Technology

NortonLifeLock and Avast are merging in a deal worth more than $8 billion. The deal will see NortonLifelock acquire all of Avast’s shares, and create a much larger cyber security firm. “With this combination, we can strengthen our cyber safety platform and make it available to more than 500 million users,” says Vincent Pilette, NortonLifeLock CEO. “We will also have the ability to further accelerate innovation to transform cyber safety.” The combination should lead to antivirus products that include the benefits of Avast’s focus on privacy and NortonLifeLock’s experience in identity, all at a time when cyber security is critical for both consumers and businesses. Ransomware is on the rise, with new high profile cases occurring on what feels like a weekly basis. Gigabyte was hit by a ransom...

NortonLifeLock and Avast are merging in a deal worth more than $8 billion. The deal will see NortonLifelock acquire all of Avast’s shares, and create a much larger cyber security firm. “With this combination, we can strengthen our cyber safety platform and make it available to more than 500 million users,” says Vincent Pilette, NortonLifeLock CEO. “We will also have the ability to further accelerate innovation to transform cyber safety.” The combination should lead to antivirus products that include the benefits of Avast’s focus on privacy and NortonLifeLock’s experience in identity, all at a time when cyber security is critical for both consumers and businesses. Ransomware is on the rise, with new high profile cases occurring on what feels like a weekly basis. Gigabyte was hit by a ransom...

Japanese homeware-tech brand BALMUDA is known for its stunning kitchen accessories that took the Internet by storm, and now it has branched out into the world of wireless speakers with its aptly named… “The Speaker.” Naturally, BALMUDA has completely over-designed “The Speaker” to the nth degree, making it look more like a lantern if anything thanks to the inclusion of LED nixie tube-like lights that synchronize with the beat of the music that’s playing. 77mm-full-range, 360-degree speakers can pump music into a room for up to seven hours on one charge, and because it’s wireless you can also take this speaker outside. What’s more, BALMUDA says that “The Speaker” is designed to be best suited for vocals, which is something many speakers struggle to deliver as clearly as they could because m...

Cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX has agreed to pay a $100 million civil penalty as part of a settlement with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the company announced Tuesday. The fine addresses charges that the derivatives exchange allowed illegal trades and violated anti-money laundering laws. BitMEX didn’t address the less savory uses of its platform for years, as FinCEN says the company “willfully failed to comply with its obligations under the BSA (Bank Secrecy Act).” According to the organization: For over six years, BitMEX failed to implement and maintain a compliant anti-money laundering program and a customer identification program, and it failed to report certain suspicious activity. FinCEN claims those iss...

T-Mobile has quietly started selling fiber-based home internet, as tipped to T-Mo Report and confirmed by the company to The Verge. T-Mobile says it’s testing fiber optic internet in certain residential buildings in Manhattan as a complement to its fixed wireless offering, which it made available to the public in April. The company isn’t deploying an entirely new fiber network for the pilot; it’s running on a local provider’s fiber lines. Details on the dedicated T-Mobile Fiber site are thin, but it claims the service offers 940Mbps upload and download speeds. A Wi-Fi 6 router is included, along with chat and e-mail customer support for fiber customers. A T-Mobile rep had no other details to share with us, just that the program is a “very limited pilot” and more information would be shared...

After spending years battling over the Defense Department’s $10 billion JEDI cloud services contract, Microsoft and Amazon are fighting over another government deal. Now it’s the National Security Agency offering a contract that could pay up to $10 billion as it shifts away from on-premises servers to a commercial provider. However, as Washington Technology reported first, this time around, Amazon Web Services won the $10 billion contest, and it’s Microsoft turn to file a protest with the Government Accountability Office. Washington Technology reports that Microsoft’s claim is the NSA didn’t conduct a proper evaluation while considering a provider for its new project, code-named WildandStormy. In a statement to NextGov, an NSA spokesperson confirmed the award and protests, saying, “The Age...

Chinese multinational electronics giant Xiaomi announced the launch of its own robotic companion dubbed CyberDog. Similar to its competitors, like Boston Dynamics’ Spot, the bio-inspired machine is the company’s first foray into quadruped robotics. The open-source CyberDog features 11 sensors over its body that provide instant feedback to guide its movements, while Xiaomi’s servo motors enable great speed and agility. The “brain” of the device is a NVIDIA AI supercomputer that allows it to easily process massive amounts of data, and Xiaomi’s smartphone imaging technology has been integrated into the tech to allow the CyberDog to better navigate its environment. “This means that CyberDog can analyze its surroundings in real-time, create navigational maps, plot its destination, and avoi...

Facebook Dating, the company’s dating service, doesn’t appear to be as popular as other dating apps, but the company is introducing some new features to make it more useful for virtual dating, which has boomed during the pandemic. One of the biggest new features is audio dates, which will let you start an audio conversation with somebody you match with. When you try to start a call with someone, the other person will receive an invitation. If they accept, you both can have a chat. Facebook is also allowing you to set up to two additional places in Facebook Dating where you want to look for matches. The feature, which Facebook calls Match Anywhere, should make it easier to match up with people who may be temporarily working or living in different places or frequently traveling between them....

Apple stakes its reputation on privacy. The company has promoted encrypted messaging across its ecosystem, encouraged limits on how mobile apps can gather data, and fought law enforcement agencies looking for user records. For the past week, though, Apple has been fighting accusations that its upcoming iOS and iPadOS release will weaken user privacy. The debate stems from an announcement Apple made on Thursday. In theory, the idea is pretty simple: Apple wants to fight child sexual abuse, and it’s taking more steps to find and stop it. But critics say Apple’s strategy could weaken users’ control over their own phones, leaving them reliant on Apple’s promise that it won’t abuse its power. And Apple’s response has highlighted just how complicated — and sometimes downright confounding — the c...