Hyperloop One, the firm that wants to build a futuristic super-fast transport system, has announced that the first version may connect Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In a video, it promised journey times of 12 minutes between the two cities. The technology is still in testing phase so details of the deal were sketchy. Initially, it will explore the feasibility of…
Continue reading the "Hyperloop may become reality in Dubai" »
The use of camera drones has been made illegal in Sweden unless they are granted a special surveillance permit. Under new rules set down by the Supreme Administrative Court of Sweden, camera drones qualify as surveillance cameras and require a license. Permits can be expensive and paying to apply for one does not guarantee it will eventually be granted. There…
Continue reading the "Sweden bans cameras on drones" »
Hackers unleashed a complex attack on the internet through common devices like webcams and digital recorders and cut access to some of the world’s best known websites on Friday, a stunning breach of global internet stability. The attacks struck Twitter, Paypal, Spotify and other customers of an infrastructure company in New Hampshire called Dyn, which acts as a switchboard for…
Continue reading the "Cyber attacks disrupt PayPal, Twitter, other sites" »
BERLIN — It started with an email in early 2015: “Hello, this is John Doe. Interested in data?” “We are very interested,” replied a journalist in Munich. The exchange resulted in internal documents from Mossack Fonseca — a Panama law firm that creates anonymous offshore companies around the world — being sent to staff at the Süddeutsche Zeitung, a large German daily. The newspaper had been…
Continue reading the "The story behind the Panama Papers leak" »
Marc Newlin and Balint Seeber are checking how far apart they can be while still being able to hack into each other’s computers. It turns out its pretty far – 180 meters – the length of a city block in San Francisco. The pair work for Bastille, a startup cyber security company that has uncovered a flaw they say leaves…
Continue reading the "Wireless mice leave billions at risk of computer hack" »
Google Offers 2GB of Free Drive Space… If You Complete ‘Security Checkup’ You may not be aware, but it’s “Safer Internet Day” out there — not a federal holiday by any means, but as good a time as any to make sure you’re staying safe online. And Google is dangling a little extra treat for anyone willing to do a…
Continue reading the "Google Offers 2GB of Free Drive Space" »
Here’s a modern twist on an old defense: The app made him do it. The Uber driver charged with killing six people and wounding two in Kalamazoo, Michigan, last month told detectives that the car service’s mobile phone application turned him into “a puppet” and that he wasn’t sure “how much he had or had not done.” According to police…
Continue reading the "Kalamazoo Massacre: Uber Driver Says He Was ‘Taken Over’ by App" »
There’s now a legitimate reason to bring your phone into the bathroom: to help you correctly brush your teeth. Oral-B just introduced a new “smart” toothbrush named the Genius, which works in tandem with a special app to record metrics such as interdental cleaning, pressure applied, brushing duration, and tongue cleanliness. Oral-B unveiled the high-tech tooth tool at Mobile World…
Continue reading the "From Candy Crush to Candy Brush" »
SEOUL, South Korea — A champion Go player scored his first win over Go-playing computer software on Sunday after losing three straight times in the ancient Chinese game. Lee Sedol’s victory over AlphaGo served as a reminder that Google’s Go-playing program is not perfect and has room for improvement. Lee had said that he lost earlier games because he could…
Continue reading the "Human Go Player Finally Beats AlphaGo Software" »
Friction between tech companies and law enforcement over data access and encryption is heating up around the world. Apple and the FBI are in a widely watched standoff, and a similar situation is unfolding in Brazil with WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook (FB, Tech30). At issue: Authorities in Brazil think information transmitted through WhatsApp could help in a criminal…
Continue reading the "Facebook and WhatsApp might be the next Apple" »