The Morning After: Wednesday, March 8th 2017
The CIA Wikileaks and Amazon Alexa snitching
Good morning!
Wikileaks is at it again, this time going after the CIA. Flickr has learned a new trick, offering a Google Photos-like "similarity search" and we know the name of Star Trek's next captain. But first things first -- make sure you've entered our contest to win a Marantz SR7011 9.2 channel receiver, courtesy of Auro Technologies. We'll wait.
Wikileaks 'Vault 7' claims to reveal the CIA's hacking toolkit
Wikileaks has posted a cache of information that it says unmasks the Central Intelligence Agency's "entire hacking capacity." While there's room for skepticism and many have noted what isn't in there (like any confirmation the government has cracked the encryption on WhatsApp or Signal), there's still a lot to digest. The documents claim the CIA instead is focused on compromising a target's device to nab information before its encrypted by an app, and even has USB-delivered malware capable of turning a Samsung smart TV into a listening device.
Hyperloop One offers a glimpse at its Nevada test site
So how do you test the future of transportation? If you're Hyperloop One, you build a 1,640ft-long "DevLoop" in the Nevada desert. While its window to start testing is now just the first half of this year, even a picture of an empty tube is better than yet another pie-in-the-sky concept image.
Blue Origin previews its next reusable rocket
Jeff Bezos' rocket company has a new vehicle on the way. While Blue Origin showed off New Glenn's capabilities with a slick animation, it also announced a deal with Eutelsat to launch a satellite in the 2021-2022 timeframe.
Amazon hands over Alexa data for use in murder investigation
Recently, police asked Amazon for data from an Echo speaker, looking for evidence to use in a murder investigation. The company initially refused, citing protections including the First Amendment, but now it's going to cooperate. That's because the device's owner, James Bates has given the OK, claiming he is innocent of all charges in the death of a man found in his hot tub.
But wait, there's more...
Now Flickr has a neural network-powered 'similarity search' option
'Star Trek: Discovery' will have Jason Isaacs as its captain
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