Security

Google is encouraging hackers to reveal possible threats to its AI systems. Previously, the company employed its internal "AI Red Team" to investigate attack techniques on artificial intelligence. However, the updated program now involves external hackers to enhance AI security.

Reolink has announced that all of its latest accessories "revolutionize" battery-powered home security systems with both solar power and "4K clarity" across the board. The line-up also includes choices of either Wi-Fi- or standalone 4G/LTE-connected cameras, as well as those with pan-tilt form-factors as well as those with integrated spotlights. These potentially never-charge security cameras are available from now.

The HoloLens virtual reality headset, which Microsoft manufactures for the US military, has met with widespread rejection by soldiers because it can cause various physical ailments. There are now also fears that hacker attacks on the VR/MR headset could jeopardize mission security and the health of soldiers.

Released just a few days after iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, the 17.0.1 updates arrive to take care of three vulnerabilities. Launched two months after macOS 13.5, macOS 13.6 also patches two of the three vulnerabilities targeted by the updates for Apple's mobile operating systems.

Apple has made privacy a cornerstone of its customer experience across its product lineup. However, there has been more than one occasion where the company has fallen short of its claims, and it might still have some work to do yet.

Qualcomm has announced that it will partner the US broadband company Charter to deliver a new router for the latter's Spectrum Advanced WiFi service. It is rated to deliver 10 gigabit per second (Gb/s) wired speeds as well as Wi-Fi 7 to the customers that upgrade to it, while still supporting features such as the My Spectrum App and Security Shield.

The Republic of Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has concluded that TikTok has violated various aspects of GDPR as it relates to "child users". The social media giant faces a "reprimand" as well as a multi-million-euro fine for its apparent failure to close loopholes that might have allowed an unsafe level of access to those under 16 on its platform. It also has a three-month deadline to address these failings.

Samsung is said to have updated its second-gen smart tracker to premium ultra-wide band (UWB) connectivity and a larger, possibly more user-friendly, form-factor. Its latest leak purports to confirm this design change as well as an approximate date for the accessory's launch. The "Galaxy SmartTag 2" is now also slated to come in limited color SKUs and multi-pack options on its debut.

According to new AMD-commissioned research, nearly 80% of the 2,000+ "IT leaders" surveyed believed that AI will boost their productivity, while 70% of them believe that it will result in an improved work-life balance. Despite this, just under 50% report that their companies are not ready to adopt the technology necessary to integrate it into their businesses, while 67% believe that doing so poses a new kind of security threat.

A group of enterprising hackers has managed to take advantage of a known exploit in Tesla's in-vehicle software that allowed them to access thousands of dollars in software-locked features, sideload custom apps, and, most alarmingly, access private user data. The researchers say that this exploit is exclusive to newer AMD-based Tesla infotainment systems.

The security advisory that arrived alongside yesterday's updates for Windows revealed that Microsoft has blocked over 100 malicious signed drivers. Back in February, researchers from a trio of security companies informed the tech giant headquartered in Redmond about malware in no less than 133 Windows drivers.

The July security patch has started rolling out in the US, where all Galaxy S23 series devices locked on T-Mobile are receiving the 425 MB software package. Other regions should follow in the coming days. The update is based on Android 13 and doesn't include any new features or performance improvements.

One app to rule them all. Increasing proliferation of AI-generated content into large social platforms like Twitter is fast blurring the lines between fake news and credible information. Musk's US$44 billion Twitter acquisition may be down-valued today, but the potential that the platform holds for evolving into a one-stop "everything X app" and assessing journalistic credibility cannot be undermined.

Fujitsu has announced that it has upgraded its Lifebook-series laptop and convertible tablet to 13th-gen Intel processors. The OEM also asserts that they are ideal for remote or hybrid work, especially with the option of a "palm vein sensor" as a biometric authentication feature. They are also equipped with 16:10 FHD displays that can be touch-responsive in either model.

The U.S. FTC has fined Amazon and Microsoft for violating privacy laws. Amazon is being fined over US$30 million over breach of user privacy and COPPA non-compliance with its Ring and Alexa systems. The trade commission also required Microsoft to pay US$20 million for violating COPPA by not being transparent to parents about children's personal information on Xbox being shared with third parties and retaining account creation data for more time than necessary.

The Pixel 7a's almost obligatory teardown on the JerryRigEverything YouTube channel has ended in unexpected results. Google's latest Android smartphone was found to have an internal detail or two that never came up during its recent I/O 2023 launch, turning a practically routine vlog into a timely fable on the importance of staying alert and informed in a constantly evolving consumer tech world.

VIOFO's latest A119 Mini 2 is, as the name suggests, one of the super-compact type of dash-cam that integrates its own rear-facing screen. Nevertheless, it is packed with up-to-date features such as a Sony STARVIS 2 image sensor for low-light performance; a wide field of view; Intelligent Parking Mode and Auto Event Detection. It also supports time-lapse video and hands-free control options.

FREEDARE has announced that it will bring its new option in electrified mobility to Indiegogo later in May 2023. The start-up describes it as "the world's first smart fat tire e-bike", which seems to mean the multi-terrain IP5X two-wheeler comes with battery management, theft detection and route-planning via its own smartphone app. Its range, comfort and early-bird prices are also now being hyped ahead of its debut.

Google has heralded "a major step" toward a future in which the password is obsolete with a new Account option sign-in option. They enable the user to generate a passkey instead of setting a password, and link it to their stored biometrics or PIN in order to access services from the Mountain View giant. The emerging login method is touted as a more convenient and secure form of authentication, although it may have its own drawbacks.

First announced last summer at WWDC, Apple is rolling out the first publicly available Rapid Security Response update for iOS and macOS. While details concerning what the security update patches are not yet known, this marks the first instance of Apple pushing a minor system update focused only on security.

Known for his work on artificial neural networks, Geoffrey Hinton has been with Google since March 2013, when the tech giant acquired DNNresearch Inc., his company at the time. Earlier today, he announced his departure from Google so he could talk freely about the dangers of AI, but also highlighted that he is not criticizing the tech giant.

The Ai microprocessors integrated with Cigent's new Secure SSD+ solutions employ machine learning algorithms to detect ransomware and remote attacks. Together with the Data Defense app, the SSDs can enable per-file multi-factor authentication and make entire partitions invisible or read-only.

Genesis Marketplace, one of the largest marketplaces for selling stolen login credentials, has been seized by the FBI. The takedown involved cooperation between agencies from multiple countries across Europe and North America.

The 360-degree full-view 70mai Dash Cam Omni has just made its debut in North America. With a list price of US$199.99 for the US and CAD$279.99 for Canada, this 1080p dash camera features AI motion detection, built-in GPS and 128 GB eMMC storage, collision detection with a total buffered emergency recording of 15 seconds, and more.

CheckSum Hide.me VPN app is worth giving a try for those out of love with having to disclose e-mail addresses and other personal details to companies no-one's ever heard of. The data cap is comfortably high, too.

Introduced on the market at the end of November 2019, the 14 TB Western Digital Purple HDD is optimized for surveillance tasks with design traits that ensure long-term reliability while in use 24/7. With a list price of US$319.99 and a mid-2021 peak of almost US$600, the WD140PURZ model retails now at US$279.99.

Enabot touts its latest EBO X as the "first true family bot", and, as such, capable of helping protect, entertain and inform your loved ones while moving independently around the home. Its launch via Kickstarter involves a hefty discount off its planned US$999 retail price, while may have helped it attract backing to the tune of over 1900% of its original goal to the project in short order thus far.

In a move supposed to help users protect themselves from impersonation and to gain direct access to customer support, Meta Verified is rolling out this week to increase security across the brand's services. Australia and New Zealand will be the first countries to get it, for a monthly price of US$11.99 (web) and US$14.99 (iOS).

Heybike's "most advanced" new e-bike has a fairly standard 750W motor, foldable form-factor, augmented with hydraulic front-fork suspension and disc brakes with "excellent stopping power." Then again, it also has the in-built connectivity rated to track its location if necessary via its own app. The Tyson is currently available to pre-order online.

Google reportedly intends to start blocking the installation of apps that have been developed for older versions of Android soon. These changes are slated to come into effect with the next major upgrade to the operating system, and is touted to enhance security both on and off the Play Store.

MediaTek and Federated Wireless have announced that products such as 5G hotspots and Ethernet gateways powered by Filogic chips for either Wi-Fi 7 or 6E stand to benefit from improved capacity, speed and range, as they are now more compatible with the 6GHz band on Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) systems. The chips' new certification is touted as an important step toward their inclusion into standardized devices approved by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC).

A database containing an allegedly "devastating" amount of personal data is reportedly being offered for sale by a "threat actor" that claims to have derived the information from a vulnerability in Twitter's defences. According to a cybersecurity company, the users affected number in the hundreds of millions and include "high profile" individuals such as Ether creator Vitalik Buterin.

Anker's home security brand eufy has built its name on assertions that footage recorded using its cameras is stored securely and only arrives on a user's device via “end-to-end military-grade encryption". However, The Verge now claims to be able to prove that some of these claims are technically false, citing some findings posted to Twitter by researchers.

In a thread posted on Twitter, journalist Matt Taibbi discussed documents and messages he obtained from Twitter employees and Elon Musk that suggest Twitter took an active role in influencing the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The crux of Taibbi's story is the controversial news reporting around Hunter Biden's laptop and the confusion among Twitter employees and executives as to how to handle the dissemination of potential misinformation.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been fined €265 million (~US$275 million) by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) due to a data breach affecting Facebook during 2019. This breach affected over 500 million Facebook users. This marks the fourth such fine from the DPC since the Fall of 2021.

A new lawsuit alleges that Apple continues to collect user data in stock iPhone apps even when users have opted out of data tracking. This tracking contradicts assurances that Apple safeguards user privacy and can completely disable any kind of data collection in Apple's apps.

Google has somewhat quietly added a new version of its Nest Doorbell to its Store. This refreshed version runs on wired power, and is rated to send the telemetry from its inbuilt to the user in a 4:3 aspect-ratio, rated for improved vigilance over things such as packages. It can also record video for up to 10 days on end; however, this feature requires an additional Nest subscription.

The Simple Phone is aimed at those who want a smartphone free of interference from Google. Instead, the Simple Phone ships with SimpleOS, an open-source OS based on Android 11 that ships with F-Droid, not the Google Play Store.

While most processors on the market are faster when disabling security tweaks/patches for certain bugs such as Spectre or Meltdown, it was recently discovered that the AMD Ryzen 7000 family does better when the Spectre V2 mitigations are enabled in the Linux kernel. The tests were first ran on the Ryzen 9 7950X, and then on the Ryzen 5 7600X.

Google has unveiled the Nest Wifi Pro, its most advanced Wi-Fi router to date. Not only does the new router support Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, but multiple units can also be used in a mesh set-up. The Google Nest Wifi Pro supports the Matter smart home standard too, among other features.

Anker's eufy home-security brand has launched a third-gen outdoor camera kit powered by its OEM's new BionicMind AI. It can be "taught" to recognize specific faces as friendly, and can even learn to "perceive" certain human behaviors as potentially suspicious. The new features are touted to make camera activation, user notification and footage storage within the eufyCam 3 system more selective, powerful and effective than ever.

The C3W Pro is the latest security camera from EZVIZ, of the Wi-Fi-capable form-factor intended to be installed outside. As such, it packs the OEM's latest color night-vision features, including automatic activation in response to movement. Its 1080p resolution and 2MP streaming mode allow it to hit a potentially attractive price-point.

The Fiido X may be one of the most successful e-bikes that started out on a crowd-funding website. Nevertheless, the OEM has announced that it will be releasing a new version for 2022. It is rated to offer a new zero-power mode, as well as improved security features, a new handlebar with a new screen and other new, possibly quality-enhancing, tweaks.

Smartphone OEMs might be pivoting towards under-display camera (UDC) tech to free their future devices from punch-holes, notches or sensor bars of all kinds. Now, Samsung has taken this potential trend particularly far by patenting a screen with dual UDCs. The South Korean giant apparently intends them for use in improved user authentication.

Included with HP computers, but also available as a standalone release for non-HP PCs that use the brand's peripherals such as scanners or printers, HP Support Assistant is vulnerable to DLL hijacking. HP's security advisory on this topic also includes a fix for the problem, which is considered a high-level security threat.

While the Galaxy S21 series and the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G are now both receiving this month's security patch on Android 12, the previous generation flagships should receive Android 13 before the end of the year. For the Galaxy S20 FE 5G, this is scheduled to take place in March 2023.

Even before the launch of the Pixel 6 series, there were rumours that all models would support Face Unlock functionality. Still in development nearly a year after the release of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, new information suggests that facial recognition could be used in conjunction with the device's optical fingerprint sensor.

Recent research has shown that the TikTok iOS app opens any links inside an in-app browser and all interaction with the website is being recorded. This info can include passwords, credit card information, addresses, and so on. Although TikTok confirmed the existence of such features, the company also denied using them.