Thunderbolt Flaw Opens Door for 'Evil Maid' Attack
A Dutch researcher has revealed a novel way to crack into a personal computer through a Thunderbolt port. The method, dubbed "Thunderspy," sidesteps the login screen of a sleeping computer, as well as its hard disk encryption, to access all its data.
Abandoned Open Source Code Heightens Commercial Software Security Risks
Outdated or abandoned open source components are persistent in practically all commercial software, putting enterprise and consumer applications at risk from security issues, license compliance violations, and operational threats, according to the Synopsys 2020 Open Source Security and Risk Analysis Report released Tuesday.
IBM's outgoing CEO Ginni Rometty gave a compelling talk at IBM Think last week on how the company is fighting strategically for diversity. I know of only one other company, Cisco, that is taking a genuinely holistic, strategic view of the problem, resulting in a broad positive impact.
Warren Buffet once said, "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked." You can cover over a host of sins when times are good, but bad or unsafe practices will be exposed when times are rough. Time and experience have borne out the accuracy of this witticism in the financial arena -- and we're now seeing its applicability to the intersection of infosec and COVID-19.
MakuluLinux Delivers Modernity With New Core Platform
If you are looking for a well-designed Linux distro that is far from mainstream, loaded with performance features not found elsewhere, check out the 2020 upgrade of the MakuluLinux Core distro. It could change your perspective on what a daily computing driver should offer. Jack Germain has a review on LinuxInsider.
Microsoft Covers All the Bases With Impressive Surface Lineup
Microsoft has introduced a slew of new products, including the Surface Go 2, the Surface Book 3, Surface Headphones 2 and Surface Earbuds. Both the Surface Go 2 and the Surface Book 3 come in consumer and corporate versions.
Red Hat's Virtual Summit Crowds Hint at Future Conference Models
In what could be a trial run for more of the same, Red Hat recently held a first-ever virtual technical summit to spread the word about its latest cloud tech offerings. CEO Paul Cormier welcomed online viewers to the conference, which attracted more than 80,000 virtual attendees.
The next generation of Oculus Quest virtual reality headsets is in the works, but pandemic-related product development and supply chain problems may delay market arrival.
Linux Foundation Leads Initiative for Better Digital Trust
The Linux Foundation will host the Trust over IP Foundation, a cross-industry effort to ensure more secure data handling over the Internet. This new foundation is an independent project enabling trustworthy exchange and verification of data between any two parties on the Internet.
The UK's plans to launch a smartphone application to track potential COVID-19 infections won't include Apple and Google. The country's National Health Service has designed its own mobile software to do contact tracing.
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Looking for the ideal midrange smartphone? Xiaomi spin-off Poco might have the answer with its new F2 Pro. This $500 handset has a 6.67-inch screen with no notches, holes or other distractions, a pop-up front-facing camera, powerful Snapdragon 865 CPU and all the other bits you'd expect from a modern device with no filler.
The only problem, of course, is finding someone who will sell it in the US. There's always something, isn't there?
-- Richard
YouTube Music will transfer your Google Play songs with one click
Google Play Music will shut down later this year.
It's been about two years since YouTube Music launched, and it's finally ready to copy over every bit of music and data you may have collected in Google Play Music over the years. Once the transfer tool is ready for your account, a prompt will pop up in the GPM / YouTube Music app on your iOS or Android device. Once triggered, it will port over music you've uploaded, as well as playlists and "many" of the curated stations in Play Music.
Google said that Play Music is going away for good at some point later this year, but the good news for holdouts is that, according to Nathan Ingraham, "basically all the deal-breaking problems I originally encountered have been fixed." Continue reading.
Remastered 'Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2' game lands in September
Summer Game Fest
Decades after they debuted, the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games are coming back on modern consoles. Vicarious Visions is developing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1and 2, a single title that contains remastered versions of the classic games. It's due out on September 4th, 2020, for PlayStation 4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One X and PC via the Epic Games Store.
The new title has modernized Create-A-Skater and Create-A-Park modes, HD graphics and all of the levels, moves and pro skaters from the original games. The level editor has been modernized, and Vicarious Visions COO Simon Ebejer told Engadget "The animation system, the sound effects, it's all brand new." Continue reading.
PlayStation 4 sales pass 110 million
And the PS5 launch is still on schedule.
Sony's PlayStation 4 has reached lifetime sales of 110.4 million. It's impressive but makes it increasingly unlikely that the PS4 will take the 'all-time best-selling console' crown from the PlayStation 2, the pesky DVD-playing trojan horse. The PlayStation 4's momentum has slowed, though -- Sony is selling fewer consoles than this time last year.
Never mind: The company is scheduled to release the PS5 this year, which will undoubtedly boost hardware sales when it makes its appearance along with some games from the assorted PlayStation Studios.
If you're lucky, you might not need to buy anything extra.
Some (most?) webcams suck. The video quality is mediocre and camera placement is often not flattering -- especially on some laptops. Why not use that fancy DSLR camera you have? Depending on the make and model, it might be as easy as downloading an app. You may require some new hardware and cables, but regardless, we've laid out all the options for wowing colleagues and/or family on your next video call. Continue reading.
Huawei skirts US trade bans with a 'new' P30 Pro
It's not a P40 Pro, but it does have the apps you want.
In Europe, at least, Huawei is giving its last-year flagship another roll of the dice. It's launched a new P30 Pro that comes with the latest version of Android, and well, pretty much the same hardware you saw last year.
The US-imposed trade restrictions meant Huawei can't use American-made components or software (the latter part there is crucial). But since the P30 Pro was released before Huawei was put on the "Entity List," the company is able to re-release the phone with Android 10 pre-loaded. The P30 Pro New Edition will be out on June 1st -- at least in Germany -- and will cost €749 (about $815). Continue reading.
The iconic first-person shooter Doom has been remastered and ported to pretty much everything, from ATMs to printer screens to iPods. Now, game development enthusiast Sylvain Lefebvre has created a machine that only plays his custom port of Doom.
How? Well, Lefebvre used an FPGA (field-programmable gate array) circuit board. I'm oversimplifying hugely, but think of them as flashdrives for programming logic. These were originally meant to serve as the brains behind simpler electronics but are now being regularly used in homebrew gaming, including hardware-based emulation. Companies like Analogue Interactive use FPGA chips to create retro gaming hardware like the Mega SG -- proving the power of these things.
Lefebvre's creation runs Doom -- and nothing else.
-- Mat
Elon Musk restarts Tesla production in defiance of county lockdown
Just can't wait.
Tesla's Fremont factory is in Alameda County, CA, which is still under a stay in place order due to the coronavirus pandemic. Elon Musk has previously agitated about the measures being taken to fight the outbreak, after incorrectly downplaying its potential impact, and now has decided to reopen the factory against the orders of local officials. In a tweet, Musk said, "I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me."
There didn't seem to be much chance local police would lead the billionaire away in cuffs, and it hasn't happened so far. County officials have been negotiating with the company over reopening and said in a statement of their own that "We are addressing this matter using the same phased approach we use for other businesses which have violated the Order in the past, and we hope that Tesla will likewise comply without further enforcement measures." Continue reading.
Engadget's Guide to Home Entertainment: How to buy a soundbar
You don't need lots of speakers for great TV audio.
Built-in TV speakers are trash and everyone knows it. But upgrading the audio component of your home entertainment system is complicated -- and often expensive. Soundbars are better than multi-speaker setups but they, too, can cost thousands. Thankfully, you don't have to break the bank to get a solid soundbar. Our soundbar buying guide lays out everything you need to know and includes a list of our favorites for every budget. Continue reading.
How to find free ebooks while libraries are closed
Maybe you're running out of shows to stream.
Shelter in place orders have almost definitely shuttered your local library. But that doesn't mean you can't ride out this pandemic with a stack of good books by your side -- they just might be of the digital variety. Start with your neighborhood library and then branch out. Andrew Tarantola lays out how to make the most of online book catalogs. Continue reading.
Motorola Razr's Android 10 update makes better use of the outer screen
Functional even when it's folded closed.
After updating your Razr to Android 10, you can use more apps on the outer (aka Quick View) screen, including Google Maps' turn-by-turn navigation and music control for apps like Pandora, Spotify and YouTube Music. You can also access favorite contacts to make calls from that external display, and you can reply to messages directly from the screen using either a new Quick View keyboard or canned Smart Replies. Continue reading.