U.S. high court approves rule change to expand FBI hacking power | Reuters
Reuters reports: "The Supreme Court on Thursday approved a rule change that would let U.S. judges issue search warrants for access to computers located in any jurisdiction despite opposition from civil liberties groups who say it will greatly expand the FBI's hacking authority. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts transmitted the rules to Congress, which will have until Dec. 1 to reject or modify the changes to the federal rules of criminal procedure. If Congress does not act, the rules would take effect automatically. Magistrate judges normally can order searches only within the jurisdiction of their court, which is typically limited to a few counties."

U.S. spy court rejected zero surveillance orders in 2015: memo | Reuters
Reuters reports: "The secretive U.S. Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Court did not deny a single government request in 2015 for electronic surveillance orders granted for foreign intelligence purposes, continuing a longstanding trend, a Justice Department document showed. The court received 1,457 requests last year on behalf of the National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for authority to intercept communications, including email and phone calls, according to a Justice Department memo sent to leaders of relevant congressional committees on Friday and seen by Reuters. The court did not reject any of the applications in whole or in part, the memo showed. "

Novel e-skin may monitor health, vital signs - UPI.com
UPI reports: "In a bid to take high-performance wearable electronics to a new level, Japanese researchers have developed an 'e-skin' that may be a noninvasive way to monitor patients' health and vital signs. The ultra-thin, flexible film can light up and display numbers or images. It moves easily with the body and is resistant to air and water damage, according to the scientists who created the technology."

Comment: It will be interesting to see what future versions of the technology will look like. Presumably the tech will improve in terms of how thin it is, how long it can be applied to the skin, and the number of apps that it will work with. 

AP - Border checkpoint scans eyes, faces of departing foreigners
The AP reports: "The federal government is using eye scans and facial recognition technology for the first time to verify the identities of foreigners leaving the United States on foot — a trial move aimed at closing a longstanding security gap, officials announced Thursday. Before now, foreigners who left the country were rarely checked by U.S. authorities as they walked into Mexico or Canada through ports of entry. The checkout system that launched Feb. 11 at a busy San Diego border crossing with Mexico aims to ensure those who enter the country leave when their visas expire and identify those who violate that. Up to half of the people in the U.S. illegally are believed to have overstayed their visas."

DOJ trying to force Apple's cooperation in terror case - UPI.com
UPI reports: "The U.S. Department of Justice is taking the gloves off in its fight with Apple to access a cellphone belonging to one of the San Bernardino terror suspects. The federal law enforcement agency filed a court motion Friday in an attempt to force Apple, the phone's manufacturer, to help the FBI break into the smartphone used by suspected gunman Syed Rizwan Farook. [...] The problem, as seen by Apple, is that the FBI's request requires the company to create software that would facilitate the siphoning of personal data from the locked iPhone -- which is exactly the type of activity the security features were designed to prevent."

Cash aid for Jordan's refugees an iris scan away - Yahoo News

AFP reports: Syrian refugees in Jordan will get faster access to United Nations cash aid through an iris-scanning ATM network, removing the need for bank accounts and cards.  [...]  Under the project dubbed 'EyeCloud, the refugees receive cash in less than 30 seconds from machines equipped with biometric technology. Around 50 specially-adapted ATMs have been set up across Jordan, in cooperation with a local bank, to provide refugees quicker access to money."

My Way News - Massive year-end spending bill includes cybersecurity act
My Way News reports: "A massive year-end spending measure moving through Congress includes a provision that will encourage companies to share cyber threat information with the government while providing them with liability protections for not acting on information received. [...] The Cybersecurity Act of 2015 largely hews to the Senate version of the bill, which passed despite concerns about privacy and transparency from some senators and technology companies, such as Apple and Yelp."

My Way News - Wal-Mart to launch own mobile pay system
My Way News reports: "The mobile payment wars are heating up. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, said it's launching its own mobile payment system that will allow shoppers to pay with any major credit or debit card or its own store gift card through its existing smartphone app at the cash register."

U.S. government reveals breadth of requests for Internet records | Reuters
Reuters reports: "The Federal Bureau of Investigation has used a secretive authority to compel Internet and telecommunications firms to hand over customer data including an individual’s complete web browsing history and records of all online purchases, a court filing released Monday shows. The documents are believed to be the first time the government has provided details of its so-called national security letters, which are used by the FBI to conduct electronic surveillance without the need for court approval."

My Way News - Trump says he would 'absolutely' implement Muslim database
My Way News reports: "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump voiced support Thursday evening for creating a mandatory database to track Muslims in the United States — the latest in an escalating series of responses following the deadly attacks in Paris. [...] Asked whether registering would be mandatory, Trump responded: 'They have to be.'"

My Way News - Here we go again: Paris attacks may renew encryption debate
My Way News reports: "The deadly attacks in Paris may soon reopen the debate over whether — and how — tech companies should let governments bypass the data scrambling that shields everyday commerce and daily digital life. So far, there's no hard evidence that the Paris extremists relied on encrypted communications — essentially, encoded digital messages that can't be read without the proper digital 'keys' — to plan the shooting and bombing attacks that left 129 dead on Friday."