Panama Papers firm says it was the victim of a hack

That gigantic Panama Papers leak revealing the sometimes shady tax haven dealings of the wealthy? If you ask the law firm the data came from, it’s no leak at all… it’s the fallout from an attack. Mossack Fonseca co-founder Ramon Fonseca tells Reuters that this “is a hack,” not the action of of a rogue insider. His company even has a theory behind the hack that it’s investigating, but he won’t say what that is — he’ll only say that the firm has filed a complaint, and that there’s a “government institution” looking into it.

Not surprisingly, Fonseca also isn’t happy with the coverage: he says the only proven crime here is a hack, and he maintains that his company didn’t do anything wrong, such as helping clients dodge taxes. To him, journalists are taking data “out of context” and creating a sensationalist frenzy with very real consequences, such as pressuring the Prime Minister of Iceland to resign.

The issue, as you might suspect, is that the claims hinge on Fonseca’s word. As yet, there aren’t any corroborating details surrounding the hack, let alone a possible suspect. It’s too soon to say how much of this is genuine concern about scapegoating versus an attempt to deflect criticism of Mossack Fonseca’s role in storing overseas income.

Via: BBC

Source: Reuters

Now you can order a Domino’s pizza simply by opening an app

Domino’s already has a slew of ways for you to tell the company you’d like a pizza. There’s the Easy Order button, the emoji tweet, the Echo method — heck you can even do it directly through an Apple Watch or your Xbox One. But all those require you to put in a modicum of actual effort *shudder*. That’s why Domino’s rolled out its “no touch” ordering app on Wednesday.

The only thing you have to do to order a pizza is open the app. Aside from an initial setup — wherein you log into your Domino’s account and set your pizza preference — literally all you have to do is launch the app and wait for your pie to arrive. We are living in the future here, people.

Source: TechCrunch

Game Boy mod plays nearly any classic Nintendo game

It’s trivial to play vintage Nintendo games if you’re not picky about what devices you use. But what if you miss the look and feel of the original Game Boy? Wermy has an answer: build a Game Boy that does it all. His Game Boy Zero modification uses a Raspberry Pi Zero, a modified game cartridge and a whole lot of drilling to emulate classic NES, SNES and Game Boy titles (up to the Game Boy Advance) while preserving most of Nintendo’s original look and feel. On the outside, the only concessions to modernity are the 3.5-inch color display and the stealthily integrated buttons needed to play some newer titles.

There aren’t detailed instructions available, but the hardware hack is relatively easy due to the nature of the design: the handheld was so big because it had to accommodate 1989-era handheld technology. A Raspberry Pi Zero, an SD card slot (in the cartridge) and a lithium-ion battery are comparatively tiny. If you’re willing to gut a Game Boy and have a knack for electronics, you can likely recreate this yourself. The creator is answering questions in the YouTube video’s comments, too, so you can get help if you’re willing to give it a shot.

Via: Sploid

Source: Wermy (Imgur), (YouTube)

Apple Campus 2 to Feature Custom Designed 18-Foot Tables Inside ‘Collaborative Pods’

Apple Campus 2 has been designed from the ground up to meet Apple’s exacting specifications, and the same careful attention is also being applied to the interior of the building, including the furniture. In a recent visit to the Apple Campus, design-focused site Design Milk was given a small tidbit of information regarding one element of the interior design of Apple Campus 2 — the tables.

Apple is having 500 custom white oak tables created for Apple Campus 2, each one measuring in at 18-feet long, 4-feet wide, and 660 pounds. The tables are being designed by Dutch company Arco from a single sheet of wood with skateboard-style rounded edges and a seamless surface.

The closest approximation that popped into my head was an enormous naked wood skate deck designed for a colossus Jony Ive. And if the length of all 500 tables inside Apple Campus 2 were combined, it would roughly equal the distance of the National Mall in Washington, DC.

These extra large Pod Island Tables by Arco are constructed from continuous sheets of solid Spesshart white oak sourced from the fairytale forests of Germany. There are no visible seams because of the company’s innovative manufacturing technique, which essentially peels away continuous single thin sheets of wood, which is then layered into a table top.

Apple plans to use the tables inside of open area “pods” located on each floor of the main ring-shaped building. The layout is designed to encourage “accidental mingling” between employees by providing an open workspace that “brings people together organically,” a concept Design Milk says originated from the time Steve Jobs spent at Pixar.

In an interview with Arco director Jorre Van Ast, Design Milk gleaned some details about what it was like designing a piece for Apple. Apple’s team of designers and Foster + Partners were looking for something built to their exact specifications, and van Ast describes the collaboration as “very intense and constructive.”

During a meeting to inspect the first prototype together with Apple and Foster+Partners, the question was raised: ‘but what if it was made out of a single piece? Can you achieve it?’ They challenged us to push the boundaries of our craft, we got excited ourselves as well and started to investigate how to overcome the limitations inherent to the way we produce tables–not just here at Arco but for the entire furniture industry including our partners. Design, machinery, logistics, finding the right material… it all had to be reconsidered.

When completed, the tables, along with 300 additional tables and 200 benches, will be shipped to Apple in Cupertino and installed at Apple Campus 2 using cranes and dollies. Apple’s second campus is still under construction, but much of the main ring-shaped building has been completed, as has work on several auxiliary buildings like an auditorium and a fitness center. Apple plans to finish construction at Apple Campus 2 by the end of 2016, with employees moving into the space starting in 2017.

For much more detail on the tables that will be used at Apple Campus 2, make sure to check out the full article on Design Milk.

Tag: Apple Campus 2
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