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WikiLeaks latest CIA dump focuses on malware for Windows
As WikiLeaks continues to extend the mileage from its "Vault 7 cache" of CIA information, its latest release focuses on tools it says the agency uses for hacking Windows computers. While its release didn't include any source code, manuals described a "Grasshopper" tool used to create custom malware setups depending on the target intended. As CSO Magazine explains, it used some elements from the Carberp financial malware that leaked onto the internet in 2013. The CIA's Advanced Engineering Division and Remote Development Branch allegedly modified that malware, while the Grasshopper setup allows them to customize its ability to persist on the victim's computer, reinstall itself and evade antivirus scans.
Dept. of Labor claims Google's pay disparities are 'systemic'
After suing Google for not releasing employment data, the US Department of Labor now claims pay disparities between men and women are widespread throughout the company. Although Google claims it has successfully closed its gender pay gap, Labor department officials testified in court in San Francisco today that Google may have violated federal employment laws, the Guardian reports. According to regional director Janette Wipper, the department found "systemic compensation disparities against women pretty much across the entire workforce."
Two Marines punished for online misconduct under new policy
Two Marines have been disciplined for posting disrespectful comments about a female soldier on social media, The Washington Post reports. It's the first time the Marine Corps has officially punished someone for online misconduct since last month's nude photo scandal.
Good luck finding a safe VPN
If you're most people, you just found out about the FCC's internet privacy rules by way of their untimely demise. Thanks to the FCC's new chief, Congress, and Donald Trump, ISPs are now free to track you like crazy and sell your data to the four directions. As a result, interest in VPNs exploded overnight.
Government gives up on unmasking anti-Trump Twitter account
Well, that was fast: just yesterday, we learned that the Trump administration was attempting to compel Twitter to reveal information about an account critical of the president's policies. Today, according to Recode, the government has officially dropped that request, prompting Twitter to discontinue its own lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection.
Europe clears 21st Century Fox's purchase of Sky
21st Century Fox's £11.7 billion acquisition of Sky has edged a little closer to being a done deal today, as the European Commission approved the merger. The commission was assessing any potential competition concerns that might arise from the marriage of huge media company and pay-TV provider. It concluded that as the two firms "are mainly active at different levels of the market," the acquisition wouldn't have any significant impact on competition. It wouldn't be good business for Fox to withhold its films from Sky's competitors, for example, or for Sky to worsen its platform by carrying Fox's content exclusively -- not to mention regulations and existing contracts in countries where Sky operates prevent that kind of thing from happening anyway.
IRS says thousands of taxpayers affected by financial aid breach
Tax day is rapidly approaching in the US, but according to the IRS, there could be additional headaches for up to 100,000 people this year. Hackers posing as students applying for financial aid possibly swiped taxpayer details through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online tool. According to The New York Times, the breach has the potential of being the most extensive since the 2015 tax return incident when info on over 300,000 taxpayers was used to file false claims. The IRS later increased that estimate to potentially affect 700,000 people.
Mastodon's sudden popularity should serve as Twitter's wakeup call
There's a hot new social network these days and it's called Mastodon. Well, it's not that new -- it's been around since September 2016 -- but it's gained tens of thousands of users in the last few days. The reason for the growth? According to its founder, Eugen Rochko, it has a lot to do with people getting increasingly fed up with Twitter, especially the recent decision to nix @usernames from Replies. Mastodon -- named after an American heavy metal band -- is mopping up users seeking an alternative. Sure, Mastodon is still small and relatively unheard of, but the very fact that it spurred this much interest is a sign that the established social networks like Twitter are fundamentally failing at one thing: keeping users happy.
Microsoft Translator turns your words into spoken Japanese
You may want to install Microsoft Translator if you're going to Japan and your vocabulary is limited to "Konnichiwa," "Ohayou" and "Notice me senpai." The app can now turn your spoken words into Nihongo to help you get around the country. Translator can recognize a bevy of languages, but Japanese is only the 10th language its speech translation feature supports. That's right -- it now reads the resulting Japanese words or phrases out loud to make it possible to hold almost real-time conversations with native speakers. The other nine languages in the list are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
Google will flag fake news stories in search results
Google is taking a stand against dubious and outright 'fake news' by introducing a Fact Check tag in search results. If you ask for information about a highly contested subject, Google will serve a page from a fact-checker site at the top of your results. It's a small breakout box, similar to how Google shows recipes and band discographies. They'll be pulled from publishers like PolitiFact and Snopes, and will show information about the claim, the person who made the claim, and whether they think it's true.
IBM Watson offers tech support that never sleeps
If your company uses IBM's helpdesk services, don't be surprised if you find yourself talking to Watson next time you contact the IT department. IBM has added a Watson-powered concierge-like service to its helpdesk, and it can quickly solve your IT issues around the clock, wherever you are in the world and whatever device you're using. Unlike automated bots, you can talk to Watson about your issues like you're talking to another person. It can then customize its responses -- for instance, it can use layman's terms if you're not that tech-savvy or use jargons if you are.
The Morning After: Friday, April 7th 2017
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. We've got a lot to cover, with a curious energy that can only mean it's finally Friday. There are concrete details on the next Xbox, a new iPad to review, and an AI trying to paid while on "digital LSD". They know how to party.
Showtime's streaming apps can download video for offline viewing
A day after trumpeting that it's coming to cord-cutting Sling TV, Showtime is helping out another neglected group: Offline viewers. The premium network announced that its Showtime and Showtime Anytime apps now let users download content to watch later in both standard and 720p high definition format (or up to 1080p on tablets).
This is what AI sees and hears when it watches 'The Joy of Painting'
Computers don't dream of electric sheep, they imagine the dulcet tones of legendary public access painter, Bob Ross. Bay Area artist and engineer Alexander Reben has produced an incredible feat of machine learning in honor of the late Ross, creating a mashup video that applies Deep Dream-like algorithms to both the video and audio tracks. The result is an utterly surreal experience that will leave you pinching yourself.
Runtastic's video recipe app feeds your fitness regime
It makes sense that the folks behind a running app would launch a new video recipe app. Cooking clips from Tasty and Delish seem to be taking over everyone's Facebook feed lately, so now is the time to hop onboard. Runtastic has already filled its YouTube channel with the top-down videos, so including them in its new mobile app, Runtasty , isn't too much of a stretch for the fitness company.
Explore Japanese gaming culture in 360 degrees with MatPat
Matthew Patrick is best known as the guy on YouTube who uses math, science and rabid curiosity to build intense, unexpected narratives from the stray plot threads of movies and video games. As the Game Theorists' MatPat, he asks if Mario is secretly a sociopath and questions if Sega's blue hedgehog really is the fastest mascot in gaming -- and then backs up his allegations by covertly teaching viewers about actual psychology and the speed of sound. Now he's expanding his passion for making entertainment educational with a travel show called The Global Gamer. Oh, and he's doing it in 360-degree virtual reality -- and you can watch the launch exclusively right here on Engadget.
Facebook adds 'educational' guide to counter fake news
Facebook has repeatedly come under fire over the last year as a distributor of "fake news", despite repeated its protests that it isn't a media company per se. The social network has taken a number of steps to push back against the influx of falsehoods, from hand curating articles to rejiggering its news surfacing algorithms, though none have done much to stem the tide so much as give Facebook something to crow about. On Thursday, the company continued that trend by introducing an "educational tool" that will live at the top of the newsfeed and provide tips on how to spot false reports.
Monzo is now a proper digital bank
UK banking startup Monzo has been given the green light by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to operate, well, like an actual bank. Until now, the company has been working with a restricted banking licence, which meant you had to have a connected, external bank account to use its pre-paid card and money-saving software. The mobile-first approach attracted plenty of fans, but there were limitations to the setup -- Monzo could only hold deposits up to £50,000, for instance. For years, the plan has been to become a proper digital bank.
The Morning After: Thursday, April 6th 2017
This Thursday you might have missed Netflix's switch from star ratings to thumbs, giant robots committing to battle, and YouTube revealing its very own cord-cutting option.
Another startup promises self-driving taxis 'soon'
Popular online learning service Udacity already trains engineers for work in the fast-growing autonomous vehicles field, but now the company is ready to harness all that talent and launch its own self-driving taxi company. Led by CEO (and former Udacity Vice President) Oliver Cameron, the new spin-off company will be called Voyage and has given itself the goal of getting autonomous taxis to "real users" in less than five years.
