DTNS(require(“tech-news”))

DTNS(require(“tech-news”))
Number	2720
Broadcast Date	MARCH 25, 2016
Episode Length	40:33
Hosts	Tom Merritt
Guests	Darren Kitchen, Len Peralta

When one javascript module developer got angry it brought down a big chunk of the Internet. But it was fixed in less than two hours. Is this good news or bad news? Darren Kitchen and Tom Merritt discuss while Len Peralta illustrates!

Guest

• Darren Kitchen
  • Hak5
• Len Peralta
  • All DTNS drawings
  • This episode's drawing

Headlines

• Netflix throttles video on AT&T and Verizon to keep users under data caps

Netflix admitted Thursday it reduces the default bitrate of its streams to viewers using AT&T or Verizon in the US to 600kbps. Netflix normally streams at 3-5 Mbps. In May Netflix intends to release a ‘data saver’ application that will let customers choose what video quality they receive on mobile. T-Mobile limits streaming of its partners like Netflix to 1.5 Mbps. Sprint restricted all streaming video to 600kps until last year.

• Exclusive: Snapchat Buys Bitmoji Maker

Fortune says multiple sources tell it Snapchat has agreed to acquire Toronto company, Bitstrips, makers of Bitmoji. Bitmoji lets you create an avatar that looks like you that is worked into various one panel cartoons to express short thoughts or emotions.

• Google’s $149 Nik Collection photo editing software is now available for free

Google has made its Nik Collection free. It's a set of 7 photo enhancement tools which can be used as plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture. The bundle was $149 but anyone who bought it this calendar year can claim a full refund. The Nik Collection consists of: Analog Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, Dfine, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro, Silver Efex Pro, and Viveza. Google acquired Nik Software in Sept 2012 in order to get the Snapseed app.

• France fines Google for breaking 'right to be forgotten' law

France’s CNIL, the national commission of information and freedom, which is charged with protecting data privacy, has fined Google €100,000 for not providing full protection for people’s right to be delisted from search results. Google removes requested results under the “right to be forgotten” laws but only for users whose IP address is determined to be in France. Google will appeal the ruling.

• Apple’s First Foray Into Original TV Is a Series About Apps

Apple SVP of Internet software and services told the New York Times Thursday that Apple is working with Will.i.am, Ben Silverman and Howard T. Owens on a TV series documenting app makers. Apple has previously worked with partners like Vice to make series related to music. Silverman brought the idea to Apple. Cue said, “This doesn’t mean that we are going into a huge amount of movie production or TV production or anything like that.”

• Verizon says security breach leads to customer data leak

Verizon reported an attacker used its enterprise client portal to steal contact information on approximately 1.5 million customers. The attacker did not get access to metadata on phone calls called Customer Proprietary Network Information. Krebs on Security reported someone posted the contact information for a sale on a forum. The vulnerability in the portal has since been fixed. Only enterprise level customers were affected.

• Microsoft Tells Possible Yahoo Buyers It Would Consider Backing Bids With Big Bucks

ReCode reports multiple sources say Microsoft has been holding exploratory meetings about financing efforts to purchase Yahoo assets. Earlier this week Yahoo shareholder, Starboard Value launched a proxy challenge to replace the current Yahoo board of directors because the sale process has been so slow. Microsoft does not seem interested in becoming the majority owner, but AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are rumored to be interested.

• The Oculus Rift has started shipping

The Verge reports that pre-order Oculus Rift headsets are now shipping. CEO Brendan Iribe tweeted a pic of a boxed headset saying that “deliveries begin” Monday March 28th. The Rift can still be pre-ordered today for delivery in July. The $600 Rift bundle includes an Xbox One controller and the EVE: Valkyrie and Lucky’s Tale games.

• Scientists push a record 57Gbps through fiber optic lines

Researchers at the University of Illinois report they’ve achieved a record-setting transmission of 57 Gbps of error-free data over fiber. That’s without cooling either. At 85 degrees celsius transmission remained 50 Gbps. The team was led by professor Milton Feng, with professor emeritus Nick Holonyak Jr. and graduate researchers Michael Liu and Curtis Wang. Engadget’s Jon Fingas points out the trick will be to make it work over long distances.

Discussion

• Rage-quit: Coder unpublished 17 lines of JavaScript and “broke the Internet”

Pick of the Day

• How Can I Securely Send Sensitive Tax Docs to My Tax Preparer?

As tax season approaches in the US, many of you may need to get documents to your tax preparer. The safest way is to carry them to the person and had them to them. BUT that's not always practical. So Philip shane sent in this Lifehacker article as his pick for determining safe ways to send sensitive documents during tax season.

Submitted by Philip Shane

Messages

tldr: I'm a digital forensics examiner. I couldn't hack that iPhone. The FBI might just be busy. Cellebrite is pretty awesome. Sorry for letting this email get away from me. Feel free to get in touch if you want to talk more about this. On with the novel...

I'm a senior digital forensics analyst working in the private sector and I've been catching up on this week's DTNS episodes. I thought maybe I could add a little color to the FBI/Apple conversation with my knowledge of the digital forensics industry.

You and Patrick discussed that the FBI's behavior in this case might be construed as incompetence but is more possibly due to a lack of resources, and I think you hit the nail on the head with that comment. While I haven't worked in law enforcement, I have met people who have and have interviewed for some of those jobs in the past. The impression I get, and this is not unlike my own arena of the forensics market (which is litigation support) is that they have a ton of cases coming in that have a digital evidence and a limited number of qualified people to churn those cases. You obviously understand that digital devices are playing a bigger role in people's lives everyday, and that means more cases where digital evidence is being analyzed. My understanding is that the FBI (and most law enforcement agencies) have a long backlog of digital evidence to work through. At times in my career it's gone back a couple years, but I have no way of knowing what it could be right now. Anecdotal hearsay, so take it with a grain of salt.

While not nearly as severe, in my industry of client services, we also need to ride that line of minimizing the number of salaries we pay out against the amount of cases we bring in, and it's always balanced in the favor of making money. Again, this isn't the same cause as the FBI backlog but it does lead to the same outcome: overworked forensic investigators with not much spare time. I spend my day getting work off my plate so I can get more work off my plate. I suspect it's the same for them.

Sent by anonymous

Hi Tom

You have been mentioning you can use the existing PlayStation Move controllers for the PlayStation VR. Well it might be worth pointing out to people that they should test the battery of their Move controllers before they decide if they need a full bundle or just the headset. According to veteran videogame journalist Jeff Gerstmann of giantbomb.com he has been getting a lot of messages from people saying both they have used and/or brand new Move controllers from the PS3 era and found the batteries no longer hold a charge. Apparently the batteries used in the Move's have not held up well over the years. So PSA, test your existing Move controller before you buy a PS VR.

From

Sent by Nik

Hello DTNS team

after reading some of the tweets and hearing some discussion about Tay I think that it was a huge success. If I was a psychology mayor, I would be calling Microsoft for the data. This is an example of how a teenager think and how easily he or she can be manipulated to believe in different things.

I hope Microsoft does not filter Tay or modify her algorithm to make her more inmune to trolling. Have a different AI but Tay is a really interesting case study.

Cheers

Sent by Yaniv

Links

• This episode on dailytechnewsshow.com
• Support DTNS on Patreon
• DTNS subreddit

Preceded by: "Smells Like AI Spirit"

DTNS(require(“tech-news”))

Followed by: "WeChat is Everything"