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Dentist offices across the U.S. hit with ransomware

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The issue stems from a breach that occurred over the weekend in which hackers were able to deploy REvil ransomware on computers running software from the afformentioned companies. Dental offices discovered the issue on Monday when they attempted to access patient information but were locked out and presented with a ransom demand. The Digital Dental Record and PerCSoft have reportedly shared a decrypter with affected practices after agreeing to pay the attackers according to ZDNet. Neither company has publicly confirmed they paid the ransom.

Ransomware has become an increasingly major problem for companies and other organizations, especially small businesses who are often hit the hardest and are least prepared for the attacks. Earlier this year, ransomware plagued computer infrastructure in Texas, Florida and Baltimore.

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Senators demand answers from Amazon about unsafe products

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Authored by Senate commerce committee members Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ed Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the letter also called for the ecommerce giant to immediately remove the illicit items. “Unquestionably, Amazon is falling short of its commitment to keeping safe those consumers who use its massive platform. We call on you to immediately remove from the platform all the problematic products examined in the recent WSJ report, explain how you are going about the process, conduct a sweeping internal investigation of your enforcement and consumer safety policy; and institute changes that will continue to keep unsafe products off your platform,” wrote the lawmakers. Earlier this month, Menendez and Blumenthal sent a letter to the retail giant inquiring about its “Amazon Choice” program and why faulty or inferior products sometimes receive the touted classification.

The WSJ investigation found at least 2,000 listings on Amazon for toys and medications that lacked warnings about health risks to children. Reporters also unearthed toxic paint strippers, infant sleeping mats linked to suffocation, dietary supplements containing illegal prescription drugs, toys containing lead and products that falsely stated they were cleared by a federal agency.

The report recounted an incident in which a 23-year old wearing a helmet purchased on Amazon died in a 2014 motorcycle crash. The helmet, which came off of the man during the crash, had been fraudulently listed as certified by the Department of Transportation.

The senators also asked Amazon for an explanation of why its current safety protocols failed, and what it will do to prevent selling unsafe products in the future. In response to the WSJ article, Amazon published a blog post about its existing safety and compliance program but made no promises that it would change its protocols.

According to CNET, Amazon said it plans on answering the questions posed by senators in the letter. The WSJ reported today that Amazon appeared to remove or modify some of the dangerous items, but some of them have since resurfaced under new listings.

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Target’s curbside Drive Up service now available across the US

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With today’s expansion, Drive Up is available at 1,750 Target retail locations nationwide, including at stores in states where the service was previously unavailable: Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. As part of the expansion, Target is promising first-time Drive Up customers free product samples as a way to encourage people to try out the service.

After a pilot in Minneapolis and St. Paul in 2017, Target officially launched Drive Up in 2018. Since then, the footprint of the service has grown dramatically, with the company’s most recent expansion before today making Drive Up available at 1,550 stores nationwide. Additionally, what started as a two-hour delivery service now promises to complete orders within an hour. Drive Up has been so successful that Amazon has felt pressure to match Target. In June, the company announced a partnership with Rite Aid that will offer Amazon customers free in-store pickup at 1,500 Rite Aid drug stores across the US before the end of the year. By then, Target plans to roll out Drive Up to the majority of the 1,855 stores the company operates across the US.

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The Trump Administration just revived the Cold War-era Space Command

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“The dangers to our country constantly evolve, and so must we,” Trump said at an event today. “Now, those who wish to harm the United States, who seek to challenge us in the ultimate high ground of space, it’s going to be a whole different ballgame.”

The revived Space Command was first established by the Air Force in 1985, NPR reports. As the Cold War was heating up, it was meant to coordinate missile defense and surveillance efforts. But by 2002, military focus had shifted to terrorism, and Space Command was merged into the unified Strategic Command. It was refocussed to the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

Last year, Trump ordered the Pentagon to separate Space Command from Strategic Command and create a stand-alone entity for “space-related responsibilities.” That would include defending American satellites, supporting troops from orbit and planning future space combat. Trump has also called for a space-related sixth branch of the military to be created, but that will require Congressional approval. In the meantime, reviving Space Command could allow the Oval Office to establish leadership structures and coordinate missions, so it will be ready if and when Space Force gets the green light.

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Skype messaging is getting some much-needed upgrades

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The new features will be available on both Skype’s desktop client and the mobile app. In addition to saving messages as drafts, users can bookmark messages by right-clicking or long-pressing the field. You can access these messages in a new folder marked “Bookmarks”.

Sending multiple photos or videos should also be easier with the update. When you want to send multiple videos or photos to a group of friends or family, Skype will automatically organize them in an album so they won’t clutter up your group conversation thread. You can also preview any photos or media you send, so you don’t accidentally something embarrassing to the wrong person.

A pretty clever new feature is a split window for desktop version of Skype. This allows you to view your contact list and conversations in separate windows. This should prevent any mix-ups when you’re messaging to several different people at once.

As all messaging apps make the shift to becoming multifunctional tools with video, voice and text capability, it makes sense for Skype to unveil some updates so it doesn’t fall behind the curve. You can access these new features on the latest version of Skype on all platforms.

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Valve will reportedly fight EU geo-blocking charges

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Engadget has reached out to Valve for comment on the report, and we’ll update this article when we hear back from the company.

The charges against Valve stem from a two-year investigation the EU conducted into the company’s practice of using geo-blocking to prevent individuals from buying a copy of a game in one country and then activating it on Steam in another. The EU contends the practice violates its Digital Single Market rules, which aims to enforce a single open digital market across all of the union’s member states. In relation to the five other publishers that have reportedly settled with the EU, the European Commission alleged that they broke antitrust rules. In some instances, those publishers included restrictions in their contracts that prevented distributors other than Valve from selling some games outside of certain member states.

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Save $85 on the PlayStation 4 Pro

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Sony Playstation 4 Pro 1TB

Sony PlayStation 4 Pro

Street price: $400; deal price: $315 with promo code CWZPKY

Back down to $315 with code CWZPKY, this matchest the previous best price we’ve seen for this pick. More often than not we see regular drops on the original PS4, but discounts, especially ones of this magnitude, are much rarer on the PS4 Pro. We consider the Pro a worthwhile investment if you game on a 4K TV or if you spend a good deal of time using PSVR.

One of our upgrade picks in our guide to the best game consoles, the Sony Playstation 4 Pro is ideal for 4K TV owners. Wirecutter Editor Thorin Klosowski wrote, “At around $100 more than the regular PS4, the PS4 Pro is worth consideration only if you own a 4K TV (or plan to buy one within the next year) or you’re invested in PlayStation VR. The PS4 Pro is the only PS4 model that outputs in 4K, and only if games have been updated to support it. Games on the PS4 Pro can also benefit from higher frame rates, improved texture quality, and new lighting effects even if you don’t have a 4K TV.”

Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse

Logitech

Street price: $68; deal price: $57 with promo code 15821

Down to $57 with promo code 15821, this is a nice deal on this wireless mouse pick. While we saw a huge drop in price for Prime Day, this current deal is only a dollar away from the previous low we’ve seen. If you spend all day using a mouse, this larger and particularly comfortable wireless option is definitely worth consideration.

The Logitech MX Master 2S is our larger, fancier upgrade pick in our guide to the best wireless mouse. Wirecutter Staff Writer Justin Krajeski wrote, “If you spend all day using a mouse, we recommend spending more for the Logitech MX Master 2S Wireless Mouse. Our panel found it comfortable for all grips and hand sizes—especially those with bigger hands—because of its larger size, nearly a half-inch wider and longer than the Triathlon. It’s more than twice as expensive, though. For its price, the MX Master 2S tracked the best of all in our testing, and it connects quickly and easily to your laptop through a dongle or Bluetooth. It can connect to up to three devices. The MX Master 2S also has a rechargeable battery that can last for about two months on a single charge. It has a second scroll wheel for your thumb, and the same amount of programmable buttons as our top pick—six—that can be customized with the Logitech Options software.”

Sony X950G 55-Inch LCD TV

Sony X950G

Street price: $1,250; deal price: $1,100

This drop to $1,100 is not the biggest discount, but it’s still a nice deal on the Sony X950G 55-Inch LCD TV. Originally $1400, we’ve seen a fluctuation in street price for this TV between $1,300 and $1,200 since May, and this deal price has been available since mid-August. So, while this is a reasonable price if you’ve been wanting to upgrade your TV for a while, it might be the beginning of a new, lower street price overall.

The X950 is the best-looking LCD TV we tested, making it our upgrade pick in our guide to the best LCD/LED TV. Wirecutter Senior Staff Writer Chris Heinonen wrote, “The Sony X950G is the best LCD performer we’ve tested so far, thanks to Sony’s superb local dimming and superior video processing. HDR content looks fantastic, and Sony’s better handling of compressed TV and streaming content sets it apart from the competition. The technology manages to eliminate many compression artifacts without removing details, giving you the best-looking image no matter the quality of your source. But the improved performance comes with a much higher asking price than on the Vizio P-Series F1.”

Razer DeathAdder Elite Gaming Mouse Destiny 2 Edition

Razer mouse

Street price: $65; deal price: $40

Whether you’re a Destiny fan or just looking for a nice gaming mouse, the Razer DeathAdder Elite Destiny 2 Edition is back on sale. Down to $40 from around $65, this matches the low we’ve seen for this Destiny variant of our top wired gaming mouse. While we’ve seen better deals for the regular version of this mouse in the past, this is a really good price for this variant.

In our guide to the best gaming mouse, we praise the Razer DeathAdder Elite’s versatility for a wide range of users, making it our top pick. Wirecutter Editor Thorin Klosowski wrote, “The Razer DeathAdder Elite is the best gaming mouse for most people because it’s comfortable for a wide range of hand sizes and grips, has seven easy-to-reach buttons and an accurate sensor, and has a simple, effective design. Razer’s Synapse software is easy to use on both Windows and Mac and it supports all of the customization options you could possibly want. The shape is nearly identical to that of its predecessor, our previous favorite gaming mouse, the DeathAdder Chroma (and the DeathAdder Classic, our pick before that).”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursday, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go here.

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Capcom may unveil a spiritual successor to ‘Resident Evil Outbreak’

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The next Resident Evil game may not be a sequel or a remake — not a straightforward one, anyway. Capcom is teasing plans to unveil a new title, nicknamed Project Resistance, at 11AM Eastern on September 9th. The developer hasn’t said anything about what it will entail, but the initial signs point to a spiritual successor to the spin-off Resident Evil Outbreak. Thumbnails grabbed from the YouTube Premiere show what looks to be four heroes working together to slay the zombie hordes. It’s not certain if you’ll fight alongside AI or human players, but you won’t be alone.

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Stephen King’s ‘Castle Rock’ returns to Hulu October 23rd

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The cast of the show’s second season include Tim Robbins, Lizzy Caplan and Elsie Fisher. Robbins plays Reginald “Pop” Merrill, a character from King’s 1990 novella The Sun King who is the head of a crime family and dying of cancer. Paul Sparks (House of Cards, Boardwalk Empire) plays Merrill’s nephew, John, a bully who is slated to take over his business. Matthew Alan (13 Reasons Why) plays Merrill’s brother, who struggles to keep the peace.

Yusra Warsama (Call the Midwife) plays a doctor who runs a rural hospital and finds herself facing a supernatural test. The doctor’s brother, played by Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), is tasked with running a Somalian community center. Lizzy Caplan plays Annie Wilkes, a crazed nurse from King’s 1987 novel Misery, and Elsie Fisher plays her homeschooled teenage daughter.

The second season of Castle Rock will consist of ten episodes. Just in time for Halloween, the show joins Hulu’s lineup of horror shows scheduled to premiere in the fall, including Light as a Feather and Into the Dark: Pure.

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The FTC is reportedly investigating Juul’s teen marketing tactics

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Critics have said the company’s marketing campaigns make the brand attractive to teens. According to federal data, vaping among teens jumped 78 percent from 2017 to 2018. But the company says it has never marketed to youth and that its target market is existing adult smokers. The company previously came under fire for ads on social media, but it has since shut down its Facebook and Instagram accounts in the US. A Juul spokesperson said its “paid influencer program, which was never formalized, was a small, short-lived pilot.” The company supposedly paid less than $10,000 to fewer than 10 influencers, who were all over the age of 30.

The FTC investigation has been going on since at least September, but this is the first it has been reported. The Food and Drug Administration is also investigating the company, and it’s faced scrutiny by the House and Senate. “We fully cooperate and are transparent with any government agency or regulator who have interest in our category,” a Juul spokesman said in a statement, which can be read below. Juul isn’t alone. Yesterday, North Carolina filed a lawsuit against eight other e-cigarette companies.

Juul has attempted to curb teen vaping — though it’s unclear how effective any of its measures have been. Its track-and-trace program allows educators, law enforcement and parents to search Juul serial numbers in an online portal to determine where they were purchased. It’s also considered using Bluetooth e-cigs to block teens, and today, it launched new standards, which will require retailers to scan customers’ IDs and prevent bulk purchases. Those efforts may not be enough to spare Juul additional federal scrutiny.

The full statement from Juul is provided below:

“Without commenting on any specific investigation, we fully cooperate and are transparent with any government agency or regulator who have interest in our category. We have never marketed to youth. Our earliest marketing campaign in 2015 was intended for adults in the 25-34 year-old demographic and lasted for six months. If one views the sales and revenue data, there is no evidence that it drove use, youth or otherwise. Nonetheless, we regret that the campaign was executed in a way that was perceived as appealing to minors. To avoid any misconceptions, we changed our approach to advertising in a way that offers no room for misinterpretation about the mission of our company or our intended customers. Today, our marketing efforts exclusively feature adult smokers aged 35+ who offer their personal experiences about switching to JUUL products – all conveyed in a style, tone and message that is a direct appeal to current adult smokers. We have exited social media entirely and request that social media platforms delete inappropriate third party posts and listings. We have no higher priority than to prevent youth usage of our products. Our product is intended for current adult smokers and our marketing specifically is designed to help achieve that goal.” – A Juul spokesperson

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