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The Morning After: Thursday, May 4th 2017
Dangerous invitations and SpaceX's satellite internet plan.
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
Get any interesting emails lately? Yesterday a fake Google Docs invite turned the internet upside down, but only temporarily. Also: Hulu dives into live TV and Netflix drops its first real trailer for The Defenders.
Someone tried to hijack email accounts on a grand scale
It's over now, but for an hour or so on Wednesday, inboxes were filling up with a peculiar fake Google Doc invite. Opening the link gave attackers authorized access to your Gmail account, bypassing security preventions like a unique password or two-factor, which they used to email it to everyone in your address book.
Google eventually caught up with the issue and fixed affected accounts "through a combination of automatic and manual actions, including removing the fake pages and applications, and pushing updates through Safe Browsing, Gmail, and other anti-abuse systems." Also, it's rolling out a new phishing warning system for Gmail on Android.
Move over DirecTV Now, and PlayStation Vue, and Sling TV, and YouTube TV -- Hulu Live TV is here. The latest skinny bundle of live TV channels on the internet is available in beta for $40, promising broadcast networks (in most areas), with a robust suite of cable channels and a DVR feature. On top of that, it also brings access to standard Hulu TV shows and movies. Cord cutters, choose wisely.
Exploring Microsoft's gamble on the future of desktop apps
With the introduction of its new Windows 10 S, Microsoft has staked out a strategy to take on Chromebooks and MacBooks all at once. But as Aaron Souppouris explains, "the soul of Windows is choice," and Microsoft will need to move quickly to convince customers and developers that this is the way to go for speed and security.
How Microsoft's Surface went from flop to serious contender
A highlight of Microsoft's announcement is the hardware it showed off with the Surface Laptop, but how did we get here? A trip through the history of the brand reveals both hits and misses on the way to this simpler hybrid setup.
'The Defenders' trailer unites Netflix's Marvel universe
Full seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist should make it easy to understand what Netflix / Marvel have in store with The Defenders, but it's still impressive to see all four heroes operating at once. Check out the trailer for a preview before the miniseries arrives on August 18th.
This 'Intuitive' prosthetic uses a camera to see what it's touching
According to Dr. Kianoush Nazarpour, the "Intuitive" hand can improve on current prosthetics in an unexpected way. It uses a camera to see what it's touching and adjust accordingly, speeding up responsiveness significantly. The team used a neural network to map different objects and decide on ideal grips for each of them. The next step? Direct integration with the wearer's nervous system.
SpaceX plans to start delivering satellite internet in 2019
In a speech at a Senate hearing yesterday, SpaceX exec Patricia Cooper explained the company's internet plans. The entire system is meant to provide a high volume of broadband capacity at "fiber-like" speeds over a wide area. If all goes to plan, launches will start in 2019, before reaching full capacity in 2024.
But wait, there's more...
Apple pledges $1 billion to support manufacturing jobs in the US
AI XPrize asks for bold solutions to humanity's greatest problems
Qualcomm might try to block iPhone shipments over royalty dispute
Google says Uber created a fake company to steal its secrets
Friday Lab is shipping the smart locks it promised its Indiegogo backers two years ago
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