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Circuit Breaker Live will be at CES this year — here’s how to watch

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Your favorite Twitter show about gadgets will be live at CES this year . Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn will be hosting the show, with Ashley Carman, Lauren Goode, and Paul Miller presenting all manner of gadgets from the Las Vegas trade show. We also have Verge alumni Sam Sheffer joining us at the Hypedesk. The show will be streamed live on Twitter January 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th at 2PM PT (5PM ET) each day. That’s four episodes in four days! Just tune in over at live.twitter.com/CES to watch each one as it happens. Simple! As always, be sure to tweet your gadget questions and concerns to #circuitbreakerlive during the show. We’ll also post recordings of the episodes the following day on The Verge , in case you miss the live broadcast. CES... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2AxTuGY"

David Letterman's Netflix talk show snags Obama as the first guest

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While Chelsea Handler's talk show on Netflix is on its way out, the company is taking a different approach with a new attempt featuring David Letterman as shown by its first trailer . My Next Guest Needs No Introduction is scheduled for six 60-minute episodes with George Clooney, Malala Yousafzai, Jay-Z, Tina Fey, Howard Stern and President Barack Obama slated to visit. The first episode, with Obama, will arrive January 12th, with new ones released monthly. The show will take place inside and outside the studio, as Letterman returns to TV for the first time since leaving the Late Show on CBS in 2015. Obama. Clooney. Malala. Fey. Stern. Jay-Z. #MyNextGuestNeedsNoIntroductionWithDavidLetterman @Letterman do you think we need a shorter hashtag? — Netflix US (@netflix) January 5, 2018 Source: Netflix (YouTube) via Engadget RSS Feed "http://ift.tt/2m2BH6h"

Security in Operational Technology: Five Top Trends in 2018

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“There has been a noticeable increase in security issues and data breaches during recent years in a variety of industries. Following an upsurge of Internet of Things (IoT) devices being utilised in industrial environments and critical infrastructures, it is clear operational technology (OT) is next in line for some very bad news. The critical systems that monitor and control our power distribution networks, our industrial capacity and our connected healthcare systems have been under attack for a long time and while only some of these attacks have been successful, it’s almost inevitable that bigger breaches are yet to come.” Here are the top five security trends we at Applied Risk are watching out for in 2018: 1. Wireless: a major attack inevitable - Perhaps the single most unsettling piece of news in 2017 was that the ubiquitous WiFi security protocol, WPA2, has a fundamental flaw which is unlikely to be addressed in the majority of WiFi enabled devices. The challenge in 2018 is t...

Vergecast: Meltdown and Spectre will kill us all

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CES is next week, and we’ll get to that, but first we need to talk to security expert Russell Brandom to make sure we won’t all be dead from CPU security vulnerabilities before then. Also, stay tuned for Paul Miller’s excellent and enlightening sci-fi short story allegory for how Meltdown actually works. He did a great job. Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn, the world’s foremost experts on what to expect from the world’s most important technology trade show, make their CES predictions, and Paul does his weekly segment “Mustard, back off!” So, wow, what a great episode. Sorry about the sad stuff where computers are fundamentally flawed and nothing is safe. 2:56 - Meltdown and Spectre 42:17 - Paul’s weekly segment “Mustard, back off!” 48:14 - C... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EaJ3vk"

The best treadmill

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By Shannon Palus This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter , reviews for the real world. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After walking and running over 45 miles on nine treadmills, we think the best treadmill for most people is the ProForm 505 CST . It has speed and incline features that are comparable to treadmills twice the price, and it adjusts quickly between them, too. The interface was the easiest to navigate of all the treadmills we tested. The belt is 55 inches long—enough space for all but the tallest runners—and there are 18 workout programs, features that a treadmill that costs any less will lack. Who should get a treadmill? If you have established a walking or running habit, having a treadmill in your home might make it easier or more fun. You'll save time and money by not having to commute to the gym, and you have more co...

Can it be too cold to snow?

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Environment No, but you're on to something. Can it be too cold to snow? Not really. But colder air can dry up moisture, which is essential for precipitation. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2CKLfNX"

Google is helping a Chinese game streaming platform go global

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Google's search engine might be banned in China, but it's been finding more and more ways to establish its presence in the country. Its latest effort is leading a $120 million investment in Chushou, a Chinese online e-sports platform that specializes in mobile game livestreams. The website is already pretty big, with 8 million users and as many as 250,000 livestreams a day, and it's unclear what percentage of total funding came from Google. According to CNBC , though, the big G will help the platform grow even bigger, more international, in order to make it look more inviting to potential users outside China. So far, the number of mobile gamers in China is almost double the number of people in the US, so Chushou definitely has the potential to become a proper Twitch competitor. Livestreaming is immensely popular in China, as well -- Chushou rival Douyu TV , for instance, says it has around 30 million daily active users. That makes Google's new ally look tiny in com...

Bitcoin in the Darknet Ecosystem

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2017 was without a doubt the year of Bitcoin. The first decentralized cryptocurrency, which had been skyrocketing from a value of $1,000 USD a Bitcoin in January 2017 up to a maximum value of $20,000 USD in December. The worldwide awareness of Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency phenomenon is affecting and challenging traditional financial institutions, investors and even governments in a variety of ways. The Underlying factors – what makes Bitcoin (et al.) different than other currencies and payment forms? Bitcoin’s attributes make it profoundly different from traditional currencies and financial assets, which aspire cybercriminals and other potential users: Decentralization and deregulation:  One of bitcoin’s most valuable features is its decentralization - The fact that the currency is not controlled by any country, or governing body. Additionally, most countries and central banks have yet to regulate it in any way. This combination makes it attractive for cybercriminals (and ...

The second-generation Nokia 6 has a better processor, USB-C, and more RAM

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The second generation of the Nokia 6 has been revealed, featuring a better processor, USB-C (instead of Micro USB), and more RAM at 4GB (up from 3GB). The updated version also features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, whereas the original had a Snapdragon 430 processor . The changes bring it from more of a low-end to a midrange device, while the price is still the same (around $230), so it’s a nice upgrade. The overall design remains mostly similar, though the fingerprint scanner has been moved from beneath the front screen to the back of the phone. The device is also a bit smaller, though it’s a tad thicker, too (by about 1mm). Both devices have a 5.5-inch 1080p screen and retain the 16-megapixel rear camera. There are options for... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Cw08PK"

Fitbit could add glucose monitors to future health-monitoring devices

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Fitbit just invested over $6 million in a company called Sano that's working on a coin-sized patch that monitors blood sugar, CNBC reports. The wearables-maker already incorporates other glucose-tracking devices' data into its Ionic smartwatch , but this investment suggests that the company might be looking to more directly incorporate a monitor into its devices. "This fits into our strategy of looking beyond the device and thinking more about (health) solutions," Fitbit CEO James Park told CNBC . "I think the complete solution comes in the form of having some monitoring solution that is coupled with a display, and a wearable that can give you the interventions at the right moment." Fitbit isn't the only one interested in a built-in blood sugar monitor. Reports surfaced early last year that Apple was working on one itself, but while Sano's product uses tiny needles to take its measurements, Apple has reportedly been chasing a device that has so...

Intel facing multiple class action suits over chip security flaw

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Intel is facing at least three class action lawsuits over a recently revealed security flaw. The complaints, published by Gizmodo , were filed in Oregon, California, and Indiana by owners of Intel CPU-based computers. They allege that the vulnerability, which Intel learned about several months ago, makes its chips inherently faulty. Intel has helped provide security patches, but the complaints raise concerns that these patches will hurt computer performance, and aren’t an adequate response to the problem. Researchers revealed two major CPU bugs, dubbed Spectre and Meltdown, earlier this week. The Meltdown flaw is specific to Intel chips, and it strikes at the heart of how CPUs process information. Security patches offer a workaround, but T... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CxZvpa"

Revisiting the defining moments of CES history

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Iconic CES devices like the Apple Newton, CD player, VHS VCR , Sony PlayStation and Oculus Rift "Crystal Cove" didn't necessarily seem groundbreaking at the time. Experts and the public often gave prizes to gadgets like the Creative Zen Vision:M and Hitachi's G1000 Pocket PC that we've since deleted from our collective memory banks. With that in mind, here are 10 of the most memorable CES shows that yielded products that were instant hits as well as some that weren't appreciated until later. CES 1970: the VCR comes home CES started in 1967, but it was a sleepy affair until 1970, when Philips unveiled its N1500 videocassette recorder. Until that point, VCRs cost upward of $50,000 and were used mainly by TV stations, but the Philips model with a built-in tuner was just $900 (around $5,000 today). It became the first-ever home VCR, letting folks who could afford it record TV shows for future viewing. CES 1979: Atari and the home-gaming revolution For m...

Alexa will come to headphones and smartwatches this year

An institute studying ‘existential risk’ has made a Civilization mod about superintelligent AI

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Whether or not you think superintelligent AI poses a credible threat to humanity in the near future, you have to admit it’s a problem at least worth thinking about — or hey, maybe even playing a game about it. That’s why Cambridge University’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) has released a mod for popular strategy title Civilization V that’s all about mitigating the threat from superintelligent AI. CSER isn’t usually known for its gaming products. The research group was founded in 2012, and is dedicated to exploring various global catastrophes capable of collapsing civilization or wiping out humanity altogether — otherwise known as “existential threats.” These include not only superintelligent AI (a computer program that... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2CWAPHG"

Neutrogena's scanner shows your skin in excruciating detail

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Neutrogena has unveiled a device that attaches to your iPhone and can tell you more about your skin issues and convince you to (wait for it) buy more Neutrogena products. The SkinScanner from the Johnson & Johnson-owned company attaches to the top of an iPhone, and can take a magnified image of your skin and measure the moisture content. An AI-enabled app called Skin 360 then analyzes the data and gives your skin a 0 to 100 rating and show how it's improving over time. Skin scanners are nothing new, as you can find them in spas and cosmetics stores like Sephora . However, the SkinScanner makes the concept cheaper and more consumer-friendly by sticking it on a smartphone. By doing so, Neutrogena is targeting younger users who are comfortable with tech and don't necessarily buy creams or cosmetics the traditional way. The device uses 12 LED lights, a 30x magnifier and a moisture detector at the edge of the camera. To use it, you just open up the Skin 360 app, place it d...

Ask Engadget: Is LTE worth it on a smartwatch?

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The support shared between readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community . Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In fact, our community's knowledge and insights are a reason why many of you participate in the comments. We truly value the time and detail you all spend in responding to questions from your fellow tech-obsessed commenters, which is why we've decided to bring back the much-missed "Ask Engadget" column. This week's question is a quick one about smartwatches enabled with LTE. Weigh in with your advice in the comments -- and feel free to send your own questions along to ask@engadget.com! Are LTE-enabled smartwatches really worth the extra cost? Cherlynn Low Reviews Editor LTE-enabled watches generally aren't worth it right now. Most people won't mind bringing along their smartphones for connectivi...