Engadget

06.11.2024 04:30 New details are continuing to surface about the hacking of US telecom companies by a China-linked group that targeted US officials and campaign staffers. Now, The Wall Street Journal reports that the hackers’ access was even greater than what’s been previously reported, and that the communications of “potentially thousands of Americans” may have been impacted. Last week, The New York Times reported that FBI investigators suspected call logs and SMS messages had been accessed by the hacking group, known as “Salt Typhoon.” The group reportedly targeted the phones of diplomats and government officials, as well as people associated with both presidential campaigns. Now, The WSJ is reporting that the hackers, who were “likely” working for a Chinese intelligence agency, spent “eight months or more” in US telecom infrastructure, and that they may have been able to scoop up the data of thousands of people who were in contact with the targeted individuals. The Journal confirms earlier reports that the hackers “limited their targets to several dozen select, high-value political and national-security figures.” But the hackers, who reportedly exploited routers used by telecom firms, had “the ability to access the phone data of virtually any American who is a customer of a compromised carrier — a group that includes AT&T and Verizon.” Both AT&T and Verizon declined to comment on the report.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/new-report-details-vast-spying-by-china-linked-telecom-hackers-010347224.html?src=rss

06.11.2024 04:30 Sony announced that it will stop selling the Airpeak S1 camera drone. Sales of the product will end on March 31, 2025. Sony will also stop selling most of the drone's accessories next year, but replacement batteries and propellers will be available until March 31, 2026. Inspections, repairs and software maintenance will continue through March 31, 2030. The Airpeak S1 was initially introduced during a virtual presentation at CES in 2021. The drone was intended to capture high-definition footage with Sony's full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens Alpha cameras. It could fly for 12 minutes with a camera attached and achieved a max flight speed of 55.9mph. While the high-end drone would set buyers back about $9,000 even before buying accessories, it had middling to flat-out negative reviews. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/sony-discontinues-its-pricey-airpeak-s1-camera-drone-in-march-234823252.html?src=rss

06.11.2024 04:30 The Internet Archive is continuing the recovery process after a series of DDoS attacks that took down its servers in early October. On Monday, the nonprofit digital library posted on X that its 'Save Page Now' service has been restored to the Wayback Machine. Save Page Now is back online via the Wayback Machine: https://t.co/0x24WHlhAcWeb pages archived since October 9 will start being added to @waybackmachine. pic.twitter.com/fbQxXKSRL5— Internet Archive November 4, 2024 The Wayback Machine resumed operation in read-only mode on October 14; now users can upload new web pages to record their information and access them later. As the X post notes, the Wayback Machine will begin collecting web pages that have been archived since October 9 when the entire site was taken down. The October DDoS attacks coincided with the Internet Archive's move to disclose a data breach that saw more than 31 million records taken. Security researcher Troy Hunt, who runs the Have I Been Pwned? service for monitoring compromised accounts, said that the two actions against the Internet Archive were "entirely coincidental" and likely taken by "multiple parties."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/the-internet-archives-wayback-machine-is-fully-back-in-action-with-saving-pages-223736576.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 23:10 The Mozilla Foundation has made steep cuts to its team. The 30 percent staff reduction will completely eliminate the nonprofit's advocacy and global programs divisions, according to an internal email sent by Mozilla Foundation Executive Director Nabiha Syed. TechCrunch reported on the news, and Mozilla confirmed the cuts in a statement to that publication as well as to Engadget. "The Mozilla Foundation is reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact as we accelerate our work to ensure a more open and equitable technical future for us all," according to the statement from Brandon Borrman, vice president of communications at Mozilla. "That unfortunately means ending some of the work we have historically pursued and eliminating associated roles to bring more focus going forward." While the standalone advocacy division will end, Mozilla did affirm its commitment to that work. "We want to clarify that the restructuring has not dropped advocacy; on the contrary, advocacy is still a central tenet of Mozilla Foundation’s work and we are in the process of revisiting our approach to it," Bowman said in an additional comment. The Mozilla Foundation is a nonprofit arm under the bigger Mozilla umbrella; Mozilla Corporation is the arm responsible for the Firefox browser. In February, Mozilla announced that about 60 workers would be laid off, primarily on the product development team. Update, November 5, 2024, 4:56PM ET: Post has been updated with additional comment from Mozilla.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/mozilla-foundation-cuts-30-percent-of-its-staff-203951504.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 23:10 Japanese researchers just sent the world’s first wooden satellite to space, as reported by CNN. LignoSat, named after the Latin word for wood, was developed by Kyoto University and a company called Sumitomo Forestry. It was included in a SpaceX mission to the International Space Station and will soon be released into orbit above the Earth. Why do this? There are two main reasons. First of all, it’ll be a test as to the durability of wood when faced with the harsh conditions of space. If successful, the researchers plan on making more wooden structures and jettisoning them to the cosmos. Kyoto University “With timber, a material we can produce by ourselves, we will be able to build houses, live and work in space forever,” said Takao Doi, an astronaut affiliated with Kyoto University. This is the first step in a 50-year plan that includes planting trees and building actual timber houses on the moon and even Mars. “Early 1900s airplanes were made of wood,” said Kyoto University forest science professor Koji Murata. “A wooden satellite should be feasible, too.” For those balking at the idea of wooden structures being used in space, consider some of the benefits. The material should actually be more durable in space than on Earth because, well, the endless void doesn’t have any water or oxygen. There’s nothing to cause rot and it's very hard for it to catch fire. It even offers fairly decent protection from radiation. The other reason has to do with all of those other satellites in orbit. The planet’s currently surrounded by more than 3,000 satellites, not to mention all kinds of affiliated space debris. Wooden satellites would eventually fall back down to Earth and burn up during re-entry. Metal satellites will burn up during the return trip, but not before creating harmful aluminum oxide particles. We don’t really have a plan in place for the ever-expanding amount of space junk entombing the planet, so this could help. Doi envisions a scenario in which “metal satellites might be banned in the future.” In any event, having a log cabin on the moon would be one heck of a good time. There's literally an Apple TV+ show plus about just that. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/japan-just-sent-the-worlds-first-wooden-satellite-to-space-194055742.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 23:10 Kia debuted two new concept vehicles at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas today. The real standout in the company's SEMA announcements is the PV5 concept EV van. Dubbed WKNDR, it's based on Kia's Platform Beyond Vehicles approach to modular design, which the business unveiled earlier this year at CES. The PV5 uses an adaptable storage solution called Gear Head that can serve multiple functions, including an off-board, sheltered storage space for outdoor gear when the van is stationary. It can be powered by solar panels on top and by the hydro turbine wheels. Kia also introduced the EV9 ADVNTR concept EV SUV at the event. This is an all-electric vehicle with a custom roof rack and a combination of tires and wheels designed for offroading. The company did not provide any details about pricing or availability dates in the press release. Based on the limited information we have about Kia's plans for PVB production, the modular WKNDR van probably won't hit the roads until some time next year at the earliest.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/kia-unveils-two-new-ev-designs-including-a-nifty-modular-van-193156344.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 23:10 While we felt that the Kindle Colorsoft was by and large a solid first stab at a color ereader by Amazon, there has been a problem with the device. After several buyers pointed out that a yellow band was discoloring the bottom of the display, the same issue occurred on our review unit. Now, the company says it's remedying the problem. “A small number of customers have reported a yellow band along the bottom of the display," an Amazon spokesperson told Engadget in a statement. "We take the quality of our products seriously — customers who notice this can reach out to our customer service team for a replacement or refund, and we’re making the appropriate adjustments to ensure that new devices will not experience this issue moving forward.” For the time being, Amazon has delayed shipments of the ereader while it juggles replacement units and new orders, as The Verge first reported. If you already have a Colorsoft, you can keep using it until the company sends a replacement. The issue was significant enough that we removed the score from our review until Amazon resolved it. In any case, it's good to see that the company is acting fairly swiftly to take care of the matter.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/amazon-will-fix-the-kindle-colorsofts-yellow-display-discoloration-190143346.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 23:10 Hori is bringing its officially licensed Steam controller to the good ole US of A. The company listed the gamepad on Amazon, with an availability date of December 16. Preorders are open right now and the controller costs $60. This Steam-focused gamepad was originally released back in October, but only in Japan. It boasts a big button to pull up the Steam menu and touch sensors on the joysticks for motion controls. It also ships with mappable back buttons. The gamepad connects to a computer, or a Steam Deck, via Bluetooth. To that end, it ships with a USB-A Bluetooth receiver. Hori says the Steam controller will work for around 12 hours on a full charge, though it can operate while charging via USB cable. The controller menu in Steam also allows for making adjustments, like changing stick sensitivity and gyro controls. There are a couple of slight omissions. The controller has no rumble functionality, nor does it boast a trackpad or a headphone jack. If you can get over those issues, this looks like a mighty fine way to work through that ever-growing Steam collection. Hori makes good stuff. As for Valve, it discontinued its own Steam controller back in 2019. That gamepad was notable because it could be configured in a myriad of different ways to suit unique gameplay styles. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/horis-officially-licensed-steam-controller-comes-to-the-us-on-december-16-184221663.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 23:10 A man allegedly behind a series of corporate cyberattacks is reportedly in custody in Canada. Bloomberg reported on Monday that the suspect, 26-year-old Alexander “Connor” Moucka, was apprehended by authorities on a provisional arrest warrant on October 30, following a request from the US. The hacks targeted corporate customers of Snowflake, a cloud data partner of AT&T, Live Nation and others. The hacks targeted over 100 organizations, leading to millions of users’ personal data theft. In addition to AT&T and Ticketmaster, that list included Lending Tree, Advance Auto Parts and Neiman Marcus. AT&T declined to comment for this story. We also contacted Live Nation but haven’t heard back. Krebs on Security reported on Tuesday that Moucka is named in multiple sealed indictments from US prosecutors and federal law enforcement agencies. The suspect allegedly nabbed stolen credentials from cybercriminal forums , betting that customers had reused the same credentials elsewhere. He is said to have then used those logins to access the accounts of Snowflake’s corporate clients and extort them, threatening to sell the data on criminal forums if they didn’t pay. AT&T reportedly paid the hacker a $370,000 ransom to delete the records. Krebs says the online handles Moucka used corresponded to those of a “prolific cybercriminal” sitting at the intersection of “Western, English-speaking cybercriminals and extremist groups that harass and extort minors into harming themselves or others.” The report claims Moucka was part of a hacking group called “UNC5537” that also included an “elusive” American, John Erin Binns, currently in Turkey. Binns was behind a 2021 T-Mobile hack that affected at least 76.6 million customers. Snowflake pointed fingers at its corporate clients for failing to set up multi-factor authentication. “We have a broader challenge in the security community and enterprises that a lot of people aren’t nailing the basics,” Snowflake’s Chief Information Security Officer Brad Jones told Bloomberg. But Snowflake’s apparent failure to require two-factor security sits on equal ground with its customers’ decisions not to set it up — especially with millions of customers’ information on the line. Why did AT&T and other companies entrust Snowflake with so much customer data? The wireless carrier hasn’t said. Snowflake offers cloud-based data analysis services. In July, AT&T said that “nearly all” of its customers were affected by the hack, suggesting that almost all of its subscribers were potentially having their data analyzed by a cloud partner of its wireless carrier. A total of 110 million AT&T customers were said to be affected. Fortunately, AT&T said the breach didn’t contain the contents of calls or texts. However, it included the phone numbers each account interacted with and a tally of each customer’s calls, texts, and call durations. It also contained cell site identification numbers. Cybersecurity expert Javvad Malik told Engadget this summer that the latter could “potentially allow for the triangulation of users’ locations.” This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/canadian-police-arrest-alleged-hacker-behind-cyberattacks-that-compromised-nearly-all-att-accounts-181838471.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 19:00 Looking to watch something really bittersweet? The co-creator of the absolutely incredible sci-fi cartoon Scavengers Reign dropped a trailer for the second season, just after Netflix decided it would not fund a renewal. It’s a full minute of new footage, complete with bloodthirsty plants, bat-monkey hybrid creatures and all kinds of psychedelic sci-fi madness. The teaser was produced in-house, using the production company’s own money. Co-creator Joe Bennett wrote on Instagram that “this is not the end. There is more story to be told, we are ready to make another season.” However, he also added that “as of right now, Scavengers Reign is not being renewed for a second season.” The show has had a rocky road, premiering on Max a couple of years back before being canceled. The critically-acclaimed first season eventually ended up on Netflix, where it attracted new viewers. The so-called “Netflix bump” made fans excited for a renewal, but that wasn’t in the cards. There’s still a chance that buzz generated from this trailer could entice another streamer to invest in the show. Apple TV+ sure has a lot of sci-fi shows, so why not add one more? Someone get Tim Cook on the horn. If you’ve never watched Scavengers Reign, it’s on Netflix right now. This is one of the best sci-fi shows ever made, animated or not. It’s seriously so, so good. If you have any interest in classic sci-fi or gorgeous animation, this’ll be your jam. It’s been called a “Moebius comic brought to life” and a “gorgeous, hypnotic space trip.” The show follows a group of survivors spread across an alien planet after a wreck. They encounter some of the trippiest things ever conceived as they struggle to stay alive and find rescue. It’s like a 1950s sci-fi novel come to life but, well, mixed with an acid trip. The voice cast includes Alia Shawkat, from Arrested Development and Search Party, and Wunmi Mosaku from Loki, among others. There are 12 episodes in the first season, which makes for a nice binge or two. Just saying.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/heres-a-cool-trailer-for-scavengers-reign-season-two-which-will-likely-never-happen-171637717.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 19:00 Amazon has started making deliveries via drone in parts of Phoenix, according to reporting by TechCrunch. We knew this was coming and now it’s here. Customers in the West Valley Phoenix Metro area should now have access to a selection of products that will arrive at doorsteps via the friendly skies. These include household, office, health and beauty supplies, among others. Phoenix residents will be able to click on a drone delivery icon before checking out. The company promises that items will be delivered within an hour. This is due to the improved specs of the company’s latest drone, the MK30, which was recently approved by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly beyond the visual line of sight. There are some caveats. Products must be five pounds or less to be eligible, though Amazon says that around 50,000 items are already available for drone deliveries. Also, the drones will only make deliveries during daylight hours and “favorable” weather conditions. “Currently we do not offer drone delivery at night, during heavy winds, or during heavy rain,” the company wrote in a blog post. This is happening just a few months after Amazon ended its drone-based delivery program, Prime Air, in California. The company still makes drone deliveries in Texas and it's planning a major expansion into Europe.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/amazon-begins-drone-delivers-to-phoenix-provided-the-weather-is-favorable-162241367.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 19:00 Black Friday may still be weeks away, but if you were hoping to score a deal on Samsung’s Music Frame, there’s no need to wait until Thanksgiving. Both Amazon and Samsung are currently selling the speaker for under $250. At $150 off its regular price, that’s an all-time low for the Music Frame, which will usually set you back $400. Considering Samsung only released the device earlier this year, this is a great opportunity to pick up one for your home theater. If you’re unfamiliar with the Music Frame, think of it as the speaker equivalent to Samsung’s popular Frame TV. Like its television counterpart, the Music Frame doubles as a piece of home decor. And while there’s no display that will automatically cycle through digital artwork, you can manually insert prints and photos. Moreover, while it’s certainly possible to pair two Music Frames with a Frame TV, it’s not limited to home theater use. The Music Frame works just fine as a standalone Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker. You can even use it as a smart home hub. It’s possible to mount the Music Frame on a wall or on a table, with the help of a built-in stand, if you prefer. As for sound quality, Engadget senior reporter and resident audio geek Billy Steele was surprised by how good the Music Frame sounded when he got to demo it at CES earlier this year. “I was shocked by how robust and clear the overall sound quality is coming from the speaker,” he wrote at the time. “Highs and mids are adequately represented with great detail, while the bass is more restrained.“ If you’re curious, the Music Frame features two rear-facing woofers complemented by a set of two tweeters and two mid-range drivers, all four of which fire from the front of the speaker. It also offers Dolby Atmos support, and Samsung has included its SpaceFit tech, which assists with room calibration. All told, the Music Frame is a great option for those looking for a speaker that will disappear into their home decor, but its high price can make it unappealing, especially if you want a stereo pair. At $150 off, however, it’s much easier to recommend, even if you’re on a budget. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/the-samsung-music-frame-speaker-is-150-off-ahead-of-black-friday-160759732.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 19:00 There's no such thing as having too much local storage. Whether it's for backups or extra space for all your stuff, an external SSD is always useful to have on hand. Samsung's portable SSDs are a go-to for many folks, and a recent model with ample storage for most people is on sale for nearly half off in an early Black Friday deal. The 4TB T9 Portable SSD has dropped to $300. That's a $250 discount and the deal brings the external storage device almost to a record low price. According to Samsung, the T9 is around twice as fast as the T7 . The company claims that it can transfer a 4GB video in nearly two seconds or a 90-minute 4K video in 12 seconds. The two-lane USB interface offers data transfer rates of up to 20 Gbps, while the SSD has sequential read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. That means it shouldn't take long at all to transfer games and other files to and from your PS5's internal storage when need be . It'll be a useful option for moving your files between different computers as well. Alternatively, you might use it to store your 4K movie collection. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-4tb-samsung-t9-portable-ssd-is-nearly-half-off-in-this-early-black-friday-deal-153043895.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 19:00 MacRumors noticed an unusual feature in the second iOS 18.2 developer beta, showing that Apple may let users upgrade to a paid ChatGPT plan as part of Apple Intelligence. While Siri doesn’t need to use ChatGPT for all its tasks, some users enjoy using the integration for power tasks and more. MacRumors In the image above, you can see that under “advanced capabilities,” there’s a “daily limit” section that shows “under limit.” This means users can only use the latest advanced ChatGPT functions several times a day. This checks out because ChatGPT-4o free access using any platform is limited and resets every 24 hours. If you've used up your daily limit, Siri will swap to a free version of ChatGPT, which boasts fewer advanced tools. For example, DALL-E 3 image creation is only limited to two daily. If you tap on the “upgrade to ChatGPT Plus” button, you’ll be redirected in-app to a subscription purchase screen. ChatGPT Plus costs $20 a month. Therefore, while Apple itself isn’t implementing a subscription model, it looks like you’ll need to pay for unlimited premium ChatGPT access. We also covered an upgrade to Apple’s Find My function today. Like this new ChatGPT integration, it’s part of the iOS 18.2 developer beta. Both should eventually launch with the finished version of iOS 18.2, which is rumored to arrive in early December.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-might-add-chatgpt-subscription-option-to-ios-182-152125214.html?src=rss

05.11.2024 19:00 Meta had plans to build an AI data center in the US that relies on nuclear power — it even already knew where it wanted the facility to be built. According to the Financial Times, though, the company had to scrap its plans, because the a rare bee species was discovered on the land reserved for the project. Company chief Mark Zuckerberg was reportedly ready to close a deal with an existing nuclear power plant operator that would provide emissions-free energy to the plant. The Times said he told staff members at an all-hands last week that pushing through wouldn't have been possible, because the company would encounter numerous regulatory challenges due to the bees' discovery. Zuckerberg reportedly told his staff that Meta would've had the first nuclear-powered AI if the deal had gone ahead. It still might come true if the company could find a way, but it has to move quickly because its biggest rivals are investing in nuclear energy, as well. In September, Microsoft revealed that it intends to revive the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant to provide energy for its AI efforts. Meanwhile, Google teamed up with startup Kairos Power to build seven small nuclear reactors in the US to power its data centers starting in 2030. And then there's Amazon, which announced three agreements with different companies to build small modular reactors in mid-October. The Times didn't say whether Meta is looking for a new site — one that doesn't have rare bees living in its vicinity. One of its sources only said that Meta is still exploring various deals for emissions-free energy, including nuclear, to power its future AI data centers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/bees-reportedly-stopped-meta-from-building-a-nuclear-powered-ai-data-center-143050114.html?src=rss