Geek News

If your life won't be complete until you've gotten roasted by Gordon Ramsay like that dude in that Super Bowl ad , then Alexa can help make your dream come true. Ground Control, the same interactive audio company behind " Biden's Briefing " that uses the former VP's voice to read news, has released a new Alexa skill that brings the famous chef to your kitchen. Just say "Alexa, ask Gordon Ramsay what he thinks about my [insert food here]," and the skill will "critique" your work. Obviously, it can't actually give you a valid critique, but it's a surefire way to hear one of the chef's infamous/hilarious putdowns directed at you... especially when you know your "idiot sandwich" deserves it. Want a sample? In the video below, the user asks what Ramsay thinks of his dish, and the chef replied with "How can you do this to food, and [bleeping] sleep at night?" Sounds like a fun skill already. Source: Ground C...

Apple has yet to launch any of the original shows funded by its $1 billion war chest , but it's already losing part of its production team. Hollywood Reporter has learned that showrunner Bryan Fuller (of Star Trek and American Gods fame) has left Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories revival for the tech giant. The departure was "amicable," according to sources, and stemmed from creative differences. Reportedly, Fuller wanted to make a Black Mirror -style show that wasn't what Apple intended. Fuller wasn't new to the Amazing Stories continuation. He'd been around since 2015, when the series was attached to NBC and Spielberg wasn't involved. He's had some relatively short stints lately: he was booted from American Gods after the production company wanted to reduce the per-episode fee, and left Star Trek: Discovery over cost and casting issues with CBS. This is a significant blow, but not a dramatic one. Apple has several original shows ...

The US just took down one of the larger online crime organizations in recent memory -- certainly one of the largest prosecuted by the feds. Department of Justice officials have filed charges against 36 people allegedly involved with Infraud Organization (no really, that's the name), a global cybercrime ring with roots in the US as well as numerous other countries. Combined, the group is believed to have trafficked in stolen financial data (including up to 4 million cards), identities and contraband worth over $530 million in losses. And that's what they actually managed to accomplish. Reportedly, they hoped to inflict a total of $2.2 billion in damage. Law enforcement has only arrested 13 of the members so far, five of which are from the US and only one of which (Sergei Medvedev) is considered top brass. Ukraine resident Svyatoslav Bondarenko, who's believed to have founded Infraud back in 2010, isn't one of them. And while there are just five suspects still at larg...

John Perry Barlow, a founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, died in his sleep this morning at the age of 71. EFF executive director Cindy Cohn shared the news in a blog post . "It is no exaggeration to say that major parts of the Internet we all know and love today exist and thrive because of Barlow's vision and leadership," she wrote. "He always saw the Internet as a fundamental place of freedom, where voices long silenced can find an audience and people can connect with others regardless of physical distance." Through the EFF, Barlow championed net neutrality and an open internet, often suing the federal government over its handling of online information and privacy matters. Barlow founded the EFF in 1990 alongside Mitch Kapor and John Gilmore, in response to what they saw as the government's overzealous, misguided and illegal attempts to police cyber crime. Here's how Barlow viewed his mission at the EFF, as he wrote in 1996 after the ...

After years of testing , Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser cargo spacecraft has a launch window. NASA has given the go-ahead to the vehicle's first mission, which is now slated for late 2020. Appropriately, it's a straightforward resupply trip for the International Space Station. The company received the all-clear after hitting a slew of key NASA-approved design milestones. Out of the companies NASA picked to provide ISS resupply missions back in 2016, Sierra Nevada's vessel is the only aircraft-like design of the bunch -- the Orbital ATK and SpaceX offerings are capsules. That should give it an edge when it carries scientific experiments, as it can land on a runway and offload equipment immediately (crucial for time-sensitive science) instead of waiting for a recovery. There's a pressurized cabin for human-tended experiments. Dream Chaser might not serve its original purpose for long when the ISS isn't poised to receive funding past 2024 . Even so, it should h...

After its CEO launched one of its yet-to-be-available Roadsters into space yesterday, Tesla posted its largest quarterly loss while simultaneously posting a jump in revenue. Meanwhile, the company is still working towards its earlier goal of producing 5,000 Model 3s a week . In the fourth quarter ending on December 31st, the company lost $675.35 million dollars. During the same quarter in 2016, the company lost $121.38 million. But the company was able to grow revenue from $2.85 billion in Q4 2016 to $3.288 billion this past quarter. More than expected by analysts. It also announced that it expected to begin generating "positive quarterly income on a sustained basis" in 2018. Meanwhile, on the Model 3 production front, the company hopes to hit 2,500 Model 3s per week by the end of the first quarter and plans to be producing 5,000 Model 3s by the end of the second quarter. That should be good news to anyone waiting on reservations. During a third-quarter call with in...

The Department of Homeland Security has revealed that Russian forces have successfully accessed voter registration rolls of several US states in the months prior to the 2016 presidential election. Jeanette Manfra, the head of cybersecurity of the Department of Homeland Security, told NBC News that of they saw a targeting of 21 states, and "an exceptionally small number of them were actually successfully penetrated." Developing... Source: NBC via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2BKSDYu"

Google Photos has been making themed videos from uploaded pictures for a while now. Originally introduced in late 2016, the AI-powered videos have already substituted for for an actual Mother's Day card. You can also see all your smiles from 2017 in a special selfie compilation video . Now Google is expanding its automatic video creation chops again with nine different themed movie sets that you can create via the Google Photos app or on the web. The service is rolling out to most countries today, with more to come over the next year. The themes are pretty self-explanatory; themed movie titles include "They Grow Up So Fast," "Meow Movie," "Selfie Movie," "Valentine's Day Movie" and "In Loving Memory." All you need to do is open the Google Photos app, tap on the Assistant tab and then tap on Movie. You can also make a quick flick on the web , too. Once you've chosen a theme and the people or pets to start in it, Google w...

Intel's Xeon chips normally reside in distant server rooms or brawny workstations . But that's not ideal for the modern internet, where connected cars , VPNs, streaming video and other tech frequently needs computing power somewhere in between. That's where its newly launched Xeon D-2100 processor might come into play. The system-on-a-chip is designed to bring the performance of a Xeon to the "edge" of a network, where that extra speed might be more effective. It includes up to 18 cores and the requisite hooks for four 10Gbps Ethernet ports, but uses 'just' 60W to 110W of power. In other words: you could tuck some of these into a local office without the demands that normally come with server chips. The company hasn't divulged pricing, although it's safe to presume you won't be buying one for home use. And in case you're wondering: yes, there will be software updates to make sure they aren't vulnerable to Meltdown and Spectre secur...

Police in China are now sporting glasses equipped with facial recognition devices and they're using them to scan train riders and plane passengers for individuals who may be trying to avoid law enforcement or are using fake IDs. So far, police have caught seven people connected to major criminal cases and 26 who were using false IDs while traveling, according to People's Daily . The Wall Street Journal reports that Beijing-based LLVision Technology Co. developed the devices. The company produces wearable video cameras as well and while it sells those to anyone, it's vetting buyers for its facial recognition devices. And, for now, it isn't selling them to consumers. LLVision says that in tests, the system was able to pick out individuals from a database of 10,000 people and it could do so in 100 milliseconds. However, CEO Wu Fei told the Wall Street Journal that in the real world, accuracy would probably drop due to "environmental noise." Additionally,...

Yesterday, SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon Heavy rocket to much fanfare. After numerous delays due to upper-level winds, the rocket lifted off at 3:45 PM ET on Tuesday . The rocket worked perfectly, delivering the test payload into orbit (a red Tesla roadster) and coasting for six hours before performing another engine burn to take it deeper into the solar system. SpaceX was even able to land two of the three boosters in beautiful synchronization. The core booster was lost because of low propellant; it slammed into the ocean at around 300 miles per hour, 300 feet from the drone ship. This is a huge milestone for SpaceX. The question now is: What's next? There were a lot of expectations pinned on this rocket, if not this specific launch. It would have been disappointing (rather than catastrophic) if the rocket had failed; SpaceX could have attempted another Falcon Heavy launch in another few months, assuming the launch pad survived. It was a test flight, not a make-or-...

From an interactive booklet that helps you build six different electronic toys to Nintendo's own Labo cardboard gadgets, DIY cardboard gizmos and musical instruments are all the rage. Now a company headed up by a former Konami and Sony game developer has taken to Kickstarter for its own folding paper piano, called the Kami-Oto. Yudo makes iOS apps, and has quite a few musical ones in the App Store. The company's Kami-Oto is an actual MIDI controller made of cardboard so you can use it with pretty much any software on computer or mobile device. There's a main circuit board, silicon contact pieces, and cardboard black and white keys you punch out and assemble atop the rest. The company estimates it will take about 30 minutes to make. There are two models, one that uses micro-USB and one that uses Bluetooth. The Kami-Oto also has its own integrated sound generator and tiny speaker, as well, for self-contained music-making without an app. You can pledge ¥5,000 (about $4...

Microsoft updated its Cortana app and it now features native iPad support. The interface makes use of the bigger iPad screen, but otherwise it's largely similar to the iPhone version. The update, spotted by MacRumors , also notes that the app now opens 20 percent faster. "Introducing a brand-new Cortana for iPad design. Enjoy an exclusive layout and interface for your iPad," says the update release . "Cortana now launches 20 percent faster! Enjoy a lightning-fast experience." This is the latest Microsoft update for iOS products. Last week, Microsoft introduced new features for its Office and OneDrive iOS apps that included the incorporation of Apple's new Files app and it announced that Edge for iPad is finally on the way . A preview version of the latter should drop this month. The Cortana app update is available today. Via: The Verge Source: App Store via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2nPO4CN"

Google acquired home automation company Nest back in 2014 for $3.2 billion. Now Google is integrating the smaller company even more by merging the Nest and Google Hardware teams into one working group. As noted by CNET , Google's AI, which powers its Home smart speakers , can now be more easily integrated with Nest hardware. CNET points to an interview with Google's Rick Osterloh that helps make more sense out of the announcement. "All of Google's investments in machine learning and AI, they can very clearly benefit Nest products. It just makes sense to be developing them together," Osterloh said in an interview. "It's the natural thing to evolve to." The end result will be a more focused smart home initiative that connects with Nest' s mission "to create a more thoughtful home, one that takes care for the people inside it and the world around it," as Google wrote in a blog post. The company will combine hardware, software and ...

Instagram is currently testing a feature that would let users share others' posts in their Stories, TechCrunch reports. It's only being tested with a small number of Instagram users and there's no guarantee that it will see a full rollout, but since people tend to screenshot others' content and add it to their Stories anyway, this seems like a useful tool that Instagram users would take advantage of. Instagram told us, "We're always testing ways to make it easier to share any moment with friends on Instagram." New Instagram Feature - share feed posts to stories @MattNavarra @ingridlunden pic.twitter.com/keVl4lm9uB — Zachary Shakked (@zacharyshakked) February 7, 2018 The feature only works with accounts that are public. So if your friend posts a cool pic of you and their account is private, you won't be able to share that post directly in your Story. However, those with public accounts may not want to have their posts shared this way either, ...

That didn't take long. Hot on the heels of Twitter , Reddit has updated its rules to expressly ban AI-generated "deepfake" porn . Where it previously had a single rule forbidding porn and suggestive material involving minors, it now has two -- and it's clear that you're not allowed to post "depictions that have been faked." You also can't post regular imagery of others with the goal of producing fake nonconsensual porn. Accordingly, Reddit has cracked down on some of the offending communities. It has shut down the deepfakes subreddit that got the ball rolling, as well as YouTubefakes. It hasn't closed non-deepfake subreddits like CelebFakes, however, and it's also maintaining the communities with more innocuous intentions, such as FakeApp (the program itself) and SFWdeepfakes. At the moment, this is more about addressing the specific violations that triggered the uproar than to stamp out every potential violation of the policy. In a sta...

Microsoft is now ready to polish your job applications -- the company has released its LinkedIn-powered Resume Assistant for Office 365 subscribers. The AI-based helper sifts through LinkedIn profiles to find prominent examples of work experience and skill listings for your dream job, giving you some helpful tips for customizing your CV. You can also tap the ProFinder marketplace to talk to experts who can offer career advice, and search for relevant jobs without leaving Word. Resume Assistant's requirements are currently quite stiff: in addition to Office 365, you need to use Word in English and set Windows' region to one of several countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the US). Support for other platforms, countries and languages will have to wait until sometime in the "coming months." Still, it's a start -- and if you do live in the right place, this might be enough to help you stand out in a cr...

Days ago, South Korean authorities announced that they'd capture any drone that got too close to Olympics event facilities. If you have a DJI-made craft, you won't even be able to get close. The UAV maker is releasing a software patch that creates a no-fly zone around Olympic areas. For the duration of the games, DJI drones won't be able to fly through areas in the South Korean cities of Pyeongchang, Gangneung, Bongpyeong and Jeongseon. "Safety is DJI's top priority and we've always taken proactive steps to educate our customers to operate within the law and where appropriate, implement temporary no-fly zones during major events," the company said in a statement, according to TechCrunch . "We believe this feature will reduce the potential for drone operations that could inadvertently create safety or security concerns." DJI has taken 'proactive steps' shutting down its drones around big events before, like the Euro 2016 soccer tour...

Monster Hunter: World is the latest entry in a decade-plus game franchise dedicated to killing huge monsters. But the series has another reputation : barely explained mechanics, labyrinthine menus and difficult co-op play. Capcom smoothed out a lot of those rough edges for Monster Hunter: World and released it simultaneously worldwide, which has made it the most accessible of the franchise. Now, finally, it can take the crown as the best co-op boss fight experience out there. Fighting giant enemies is a thrilling niche in gaming, from blowing up Kraid in Super Metroid to taking on one titanic monolith after another in Shadow of the Colossus . But those are insular single-player journeys, not communal experiences. When games have tried team boss fights before, most notably in MMOs, they're often at the end of a long raid after slogging through a multilevel dungeon. Monster Hunter: World is the large boss fight distilled, a stripped-down contest between small humans and colos...