Technology

O.MG has introduced its newest offering, a malicious Lightning to USB-C cable that was hand-made to look and feel exactly like a regular Apple cord from the outside. The new O.MG cable is capable of delivering payloads and detecting keystrokes on standard operating systems, smartphones and tablets, allowing hackers to view usernames, passwords, and other inputs from over 2KM away. A geofencing feature further allows the user to trigger or block malicious payloads based on the device’s physical location, and disarm or self-destruct when it falls out of scope. Additional features boast an easy-to-use interface, one-click payloads, remote Wifi access, and a scriptable Websocket. A special Keylogger Edition cable is able to store up to 650,000 keystrokes and detect inputs from detachable keybo...

El Salvador will officially use Bitcoin as its national currency tomorrow alongside the U.S dollar. In anticipation of the momentous move, the country has just bought 400 Bitcoins worth approximately $21 Million USD at the time of purchase. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele‘s proposal for the use of Bitcoin as an “unrestricted legal tender with liberating power, unlimited in any transaction,” was approved by a supermajority in the Salvadoran Congress back in June. Prices in the country will soon be expressed in BTC and most merchants and stores in the country will begin to accept crypto. According to a state press release, the new legislation will grant permanent residency and certain tax incentives to those who start Bitcoin-related ventures in the country, and citizens in the country wh...

The private email service Protonmail is drawing harsh criticism from its users after providing IP information linked to a French activist who used the service, as first reported by TechCrunch. The data was requested as part of a broader investigation into a group of climate activists who have occupied a number of apartments and commercial spaces in Paris. While the members of the group are anonymous, one had used the address “jmm18@protonmail.com” in online postings. As a result, French police sought to identify any persons linked to the account. “The prosecution in this particular case was very aggressive” Because ProtonMail is based in Switzerland, it is not subject to French or EU requests. But the company is still subject to requests from Swiss courts, where French police where able to...

According to Deadline and Variety, Phoebe Waller-Bridge has decided to leave Amazon’s upcoming Mr. and Mrs. Smith series. She was originally set to co-star alongside Donald Glover, but the Hollywood publications report that creative differences between the two have led the Fleabag creator to depart the production. Her exit is described as amicable, and Glover will remain onboard while Waller-Bridge’s role will be recast. Amazon’s Mr. and Mrs Smith series, based on the 2005 film starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, was scheduled to go into production in 2022; in addition to her co-starring role, Waller-Bridge also originally planned to executive produce the series along with Glover. The two previously appeared together in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. Their pairing for Mr. and Mrs. Smit...

California is poised to pass a new bill pushing back against the productivity measurement algorithms allegedly used in Amazon fulfillment centers, as recently reported by NPR’s Morning Edition and The New York Times. The bill passed California’s lower legislative chamber in May, and the upper chamber is expected to vote on it next week. If passed, the bill would place new transparency requirements on automated quota systems, and block any such systems that could endanger the health and safety of workers. Introducing the bill in July, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) cited a Verge report that found “hundreds” of Amazon warehouse employees had been fired for failing to meet productivity quotas at a single facility in Baltimore over the span of just over than a year. Associated doc...

Amazon is apparently preparing to launch its own branded televisions. According to new reports, the tech and e-commerce giant has been developing TVs for the past two years and it aims to release them in the U.S. as early as October. The project was helmed by the research and development team that was responsible for both the Kindle and Echo, and will reportedly be powered by the company’s very own Alexa. Despite its own production, it has also been suggested that the first series of TVs Amazon will release later this year were designed and made by third-party manufacturers like TCL, and there’s no release window yet for their own designed models. There’s currently also no pricing information regarding the Amazon TVs, and the company hasn’t officially announced anything yet either, so thos...

The global semiconductor shortages are reportedly not ending any time soon. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Toshiba has expressed concern that the chip shortages could last another two years, despite previous projections from Cisco that it’d continue for just another six months. “The supply of chips will remain very tight until at least September next year,” said Toshiba’s Takeshi Kamebuchi, who overlooks the production of semiconductors. “In some cases, we may find some customers not being fully served until 2023.” “We usually receive orders weeks and months in advance, but we currently face increasing inquiries for half a year into the future and beyond,” he added. “Long-term contracts piling up like this is new to us.” Industries all across the board are affected by the s...

Microsoft’s Top Gun expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator is being delayed to match the movie’s shifted release date. Paramount announced earlier this month that it’s delaying the rest of its 2021 films, pushing Top Gun: Maverick from its Thanksgiving weekend release date to May 27th, 2022. The Top Gun expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator had been planned for later this year, and will now be “released alongside the movie,” according to Microsoft and Asobo Studio. We still don’t have a whole lot of information on what Asobo Studio is planning to add with the Top Gun expansion, apart from some jets and locations from Top Gun: Maverick. “We look forward to sharing more information in the future,” says a blog post from Microsoft’s Flight Simulator team. [embedded content] Microsoft orig...

Five years after Volkswagen first unveiled its concept for an electric version of its iconic microbus, we’re finally getting our first glimpse of the vehicle on the road. But rather than some throwback to an era of hippies and flower power, the ID Buzz is outfitted with a high-tech suite of sensors and computing smarts for its new role as an autonomous test vehicle. VW says the autonomous ID Buzz will serve as a platform for the automaker’s full-scale commercial ride-hailing and delivery operation that it plans on launching in Germany in 2025. For now, VW plans to deploy the ID Buzz on public roads for testing in Munich, as well as at a private track near the city’s airport. The van made its public debut at the 2021 IAA Mobility Event in Munich, which also saw new concepts from Mercedes-Be...

The Sims 4’s Spa Day Game Pack, which was first released over six years ago in 2015, is receiving a free update this week that adds nail designs created by modder Ebonix. The update, which will be available on September 7th, adds a host of other features including a new “High Maintenance” trait and the ability for child Sims to do yoga and meditation. There are also new options to get manicures, pedicures, and facial masks, and Sims can earn money by teaching mindfulness, developer Maxis says. Sims can now aspire to be a “Zen Guru,” “Self-Care Specialist,” or simply seek out “Inner Peace.” Danielle “EbonixSims” Udo is a veteran modder of The Sims who has made significant contributions to the game’s ability to create diverse Sims. Ebonix, as well as other modders like Amira “Xmiramira” Virg...

Automated resume-scanning software is contributing to a “broken” hiring system in the US, says a new report from Harvard Business School. Such software is used by employers to filter job applicants, but is mistakenly rejecting millions of viable candidates, say the study’s authors. It’s contributing to the problem of “hidden workers” — individuals who are able and willing to work, but remain locked out of jobs by structural problems in the labor market. The study’s authors identify a number of factors blocking people from employment, but say automated hiring software is one of the biggest. These programs are used by 75 percent of US employers (rising to 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies), and were adopted in response to a rise in digital job applications from the ‘90s onwards. Technology...

Apple has now registered a patent at the United States Patents and Trademark Office for a flexible, rolling display. As the filing shows, the tech giant is now looking at developing a device featuring two separate housings which roll out to reveal a flat display in the center. Part of the patent also indicates that the devices could possibly feature both a rigid display and a rollable screen, both working together when expanded to offer a better user experience. While no specific device has been mentioned in the filing, Apple may very well utilize these rollable displays in a future generation of iPhones or iPads, the company’s two products most relevant to technology like this. Of course, large tech companies like Apple which have massive research and development departments will often pa...