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Former Senate IT worker pleads guilty to doxxing senators on Wikipedia

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Cosko took advantage of another employee’s key to break into Hassan’s office at least four times, using keyloggers to help him swipe login credentials and grab sensitive data. He published the Senators’ information in September after he got “angry” at their line of questioning for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Staff caught him in the act in October, and that same day he used an anonymous email address to threaten the release of “everything” if witnesses told others.

Cosko’s plea covers five charges, including two for publishing restricted personal info as well as one each of computer fraud, obstruction of justice and witness tampering. He faces sentencing on June 13th, and attorneys believe he could serve between 30 to 57 months in prison.

It’s not clear that other doxxing attempts would serve a similar sentence. There have been legislative efforts to make doxxing a specific crime in the US, but they haven’t progressed far (2017’s Online Safety Modernization Act got stuck in committee, for instance). Cosko is facing the prison time he is because of his intrusions and who he was targeting, and it might be another story if he’d targeted everyday people using social engineering and other subtler methods to obtain personal data.

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Microsoft is shutting down its HealthVault patient record service

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Microsoft is giving customers until that day to transfer their information. The company suggests transferring data to other health record providers, particularly Get Real Health for US and international users or FollowMyHealth for US customers. The email reads:

“If you are using an Application (mobile, web, etc.) that is dependent on the HealthVault service, such applications may also stop working once the HealthVault service is shut down. Please reach out to the Application provider for information on their plans.”

Two years ago, Microsoft discontinued its Band fitness wearable even though it originally had future plans for it. And earlier this year, it announced that it’s shutting down Health Dashboard and pulling down all Band apps on May 31st. Still, HealthVault did outlast the Google Health initiative that opened in 2008, and then closed in 2012 to make way for Google Fit.

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Google’s lower-cost Pixel 3a phones surface on official sites

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The smaller Pixel 3a, “Bonito,” would have a 2,160 x 1,080 display, while its larger 3a XL counterpart (“Sargo”) appears to have a taller 2,220 x 1080 screen. That’s slightly odd when renders and pictures have suggested that neither phone would have a notch, but it wouldn’t be completely surprising. Both handsets would also have 4GB of RAM, and there are hints they’d both share the Pixel Visual Core that gives more recent Pixel phones their photographic prowess.

Earlier rumors had the base Pixel 3a running a Snapdragon 670 chip, while the 3a XL would move to a Snapdragon 710.

It’s not certain just when Google will unveil its more affordable Pixels. The listings hint at a “midyear experience,” though, and company Senior VP Hiroshi Lockheimer admitted to snapping photos with an “unreleased phone” in late March. It wouldn’t be surprising if Google announced them shortly, though, whether by themselves or as part of its I/O conference on May 7th.



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The road to ‘Avengers: Endgame’

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Road to Endgame: ‘The Avengers’ changed cinema and avoided the mistakes of past Marvel movies
Siddhant Adlakha,
Slashfilm

Avengers: Endgame marks the end of a 22-film run for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). While there are certainly plans to make more movies, this phase will soon be over. Slashfilm is revisiting all of them in the run up to the premiere of Endgame on April 26th. This week alone, the site has covered The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. You can see the full list of the recaps right here.

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Apple releases the first iPad

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Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPad in January of 2010, but April 3rd was the first day normal people could get their hands on a device that represented Apple’s vision for the future of computing. That sounds like a seriously high-minded goal for a device that many derisively referred to as a “giant iPod touch” when it was announced, but Jobs pulled no punches in that first presentation. He called the iPad “our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device,” and ever since Apple has referred to the device with reverence — even if it hasn’t quite been the revolution Jobs predicted.

In some ways, it’s impressive how consistent Apple’s vision for the iPad has been since it arrived nine years ago. If you went back in time to 2010 and handed someone who just walked out of a store with a brand-new iPad (like the just-released iPad Air), they’d immediately understand the device. At its most basic, it’s still an all-screen device that’s of a similar size and weight that adapts its interface to whatever app you happen to be using.

Of course, the iPad has also undergone significant changes since 2010. And that’s a good thing because the original iPad was a classic first-generation Apple product: compelling, but flawed. For one thing, it was rather underpowered. The single-core A4 chip was paired with only 256MB of RAM, specs that meant that iOS 5 (released in late 2011) was the last software update it received. In a world where most iPhones and future iPads received software updates for years, this was a real shame for early adopters.

The hardware design, while exuding typical Apple polish, was also significantly improved upon just one year later with the iPad 2. The original iPad weighed in at over 1.5 pounds, making it a bit heavy to hold for longer sessions. The iPad 2 cut the weight and thickness noticeably while adding Apple’s handy smart cover to keep the screen clean. It also had a dual-core A5 chip and double the RAM, enough power that Apple kept the iPad 2 on sale for three years and kept giving it software updates until 2016. The company even added cameras, making the iPad the obvious video-chatting tool was meant to be.

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Is it Amazon vs. AirPods or Assistant?

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It’s unlikely they’ll make a dent against AirPods, but what about the Pixel Buds?Amazon’s earbuds are a shot at Google, not Apple

Incorporating Alexa in a pair of inexpensive wireless earbuds could finally be the ticket Amazon needs to get its assistant on mobile in a more widespread manner.

R.I.P. Inbox.Gmail continues to define email 15 years on

On April 1st, 2004, Google debuted a product that was decidedly not a joke: Gmail. It was a service that revolutionized web mail, so much so that it has become an integral part of our daily lives. Nicole Lee takes a look at where it’s been (remember the invites?) and where it might go, beyond upgrades like scheduled send times for emails.

Not the update owners were looking for.Google surprises Android TV owners with unwanted advertisements

Software updates delivered months or years after a TV is purchased could change the interface for the worse, or add “features” that are really just revenue-generating opportunities. A new Android TV update combines both of those issues by inserting a new row of Sponsored content.

Google said: “Android TV is committed to optimizing and personalizing the entertainment experience at home. As we explore new opportunities to engage the user community, we’re running a pilot program to surface sponsored content on the Android TV home screen.”

You can probably jump higher on your own, but that’s not the point.Get an up-close look at SpaceX’s latest Starhopper test

On Friday night Elon Musk — apparently unbothered by an internal investigation or ongoing wrangling with the SEC — tweeted a two-second clip of the snub-nosed “Starhopper” test vehicle that’s on a short tether with one of the company’s Raptor rocket engines mounted underneath.

Produced in partnership with Point, a YouTube channel for investigative journalism.Burned alive for using a smartphone

Mosul — Iraq’s second-largest city — was a relatively easy acquisition for ISIS. But there was a problem. Most people in Mosul were connected to the internet by their phone’s 3G signal rather than a broadband modem, and those phones could still get reception from the cell towers on the other side of the front line.

The answer was confiscation, and to severely punish anyone who disobeyed.

One of the best Windows PCs gets even better.Dell XPS 13 review: A perfect ultraportable

Dell did it again. Its XPS 13 is still one of the best Windows ultraportables around. The design? Better than ever. The screen supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dell has finally returned the webcam to the proper position. Devindra Hardawar says there aren’t many downsides — unless you’re looking for a bit more gaming oomph.

Here’s the Impossible Whopper, coming to St. Louis.The Impossible Burger is coming to Burger King

If you’re not a fan of White Castle sliders, then how about a Whopper with a plant-based patty? That’s the latest project from Impossible Burger, which is debuting the Impossible Whopper in Missouri. Will it go elsewhere? I hope so.

Would you cancel before ‘Stranger Things’ season three arrives in July?Netflix’s price increases will hit US subscribers in May

The basic plan is rising from $8 to $9, while the standard package (which offers HD streaming on two devices simultaneously) is jumping from $11 to $13. The premium plan, which offers UHD streaming on up to four devices at once, will cost $16 instead of $14.

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Netflix abruptly loses support for Apple AirPlay

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Netflix has supported AirPlay streaming from iOS devices to Apple TV since 2013, and while it wasn’t the world’s most necessary feature it is odd to hear that this week users noticed it suddenly stopped working. As MacRumors and Apple Insider point out, a support page on Netflix’s website now says “Airplay is no longer supported for use with Netflix due to technical limitations.”

Whatever those technical limitations might be — arising at the same time Apple revealed a Netflix competitor with Apple TV+ and is making its AirPlay 2 protocol available on more devices — they shouldn’t interrupt your streaming by much. The Apple TV, and any other AirPlay-ready device, will certainly include a Netflix app built-in, and may even work with the Cast button as a fallback. Even if it doesn’t, AirPlay Mirroring still works too, even if it’s not as convenient. It could be annoying logging into Netflix with an awkward TV remote instead of just pressing one button on your phone or tablet, but for now that’s what it will take.

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Get an up-close look at SpaceX’s latest Starhopper test

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Now that SpaceX started test firings and short “hop” tests on the launch pad at its Boca Chica, Texas site, it’s apparently comfortable enough to show off the results. Tonight Elon Musk — apparently unbothered by an internal investigation or ongoing wrangling with the SEC — tweeted this two second clip of the snub-nosed “Starhopper” test vehicle that’s on a short tether with one of the company’s Raptor rocket engines mounted underneath.

It’s still not much of a trip, but the glimpse from up close is a preview of greater things to come. Eventually we should see test flights with the Phase 2 Starhopper that go much higher, similar to the progression of SpaceX’s Grasshopper tests for the Falcon 9 a few years ago. All of this is necessary before we see the real Starship fly, so these small bites will have to do for now.



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Amazon signs nine-figure deal with ‘Westworld’ creators

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This agreement adds the showrunners to a growing list of TV creators making bank from partnerships with streaming services. Glee producer Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes, for instance, both signed up with Netflix for between $150 and $300 million each. When Deadline asked Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke last year if her company is willing to make a $100 million overall deal as well, she said: “Absolutely… you’ll see that anyone that I make a deal with, for the most part, has one thing in common. They all want to break out and be original. They want a cultural impact, and they want to be entertaining. They’re not looking to do something small.”

While this agreement means the couple is leaving Warner Bros TV, they’ll still continue heading up their acclaimed HBO series Westworld. They even signed up to write and executive produce several more seasons of the sci-fi Western. The partners’ first show on Prime Video will likely be sci-fi drama series The Peripheral, which Amazon took on back in 2018. After that, we can probably expect more big and ambitious stories from the two of them.

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Blades’ mobile game opens its doors to more players

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Bethesda’s free-to-play Elder Scrolls game for mobile is still in its Early Access testing period, but apparently things have gone well enough to ditch the invite requirement. The company announced that anyone with a Bethesda account can download the game and play, while it looks at player feedback and rebalances the “silver chest” that some had complained about.

We weren’t too impressed by our early look at Elder Scrolls: Blades, but that was last year, and it’s had plenty of time to bake since then. If you’ve been playing, drop us a note about the experience, and if you’ve been waiting to dive in then just hit Google Play or iTunes and try it out.

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