Wednesday 8 March 2017

The Morning After: The CIA Wikileaks and Amazon Alexa snitching

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It's Wednesday, March 08, 2017.

Good morning!

Wikileaks is at it again, this time going after the CIA. Flickr has learned a new trick, offering a Google Photos-like “similarity search” and we know the name of Star Trek’s next captain. But first things first -- make sure you've entered our contest to win a Marantz SR7011 9.2 channel receiver, courtesy of Auro Technologies. We'll wait.

Here we go again

Wikileaks ‘Vault 7’ claims to reveal the CIA’s hacking toolkit

Wikileaks has posted a cache of information that it says unmasks the Central Intelligence Agency’s “entire hacking capacity.” While there’s room for skepticism and many have noted what isn’t in there (like any confirmation the government has cracked the encryption on WhatsApp or Signal), there’s still a lot to digest. The documents claim the CIA instead is focused on compromising a target’s device to nab information before its encrypted by an app, and even has USB-delivered malware capable of turning a Samsung smart TV into a listening device.

Issa tube

Hyperloop One offers a glimpse at its Nevada test site

Hyperloop One offers a glimpse at its Nevada test site

So how do you test the future of transportation? If you’re Hyperloop One, you build a 1,640ft-long “DevLoop” in the Nevada desert. While its window to start testing is now just the first half of this year, even a picture of an empty tube is better than yet another pie-in-the-sky concept image.

Meet New Glenn

Blue Origin previews its next reusable rocket

Blue Origin previews its next reusable rocket

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company has a new vehicle on the way. While Blue Origin showed off New Glenn’s capabilities with a slick animation, it also announced a deal with Eutelsat to launch a satellite in the 2021-2022 timeframe.

Does this count as snitching?

Amazon hands over Alexa data for use in murder investigation

Amazon hands over Alexa data for use in murder investigation

Recently, police asked Amazon for data from an Echo speaker, looking for evidence to use in a murder investigation. The company initially refused, citing protections including the First Amendment, but now it’s going to cooperate. That’s because the device’s owner, James Bates has given the OK, claiming he is innocent of all charges in the death of a man found in his hot tub. 

But wait, there's more...

1. Nintendo wins a key case against a 3DS modchip seller

2. Now Flickr has a neural network-powered 'similarity search' option

3. Tech companies and game devs are gearing up for AR

4. 'Star Trek: Discovery' will have Jason Isaacs as its captain

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