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US labor regulator says Apple violated employee rights with restrictive work rules
The National Labor Relation Board (NLRB) has determined that Apple's rules around leaks violate worker's rights.
Samsung will reportedly unveil its Galaxy S21 lineup on January 14th
Samsung’s next Android flagship could be closer than you think. If accurate, these timings would suggest a strategic shift by Samsung. The company typically announces its Galaxy S phones at an Unpacked event in February, before or during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Google Pixel 5 leak hints at dual cameras and a fingerprint reader
Google has already announced that the Pixel 5 is coming later this year and that we can expect a 5G variant, but official details on the upcoming flagship have remained scarce. As usual, we continue to get drip-fed information from known leakers like @OnLeaks instead, who today shared new renders and a 360-degree video on Twitter of what may be the Pixel 5. If the images are accurate, it looks like we can expect a dual-camera system on the Pixel 5’s rear as well as a fingerprint sensor.
Moen's voice-activated faucet gives cooks precise amounts of water
Moen, one of the biggest faucet companies in the US, was last spotted at CES showing off its shower "concierge," but now it's turning its attention to more traditional sink fixtures. This year, it announced the U by Moen Smart Faucet -- a voice-activated faucet that helps you do everyday kitchen tasks hands-free. From preparing a baby's bottle to filling a pasta pot, just tell the faucet how much water you need, and at what temperature, and it'll dispense it on command. You can set unlimited personalized presets for specific cooking tasks, and activate water flow through voice control, a wave sensor, or via a good old fashioned button. Moen hasn't announced pricing for its latest addition, but it's likely to cost a substantial amount more than old-fashioned mechanical faucets.
Samsung’s Galaxy S11 will reportedly feature a 108-megapixel camera
The leaks regarding Samsung's upcoming flagship phone, the Galaxy S11, are coming thick and fast. Last month we saw a reported render of the device, and earlier this week we heard it may be capable of capturing 8K video. Now, more rumors suggest that it'll feature considerable battery capacity and that the camera will be significantly upgraded in order to compete with the iPhone.
Google scales back town hall meetings following leaks
Google's weekly all-hands meetings have quickly become a source of leaks, and the company is apparently taking an aggressive approach to curbing those leaks: it's limiting the meetings themselves. The Verge has learned that CEO Sundar Pichai sent company-wide email (appropriately leaked to the media) revealing plans to drop the bi-weekly, all-encompassing "TGIF" meetings in favor of monthly gatherings devoted solely to "product launches and business strategies." While there were multiple reasons for the change, Pichai wasn't shy about citing the frequent leaking as a factor.
Photos of Huawei's Mate 30 range leak online
We had been expecting to learn more about Huawei's new flagship Mate 30 phone on September 19th, but as we know, it's hard to keep upcoming devices a secret. Thanks to a recent leak, photos of the entire line-up have now leaked online.
EPA will roll back rules on methane emissions
Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to announce plans to roll back regulations on methane emissions, a major contributor to climate change. The Trump Administration is seeking to do away with Obama-era requirements, which mandated that the oil and gas industry install technology to monitor and limit natural gas leaks from infrastructure like wells, tanks and pipelines, The Wall Street Journal reports. The change could also block proposed rules that would have required the EPA to set emissions regulations on thousands of pre-existing wells and industry sites.
Leaked Apple memo reveals 12 people were arrested for leaking last year
Bloomberg got its hands on a leaked Apple memo today regarding, funnily enough, leaks. The company is well-known for liking to keep things under wraps, but its leadership isn't pleased with how often Apple employees are leaking information to the press. According to the memo, Apple caught 29 individuals -- employees, contractors and supply chain partners -- who leaked information last year and 12 of them were arrested. "Leakers do not simply lose their jobs at Apple. In some cases, they face jail time and massive fines for network intrusion and theft of trade secrets both classified as federal crimes," it reads.
Tiny robot prowls water lines in search of leaks
Twenty percent of fresh water around the world is lost to leaks, but finding tiny pipe defects is nearly impossible -- especially in non-metal ones used in the developing world. MIT researchers have come up with a tiny, badminton bird shaped robot that can cruise through water distribution systems and find smaller leaks than other systems can. The tech could lead to search-and-repair systems that stop water shortages and catch leaks that can cause structural damage.
Apple's paranoia about leaks is misplaced
Apple's inability to keep its secrets is so bad that even its internal presentation about confidentiality was leaked. But according to internal videos obtained by The Outline, the company is serious about secrecy. It reportedly conducted an hour-long briefing titled "Stopping Leakers -- Keeping Confidential at Apple" for about 100 employees to make sure they understood the importance of not leaking information. But that concern is misplaced: Clamping down on leaks won't help Apple's bottom line.
Reports: US is preparing charges against Wikileaks' Assange
United States authorities have prepared charges for the arrest of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, CNN reports. Assange has been hiding out in the Embassy of Ecuador in London since 2012, fleeing allegations of rape in Sweden and espionage charges in the US. This makes him difficult to reach, regardless of a formal charge -- unless Ecuador plans to kick him out of its embassy after a five-year stay.
The Moto C series could be Motorola's most affordable yet
Life under Lenovo has had its ups and downs for Motorola. The company has found success on the budget end of the smartphone spectrum with the recent Moto G5 and the Moto E series before that, but the mobile phone business is still bringing down its corporate parent. Based on a new leak obtained by VentureBeat, however, the company appears to be doubling down on the budget end of its product line with an even more affordable Moto C series of phones.
Apple says it's already patched 'many' Wikileaks iOS exploits
Less than 24 hours ago, Wikileaks published a large cache of documents detailing top secret CIA operations conducted by its Center for Cyber Intelligence. Included in the 8,761 documents and files, referred to was Vault 7, are references to zero-day exploits that were reportedly being used to track and control iPhones but also Android phones and Samsung smart TVs. While the authenticity of some of Wikileaks' claims are still in question, Apple has confirmed that some of the threats towards its mobile operating system are very real. In a move to reassure customers, the company issued a statement noting that it has already taken steps to patch "many" of the 14 iOS vulnerabilities listed and is working to "rapidly address" the rest.
Experts believe DNC hackers are behind a larger plot
Although it's not the hack Donald Trump called for, security experts believe the same Russian hacking group allegedly responsible for leaking 20,000 Democratic party emails to WikiLeaks is also behind another attack that hints at an even larger Russian plot to influence American politics. In the weeks before WikiLeaks posted those materials, another cache of emails was posted on a site called DCLeaks.com targeting a top NATO general, former high-ranking intelligence officials and billionaire George Soros' progressive philanthropy called the Open Society Foundation.
The 'shatterproof' Droid Turbo 2 gets teased by Verizon
October 27th can't come soon enough for fans of the Droid series. Although Verizon is expected to reveal its latest flagship smartphone on that day, the carrier seems to be extremely eager to show you what it has planned for the event. In a tweet earlier today, Verizon teased a handset fitting the leaked description of the "shatterproof" Droid Turbo 2, calling it "the perfect phone for imperfect people." Aside from a tough screen, the device is said to be compatible with Motorola's Moto Maker service, which will let you customize it to your liking. We'll learn all the official details soon enough, but in the meantime, here's a quick video of the new Turbo to hold you over.
The Intercept publishes massive leak on America's drone strike program
The Intercept published a huge trove of secret documents Thursday morning that extensively document the Obama administration's secretive and controversial drone-based assassination program. This program sought to kill high-value enemy targets throughout Afghanistan, Yemen, and Somalia. These documents, obtained from an anonymous whistleblower, cover an enormous breadth of subjects. Documents on how the legal and logistical architectures behind the program were constructed, details on how people wind up on President Obama's "kill lists", revelations of startlingly regular intelligence flaws, internal analysis of collateral damage and the strategic limits of the program are only part of what's included in the cache. You can begin reading through the documents at The Intercept, we'll have a deeper analysis of this leak for you tomorrow. [Image Credit: The Washington Post/Getty Images]
'Game of Thrones' pirated 3.5 million times despite HBO Now
HBO seemed certain that offering customers the option to watch without a cable subscription through its $15/month "HBO Now" app would help curb the rampant piracy afflicting its most popular shows. Nope! Variety reports that the latest episode of HBO's megahit "Game of Thrones" has been illegally downloaded 3.5 million times, in a single 24-hour period. That's a new record. Per Danish piracy tracking site Excipio, this season's episode six edged out last week's record-setting 3.22 million downloads. And given that Excipio only really covers P2P piracy, not direct download websites, those numbers are probably a little light. This, of course, comes after the first four episodes of the season were leaked online a full day before the HBO premiere in April. It's enough to make one to just up and start murdering popular lead characters. [Image Credit: Getty]
Snowden documents reveal how the NSA searches voice calls
The Intercept has released a new document from Edward Snowden's cache of government files describing how the NSA has been converting voice calls to searchable text documents for nearly a decade. The NSA has long monitored signals intelligence (SIGNIT) around the world (as is its primary function), especially in active combat zones like Afghanistan and Iraq as well as in Latin America. Traditionally, this sort of data gathering required that a live operator listen in on calls and translate them in real-time. However, the NSA has reportedly developed what it calls "Google for Voice"; an automated system that provides a rough but keyword searchable transcription. According to the documents, the NSA has also developed analytical programs and sophisticated algorithms to flag conversations for human review.
Apple cracks down on accessory makers to discourage leaks
Follow the Apple rumor cycle and you'll notice that accessory makers play an important role in leaks -- some of them "borrow" factory blueprints to produce cases and other add-ons for iPhones and iPads that are still weeks away from launch. Well, the crew at 1 Infinite Loop is apparently fed up with these companies spoiling the surprise. Sources for 9to5Mac claim that Apple made key accessory producers sign agreements preventing them from getting design details from anyone besides Apple itself. If the firms give in to the temptation and ship leak-based products, Apple warns of "penalties" that could include refusing to stock the offending goods at its stores.
