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NTSB says Tesla's Autopilot was active during fatal Model 3 crash
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report that Tesla's Autopilot system was active at the time of a fatal Model 3 crash in Delray Beach, Florida. Data showed the car's driver, who died in the March 1st incident, activated Autopilot around 10 seconds before the collision. In the approximately eight seconds before the Tesla crashed into a semi truck, the car didn't detect the driver's hands on the wheel.
Florida governor says Russians accessed voter databases in 2016
Hackers from Russia gained access to voter databases in two Florida counties before the 2016 presidential election, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. While the hackers didn't compromise election results or manipulate any data, the fact that they gained access at all is significant.
Adults are the only ones who fell for the Momo hoax
Oh man, we really do live on the dumbest timeline. You probably recognize the horrifying visage you see above: it's Momo, the mascot for the internet's newest outrage sensation. The Momo Challenge, as it's called, reportedly encourages children and teens to commit increasingly brazen acts of self-harm and criminality. It's also a complete and utter, laughably obvious hoax. Your kids are fine, literally nobody on the entire internet has fallen for this -- except, well, countless adults, law enforcement agencies, news outlets and school districts. You know, the responsible folks. The Momo in the picture, it should be noted, is real. The figure is not digitally generated, nor is it photoshopped. "Momo" actually exists as a static sculpture, dubbed "Mother Bird," and was created by Japanese artist Keisuke Aisawa, who made it for his employer: the special effects company, Link Factory. It was first displayed in a Tokyo horror-art gallery back in 2016. View this post on Instagram 台風だから幽霊の絵見てきた 幽霊はいいぞ #幽霊画廊 #猫将軍 A post shared by さとう【生ビール嫌い】 (@j_s_rock) on Aug 22, 2016 at 7:13am PDT During its run at the gallery, visitors snapped pictures of the sculpture, officially titled "Mother Bird," and posted them to Instagram. Eventually the images made their way to Reddit's r/creepy forum where it was further disseminated across the internet, all the while morphing into the Momo Challenge. Momo made her first appearance in the mainstream early last year after authorities in Argentina warned of a "WhatsApp terror game" following the suicide of a 12-year-old girl. In the following months, the rumor of "El Momo" made waves in Mexico before eventually landing on news desks here in the US that fall. By that point, school officials and local police departments were claiming that Momo was being spliced into children's programming on YouTube and spread among WhatsApp users. The panic even spread to the UK at the start of 2019 before hopping the pond back to the United States late last month. At the end of February, a Twitter user going by Wanda Maximoff issued the following warning in a now-deleted tweet, The Atlantic reports, "Warning! Please read, this is real. There is a thing called 'Momo' that's instructing kids to kill themselves. INFORM EVERYONE YOU CAN." That tweet was viewed more than 22,000 times over the next few days before exploding onto the mainstream consciousness thanks to Kim Kardashian discussing the Challenge with her 129 million-odd Instagram followers. Yet despite there being no confirmed cases of kids and teens even participating in this activity -- much less dying from it -- adults and authority figures around the country have flipped out, rushing to protect children from an online menace that doesn't actually exist. What we have here is a full-blown moral panic. I wish I could tell you that moral panics were something new but, as Chris Ferguson, professor and co-chair of psychology at Florida's Stetson University, explains to Engadget, they've been around for millenia. "I mean, you can see narratives in Plato's dialogues where Athenians are talking about Greek plays -- that they're going to be morally corrupting, that they're going to cause delinquency in kids," Ferguson points out. "That's why Socrates was killed, right? Essentially, that his his ideas were going to corrupt the youth of Athens. Socrates was the Momo challenge of his day." Unfortunately, humanity appears to still be roughly as gullible as we were in the 5th century BC as new moral panics crop up with uncanny regularity. In recent decades we've seen panics about Dungeons and Dragons leading to Satanism, hidden messages in Beatles songs, killer forest clowns, the Blue Whale, the Knockout Game, and the Tide Pod Challenge. Despite the unique nature of threat presented in each panic, this phenomenon follows a pair of basic motifs, Ferguson explained. "There's this inherent protectiveness of kids," he said. "There's also the sense of like, kids are idiots and therefore adults have to step in and 'do something' -- hence the idea that your teenager can simply watch a YouTube video and then suddenly want to kill themselves. It's ridiculous if you think about if for 30 seconds but, nonetheless, this is an appealing sort of narrative." "There's the general sense of teens behaving badly and technology oftentimes being the culprit in some way or another," Ferguson continued. "It just seems that we're kind of wired, particularly as we get older, to be more and more suspicious of technology and popular culture." That is due, in part, because the popular culture right now isn't the popular culture that the people in power grew up with. It's a "kids today with their music and their hair" situation, Ferguson argues. He points out that "Mid-adult mammals tend to be the most dominant in social species," but as they age, their power erodes until they are forced out of their position by a younger, fitter rival. "As we get older, eventually we're going to become less and less relevant," he said. Faced with that prospect, older members of society may begin to view fresh ideas and new technologies as evidence of society's overall moral decline. kids: we're afraid of dying because of climate change boomers: that's ridiculous! we're afraid a Japanese half-woman half-bird sculpture is trying to kill you through the internet — Notorious Sexual Freak Mrs. Beverly Bighead (@mechapoetic) March 2, 2019 When presented with unfamiliar tech and notions, "we may have the sense that we're losing control of culture gradually," Ferguson speculates. "That makes [moral panicking] easy for us because of that anxiety to push back against anything new." Conversely, the motivations for people to commit these hoaxes is depressingly straightforward: it's fun being a jerk online. Trolling folks into believing that a nightmarish chicken lady is grooming your kids for suicide by targeting their Peppa Pig videos is done for a variety of reasons: simple amusement, as attention seeking behavior, or as an act of revenge. "I think sometimes people like to start these things because they want the reaction," Ferguson said. "They want to feel like they're smarter than all these knuckleheads," who fell for their ruse. Unfortunately, in today's social media landscape where attention serves as the de facto currency, simply ignoring the trolls -- hoping that they'll get bored and quit -- isn't likely to happen. And for as long as people keep reproducing, society will be faced with intergenerational strife as "the kids with their music and their hair" grow up, rightfully displace their elders and assert themselves as gatekeepers of the dominant culture. Even when faced with their own mortality and declining social influence, today's panic stricken adults do still have a quantum of solace: Aisawa announced earlier this week that, in the wake of the Momo Challenge fallout, he has destroyed the original sculpture. "It doesn't exist anymore, it was never meant to last," Aisawa told The Sun. "It was rotten and I threw it away. The children can be reassured Momo is dead – she doesn't exist and the curse is gone."
Man sentenced to 65 months in prison over phone 'cloning' scheme
The US is tying loose ends on an elaborate cellphone crime spree. A Florida judge has sentenced Braulio De la Cruz Vasquez to 65 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges he worked with four co-conspirators (who've already pleaded guilty) as part of a ring that would 'clone' phones and use them for international calls. De la Cruz would receive identifying information linked to wireless subscribers' accounts and use that to "reprogram" cellphones he controlled. After that, his partners would send international calls to his home internet connection and route them through the hijacked phones, making the unwitting victims pay for others' calls.
Police expose SIM card hijacking ring
There's a good chance you've had to ask your carrier for a SIM swap, whether it's to replace a faulty card or to switch to another size (say, from micro SIM to nano SIM). Crooks, however, are increasingly abusing those swaps to steal from unsuspecting cellphone users. Florida police have arrested Ricky Handschumacher on grand theft, money laundering and unauthorized computer access charges after law enforcement across the country discovered evidence of a fraud ring that relied on SIM hijacking.
Senator says Russia has ‘penetrated’ Florida election systems
Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) told the Tampa Bay Times today that Russian operatives have "penetrated" Florida election systems. "They have already penetrated certain counties in the state and they now have free rein to move about," Nelson said. The remarks reportedly caused a stir among the state's election officials, who are busy preparing for midterm elections in November. Because despite today's statements and ongoing concerns over election security, state leaders don't appear to be keeping election officials in the loop. "There has been no current communication with anyone about any breach or problem," Okaloosa Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux told the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida is appointing a cryptocurrency czar
Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis believes his state needs to start keeping a closer eye on cryptocurrency and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). That's why he created a position for a state-specific cryptocurrency czar who'll be in charge of looking at how current securities and insurance laws apply to digital currencies and ICOs. The official will also help conjure up crypto regulations for the state. In addition, all ICO and cryptocurrency companies based in Florida will now be required to register with the Office of Financial Regulation and will be under the supervision of the new czar.
US will test expanded drone use in 10 states
The US government is making good on its promise to expand the use of drones. The Department of Transportation has named the 10 projects that will participate in its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program, and they represent a wide swath of the country. Most of them are municipal or state government bodies, including the cities of Reno and San Diego, Memphis' County Airport Authority and the Transportation Departments for Kansas, North Carolina and North Dakota. However, the rest are notable: the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma will be part of the program, as will the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and Virginia Tech.
Twitter will broadcast local TV news to avoid misinformation
In an effort to curb the spread of misinformation, Twitter will begin broadcasting local TV news alongside the timeline when tragedy strikes. The microblogging service tested the feature yesterday, streaming news coverage of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Miami. As Buzzfeed News reports, once you click on the live videos on the timeline, you'll be taken to another timeline populated by tweets about whatever's happening on the news.
Florida phishing attack exposes data for 30,000 Medicaid recipients
Large-scale medical hacks are horrible in themselves, but sometimes it's the ease of the hacks that's scary -- and Florida knows this first-hand. The state's Agency for Health Care Administration has warned that a phishing attack compromised data for as many as 30,000 Medicaid recipients. One of its staffers fell for a "malicious phishing email" on November 15th, giving hackers access not only to identifying info like names, addresses and Medicaid ID numbers, but also diagnoses and medical conditions. A would-be fraudster would theoretically have almost everything they could want.
Florida may finally implement full ban on texting while driving
There are 43 states that currently treat texting while driving as a primary offense, but Florida isn't one of them -- you have to break another law before texting enters the picture. However, less-than-attentive commuters might not get away with it for much longer. The state legislature is about to consider a bill that would make texting a primary offense. In other words, officers could finally pull drivers over without waiting until they speed or otherwise put other road-goers at risk.
SpaceX launches NASA resupply mission with reused rocket and capsule
Today SpaceX launched its first reused rocket for NASA. Both the Falcon 9 rocket itself and the Dragon capsule have been used prior to this resupply mission. Back in June, Elon Musk's spacefaring venture put a reused capsule in orbit, but this trip to the International Space Station marks the first time that NASA has used a "flight proven" booster on a mission (read: reused) according to CNBC. Based on the livestream, everything seems to have gone well: SpaceX successfully landed the rocket, which means it could potentially make its third flight in the future.
A lawsuit almost stalled NASA's Cassini mission
Capt. Scott Kelly wasn't kidding when he famously quipped that "space is hard." Even getting to the launch pad can prove to be a daunting challenge. Take the Cassini mission to study Saturn, for example. Despite an investment of $3.4 billion and nearly a decade of development, Cassini wound up being very nearly scuttled at the last minute by protesters who thought they knew better than a federal agency that has put multiple men on the moon. Geez guys, it was just 73 pounds of plutonium riding aboard that Saturn orbiter -- it wouldn't have caused that much damage had something gone horribly wrong at launch.
Tesla extends range on cars to help owners avoid Hurricane Irma
Tesla may have software-limited the battery capacities of some cars to upsell owners to pricier trim levels, but it's now clear that the company is willing to lift that limit during a crisis. The EV maker has confirmed to Electrek that it temporarily unlocked the full battery capacity on 60kWh Model S and Model X cars in Florida to give them the full 75kWh and help them escape Hurricane Irma. As you might guess, the extra range (about 30 to 40 miles) could be vital -- in one case, it helped an owner in a mandatory evacuation area optimize his escape route and get out in a timely fashion.
Florida Gov: Use Google Maps for real-time road closure updates
Google and Florida have teamed up to make Maps a much more useful resource for the state's evacuation plans in preparation for Hurricane Irma's arrival. Florida Governor Rick Scott has advised residents to use various apps and websites to help them navigate their way if they have to leave their homes due to the category 5 storm expected to hit the state this weekend. One of those apps is Google Maps, and the big G promises to mark closed roads in it as soon as its emergency response team notifies the company.
Tweets will be official presidential records if the Covfefe Act passes
America's 45th president has a habit of writing and then deleting his social media posts and US Representative Mike Quigley wants him to stop. As such, Quigley on Monday introduced legislation to force the National Archives to include "social media" as part of the Presidential Records Act and he's calling it the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement, or "Covfefe" Act.
Soon cops will search your phone just like your car
Imagine a routine traffic stop during which the officer has the legal right to search not just your car, but your phone too. That's where we're likely headed: A Florida court recently denied Fifth Amendment protections for iPhone passcodes, saying suspects must now reveal them to police. The decision came after a previous court had ruled that a suspect couldn't be compelled to give up the key to unlock his phone based on laws against self-incrimination.
Florida court rules police can demand your phone's passcode
A Florida man arrested for third-degree voyeurism using his iPhone 5 initially gave police verbal consent to search the smartphone, but later rescinded permission before divulging his 4-digit passcode. Even with a warrant, they couldn't access the phone without the combination. A trial judge denied the state's motion to force the man to give up the code, considering it equal to compelling him to testify against himself, which would violate the Fifth Amendment. But the Florida Court of Appeals' Second District reversed that decision today, deciding that the passcode is not related to criminal photos or videos that may or may not exist on his iPhone.
ICYMI: Genetically-modified mosquitoes are coming
try{document.getElementById("aol-cms-player-1").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Voters in the Florida Keys may have passed a measure to use bioengineered mosquitoes to combat the Zika virus and Dengue fever, but it's still a battle to get a community to accept the insects. The FDA has approved use of altered bugs that are designed to mate, which would then result in offspring that would quickly die. You can get caught up on the back-and-forth, here.
Florida voters conflicted over Zika-fighting mosquitoes
You can't just go and release genetically-modified mosquitoes into the environment without making sure people are okay with it -- regardless of how badly we need a way to eradicate the Zika virus. In Tuesday's election, 65 percent of Florida residents in the city of Key Haven voted against a ballot measure that'd sanction such a test, according to MIT Technology Review. Meanwhile, some 58 percent of voters in the county that Key Haven is a part of, Monroe County, voted in favor of the test. Now it's up to the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District Board of Commissioners (FKMCDBC) to make a decision.
