Daily Tech Headlines – May 14, 2018
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| Daily Tech Headlines – May 14, 2018 | |
| Number | 501 |
| Broadcast Date | MAY 14, 2018 |
| Episode Length | 4:37 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
Researcher says PGP and S/MME encryption tools are vulnerable to email hacks, TiVo gets Alexa integration, Uber will let users rate drivers mid-ride.
Headlines
- PGP and S/MIME, both email encryption tools—are vulnerable to hacks that can reveal the plaintext of encrypted messages. Sebastian Schinzel, a professor of computer security at Münster University of Applied Sciences wrote on Twitter Sunday that there are no reliable fixes and says anyone who uses either encryption standard should disable them when sending sensitive information. Both Schinzel and a blog post by the Electronic Frontier Foundation referred those affected to instructions for disabling plugins in Thunderbird, macOS Mail, and Outlook.
- Uber users can now rate their trip mid-ride, providing a star rating with categorized and written feedback, or tip at any time instead of having to wait for the trip to end. Uber says this data will be used to “recognize top quality drivers, but also better pinpoint where and when something went wrong, if the review isn't glowing.
- Favstar will shut down on June 19th, saying that changes to Twitter's own API is the reason. Specifically, Favstar uses Twitter's User Streams API which is being depriciated, and Favstar creator Tim Haines says Twitter hasn't communicated about how new APIs would be priced, and says he can't continue to operate under such uncertaincy. Haines writes that at its peak, Favstar, which has been around since 2009, had some 50 million users.
- HP announced updates to its Envy and Elitebook devices, including the Envy Curve AiO all-in-one machine, which includes Amazon's smart assistant built-in, wireless charging, and comes in either 27- and 34-inch models. Being that it's a Windows PC, Cortana is also an option. The AiO also has a front-facing IR camera for Windows Hello biometric authentication, Core i7 CPUs, Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics, dual HDD and SSD storage, and up to 16GB of RAM. HP's new Envy 13 gets built-in Alexa as well. HP's Elitebook 1050 G1 is the first 15-inch Elitebook in the 1000 series. It has HP's security features Sure Click, Sure Start, and Sure View. Also new in the Elite line is the new 14-inch EliteDisplay portable screen. It's literally a 14-inch, 1080p, 16:9 laptop-style display without any computer hardware, giving users a lightweight, portable second-display option. It connects to your PC via USB-C. No word on pricing yet, but availability is expected this summer.
- Facebook announced it’s suspended around 200 apps — while it conducts a “thorough investigation” into whether or not the app developers misused Facebook user data. Facebook is investigating 3rd party apps in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica data misuse incident, where a third party developer used quiz apps to collect user data for political ad targeting purposes. Back in March, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said any apps that would not agree to a “thorough audit” would also be banned. A Facebook spokessperon tells TechCrunch the company has not yet decided how it will share information about which apps have been audited or banned, only that the company has already reviewed "thousands" so far.
- TiVo’s DVRs are getting Alexa support. The assistant will be able to change the channel, skip commercials, jump back or forward, and launch apps like Netflix. Last year Dish became the first U.S. pay TV provider to integrate with Amazon's assistant, and DirecTV and Verizon have integration as well.
- BitTorrent Inc changed its name to Rainberry. According to the company, it's a "corporate decision," and that the name change happened around the start of 2017, though it's not clear why it was kept under wraps for over a year. The company recently released a new browser-based version of its client UTorrent, which appears to be one of the company's main focuses going forward.
- Wear OS, formerly known as Android Wear is getting a new chipset from Qualcomm. Qualcomm says by the holidays several partners will have Wear OS smartwatches with the new chipse. Pankaj Kedia, Qualcomm's senior director of wearables, refers to the new chips as "dedicated" to use cases, and says we can expect multiple variations. All chips will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as standard, while fitness and sports-focused chips will have GPS, and liikely LTE supprt as well. with improved battery life.
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| Preceded by: "Daily Tech Headlines – May 11, 2018" |
Daily Tech Headlines – May 14, 2018 |
Followed by: "Daily Tech Headlines – May 15, 2018" |