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NYT: Experts find evidence Russians hacked Ukrainian gas company

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In 2016, hackers released emails from the Democratic National Committee they accessed after using a targeted attack against Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager. Area 1, a security firm that specializes in defense against phishing, says that they discovered a network of fake websites used by the G.R.U., a Russian military intelligence unit, built to target subsidiaries of Burisma. Security researcher Kyle Ehmke noted some of the suspicious domains in December.

They then sent emails to employees of the companies with links to their fake pages, created as replicas of internal websites so they could collect their logins and use them to access its servers.

The experts speculate that the scheme was looking for information to use against Biden, a potential candidate for the Democratic party in this year’s presidential election. The scope of “election security” efforts will continue to get wider this year, and it appears that the same kind of tricks government agencies and others have noted will continue yet again.



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Universal Studios teases ‘Super Nintendo World’ with a music video

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As promised, Universal Studios Japan is on track to open its Super Nintendo World park this summer ahead of the Olympic Games. Now it’s teasing the new area with a mostly-CG music video and song made by Galantis with Charlie XCX.

If you were hoping for a glimpse inside the new area or some idea of what rides are in store, you won’t see them. Instead there’s a dance sequence and some dreamy segments showing how players go from hanging out at home with their Switch to enjoying an in-real-life experience.

However, on a website that launched along with the video, it did mention the real-life Mario Kart experience we’d heard about, and says that families will be able to travel the park on Yoshi’s back. Also, there’s a “power up band” teased that appears to be your wearable park pass, while you traverse the world and encounter Mario-style blocks in real life.

As it says at the end “Play in real world this summer.”

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Attorney General asks Apple to unlock naval base shooter’s iPhones

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Apple has given investigators details from Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani’s iCloud account, but it rejected a plea from the FBI to unlock the phones. The company has claimed complying with such a request could set a precedent that may compel it to unlock a device whenever a federal agency asks it to.

The Justice Department wants access to Alshamrani’s phones so it can view encrypted messages on apps such as WhatsApp and Signal. It’s hoping to determine whether he was acting alone or if others knew of his plans. Barr noted that both phones were damaged in the attack, but said FBI crime lab experts were able to make them operational.

The attorney general claimed at a press conference Monday Apple “has not given us any substantive assistance” when it came to unlocking the devices. “This situation perfectly illustrates why it is critical that investigators be able to get access to digital evidence once they have obtained a court order based on probable cause,” he said. “We call on Apple and other technology companies to help us find a solution so that we can better protect the lives of Americans and prevent future attacks.”

Barr said investigators found that Alshamrani, a Saudi air force member who was training at the base, posted a message on September 11th saying “the countdown has begun.” The gunman “posted other anti-American, anti-Israeli and jihadi messages on social media, and did so two hours before his attack,” according to Barr. Alshamrani killed three and wounded eight others before responding officers shot him dead.

Barr has argued the government should have backdoor access to encrypted communications in the interest of public safety, and last month described that as one of his department’s “highest priorities.” However, Apple is said to be standing firm in its support of encryption, which could set it on a path towards another high-profile privacy battle with authorities.

Were the government to be successful in its “dangerous and unconstitutional” demand, it would “weaken the security of millions of iPhones,” according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

“Strong encryption enables religious minorities facing genocide, like the Uyghurs in China, and journalists investigating powerful drug cartels in Mexico, to communicate safely with each other, knowledgeable sources, and the outside world,” ACLU Surveillance and Cybersecurity Counsel Jennifer Granick said in a statement. “There is simply no way for Apple, or any other company, to provide the FBI access to encrypted communications without also providing it to authoritarian foreign governments and weakening our defenses against criminals and hackers.”

The government made similar requests following an attack in San Bernadino, California, in 2015. The FBI sued Apple in an attempt to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters, who police killed in a subsequent shootout. However, the bureau gained access to the device using a third-party tool and dropped the case.

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Apple might be developing a ‘Pro Mode’ to speed up Macbooks

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A key text string from the beta describes it succinctly: “Apps may run faster, but battery life may decrease and fan noise may increase.” Other strings note that turning on the feature will override fan speed limits, and that it’ll be automatically reset the following day (which is also how the macOS Do Not Disturb mode works). There’s plenty left up in the air about Pro Mode, but the feature isn’t exactly surprising, considering that it’s basically a requirement for gaming PCs, where users can max out their fan and cooling settings. In many cases, the extra noise is worth the extra power.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro sports a significantly better cooling system than previous models, something that Pro Mode might be able to push even further. And if I had to wager, I’d bet that the next generation of MacBooks (which appear to be coming soon) will share that fan design. It’d be nice to see Pro Mode show up on older MacBooks too, but they may be limited by their less efficient fans.

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Sony is skipping E3 again in 2020

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Last year Sony pulled a no-show at E3, and the company has announced it will sit out the 2020 event too. In a statement to GamesIndustry.biz, the folks behind PlayStation explained that “After thorough evaluation SIE has decided not to participate in E3 2020. We have great respect for the ESA as an organization, but we do not feel the vision of E3 2020 is the right venue for what we are focused on this year.

“We will build upon our global events strategy in 2020 by participating in hundreds of consumer events across the globe. Our focus is on making sure fans feel part of the PlayStation family and have access to play their favorite content. We have a fantastic line up of titles coming to PlayStation 4, and with the upcoming launch of PlayStation 5, we are truly looking forward to a year of celebration with our fans.”

In 2018 Sony tried out a “different approach” for its E3 press conference while diving into games like Death Stranding, but it appears that even the prospect of launching its PlayStation 5 later this year won’t bring it back to the show in an official sense. Of course, as we observed last year, Sony’s presence still loomed large over the E3 show floor via sales and third party unveilings, and it seems likely the same thing will happen in 2020. For its part, Microsoft took the wraps off of Xbox Series X at The Game Awards, and it remains to be seen how much focus it will put on E3 as opposed to its own fan-centric events.

Update (8:37 PM ET): The ESA (the organization behind E3 has responded with a statement of its own, via a spokesperson.

E3 is a signature event celebrating the video game industry and showcasing the people, brands, and innovations redefining entertainment loved by billions of people around the world. E3 2020 will be an exciting, high-energy show featuring new experiences, partners, exhibitor spaces, activations, and programming that will entertain new and veteran attendees alike. Exhibitor interest in our new activations is gaining the attention of brands that view E3 as a key opportunity to connect with video game fans worldwide.

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ESPN’s 4K National Championship broadcast airs on Comcast, DirecTV and Altice

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Back in October ESPN started broadcasting college football in 4K, and now it’s time for the National Championship Game. For tonight’s matchup between LSU and Clemson the network will present a Samsung-sponsored feed from the Field Pass view — with “free flowing commentary of the game” and SkyCam angle in Ultra HD. There’s still no HDR in the broadcast yet, but viewers with appropriate setups from Comcast, DirecTV and Altice can tune in.

Hopefully the broadcast won’t suffer from any glitches, as Awful Announcing pointed out the the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Day ran into numerous “technical difficulties” for DirecTV viewers.

Even if you don’t think upgrading to Super Hi-Vision is necessary, other innovations present in this year’s broadcast include Pylon Cam, virtual reality graphics, RefCams mounted to the official’s hats and an “AllCam” that covers the entire field for zooming in to any individual player at any time.

You can also crack open the ESPN App to watch RefCam, SkyCast (i.e. Madden-style) and All-22 views. Finally, the app will even have a TechCast feed with up to 12 angles on-screen simultaneously. The National Championship Game braodcast starts tonight at 8 PM ET.

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Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra might have more RAM than your PC

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The camera setup might be just as ridiculous. Samsung’s vaunted 108-megapixel camera would be the centerpiece, but also just he start. You’d also get a 48MP secondary camera with 10X optical zoom and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide cam. While you probably wouldn’t shoot at full resolution with those first two cameras (their pixels are likely to be combined for the sake of low-light shots), image detail might be a non-issue in the right circumstances.

You could also expect up to 512GB of built-in storage, plus more thanks to a microSD slot.

Provided the Ultra leaks are accurate, you’ll hear more about the phone at Samsung’s Unpacked event on February 11th. Just prepare your wallet for impact. Samsung appears to be positioning the Ultra as a step up from the already high pricing for the S10+, and that could limit it to enthusiasts who are willing to pay whatever it takes to have the most powerful phone on the block.



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Apple’s next MacBook upgrades could be coming soon

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The filing simply mentions a “portable personal computer,” so there’s no telling which MacBook is getting an update. Apple usually holds events in early spring where the company unveils new products, so a new MacBook being announced in a few months makes sense. Some consumers are likely holding out on buying a new MacBook until the 16-inch model’s improvements hit the more affordable entries in the MacBook lineup, so Apple would be smart to release new ones sooner rather than later. That said, there’s no guarantee as to which updates the new notebooks will actually receive.

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Comma Ai continues to impress with its aftermarket driver assistance tech

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With that in mind, Comma AI returned to Vegas (for CES) to show off its latest product, the Comma Two. Since 2016, the company has released hardware and software that takes the ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance systems) features of a vehicle and in some cases supercharges them.

I had the opportunity to test-drive a Honda Civic with the new Comma Two hardware running the company’s open-source OpenPilot software. On Las Vegas surface streets, the results were impressive. When activated, the system had nearly Tesla Autopilot-level control of the vehicle. It centered itself in lanes without any ping-ponging (moving back and forth between the lane lines) and had no issues going through intersections.

It also adds stop-and-go capabilities. Typically (unless the car is a high-end luxury vehicle), when a car with adaptive cruise control comes to a complete stop, after a few seconds it requires the driver to press the resume button or accelerator to continue tracking the vehicles ahead of it. With Comma Two, the car just goes. For those who battle gridlock, it’s a great feature.

Comma Ai hands on

Another feature that I’m a fan of is driver monitoring. The system alerts you when you’re not paying attention. As folks get more accustomed to their vehicles helping their driving experience there’s the tendency to stop paying attention and be tempted by the lure of a smartphone. The Comma Two notes that and guides your focus back with a warning.

All of this is enabled and controlled by the vehicle’s own cruise control feature. Hit the “set” button on the steering wheel to turn the system on and use the plus and minus buttons to adjust the speed of the cruise control.

Comma Ai spokespersons were quick to point out that it doesn’t disable or compromise any of a vehicle’s safety features. Automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring and other items are still there.

All told, the system works with 63 vehicle variants, mostly Hondas and Toyotas. Many of those cars were added to the system by the community, which includes 1,000 active daily users and 1,500 active monthly users, according to Comma.

Still, the Comma Two is a niche product for enthusiasts. For regulatory and liability reasons, customers have to install the OpenPilot software onto the Comma Two; it doesn’t come ready to go. Plus, the hardware costs $1,000 with an additional $200 cable needed to connect to the various vehicles. Owners can also connect the system to the OBD port for diagnostic purposes.

Most people won’t do what’s needed to even install the hardware, even though it’s not that difficult and only requires the system to be mounted to the windshield and the cable to attach to the car’s camera system. But if you’re into adding additional features to your car via open-source software and hardware, the Comma Two will be available on January 20.

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ZOIA Euroburo is a modular synth you can put inside your modular synth

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The core of ZOIA Euroburo (pronounced: Euro-bureau) is the same as the OG ZOIA. Inside there’s a pretty powerful audio processor and up front a grid of RGB buttons. There’s over 80 modules (including envelopes, CV switches, slew limiters and CV loopers), not to mention over 20 dedicated effects modules on board. You can those and combine them in almost anyway you please to whip up the sound of your dreams. It can be an effect, a looper or a standalone synth — it’s similar to the Organelle in that it can do almost anything, but it’s easier to program.

Of course, being designed to talk to Eurorack means there have been some changes made. Most notably the three foot switches are gone, and instead you’ve got four assignable CV in jacks and four assignable CV out. There’s also stereo 3.5mm audio ins and outs (instead of the 1/4-inch jacks found on the pedal version) and 3.5mm MIDI ins and outs.

While the ZOIA Euroburo is built to fit inside a Eurorack skiff, there is an optional standalone enclosure if you’d prefer to use it as a desktop unit.

Otherwise there’s not many major changes here compared to the original ZOIA. Well, there is one major change — there’s now a dedicated sample player module that allows you to save and load samples to and from the SD card or even capture and play them back live. This is a feature ZOIA users have be clamoring for, so hopefully it’ll make its way to the pedal sooner than later.

There’s no word on pricing or availability just yet. But we’ll update as soon as we have more info.

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