Obama
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Airbnb arrives in Cuba with US-only listings
Airbnb has joined Netflix and other American companies doing business in Cuba. The move marks the most significant US business expansion to the Caribbean island since the Obama administration began normalizing relations with the nation, according to the Associated Press. The private rental outfit has high hopes for the region, saying "we believe that Cuba could become one of Airbnb's biggest markets in Latin America." Over 1,000 listings are now up on the site, with 40 percent of those in Havana and the rest in nearby tourist spots on the Southern coast.
Obama names Twitter, Google alum first Chief Digital Officer
President Barack Obama has been awfully busy shoring up his administration's tech credentials: Former Google exec Megan Smith is the White House's current Chief Technology Officer, while former Facebook engineer David Recordon was recently named its first Director of IT. Now the president (and his voluminous crew of advisors) has plucked another Silicon Valley stalwart -- Jason Goldman -- to serve as the executive branch's very first Chief Digital Officer. Now the question is, well, what does a Chief Digital Officer do?
Obama orders 40 percent cut in federal government's carbon emissions
No matter how hard his opponents try to ignore or deny climate change, President Barack Obama won't back down. That's why the commander in chief has signed an executive order that'll ensure the federal government cuts its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in the next decade. In addition, agencies will be required to increase the amount of renewable energy it uses up to at least 30 percent in the same period of time.
Last year's best GIF is three years old (update)
Well, this is awkward: The big winner of this year's GIFY awards is apparently from 2012. How do we know that? It's written on the wall, of course. While President Obama skateboarding across the stage at the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul from three years ago is plenty funny, it isn't exactly new as The Next Web notes. It even took the award for the news and politics category. Cool? Yeah, but I can think of a few others that were a bit more deserving -- especially considering that there's a "throwback" category. Regardless, you can check out all of the winners below. Update: The GIFYs organizers and panelists (including one of Engadget's own) are aware that these GIFs may not be new, necessarily, but that doesn't mean they can't be voted the best GIFs of the year. Clearly a GIF with "2012" in the background might be outdated, but it can still get some love a few years later. Carry on, folks, and enjoy the GIFs.
President Obama launches new training program for tech jobs
America is suffering from a lack of tech-savvy workers, and that's one of the reasons that wages are stagnant. It's enough of an issue that President Obama is launching TechHire, a program designed to get citizens into well-paid jobs in the technology sector. In short, the scheme is a way to increase STEM knowledge, connect workers to opportunities and break down the barriers between giving people a chance.
Obama wants China to stop copying the NSA's surveillance plans
President Obama has criticized a Chinese plan to force US tech companies to install backdoors into their products for sale in the country. Without stopping for a moment to consider the phrase about glass houses and stones, he told Reuters that China would have to change its stance if it wanted to do business with the US.
Proposed privacy bill protects industry more than it does people
If the return of Frank Underwood stoked a thirst for real drama from the nation's capitol, perhaps the White House's late-Friday news dump of the proposed Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights will whet your whistle. Alongside common-sense things like Congress finding that Americans "cherish privacy as an element of their individual freedom" in the draft, are headings pertaining to transparency, individual control, security and accountability. In regards to that first one, the bill states (PDF) that companies make their policies for exactly what they do with your data readable without the need for a legalese translator. In addition to that, companies would need to disclose what they're doing with the reams of data they're collecting on all of us and comply with requests for data deletion, as well. You'd also be able to request a look at the data collected by companies. Sounds good, right? Well, as the Associated Press reports, that isn't quite the case.
Obama places modest limits on NSA data collection for non-citizens
A bill that would've effectively ended the US government's current mass phone surveillance program was killed by the Senate back in November. But today, President Obama announced his own limits on the NSA's monitoring of foreigners. The agency will only be able to keep info it collects through electronic surveillance of non-citizens that doesn't pertain to national security for five years. Of course, the director of national security can grant an extension if circumstances warrant one. What's more, gag orders on the FBI's national security letters seeking information from companies will now expire after three years, but again, extensions are an option should the need arise.
Apple's missing spark, HoloLens, Skymall and other stories you might've missed this week
Microsoft dives head-first into augmented reality, President Obama addresses the State of the Union -- and the internet-- and (say it ain't so!) Skymall files for bankruptcy. Get caught up on these stories and more in this latest edition of Weekends with Engadget.
Engadget Daily: Verizon Vehicle, Obama pushes for cybersecurity legislation, and more!
Remember back in 2011 when President Obama first approached the Senate with cybersecurity legislation and it was rejected? Well, today he announced it's time for round two, and in light of recent high-profile attacks, the odds are in his favor. Catch all the deets and more in the gallery below. Enjoy!
President Obama wants America to have faster, cheaper internet
In parts of the US, broadband internet options are limited. And as competition dries up (or gets bought out), things could get worse. Well, President Obama reckons this should stop and will reveal a series of initiatives aimed at opening up choice and competition, dropping the price of high-speed internet and opening up better connection speeds to millions of you, American readers. According to the Washington Post, the measures will center on city-based efforts to offer connectivity alternatives alongside services offered by companies like Comcast and Verizon.
President's proposals would protect hack victims and student data
President Barack Obama's State of the Union address is going to include at least two proposals that will affect how companies handle your data. One, the Personal Data Notification and Protection Act, would require that firms tell their customers about data breaches within 30 days after discovering that hackers got in. The varying state data laws that exist today both leave people vulnerable and create headaches for businesses, the president argues. The speech will also include a voluntary deal that makes it easier to get your credit score and find out if a data thief wrecked your financial reputation.
President Obama uses Facebook and Vine to preview his free college plan
President Barack Obama is previewing parts of his State of the Union address in a bid to drum up support ahead of the big speech, and his latest effort is breaking some ground -- both in the policy and how he's presenting it. The head of state took to Facebook, Twitter and Vine to unveil a proposal that would give Americans two free years of community college so long as they maintain good grades and graduate. It's a rare move for discussing politics online. While the president regularly makes announcements on social networks, it's not often that you get a peek at the State of the Union while you're catching up on friends' status updates and looping cat videos.
Obama doesn't believe the Sony hack was an act of war
If you were worried that the US government would see the Sony Pictures hack as grievous enough to prompt a larger conflict with North Korea, you can relax. President Obama tells CNN that he doesn't see the digital assault as an "act of war" -- it was a serious instance of "cybervandalism," but that's it. He still isn't giving any clues as to what the previously mentioned proportional response will be, but the remarks suggest that it won't involve an especially damaging retaliatory hack or any real-world weaponry. If leaks are correct, the White House may be more interested in stopping future attacks by North Korea than launching one of its own. [Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images]
Why North Korea's Sony hack made 'The Interview' required viewing
Congratulations, Guardians of Peace (and North Korea!) -- you've successfully prevented a "dangerous" Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy from getting released. But guess what? You've also made The Interview, which appeared to be just another slacker comedy from the Freaks and Geeks alums, vastly more important than it ever would have been on its own. That's what we in America call delicious irony. Sony, in a move President Barack Obama has called "a mistake," has vowed never to release the film in any form -- no VOD, no special digital download -- but it's only a matter of time until it's on every torrent and illegal video-streaming site on the web. And how long do you think it'll be until it makes its way into North Korea? You've won this battle, but you've also ignited a war against censorship that could end up dismantling your fascist control of information. Also, didn't you realize people always want what they can't have?
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."
Barack Obama just became the first US president to write a computer program
Remember that Hour of Code event we mentioned earlier today? The one that had President Barack Obama hosting a computer science workshop at the White House? Turns out the president used the event to mark a new milestone in American history: He's now the first US president to write a computer program. Specifically, the president used Google's Blockly tool to craft a tiny segment of code to draw a square. It's not a very useful program, but its creation is symbolic of the event's message -- with a little effort, anybody can learn to code. Even one of the busiest men on the planet. [Image credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin]
Say goodbye to (most of) those arcane symbols on your gadgets
Like the lower back tattoo you got in college, everyone's been hoping that those mandated symbols on the bottom of your gadgets will just go away. Thankfully, the E-Label act has now been signed into law by President Obama, enabling gadget manufacturers to display those symbols electronically. At some point in the future, therefore, new devices are going to get a lot cleaner, with the FCC logo and that weird instruction not to throw your bin in the trash tucked away somewhere in a settings menu. Of course, the CE logo - for products cleared for sale in Europe - will probably remain, but we can worry about that once we've saved up for the laser surgery.
FCC Chairman says he may ignore Obama on net neutrality
FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has told web giants Google, Yahoo and others that he won't cave to pressure from the White House, declaring "I am an independent agency." His statement (already seized on by pundits for lack of the royal 'we') looks to be a direct response to President Obama's recent urging that the FCC declare the internet a utility. The White House came out strongly on the side of net neutrality after a leaked document showed that the FCC wanted to let internet service providers (ISPs) continue to use so-called fast lanes.
Engadget Daily: US Postal Service hacked, Obama on net neutrality and more!
If it wasn't already apparent, the battle for net neutrality is far from over. Today, President Obama released a YouTube video promoting a free internet and the reception was, well, mixed. That's not all we have on deck though -- read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours, including the US Postal Service's data breach, a sandbox that make music, and a rocket-powered bike that puts a Ferrari to shame.
