2016election
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Ecuador confirms it cut Assange's internet for US election interference
Last night Wikileaks confirmed Ecuador -- whose London embassy its founder has been holed up in since June 2012 -- was responsible for cutting off Julian Assange's internet access. Now the Ecuadorean government has explained why it changed the WiFi password, claiming it's due to Wikileaks releasing documents meant to interfere with the US presidential election. Specifically, its statement says "The Government of Ecuador respects the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of other states." As such, it has "exercised its sovereign right to temporarily restrict access to some of its private communications network."
Trump may be building his own online video service
As Donald Trump's presidential campaign appears to be circling the drain with 23 days to go, the Republican nominee must be thinking about what comes next. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump might be retreating to the relatively safe confines of media: apparently, Trump's advisors have been pitching media executives on a new venture to "capitalize on the Republican presidential candidates appeal."
Google search results now include full localized ballot info
Google has been putting election-related information right at its users' fingertips in recent months -- the company made it easier to register to vote, has state-specific details on how to vote right in search results and it now highlights fact-checking stories in Google News. The latest addition to Google's slate of voter tools is localized polling place and ballot information. Searching for "who's on my ballot" will bring up results tailored to your location, and you can tap or click on the names to find out more details about each candidate.
Ken Bone learns about election cycle scrutiny the hard way
Ken Bone became an internet sensation literally overnight following last Sunday's presidential debate, and as such he's been making the media rounds in a big way (and trying to cash in on his celebrity). Doing the Reddit AMA is a big part of the cycle for internet celebrities -- but Bone made the epic mistake of not realizing that your internet past follows you everywhere you go. He's under a major microscope right now, and he made the huge mistake of doing that Reddit AMA under the same Reddit profile he's been using for several years. That turned up some quotes from our red sweater hero that make him look... a little less appealing.
Google highlights fact-checking stories one month before election
This year's US presidential election is one of the most acrimonious in memory, with not a day going by without one campaign accusing the other of outrageous falsehood (some more than others). With one month to go until the country casts its votes, Google has started to specifically tag fact-checking articles on Google News to help readers decipher the truth from the outrageously false accusations and untruths.
Donald Trump's video apology goes out over Facebook, Twitter
Hours after the Washington Post published a video of Donald Trump in 2005 stating, among other things, that "And when you're a star, they let you do it...You can do anything. Grab them by the p---y," the candidate issued a video response that went out over social media. Despite Trump's reputation as a heavy Twitter user (in 2012 he tweeted "I love Twitter.... it's like owning your own newspaper--- without the losses.") it was published first on Facebook and then later on Twitter.
Trump campaign snaps up ClintonKaine.com
The next step of the 2016 Presidential election? Apparently, domain squatting. Wired reports that after Hillary Clinton's campaign declined to buy a domain consisting of her last name combined with that of her running mate, the owner sold it to her opponent. As noticed earlier today by a reporter for Politico, ClintonKaine.com hosts a Drudge Report-styled collection of negative headlines about its namesakes (and absolutely no bad news about its owner), with a small tag at the bottom indicating who owns the website.
Trump still thinks Google suppresses negative Clinton searches
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has never let the truth get in the way of an angry rant. So it goes with this week's conspiracy theory of choice. At a rally in Wisconsin last night, Trump boasted that a "Google poll" showed he won Monday night's debate over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton despite the fact that Google's search engine is biased against him.
Engadget's guide to the 2016 presidential candidates
In 2016 America will elect a new president -- and we're about to hit the most intense part of the campaign, with three debates coming up between now and election day. After eight years in office Barack Obama will move out of the White House and take a long overdue break from the stresses of running the country (or at least attempt to). But, before someone new sets up shop in the Oval Office, he or she will have to convince America that they deserve to be president. At Engadget we're firm believers in the power of an informed electorate, so to help you find the candidate right for you, here is a look at the contenders and where they stand on a swath of issues related to science and technology. We'll be updating this guide throughout the election season to reflect current polling numbers and new comments from the candidates regarding the issues. Click here to see all the candidates' report cards.
Swing states don't want DHS to protect its voting machines
Some states' electronic voting machines are antiquated, insecure and vulnerable to potential attacks from hostile attackers. But despite this, states like Georgia and Pennsylvania would prefer to take the risk than allow the Department of Home Security anywhere near them. NextGov is reporting that those states have rejected an offer from DHS chief Jeh Johnson to inspect the equipment for ways in which hackers could rig the vote. It comes just days after Johnson openly mulled demarcating voting machines as critical infrastructure -- meaning that they'd be defended with the same ferocity as power stations.
Trump wants Russia to hack the US government (updated)
Late last week, thousands of emails from the Democratic National Committee were released by WikiLeaks, the contents of which have caused plenty of controversy at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this week. The FBI is investigating and Russia is believed to be a prime suspect in the hack that led to these emails getting leaked. Naturally, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has had plenty to say about the hack and some of the messages themselves. But what he said today is yet another level of crazy from an already audacious candidate. "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said today, reports The New York Times. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press." By "find," it's pretty clear Trump was advocating for another hack to uncover more emails, specifically those from Hillary Clinton's private email server when she was Secretary of State. Regardless of whether those emails were on a private server or not, hacking emails sent while she was Secretary of State would amount to hacking the US government. The emails in question were deemed personal and private and deleted by Clinton.
Google grants presidential hopefuls a digital podium
Google is giving this year's crop of US presidential candidates a pretty big stump to stand on: Search results. Mountain View is opening up a new platform, dubbed "Google Posts," that hopefuls for the highest office in the land can use to publish everything from text to photos and videos. These brief bits will appear in search results whenever you look for one of them by name, just above official tweets. From there, the posts can be shared via your social media platform of choice.
Amazon's Echo speaker gives you US election updates
NBC News announced on Tuesday that it has developed and released a new skill for the Amazon Echo that, when activated, will have Alexa read you regular updates of the 2016 presidential elections. The service will deliver news on upcoming events, pertinent headlines and delegate totals -- and that's just to start. NBC News states that in the coming weeks, that selection will expand to also include "polling data, primary results and trivia about candidates." There's no word on whether you can tailor the news by party or particular candidate so get ready to be inundated with reports of whatever racist things come out of Trump's mouth next.
Cram for Super Tuesday with Engadget's election guide
On March 1st Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia will cast their votes in the primaries and caucuses. Plus Alaska and Wyoming are having Republican caucuses and American Samoa is getting in on the action with its own Democratic caucus -- there's a reason they call it "Super Tuesday." And from here on out things start moving pretty fast. In the next seven days nearly two dozen states and territories will have their say in who should be the nominee for the two major parties. Yes Primary season is really hitting it's stride. But don't think you're done with the debate drama. Thursday, March 3rd, the Republican candidates still hanging on after Super Tuesday will face off in Detroit. You can watch that showdown at 9PM ET either on Fox News or at foxnews.com. Then on the 6th, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton will face off in Flint, Michigan, site of the disastrous water contamination scandal that has put the local government under sharp criticism. The two remaining Democrats will take the stage at 8PM ET on CNN and at CNN.com. And, of course, before those showdowns kick off, make sure to get caught up on the candidates positions on the most pressing tech and science issues of 2016 in our election guide. And make sure to join in the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Ello, Google+, BBS or semaphore using the hashtag #engadgetelectionguide.
Prep for the debates and primaries with Engadget's election guide
Last week Iowa voted and there were surprises all around. Ted Cruz became the front runner in the Republican race and Marco Rubio made an excellent showing by coming in a close third. Plus Hillary Clinton only narrowly avoided an upset from Larry David impersonator Bernie Sanders. Add to that the rather contentious (and meme-inspiring) debate between the Republicans on Saturday and this week is looking to be a decisive one for the Candidates.
How to watch this week's presidential primary debates
Primary season is officially underway, but don't think that the deluge of debates is over. There will be many, many, many, more chances for the candidates to face off on stage. Tonight at 9pm ET Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will follow up their razor thin race in Iowa by bringing their sales pitches to New Hampshire. With Martin O'Malley officially out of the race, it will be down to just the two front runners. You can watch the debate live on MSNBC and at MSNBC.com. Saturday night, at 9pm ET, its the Republicans turn to put on a debate for the citizens of New Hampshire. You'll be able to watch that on your local ABC affiliate or online at abcnew.go.com/live. And, of course, before those showdowns kick off, make sure to get caught up on the candidates positions on the most pressing tech and science issues of 2016 in our election guide. And make sure to join in the conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Ello, Google+, BBS or semaphore using the hashtag #engadgetelectionguide.
Prep for the Iowa caucuses: Check out the Engadget Election Guide
Tonight the process of selecting the nominees for president from the Democratic and Republican parties officially gets underway in Iowa. The citizens of the Hawkeye State will gather and physically organize themselves into groups supporting each of the candidates. And at the end of the night delegates will be awarded to the candidates accordingly. As the first contest of the primary season the Iowa caucuses garner a lot of attention. They have not always, however, been a reliable indicator of who the eventual nominee would be. That being said, they can give candidates an early boost in the polls. If you're wondering exactly how a caucus works and how it's different from a primary, check out the excellent video from CPG Grey after the break. But before you go out and cast your vote tonight, make sure to read up on the candidates' positions on the most important tech and science issues facing America this election year.
Watch tonight's Republican debate with Engadget
Tonight, the field of Republican candidates for president will face off again on the debate stage. This is the last time the whole band will get together before the Iowa caucuses on February 1st. Well... almost the whole band. Professional blowhard Donald Trump will not be in attendance because Fox News refused to remove Megyn Kelly as one of the moderators. (Presumably he's somewhere hiding and wondering why the mean lady asked him so many questions.) Of course, with Trump out, there should be more time for the other candidates to make their voices heard. And ideological, libertarian favorite Rand Paul has regained his seat at the big boy table this evening. If you want to watch the undercard, featuring Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Jim Gilmore tune in to Fox News or to FoxNews.com at 7pm ET. But the main event will kick off at 9pm ET, with Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, John Kasich and Rand Paul.
How to watch tonight's Republican debate with Engadget
Tonight the Republican candidates for president of the United States square off once again in the art of debate. The main event, which begins at 9PM ET on Fox Business, will feature Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie. If you're one of those fancy cord-cutters, you can tune it at FOXBusiness.com for a live stream. Unlike some previous debates, this evening's event will not focus on particular topic. Instead it'll cover a number of subjects in the realm of economic, domestic and international policy.
Engadget's guide to the 2016 presidential election
In 2016 America will elect a new president. After eight years in office Barack Obama will move out of the White House and take a long overdue break from the stresses of running the country (or at least attempt to). But, before someone new sets up shop in the Oval Office, he or she will have to convince America that they deserve to be president. At Engadget we're firm believers in the power of an informed electorate, so to help you find the candidate right for you, here is a look at the contenders and where they stand on a swath of issues related to science and technology. We'll be updating this guide throughout the election season to reflect current polling numbers and new comments from the candidates regarding the issues. Click here to see all the candidates' report cards.
