Uber confirms it’s hiring a Chief Operations Officer

The rumors of Uber planning to hire a second-in-command were true. CEO Travis Kalanick has confirmed that his ridesharing company is “actively looking” for a Chief Operating Officer that would work with him to “write the next chapter in our journey.” There’s no public short list of candidates, to no one’s surprise, but Recode hears that ideal picks would include ex-Disney COO Tom Staggs and CVS’ Helena Foulkes. Uber’s board would supposedly prefer a woman for the spot — possibly to head off claims that it’s tone deaf to sexism in its corporate culture.

Regardless of who gets the nod, the move is likely to be welcomed by both Uber’s customers and Kalanick himself. The company is reeling from a string of hits to its already mixed reputation: Susan Fowler’s accusations of sexism, its questionable claims about a self-driving car incident, the Alphabet lawsuit and (the breaking point) Kalanick’s own argument with a driver. A COO theoretically keeps Kalanick and crew in check by offering a second, more moderated voice in key decisions. Uber could be less likely to make decisions it regrets, and Kalanick would reduce the chances that investors demand he step down.

Via: Recode

Source: Uber Newsroom

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ will have Jason Isaacs as its captain

Star Trek: Discovery’s cast has slowly been coming together, but there’s been one glaring omission: who’s helming the show’s namesake ship? At last, we know: say hello to Jason Isaacs, who will play the USS Discovery’s Captain Lorca in the internet-focused TV series. CBS is mum about details of the character, although Isaacs’ role hints that he’s likely to be a permanent (or at least, long-serving) cast member.

To say that Isaacs brings some experience to the role is an understatement. He’s known by many as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, but he has also had prominent characters in The Patriot, Fury and Netflix’s The OA, among many other high-profile roles. That he’ll play a major role in Discovery says a lot about the importance of the show to CBS — it’s the tentpole for All Access, the proof that a traditional broadcaster can offer an internet video service that’s at least competitive with what ‘upstarts’ like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix can manage.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

How a joke tweet brought 911 to its knees

For over 12 hours in late October, 911 lines across the country were ringing so much that they nearly went down. Nobody knew why this was happening, until Phoenix police discovered that 18-year-old Meetkumar Hitesbhai Desai tweeted a link that caused iPhones to repeatedly dial 911. Now, more details have emerged about how the Twitter prank spiraled out of control.

Desai claimed the attack was a joke gone wrong, telling police he only meant for the link to cause annoying pop-ups, The Wall Street Journal reports. However, he posted the wrong code. It started when, from his @SundayGavin Twitter account, he tweeted the link and wrote, “I CANT BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE THIS STUPID.” When clicked, the URL, which was condensed by Google’s link shortener, launched an iOS-based JavaScript attack that caused iPhones to dial 911 repeatedly. When users hung up, the phone would keep redialing until it was restarted.

Desai has fewer than 1,200 Twitter followers, but the attack spread as other users reposted it, saying it was a link to new Drake music or other trolly things like that. The malware received its biggest exposure when it was posted by @duhitzmark, a social media celebrity with 463,000 Twitter followers. More than a few of his fans fell for the trap: Investigators say the link was clicked 117,502 times.

Since most emergency call centers are landline-based, they’re not as vulnerable to technological attacks as the VoIP systems that many large businesses use. However, even this type of attack could be dangerous if there’s malicious intent behind it. “If this was a nation-state actor that wanted to damage or disable 911 systems during an attack, they could have succeeded spectacularly,” Trey Forgety, director of government affairs at the National Emergency Number Association, told the Journal. “This was a serious wake-up call.”

Apple isn’t taking the issue lightly: It’s already implementing measures to make sure this type of attack can’t happen again on its platform. A forthcoming iOS update will cause a window with the options “cancel” and “call” to pop up on the iPhone screen when calls are made, Apple told the Journal. In order to initiate a call, users will have to tap the “call” button before the number is dialed. It’s also working with third-party developers to bring similar security standards to their apps.

Desai claimed he wanted to submit the iOS vulnerability to Apple as part of its bug bounty program, but Apple said he was not part of it. Regardless of his intent, Desai has been charged with four felony counts of computer tampering and faces up to 12 and a half years in prison.

Via: Select All

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Instagram Stories now feature Snapchat-like geostickers

Snapchat gave users location-specific stickers for snaps back in August and now Instagram is doing the same. With a recent update to the photo-sharing app, you can now use geostickers to adorn images and videos in Instagram Stories. Right now though, the feature is only available in two cities: NYC and Jakarta. However, the company says that there are more than a dozen options for each locale.

When you tap the sticker button in Stories, you’ll notice the location-specific options at the top of the menu. If you head to a specific neighborhood — like Brooklyn, for example — you’ll notice new options only available in that particular area or at a certain landmark. Just like when you add a location to a snippet of your Story, these new geostickers will take viewers to the map of that spot so they can see photos and videos from other users. Of course, your Story remains only visible to your followers.

There’s no word on similar location-specific stickers for other cities, but it’s safe to assume more are on the way. For now, you can use the tool when visiting New York and Jakarta after updating to the latest version of Instagram via the App Store or Google Play. The only question is which Snapchat feature Facebook and Instagram will add next.

Source: Instagram

CNN launches a virtual reality news unit

The Cable News Network is going virtual. CNN has announced the launch of a new immersive journalism unit called CNNVR that will produce videos and live streams of major news events, along with a weekly virtual reality experience.

CNN has been experimenting with virtual reality for years, producing more than 50 news stories in 360-degree video. It also teamed up with VR broadcaster NextVR to live stream the full Democratic presidential debate in 2015. In a Q&A on the Time Warner blog, CNN Vice President of Premium Content Video Jason Farkas said virtual reality provides an opportunity for journalists to transport their audience and leave a lasting impression.

“I believe VR is the most powerful tool we have to accomplish that goal,” he said at the time. “The whole experience feels like time-travel: you put on a headset, and suddenly you are somewhere else, feeling remarkably close to the story. You are in the story – or at least your senses tell you that you are. The viewer walks away feeling the emotional impact much more viscerally, and memorably.”

Other outlets have integrated virtual reality into their newsrooms as well. Huffington Post started offering VR videos last year on the web and its mobile apps. Months later, The New York Times began creating its own daily VR content in a feature called The Daily 360. In its so-called 2020 report, the Times said it’s making progress in using a richer mix of journalistic forms, including VR, but it thinks it can do better.

CNNVR’s first story is about the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. During the 5:29 minute video, viewers can rotate the camera 360 degrees to look anywhere they like. They can get a better view of the crowds in a bullfighting arena, for example, or check out a matador’s swanky office. CNNVR’s videos are available on PC (Chrome or Firefox), the CNN app on iOS and Android, Samsung GearVR, Oculus Rift and Google Daydream.

Source: CNN

GDC opens up its arms to the trans community

Two weeks ago, the Trump administration rolled back federal protection for transgender students who wish to use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. The act has drawn criticism for not just discriminating against transgendered people, but also putting them in harm’s way. Several Silicon Valley companies have also come forward to decry the rollback, proclaiming their commitment to LGBT rights. At the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco last week, it was clear that the gaming industry shares the sentiment too.

Nowhere was this more evident than at the conference’s registration desk. When attendees arrived to collect their badges, they saw a handful of personal pronoun ribbons that they could attach to their names. The idea is to quickly let people around know how to refer to individuals — whether as a she/her, a he/him, or, if they prefer not to identify with either gender, a them/they. It’s a welcoming gesture aimed squarely at the transgender and non-binary community, where using the wrong pronoun can lead to a feeling of alienation.

The request for gender ribbons came from attendees themselves. Meggan Scavio, the General Manager for GDC, had the idea of incorporating personalized ribbons to add a little flair and color to the normal name badge. So she put out a call on Twitter to ask what sorts of ribbons people would like. “The number one request was overwhelmingly for pronouns,” she said. “It’s cool to see a giant event support everyone.”

Personal pronoun add-ons on conference badges aren’t an entirely new concept. Smaller independent gaming conventions like Indiecade and GaymerX have had them for awhile now, as have a few corporate get-togethers. For example Worldcon, a sci-fi literary convention, and Dreamforce, Salesforce’s annual technology conference, which introduced personal pronoun buttons last year. But GDC is the biggest gaming-related conference to incorporate them, a sign that the practice is becoming more widespread.

“I’m a huge fan of the idea of gender pronoun ribbons,” said Carolyn Petit, Managing Editor for Feminist Frequency, an online video series that brings a critical eye to gender representation in pop culture. Petit also happens to be a trans woman. “It normalizes the idea that gender is ambiguous for a lot of people.”

Sai Timmermann, a game developer who identifies as non-binary and prefers the they/them pronoun, echoes the sentiment. “It’s something that we’ve wanted for awhile,” they said. “Last year’s GDC, there was an effort among some developers to make pronoun pin buttons. And to see it go from a grassroots effort to something that’s readily accessible and out there… it’s a statement from GDC that we want you to feel welcome.”

“I’ve seen a lot of people use the they/them ribbons,” Timmermann continued. “It’s been so great! It’s a great conversation starter for people who otherwise didn’t know who else was out.” Another addition to GDC this year were big signs directing people to gender neutral restrooms. There’s at least one in every building of the Moscone Center. There were guerilla paper signs last year, said Timmermann, but this year, there’s official signage.

GDC has historically been a pretty outspoken advocate for diversity and inclusion. It regularly holds an advocacy track for issues relating to accessibility, LGBT groups and women in gaming. Indeed, there are several prominent and public trans people in the gaming community.

“This is an industry, that more than other industries, tend to have people outside of the traditional gender binary,” said Timmermann. “Because internet culture makes it a safer space to explore your gender and feel comfortable coming out. A lot of us grew up in MMOs and being able to be ourselves in an online space. There’s not that repercussion that if I come out at school, I’m going to get beat up.”

The inclusion of different perspectives is leading to a shift in the industry, said Timmerman. For example, they point out that the winner of the GDC award for Excellence in Narrative this year is Ladykiller in a Bind, a game that’s described as “an erotic romantic comedy about social manipulation, crossdressing, and girls tying up other girls.” “It’s both a queer and kinky game which represents two marginalized, swept-under-the-rug groups,” said Timmerman.

As welcome as the pronouns are, though, Petit said there’s still work to be done. She would really like it if more cisgendered allies wore them too, because it helps put trans people on equal footing. “Most of us as trans people are always going to be on guard,” she said. “We can’t completely move around and feel safe.”

“Gestures like the pronoun ribbons can really normalize the reality that transgender is absolutely as authentic and as real as cisgender,” said Petit. “It’s a very small thing, but it does send a message.”

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ACLU and 170 other groups ask the FCC to keep net neutrality

The current FCC administration is determined to end net neutrality whatever the cost, but that isn’t stopping policy groups from making a bid to save it. Over 170 groups (including the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation) have sent a letter urging FCC chair Ajit Pai, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson and Republican Senator John Thune to maintain the 2015 net neutrality order. They believe that treating internet traffic equally is vital to making the internet an “engine of opportunity,” and note that broadband investment is up despite internet providers’ threats to the contrary. It’s also vital to preserving competition and free speech for smaller outfits, the groups argue.

It’s a well-meaning letter. However, it won’t be surprising if the plea amounts to little more than tilting at windmills. Pai is a longstanding opponent of net neutrality, and he’s supported by a government with a very, very strong focus on deregulation. Don’t be surprised if the FCC and Congress ultimately ignore calls to protect net neutrality and push forward with their originally intended agenda.

Via: The Verge

Source: Common Cause (PDF)