Science and Technology

Friday, 27 December 2019 04:23

If you use Twitter on Android, update your app immediately

If you’ve ever used the Twitter app on an Android device before, you might have received an email over the weekend informing you that “an issue that could have compromised your account” has been fixed. The email that showed up in my inbox suggested that there isn’t any evidence that my account specifically compromised, but recommended that I update to the latest version of Twitter for Android as soon as possible to be safe. The email directed me to a post on the Twitter Privacy Center where the company goes into slightly more detail about the exploit, though the explanation…

Monday, 23 December 2019 06:14

Scientists develop security system that can ‘never’ be hacked

Researchers have developed the world's first 'uncrackable' security system to protect communications against cyber attacks, it has emerged. A team at the University of St Andrews along with international partners are believed to have achieved 'perfect secrecy' with the new technology, which stops the threat of quantum computers being used to hack into data. The proposed new system uses silicon chips that contain complex structures that are irreversibly changed to send information in a one-time key that can never be recreated nor intercepted by an attacker. The information is stored as light, then passed through the silicon chip containing complex…

Saturday, 21 December 2019 04:58

Smartphones are spies. Here’s whom they report to - Stuart A. Thompson and Charlie Warzel

Your smartphone is probably sending your precise location to companies right now. Their job is to turn your shopping trip or doctor’s visit into “Big Data” — another term for corporate intelligence. So far, the companies and individuals profiting from your everyday movements have mostly evaded scrutiny. As Times Opinion continues reporting on a giant trove of mobile phone location data, the companies and people profiting from the privacy invasion are coming into focus. So who, exactly, is watching, and why — and where is all that information going? The Players Google Maps is possibly the most popular location-based app…

Wednesday, 18 December 2019 06:03

Update WhatsApp before someone crashes your app and wipes all your group chats

It’s important to keep all of your software updated on all of your devices, but sometimes updates are so crucial that they deserve a PSA all their own. That’s the case for WhatsApp this week, as security researchers from Check Point (via 9to5Mac) claim that a significant security flaw has been discovered in both the iOSand Android versions of the popular chat app. If exploited, the flaw can permanently crash your app until you reinstall it. Here’s the full explanation of the WhatsApp security flaw from Check Point Research: The defect would have enabled a bad actor to deliver a…

Thursday, 12 December 2019 05:34

WhatsApp now gets call waiting

Facebook-owned WhatsApp has become the latest Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) service provider to support call waiting features even as the company has skipped adding call holding for now. When you’re already talking on the mobile phone and another person tries to call you, most phones and operators let you know that you’ve got a call waiting. Very few VOIP services support that, though, and WhatsApp wasn’t among them until now, Android Police reported on Friday. Earlier, when somebody would try to call you on WhatsApp while you were already on the phone, they would hear it ring, but, no…

Wednesday, 11 December 2019 05:45

New airplane seat design will make it easier to sleep in economy

Who hasn't struggled to sleep on an airplane economy seat, forced to improvise a makeshift pillow out of a rolled up sweater or scarf? A new seat design comes with an innovative solution to this inflight issue, using "padded wings" that fold out from behind both sides of the seat back -- allowing both for additional privacy and a cushioned spot to rest heads for some shut-eye. This new idea from Universal Movement, a spin-off from London-based design company New Territory, is called "Interspace." It premiered in London this week as part of the Aircraft Cabin Innovation summit 2019. CNN…

Tuesday, 10 December 2019 05:26

China moves to ban foreign software and hardware from state offices

China has reportedly ordered all foreign PC hardware and operating systems to be replaced in the next three years, intensifying an ongoing tech war. The country has attempted this sort of thing before halfheartedly, but this is the most serious effort yet to isolate itself from the influence of the western technology sector. The order came from high up in the Chinese government earlier this year, according to a Financial Times report citing Chinese tech analysts. The goal is not simply to replace American and European software and operating systems with Chinese equivalents, but the hardware they run on as…

Monday, 09 December 2019 05:49

Police are testing a Batman-like device that binds a suspect without using force. Here's how it works

Los Angeles police officers will test a new gun-like device designed to restrain people beginning January, police department leaders informed the city's board of police commissioners last week, according to the LA Times. The Bola Wrap, which fires a cord to wrap around a person and restrict their movement, has been marketed by Las Vegas-based Wrap Technologies as a way to allow officers to act without using force, Critics have pushed back at this notion, concerned that it will be deployed mostly in minority communities. Here's how the device works. Police around the country have begun using a new tool…

Tuesday, 03 December 2019 06:31

WhatsApp secrets: The one hidden feature every Android and iPhone user should know

Did you know WhatsApp has a menu that lets you see exactly how many text messages, GIFs, stickers and more you’ve sent each and every one of your contacts? Well, you do now. Here’s how to load up this hidden feature. Eager to see who you spend the most time chatting to? Open up WhatsApp and head to the settings menu – the iPhone app has a tab at the bottom dedicated to settings while Android users will need to press the three small buttons at the top right-hand corner of the chat menu to load it up. From there,…

Monday, 02 December 2019 04:34

Why it's time to redesign the old air conditioner

The air conditioner is nearly 100 years old, and yet it hasn't evolved much -- the technology is essentially the same as it was the day it was invented. It has, however, changed our lives, making it possible for humans to thrive in places where heat would otherwise make life unbearable. Air conditioning is also essential to businesses and technologies that rely on controlled temperatures and humidity, such as the very internet servers that are sending this story to your device. But this all comes at a cost: The cooling of our air is responsible for 10% of the planet's…

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Wednesday, 27 November 2019 06:06

10 richest, most successful tech geniuses

Each year, Forbes publishes an updated list ranking the world’s billionaires. Unlike many industries, tech billionaires are mostly self-made. Many of these billionaires came from humble means and, through their genius, changed the world. As of Nov. 2019, these are the ten richest, most successful tech geniuses out there. The estimated net worth of each member on this list has been updated as of Nov. 6, 2019. 10. Michael Dell ($34.3 Billion) Michael Dell is probably not the first name that comes to mind when one thinks of tech geniuses, simply because his company’s technology has been stale in recent…

Sunday, 24 November 2019 06:10

The brain is the final frontier of our privacy, and AI is about to breach it

As most people know at this point, connecting our brains to machines is no longer theoretical science fiction. In fact, it could be transforming how we communicate as a species. It could even usher in the age of telepathy: Recent developments in brain-machine interfacing highlight its benefits, from treating mental health conditions to controlling objects with the mind, such as wheelchairs and robotic prosthetics. With devices supercharged with artificial intelligence and, potentially, the computational power of quantum computers, technology could cognitively emancipate millions, if not billions, of people around the world. AI-powered brain-interface technologies could make people smarter by helping…

Saturday, 23 November 2019 05:53

Stop charging your phone like this at the airport, it's not safe

The LA District Attorney's office recently warned about possible malware at charging stations in airports and train stations this holiday season. Other people could gain access to data on your phone through "juice jacking,"which uses a USB charger to transfer information along with power as you charge. To keep data safe, travelers should bring their own chargers and only plug into outlets, and use "USB condoms," for extra protection. A public charging station can look like an oasis to a traveler with a dying phone, but it might not be worth the risk, according to the LA District Attorney. The…

Saturday, 23 November 2019 05:51

Tesla Cybertruck debuts, and we can't believe our eyes

The Tesla pickup truck is here. Elon Musk presented the Tesla Cybertruck tonight in Los Angeles, putting one giant bow on this year’s L.A. Auto Show that’s already seen the reveal of the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E. Tesla played it completely straight with its reveal, but we're still struggling to believe that the whole thing wasn't one big joke. If it isn't, well, here are all the details. We don’t have everything (in fact, there's a lot missing), but Musk has still given us some big chunks to chew on. From a size perspective, the Cybertruck is similar to other…

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