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Nigerian man charged in hacking of 108 LA county employee emails
It might not quite rival last week's revelation that up to one billion Yahoo accounts had been hacked in 2013, but it'll be news to anybody who contacted local government officials in Los Angeles. A Nigerian national has been charged with hacking LA county employee accounts that might have exposed personal data of up to 756,000 people. 37-year-old Kelvin Onaghinor has not been arrested and authorities are unsure whether he's still in the US. They're also searching for possible accomplices.
Book your next workout right from a Google search
Google's been transforming Search for a bit, making it easier to find TV listings, restaurant menus and plan a vacation. Next up the internet juggernaut is making it easier to book a sweat session -- and maybe more than that in the future. For now though, Reserve With Google handles yoga and fitness classes in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City. And, you guessed it, the feature will come to Maps and Search in short order.
Lyft's Amp dashboard light signals your ride's arrival
Unlike stealing someone's cab, jumping into the wrong Lyft or Uber isn't a jerk move, it's usually just an embarrassing mistake for whoever does it. With that in mind, Lyft wants to make getting into the ride you hailed easier with a branded dashboard light called Amp. The device looks like a Bluetooth speaker along the lines of a Beats Pill: oblong and cylindrical, sitting on a base to keep it from sliding around a driver's dashboard. But instead of playing music, the gizmo's road-facing face will light up in one of six colors (teal, orange, silver, yellow or purple) while the rear can display blocky, personalized messages.
DOJ sues DirecTV for conspiring against LA Dodgers (updated)
The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that it is bringing suit against DirecTV for its role in an alleged collusion scheme involving the broadcast rights to Los Angeles Dodgers games. Specifically, the DOJ asserts that DirecTV and three of its competitors -- Cox, Charter and AT&T -- shared "agreed to and did exchange non-public information about their companies' ongoing negotiations" with SportsNet LA, the only channel authorized to show Dodgers games.
The drought-busting balls that don't bust drought
California's water problem is severe. Despite 2016 seeing a distinct improvement in precipitation over previous years, to almost average levels in many areas, much of the state is in extreme drought. As well as ordering mandatory water reductions, the state has also been looking to other solutions. "Shade balls," the 4-inch wide black plastic balls pictured above blanketing Los Angeles Reservoir, have been touted as one of those solutions. But they're not. The primary purpose of the release, which went viral last year, was to obey Federal rules on covering drinking water. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) had previously used the balls in smaller reservoirs, and in the case of the Los Angeles Reservoir, says the balls helped the department save more than $250 million over installing a more permanent cover. Although they were released to headlines like Shade Balls in Los Angeles Reservoir to Save 300 Million Gallons of Water Annually, the main benefit of the balls is to prevent sunlight from reacting with the chlorine-treated water and naturally occurring bromide to create the possible carcinogen bromate. The shade balls aren't a complete solution, and there are accusations that they may deteriorate and release dangerous chemicals into the water. The water in the Los Angeles Reservoir, however, goes through a UV treatment process before it makes its way to citizens.
Intel is building a virtual reality studio in LA
Intel has dropped another virtual reality revelation at this year's developer conference besides its new Project Alloy all-in-one headset. Apparently, it's also building a new studio in Los Angeles, which company chief Brian Krzanich called the "Intel Tech Experience Labs," specifically for sports and entertainment virtual reality projects. While the company hasn't released more details about the studio yet, LA Times said it will focus on helping companies and other third parties create VR videos using Intel's technology. VentureBeat also said that the studio will build upon the 360-degree replay tech Intel purchased earlier this year that the NBA used to show different angles of the court.
Lyft goes classy with new Premier service
Lyft has always played the more casual, laid-back ridesharing option to Uber's fleet of black cars and SUVs, but that vibe is about to grow up a little with today's launch of Lyft Premier. The new option, which is available now in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York City, is being billed as a "more stylish" ride for business trips or a special night out.
Beverly Hills is creating its own fleet of self-driving cars
Picture the streets of Beverly Hills and you probably imagine seas of ultra-luxurious cars piloted by celebrities or their chauffeurs. However, you may have to get used to a new sight in the future: hordes of vehicles with no drivers at all. The city's council has voted to produce a fleet of self-driving cars that would provide on-demand shuttle service around town. The system would lean on a city-wide fiber optic network, already in the design stages, to keep these driverless rides talking to the neighborhood and each other. The first phase of the resolution would have Beverly Hills forming partnerships with autonomy-minded car brands like Google and Tesla, so this would be more of a collaboration than a from-scratch project.
UberX can pick you up from Los Angeles International Airport
Lyft may have beaten Uber to the punch on offering ridesharing pickups from Los Angeles International Airport, but its lead will be short lived. As of January 21st at 8AM local time, you can order an UberX car to pick you up at LAX, not just drop you off. Previously, you had to spring for a pricier Uber tier (or go to the competition) to get a ride at the end of that long business trip. Do be prepared to hoof it and possibly endure a wait, though.
Lyft beats Uber in race to offer rides from LAX
Lyft has beaten Uber in becoming the first ride-sharing company that can take passengers from Los Angeles airport. The service has agreed to pay a $4 fee for every pick-up, and will go live from 8am local time with the city's mayor, Eric Garcetti, giving his blessing. Lyft may not be as wealthy, or as powerful, as its much bigger rival, but apparently it is much more capable in the whole filling-a-form-in-directly department. An October report from the LA Times revealed that Uber dragged its feet in presenting the airport contract to the city, while Lyft had its paperwork completed by mid-September. It probably won't be too long before Uber gets approval, but Lyft can chalk this down as a win in the meantime.
Google taps Los Angeles and Chicago to explore Fiber
Google is considering installing Fiber, its 1000 Mbps internet service, in Chicago and Los Angeles. Fiber is live in three cities across the US -- Austin, Provo and Kansas City -- and it's heading to six more for certain, from Salt Lake City to Raleigh-Durham. Los Angeles and Chicago join eleven other cities on Google's radar, including Portland, Phoenix, San Diego and Tampa.
The Big Picture: Los Angeles' light pollution, as seen from space
What you see above is a stunning image of California (and surrounding areas), captured from space by astronaut Scott Kelly. But what quickly stands out is Los Angeles, with its bright lights shining through and morphing into one massive, glowing spot. As Quartz points out, this shows the city's massive light pollution problem -- which, in the past, has been subject to countless research pieces and even a Kickstarter book/video series. City of Angels? More like City of Lights.
City of LA's electric vehicle fleet includes a Tesla Model S
For anyone who thought that Los Angeles' efforts to turn its traffic problems green would end after a partnership with Waze, think again. The City of Angels has committed to leasing 160 battery-powered electric vehicles and 128 plug-in hybrids for its municipal fleet. A post on the LAPD blog says that the police, fire, general services, water and power departments will split the former, while the general services will also take all of the latter. Mayor Eric Garcetti says that this move puts LA closer to its goal of becoming the "most sustainable city in America."
LAPD's body cameras roll out Monday, but footage won't be public
Come Monday the Los Angeles Police Department begins its deployment of body cameras for officers. The initial rollout is limited -- only 860 of the proposed 7,000 cameras will hit the streets at first -- and the SWAT team won't get them until sometime after mid-September, according to The Los Angeles Times. The LAPD "doesn't plan on" making the recordings public unless a criminal or civil court case attached to them, though. The American Civil Liberties Union says that this blanket refusal to make all captured video public means that police departments can cherrypick what footage they do choose to distribute and essentially use it as PR for good deeds while keeping less-than-applause-worthy footage out of the limelight. Of course, one way around that would be setting up a YouTube channel like Seattle did, but that brings about its own set of critics. [Image credit: Associated Press]
What you missed at Engadget Live Los Angeles
Last Friday, we took over Exchange LA in Downtown Los Angeles for the second Engadget Live event of the year and what a night it was. Our friend Mark Setrakian (who joined us at Engadget Expand last November) came correct with his Axis Robots, that while some find creepy, we find pretty damn exciting.
Uber's background checks reportedly missed criminal records
Los Angeles and San Francisco are convinced that Uber's background checks aren't as good as the company claims they are, and it looks the two cities might have ample proof that this is a real, consistent problem. Their district attorneys have amended a lawsuit against Uber to provide evidence that the ridesharing outfit didn't unearth the criminal records of 25 drivers between the two regions. Several of those drivers were reportedly convicted of extremely serious crimes, including murder and sex offenses. The attorneys argue that this is proof that Uber is making "false and misleading" claims. It's touting a tight screening process, but genuine threats to passengers are slipping through the cracks.
Engadget Live takes over the Exchange in Los Angeles this Friday!
We're gearing up to take over Exchange LA this Friday, August 21st at 7PM for our next Engadget Live event, where we'll bring together gadget lovers and awesome tech brands. Sound good? First, grab your free tickets and then read on to find out what you can expect at our free event in downtown Los Angeles!
Engadget Live hits Los Angeles next week!
Last year, we had a lot of fun at Engadget Live Los Angeles and now we're gearing up to do it all over again. Next Friday, August 21st, we'll take over Exchange LA from 7PM to 10PM and give readers like you a chance to experience the future of technology.
California bill allows firefighters to ground pesky drones
As wildfires scorched sections of California Interstate I-15 last week, firefighters found themselves hamstrung and unable to deliver aerial water coverage for nearly 20 minutes because a couple of schmucks were flying their quadcopters directly overhead. In response, Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) and Senator Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado) have introduced Senate Bill 168. The bill would grant "immunity to any emergency responder who damages an unmanned aircraft in the course of firefighting, air ambulance, or search-and-rescue operations." The bill will also levy stiff fines and potentially even jail time for people whose UAVs inhibit an emergency response.
LA's newer cell towers will keep working after earthquakes
Cellular networks are only trustworthy if they continue running in emergencies, and Los Angeles knows it. The city's council has voted for legislation that requires all new cell towers to be tough enough to remain functional after a major earthquake -- not just standing, like they need to do today. Officials believe that this will involve only a "marginal" hike in costs, but should make a huge difference the next time a big quake rocks LA and leaves residents scrambling for help. This hardening process won't be truly comprehensive until carriers start replacing existing towers, which could take years. However, patience could be a virtue if it keeps families and rescue teams in touch when a disaster strikes. [Image credit: Getty Images]
