Category: Internet

Spotify’s podcast power play | Engadget

[ad_1] Spotify’s podcast push actually began in 2017. During a test in Germany, the company noticed a music publisher had posted audiobooks and other content on the service. Over time, it became popular, and Spotify realized it might be on to something. “We realized that [for] people who were already in love with Spotify for […]

What we’re listening to: Brass Against and ‘Gastropod’

[ad_1] Brass Against Kris HoltContributing Writer YouTube gets a lot of flak over its recommendation algorithm, but it got one suggestion absolutely spot on for me recently with a video from Brass Against. The collective aims to create “brass protest music that calls fans to action.” So far, that equates to brass-heavy arrangements of well-known […]

Three people sentenced for running $100 million malware crime network

[ad_1] The network operated for years, using GozNym to compromise over 41,000 computers and swipe money from targets’ bank accounts. It started falling apart when Nikolov was caught and extradited to the US in December 2016, although he didn’t plead guilty until April 2019. The FBI said these sentences showed that it wouldn’t let online […]

China internet rules call for algorithms that recommend ‘positive’ content

[ad_1] The new rules are due to take effect on March 1st, and also call for tighter management of accounts, sign-ups, moderation and “rumors.” Governments have lately stepped up attempts to regulate algorithms, although China’s approach is very different than that from other countries. A recent US Senate bill aimed to eliminate bias in algorithms, […]

Messaging app ToTok is reportedly a spying tool for the UAE

[ad_1] There appear to have been attempts to cover up ToTok’s roots. It’s officially developed by Breej Holding, but that’s believed to be a front for DarkMatter, a cyberintelligence company run by UAE intelligence officials and former operatives from the NSA and Israeli military intelligence. The software is also linked to Pax AI, a data […]

San Francisco loosens facial recognition ban to allow newer iPhones

[ad_1] The change is mirrored in smaller towns. Wired noted that Brookline, Massachussetts recently passed a ban that exempted personal devices, while the Bay Area town of Alameda is considering similar legislation. These loosened rules recognize a common problem: it’s difficult to completely avoid facial recognition technology in the modern era. While you don’t always […]

Online bulletin board inventor Randy Suess dies at 74

[ad_1] For the next couple of decades, these dial-up bulletin boards (BBSes for short) were the first taste of the online world for many people. They quickly grew to cover many of the features you expect from the modern internet, such as live chat, multiplayer games and, of course, social posts. It was just cruder […]

NBC’s Peacock streaming service might include live video

[ad_1] Most notably, one of the sources claims you won’t get the full series of The Office (and possibly other shows) if you stick to the free tier. While that’s unfortunate if you’re hoping to avoid paying for yet another streaming subscription, it could make sense from a business standpoint. NBC not only has to […]

Valiant’s superheroes will get multi-platform video games

[ad_1] Valiant’s interconnected universe may not be as big as Marvel’s or DC’s, but it still has over 2,000 characters that could be used for movies and games, including Zephyr, X-O Manowar and Ninjak. Whatever titles the companies come up with won’t be the first based on Valiant’s universe: the company previously released games under […]

FBI program helps companies fool hackers with ‘decoy data’

[ad_1] Although the FBI isn’t sharing the finer details of how IDLE works, an official told Ars it mixes data within existing data structures to make it appear authentic. A hacker couldn’t just grab data in bulk and expect it all to be useful, and merely downloading the decoys could warn IT staff that something […]