In a mind-boggling world first, a team of biologists and security researchers have successfully infected a computer with a into a strand of DNA. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s very real — although you probably don’t have to worry about this particular threat vector any time soon. That said, the possibilities suggested by this project are equally fascinating and… Read MoreDaily Archives: August 9, 2017
In a mind-boggling world first, a team of biologists and security researchers have successfully infected a computer with a into a strand of DNA. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s very real — although you probably don’t have to worry about this particular threat vector any time soon. That said, the possibilities suggested by this project are equally fascinating and… Read More
Facebook has a new home for original video content produced exclusively for it by partners, who will earn 55 percent of ad break revenue while Facebook keeps 45 percent. The “Watch” tab and original shows will start rolling out to a small group of U.S. users tomorrow on mobile, desktop and Facebook’s TV apps. Read MoreFacebook launches original video content in redesigned Watch tab
Curbside, a startup powering same-day shopping experiences for traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, including CVS, is today announcing a new partnership with Yelp that will allow consumers to shop in Yelp’s app, then pick up their items locally. For shoppers, the idea is that they’ll be able to browse area businesses’ products and promotions in Yelp, then drive to the store… Read MoreYelp partners with Curbside to add order pickup to its ...
Last week, Apple accidentally released an early build of the HomePod firmware. Guilherme Rambo has been digging around a library file to spot strings and references that hint at future products and features. In particular, he just noticed that the next iPhone will be able to detect when you’re looking at the screen so that it can silence your notifications. I looked around the… Read MoreThe iPhone 8 could mute notifications when you’re looking at ...
“Cloaking” sounds sci-fi but it’s actually a trick used today by spammers to show content moderators or search engine spiders an innocent looking version of their site while real visitors just see ads and scams. For example, some spammers try to fool Facebook’s review team and tech by showing any of its staffers’ IP addresses a benign landing page for links or… Read MoreFacebook bans “cloaking” of spam sites that fool filters
With updates to the Swarm app, Foursquare hopes to gather even more data about where people spend their time and money.
Foursquare May Have Grown Up, But the Check-In Still Matters
Smartphone company Essential, which is founded by Android co-creator Andy Rubin, has finally made official a $300 million funding round first reported in June. The funding round comes from investors including Tencent, as well as Amazon’s Alexa Fund, among others. Essential also revealed new information about its retail launch, including retail partners Amazon and Best Buy who will be… Read MoreEssential confirms $300M funding, Amazon and Best Buy retail availability
The Chinese company is launching a $35 version of the Echo Dot smart speaker, powered by Amazon's Alexa.
Anker’s Genie Is Just Like the Echo Dot, Only Cheaper
The EFF has filed a court filing pressing for warrants be required for searches of mobile phones, laptops and other digital devices by federal agents at international airports and U.S. land borders — describing these as “highly intrusive forays into travelers’ private information”. Read MoreEFF files court brief urging warrants for digital device searches ...
If you’re sick of politics, sport and general world news then you’re probably best off avoiding social media altogether. But if you want to have your cake and eat it, there is another option to prevent unwanted items filling up your precious timeline on Twitter. Try Mute, a way to quickly mute 100 words from Twitter as chosen by the wisdom of people on the internet —… Read More