Technology

A dangerous remote code execution (RCE) exploit found in Dark Souls 3 could let a bad actor take control of your computer, according to a report from Dexerto. The vulnerability only puts PC gamers who play online at risk and may potentially affect Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2, and the upcoming Elden Ring. The exploit was seen in action during The__Grim__Sleeper’s Twitch stream of Dark Souls 3 online. At the end of the stream (1:20:22), The__Grim__Sleeper’s game crashes, and the robotic voice belonging to Microsoft’s text-to-speech generator suddenly starts criticizing his gameplay. The__Grim__Sleeper then reports that Microsoft PowerShell opened by itself, a sign that a hacker used the program to run a script that triggered the text-to-speech feature. RCE is one of the most dangerous vulnerabi...

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee is telling athletes to ditch their personal phones for burners ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics in China, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal (via Android Central). “Every device, communication, transaction and online activity may be monitored” The advisory was reportedly sent out twice last year to warn athletes about the possibility of digital surveillance while in China. “Every device, communication, transaction and online activity may be monitored,” the bulletin states. “Your device(s) may also be compromised with malicious software, which could negatively impact future use.” As noted by the WSJ, Great Britain, Canada, and the Netherlands have also cautioned athletes against bringing their personal electronics into ...

WhatsApp might be working on a feature that lets you migrate your chat history from Android to iOS, as reported by WABetaInfo via (Android Central). The feature was first spotted in the latest WhatsApp beta version 22.2.74 for iOS, and appears to corroborate WABetaInfo’s previous discovery in beta version 2.21.20.11 for Android. Both updates point towards a feature that may let you transfer your WhatsApp chats from Android to iOS using the Move to iOS app. Image by WaBetaInfo WABetaInfo also shared a couple of screenshots that show what the feature may look like. Judging by the images, it appears WhatsApp will ask for permission before starting the transfer process, and will then instruct you to keep the app open and your phone unlocked as it migrates your chats. WhatsApp first started let...

Just in time for Super Bowl season, a three-month subscription to the YouTube TV streaming service is a little more affordable. Right now, new subscribers can pay $54.99 each month instead of $64.99 for your first three months. Normally, that would cost you around $195, so that means you’ll pay $165 by the end of this discount period. That’s still expensive, but it’s a welcome discount for a service that significantly gone up in price within the last few years. Nevertheless, it’s a solid streaming app if you want many channels on-demand (with DVR capabilities available), presented in a familiar YouTube interface. For this price, you’ll get access to over 85 major channels, covering live sports, news, entertainment, and more. It also includes unlimited recording for up to six accounts, and ...

Even in the midst of a crypto slump, New York City Mayor Eric Adams isn’t backing out of his plans to take his first three paychecks in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Bitcoin fell beneath $36,000 on Friday — a 47 percent dive from its all-time high in November — dragging the entire cryptocurrency market cap below $2 trillion. If the crypto market continues to trend downwards, Adams’ first check may evaporate Adams officially received his first paycheck yesterday, which was converted to Bitcoin and Ethereum through cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase. According to the New York Post, the NYC mayor receives biweekly paychecks of about $5,900, amounting to a salary of $258,750 a year. Adams didn’t reveal how much of his $5,900 check is split between Bitcoin and Ethereum, but if the crypto market continues...

SpaceX has won a $102m USD US Air Force contract to demonstrate technologies capable of rapidly delivering military cargo or humanitarian aid anywhere on earth using heavy rockets. Space News reports that the five-year “rocket cargo program” is being led by the the USAF Research Laboratory (AFRL) and centres on the use of large commercial rockets for Department of Defence global logistics. Dr Greg Spanjers, the USAF’s rocket cargo program manager, told Space News that the contract, which is the largest yet awarded for rocket cargo, formalised the government/industry partnership to “determine exactly what a rocket can achieve when used for cargo transport, what is the true capacity, speed, and cost of the integrated system.” The contract will give the AFRL access to SpaceX’s “commercial orb...

The latest Google Pixel Stand is less of a “must-have” accessory if you’re a Pixel phone owner and more of a “nice to have.” For $79, its primary job is fast wireless charging, and it does that well. But unless you’re a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro owner and you’re really sold on one of the stand’s handful of extra features supported by your phone, then you’d be better off saving your money and getting an inexpensive third-party charger. Verge Score 6 out of 10 Good Stuff Faster than typical wireless charging speeds Fan keeps phone cool Photo frame feature is nice Bad Stuff Expensive Extra Pixel 6 features are of limited usefulness Some issues with Google Assistant voice commands  The aptly named Pixel Stand (2nd gen) is Google’s second take on a fast wireless charger built to complement its Pixe...

On Friday, Intel announced it would build the “largest silicon manufacturing location on the planet” here in the United States, on a 1,000-acre plot of land in New Albany, Ohio. Hours later, President Biden, Ohio governor Mike DeWine, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, and other executives and local officials suggested the up-to-$100 billion development could be a panacea for a wide variety of issues, too — including global competitiveness, national security, the chip shortage, the high price of cars, racial and gender gaps in STEM employment, even inflation itself. It could become Ohio’s version of California’s Silicon Valley, several suggested. The phrase “Silicon Heartland” was uttered at least eight times across two livestreams. There’s no question that th...

Neuralink, the brain implant company led by Elon Musk, has posted a hiring ad for a clinical trial director — hinting that they are getting closer and closer to conducting human trials. According to reports, the Neuralink job position is based in Fremont, California and will work closely with its “first Clinical Trial participants” along with “some of the most innovative doctors and top engineers.” The trial director will also need to lead and build “the team responsible for enabling Neuralink’s clinical research activities” while making sure that it follows the regulations. In December 2021, Musk publicly revealed that they are planning to implant its first microchips in humans sometime this year. “Neuralink’s working well in monkeys, and we’re actually doing just a lot of testi...