7 Exotic technologies that were once science fiction, but now exist in reality

It’s no big surprise that engineers and scientists working in cutting edge tech are often fans of science fiction. Nor is it a surprise that, when many of them get to a place in their career where they can choose which projects to work on, a whole lot of folks seek to bring to life the kind of amazing sci-fi technology they grew up reading about and watching in movies.

Here are seven examples of tech that was once the domain of science fiction, now turned science fact.

Universal translator

The Hitchhiker’s’ Guide to the Galaxy, Star Trek

Where it appeared in sci-fi:  As a plot device that removes the problem of having to explain why aliens all speak English, Universal Translators have been a staple of science fiction for years. An early appearance is in Murray Leinster’s 1945 novella First Contact, but notable examples can also be found in Star Trek, Doctor Who, and The Hitchhiker’s’ Guide to the Galaxy.

In the latter, a so-called “babel fish” is inserted into a person’s auditory canal to feed off the mental frequencies of people speaking to its host. It then excretes a translation directly into the brain. Tasty!

Babel Fish, Waverly Pilot

In reality: The name Babel Fish was actually adopted by Yahoo! For its web-based multilingual translation app launched in 1997. Things have come a long way since then, however. While there are numerous translation services out there, the most sci-fi sounding one is the Waverly Pilot, a set of wireless earbuds that connect to your phone and promise to translate several languages in real time.

Microsoft has also carried out a pretty astonishing demo using deep learning tech, which even incorporates the voice of the speaker when it carries out its translations.

A.I. assistants

2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000, Alien‘s “Mother”

Where it appeared in sci-fi: While lots of science fiction included computers whose principle functions could be operated via voice, the idea of a voice-activated artificial intelligence is slightly less widespread.

It was used to memorable effect with 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000, the sentient A.I. which controls the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft and interacts with (not entirely in the best interests of) the ship’s astronaut crew. Another prominent example is “Mother,” the ship’s computer in Alien. Both made an indelible mark on sci-fi fans, although HAL is by far the more iconic.

Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant

In reality: Minus HAL’s more murderous side, A.I. assistants are everywhere today. The technology was introduced to a mainstream audience for the first time with the iPhone 4s in 2011 (although there had been research projects before then), and it’s only grown from there.

Here in 2018, the smart speaker product category is hotly contested by Google, Amazon and Apple, and can be used to do everything from searching for information to controlling the various features in your smart home. Many, like Siri, even include “in joke” nods and references to their great uncle HAL.

Rayguns

Star Trek, James Bond movies

Where it appeared in sci-fi: Who needs bullets when you can fire far more futuristic beams of destructive energy? The form factor and scale of these weapons has varied depending on the story.

Rayguns first fleetingly appear as a reference in Victor Rousseau’s 1917 The Messiah of the Cylinder. Star Trek, meanwhile, introduced an entire generation to the “phaser,” while Star Wars’ Stormtroopers carried (somewhat useless) “blasters.” Heck, even James Bond used one in Moonraker, the most sci-fi of the 007 movies.

200W DIY laser canon, Lockheed Martin’s ATHENA

In reality: Okay, so most of us still think guns over lasers when we hear about the right to keep and bear arms. But as Bob Dylan once sang, the times they are a-changin’.

Examples of real life laser guns range from DIY efforts like a terrifying 200W laser cannon, 400x more powerful than the most dangerous laboratory lasers, to Lockheed Martin’s modular ATHENA laser cannon. In the future, the defense giant claims its laser cannons will help protect soldiers from threats such as “swarms of drones.”

Tablet computers

2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Trek‘s PADD

Where it appeared in sci-fi: A decidedly iPad-style device appears in Stanley Kubrick’s classic movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. An even more sci-fi appearance for tablet computers, however, comes in Star Trek.

Yes, there were examples of “electronic clipboards” in the original Star Trek, but they were far more prevalent in the follow-up, Star Trek: The Next Generation and in subsequent series. They were even called PADD, an acronym for Personal Access Display Device.

Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, etc

In reality: We very nearly didn’t include tablets on this list. The reason? Because once a gadget is so mainstream that your grandparents own and use one, it loses a bit of its cutting edge, science fiction cool. But isn’t that exactly the point of this list? No-one in Star Trek wasted time gushing about how cool it was to have a pencil-thin computer touch screen to look things up on; they just used it like the intuitive form of computing it is. That’s exactly what’s happened in real life.

While tablets haven’t totally replaced PCs, over the last decade they have proven themselves to have a crucial role to play in our lives. You can check out our list of the best tablets available to buy here.

Holograms

Star Wars: A New Hope

Where it appeared in sci-fi:  For any kid who grew up in a slightly boring place, dreaming of the day we’d get dragged into some grand adventure, there are few sci-fi movies scenes more iconic than the one from Star Wars, in which Luke Skywalker gets a call to action from a holographic Princess Leia.

Brigham Young University

In reality: Holographic projection still isn’t mainstream by any means, but there’s some fascinating work being done in this space. At Brigham Young University, researchers have demonstrated technology involving clear, realistic 3D holograms being projected into thin air.

“Our technology uses a tractor beam to capture a tiny particle of paper,” Daniel Smalley, assistant professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, told Digital Trends. “That particle is then dragged around and illuminated by red, green and blue lasers to make points. The primary difference is that when you look at an image point in our display you’re looking at a material object.”

What did the team choose as an early demo for their tech? Projecting a miniature Princess Leia, of course.

Videophone calling

2001: A Space Odyssey, Thunderbirds

Where it appeared in sci-fi:  As with several items on this list, video calling was introduced to a mass audience in 1968 through the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. As someone living in the U.K., however, for me it’s more synonymous with the TV series Thunderbirds, in which Jeff Tracy uses video calling to communicate with his sons.

Skype, Amazon’s Echo Show, FaceTime

In reality: Skype appeared in 2003, followed by rival services like Apple’s FaceTime a few years later. Devices like Amazon’s Echo Show are even built around the concept of video calling. Science fact has even further than science fiction through research into areas like 3D video calling.

Communicator watches

Dick Tracy

Where it appeared in sci-fi:  Okay, so Dick Tracy isn’t really science fiction, but his watch sure was. For years, anyone writing about wrist-worn communications tech pretty much had to, by some obscure law of journalism, reference Dick Tracy. The plainclothes cop got his famous two-way wrist radio in 1946 and upgraded it to a two-way video calling (see above) device in 1964.

The Apple Watch

In reality: The Apple Watch made this technology a real thing, and later improved it with the Apple Watch Series 3 by adding greater iPhone independence. The exact moment when sci-fi dream merged with actually-happening reality was captured on video in late 2016 when Jeb Bush received a call on his Apple Watch during a meeting. “My watch can’t be talking?” he said. “That’s the coolest thing in the world.”

It sure is, Jeb. It sure is. Well, with the exception of the other items on this list.

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HomePod repairs cost nearly as much as a new speaker

If you’re getting a HomePod, be sure to place it somewhere safe… depending on what you break, it might be expensive to get a fix. Apple has updated its support pages to reveal that an out-of-warranty HomePod repair will cost $279 (£269). Throw in the shipping fee ($20 US, or £13) for a mail-in repair and you’re not far off from the price of a brand new smart speaker. This is one of those times where the AppleCare extended warranty ($78 if you include the incident fee, or £68) may be the better value, at least if you’re in a household where an accident is a real possibility.

Thankfully, the power cable won’t cost such a hefty sum. The 9to5Mac team has learned that you’ll need to pay $29 (£25) to repair a damaged cord. That’s more than a detachable cord might have cost, but definitely easier to justify if your pet has gnawed the cable to oblivion.

In practice, you’re not nearly as likely to need a fix for a HomePod as you would for an iPhone or a Mac — it’s a stationary object in your home that you’ll rarely need to touch. However, you’ll definitely want to keep these costs in mind if you have young kids or otherwise think the speaker might take a tumble.

Via: MacRumors, 9to5Mac

Source: MacRumors, Apple

Exile sues Facebook in hunt for Cambodian leader’s paid ‘likes’

Facebook doesn’t normally have to answer questions about government leaders’ public pages, but it might have to very shortly. Exiled Cambodian politician Sam Rainsy has sued Facebook insisting that it provide any information that might show Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen (above) bought millions of fake “likes” to feign popularity. Rainsy himself is the target of a defamation case for making the allegations, and is betting that Facebook’s data can clear his name.

A study of Hun’s page suggests something is off. He only launched his Facebook page in 2016, but it quickly ballooned to 9 million “likes” (it’s the third most active page worldwide), about 80 percent of which come from accounts in foreign countries like India, Mexico and the Philippines. Hun has claimed that it’s just a reflection of his global popularity, but these accounts could easily be the product of fake follower services.

He certainly has the incentive to use bogus followers. As the de facto dictator of Cambodia, he has used Facebook to attack critics and his political powers to silence opposition. Hun also shut down Rainsy’s party (the only opposing party in the country) in December, guaranteeing that he would face no opposition in the next election.

Rainsy said he contacted Facebook about his concerns 18 months ago, but the social network hadn’t responded, prompting the lawsuit. Facebook has so far declined to comment on the case, but did note to the Guardian that it blocks the registrations of “millions” of fake accounts every day.

It’s not clear if Facebook can or will hand over the data. However, it has taken down a leader’s page (Russia-supported Chechnya leader Ramzan Kadyrov) for violating policy. If Facebook does find evidence of fake “likes,” it could pull Hun’s page regardless of how Rainsy fares in court.

Source: Guardian

Here’s how to restore contacts on an iPhone from iCloud

Contacts are an important part of your iPhone, especially if you’re constantly making calls, sending emails, or texting friends and family. You may have one long contact list or one that has been meticulously organized and sorted to make navigation easier. Contacts are so integral to staying in touch with others that it is hard to imagine not having that convenient, easy-to-reach list of everyone you will ever need to reach out to.

In fact, it’s so convenient, few of us remember phone numbers or email addresses in our heads anymore. This isn’t usually an issue, but it can become a problem when a particular contact, or multiple contacts, are accidentally deleted or lost during the sync process, or when restoring from a backup. It’s an unfortunate situation to be in, but one that is easily rectified if you know how to recover lost contacts on an iPhone. Thankfully, you only need to use iCloud to do so.

To avoid losing your data and contacts follow our guide on how to backup an iPhone and how to use iCloud.

Recovering contacts using iCloud on your iPhone

If you’ve lost or deleted a contact by mistake, there is no reason to panic. Contacts are set to sync with iCloud by default. You can go to settings and turn them off and on again to let them sync to your iPhone again.

Step 1: Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.

Step 2: Turn Contacts off and select Keep on My iPhone.

Step 3: Turn Contacts on and select Merge.

Wait a little while, and you should see the deleted contacts back on your iPhone.

Recovering contacts using iCloud.com

This is another trusted method for retrieving lost contact information — as well as other things like Reminders and Calendar events — and it comes directly from Apple. All you need is a computer, your Apple ID and password, and a bit of time.

Go to iCloud.com and sign in with your aforementioned Apple ID and password.
Once signed in, click the Settings icon.
Scroll down to the Advanced section and click Restore Contacts.
You will be shown a list of previously made archives. Find the date of an archive that should still have your contacts list intact and click Restore.
Click Restore again to confirm and begin the restoration process. Once it’s done, an email will be sent to the address tied to your Apple ID.

It should be noted that doing this will replace the contacts currently on your iPhone, as opposed to just adding the ones that are missing. If you added new contacts prior to this process, they will be lost. Thankfully, your current contacts list will be archived before the restore is applied, so you can retrieve them by following these same steps.

To do so, follow the first three steps of this article, but instead of choosing an archive from a previous date, pick the archive made the same day you performed your restoration. You can also do this if you accidentally restore your contacts using the wrong archive.

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With Mosaic, you can redesign your Instagram grid without the commitment

App Attack is a weekly series where we search the App Store and Google Play Store for the best apps of the week. Check out App Attack every Sunday for the latest.

Social media profiles have become a reflection of who we are. Rather than posting random photos, most people strategize their content, even if it’s for their personal accounts. This week, we have an app that will make your Instagram grid — AKA where all your photos live — look as organized and well thought-out as those of all those influencers out there.

Mosaic, available for iOS and Android, uses artificial intelligence and image recognition algorithms to apply “smart themes” to your Instagram feed. Using the different themes, you can organize your photos and then preview how it will look on your feed before you officially post them. You can also manually edit specific photos straight through the app.

The app is simple to use and doesn’t require too much navigation. Once you download it, you’ll be able to search through your photos and pick which ones you want to use. You can then tap through the available filters to change the color of each photo simultaneously.

Within each theme, there’s a few customization options with a variety of different filters, depending on which one you choose. With the black and white theme, you’re able to pick from filters like “Neutral,” “Vintage,” and “Light.” There’s also the option to increase and decrease the intensity.

Once you’re satisfied with the filters, you can then preview how it will look on your Instagram feed. After logging into your account, your main feed will show up with the addition of the new photos you’ve chosen. Unfortunately, you can’t change the theme of the photos that already exist on your Instagram, unless you import them again through Mosaic.

If you want to edit a specific photo, you can do so by tapping on it and then selecting the pencil tool at the bottom. This will bring you to an array of editing tools ranging from lighting and saturation, to cropping, and more. Once you’re satisfied, you can tap the check mark in the right-hand corner and it’ll place the photo back to its spot.

While you can’t export the entire feed of photos, you can post them to your Instagram one by one through Mosaic. By tapping on the photo and then the Instagram camera icon within the menu, it’ll take you to your Instagram account. This is where you can post the photo to your feed or your Instagram stories. You can even share your photo to other social media platforms like Facebook and Whatsapp.

The same menu also gives you options like deleting a specific photo, or moving it around to a different spot. If there’s a photo you don’t want to move, you can lock it in place as well.

I do wish I could post all of the photos at once to my Instagram account, but this does mean that my followers’ feeds will be flooded with tons of photos — a move that’s looked down upon. But it’d still be nice to have the option for those who have a larger account and won’t lose any follows for posting an influx of photos.

As an Instagram user, I’m not one to overanalyze what I post. My photos are extremely random, whereas I’ve seen friends who will only post content that enhances their theme and aesthetic. As it becomes more popular to make your Instagram look presentable, Mosaic is definitely an app that helps you visualize the look you’d like to go for without committing to it.

While I don’t see publishers and social media influencers using the app, it’s perfect for those who aren’t used to keeping up with a theme or want to test out different options. It’s a great tool for learning how to get the hang of posting to a specific theme without sacrificing your entire theme.

Thanks to Instagram’s archive feature, it’s become acceptable to hide photos or even delete them. So if you want to start completely from scratch and start applying a new aesthetic, it’s an easy app to do so with. I also enjoyed being able to organize my photos and seeing which ones looked better next to each other — a detail I didn’t realize even made a difference. Let’s just say I started to view my Instagram feed more closely than I did before.

Mosaic is free to download but it comes with a set number of filters. You can also purchase each theme separately for $2, or unlock all of the themes for a subscription fee of $5 per month. This means that you’ll also have access to additional themes as they are added to the app.

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Portrait Mode test: Can any smartphone beat the iPhone X?

With pictures being worth a thousand words, everyone loves to take photos and share them on social media for boasting purposes and validation from others. That instant validation, however, is few and far between when photos aren’t crisp or clear. Poor-quality photos shouldn’t be that big of an issue anymore, though, thanks to the inclusion of Portrait Mode on smartphones.

Mimicking the fast aperture lenses found on modern SLR cameras, this mode essentially blurs the background in photos while focusing on the foreground. Smartphones use software trickery to achieve this look in photos, and while this sounds like it couldn’t produce images that look as good as though captured with professional cameras, Portrait Mode is actually capable of producing stunning photographs.

TheUnlockr

Yet, while Portrait Mode is a great way to capture photographs, the technical aspect of the method varies from smartphone to smartphone. So, to truly know which smartphone is the best when it comes to capturing stills in Portrait Mode, we put four of the best phones through a series of photography-based tests.

The test itself isn’t that rigorous; four different sets of photos were taken using the iPhone X, Galaxy Note 8, Google Pixel 2XL, and the Mate 10 Pro. The results of the test however, are quite conclusive.

Each phone can capture excellent photos while Portrait Mode, but the iPhone X and Pixel 2XL separate themselves from the rest of the pack by consistently producing quality shots. In fact, the quality of the photos taken by the iPhone X and Pixel 2XL are so similar that’s it’s hard to tell the differences between the two because they are so subtle.

TheUnlockr

To find a clear-cut winner between the iPhone X and Pixel 2XL, we turned to social media. By posting four photos from the different tests and not specifying which smartphone took what photograph, Unlockr followers chimed in with their answers to which photo of the set was the best. Overwhelmingly, photos taken by the Pixel 2XL were hailed as the best, which means the Google phone’s Portrait Mode trumps the one on the iPhone X.

Again, this wasn’t a very scientific test, and is in large part based on personal preference. Plus, each smartphone used in our test managed to produce quality photos while in Portrait Mode. Nonetheless, the Pixel 2XL still stands out among its competitors.

David Cogen — a regular contributor here at Digital Trends — runs TheUnlockr, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him on Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.

Trump administration hopes to privatize ISS after 2024

If the US government plans to stop funding the International Space Station at the end of 2024, there’s a big question: what happens next? Hand the keys over to the private sector, apparently. The Washington Post has obtained a NASA document outlining a plan to privatize the ISS as part of a Trump administration budge request. The plan would request funding (starting with $150 million in fiscal 2019) to foster “commercial entities and capabilities” that could fill the ISS’ role, potentially including “certain elements or capabilities” of the station itself.

It’s not certain just how the privatization would work, although the US wouldn’t be in a rush to abandon the ISS. It would aim for a “smooth and uninterrupted transition” to private outfits, and would ask for plans from industry while preparing a handover plan.

This strategy could face plenty of opposition, however, and not just within the US. The ISS was created as a collaboration between multiple countries’ governments, including the American government. How would the US privatize even a portion of it when other countries are involved? And while both the White House and NASA’s new administrator clearly back privatization, politicians on both sides of the aisle may object to the decision as a waste of investment and a threat to the US’ economic and scientific influence. Senator Ted Cruz has already rejected the notion of cancelling funding so long as there’s “serious usable life ahead.”

And then there’s the very nature of the station. It was designed for science — just what would private companies do with it, especially if they don’t have the full run of the facility? The ISS only plays a bit part in SpaceX’s interplanetary aims, for example, and American companies might not relish the thought of turning the station into an expensive space hotel. If privatization works at all, it’ll likely require a clearer sense of who’s interested and what they can do.

Source: Washington Post

The best espresso machine, grinder and accessories for beginners

By Cale Guthrie Weissman

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

After putting in more than 60 hours of research, we enlisted a former barista, aided by Stumptown Coffee’s education crew, to test five espresso machines, four grinders, and a dozen accessories to find the best beginner’s espresso setup for less than $1,000. We recommend starting with the Breville Infuser espresso machine, because it makes pulling consistently great-tasting espresso shots easier and more approachable than the other machines we tested. It also comes with all of the accessories you need to get started.

Who this is for

This guide is for someone who likes good coffee and wants to take the time to learn more about the craft. Whether you’ve been making pour-over for years or simply enjoy going to your local coffee shop and learning different espresso tasting notes, our picks will give you a relatively affordable start in the world of espresso making.

How we picked and tested

i

Our testing units from left: Gaggia Classic, Breville Duo Temp Pro, Breville Infuser, Rancilio Silvia. Photo: Michael Hession

To figure out just what was needed to make a cost-effective home espresso setup, we started by consulting eight coffee experts, ranging from baristas to roasters to industry entrepreneurs, and reading hundreds of articles, blog posts, and forums.

According to the experts, a semiautomatic, single-boiler machine is the way to go. The best espresso is made by forcing 195 ºF water through finely ground beans with about 10 bars of pressure. A semiautomatic machine heats the water precisely and uses a pump to create the right amount of pressure every time.

Single-boiler espresso machines use only one boiler for both the water for the espresso shot and the steam wand. This means they require some down time between pulling a shot and steaming milk, but they’re significantly less expensive than their double-boiler cousins.

We tested four machines from the perspective of someone unboxing and trying to get familiar for the first time. Each machine had at least an hour to wow us with its setup process, documentation, and ability to create consistently good espresso without too much tinkering. We scrutinized each machine’s portafilter, and used the steam wand to make a cappuccino. We also tested grinders, which are just as important to making good espresso as the machine itself, along with a range of accessories. To learn more about our testing process, please see our full guide to espresso gear.

Espresso machine

The Breville Infuser looks great on any kitchen counter. Photo: Michael Hession

The Breville Infuser was the best out of all the machines because of its superior performance for both espresso and milk steaming, ease of use, and the fact that it comes with all the accessories needed to get started. It made a consistently flavorful shot of espresso, and it was very easy to set up and use. The experts we consulted were even impressed with how easy it was to pull a decent shot with the Breville—high praise from a group of people experienced with $1,000+ machines!

Using the Infuser is a breeze, even if you’ve never touched an espresso machine before. It comes with a straightforward “how to get started making espresso” sheet, a removable water reservoir, preset options for single and double shots, and a manual mode for precision control. Although it didn’t make the absolute tastiest shot of espresso we tried, our testers were impressed with its consistency and pleasant mouthfeel. Every shot we pulled had a good amount of crema on top, as you’d expect from a high-end cafe. And the Breville’s steam wand was by far the best tested, though it does take a bit of time to heat up fully.

Espresso grinder

The Rocky lives up to its reputation as one of the most capable home-use grinders available. Photo: Michael Hession

Buying a good grinder is just as important as buying a good espresso machine. If the coffee beans aren’t ground to consistent and uniformly sized particles, it doesn’t matter how good the machine is — the coffee will taste bad. Finding a machine that can accurately produce fine espresso grinds is difficult, and even the picks in our drip coffee grinders guide aren’t nuanced enough for a proper grind. You need a rig with burrs that are specially made to pulverize the coffee to a very fine grind of the exact right size, like the Rancilio Rocky, though acquiring such a grinder comes with a steep price tag.

In our tests, the Rocky was great at grinding beans consistently and was easy to adjust. To change the size of your grind from espresso to French press and back again, you simply move a knob on the hopper from left to right. We also liked that the grinder was relatively quiet compared with many of the others we tested.

Accessories

Knock box

A knock box is basically a small countertop trash can with a bar going across the top for you to hit your portafilter against to eject used grounds. We tested several competing designs and thought the Cafelat was the best. It has a sleek design with a removable bar for easy cleaning, and very few seams for gunk to collect in.

Cups

The real joy of espresso is in the drinking. Personally, I enjoy drinking espresso out of glass because it looks nice and feels modern. The Duralex Picardie—our top pick for drinking glasses—comes in a 3.1-ounce glass that’s perfect for espresso sipping, macchiatos, and cortados.

Tamper

When it comes to tamping your espresso, consistency is key. Thus, it’s helpful to own a tamper that you like. We found Rattleware’s tampers felt good in the hand and had a nice weight, though they’re a bit on the expensive side.

Frothing pitcher for lattes

If you want to make milk drinks, you’re going to need a frothing pitcher. Many look alike, but some are nicer than others. We prefer Rattleware’s pitchers, which are a bit sturdier and have a better finish than other models, but it really comes down to your personal preferences.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Note from Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

Government websites fall prey to cryptocurrency mining hijack

It’s not just private companies’ websites falling victim to cryptocurrency mining hijacks. Security consultant Scott Helme and the Register have discovered that intruders compromised over 4,200 sites with Coinhive’s notorious Monero miner, many of them government websites from around the world. This includes the US court info system, the UK’s National Health Service and Australian legislatures, among others. The intruders spread their JavaScript code by modifying an accessibility plugin for the blind, Texthelp’s Browsealoud, to inject the miner wherever Browsealoud was in use.

The mining only took place for several hours on February 11th before Texthelp disabled the plugin to investigate. Government sites like the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office also took pages down in response. As with most of these injections, your system wasn’t facing a security risk — you would have just noticed your system bogging down while searching for government info. The mining goes away the moment you visit another page or close the browser tab. The biggest hassle was for the site operators, who are now discovering that their sites are vulnerable to intruders slipping in rogue code without verification.

It’s not certain who’s behind the attempt, but these hijacks tend to be the work of criminals hoping to make a fast profit.

The big problem: this might continue to happen for a while. Although antivirus tools can catch Coinhive, a more definitive solution would be to use a fingerprinting technique (subresource integrity) that verifies of outside code and blocks any modifications. And there’s no indication that many websites, whether government or private, are in a rush to implement it.

Via: Register, Telegraph

Source: Scott Helme (Twitter), PublicWWW