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US is ready to hack Russia if it interferes with the election
American officials are nervous that Russia's alleged attempt to influence the election could extend to the vote itself, and they aren't willing to take any chances. A senior intelligence source tells NBC News that US cyberwarfare agents are in a position to hack Russian critical infrastructure (including command systems, the electrical grid and telecoms) if there's evidence of an attack that disrupts the election in a "significant way." The US isn't expecting such a large breach, but the message is clear: we can hurt you if you meddle with the democratic process.
FBI investigating its own Twitter account over election posts
One of the FBI's Twitter accounts was dormant for a year before it was revived over the weekend. @FBIRecordsVault began posting links to documents related to candidates in the US presidential election in the early hours of October 30th, starting with info on Donald Trump's father Fred Trump. The account followed that up two days later with a release of files from an investigation into President Bill Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich, a case that was closed in 2005. ThinkProgress reports that the FBI has launched an internal investigation into the activity which includes dozens of other posts last Sunday.
Hackers doctored anti-doping files before releasing them
The World Anti-Doping Agency wanted Russia banned from the 2016 Olympics for operating a "state-run doping program." In response, hackers, believed to be from the country, breached WADA's systems and published a bunch of athletes' private health files. But now, the drug-testing body has revealed that some of the documents that were leaked to the public weren't actually legitimate.
Apple Maps displays nationwide Amtrak train routes
Prefer to travel cross-country by rail? If you're an iPhone owner, you no longer need to fire up a third-party app to plan your trip. Apple Maps has introduced support for Amtrak train routes across North America -- if you want to navigate all the way from Los Angeles to Toronto while seeing the sights, you can make it happen. You'll need to live in an area where Apple's mass transit directions are available, of course, but this remains a big deal if you're more interested in how you travel than the time it takes.
States sue to block White House plan for internet transition
If you thought the battle over whether or not the "keys" to the internet would be handed over to an international governing body might be over quickly, we've got some bad news. Attorneys general from Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma and Nevada filed a lawsuit this week in an attempt to block the Obama Administration's plan to cede control of the internet to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in October. The group argues that President Obama must get Congressional approval before "giving away government property."
Tesla builds a fleet of mobile Model X showrooms
Tesla has announced that it's launching a fleet of mobile showrooms to spread the gospel of electric vehicles across America. The company has purchased six Airstream trailers and fitted them out as Tesla-branded "Design Studios," (shops) towed by a Model X SUV. Would-be purchasers are encouraged to hang out, pick out what sort of trim they'd choose and chat to the company's "product specialists" (salespeople).
Baidu's all-electric self-driving car is a modified Chery EQ
Baidu's plan to make self-driving cars a consumer reality by 2018 just changed gears, so to speak. According to Business Insider, the company has swapped out its modified BMW 3-series test vehicles for an all-electric car designed for the Chinese market: the Chery EQ. Unmodified, the diminutive EV can drive about 120 miles on a full charge. Baidu intends to use it to further test its driverless tech in China.
Google tells you how to vote by state with a simple search
You're running out of excuses to not vote in this year's US presidential election. Google has rolled out a new, state-specific voting guide for anyone who searches "how to vote" or other related queries. Google breaks down the voting process in your state, complete with information on early voting, mail-in ballots, requirements and deadlines. There's also a drop-down menu that allows you to toggle among states.
US reportedly elevates the role of Cyber Command
Now that the US treats cyberwarfare as a staple of its combat operations, it's ready to raise the prominence of its internet warriors. Reuters sources say that the Obama administration is planning to elevate Cyber Command, turning it into a "unified command" that's just as crucial as a major regional section like Pacific Command. The proposed shuffle would also detach Cyber Command from the NSA, giving it more input on the use of online weapons and defenses.
Deezer's $10 music streaming service is open to all in the US (updated)
Before now, if you wanted to subscribe to Deezer in the US, you needed to own Bose or Sonos audio gear or be a Cricket customer in order to do so. Just over a month after the streaming service shed podcast app Stitcher, it's opening up the $10 monthly streaming plan to all users in the States. While Deezer offers both free and paid tiers in other countries, the monthly subscription will be the only way for US users to listen when the 30-day trial runs out. Paying up will also get you access to podcasts (still driven by Stitcher) and features like Flow, a personalized station of tunes based on what you've been listening to recently.
FBI: Hillary Clinton shouldn't be charged over private emails (updated)
Days after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton spent a few hours speaking with FBI investigators about her emails, director James Comey provided an update. Comey said that while Clinton was "extremely careless" with her use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State, the FBI found no evidence that she was trying to intentionally break the law by doing so. The director went on to explain that "no reasonable prosecutor" would bring charges against Clinton for how she and her team handled those messages.
VW agrees to $14.7 billion settlement over US diesel claims
After news of a settlement broke yesterday, Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal settlement will indeed hit $15 billion in the US. The official paperwork was filed with the Justice Department today, the automaker will shell out $14.7 billion in two separate settlements -- one with the United States and the state of California and another with the Federal Trade Commission. Figures have continued to rise since the initial reports of $5,000 per vehicle in April rose to $10,000 each. That money, which totals just over $10 billion, will be used to buy back affected vehicles at their pre-cheating scandal price. The actual payouts will range from $5,100 to $10,000 plus the value of the car before news of the emissions test first broke.
CDC outlines how it'll cope with Zika outbreaks
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published how it plans to tackle the Zika virus in the event of a domestic outbreak. While there are already cases of the virus in the US, these were contracted overseas and brought back by unwitting travelers. The agency believes, however, that certain breeds of mosquitos could spread the condition across the US, should they come into contact with a carrier. The plan outlines five stages of action, starting by simply monitoring mosquito patterns and controlling their populations as well as preparing emergency response teams.
Solar-powered aircraft completes its flight across the US
Solar Impulse 2 continues its slow creep around the globe, this time completing its journey across the US by landing in New York City. It first arrived in the continental US back in April when the solar-powered aircraft touched down in San Francisco, and now has completed its 14th leg since leaving Abu Dhabi in March of last year. It's not the fastest way to get around -- especially given delays due to battery damage -- but it is very green, which is the whole point. Next up is an Atlantic Ocean crossing, with a destination in either southern Europe or Northern Africa. Check below for video of the latest flight.
FCC wants to know why mobile security patches take so long
A number of critical security flaws have hit mobile devices in recent months, prompting device makers and service providers alike to issue timely patches. Sometimes those fixes take a while to reach affected handsets, and the FCC wants to know more about the process. Today, the commission announced that it's looking into how updates are distributed when a security flaw is discovered. As part of the inquiry, the FCC's Telecommunications Bureau head Job Wilkins asked both wireless carriers and eight phone and tablet manufacturers to provide details on how problems that plague consumer devices ultimately get fixed.
FDA will regulate e-cigarettes like tobacco products
As the debate over the health risks of e-cigarettes rages on, the FDA is stepping in to "improve public health and protect future generations." To do that, the US government will regulate e-cigs and vaping gear like it does any other tobacco product. Until now, these products haven't been subject to government oversight. With the FDA's changes, the federal law that already forbids tobacco sales to people under 18 will now apply to vaping as well. Sure, this age limit was already being enforced in some places, but this more formal announcement makes it a nation-wide law.
US government wants cyber forces that think like the enemy
Lawmakers want mandatory training for US military cybersecurity to act as the enemy in war games tailored to test the country's cyber defenses. The suggestion was included in a recent defense bill. To ensure attacks aren't confused with real (well, cyber) ones, agreements would be made with the Defense Secretary Ash Carter. One official described the training like the enemy squadrons used by the US Air Force during Red Flag -- a flight exercise for fighter pilots.
Don't bank on Volkswagen paying you $5,000 just yet
Well, this is awkward. Yesterday, German newspaper Die Welt claimed that every American with one of Volkswagen's dodgy diesels would receive $5,000 in compensation. Today, Reuters is offering up a contradictory report saying that the terms of the proposed settlement are substantially different. According to sources, VW's as-yet-confidential deal with regulators means it'll buy back 500,000 of the vehicles that cheated emissions tests. In addition, $1 billion is being set aside as an apology fund for affected owners who will need to buy a new ride. Simple division means that you'd be getting your money back on the car, plus an extra two grand as a mea culpa.
House votes to block FCC from regulating broadband prices
In its guidelines for an open internet, the FCC gave itself the ability to regulate what internet customers in the US will pay for service by classifying broadband as a utility. The US House of Representatives is looking to take that power way, and today voted to pass H.R 2666, or "No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act." The bill has drawn criticism from both politicians and open-internet supporters for being vaguely worded and that it could allow service providers to sue the FCC for unrelated enforcement actions (like fines). President Obama already said he'll veto the legislation if it arrives on his desk.
Uber's first transparency report details regulatory data requests
Uber faces constant criticism for its policies relating to drivers and security. Today, the ride-hailing company released its first transparency report, detailing the scope of information requests from law enforcement and regulators in the US. In fact, Uber says it's the first company to include regulatory requests in this type of report, a disclosure that Google, Facebook and others have made a habit of over the last few years. When it comes to the scale of the regulatory requests, Uber says it received 33 in the last six months of 2015. Those requests included information on nearly 14 million drivers and riders between July and December 2015.
