A second hacking group is targeting bank systems
It’s bad enough that one hacker group has been wreaking havoc on banking systems worldwide, but it’s apparently getting worse. Security firm Symantec reports that a second group, Odinaff, has infected 10 to 20 of its customers with malware that can cover up bogus money transfer requests sent through the ubiquitous SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messaging system. Most of the attacks targeted Australia, Hong Kong, the UK, the Ukraine and the US. And unlike the initial attackers, Odinaff appears to be a criminal organization (possibly linked to the infamous Carbanak team) rather than a state-sponsored outfit.
Symantec says it’s sharing info about Odinaff with banks, governments and rival security companies. SWIFT itself says that it had warned about the group in the early summer, so there’s a possibility that your bank is relatively prepared to deal with the threat. With that said, the news isn’t exactly comforting. It suggests that hackers still see SWIFT as a prime target, and that your bank’s security is that less certain as a result.
Source: Reuters
‘Overwatch’ celebrates Halloween with ghoulish Loot Boxes
If the buzz around the Olympics wasn’t enough to get you spending cold hard cash on a bunch of Summer Games Loot Boxes, Blizzard hopes its Halloween-themed Overwatch event might do the trick. After weeks of small leaks raised the possibility of a second themed event, today the company revealed Overwatch Halloween Terror, which is live now through November 1st across PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The event features maps decked out with spooky accessories, plus it introduces the game’s first-ever PvE mode, Junkenstein’s Revenge.
Through November 1st, all Loot Boxes in Overwatch are jack-o-lanterns stuffed with themed goodies, including icons, sprays, victory poses, emotes and some seriously cool-looking skins. All the items are yours to keep forever.
In Junkenstein’s Revenge, the PvE mode, four players defend Adlersbrunn castle against hordes of enemies including Dr. Junkenstein, his Monster, the Reaper and a “mysterious witch.” Players are able to choose among just four heroes in this mode: the Alchemist (Ana), the Archer (Hanzo), the Gunslinger (McCree), or the Soldier (Soldier: 76).
Note that the Halloween reveal doesn’t include any information about Sombra, a new hero that Blizzard has been teasing for months. The latest intel (thanks, Reddit) on Sombra says she’s a world-renowned hacker who ended up working with a Mexican gang called Los Muertos before joining Talon.
Earlier, the PlayStation Europe blog confirmed DLC that includes four Halloween Loot Box sizes, which cost $2 for two and ramp up to $40 for 24. They’ll go live on October 12th and are expected to be available until November 1st.
Jessica Conditt contributed to this report.
Source: Overwatch
Samsung ships fire-proof boxes and gloves to recover Note 7s
If you purchased a Galaxy Note 7 from a US carrier or retailer, you can (and should) return it to a store immediately. If you bought the phone straight from Samsung, though, the process was a little trickier — some customers complained early on about FedEx and UPS refusing to handle return units out of fears they would blow up. That’s why Samsung has adopted an elaborate recall box that allows affected phones to be returned to the company via UPS Ground. It’s… sort of a doozy.
The folks at XDA have received that new return packaging, and very quickly you get a sense of how big a headache this must be for Samsung. After powering off the affected phone, you’ll have to stick it in an anti-static bag, which goes in a cardboard box, which goes in another cardboard box, which goes in one last thermally insulated box lined with ceramic fiber meant to help to keep potential fires under control. Oh, and since there’s a chance that ceramic fiber could irritate skin, there’s a pair of blue latex gloves in there for good measure. According to Twitter, Samsung started using these more durable boxes in late September, just in time to accommodate people freaking out over multiple reports of burning replacement phones. (We’ve reached out to UPS and FedEx for comment on all of this, and we’ll update this story this if they have anything interesting to add.)
And another thing: how much must these things cost? Samsung and CPSC have worked to try and recall around 1 million Note 7s in the US, and whipping together specialized packaging for even a fraction of those devices must’ve set Samsung back quite a bit. Financially, things are starting to get pretty hairy — early analyst guesses pegged the cost of the company’s recall at about $1 billion, and it’s estimated that by completely stopping Note 7 sales, Samsung may have lost out on nearly $17 billion in revenue. Then again, the chaebol makes most of its money from other avenues, so don’t expect Samsung to up and disappear any time soon.
Sony’s PlayStation VR teardown video is a soothing diversion
Sony’s PlayStation VR headset might not have the graphics horsepower of the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift, but the lower price tag, the widely available PS4 hardware and bigger game selection make it an attractive option for an entry-level VR rig. Of course, none of that matters when you’re watching it get slowly and methodically dismantled by Sony Interactive’s mechanical design director Takamasa Araki.
Unlike other teardown videos, this one is a little light on the technical specs. But if you’re a fan of neatly organized things, you could certainly do worse than to spend the next 12 minutes or so watching Araki precisely removing every screw, motion sensor, silicon chip and rubber seal that makes up Sony’s first big leap into consumer VR. And if you still need the nitty gritty specs afterwards, well Sony has already published a lengthy FAQ right here.
Source: Wired, PlayStation Report (YouTube)
Samsung’s built-in smart appliances blend in with your decor
Smart home appliances are all well and good, but they’re rarely options if you need or prefer that machinery built-in. What if your oven has to blend in neatly with the kitchen? Samsung wants to help. It’s introducing its first-ever built-in smart appliances, all of which tout WiFi-connected features while integrating with your home. They’re expensive, but just might fit the bill if conventional equipment simply won’t do.
The centerpieces are double- and single-wall ovens (ranging from $2,199 to $3,999) that let you control and monitor your dishes from your phone. You can also snag connected cooktops that use gas ($1,199 to $1,699), electric ($1,099 to $1,499) and induction ($2,099 to $2,499). And if you get one of its smart range hoods ($1,099 to $1,299), you can sync it with the cooktop below. Just be ready to wait a bit before outfitting your kitchen — Samsung doesn’t start shipping them until November.
Source: Samsung
Auto supplier wants to make LiDAR cheaper for automakers
Infineon announced on Monday that it is buying Innoluce BV, a Dutch company that manufactures teensy LiDAR modules, in hopes of using the technology to bring self-driving car technology into the mainstream. “We intend to make lidar an affordable feature for every new-built car worldwide,” Peter Schiefer, the head of Infineon’s automotive division, said in a statement.
LiDAR, which works like RADAR except with laser light, is essential for autonomous cars as it enables the vehicles to accurately gauge their distance from surrounding obstacles. The problem is that, until recently, LiDAR units were insanely expensive to produce en masse. The LiDAR units installed on the first generation of Google’s self-driving cars cost around $75,000. Thankfully, they’re only about a tenth of that price today and Infineon’s deal is expected to drive that price even lower — down to a few hundred bucks each.
Source: Reuters
Download Android 7.1 Nougat in beta later this month
Android version 7.0 Nougat launched to all devices at the end of August, offering some long-overdue quality-of-life upgrades. Weeks later at their Made By Google event, the tech giant teased the mobile OS’ 7.1 update and a few features, like instant chat support and automatic data uploading to the cloud. Today, they’ve announced that it will come out by the end of October for the Nexus 5X and 6P phones as well as Google’s own Pixel C, with the remaining supporting phones added by December.
They also confirmed what 7.1 will bring to the table. Aside from Daydream VR support, most of the new features focus on giving developers more options to spruce up their apps’ functionality. First, they can now make custom shortcuts, much like the ones popping up in iOS via 3D Touch. There’s also support for image keyboards so users can insert stickers or GIFs within apps. For carriers and calling apps, 7.1 has APIs for multi-endpoint calling and telephony configuration. Lastly, developers can now route users to a Settings page to free up storage space by deleting unused files.
While the 7.1 early look is intended for app makers under their Developer Preview program, anyone can apply on the Android Beta site to enroll. There’s no solid date for the version’s full release, but interested tinkerers are encouraged to sign up now to make sure their software works before the Nougat upgrade is unleashed to the public.
Source: Android blog
Western Digital finally offers a consumer SSD
Western Digital has enjoyed a long run supplying data drives for all markets, but had stubbornly resisted releasing solid-state ones for consumers. This was an odd position back in 2008 when the technology began entering the mainstream and it’s only become a more glaring omission in the interim. But today, WD is finally offering its first SATA SSDs for personal computers.
While their new products for the consumer market have focused on cloud-based networked hard disks and traditional HDDs, they haven’t completely ignored solid state tech. Back in May, WD bought SanDisk for $19 billion, likely to get their considerable share of the SSD market. Their new storage drives, however, will come out under the Western Digital banner.
Their WD Blue solid-state drives come in 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB sizes as a higher-performance line available globally to “select customers,” according to their press release. The lower-powered WD Green SSDs, coming in 120 GB and 240 GB, will have a more limited release later this quarter in certain regions.
Source: Western Digital
YouTube acquires FameBit to help creators get that brand money
YouTubers looking to get some of that sweet brand advertiser budget should now have an easier time finding sponsors for their work. Google announced today that YouTube has acquired FameBit, “a technology platform company that helps creators and brands find and work with each other through sponsorships and paid promotion.”
Even prolific creators with strong followings have complained about the disconnect between YouTube fame and YouTube fortune, so Google is hoping the partnership will lead to more opportunities for YouTubers while simultaneously enticing more advertisers to spend their money on the platform. On the one hand, the partnership should clear up some issues creators had with unclear ad guidelines. On the other, it might just make it easier for major national advertisers to get independent creators into their pockets. If everything works out, however, the union of YouTube and FameBit could lead to some hardworking YouTubers finding their right sponsor for their particular brand of weird.
“Creators will always have the choice in how they work with brands,” YouTube’s VP of Product Management Ariel Bardin wrote, “and there are many great companies who provide this service today. This acquisition doesn’t change that.”
Source: YouTube blog
Jimmy Iovine on the Future of Apple Music: ‘We’re Building the Right Hybrid’
Apple Music executive Jimmy Iovine spoke with Billboard in a wide-ranging interview that was shared this afternoon, where he shared his thoughts on his team, the importance of merging technology and popular culture, and the future of Apple Music.
According to Iovine, Apple is aiming to build a music service that is both “technologically and culturally adept,” bridging technology with art and music creation. He declined to share details on what that might look like, but said Apple is aiming for “the right hybrid.”
And what we’re going to do, what we’re doing now that hasn’t been revealed yet, is we’re building the right hybrid. And we believe it’s the right hybrid, and the combination of these things together, we’ll build a music service that is technologically and culturally adept.
Iovine’s team, many of whom have worked with him on Beats and Beats Music long before the acquisition by Apple, is essential to to the music experience that the Apple Music team is constructing. He had high praise for Larry Jackson, Trent Reznor, Luke Wood, and Eddy Cue. “It took 10 years to develop this team,” he said, highlighting their ability to understand the intersection of technology and popular culture. “The people were chosen and understood how to work in both worlds,” he said. “This is not something where you can just pluck somebody out of the air.”
On further exploring video and film projects, Iovine says Apple is going to do “whatever we believe is great.” He went on to explain that Apple is not in the record business and is instead building something that can help labels, artists, and undiscovered artists, describing the effort as an “adjunct to labels and artists.”
We’re going to do whatever we believe is great. We are going to make a combination of tech and popular culture that is exciting and adept at both areas. So that’s what you’re starting to see. It’s going to have a voice. It’s not going to be just a utility — “Go here and get your music, good luck,” or, “We’re going to send you a list” — that’s great, but that’s not what this is. That’s not what this was, anyway.
Apple Music, led by Jimmy Iovine, Eddy Cue, and the rest of the team, has been steadily growing since its 2015 launch. Apple has experimented with using exclusive content and music releases to draw subscribers, and there’s a heavy focus on video content. In addition to several Apple-produced music videos and films created in collaboration with artists, Apple is also exploring at least two TV shows, Vital Signs and Carpool Karaoke, that will promote the service.
In another interview with BuzzFeed News in late September, Iovine explained that Apple Music had been a bit too ambitious when it first launched, but that Apple is now hitting its stride and figuring out what works and what doesn’t work.
The full interview with Jimmy Iovine, which includes a lot more detail on his team and what it takes to develop a service like Apple Music, can be read over at Billboard.
Tag: Apple Music
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