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Android ad fraud scheme drained users’ batteries and data

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Protected Media, one of the anti-fraud firms that discovered the scheme, absolved Twitter of any wrongdoing — the social network itself was merely exploited by the fraud’s masterminds. Upon investigating the fraudulent ads, the firm named Israeli company Aniview and its subsidiary OutStream Media as part of the scheme. Outstream created the banners and codes the investigators found in the dodgy ads.

That discovery corroborates a previous investigation by DoubleVerify, another fraud detection firm, which spotted the same MO late last year. DoubleVerify learned that the illegal video ads used Aniview’s player, and it also found 60 million ad calls made for fraudulent video ads every month.

Aniview, however, denied any involvement. Company chief Alon Carmel told BuzzFeed News that the perpetrator is an unknown bad actor who created an account on the platform and used the banner ad images designed by Outstream Media. “To be crystal clear, another customer on Aniview’s [self-serve] platform used this player and is responsible for this activity and we took actions immediately to stop this activity. We are fighting against bad activities, pushing and focus on clean and legit activities and should not be blamed or framed for bad use of our platform,” he said.

Even if Aniview isn’t really involved and has truly squashed all the bad activities originating from its platform, Android users will likely still come across more fraudulent video ads in the future. According to Protected Media, several ad tech companies like Aniview engaged in and even started similar illegal ad schemes in the past.

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Tesla drops annual servicing for ‘as needed’ repair model

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This makes a certain amount of sense, as EVs are much less maintenance intensive than regular vehicles. That’s because electric motors have no fluids, nor the thousands of moving parts of a gas motor. They also lack transmissions, packing just a single reduction gear. On top of that, much of the breaking is done by a regenerative system that recharges the batteries, reducing wear and tear on brake pads and lines. Finally, Tesla’s app keeps track of service issues and can notify the owner when repairs are needed.

Tesla’s motives may go beyond that, though. The company has reportedly struggled to keep up with service after production increased dramatically with the launch of the Model 3. By reducing scheduled maintenance, it may reduce wait times, albeit possibly at the cost of some revenue.

Annual maintenance used to include a complete inspection, with technicians scouring logs and replacing wiper blades, air filters and even key fob batteries. Now, it simply recommends periodic servicing or replacement of the cabin air filter, particulate air (HEPA) filter, tires, brake fluid, air conditioning and winter care. Tesla will reportedly stop offering prepaid maintenance plans, but will honor any previously sold.

Consumers will no doubt take into account the reduction in maintenance particularly if they’re considering more complex, service-heavy ICE or hybrid vehicles. Tesla implemented the new policy sometime in the last month, but it’s not clear exactly when, so Engadget has reached out for more details.

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Trying out Nintendo’s Labo VR goggles

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Can a game platform for everyone work well for anyone?Google is convinced it can get game streaming right

Aside from 4K, HDR and 60 fps, as well as game-loading times as short as three seconds (all from a link, no less), Google is already talking about one day streaming games in 8K and 120 fps on Stadia. In an interview with Engadget, exec Phil Harrison explains why we should believe any of it is going to be possible.

Wait, what?Microsoft Defender is jumping from Windows to Mac

Just days after launching Windows Defender extensions for Chrome and Firefox, Microsoft is bringing its anti-malware package to more platforms, starting with the Mac. Of course, it no longer makes sense to call it Windows Defender, so now it’s Microsoft Defender.

Just Pro enough.Apple iPad Air hands-on (2019)

We don’t have a full review ready for you yet, but after a few days, we already have some opinions to share about the updated iPad Air (and, of course, an iPad mini that’s getting its first refresh in three years). When it comes to the Air, Chris Velazco says that “there’s little new ground broken here — you’ll mostly find a bunch of very practical refinements and choices made to manage costs. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.”

$5 per month for Comcast’s X1-powered take on Roku and Fire TV.Comcast launches Xfinity Flex internet streaming TV

The latest option for cord cutters is coming from… a cable company? Xfinity Flex will launch next week, with streaming set-top boxes powered by the same X1 interface seen on Comcast’s latest cable boxes. Offered only to people with Comcast internet, it pulls in both free internet video options like YouTube and Cheddar TV, in addition to popular pay services from Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime and Showtime.

So why pay a monthly fee to Comcast instead of using built-in TV apps or something like an Apple TV, Roku or Fire TV? For people who need a little more help making the shift away from cable, easy access to customer support and a familiar grid guide might help — and for Comcast, provide the chance for an easy cable TV upsell. Or you could save a few bucks and cut Comcast out entirely.

It’s not another Virtual Boy.Nintendo’s Labo turns the Switch into a perfect VR gateway

The handful of experiences included in Nintendo’s latest Labo kit for the Switch were enough to convince Devindra Hardawar that the company knows what it’s doing. Despite the limitations of the cardboard setup and a 720P Switch display, it’s “centered around accessibility and brief moments of surprise and delight.” The complete kit ships for $80 on April 12th, but take a look at our hands-on video before diving in.

Don’t call it a discount.Tesla’s ‘sustainable’ referral program limits free Supercharging

When Tesla axed its original referral program because it was getting too expensive to keep up, Elon Musk said the company isn’t replacing it with a new one. Just a few weeks later, it has been replaced, and when someone purchases a Tesla using a friend’s referral code, both of them will get 1,000 miles of Supercharging for free.

They’ll also get one chance to win a Founder’s Series Model Y, monthly, and a Founder’s series Roadster supercar, quarterly. Both cars will be signed by Musk and Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. If the referrer already has unlimited Supercharging, they’ll get two chances to win per referral instead.

Get ready for ‘show time.’What to expect from Apple’s streaming-video event

After high-profile flops like Planet of the Apps and Carpool Karaoke, it’s a bit tough to feel that excited about whatever Apple is cooking up — but there’s always the chance it could offer something truly unique. Beyond its TV service, we could see even more TV partnerships announced at the media event, as well as a release date for iOS 12.2. We might also get a peek at Apple’s subscription news service, though it doesn’t quite fit in with the entertainment tone of the event.

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Facebook knew about Cambridge Analytica prior to ‘Guardian’ exposé

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While the company admitted to the publication that it had concerns about CA’s practices months before its data gathering became public knowledge, it insisted that it “absolutely did not mislead anyone.” A spokesperson said the employees were talking about a different issue in the email exchange, and that it wasn’t about CA’s data purchase from Aleksandr Kogan. If you’ll recall, the Cambridge University professor sold CA up to 87 million users’ information gathered through his personality quiz app. Data extraction didn’t go against Facebook’s policies in the past, and the social network maintains that it was Kogan’s sale specifically that was against its TOS.

He said:

“In September 2015 employees heard speculation that Cambridge Analytica was scraping data, something that is unfortunately common for any internet service. In December 2015, we first learned through media reports that Kogan sold data to Cambridge Analytica, and we took action. Those were two different things.”

A few days ago, The Guardian also reported that Facebook execs met CA whistleblower Christopher Wylie back in the summer of 2016, way before the scandal became public. Unlike this incident, however, Facebook denied that one and called it “flatly and totally untrue.”

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DHS issues warning about Medtronic implantable defibrillator flaws

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Medtronic(This is one of the affected Medtronic programmers, which allow doctors to tweak the implant’s settings.)

Implantable defibrillators are placed under the skin to monitor the patient’s heart. If they detect a wildly irregular rhythm, they shoot out electric shocks to restore the person’s normal heartbeat. The vulnerabilities allow bad actors to change or inject data sent between a defib and its programming device. Medtronic’s affected products don’t use use formal authentication or authorization protections, which means attackers can alter the implant’s settings and potentially harm the patient.

Since the hacker has to be in close proximity to the affected devices, though, the company told Star Tribune that the risk of physical harm to patients with implants appears to be low. It also said that it’s now monitoring its network for signs of exploit attempts, and it ensured patients that its defibrillators will automatically shut down wireless communications if they receive unusual commands.

Even so, the company is reminding patients to only use devices obtained directly from healthcare providers and to keep wireless communications open so they’d receive the security patch when it rolls out. Also, in addition to physically keeping monitors and programmers safe, Medtronic is discouraging patients from plugging USB sticks and other unapproved accessories into the devices.

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‘Battlefield V’ gameplay trailer shows its take on battle royale

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And if you like vehicles, it’s your lucky day — the developers clearly want your choice of ride to play a greater role. You’ll find 17 vehicles in total, including tanks (usually only found in special vehicle lockups), a prototype-only helicopter, an amphibious Schwimmwagen (above) and, yes, a tractor. You can even tow anti-aircraft or anti-tank guns for some extra support.

As hinted earlier, there’s just one Firestorm map on offer so far (Halvøy), but it’s about ten times the size of the already large Hamana map in regular BFV.

Firestorm should be available to everyone for free on March 25th. It looks promising, although the challenge as always will be to convince gamers to give it a try. Between Fortnite, PUBG, Black Ops 4 and EA’s own Apex Legends, battle royale has a well-established audience. It’s not certain how well this lure gamers, especially when it’s part of a paid game in a mostly free-to-play market.

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Tesla’s ‘sustainable’ referral program limits free Supercharging

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They’ll also get one chance to win a Founder’s Series Model Y monthly and a Founder’s series Roadster supercar quarterly. Both cars will be signed by Musk and Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen. If the referrer already has unlimited Supercharging, they’ll get two chances to win per referral instead. Musk explained on Twitter that the offer is open worldwide. But once an owner wins a prize, they can’t win it again.

“We’ve heard from our customers that the Referral Program was one of their favorite reasons to tell their friends about Tesla,” the team wrote in its announcement. However, the automaker had to kill it because it was adding too much cost to its cars. The original program allowed owners to give five friends six months of free Supercharging with the purchase of a new Model S, Model X or Model 3. Also, due to the extra prizes it promised, Tesla now has to give away over 80 Roadsters for free. The company says the new program structure allows it to save money — it will have to give away fewer cars, after all — but still offer great prizes to customers new and old.



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Nintendo’s Labo turns the Switch into a perfect VR gateway

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With the Toy-Con Blaster, I fought off an alien invasion as I walked down a city street. It works like a shotgun: First you have to pull the barrel back, then you can hit a button to take out an alien. Again, I didn’t expect much, but the Switch still managed to let me accurately take down an army of aliens like I was a Nintendo-fied Master Chief.

On the more whimsical side of things, there’s the Toy-Con Bird, which you literally stick your head in. And as if that’s not silly enough, you put your hands through wings on the side and flap them around. Inside the VR Goggles, I was flying on the back of a bird on a gorgeous tropical island. Outside, I’m sure I looked like a complete goof. I didn’t mind, though, because I was soaring through the sky.

The Toy-Con Wind Pedal is pretty self explanatory. It looks like a simple pedal made out of cardboard, but there’s also a large piece of cardboard on the very end that blows air in your face when you press it down. That seemed odd until I jumped into the “Hop Dodge” experience, where I played a frog that’s trying to avoid obstacles as it makes its way into space. With every jump, I felt like I was in the shoes of the virtual amphibian.

Finally, the Toy-Con Elephant let me draw in 3D space, like a stripped down version of Google’s Tilt Brush. At first, I didn’t understand why Nintendo went with such an elaborate Toy-Con design. But as I painted, I realized the elephant’s trunk made for an ideal brush. It’s flexible, but also keeps your hand near the Toy-Con Goggles, so they can accurately track your paint strokes.

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Microsoft device stores digital info as DNA

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In its first run, the $10,000 prototype converted “HELLO” into DNA. The device first encoded the bits (1’s and 0’s) into DNA sequences (A’s, C’s, T’s, G’s). It then synthesized the DNA and stored it as a liquid. Next, the stored DNA was read by a DNA sequencer. Finally, the decoding software translated the sequences back into bits. The 5-byte message took 21 hours to convert back and forth, but the researchers have already identified a way to reduce the time required by 10 to 12 hours. They’ve also suggested ways to reduce the cost by several thousand dollars.

In nucleotide form HELLO (01001000 01000101 01001100 01001100 01001111 in bits) yielded approximately 1 mg of DNA, and just 4 micrograms were retained for sequencing. As Technology Review notes, at that rate, all of the information stored in a warehouse-sized data center could fit into a few standard-size dice. Once the technique is perfected, it could store data much longer than we’re currently able to. As Microsoft points out, some DNA has held up for tens of thousands of years in mammoth tusks and the bones of early humans. That’s why Microsoft and other tech companies are eying DNA as a way to solve looming data storage problems. As previously reported, Microsoft’s formal goal is to have an operational DNA-based storage system working inside a data center by the end of this decade.

DNA storage isn’t entirely new, but the novelty here is that this system is fully automated. Before it can succeed commercially, though, the cost to synthesize DNA and extract the information is stores needs to come down. In other words, we need a way to synthesize DNA cost-efficiently. While it may sound a bit sci-fi, we could all be storing data as DNA before we know it.



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Steam’s redesigned library will show what’s happening with your games

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The tags you see in the Steam store will also help you find games in the library. You can look for just your open world titles, as an example.

Valve is also teasing an upcoming Events page (below) that will shed even more light on what’s happening with your game. You’ll see updates, but you’ll also see news of tournaments, livestreams and other happenings with the games in your collection. It’s an acknowledgment that many games are treated more like services and may need a steady stream of info, not just the occasional patch.

There’s no specific time frame for when you can expect to see the redesign, although Valve told PC Gamer that it was hoping for a beta in the summer.

The upgrades might be necessary. The Epic Game Store is rapidly adding features, and might entice more people as it matures. This won’t necessarily have gamers or developers flocking to Steam if they were on the fence, but it might make them happier to stay there.

Steam Events page preview

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