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President Obama says canceling release of 'The Interview' was a mistake
Sony's already acquiescing to demands made by the North Korean hackers associated with the Guardians of Peace, and the US' commander-in-chief is none too pleased by it. In a press conference that led off with a recap of his past year in office, President Barack Obama said in no uncertain terms that Sony's decision to cancel the theatrical release of The Interview was "a mistake." "We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States," Obama said. "If somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing if they see a documentary they don't like or news reports they don't like. Or even worse, imagine if producers or distributors start engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend the sensibilities of someone whose sensibilities probably need to be offended. That's not who we are. That's not what America's about."
FBI confirms North Korea's involvement in Sony hack as attackers talk ceasefire
After a whole host of unconfirmed media reports, the Federal Bureau of Investigation just officially stated it believes that North Korea was indeed involved with a gigantic Sony hack that saw personal information, unreleased movies and thousands of emails leaked online. According to a release issued by the Bureau, an investigation revealed "significant overlap" between the means of attack against Sony and previous hacks conducted by the North Korean government. Earlier reports also suggested that the FBI would identify China as a potential participant (either directly or through use of its network infrastructure) in the attack, but no mention of the country was made in this first announcement. "North Korea's actions were intended to inflict significant harm on a U.S. business and suppress the right of American citizens to express themselves," the Bureau's statement reads.
US officials ID North Korea as source of Sony Pictures hack
According to CNN, NBC, and the New York Times, US officials will announce tomorrow that they've identified North Korea as the source behind a massive cyberattack against Sony Pictures. As a result of threats tied to the attack, Sony Pictures today cancelled the premiere of its upcoming movie The Interview. According to the sources, the government has decided North Korea was "centrally involved", even though the attack may have been launched using computers elsewhere, contrary to reports it may not have been related to that country at all. There's also no word on what, if any, response there will be to the attack. Sounds like a job for Simon.
Sony Pictures hack: the whole story
This has been a wretched year for big corporations in the US: Target, Home Depot, JPMorgan and, most recently, Sony Pictures have all had to deal with unauthorized security breaches over the past few months. As far as Sony Pictures is concerned, the problems began on November 24th, when various reports pointed to a high-profile, studio-wide cyberattack at the hands of a group calling itself "#GOP," aka the Guardians of Peace. Since then, the startling situation has turned into a colossal headache for the company. The hackers, who are believed to be from North Korea, have leaked some of its unreleased films online; revealed highly sensitive information, like passwords and executives' salaries; and gone as far as threatening employees and their families. As it stands, Sony Pictures is in a deep, downward spiral with no end in sight. [This piece was heavily updated on December 18th to reflect ongoing events; head to the bottom for that.]
Sony memo describes hack as 'an unparalleled and well-planned crime'
Sony Pictures Entertainment has released new information about a high-profile cyber attack which exposed unreleased films and personal employee information. Security firm Mandiant, hired to help contain the incident, told Sony that the malware used in the attack was "unprecedented in nature" and "undetectable by industry standard antivirus software." The release of those comments (from an internal memo) appears to be an attempt by Sony to mitigate criticism of its internet security protocols. Mandiant went on to say that the hack's "purpose was to both destroy property and release confidential info," adding that the FBI released a flash alert to warn other organizations of the danger. North Korean hackers are rumored to be behind the attack, though the rogue state recently denied it while calling it "righteous" at the same time.
North Korea denies hacking Sony Pictures, but likes that someone did
If you suspect that North Korea hacked Sony Pictures' network, you're not going to get confirmation any time soon. State news outlet KCNA is now denying any North Korean role in the breach, and calls the allegation a "wild rumor." With that said, the nation is more than happy to see the movie studio suffer after daring to poke fun at Kim Jong Un in The Interview. KCNA suggests that the hack could be a "righteous deed," and that the perpetrators (Guardians of Peace) may be "supporters and sympathizers" of the North's cause.
North Korea treats its state-sponsored hackers like royalty
There's still a dispute as to whether or not North Korean hackers broke into Sony Pictures' network, but one thing is clear: the country spoils its cyberwarriors rotten. A defector tells Reuters that Bureau 121, the spy division responsible for at least some state-sponsored internet attacks, gives hackers "very strong" financial incentives. They get giant apartments in posher parts of town, and they're relatively wealthy; one Bureau member could pay to move his entire rural family to the capital if he wanted. Many North Koreans see one of these jobs as an honor.
Sony Pictures is worried that North Korea hacked its computers
If you've been intrigued by the hack that took down Sony Pictures' computers, you've probably wondered who the self-proclaimed culprits, the "Guardians of Peace," might be. Are they disgruntled employees? Social activists? According to Recode sources, Sony is worried that they're actually North Korean cyberwarriors. The company and its security consultants are "actively exploring" theories that an outfit in China breached the network on North Korea's behalf. Investigators haven't confirmed anything, but they also haven't ruled out the Korean link so far.
Old-school seafaring tech repurposed as a GPS fallback
GPS is super useful when you're trying to navigate unfamiliar areas in cars and on foot, but for ships, it's an outright lifeline. Many vital systems, especially on large commercial vessels, rely almost entirely on GPS data, meaning it's a pretty huge deal when satellite connection is lost. GPS is far from infallible, and signals can be jammed by equipment and even solar storms, which is why the UK has begun rolling out a fallback positioning network that uses technology first implemented by the US Navy during WWII. The once-popular Loran positioning system was essentially superseded by GPS, but in a twist to the tale, the UK is using an improved version, known as eLoran, to ensure ships aren't completely reliant on satellite signals. Trials started at the beginning of last year, and the first seven eLoran stations are now live along the East coast of Great Britain, with all the UK's major ports expected to be covered by 2019.
Surprise! Even North Koreans download porn
Yes, the internet does exist in North Korea -- it's just that most users are trapped within the country's virtual confines, unable to access most websites outside their ISP's walled garden. According to BitTorrent monitor ScanEye, though, some do get to bypass the country's security and end up downloading various TV shows, as well as (to nobody's surprise) American and Japanese porn. Aside from the inevitable pornography, the 178 downloads traced from North Korea include Top Gear, Britain's Biggest Hoarders, HBO documentary Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden, and even games like Angry Birds and Far Cry 3. All these activities were traced from a single neighborhood in Pyongyang (NK's capital), where you can find the headquarters of the country's mobile network provider.
Recommended Reading: 'Guardians of the Galaxy' makeup magic
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Under the Skin of "Guardians of the Galaxy" with Makeup FX Wizard David White by Scott Pierce, Fast Company If you're into getting a peek behind the scenes at some movie magic, Fast Company caught up with FX artist David White to discuss Guardians of the Galaxy. Specifically covering the makeup special effects, White chats about Marvel, key characters and the process of making aliens.
North Korea's vision of the future looks like classic sci-fi
When a country is essentially cut off from the rest of the world, peculiar things can happen. In Cuba, the half-century-plus trade-embargo means antique Chevy Bel Airs roam the streets like pigeons, and apparently North Korea's communist ideology translates to some pretty interesting views of the future. A tourism firm in the region gave a state-employed architect free reign to imagine how the mountains of Myohyangsan would appear with a high-rise bridge connecting them in one instance, and what a floating house/hovercraft hybrid (seriously) or a hotel and gondola in Nampo's port would look like in others. The whole of the idea was to experiment with what a "sustainable tourism model" might resemble, according to CNN. And, if you ask us, the four-year project has a certain pulp sci-fi vibe to it. The concept drawings will be on display at Venice's Architecture Biennale until November if you'd like a first-hand look, otherwise hit the source if you can't make it to Italy by then.
Korean protester spreads democracy's message by balloon and flashdrive
As funny as the idea of a video game starring Kim Jong Un might be, how North Korea treats its people isn't exactly a laughing matter. As a child of officials who were part of the North Korea's Workers Party, Park Sang Hak didn't have much to worry about. His family was part of the country's elite and wondering where their next meal would come from wasn't part of daily routine. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, however, when Hak saw the government starving its people he was overcome with guilt, and he defected to South Korea. As a direct result, two of Hak's uncles were arrested as political criminals by North Korea's State Security Department and executed as political enemies. He responded by putting a technological spin on South's previous form of protest: sending propaganda pamphlets north by balloon. His version entailed floating DVDs and USB flash drives containing, among other things, videos about Samsung and Hyundai -- evidence of the south's economic prosperity under democracy.
Fight the (super) power as Kim Jong Un in this bizarre retro-styled shooter
Ah, the '90s. A decade of mullets, heroin-addled rock-stars and 16-bit video games where North Korean dictators waged one-man wars against the United States. Wait, what? In Glorious Leader!, you play as modern-day despot Kim Jong Un in a retro-styled 2D fight against the entire United States Army. Over the course of seven levels, your task is to destroy the Western invaders either on-foot or on the back of a unicorn, and if you can enlist a pal, they'll play as Dennis Rodman. Seriously. Developer Moneyhorse Games stresses that the game is purely tongue-in-cheek and is promising a November release for mobile devices and the PC. Until then, if you want more Sega Genesis-styled mayhem, the teaser after the break will have to do.
Don't go to North Korea, but do check out this travel app
When we think of the places we'd rather not go, a Whole Foods on a Tuesday night before Thanksgiving or your great-grandparents' windowless basement apartment come to mind. And then there's also North Korea, bastion of human rights violations and the favored destination of one Dennis Rodman. If, for some reason, you've always wanted to plan your own trip to the "most secretive nation" in the world, but felt it was too complicated, well, now there's a 99-cent app for that. Yeah. But it doesn't come from the genius minds of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's propagandists. It hails from Uniquely.Travel, a London-based startup specializing in trips to difficult destinations and Magora Systems, a Russian software maker.
South Korea shuns Huawei over fears that it spies on the US
We've long known that the US government has major security concerns about Huawei, despite the Chinese company's insistence that it's free of Communist Party influence. As a result, Huawei has been barred from taking on infrastructure contracts within the Land of the Free, but it appears this safeguard still isn't enough: According to the Wall Street Journal, the US has now risked further diplomatic awkwardness by asking its key ally in the region, South Korea, to re-route all sensitive communications that involve the US away from any Huawei-built equipment. The State Department has partly denied this report, saying that South Korea has changed its policy out of its own volition, but it follows that there must be some degree of concern that Huawei's systems in Korea are accessible to Chinese spies, and perhaps in turn to North Korean ones, too. The only other explanation is that the US and South Korea are holding a very public and very unfair grudge against a totally innocent company. Who knows what the truth is? Beyond throwing in the obvious pot-kettle metaphor, we're not really qualified to comment.
Eric Schmidt praises Myanmar's mobile efforts, but says North Korea hasn't called back
Google's Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, was at the Chinese University of Hong Kong earlier today to launch a local entrepreneurship program with the institute. As a man who believes in free and open internet to aid startups and innovation, the exec was happy to give an update on North Korea and Myanmar since he last visited there to promote better web access. For the former, Schmidt joked that no one called him back since the phones there still don't work for local folks. "North Korea is the most isolated country in the world. 23 million people, a million phones, they talk within the country but not out," Schmidt said. "You cannot get information in and out of the country, it's a terrible disservice to the citizens of the country." The exec continued that he can't tell if his visit had any impact at all: soon after he attempted to convince Kim Jong-un's government "to open up to a little bit of the internet," its recent territorial dispute with South Korea held back progress. "I think history will see if it gets better or not," Schmidt said.
North Korea unveils 'native' Android smartphone
North Korea likes to say that it's on the cutting edge, even if it usually isn't -- and that now includes a locally-built smartphone, the AS1201 Arirang. We don't know much about the Android handset, but state media claims that it's made in Pyongyang and ships with a domestically produced app. As you'd imagine, many outside of North Korea are skeptical of the AS1201's supposed roots. While it's difficult to verify North Korea Tech's suspicions that a Chinese firm makes the device on North Korea's behalf, the hardware is using stock Android -- you know, the OS designed by those "capitalist American pig-dogs" at Google. There's also the question of the device's real-world usefulness. As long as North Korea bans mobile internet use, the Ariang won't be much more capable than your typical feature phone.
Joyful Executions gets death penalty from the App Store for "excessively objectionable content"
Apple runs the App Store with an incredibly strict set of guidelines. No pornographic, explicit, crude or otherwise objectionable content is allowed. Apparently that includes satire. In keeping with the company's move this past January rejecting Endgame: Syria Apple has blocked a new game called Joyful Executions from sale in the App Store. Both games were blocked under guideline 16.1: Apps that present excessively objectionable or crude content will be rejected. So where did it all go wrong? Probably from its moment of conception. Developed by 8-Bit Underpants, Joyful Executions is a turn-based strategy game where the player controls commissar Kim Bok Kyong and his four-man firing squad. Racing against the clock, you must manage your ammunition supplies and modify your tactics to ensure each wave of executions go... well smoothly. Joyful Executions' admittedly dark premise is a satire of the North Korean government, and Apple has a history of blocking titles that include real-world political identifiers. Their e-book store, meanwhile, is full of all sorts of political satire, criticism and commentary. Holding games to a different standard of intellectual content rules than other content holds the artform back as a creative medium. In an interview with PocketGamer developer Fredrik Nordstrom explained why he thinks his game is important. The DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) leadership's tactics of bullying their way to concessions by use of aggressive threats must not be tolerated. I believe it is imperative for us to not grant them the respect they demand by acknowledging them as equals. That's why any parody on North Korea's regime reminds us what they really are. And that's why I'm releasing this game. The game has already been released on the Google Play as a free download. Head over to PocketGamer for the rest of their interview with Nordstrom. You can video the game's trailer below.
No Comment: Kim Jong-un uses an iMac
North Korea released some photos of its leader, Kim Jong-un, hard at work. Besides the map showing (quite clearly) a "US mainland strike plan," dear leader can be seen with what appears to be a 21.5" aluminum unibody iMac. Not to make light of a geopolitical crisis, but the fact that an iMac made it to North Korea at all (despite a full US embargo -- it probably came in from China) merits our weekly No Comment.
