they were 'més que un club'
With the passing away of Johan Cruyff who died, aged 68, on March 24th, after a long struggle against lung cancer, world football has lost one of its greats.
In terms of genius and influence and the sheer joy he brought to millions of fans, he is up there with Maradona and Messi, but with a greater cultural and political impact than either.
Was the FBI always able to unlock the San Bernardino killer's iPhone?
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden took to Twitter in the wake of the FBI's unblocking of the iPhone 5c, used by the San Bernardino shooter, to renew his claims that the organisation always had the technical capability to access content saved on the phone without Apple's help.
"The FBI says Apple has the 'exclusive technical means' to unlock the phone. Respectfully, that’s bullshit," he told a 'pro-democracy' conference in Washington DC earlier this month. The full details may never be known, however, as the US government can retain details of how it bypassed Apple's security features as classified information.
Amnesty accuses Qatar of migrant exploitation to build World Cup stadium
Amnesty International is accusing Qatar of abusing migrants building its World Cup venues. It says it has exposed exploitation of migrant workers building Khalifa International Stadium - a ground slated to host a World Cup semi-final in 2022.
"Despite promising to improve protections, Qatar has failed to adequately reform its exploitative migrant labour system", the human rights group says.
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