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Apple won't assist the Republican convention due to Trump
Apple has made a number of firm political stands ever since Tim Cook took the helm, and it's not about to back down any time soon. Politico sources (backed by in-the-know journalist John Paczkowski) say that Apple won't provide funding or other support for the Republican Party's July presidential convention due to Donald Trump's policies. Reportedly, his attitudes toward immigrants, minorities and women are beyond the pale -- although Apple has been willing to court Republicans in the past (Cook met with House GOP bigwigs in 2015), Trump is just too extreme for the company's tastes. Apple has declined to comment to Politico so far.
DNC accuses Russian hackers of stealing opposition research
The Democratic National Committee reports that its entire database of opposition research into Donald Trump was compromised and accessed by Russian hackers. That includes all email and chat logs as well, according to security experts who responded to the data breach. Officials first noticed "unusual network activity" in late April and believe that the hackers may have gained entry through a targeted spearphishing campaign. What's more, this appears to be just one of a number of recent incursions by the Russians who, in recent months, have reportedly hacked Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's campaigns as well as a few GOP superPACS.
Republican budget proposal would gut net neutrality
It's no secret that the Republican Party hates net neutrality regulation, but it's now ready to raise the stakes. House GOP members have drafted a 2017 budget proposal that would neuter some of the FCC's bigger telecom initiatives, at least for a while. On top of cutting the FCC's budget by $69 million, it would prevent the FCC from enforcing its net neutrality rules until some court cases wind down -- which, knowing the legal system, could take years. You could also forget about short-term attempts to open up competition for TV set-top boxes, as the legislation would prevent the FCC from taking action on its set-top rule until a study finishes.
Senate committee looks into Facebook's news filtering methods
It's not just your right-leaning friends worried that Facebook is pruning conservative perspectives out of its Trending News section. The US Senate's Commerce Committee (led by Republican John Thune) has sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg asking him to answer questions about Facebook's news curation methods. The group wants the social network to not only explain its news curation methods and policies, but show how it's investigating alleged exclusions of conservative stories. Does it keep records of the judgment calls that curators make, for example?
Iowa GOP website exposes voter records for 2 million people
The Iowa caucuses may be over, the state's Republican party still has its hands full. Wall Street Journal reports that the website for the Republican Party of Iowa had a security flaw that exposed voter information for around 2 million people. Names, phone numbers, addresses, birth dates, party affiliations and voter records for registered Republicans, Democrats and Independents were all part of an unencrypted database left open on the site. Voter records don't list who someone voted for, only if they voted. However, the leaving personal details out for the taking is certainly troubling.
Sony reaches multi-million dollar settlement with ex-employees over hack
Nearly a year after being infiltrated and bullied by hacker group GOP (Guardians of Peace), Sony is still feeling the effects of the breach. One of the larger issues the company has had to contend with is former employees suing it claiming it didn't do enough to protect their data. According to a filing on Monday, those employees and Sony have come to an agreement. The multi-million dollar settlement includes a $2 million fund to reimburse victims that are part of the class action for any expenses they've incurred protecting themselves from identity theft as a result of the hack up to $1,000 each. Sony will also pay up to $10,000 per person for losses as a result of identity theft up to $2.5 million. Sony will also bear the costs of the suit including attorney's fees up to $3,490,000. The terms of the settlement still need to be approved by the court. [Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
The GOP version of net neutrality leaves out Title II
While the FCC gets ready to vote on its new plan for net neutrality next month, a couple of Republicans in Congress are already showing off their own plan. Senator Jon Thune (R, SD) and Representative Fred Upton (R, MI) published an op-ed today outlining a proposal that they claim protects internet users while also spurring job creation and economic growth. They have 11 principles it should follow which include blocking, throttling and any kind of paid prioritization, however it differs from the approach backed by President Obama (surprise!) by classifying internet access as an information service under the Communications Act. It also mentions blocking the FCC from using Title II as a way to increase regulation over internet services by treating them as a utility, which some believe FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler will try to do at the vote next month.
George R.R. Martin and indie cinemas want 'The Interview' to live on
Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has called the cancellation of Sony's The Interview "a stunning display of cowardice," and says he'd be glad to show it in his own theater, the Jean Cocteau Cinema in New Mexico. Like other celebrities (including George Clooney), the Game of Thrones author is critical of both the chains and Sony itself, but the comments posted to his blog are particularly pointed. He says "it's a good thing these guys weren't around when Charlie Chaplin made The Great Dictator. If Kim Jong-Un scares them, Adolf Hitler would have had them shitting in their smallclothes." He ends the post saying "come to Santa Fe, Seth [Rogen], we'll show your film for you."
Sony Pictures cancels 'The Interview' theatrical release (update)
Threats posted by the people behind the unprecedented hacking of Sony Pictures appear to have had the desired effect. The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter both state, based on anonymous sources, that the largest movie chains will not debut the movie next week. Carmike Cinemas said that it would not be showing the film, while the sources indicate they will be joined by AMC, Cinemark, Regal and Cineplex. In a statement to THR, Regal cited Sony Pictures' 'wavering support' for the film, as well as the threats, as the reason it decided to delay the film's opening. According to Variety, one possibility is to release the movie straight to video on-demand, but so far Sony Pictures has not commented publicly. Update: According to CNN's Pamela Brown, Sony Pictures has pulled the plug and will not premiere The Interview on December 25th as it originally planned. In a statement (included after the break), the company said "In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release." Meanwhile, another movie set in North Korea starring Steve Carell that was about to go into production has been cancelled. Update 2: According to media reports, the US government will publicly identify North Korea as the source of the cyberattacks. Update 3: According to the LA Times, Sony Pictures says it currently has no plans to release The Interview in any form, including straight to DVD/Blu-ray, VOD or subscription streaming.
Engadget Daily: ASUS ZenWatch review, the Sony Pictures hack and more!
Not ready to splurge $300+ on a smartwatch that you'd actually wear to a business meeting? The $200 ASUS ZenWatch might be just for you -- as long as you don't mind its humdrum battery life and slightly erratic heart rate monitor. Head down to the gallery below for our review of the super-sleek wearable, everything you need to know about the Sony Pictures hack, and more.
Sony Pictures hack takes computers down studio-wide
As a whole, Sony isn't a stranger to being hacked, but the most recent effort targeted its movie division -- not PlayStation. Computers in Sony Pictures offices have been compromised, as Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety report. Studio-wide, computers were breached by a group named "#GOP" that threatened the following: "We already warned you, and this is just a beginning. We continue till our request be met. We've obtained all of your internal data including your secrets and top secrets. If you don't obey us, we'll release the data shown below to the world."
Proposed GOP bill excludes violent software makers from tax credit
The recently revealed Tax Reform Act of 2014 by House Republicans has caught the attention of some folks in these here parts for preventing makers of violent video games from qualifying for tax credits. The Washington Examiner correctly points out that in the bill's executive summary (a fancy term for overview) that violent video games are specifically called out. The Entertainment Software Association, the US trade organization that puts on the annual E3 show in Los Angeles tells Joystiq, "This industry, like all software developers who would be impacted under this proposal, invests billions of dollars every year in research and development and this proposal threatens American technological advancement and economic growth. We look forward to continuing to educate policymakers on our societal and economic contributions and the need to preserve and expand this unique industry." Although the executive summary mentions video games, the actual bill's language doesn't. However, it does exclude software development from the tax credit, which would be an even bigger issue. [Image: Pixel-3D via Shutterstock]
Google named official social platform of 2012 Republican National Convention
It's no secret that Big G's tight with the federal government, whether it's White House staff hanging out on Google +, or the company giving us all a personal tour of Obama's abode. This time around, though, Larry Page & Co. have announced a partnership with the GOP which makes Mountain View the official social platform and livestream provider of the upcoming Republican National Convention. Essentially, this means Republicans at the gathering will use sites like YouTube and Google+ to stream live events and pop in at the occasional Hangout. That said, it wouldn't surprise us if attendees dabbled in that other social network, as it's no stranger to politics, either. Too bad Santorum's not around to try on those snorkeling goggles...
