All About Tech Update

[Charliegrover]

Segway’s prototype wheelchair crashes at tech show


Segway's prototype wheelchair crashed during a demonstration at the CES tech show. The S-Pod - a self-balancing electric wheelchair - was being tested by a journalist at the time. The rider had accelerated the vehicle before accidentally crashing into a wall. Its maximum speed is 24mph (38km/h). The company said no one was injured. The crash made the S-Pod unavailable for further demos, but analysts say the company should not face lasting damage. "In no way is an [malfunction] a total loss. It is still a sign to the public that the company is close to the finished product," said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.

The S-Pod is designed to be driven in enclosed spaces such as airports, theme parks and work campuses. Segway's director of marketing Jeff Wu told the BBC the concept model did not have a safety belt, but that his company intended to add one. The Chinese firm did not say how much it had spent on the prototype, but companies often spend millions of dollars developing products to have them ready to exhibit at the annual Las Vegas expo. The S-Pod is expected to go on sale in early 2021. The demo model had received significant media attention for its design. It is inspired by the geospheres in the film Jurassic World. Many on social media have also compared the vehicle to the hover chairs in the animated Pixar film Wall-E.

[Charliegrover]

Researchers: Are We On The Cusp Of An ‘An I Winter’



The last decade was a big one for artificial intelligence but researchers in the field believe that the industry is about to enter a new phase. Hype surrounding AI has peaked and troughed over the years as the abilities of the technology get overestimated and then re-evaluated. The peaks are known as AI summers, and the troughs AI winters. The 10s were arguably the hottest AI summer on record with tech giants repeatedly touting AI's abilities.

AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio sometimes called one of the "godfathers of AI", told the BBC that AI's abilities were somewhat overhyped in the 10s by certain companies with an interest in doing so. There are signs, however, that the hype might be about to start cooling off. "I have the sense that AI is transitioning to a new phase," said Katja Hoffman, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. Given the billions being invested in AI and the fact that there are likely to be more breakthroughs ahead, some researchers believe it would be wrong to call this new phase an AI winter. Robot Wars judge Noel Sharkey, who is also a professor of AI and robotics at Sheffield University, told the BBC that he likes the term "AI autumn" - and several others agree.

[Charliegrover]

NSA Reveals Major Flaw In Microsoft's Code



The US National Security Agency (NSA) has discovered a major flaw in Windows 10 that could have been used by hackers to create malicious software that looked legitimate. Microsoft has issued a patch and said it had seen no evidence of the bug being exploited by hackers. The issue was revealed during an NSA press conference. It was not clear how long it had known about it before revealing it to Microsoft. Brian Krebs, the security expert who first reported the revelation, said the software giant had sent the patch to branches of the US military and other high-level users ahead of its wider release. It was, he wrote, "extraordinarily scary".

The problem exists in a core component of Windows known as crypt32.dll, a program that allows software developers to access various functions, such as digital certificates which are used to sign software. It could, in theory, have allowed a hacker to pass off a piece of malicious software as being entirely legitimate. The NSA's director of cyber-security Anne Neuberger told reporters that the bug "makes trust vulnerable". She added that the agency had decided to make its involvement in the discovery public at Microsoft's request. The flaw is also an issue in Windows Server 2016 and 2019 but does not appear to affect older versions of the operating system.

Prof Alan Woodward, a security expert based at Surrey University, said of the flaw: "It's big because it affects the core cryptographic software used by Microsoft operating systems. Although there is no evidence that it has been exploited by hackers, it is a major threat as it lays users open to a range of attacks, so this is a case of don't panic but apply the patch straight away." "The concern is that as soon as the vulnerability is known about in detail, exploits will be produced and the laggards who don't patch will be prime targets."

[Charliegrover]

Google's Announced Timeline For New Privacy Policy



Google has announced a timeline for implementing new privacy standards that will limit third-party use of a digital tool known as cookies. Cookies track users' internet activity and allow digital publishers to target advertising. Tech firms have faced pressure to increase privacy protections amid mounting data breaches. But analysts say the move gives Google more control over the digital ad market where it is already a major player. Alphabet - Google's parent company - makes the majority of its revenue from ad sales. To make advertising more personal web browsers collect small bits of information that allow them to create a profile of the user's likes and online habits.


What are cookies?
Cookies are a digital tool that tracks an individual's internet activity. The small piece of data is stored by web browsers like Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari while users surf the internet. They record information like what websites have been visited, items that have been added to a digital shopping cart or information that has been filled into digitals forms, such as names and passwords. Companies use this to find out about individuals' activities on the internet. Web publishers use them to determine what advertising to target to a particular person. The new policy is known as "privacy sandbox" will mean third-party ad sellers will need to go through Google to get information about internet users. But critics say that is an advantage that makes the market less fair and safe. "This presents a core problem from a competition perspective. It is yet another example of Google diminishing ad rivals' access to data for the stated purpose of protecting users' privacy," said Dina Srinivasan, a lawyer focused on competition issues. Apple took steps to limit third-party access to cookies and increase privacy in 2017 and made further moves last May. Its anti-tracking feature, intelligent tracking prevention, shortens the life span of cookies used by Apple's Safari web browser.

Shares slid
Shares in digital advertisers were down following news about the new rules, which will limit their ability to target individuals. Google said its new policy would be rolled out over two years. The company announced its plans to limit third-party access to cookies in August 2019, but advertisers had hoped to have more time before it was implemented. In a statement, Google's director of Chrome engineering, Justin Schuh, said the company and advertisers need to build a "trustworthy and sustainable web together". "Users are demanding greater privacy - including transparency, choice and control over how their data is used - and it's clear the web ecosystem needs to evolve to meet these increasing demands," he wrote.

Cookies have been used by web browsers for more than two decades but recent large-scale data breaches have raised concerns about how much data is out there and who it is available too.

[Charliegrover]

SpaceX To Practise Emergency Crew Capsule Escape




America aims to take another step on Sunday towards being able to send its own astronauts into orbit again. California's SpaceX company will practise what to do in the event that one of its rockets carrying a human crew fails shortly after lift-off. If the test is completed successfully, it should clear the way for regular astronaut launches later this year. The US has not launched from its own soil since the retirement of the space shuttles nine years ago. It has been riding the Russian Soyuz system instead. The US space agency (Nasa) has contracted both SpaceX and the aerospace giant Boeing to come up with home-grown alternatives. SpaceX - with its Falcon rocket and Dragon capsule - is now in the final stages of development.

Sunday's in-flight abort manoeuvre is really the last major obstacle the firm faces before receiving the full certification it needs to begin operational astronaut taxi services. The test, to be conducted at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, will see a Falcon 9 rocket climb out over the Atlantic and accelerate to supersonic speeds. Then, at a little over 80 seconds into the flight when the vehicle is travelling at almost twice the speed of sound, the engines will shut off. The software will trigger the Dragon capsule riding atop the Falcon to fire its powerful SuperDraco thrusters to push the vessel to a safe distance.

Engineers expect the Dragon to continue on upwards, reaching an altitude of roughly 40km (25 miles) before dropping its lower service module structure, or trunk, and beginning the release of descent parachutes. These should bring the capsule to a gentle splashdown roughly 30km offshore of Cape Canaveral, where a rescue team will be waiting to recover it. Lift-off to touching the water should take about 10 minutes. As for the rocket - it will be destroyed in the course of the demonstration. "We expect that the Falcon will start to break up," said Benji Reed, director of crew mission management at SpaceX. "Both stages (of the Falcon) are loaded with fuel because we want to have the right mass and do all the tests the right way. So with both stages loaded with fuel, we do expect there'll probably be some amount of ignition. Flame. We'll see something." SpaceX has developed its rocket and capsule solution under Nasa's Commercial Crew Program.

Kathy Lueders, who manages this project, said the in-flight abort promised an exciting spectacle - the kind of "exciting" that her agency would prefer never to see. "But this is a big test for us," she told reporters. "This is a test of a system that's supposed to protect our crews... a very important step in us making progress towards crew transportation to the International Space Station (ISS)." No people will be aboard for this test; only a couple of anthropomorphic test devices ("dummies") to record on-board conditions. But if the demonstration passes off without incident, SpaceX ought to be able to move to crewed operations fairly quickly. The company has already demonstrated an abort manoeuvre straight off the launch pad and has even conducted an end-to-end practice run to the International Space Station in which a dummy took the place of real people. Last year, Nasa selected space shuttle veterans Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken as the astronauts it wants to go on the first SpaceX crewed flight.

[Charliegrover]

Google Boss Sundar Pichai Calls For AI Regulation



The head of Google and parent company Alphabet has called for artificial intelligence (AI) to be regulated. Writing in the Financial Times, Sundar Pichai said it was "too important not to" impose regulation but argued for "a sensible approach". He said that individual areas of AI development, like self-driving cars and health tech, required tailored rules. Last week it was revealed that the European Commission is considering a five-year ban on facial recognition. Earlier this month, the White House published its own proposed regulatory principles and urged Europe to "avoid heavy-handed innovation-killing models".

Mr Pichai noted that while AI had enormous potential there were also considerable dangers, such as the misuse of deep fakes, which are computer-generated clips that are designed to look real. Maria Axente, responsible AI lead at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, told the BBC she believes regulation is the right path for the sector. "The question is how can it be done in a way that doesn't kill innovation, as well as continue to balance the benefits of AI with the risks it poses, as AI becomes more embedded in our lives?" she said. "Regulation and self-regulation, via a code of ethics and an ethics board, might not be enough to do that."

Google launched its own independent ethics board in 2019 but shut it down less than two weeks later following controversy about who had been appointed to it. Mr Pichai will be speaking at the World Economic Forum, which takes place this week in Switzerland, along with Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei.

[Amelie Barrett]

Tattoo Machine

Looking to represent with a little skin art, but not sure you're ready for the lifetime investment of the real thing? Well, now you can print temporary tattoos right onto your skin from home. The small printer (in black) can hold both color and black ink to print tattoos of your choice right onto your skin.

The cartridges are replaceable and supposedly can print up to 1,000 tattoos before needing to be replaced. The ink is said to be cosmetic grade (so your mom won't have to warn you against decorating your arm like she did when you used markers in the second grade).

[Amelie Barrett]

TomTom to provide Google Maps rival for Huawei devices
Since the White House blacklisted Huawei in May 2019 over alleged national security concerns, the Chinese company has doubled down on its efforts to build a consumer electronics ecosystem independent from US tech giants like Google and Intel.

However, the launch of its flagship Mate 30 smartphone range in autumn last year was severely impacted by the US blacklisting, with the company forced to launch phones without core Android apps such as the Play Store, YouTube and Google Maps.

Huawei has been working to establish its own rival mobile ecosystem, with the development of the Harmony OS (as an alternative to the open-source Android OS) and replacement of the Google Play Store with the Huawei App Gallery in its most recent launches.

[Amelie Barrett]

iOS 14 Rumoured to Support on All iPhone models that Supported iOS 13

If the latest rumour is anything to go by, then we might see Apple releasing iOS 14 for the same set of devices that supported iOS 13 last year. Though there is still a possibility that the company might drop support for iPhone SE and iPhone 6s. As for iPadOS 14, a couple of devices will drop support for the upcoming operating system. Apple is expected to unveil iOS 14 and iPad OS 14 at the company's annual WWDC in June, later this year, as it has done in the past.

According to a report by iPhoneSoft, rumour has it that iOS 14 will be supported on the same set of devices which supported iOS 13 last year.

[owenmarsden]

Huawei Set For Limited Role In Uk 5g Networks


The UK has decided to let Huawei continue to be used in its 5G networks but with restrictions, despite pressure from the US to block the firm. The Chinese firm will be banned from supplying kit to "sensitive parts" of the network, known as the core. In addition, it will only be allowed to account for 35% of the kit in a network's periphery, which includes radio masts. And it will be excluded from areas near military bases and nuclear sites. Downing Street said that Boris Johnson had spoken to President Trump to explain the move."The prime minister underlined the importance of like-minded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies," US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had previously suggested that use of Huawei's equipment posed a spying risk, saying that "we won't be able to share information" with nations that put it into their "critical information systems".But the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the decision would not affect the UK's intelligence-sharing relationship with the US and other close allies."Nothing in this review affects this country's ability to share highly-sensitive intelligence data over highly-secure networks both within the UK and our partners, including the Five Eyes," the minister told the House of Commons.A document published by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) indicates that the UK's networks will have three years to comply with the caps on the use of Huawei's equipment."Huawei is reassured by the UK government's confirmation that we can continue working with our customers to keep the 5G rollout on track," the firm's UK chief Victor Zhang said in a statement."It gives the UK access to world-leading technology and ensures a competitive market."

[rosiebaxter990]

Facebook Increases Parental Control Features In Messenger Kids App



Facebook Inc said on Tuesday it plans to add new tools and features for parental control in its messaging app for users under the age of 13, months after questions rose about application’s privacy protection for children. Parents can also see the most recent photos or videos sent and received in the app’s inbox, and can remove them if needed, Facebook added.

In August, Facebook acknowledged a flaw it fixed in Messenger Kids that allowed thousands of children to join group chats in which not all members of the group were approved by their parents. Facebook has been under scrutiny by multiple governments over child safety protections on its suite of apps, especially since announcing its plan to extend end-to-end encryption across its messaging services last year. The company said on Tuesday it will also inform Messenger Kids users on the types of information others can see about them.

[owenmarsden]

Gmail Dark Mode Is Vanishing On Some Smartphones And Could Be Costing You Battery Life



ANDROID 10 users have noticed that dark mode has vanished from their Gmail settings. And the all-important new appearance has automatically disabled itself on their handset, leaving them unable to change back from the traditional white look of the app. But luckily, there is an unofficial fix that could resolve the glitch for you. Dark modes are the latest fad among app developers – and for good reason. Following the system-wide support for dark modes added in iOS 13 and Android 10 by Apple and Google, respectively, app developers have been quick to add support for the new appearance. Dark modes switch the large swathes of white and bright colours in user interfaces for pitch-blacks and darker shades. These modes are designed to make using a smartphone screen a little easier on the eyes at night, as well as significantly boost your battery life on handsets with an OLED display. Dozens of apps, including the likes of Google Maps, Facebook and Instagram have all added a dark mode setting. Google’s hugely-popular Gmail app didn’t have a dark mode setting in time for the launch of Android 10 last summer, but Google quickly fixed this oversight. However, over the weekend, Gmail users noticed the setting to enable the gloomier, battery-boosting appearance vanish from the app settings.

[owenmarsden]

BT Broadband Dropped To 'lowest' Ever Price As Customers Face Two Dramatic Changes

BT'S broadband has been dropped to its lowest ever price in a new money-saving deal. Here's all you need to know about this latest sale event and two other big changes coming to this popular service. The January sales might be over but that’s not stopping BT from dropping prices to an all-new low. The broadband firm has just revealed a new deal which it says offers the lowest ever price for its internet access. This dramatic cut means you can get BT’s Superfast Fibre beamed into your home for just £28.99 per month - usually, this would cost £31.99 per month. To make this offer even more attractive, BT says that the lower price lasts for 24 months meaning there’s a total saving of £72 to be made over the two-year deal. Before you sign up there are a couple of things to note. Firstly, BT’s Superfast Fibre only offers average download speeds of 50Mbps which isn’t the fastest and there’s a £9.99 upfront fee to pay.

[rosiebaxter990]

WHATSAPP WARNING: Why Iphone Owners Must Update Their Chat App Now


IF you use whatsapp on an iphone you could be at risk from a new cyber threat. Then make sure you follow this simple advice to keep your personal details safe. The issue impacts those who use an Apple iPhone paired with WhatsApp's popular WhatsApp Desktop app on either macOS or Windows 10. Explaining more about the issue, Facebook's security advisory revealed that a "vulnerability in WhatsApp Desktop when paired with WhatsApp for iPhone allows cross-site scripting and local file reading." It seems for the hack to work, WhatsApp users needed to click on a link sent in "a specially crafted text message". The flaw was discovered by Gal Weizman a researcher at PerimeterX who said he found a gap in WhatsApp's Content Security Policy. Speaking about his findings, Weizman said: "I really wanted to find a major security flaw in a well-known and widely used service, and I felt like WhatsApp was a good start. So I gave it a go since I already had some clue of existing security flaws in WhatsApp mobile and web applications.

[Amelie Barrett]

Best 5G-ready phones: Galaxy S10, OnePlus 7 Pro, LG V50, Note 10 Plus and more

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
LG V50 ThinQ 5G
Motorola Moto Z4
OnePlus 7 Pro 5G

[Amelie Barrett]

Amazon Alexa will let you pay for gas via voice

Amazon has unveiled partnerships with major automakers to bring its Alexa voice assistant to new models from Ford, Audi, BMW and Toyota.

The company announced Monday that it's adding a head-turning supercar to that lineup: the Huracan Evo sports car from Automobili Lamborghini. Also joining the crowd are Rivian's all-electric R1S SUV, R1T truck and its upcoming fleet of 100,000 delivery vans for Amazon.

Added to that, later this year, customers with Alexa-enabled cars or car accessories will be able to say, "Alexa, pay for gas," to buy fuel at 11,500 Exxon and Mobil stations.

[rosiebaxter990]

Facebook's Twitter Account Hacked

Facebook’s Twitter account appears to have been hacked. A post appeared on Facebook’s official Twitter profile shortly after 11.30 pm which said: “Hi, we are O u r M i n e. Well, even Facebook is hackable but at least their security better than Twitter.
“to improve your account's security
“Contact us: contact@o u r m i n e .org
“For security services visit: o u r m i n e. org”

The post was quickly deleted but the same message reappeared within seconds two more times. Ourmine is a hacker/security group that has previously hijacked the Twitter account of Jack Dorsey, the company’s chief executive. It used its access to post a string of Vine videos it had created using the tech founder’s account on that app. It has also claimed credit for taking down the hugely popular Pokemon Go app in 2016, and Netflix’s Twitter account in the same year.

[rosiebaxter990]

Google Chrome Block: Latest Update Will Protect Your Pc Against Dangerous Downloads

GOOGLE is implementing an important new change to its popular Chrome web browser designed to keep you safe from hackers and malware attacks. Google is taking new steps to help protect its users against dodgy downloads. Its hugely-popular Chrome web browser, which accounts for more than 69 percent of all desktop internet browser traffic worldwide, will block users from downloads that it deems to be “insecure” from June. The latest clampdown is an extension of Google’s war of insecure webpages. The company announced plans to downgrade any websites running on HTTP rather than HTTPS in its search results back in 2015. Last year, the California-based company announced plans to display a warning page, cautioning users that the website was not secure on any domain still using HTTP. Google has only just launched version 80 of its immensely successful Chrome browser, which brings a swathe of different features. The latest web browser update includes automatic blocks for some of the most resource-intensive advertisements, which should hopefully speed-up your browsing as you zip around the web. Those running older machines should also notice the performance boost afforded by the update too.

[rosiebaxter990]

Windows 10 Could Be Braced For A Massive Speed Boost, But There’s A Catch

WINDOWS 10 could be braced for a massive speed boost, but only if you're using a particular version of the Microsoft operating system... Ever wish Windows 10 would stop bombarding you with new updates that take far too long than they should to download and install? Well, it seems Microsoft is working on a solution, the only catch is that’ll it’ll only be available for Windows 10X, a forked version of the operating system designed for foldable and dual-screen devices. Microsoft announced Windows 10X back in October at its Surface event in New York City, but yesterday it spilt a few more details about the forthcoming operating system. Microsoft has already confirmed ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo are also working on Windows 10X devices, although the exact details of these are unknown. Outlining its vision for Windows 10X, Microsoft said: “Windows 10X is the best of Windows 10 built to enable unique experiences on multi-posture dual-screen PCs. We have taken the Windows 10 that customers know and love and built Windows 10X in a way that marries the familiar with the new.

[owenmarsden]

Canon Revs Eos Rebel Line With T8i, Adds Cheap Full-Frame Zoom For R Series

Canon's triannual update to its EOS Rebel i-series DSLR cameras has arrived with the usual mix of minimal upgrades. In this case, the EOS Rebel T8i improves on the T7i with the more recent Digic 8 image processor, which helps deliver 4K/24p video, better battery life and eye-tracking autofocus. It also gets slightly better continuous shooting speed using the more capable metering sensor from the higher-end 90D.

The T8i is $750 for the body and $900 for a kit with the 18-55mm f4-5.6 STM lens. Outside the US it's the EOS 850D, and prices for the kit are likely £895 and AU$1,400, the same as its predecessor at launch.

At this point, I can only think of one reason to buy the T8i over the far more capable but similarly priced mirrorless EOS M50: battery life. If you're still wedded to the idea of a Rebel-series DSLR, look for deals on the T7i, especially during discount seasons.

[rosiebaxter990]

Apple’s Next Ipad Could Feature Its Most Important Upgrade In Years

The next tablet will get 5G compatibility which means it will be able to access superfast speeds when away from home broadband. 5G is the future of mobile networks with it able to deliver speeds in excess of 300Mbps. If the iPad Pro received this new feature it would enhance its capabilities and make it far more powerful. Many are also expecting the next iPhone to feature 5G but that launch is expected much later this year, DigiTimes believes both the iPhone and iPad Pro models will likely be announced in September. With Apple not having upgraded its iPad Pro since 2018 it would certainly make sense for this tablet to get a refresh and if all the rumours are true it could be one to watch out for. Although September is a long way off, there could be something coming much sooner. There’s also been a swathe of rumours which suggest Apple could adopt a similar design to the iPhone 8 range and give the new device the iPhone 9 name. This branding has never been used as Apple jumped straight from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone X back in 2017.

[joselync]

Social Recap
TheNextWeb.com
Gizmodo.com.
DigitalTrends.com.

[tracym]

Social Recap.
TheNextWeb.com.
Wired.com.
Tech2.com.
Gizmodo.com.
Mashable.com.
TheVerge.com.
DigitalTrends.com.