Possible Russian hacker network may be responsible for new MacOS malware

Why it matters to you

The APT28 hacker network, tied by some to Russian government or criminal elements, may target some of our large institutions and political figures.

A particularly virulent form of cyberattack was identified when the Stuxnet malware wreaked havoc at Iran’s nuclear processing facilities. Discovered in 2010, the attack resulted in the creation of a new term, “advanced persistent threat” (APT), to designate a cyberattack that is intended to break into a particular target and work over a long period of time at stealing data or breaking down infrastructure.

But the Stuxnet attack was not the first example of an APT. Another, a hacker network dubbed APT28 and linked by some sources with Russian government or criminal elements, has been at work since 2007 targeting a number of industries and sectors in Ukraine, Spain, Russian, Romania, the U.S., and Canada. Anti-malware software company Bitdefender generated a report on APT28 in 2016 and has provided an update on its Bitdefender Labs blog connecting it to new MacOS malware.

More: Trend Micro finds Flash exploit utilized by Russian hackers in Pawn Storm attacks

The specific malware, called Xagent, is cross-platform software that also attacks iOS devices to steal contact and location information, apps lists, photos, and more. The MacOS version of Xagent is aimed at gaining access to passwords, taking screenshots, and most important breaking into iPhone backups to grab the same data as the iOS version.

Bitdefender has now connected the MacOS version of Xagent with APT28: “Our past analysis of samples known to be linked to APT28 group shows a number of similarities between the Sofacy/APT28/Sednit Xagent component for Windows/Linux and the MacOS binary that currently forms the object of our investigation. For once, there is the presence of similar modules, such as FileSystem, KeyLogger and RemoteShell, as well as a similar network module called HttpChanel.”

In addition, the Xagent sample that Bitdefender’s researchers examined connect to the same command-and-control web address that’s the same as the ones used by APT28. Bitdefender is still conducting its analysis but at least initially it appears that APT28 operators may now have a new tool — compromised MacOS machines — to use in attacking government agencies, political figures, telecommunications, ecrime services, and aerospace companies.

Capture One Pro photo editor gains its own color-coded shortcut keyboard

Why it matters to you

Help increase your workflow efficiency with a color-coded keyboard for the Capture One Pro photo editor.

The 500-plus keyboard shortcuts from the Capture One Pro photo editor are getting a bit easier to learn. Earlier this week, the company shared a new custom keyboard created in cooperation with LogicKeyboard.

The colorful keyboard puts 107 shortcuts from Phase One’s image editor onto a Mac-compatible keyboard. The keyboard uses the same layout as a typical Apple keyboard, but labels the Capture One Pro shortcuts for a more efficient workflow, or to help beginners learn the program, Phase One says.

More: Phase One’s Media Pro SE is another shot across Adobe’s bow

The shortcuts are color coded, Phase One Product Manager James Johnson said. Local adjustments are coded in purple, key cursors in blue and navigation in pink, for starters.

The keyboard is designed to help make Capture One Pro workflows more time efficient, Johnson said, but could also help beginners learn the program more efficiently by laying out the most commonly used features in a visible way.

Capture One Pro is both a RAW converter and photo editor, competing with the likes of Adobe Photoshop while the company’s Media Pro SE is more similar to Adobe Lightroom. The software comes not from a software giant, but from Phase One, a company specializing in medium format digital cameras. Now in Capture One Pro version 10, the program boasts a number of advanced features, including a quick engine for faster edits.

More: Disney Research develops method to capture 3D facial performances with a single camera

Along with the keyboard, the program is compatible with Tangent control panels, which give digital photo editors hands-on controls including dials and dedicated buttons. The Tangent compatibility was introduced just before the end of last year, with the control panels starting at $350.

The new keyboard comes in as a more affordable tool at $139. The keyboard also functions as a normal Mac keyboard outside of Capture One Pro.

New 6-axis 3D printer can print complex objects with gravity-defying overhangs

Why it matters to you

Hate how long it hates to 3D print complex models? This innovative 3D printer design uses a tilting bed to print critical overhangs without support structures.

3D printers can make objects of practically any shape you can dream up, but despite the fact that they’re so capable, there’s one thing that they often struggle with: overhangs.

Filament-based 3D printers create objects one layer at a time, from the ground up. So if the object you’re printing has any overhangs that protrude at angles over 45 degrees, the printer is (usually) incapable of making the object without support structures, and therefore must print little plastic scaffolds to hold up the object while it prints. The downside, of course, is that this uses extra plastic, and often leaves burrs and imperfections on the object when the supports are removed.

Luckily, two students from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) have created a solution to this problem.

What Oliver Tolar and Denis Herrmann have developed is a 3D printer prototype that uses a tilting printer bed to print objects with a critical overhang. Better yet, it’s able to print these overhangs in such a way that they don’t require added support material.

More: The best 3D printers you can buy

The printer itself can be pivoted with a total of six axis: three which control the print head, and another three which control the printer bed. The result is a massive range of movements that would be impossible using a conventional 3D printer. Picture the way you might use one hand to move a model as you paint it with the other, and you won’t be far off!

“The advantage lies in the time saving at printing time,” Professor Dr. Wilfried Elspass of the ZHAW School of Engineering, who oversaw the project, told Digital Trends. “At the same time, there is no need to remove the support material after printing. Another potential application will be that an already existing component such as an actuator or sensor can be directly printed. It is thus possible, for example, to integrate electronic components directly into a printed part.”

It’s definitely a neat idea, and one that could save valuable minutes and hours spent sanding and cutting away extraneous aspects of our prints. Unfortunately, if you do like the idea it could still be a while before its creators are even able to think about bringing it to market — if they ever do.

That’s because, with the limited time Tolar and Hermmann had to work on the project, they didn’t have long enough to properly develop the necessary software for it to work.

“Next the software for generating the control data must be further developed,” Elspass continued. “A commercial implementation of the new printer is not yet planned. However, further research and development activities will follow.”

Color us intrigued!

7 years later, does ‘Halo Wars’ need a mouse and keyboard after all?

Many gamers overlooked Halo Wars when it first launched onto store shelves in 2009.

In the wake of the impeccable Halo 3, a Halo without gunplay felt like blasphemy. And if you wanted more, the next mainline entry in the series, Halo 3: ODST, was only a few months away and would undoubtedly satisfy that craving.

With Halo Wars, Creative Assembly took the familiar rivalry of Spartans versus Covenant and completely turned it completely on its head. Microsoft had enough faith in the Halo brand to think that it could sell a real-time strategy game for Xbox 360, a genre that had notoriously flopped on consoles while simultaneously thriving on PC.

More: 10 game mechanics we hope someone rips off in 2017

Seven years later, Halo Wars has finally come to Windows 10 PCs. Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is a pre-order bonus for the upcoming sequel, the “Ultimate Edition” of Halo Wars 2, which will be widely available in February. All in all, it’s a solid port, albeit not without a handful of imperfections. Luckily, most of them don’t have to do with the controls.

Rolling, rolling, rolling across the screen

Unlike players of nearly a decade ago, your first time booting up Halo Wars: Definitive Edition can be from the Start menu in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. At first glance, everything from the original version is intact. Glossing over menu interfaces alone, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on Windows 10 could easily be mistaken for the Xbox editions.

If your first time playing Halo Wars is on PC, you may be curious as to how gamepad controls would even work. Waving your cursor across the screen, or alternatively mashing the ‘WASD’ keys feels far too natural for this to have once been a console exclusive.

Selecting a group of units of the same class is as easy as clicking two of them while holding down the Ctrl key on the second. At the same time, even simple tasks like setting up reactors and supply pads are snappier with a mouse. It may only save you a second or two, but particularly in the time-based flood missions towards the end of Halo Wars, keyboard and mouse can make a world of difference for the outcome of your mission.

If your first time playing Halo Wars is on PC, you may be curious as to how gamepad controls would even work.

Midway through the campaign, you may be tempted to take Halo Wars: Definitive Edition for a spin on Xbox One. Moving from a 4K-equipped, high-end PC build to the 1080p Xbox One version is an unsurprising step back – especially given the striking visual optimizations of the PC port. The jagged edges of your units will, unfortunately, hinder your line of sight. To make things worse, the promised fluidity of the 60 fps gold standard is inhibited by constant frame drops absent from Halo Wars‘ PC counterpart.

On the bright side, the pre-rendered cut scenes flow better on Xbox One, but only because they adhere to a similarly low resolution of the original. This can be a bit disconcerting if you’re a PC user with a 4K monitor immediately before you, as Halo Wars: Definitive Edition makes the switch from cutscene to gameplay then back to custscene throughout its campaign.

Marines, oohrah for technical difficulties

Despite its shortcomings, the Xbox One version’s controls still feel like an improvement over keyboard and mouse. Since you can pair the same controller to a top-end PC for an experience objectively superior to the Xbox rendition, PC gamers reluctant to break away from mouse and keyboard may want to reconsider. It’s evident that more effort was put into perfecting gamepad controls seven years ago than into keyboard and mouse today.

Using the Xbox One’s left control stick to move back and forth between areas is a buttery smooth process, even with only the default settings enabled. Meanwhile, on PC, you may find yourself constantly toggling back and fourth between various sensitivity preferences on your mouse. After settling for a an option that works best for you while navigating the map, you may find that your mouse is a bit too receptive during close combat or artillery management.

Keep in mind that this problem is exclusive to Halo Wars: Definitive Edition  – your mouse isn’t to blame. Granted, if you’d prefer, you could use the ‘WASD’ keys to pan around your environment, and the space bar can be used to teleport between groups of units. However, there’s no denying that the omnidirectional control stick is a more versatile option.

You may even encounter a point in Halo Wars where the mouse input ceases to be recognized by the software altogether. As a result, you’ll be forced into exiting mid-mission to reboot your PC. This is an issue that, rest assured, is not present in the Xbox One version. 

You may even encounter a point in Halo Wars where the mouse input ceases to be recognized by the software altogether.

Audio issues, too, persist on PC alone. On occasion, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition may need to be relaunched as a result of sound inconsistencies. This won’t happen frequently, if at all, but it’s certainly a minor inconvenience for anyone who appreciates the clearly Martin O’Donnell-inspired orchestrations of Stephen Rippy. The music in Halo Wars sets a hair-raising tone for the story, making any outages an irritating blow to your enjoyment of the game.

Even so, it’s still worth picking up Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on PC if you don’t have an Xbox – especially if you’ve never played it before. It may be your run-of-the-mill remaster, not without its fair share of bugs, but sometimes that’s just fine. Its upgraded graphics and newfound home on PC give players who overlooked the title back in 2009 a chance to experience an underrated gem for the first time. Seven years later, Halo Wars still holds up.

Locked and loaded, get tactical, Marines!

Ultimately, Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is an exemplary addition to Microsoft’s cross-buy catalog. Not only does it finally bring keyboard and mouse controls long sought-after by Halo (and RTS) fans on PC, but it even packs Ultra HD 4K support in addition to an unlocked frame rate. Considering there hasn’t been a real entry in the series on Windows since Halo 2, it’s undoubtedly a step forward. But, to be fair, practically anything would be.

Then again, Halo Wars was also designed for a control scheme other than mouse and keyboard. If you’re expecting any PC-specific amenities such as menu overhauls or input optimizations, you’ll be disappointed to find that Halo Wars: Definitive Edition leaves everything as-is. Aside from the resolution upgrade, Microsoft appears to be saving the visual overhauls for Halo Wars 2.

Fortunately, given its age and minimalist style, the barrier of entry for Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is quite low. To run the game at 1080p 60 fps, all you need is a computer with at least a Core i5 processor, an Nvidia GTX 560, and only 1GB of RAM. Of course, if you don’t have a PC already, buying it on Xbox One is the more affordable option. It’s up to you to decide whether $80 is worth it for a basic face-lift to a nearly decade-old game.

Look at your TV to turn it on? Amazon could be making it happen

Why it matters to you

Voice control is powerful, but coupling it with gestures or your gaze will make it even easier to control objects around your house.

Looking to light up a room? That’s what Amazon might want you to do in the future, according to its patent  for “gaze-assisted object recognition” technology. The company originally filed the patent application back in May of 2012, but a final version was recently published.

Inventors Kenneth M. Karakotsios and Issac S. Noble developed gaze-assisted object recognition — a technology that may change the way we interact with the world around us. Using a pair of glasses, you could control connected devices by looking at them and speaking a command. It could also let you get information about objects and people you look at.

More: Harvard creates a renewable battery that can last for 10 years

You could look at a book, for instance, and information like the author, a description, related books, pricing, and purchasing options could show up on your device’s screen. Essentially, this makes it so you can stare at a product you like and immediately get information about it and have the option to buy it.

Gaze-assisted object recognition may also make it so you can stare at a connected device, like your lights, thermostat, or television, and say “on” to power them up. You could make a gesture with your hand to change the volume, or make other gestures or movements to change the channel.

In a business setting, Amazon’s patented technology could help with networking. The glasses may be configured to recognize faces and connect to an audio input and output. Therefore, when you enter a room, you can get information about everyone, like their names and roles in the organization. No more forgetting whether it’s Bob or Bill who works in accounting.

The glasses part makes it reminiscent of Google Glass, which the company hasn’t entirely abandoned. Amazon’s device-control aspect is an interesting addition, especially if it helps you turn on a light without having to remember whether you named it “Lamp One” or “Lamp Two.”

Four major studies will investigate automated insulin delivery systems

Why it matters to you

We’re still a way from being able to fully manage type 1 diabetes autonomously, but four major new studies into artificial pancreas technologies could help.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced that it is funding four new clinical trials designed to test out artificial pancreas systems — to the tune of a whopping $41 million in government grants.

The hope is to move closed-loop artificial pancreas systems closer to receiving the necessary regulatory approval.

The large-scale studies, which will involve hundreds of people, will take place later this year and into 2018. Participants will be able to self-monitor for the study, and can live at home as usual while taking part.

“The research is related to type 1 diabetes, which is the condition in which the pancreas stops producing insulin,” Dr. Roman Hovorka of University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories, who is heading up one of the trials, told Digital Trends. “There’s a collaborative element to the trials, although we’re working on different commercial systems. The goal is to move this technology forward so that people who need it can use it as soon as possible.”

More: Automated insulin delivery system for diabetes management gets FDA approval

The technology involves devices like Medtronic’s FDA-approved MiniMed 670G, a system that’s able to adjust insulin levels automatically. At present, users have to enter details about the carbohydrates they’ve consumed at mealtimes, calibrate the sensors, and more. The idea is to create a more autonomous system that’s able to detect blood sugar levels and adjust insulin doses, without the user having to do anything.

In Hovorka’s study, 130 people aged 6-18 will be monitored for a year using Medtronic’s 640G pump, a smart sensor, and an Android phone running a predictive algorithm called the Cambridge Model Predictive Control Algorithm. Trials will take place in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, and the U.K.

A separate three-month study will compare the Medtronic device to another system called the MD-Logic Automated Insulin Delivery (MD-Logic). It will monitor 100 young people at sites around the U.S. and in Germany, Israel, and Slovenia.

Another study aims to put inControl, an artificial pancreas device system developed by the UVA Center for Diabetes Technology, through its paces. This trial will use follow 240 teenagers with type 1 diabetes for a period of six months in the U.S. and Europe. A related study will test out an alternative algorithm among 180 participants at Harvard University.

Finally, a fourth study — set to kick off in the middle of next year — will try out a bihormonal bionic pancreas to deliver insulin and counteract hormone glucagon using algorithms. This study will involve 480 people of all ages in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington.

We’re still a way from being able to fully manage type 1 diabetes autonomously, something that would free up patients from having to constantly play an active part in managing the condition. However, studies like this will only take us closer to the dream a successful, fully automated artificial pancreas.

On-call care: Get a virtual nurse on your smartphone with the Sensely app

Why it matters to you

Keeping tabs on chronic health conditions can be a tough undertaking, but the virtual nurse from Sensely can help.

Why go to the doctor if the doctor can come to you? Not necessarily by way of a house visit, but by way of your phone. That is the question San Francisco-based startup Sensely is asking and while it is not bringing the doctor to your mobile device, it is bringing the next best thing — a nurse. With Sensely, you can enjoy not only a virtual nurse, but also telemedicine, patient education videos, monitoring of vitals, and more.

Adam Odessky, who co-founded the app and now serves as its CEO, told TechCrunch that the platform is “a cross between Whatsapp and Siri that captures all the important signals about a person’s health.” Like Siri, Sensely lets you simply talk to it — there is no typing required. This seems particularly useful for older patients, who perhaps don’t have the patience to fiddle with small smartphone or tablet screens to input vital information. Users can let their nurses how they are doing every day (or every few days) by way of five-minute check-ups, and this data is aggregated into a record that can be shared with an authorized healthcare provider.

More: Innovative brain-reading cap allows ‘locked-in’ patients to communicate with doctors

Sensely can supplement these qualitative reports with data from medical devices, whether they are fitness wearables or hardware provided by a doctor. In order to provide customized healthcare solutions, Sensely responds differently to different diseases. For example, if you have diabetes, Sensely will help you “maintain optimal glucose levels and reduce their risk for diabetes-related complications” by monitoring your daily glucose levels, weight, ocular health, and podiatric health. However, if it’s congestive heart failure you’re concerned about, Sensely will keep closer tabs on blood pressure and diet.

The app is continually looking to provide unique solutions for patients across age groups and TechCrunch reports the app is “always layering in more protocols and content, usually from partner hospitals and clinics, to expand to cover different health issues and populations.”

While Sensely can help monitor your health on a daily basis, its goal isn’t to replace human healthcare professionals. “There aren’t people doing this job already. You couldn’t possibly have humans do this amount of phone calls and data analysis,” Odessky said. “This is a technology to help medical professionals do their jobs more effectively, and not one that threatens their livelihood.”

On-call care: Get a virtual nurse on your smartphone with the Sensely app

Why it matters to you

Keeping tabs on chronic health conditions can be a tough undertaking, but the virtual nurse from Sensely can help.

Why go to the doctor if the doctor can come to you? Not necessarily by way of a house visit, but by way of your phone. That is the question San Francisco-based startup Sensely is asking and while it is not bringing the doctor to your mobile device, it is bringing the next best thing — a nurse. With Sensely, you can enjoy not only a virtual nurse, but also telemedicine, patient education videos, monitoring of vitals, and more.

Adam Odessky, who co-founded the app and now serves as its CEO, told TechCrunch that the platform is “a cross between Whatsapp and Siri that captures all the important signals about a person’s health.” Like Siri, Sensely lets you simply talk to it — there is no typing required. This seems particularly useful for older patients, who perhaps don’t have the patience to fiddle with small smartphone or tablet screens to input vital information. Users can let their nurses how they are doing every day (or every few days) by way of five-minute check-ups, and this data is aggregated into a record that can be shared with an authorized healthcare provider.

More: Innovative brain-reading cap allows ‘locked-in’ patients to communicate with doctors

Sensely can supplement these qualitative reports with data from medical devices, whether they are fitness wearables or hardware provided by a doctor. In order to provide customized healthcare solutions, Sensely responds differently to different diseases. For example, if you have diabetes, Sensely will help you “maintain optimal glucose levels and reduce their risk for diabetes-related complications” by monitoring your daily glucose levels, weight, ocular health, and podiatric health. However, if it’s congestive heart failure you’re concerned about, Sensely will keep closer tabs on blood pressure and diet.

The app is continually looking to provide unique solutions for patients across age groups and TechCrunch reports the app is “always layering in more protocols and content, usually from partner hospitals and clinics, to expand to cover different health issues and populations.”

While Sensely can help monitor your health on a daily basis, its goal isn’t to replace human healthcare professionals. “There aren’t people doing this job already. You couldn’t possibly have humans do this amount of phone calls and data analysis,” Odessky said. “This is a technology to help medical professionals do their jobs more effectively, and not one that threatens their livelihood.”

Microsoft releases Outlook.com Premium in the U.S. for $20 a year until March 31

Why it matters to you

Hey, Outlook.com customers! Want to lose the ads and gain sharing? If you act fast and live in the U.S,, you can sign up for Microsoft’s Outlook.com Premium for only $20 per year.

Microsoft’s Hotmail email service became Outlook.com in 2012, and since then the company has reworked it into arguably one of the best email services on the market. As a part of Microsoft’s Office 365 productivity platform, Outlook.com offers a full range of email, contact, calendar, and other capabilities to compete with services like Google’s Gmail.

Outlook.com has been going through a complete revision to its online experience, and Microsoft has been previewing a premium subscription that adds even more functionality. Now, Outlook.com Premium is officially available, although only to users in the United States, as Thurrott reports.

More: Microsoft teams up with GoDaddy for Outlook.com Premium

The Premium service offers the following features on top of Outlook.com’s basic offerings:

• Ad-free inbox: You can now access your email, photos, and documents via the Outlook.com site without being bothered with banner advertising.
• More personalized email: You can create completely customized email addresses for up to five users using your own domain name, such as “bob@bobandfamily.com.” If you already own a domain name, then you can use it with Premium as well. All of your custom email addresses can sync to your existing Outlook.com mailbox. This particular functionality is free for the first year, and you’ll need to own that domain name separately or pick a new one that can be purchased through GoDaddy.
• Enhanced sharing: You can now share your Outlook.com calendar, contacts, and documents, with users sharing email addresses on your domain being automatically configured for sharing.

In addition, Outlook.com Premium users gain access to the same new inbox experience that’s being rolled out to all users through 2017. By now, you’re likely familiar with the new experience and should have a good idea of whether or not it meets your communications needs.

Premium subscriptions are currently available at the same $20 annual price that was in effect during the preview period, but that special pricing ends on March 31. After that, the price rises to $50 per year. If you’re a U.S. customer, you can sign up today.

Facebook rolls out autoplay sound, new TV app in video-focused update

Why it matters to you

Facebook is a prime destination for video, and its latest updates seek to improve the viewing experience for users.

Although Facebook isn’t necessarily thought of as a video platform, it does provide a massive portal to video content. Facebook is aware of this, which is why the social network is rolling out new video playback features on its mobile app, and introducing another app for TVs.

Facebook listed the video-focused updates in a post on its Newsroom blog. For starters, videos in the News Feed will now autoplay with sound turned on by default, and audio will fade in and out as you scroll past them. The company says the change has received positive feedback in testing, though if you disagree, it can be switched off in the settings. Either way, devices switched to silent will not automatically play sound in the News Feed.

More: Facebook’s latest test brings large, unavoidable ads to Messenger

A more welcome addition might be the larger preview for vertically formatted videos. Facebook notes it has been testing this layout for some accounts as well, and soon it will roll out to all iOS and Android users. The new viewing experience also sports a smoother animation to scale to full-screen more seamlessly, as well as a redesigned progress bar with thumbnails to make navigating videos much more convenient.

Finally, Facebook is adding watch-and-scroll functionality similar to what Google implemented quite a while ago in its YouTube app. Users can now minimize video to a picture-and-picture view while continuing to browse their News Feed. On Android, videos even continue to play outside of the app — similar to how the social network’s Chat Heads messaging feature operates.

In addition to the update for mobile, Facebook also announced it is making the move to bigger screens with a video app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Smart TV. The new app allows for easy viewing of videos shared by pages and friends, and also recommends content based on interest. It expands upon a feature the social network rolled out last fall, which introduced the ability to stream videos straight to a TV from any device. Facebook says it is working to bring the app to additional platforms in the future.

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