My time with the iPhone 15 has taught me that I love smaller flagship phones. But it seems only Apple offers what I now want: a top-tier smaller smartphone.
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The Motorola Razr Plus is a lovely little phone — but it also likes to play on your emotions. Let me explain what I mean.
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An SEC filing has revealed more details on a data breach affecting 23andMe users that was disclosed earlier this fall. The company says its investigation found hackers were able to access the accounts of roughly 0.1 percent of its userbase, or about 14,000 of its 14 million total customers, TechCrunch notes. On top of that, the attackers were able to exploit 23andMe’s opt-in DNA Relatives (DNAR) feature, which matches users with their genetic relatives, to access information about millions of other users. A 23andMe spokesperson told Engadget that hackers accessed the DNAR profiles of roughly 5.5 million customers this way, plus Family Tree profile information from 1.4 million DNA Relative participants.
DNAR Profiles contain sensitive details including self-reported information like display names and locations, as well as shared DNA percentages for DNA Relatives matches, family names, predicted relationships and ancestry reports. Family Tree profiles contain display names and relationship labels, plus other information that a user may choose to add, including birth year and location. When the breach was first revealed in October, the company said its investigation “found that no genetic testing results have been leaked.”
According to the new filing, the data “generally included ancestry information, and, for a subset of those accounts, health-related information based upon the user’s genetics.” All of this was obtained through a credential-stuffing attack, in which hackers used login information from other, previously compromised websites to access those users’ accounts on other sites. In doing this, the filing says, “the threat actor also accessed a significant number of files containing profile information about other users’ ancestry that such users chose to share when opting in to 23andMe’s DNA Relatives feature and posted certain information online.”
Following the discovery of the breach, 23andMe instructed affected users to change their passwords and later rolled out two-factor authentication for all of its customers. In another update on Friday, 23andMe said it had completed the investigation and is notifying everyone who was affected. The company also wrote in the filing that it “believes that the threat actor activity is contained,” and is working to have the publicly-posted information taken down.
Update, December 2 2023, 7:03PM ET: This story has been updated to include information provided by a 23andMe spokesperson on the scope of the breach and the number of DNA Relative participants affected.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/23andme-hackers-accessed-ancestry-information-from-thousands-of-customers-and-their-dna-relatives-205758731.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
NameDrop is one of this year’s coolest new features for your iPhone and Apple Watch. Here’s how to get started.
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It certainly didn’t take long for AI’s other shoe to drop, what with the emergent technology already being perverted to commit confidence scams and generate spam content. We can now add censorship to that list as the Globe Gazette reports the school board of Mason City, Iowa has begun leveraging AI technology to cultivate lists of potentially bannable books from the district’s libraries ahead of the 2023/24 school year.
In May, the Republican-controlled state legislature passed, and Governor Kim Reynolds subsequently signed, Senate File 496 (SF 496), which enacted sweeping changes to the state’s education curriculum. Specifically it limits what books can be made available in school libraries and classrooms, requiring titles to be “age appropriate” and without “descriptions or visual depictions of a sex act,” per Iowa Code 702.17.
But ensuring that every book in the district’s archives adhere to these new rules is quickly turning into a mammoth undertaking. “Our classroom and school libraries have vast collections, consisting of texts purchased, donated, and found,” Bridgette Exman, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Mason City Community School District, said in a statement. “It is simply not feasible to read every book and filter for these new requirements.”
As such, the Mason City School District is bringing in AI to parse suspect texts for banned ideas and descriptions since there are simply too many titles for human reviewers to cover on their own. Per the district, a “master list” is first cobbled together from “several sources” based on whether there were previous complaints of sexual content. Books from that list are then scanned by “AI software” — the district doesn’t specify which systems will be employed — which tells the state censors whether or not there actually is a depiction of sex in the book.
“Frankly, we have more important things to do than spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to protect kids from books,” Exman told PopSci via email. “At the same time, we do have a legal and ethical obligation to comply with the law. Our goal here really is a defensible process.”
So far, the AI has flagged 19 books for removal. They are as follows:
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Sold by Patricia McCormick
A Court of Mist and Fury (series) by Sarah J. Maas
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Feed by M.T. Anderson
Friday Night Lights by Buzz Bissinger
Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mason-city-iowa-school-district-ai-book-ban-censorship-202541565.html?src=rss
Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
Having your WhatsApp chats stored in the cloud is a handy feature but backups can sometimes be a big as three or more gigabytes, depending on how long you’ve been using the messaging app and if you are saving photos and videos. That’s a lot of data to download when you are switching devices, especially […]
Come comment on this article: You can now transfer your WhatsApp chat between devices using a QR code
As (some) Brits get ready to celebrate King Charle’s Coronation tomorrow which will see the King ride around with the Queen Consort in a fancy new carriage with air-conditioning, there may be some viewers wishing they could get a closer look at the King’s Coronation Crown and other assorted Crown Jewels. If so, Sky TV […]
Come comment on this article: Check out King Charles’s Coronation Crown up close using your smartphone or tablet
US prosecutors have asked a federal court to tighten Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail conditions to prevent the disgraced entrepreneur from contacting his former colleagues. According to court documents seen by The New York Times, lawyers from the Department of Justice allege Bankman-Fried tried messaging the general counsel of FTX’s US arm over Signal and email earlier this month. The communication was “suggestive of an effort to influence Witness-1’s potential testimony,” the filing states.
“I would really love to reconnect and see if there’s a way for us to have a constructive relationship, use each other as resources when possible, or at least vet things with each other,” says one message Bankman-Fried sent, according to the Justice Department. The DOJ has asked the judge overseeing Bankman-Fried’s criminal case to bar him from contacting current and former FTX employees, as well as using Signal or any other encrypted or ephemeral messaging app. Following the request, SBF’s legal team accused federal prosecutors of trying to paint their client in the “worst possible light.” They claim Bankman-Fried tried contacting the general counsel of FTX US and CEO John Ray to offer “assistance,” not to interfere with his criminal case. His lawyers also claim a Signal ban isn’t necessary since Bankman-Fried is not using the app’s auto-delete feature.
Prosecutors allege SBF’s use of Signal is consistent with “a history” of using the app to hide his dealings at FTX. Prior to FTX’s implosion in November, Bankman-Fried and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison were reportedly part of a secret “Wirefraud” group chat on Signal. During his tenure at the exchange, SBF also allegedly directed employees to enable Signal’s disappearing messages feature.
With less than a month to go before the OnePlus 11 launch, I decided to revisit the OnePlus 10 Pro. And now I’m really worried.
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My Own Voice certainly isn’t the only voice-cloning tool out there, but what’s impressive about it is that it only needs a tiny amount of input.
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You can overhaul the look of your Apple Watch and customize it with useful information using the right watch face. We rounded up the best Apple Watch faces.
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Apple and Samsung make the best smartwatches you can buy, but what about the apps that track your health? We compare Apple Health to Samsung Health.
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As recently as early last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was considering using NSO Group’s infamous Pegasus spyware in criminal investigations, reports The New York Times. Between late 2020 and early 2021, agency officials were in the “advanced” stages of developing plans to brief FBI leadership on the software, according to internal bureau documents and court records seen by The Times. Those documents also reveal the bureau had developed guidelines for federal prosecutors detailing how the FBI’s use of Pegasus would need to be disclosed during court cases.
Based on the documents, it’s unclear if the FBI had considered using the spyware against American citizens. Earlier this year, The Times found that the agency had tested Phantom, a version of Pegasus that can target phones with US numbers.
By July 2021, the FBI eventually decided not to use Pegasus in criminal investigations. That’s the same month that The Washington Post published an investigation that claimed the software had been used to compromise the phones of two women close to murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A few months later, the US placed Pegasus creator NSO Group on the Commerce Department’s entity list, a designation that prevents US companies from conducting business with the firm. Despite the decision not to use Pegasus, the FBI indicated it remains open to using spyware in the future.
“Just because the FBI ultimately decided not to deploy the tool in support of criminal investigations does not mean it would not test, evaluate and potentially deploy other similar tools for gaining access to encrypted communications used by criminals,” states a legal briefing filed by the FBI last month.
The documents appear to present a different picture of the agency’s interest in Pegasus than the one FBI Director Chris Wray shared with Congress during a closed-doors hearing this past December. “If you mean have we used it in any of our investigations to collect or target somebody, the answer is – as I’m assured – no,” he said in response to a question from Senator Ron Wyden. “The reason why I hedge, and I want to be transparent, that we have acquired some of their tools for research and development. In other words, to be able to figure out how bad guys could use it, for example.”
By now you’ve probably heard that Google is winding down its Stadia game streaming service. We’re not going to rub salt in the wound, but since everyone’s getting full refunds for all of their Stadia purchases and hardware, no one’s coming out of this situation any worse for wear. Right? But what about all those […]
Come comment on this article: Hey Google, let us keep using Stadia controllers after you shut the service down
Former Indy Racing League competitor Sam Schmidt is continuing to break new ground for accessible driving technology. The Arrow McLaren SP team co-owner has completed the signature hill climb at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed using head movements and his breath to steer — the first time anyone has demonstrated the feature at the UK event. Schmidt drove a McLaren 720S Spider modified by Arrow Electronics to track his head using infrared cameras. He controlled acceleration and braking by inhaling and exhaling through a "sip-and-puff" device. The racer also wore a semi-autonomous exoskeleton concept, the SAM Suit, that helps him walk.
Schmidt became quadriplegic in 2000 when he injured his spinal cord in a practice lap crash. He has long been an advocate for paralysis treatment, and in 2014 partnered with Arrow to drive a Corvette using a combination of head tracking, sip-and-puff and voice controls. In 2016, became the first American with a license to use an autonomous vehicle on highways, using a Corvette to drive in Nevada.
While alternative mobility solutions can return some level of autonomy to those no longer able to operate a vehicle for one reason or another, it's not entirely clear what role Arrow's technology might play in the future. We've reached out to the company for details on where it sees projects like the SAM heading. Arrow will also be racing against self-driving tech, which is becoming closer to a practical reality, with Level 3 autonomy already reaching public roads. With that said, completely driverless cars (Level 5 autonomy) will take years to arrive.
Update 6/24/22 7:27pm ET: Reached for comment, an Arrow spokesperson told Engadget that while SAM "is not precisely open source" the tech may be "available for future development if Arrow approves."
Starting today, you can stream a free demo of Resident Evil Village from Capcom’s website, with no need for a fancy gaming PC, Xbox or PlayStation. The demo is similar to one that’s available on other platforms, which allows players to explore parts of the village and castle. This appetizer for one of last year’s biggest-selling games is powered by Immersive Stream for Games, a version of Stadia tech that Google is licensing to others.
The demo will work on just about any computer, as well as iOS and Android phones and tablets, as long as the device can handle high-definition video and you have a sturdy enough internet connection (with a download speed of at least 10Mbps). It runs on Chrome on Windows, macOS and Android. On iOS, you can try it on Safari. The resolution tops out at 1080p and there’s no HDR mode.
PlayStation DualShock 4 and Xbox One controllers are officially supported, but other peripherals might work. Alternatively, you can use touch controls on mobile or a mouse and keyboard.
As with Stadia’s click-to-play trials, there’s no need to register to play the demo. It’s worth noting that you’ll be disconnected after 10 minutes of inactivity. There’s no save function, so you’ll need to restart from the beginning if you disconnect. You can play as many times as you like and there’s no time limit, unlike previous versions of the demo.
Capcom is Google’s second partner for Immersive Stream for Games. AT&T started offering its wireless customers free access to Batman: Arkham Asylum last October and Control: Ultimate Edition last month. Capcom seems more of a natural bedfellow, though.
Back in February, Insider reported that Google was looking to secure deals with Capcom, Peloton and others to build the licensing aspect of its game-streaming business. It was suggested that Capcom might use the tech to stream demos from its website, which turned out to be the case. This could even be a precursor to Capcom running its own game streaming storefront.
In other Resident Evil Village news, Capcom is bringing the game to Mac later this year. It’s also working on a version for the upcoming PlayStation VR2 headset.
WhatsApp Stickers are a fun and unique way of interacting with friends, family, and acquaintances on WhatsApp. They’re perfect for when an emoji is unable to convey what you are feeling or how you are feeling. While there are a sea of apps that can help you make stickers on your phone, there is no […]
Come comment on this article: [Guide] How to make a WhatsApp Sticker using WhatsApp Web
Scammers used a new type of phishing campaign, which doesn't use emails, to steal around $ 500,000 worth of cryptocurrency from wallets this past weekend alone. According to Check Point Research, those bad actors purchased Google Ads placements for their fraudulent websites that imitate popular wallets, such as Phantom App and MetaMask. The malicious websites have URLs close to the original's, such as "phantonn.app" — the real service's URL is "phantom.app" — with designs also copied from the real deal.
The scammers will then steal the victim's passphrase if they visit the fake website and type it in. If the victim uses the fake website to create a new wallet, they will be given the attacker's secret recovery phrase. In the event that they use the recovery phrase to log in, they'll actually be logging into the bad actor's account, and any fund transferred to it will go to the scammer. For MetaMask, in particular, the fake website has the option to import an existing wallet. Since doing so requires a seed phrase, the scammers will also get access to it.
As Check Point Research explains, the Phantom App and MetaMask are some of the most popular wallets for Solana and Ethereum. It cross-referenced Reddit forums to come to the conclusion that around half a million dollars were stolen last weekend alone, and it found 11 compromised wallet accounts containing crypto worth between $ 1,000 and $ 10,000. The scammers had already withdrawn funds from those wallets before CPR found them.
CPR says scamming groups are now bidding on keywords on Google Ads, which is a testament to how effective the method is. It's now advising users to examine the wallet's URL closely and to skip Google Ads results altogether so as not to unknowingly fall for the scam.
On paper, 5G rollout is increasing in the U.S., but consumer-focused mobile subscriptions are still lagging. We asked the experts to find out why.
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The highlight of almost any sushi platter is the fatty tuna. Finding that perfect cut of tuna that melts in your mouth is something that fish buyers spend years of their life learning how to do. But now a Japanese advertising agency named Dentsu Inc…
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The PlayStation 2 is over 20 years old, but it’s still difficult to hack if you want to run homebrew games without tweaking the hardware. You usually need to install a modchip, buy a specially-configured memory card or even pry the system open to blo…
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The OnePlus Z is leaking again, but this time we’ve actually got something interesting to talk about. The phone was originally tipped to a use a MediaTek Dimensity 1000 CPU, which was believable; OnePlus has always used Qualcomm processors, but MediaTek’s latest offering is a pretty solid bang for the buck without compromising performance. This […]
Come comment on this article: Latest leak says OnePlus Z will be using a Snapdragon 765 CPU, not a MediaTek chip
The new iPhone SE shares more with the iPhone 8 than a few common parts. An iFixit teardown of the SE has revealed that its internal design is highly similar to its 2017 ancestor, including the camera. Despite some hopes that the SE might be using th…
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The switch from real-life racing to esports has been increasingly popular with viewers — NBC reports that last weekend’s iRacing Indycar Challenge at MIS brought in 25 percent more viewers than the first event — but slightly tricky for racers. Not be…
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Tesla’s EV plants are shuttered due to the coronavirus, but like other automakers, it’s retooling its operations to build ventilators. Now, the company has released a YouTube video showing a prototype built with EV parts including the Model 3’s displ…
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In a recent post, I asked if Huawei is still relevant in the west considering that the US ban is still in effect but maybe the better question to ask would have been if Huawei would return to using Google’s apps and services if or when the ban is lifted. According to Huawei’s Product Manager […]
Come comment on this article: Huawei says it may ‘never’ return to using Google apps on its phones, even if the ban is lifted
Facebook isn't the only company struggling over the prospect of end-to-end encryption in messaging apps, as a report from Yahoo Sports cites examples from "every level of sport" turning to encrypted messaging. While Whatsapp and iMessage provide encr…
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Google has produced quite a lot of Home Minis since its 2017 debut, resulting in semi-frequent discounts and giveaways. We’re fast approaching the date of a new model (Nest Mini) and there’s likely ample stock that still needs to move. If you’re a YouTube Premium or Assistant user, you just might snag one for free. […]
Come comment on this article: You might score a free Google Home Mini if you’re using Assistant or YouTube Premium
Investigators have used genealogy sites to solve a string of cold cases in recent years, but the US hasn't really had a firm stance on how and when to use those sites. There's now a basic framework in place, however. The Justice Department has esta…
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Feature phones still have a place in the market, however small. In countries like the US, there’s still some small demand for a phone that’s a little more basic without all the bells and whistles of something like a Galaxy S10, and in emerging markets there’s a need for devices that are less expensive and […]
Come comment on this article: Nokia is bringing the feature phone back, but this time they’re using Android, too
The ransomware attacks in Baltimore and other US cities appear to have a common thread: they're using NSA tools on the agency's home soil. In-the-know security experts talking to the New York Times said the malware in the cyberattacks is using the NS…
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If you are a fan of the Carmen Sandiego program on Netflix and love solving puzzles, then this could be the game you’ve been waiting for. Google has introduced The Crown Jewels Caper which is the first in a series of Carmen Sandiego games using Google Earth as the framework. The aim of the game […]
Come comment on this article: Track down Carmen Sandiego using Google Earth
Microsoft is testing some privacy and notification features in its latest Windows 10 Insider preview for Fast Ring users. A previous build added an icon to the notification area that tells you when your microphone is in use, and the newest update wil…
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Hundreds of millions of dollars have been stolen through a fraudulent advertising network comprised of over 125 Android apps and websites. A report from BuzzFeed exposed the scheme in which scammers from “We Purchase Apps” took possession of established apps from developers and transferred them to front and shell companies in Cyprus, Malta, British Virgin Islands, […]
Come comment on this article: Millions of dollars stolen in huge ad scam using Android apps
When LG officially announces the LG V40 on October 3rd, one of the features they are sure to highlight will be the triple lens camera. The triple lenses are unique – for now – but outside of being different, they will only really add value to the smartphone if they help people do things better […]
Come comment on this article: LG V40 adds cinemagraph feature using new triple lens camera
Google's data centers hold thousands of servers and they power everything from Google Search to Gmail to YouTube. But those data centers need to be kept cool in order for those servers to run reliably. A couple of years ago, Google began applying AI…
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A sample of the screen of the Galaxy Note 9 has leaked online, confirming that Samsung will be sticking with a very similar design that they’ve been using for the past couple of years. Normally, that’s not really a big deal and would honestly be a boring story, but it’s 2018 and it’s an absolute […]
Come comment on this article: Samsung won’t be using a notch in the Galaxy Note 9
AI is becoming so common that it's almost boring. While we're seeing some surprising new projects using AI, including detecting movement through walls and predicting that Brazil will be the winner of this year's World Cup, other companies are using t…
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Rob Anderson is a geek. So he makes chocolate for other geeks, or, more accurately, "people who really like chocolate and geek out about it." What does he mean by that? If you change one step of the chocolate-making process, you change the taste of…
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Your phone is likely your most valued possession. It goes everywhere with you, and you do everything with it. So don’t leave it wide open for attacks that could compromise your personal information. Get a 3-year subscription to Zemana Mobile Antivirus on Talk Android Deals at an exclusive price. Protects your phone 24/7 from viruses, […]
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Protect your phone using Zemana Mobile Antivirus (66% off)
On Talk Android Deals you can gain access to thousands of courses to diversify your resume. Here’s what you get from the library of the Virtual Training Company: Get lifetime access to 1,026 courses on any topic available at the time of purchase Learn from industry experts in their respective fields Download work files to […]
Come comment on this article: [TA Deals] Keep your resume diversified after using the Virtual Training Company (96% off)
3D printing is a massive category that covers everything from small, DIY, plastic projects to metal meant to be used in Boeing's 787 airplane. Yet another usage has come to light, courtesy of the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands….
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If you're going to 3D-print rocket parts, you'd want to make them out of metal to handle the stress, right? Not necessarily. MIT has successfully test-fired what it believes is the first completely 3D-printed rocket motor to be made with plastic casi…
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Your PIN code might be frighteningly easy to crack. Researchers at Newcastle University showed how a phone’s gyroscope and other sensors, along with special software, could crack it.
The post Scientists just proved your phone’s PIN can be cracked using its gyroscope data appeared first on Digital Trends.
If you get arrested in New Jersey, you could find yourself either approved or denied bail based on the recommendation of an algorithm. And, believe it or not, it could help banish bias.
The post Computer says no: New Jersey is using an algorithm to make bail recommendations appeared first on Digital Trends.
MicroSD cards can be super helpful in allowing you to store all your files locally and without using the cloud — but they can sometimes be a little complex, too. Here’s everything you need to know about using a MicroSD card with your Android phone.
The post Everything you need to know about using a MicroSD card on Android appeared first on Digital Trends.
WhatsApp users should tread carefully. Hackers are now using the messaging platform to send viruses through legit-looking Word documents. Two viruses have been identified in India, a hotbed of low-end Android devices.
The post Hackers are now using WhatsApp to target unsuspecting users appeared first on Digital Trends.