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John McAfee claims he can read encrypted messages on Android (updated)
John McAfee is already many things -- entrepreneur, presidential hopeful, alleged criminal. However, you might have to add one more item to that list: the co-discoverer of a potentially major Android security flaw. He and a team in Colorado claim to have found a hole in Google's mobile platform that lets them read encrypted WhatsApp messages (and those from other services, for that matter), rendering its privacy safeguards pointless. McAfee is saying precious little about how the intrusion works, but he supposedly gave Cybersecurity Ventures enough details to suggest that the story might hold up.
John McAfee says he'll have 'no problem' becoming president
You know that it's a topsy-turvy year when John McAfee isn't the most preposterous candidate vying for the White House. The antivirus millionaire has been talking up his chances with US News and believes that he'll have "no problem" becoming president. He feels that America's dissatisfaction with the current political process gives a third-party candidate like himself a genuine shot at the title. In fact, he feels that if he can't win in 2016, then "the Libertarians should just give up."
John McAfee on his new startup and why he should be president
Perhaps the only way John McAfee could surprise us again is by doing something as pedestrian as joining another tech company. These days, he's more known for his love of guns and drugs, not to mention fleeing Belize after getting involved in a murder case. McAfee has since settled in Lexington, Tenn., and he's diving back into the tech world with his incubator Future Tense Central.
John McAfee is running for president in 2016
Oddball anti-virus software pioneer and self-described "eccentric millionaire" Joh McAfee is throwing his hat into the increasingly crowded field of candidates for the 2016 presidential election. The Hill reports that McAfee filed paperwork to run for president with the Federal Election Commission today and says that campaign director Kyle Sandler confirmed the application's authenticity. Shortly afterwards, McAfee himself launched what appears to be a new campaign website and said on Twitter that he'd make an "official announcement" tomorrow at 6PM ET.
John McAfee wants to NSA-proof the internet with a device called Decentral
The name McAfee is synonymous with the ubiquitous anti-virus software, but in recent years, John McAfee has kept a relatively low profile in the tech industry, preferring instead to take up leisurely pursuits like yoga and evading Belizean police. Until now. Last Saturday, McAfee took the stage at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center to announce his intention to design and manufacture Decentral, a pocket-sized device priced at around $100 that would, in theory, make it difficult for governmental agencies to snoop on your online activities by creating so-called floating networks. According to the San Jose Mercury News, McAfee told an eclectic crowd of engineers and artists, "There will be no way [for the government] to tell who you are or where you are." A gadget like Decentral does sound like a bit of a timely pipe dream, and McAfee admits that the prototype has yet to be produced. But, hey, if you can dream it, then maybe, just maybe, McAfee can do it.
The Engadget Show 45: Security with Cory Doctorow, John McAfee, Microsoft, the EFF and more!
Welcome to the wild world of security and surveillance. From CCTV to massive government spying initiatives, there's no escaping it. Recent high-profile leaks have served as a sobering reminder of just how present it is in all of our lives, so we figured what better time to take a deep dive? We kick things off with one of the strangest (and raciest) segments in Engadget Show history: a visit to the set of John McAfee's latest web video. The one-time security software guru and fugitive discusses the state of antivirus, bath salts and offers some unsolicited advice to Edward Snowden, one exile to another. Trevor Timm of the Electronic Frontier Foundation sits down for an animated discussion of recent NSA surveillance revelations, including a breakdown of which major tech companies are doing right by their user base. Boing Boing editor, sci-fi author and privacy activist Cory Doctorow climbs a tree in San Diego to discuss Wikileaks, the NSA, the "surveillance state" and more. "Edward Snowden is a hero," he begins, not speaking on behalf of the EFF, mind you -- and things get really good from there. Cryptographer and computer security specialist Bruce Schneier also chimes in on wiretapping, whistleblowing and "security theater." Next up, we pay a visit to The New Yorker's midtown office to talk Strong Box, the magazine's secure deposit box for anonymous whistleblowers. The team behind Ubisoft's Watch Dogs joins us to discuss partnering with computer security company Kaspersky to bring a realistic portrait of the world of hacking to its much anticipated title. And one-time hacker turned head of security community outreach at Microsoft, Katie Moussouris, discusses Redmond's Bluehat bounty program and working with the hacking community to build safer software. All that, plus the usual prognosticating from resident philosopher John Roderick in this month's Engadget Show, just after the break.
