As the United States midterm elections near, lawmakers and law enforcement officials are on high alert about violent threats targeted at election officials across the country—domestic threats that have taken first billing over foreign influence operations and meddling as the primary concern for the 2022 elections. In another arena, though, Congress is making progress on… Continue reading The January 6 Secret Service Text Scandal Turns Criminal
Author: Wired Magazine
Google Wallet Is Back, for Some Reason
Surprise, Google’s got a new app. OK, you’re probably not all that surprised. Google has always had an on-again, off-again relationship with the housemade apps that Android phones use to access its services. Specifically, Google often likes to make big changes to them, rebrand them, or just suddenly kill them dead with little explanation. The… Continue reading Google Wallet Is Back, for Some Reason
The Supreme Court Accidentally Spurred a Data Privacy Push
Hi, folks. The winner of the week is Reed Hastings, who lost a million subscribers but saw Netflix’s stock skyrocket because he didn’t lose more. What a showman! The Plain View I got an email from Google the other day. “Dear Steven,” went the text, “This is a reminder that any existing Location History data… Continue reading The Supreme Court Accidentally Spurred a Data Privacy Push
Google’s Pixel 6A Is Smart and Powerful, but the Camera Lags
Google Pixel phones have become synonymous with having excellent cameras—it’s in their DNA. Pixels have also long been some of the best devices for consistent software updates, from version upgrades and Pixel Drops that add new features to monthly security updates that keep the phones secure. So it’s disappointing when these pillars start to crack. … Continue reading Google’s Pixel 6A Is Smart and Powerful, but the Camera Lags
The 2022 US Midterm Elections’ Top Security Issue: Death Threats
In the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections in the United States, law enforcement, intelligence, and election officials were on high alert for digital attacks and influence operations after Russia demonstrated the reality of these threats by targeting the presidential elections in 2016. Six years later, the threat of hacking and malign foreign influence remain,… Continue reading The 2022 US Midterm Elections’ Top Security Issue: Death Threats
Nuclear Power Plants Are Struggling to Stay Cool
From its humble start as a glacial trickle in the Swiss Alps, the Rhône River quickly transforms into one of the world’s most industrialized waterways. As it winds through the south of France toward the Mediterranean Sea, its chilly water is drawn into boilers, sucked through pipes as coolant, deviated for agriculture. Among its biggest… Continue reading Nuclear Power Plants Are Struggling to Stay Cool
10 Great Deals on Air Purifiers, Carpet Cleaners, and More
Cleaning our homes is the worst. Between dust, pet hair, and dishes from last night’s dinner, it just doesn’t end—and we are the only ones to blame. There’s nothing yet that will make it all go away (even robot vacuums have their flaws), but the right products can at least make these chores easier and… Continue reading 10 Great Deals on Air Purifiers, Carpet Cleaners, and More
Crypto Is Straining the Power Grid. Congress Wants to Rein It In
All of the companies included in the investigation were asked to explain “the impacts of your facilities on energy costs to local families and businesses,” but none could describe any existing estimates or models that tracked those impacts. Those who engaged with the question said this was because they didn’t expect to have a noticeable… Continue reading Crypto Is Straining the Power Grid. Congress Wants to Rein It In
Instagram Slow to Tackle Bots Targeting Iranian Women’s Groups
IRANIAN women’s rights groups have for months faced a deluge of bots following their Instagram accounts and disrupting their digital outreach operations. Activists say that while they have repeatedly asked Meta, Instagram’s parent company, to stymie the flood of junk followers, more keep coming, totaling in the millions across dozens of organizations operating in Iran… Continue reading Instagram Slow to Tackle Bots Targeting Iranian Women’s Groups
Qualcomm’s New Smartwatch Chips Promise Big Battery Life Gains
One such example is moving Bluetooth (5.3) into the coprocessor, which no longer needs to wake the main processor up when you simply receive a notification alert from your smartphone. Qualcomm says this translates to 57 percent lower power consumption for notifications compared to the last-gen Wear 4100+ chip. Some always-on health features can also… Continue reading Qualcomm’s New Smartwatch Chips Promise Big Battery Life Gains