Someone used a $3 million Patriot missile to destroy a store-bought quadcopter

Why it matters to you

While it this strategy would certainly deter some people from flying their quadcopter in a no-fly zone, we can’t see the FAA placing an order for Patriot missiles anytime soon.

Cops in Japan use flying nets to bring down rogue quadcopters flying in no-go zones, while other methods seen around the world include signal-jamming devices and even highly trained eagles.

But a “very close ally” of the United States has found a much more dramatic way of taking out remotely controlled copters that it considers a threat — by using a $3 million Patriot missile

The revelation that a surface-to-air missile traveling at five times the speed of sound had destroyed a consumer quadcopter buzzing along at about 50 mph came this week during a presentation given by General David Perkins of the U.S. Army at a military symposium in Alabama.

“We have a very close ally … that was dealing with an adversary that was using a small quadcopter and they shot it down with a Patriot missile,” Perkins told the audience, adding, “Now, that worked, they got it.”

In case anyone at the event was in any doubt about the effectiveness of using a multimillion-dollar missile on a small contraption made mostly of plastic, Perkins confirmed that the “quadcopter that cost $200 bucks from Amazon.com did not stand a chance against the Patriot.”

While Perkins declined to name the nation that deemed it a good idea to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, it is known that the issue of store-bought quadcopters — machines like DJI’s Phantom 4 Pro — being weaponized is a growing problem in some battle zones, with Islamic State group, for example, currently using them in Iraq.

More: This shoulder-mounted, net-firing bazooka can down a rogue drone at 100 meters

The general pointed out that while the Patriot had successfully seen off the drone, using a high-tech missile for such a purpose was actually a monumental waste of money.

“I’m not sure that’s a good economic exchange ratio,” Perkins told the audience, adding, “In fact, if I’m the enemy, I’m thinking, ‘Hey, I’m just gonna get on eBay and buy as many of these $300 quadcopters as I can and expend all the Patriot missiles out there.”

Justin Bronk, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, told the BBC that Perkins’ comment “exposes in very stark terms the challenge which militaries face in attempting to deal with the adaptation of cheap and readily available civilian technology with extremely expensive, high-end hardware designed for state-on-state warfare.”

The researcher added that although highly sophisticated, Patriot radar systems might actually struggle to properly target a small quadcopter.

Clearly, the country that fired the Patriot at the drone would do well to take another look at the kind of weapons it uses to deal with such challenges, or simply examine the effectiveness of existing solutions for tackling unmanned, weapon-carrying copters.

Starbucks finally launches its mobile app in India

You can now pay for your favorite beverages right from your phone.

Starbucks has rolled out its mobile app in India, allowing you to quickly see your rewards and pay using your linked Starbucks card. You have the option of managing all the cards linked to your account, adding funds to your card, and paying for coffee and other items with your phone by scanning a barcode.

There’s a “Shake to Pay” feature that lets you vigorously shake your device at the counter, and when that doesn’t work, you can scan the barcode and proceed to pay with your phone. The app also lets you find the Starbucks store closest to your location, showing the distance as well as store timings.

If you’re not registered with the My Starbucks Rewards loyalty program, you can do so from within the app. You can also browse the menu and get notified of upcoming offers. Overall, the app has everything you need to satisfy your Starbucks needs, and the digital payments offers a convenient way to pay for in-store purchases. If you’re interested in taking a look, download the app from the Play Store.

ZTE Axon 7 becomes one of the first non-Google phones to get Android 7.1.1

A nice surprise from a company not known for its speedy software updates.

ZTE isn’t the first company you think of when considering fast software updates. (Come to think of it, are there any these days?) The Chinese firm, which released its excellent Axon 7 flagship last summer, spent a good chunk of the latter part of 2016 testing Android 7.0 Nougat, delaying the upgrade well into this year.

When I asked a representative from ZTE, he said it was because the engineers needed to get Daydream support correct, and didn’t want to release the software with a compromised VR experience.

Well, just over a month after that fateful day, the Axon 7 is getting yet another update — to Android 7.1.1. Available starting March 16, this marks the first device outside of Google’s own Pixel and Nexus lines to be updated to the (at the time of writing) latest version of Android.

The change log is fairly modest compared to the bump from Marshmallow to Nougat, but here are the highlights:

-T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling support: T-Mobile Axon 7 users will now be able to send and receive both calls and text messages over Wi-Fi. Don’t have service in a certain area? Don’t miss a beat by connecting to a wireless network to continue talking and texting.

• More ways to communicate: With 7.1.1, Google made all its emojis gender-equal, representing a wider range of professions for both men and women – so now you can be the astronaut you always wanted. Plus, you gain the ability to send gifs directly from your keyboard on supported apps. Go ahead, express yourself!

• Daydream update & optimization: One of our favorite 2017 announcements was that the Axon 7 was finally Daydream-ready! With — Android 7.1.1, we’re making your virtual reality even better by updating and optimizing your experience.

• Google security patches updates through Feb 2017 – Speaking of security, Google fixed all of its known vulnerabilities with 7.1.1. Sound boring? You may be right, but these patches are critical in keeping your information even more safe while sending emails, browsing the website, texting, or processing media files.

T-Mobile users will be happy to know that ZTE worked with the carrier to roll out Wi-Fi Calling, and it’s really good to know that Daydream support will be optimized. Of course, the update brings native 7.1.1 features from Google, including a larger set of emojis, support for image keyboards, rounded icon support in the launcher, and more.

Samsung officially confirms Bixby voice assistant for Galaxy S8 in own leak

We’ve heard since the start of January that Samsung is planning its own voice assistant for its forthcoming flagship Android phones, but we now have official confirmation. Of sorts.

An Italian page found on the Samsung website clearly states “comandi vocali con Bixby”, which means “voice commands with Bixby” when translated into English.

It appears in the privacy information under “voice services”.

Samsung

Bixby can be used to “control all operations with the touch interface using voice commands,” it states. And as the page is for all Samsung mobile devices, it stands to reason that the AI assistant will be utilised on future handsets beyond the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

• Samsung Galaxy S8: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know
• What is Bixby? Everything you need to know about Samsung’s assistant

Samsung will fully unveil its new handsets, and Bixby, at a dedicated Unpacked event in New York on 28 March. It will be live streaming the press briefing and you can find out how to watch it through our own guide: Samsung Galaxy S8 launch: When is Galaxy Unpacked 2017 and can you watch it online?

We are expecting two phones, both with curved screens like previous “edge” models, but the company will call them simply Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. They are tipped to come with 5.7 and 6.2-inch displays respectively, but because of small bezels will feel smaller than some equivalents in the hand.

Get ready to see more Twitter live streams

Twitter seriously wants to give Facebook a run for its money in its bid to transform into one of the largest online destination for live videos. According to The Information, the social network plans to announce next week that it’s opening up its live streaming API to media firms. It will also reveal partnerships “with firms that provide back-end services for live-video streaming.” While sports and news organizations can already host live streams on the microblogging platform, it typically requires extensive planning and partnership with Twitter. The open API will allow them to go live on the website whenever they want without having to use Periscope.

Twitter has been hosting a steady stream of live sporting (and e-sporting) events recently. It counted over 2 million viewers for Thursday Night Football last year and teamed up with Showtime to stream a boxing match for the first time. The company landed a deal to stream 15 e-sports events this year and also secured the rights to National Lacrosse League games for 2017 and 2018.

We’re guessing all those will make up a small fraction of all the videos on the social network once media companies start taking advantage of the API. It sounds like the feature will be exclusive to news organizations, though — everyone else might have to stick to Periscope for their broadcasts.

Source: The Information

Google Play Music has a few new options for playback quality

After seemingly forgetting about Google Play Music for an extended period of time, the search juggernaut has been showing its music streaming app newfound love lately. The newest update across Android and iOS adds options for playback quality (low, normal, high and always high) over WiFi and for downloaded tracks. Previously, you could only adjust quality for streaming over mobile data. As 9to5 Google notes however, the selections don’t say what bitrate each option corresponds to.

Spotify, for example, offers streams ranging from 96kbps and 320kbps. Tidal goes one step further, offering CD-quality 16-bit encodes. Apple Music, for its part, simply has a nondescript “high-quality” option. For downloaded music, higher quality will eat up more local storage, while streaming it over WiFi will put a bigger hit on any data cap that may be in place. We’ve reached out to Google for more information and will update this post should it arrive.

For now, though, assuming your home network can handle it and your speakers or headphones can do it justice, click the switch to force high quality playback. Your ears will thank you.

Via: 9to5 Google

Source: Google Play, iTunes

Researchers Uncover macOS and Safari Exploits at Pwn2Own 2017

The seventeenth annual CanSecWest security conference is underway in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, where researchers are competing in the 10th anniversary Pwn2Own computer hacking contest for over $1 million in prizes.

Day one results have already been published over at the Zero Day Initiative website, with a couple of successful Mac-related exploits already appearing in the list of achievements. Independent hackers Samuel Groß and Niklas Baumstark landed a partial success and earned $28,000 after targeting Safari with an escalation to root on macOS, which allowed them to scroll a message on a MacBook Pro Touch Bar.

In a partial win, Samuel Groß (@5aelo) and Niklas Baumstark (@_niklasb) earn some style points by leaving a special message on the touch bar of the Mac. They used a use-after-free (UAF) in Safari combined with three logic bugs and a null pointer dereference to exploit Safari and elevate to root in macOS. They still managed to earn $28,000 USD and 9 Master of Pwn points.

Later in the day, Chaitin Security Research Lab also targeted Safari with an escalation to root on macOS, finding success using a total of six bugs in their exploit chain, including “an info disclosure in Safari, four type confusion bugs in the browser, and a UAF in WindowServer”. The combined efforts earned the team $35,000.

The participating teams earned a total of $233,000 in prizes on day one, including a leading $105,000 earned by Tencent Security, according to published details. Other software successfully targeted by contestants include Adobe Reader, Ubuntu Desktop, and Microsoft Edge on Windows.

Apple representatives have attended the Pwn2Own contest in the past, and affected parties are made aware of all security vulnerabilities discovered during the contest in order to patch them. Pwn2Own day two began today at 8:30 a.m. Pacific and will involve additional exploit attempts against macOS and Safari.

Tags: exploit, security, Safari, Apple security, Pwn2Own, macOS
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Virtual Reality and the Birth of Virtual Reality Slots

Online gaming has become one of the biggest forms of entertainment because of its ability to use the most modern technological advances to its advantage. From Social Media to mobile gaming, online slot machines and other casino games have taken a big share of the market by following trends. VR is considered to be the future of casinos, this is why it is no surprise that we’ve seen this online slots move to virtual reality.

The world of virtual reality brings gaming closer than ever to the gamer, fully immersing them in the gaming world and creating a whole new experience. One company that is set to use this technology for their slot games is Net Ent. Through games like Gonzo’s Quest VR we are seeing new innovations in slot machine games, and what is possible. This is what will cause much excitement for players.

Not all slot machines have to be fully virtual though, but they can be part of a virtual world. These worlds would actually be a virtual casino that the user can move around, and play actual slot machines and other casino games in. This kind of environment also provides an virtual reality that is less intensive on technology and can be played on more headsets that may not be up to fully fledged VR games.

What is important to note is that virtual reality will bring many questions with it around gambling. With a more immersive experience, there is a risk that the gamers may lose time in the game and spend more time than expected in the ‘casino’. This is a questionable issue, and players must be aware of the pitfalls of this new form of gambling. It will be expected that laws may be changed around this to compensate for any problems caused.

When it comes to technology, it is an exciting world that online slots are moving into. Not only do we have a 360 view of the gaming environment, but with hand controllers that help to immerse gamers even further into the experience these games can only get more and more fun.

Online slots have always taken advantage of technology innovation, and have provided the user with more entertaining experiences. Even before the move into the digital world, mechanical slot machines were providing more complicated games that were more engrossing for the gamers.

Moving onto the digital world, we now see a more versatile form of gaming with more reels, more bonuses and a more appealing game to people looking for a little more in the slot games. The key here is to have fun, and this is where virtual reality will offer even more fun.

It will be interesting to see how the slot machine will be extended in the virtual world, and just how much the players will want it. The most important part of creating a new slot experience is of course to give the players what they want. If the games stray into a situation where they become too complicated, then players may be put off.

What we will obviously see is a lot of experimentation when it comes to virtual reality. There will be feedback from the players and a refinement of the gaming experience so that a balance is found for the gamer to get the best experience.

Virtual reality is having a positive effect on all types of gaming, and now it looks like the online slots world is about to have a similar change. This is an exciting future for players, and a chance to take this form of gaming to the next level. The important thing of course is to get it right, and remember that it is the gamer that is most important in the world of online gaming.

This year may be the year that virtual reality really takes off, and online slot games may take full advantage of this. For this to be a success, it has to be done right, and thankfully it does look like this is the case. Now to see what virtual reality will bring to us, and just where it will lead fans of online gaming, and the companies that provide the games.

AMD presses its advantage with affordable Ryzen 5 processors, available April 11

Why it matters to you

Looking for a processor that won’t break your budget? You may want to wait till April 11, when AMD releases its new Ryzen 5 line.

AMD isn’t letting off the gas. The company has announced it will follow up its trio of Ryzen 7 processors with the Ryzen 5 line, which will hit store shelves on April 11. That’s an impressive pace, as Ryzen 7 was just released March 3.

This announcement is bolstered by details about the new Ryzen 5 processors. We now know the range will launch with four processors, ranging in price from $169 to $249. This will align Ryzen 5 with the bulk of Intel’s Core i5 quad-core desktop processor line. Here are the full specifications.

Processor
Cores
Threads
Base clock
Precision Boost
TDP
Price
Ryzen 5 1400X
4
8
3.2GHz
3.4GHz
65w
$169
Ryzen 5 1500X
4
8
3.5GHz
3.7GHz
65w
$189
Ryzen 5 1600
6
12
3.2GHz
3.6GHz
65w
$219
Ryzen 5 1600X
6
12
3.6GHz
4GHz
95w
$249

The lineup looks quite impressive on paper, as Ryzen 5’s specifications will generally hold an edge against Intel’s Core i5. Intel’s Core i5-7400, for example, has four cores and lacks Hyper-Threading. It also has a maximum clock speed of 3.5GHz, lower than the Ryzen 5 1500X’s maximum clock speed of 3.7GHz. Yet the Intel chip is slightly more expensive at $195 from most retailers.

AMD’s chips are also unlocked across the product line, so long as you buy an enthusiast-level motherboard. Intel’s only unlocked chip available in Ryzen 5’s price range is the Core i3-7350K, which has only two cores, with four threads. The Core i5-7600K, Intel’s most affordable unlocked quad-core, is $240.

More: Testing shows delidding Ryzen processors has little effect 

Ryzen plans to beat that one, too, with its Ryzen 5 1600X. That chip, which sells for slightly more than the Core i5-7600K, promises two extra cores and four more threads. AMD says that makes it up to 69 percent quicker, albeit in Cinebench nT, a benchmark that’s extremely well optimized for multiple cores.

As an aside, AMD said it will make Ryzen processors available with certain in-house coolers. The Wraith Stealth cooler will be available with the Ryzen 5 1400. The Ryzen 5 1500X and 1600 will be available with the Wraith Spire.

This announcement is compelling, because it will give AMD chips that target the heart of the processor market. Even gamers and enthusiasts often end up buying in this price range. The main question, though, is how the processor will hold up in single-core tests. Our reviews of the Ryzen 7 1700 and Ryzen 7 1800X found both lean heavily on multi-core performance to justify their overall value. Yet the Ryzen 5 1400 and 1500X won’t have a core count edge against their prime Intel competitors.

Luckily, we must wait less than a month to see how AMD’s midrange Ryzen chips will stack up.

Beer in space: Budweiser wants to set up a brewery on Mars, apparently

Why it matters to you

If humans do ever get to colonize faraway planets, beer will no doubt be served, and Budweiser wants to serve it.

There’s been a lot of talk recently about getting humans to Mars, with SpaceX boss Elon Musk, for one, certain that the feat can be achieved in the not-at-all-distant future.

When sending humans to the red planet does finally become a reality, it’s not hard to imagine that the first thing they’ll be hankering for after such a long ride will be an ice cold beer.

Clearly not one to miss a marketing opportunity, Budweiser has jumped on the Mars bandwagon to announce that it wants to be the first beer brand to serve up a drink there.

And while it would be simple for Budweiser to throw a few bottles of its pale lager beverage into a spaceship’s refrigerator all ready for the Mars touchdown several months later, the brand says it’d actually like to set up beer-making facilities on the distant, dusty rock so visitors can enjoy an endless supply of the alcoholic beverage. Though that might mean not much work gets done.

Budweiser announced its grand ambition “to officially be the first beer on Mars” at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

During a panel discussion at the event, all the guests maintained serious facial expressions throughout, suggesting Budweiser is sincere about its novel idea. Tongue apparently nowhere near cheek, retired astronaut Clayton Anderson said getting beer into space is about “creating home away from home.”

Budweiser vice president Ricardo Marques also had a contribution to make. Clutching a bottle of Bud that he may or may not have just guzzled down, the VP boldly told the audience, “This is a dream that builds up our unbreakable belief in the power of the pursuit of the American dream.”

More: The UAE’s next ambitious project is to build a city on Mars

But there are — as Budweiser helpfully points out — great challenges ahead. These include a distinct lack of water on Mars to make the beer, difficulties in growing hops, and, most alarmingly for beer aficionados, the planet’s troublesome atmospheric pressure that would cause the beer to turn into “a foamy slop.” Though some Bud-haters might well call that an improvement.