FUNKY GREEN: 05/09/19

Thursday, 9 May 2019

Google's subscription music numbers reportedly top 15 million

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Netflix completes 'Kimmy Schmidt' with an interactive episode in 2020

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Nike's latest Snapchat Lens shows support for USWNT

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Intel will ramp up 10nm CPU production in June, 7nm in 2021

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Fox Sports will introduce a real money betting app in the US this fall

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Google improved Android Auto by making it act more like your phone

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'Avengers: Endgame' will stream on Disney+ starting December 11th

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Senators reintroduce bill to improve AI adoption in government

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Facebook lifts some restrictions on blockchain ads

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What we're buying: A solid MIDI controller that's also easy to use

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Elektron turned its Digitone groove box into a proper synth

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Hackers stole cash from 100 Amazon sellers in 'serious' fraud

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Riot Games is expanding 'League of Legends,' even in the midst of scandal

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John Wick is suiting up for a strategy game on consoles, PC and Mac

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A generic HIV prevention drug should arrive in 2021

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Senate bill would ban paid loot boxes in games aimed at kids

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A ransomware attack is holding Baltimore's networks hostage

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Instagram is working on new rules for banning accounts

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Intel explains Project Athena laptops, promises nine hours of battery life

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Uber and Lyft drivers are striking over pay and job security

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Samsung leak exposed source code, passwords and employee data

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CES re-awards revoked robotics prize to women's sex toy

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The best lenses for Sony FE mount

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GOAT lets you preview sneakers in AR before they launch

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Logitech unveils a wireless version of its G502 gaming mouse

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Non-invasive glucose monitor EasyGlucose takes home Microsoft’s Imagine Cup and $100K

Microsoft’s yearly Imagine Cup student startup competition crowned its latest winner today: EasyGlucose, a non-invasive, smartphone-based method for diabetics to test their blood glucose. It and the two other similarly beneficial finalists presented today at Microsoft’s Build developer conference.

The Imagine Cup brings together winners of many local student competitions around the world, with a focus on social good and, of course, Microsoft services like Azure. Last year’s winner was a smart prosthetic forearm that uses a camera in the palm to identify the object it is meant to grasp. (They were on hand today as well, with an improved prototype.)

The three finalists hailed from the U.K., India and the U.S.; EasyGlucose was a one-person team from my alma mater UCLA.

EasyGlucose takes advantage of machine learning’s knack for spotting the signal in noisy data, in this case the tiny details of the eye’s iris. It turns out, as creator Bryan Chiang explained in his presentation, that the iris’s “ridges, crypts and furrows” hide tiny hints as to their owner’s blood glucose levels.

EasyGlucose presents at the Imagine Cup finals

These features aren’t the kind of thing you can see with the naked eye (or rather, on the naked eye), but by clipping a macro lens onto a smartphone camera, Chiang was able to get a clear enough image that his computer vision algorithms were able to analyze them.

The resulting blood glucose measurement is significantly better than any non-invasive measure and more than good enough to serve in place of the most common method used by diabetics: stabbing themselves with a needle every couple of hours. Currently EasyGlucose gets within 7% of the pinprick method, well above what’s needed for “clinical accuracy,” and Chiang is working on closing that gap. No doubt this innovation will be welcomed warmly by the community, as well as the low cost: $10 for the lens adapter, and $20 per month for continued support via the app.

It’s not a home run, or not just yet: Naturally, a technology like this can’t go straight from the lab (or in this case, the dorm) to global deployment. It needs FDA approval first, though it likely won’t have as protracted a review period as, say, a new cancer treatment or surgical device. In the meantime, EasyGlucose has a patent pending, so no one can eat its lunch while it navigates the red tape.

As the winner, Chiang gets $100,000, plus $50,000 in Azure credit, plus the coveted one-on-one mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

The other two Imagine Cup finalists also used computer vision (among other things) in service of social good.

Caeli is taking on the issue of air pollution by producing custom high-performance air filter masks intended for people with chronic respiratory conditions who have to live in polluted areas. This is a serious problem in many places that cheap or off-the-shelf filters can’t really solve.

It uses your phone’s front-facing camera to scan your face and pick the mask shape that makes the best seal against your face. What’s the point of a high-tech filter if the unwanted particles just creep in the sides?

Part of the mask is a custom-designed compact nebulizer for anyone who needs medication delivered in mist form, for example someone with asthma. The medicine is delivered automatically according to the dosage and schedule set in the app — which also tracks pollution levels in the area so the user can avoid hot zones.

Finderr is an interesting solution to the problem of visually impaired people being unable to find items they’ve left around their home. By using a custom camera and computer vision algorithm, the service watches the home and tracks the placement of everyday items: keys, bags, groceries and so on. Just don’t lose your phone, as you’ll need that to find the other stuff.

You call up the app and tell it (by speaking) what you’re looking for, then the phone’s camera determines your location relative to the item you’re looking for, giving you audio feedback that guides you to it in a sort of “getting warmer” style, and a big visual indicator for those who can see it.

After their presentations, I asked the creators a few questions about upcoming challenges, since as is usual in the Imagine Cup, these companies are extremely early-stage.

Right now EasyGlucose is working well, but Chiang emphasized that the model still needs lots more data and testing across multiple demographics. It’s trained on 15,000 eye images but many more will be necessary to get the kind of data they’ll need to present to the FDA.

Finderr recognizes all the images in the widely used ImageNet database, but the team’s Ferdinand Loesch pointed out that others can be added very easily with 100 images to train with. As for the upfront cost, the U.K. offers a £500 grant to visually-impaired people for this sort of thing, and they engineered the 360-degree ceiling-mounted camera to minimize the number needed to cover the home.

Caeli noted that the nebulizer, which really is a medical device in its own right, is capable of being sold and promoted on its own, perhaps licensed to medical device manufacturers. There are other smart masks coming out, but he had a pretty low opinion of them (not strange in a competitor, but there isn’t some big market leader they need to dethrone). He also pointed out that in the target market of India (from which they plan to expand later) it isn’t as difficult to get insurance to cover this kind of thing.

While these are early-stage companies, they aren’t hobbies — though, admittedly, many of their founders are working on them between classes. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear more about them and others from Imagine Cup pulling in funding and hiring in the next year.

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Samsung spilled SmartThings app source code and secret keys

A development lab used by Samsung engineers was leaking highly sensitive source code, credentials and secret keys for several internal projects — including its SmartThings platform, a security researcher found.

The electronics giant left dozens of internal coding projects on a GitLab instance hosted on a Samsung-owned domain, Vandev Lab. The instance, used by staff to share and contribute code to various Samsung apps, services and projects, was spilling data because the projects were set to “public” and not properly protected with a password, allowing anyone to look inside at each project, access and download the source code.

Mossab Hussein, a security researcher at Dubai-based cybersecurity firm SpiderSilk who discovered the exposed files, said one project contained credentials that allowed access to the entire AWS account that was being used, including more than 100 S3 storage buckets that contained logs and analytics data.

Many of the folders, he said, contained logs and analytics data for Samsung’s SmartThings and Bixby services, but also several employees’ exposed private GitLab tokens stored in plaintext, which allowed him to gain additional access from 42 public projects to 135 projects, including many private projects.

Samsung told him some of the files were for testing but Hussein challenged the claim, saying source code found in the GitLab repository contained the same code as the Android app, published in Google Play on April 10.

The app, which has since been updated, has more than 100 million installs to date.

“I had the private token of a user who had full access to all 135 projects on that GitLab,” he said, which could have allowed him to make code changes using a staffer’s own account.

Hussein shared several screenshots and a video of his findings for TechCrunch to examine and verify.

The exposed GitLab instance also contained private certificates for Samsung’s SmartThings’ iOS and Android apps.

Hussein also found several internal documents and slideshows among the exposed files.

“The real threat lies in the possibility of someone acquiring this level of access to the application source code, and injecting it with malicious code without the company knowing,” he said.

Through exposed private keys and tokens, Hussein documented a vast amount of access that if obtained by a malicious actor could have been “disastrous,” he said.

A screenshot of the exposed AWS credentials, allowing access to buckets with GitLab private tokens (Image: supplied)

Hussein, a white-hat hacker and data breach discoverer, reported the findings to Samsung on April 10. In the days following, Samsung began revoking the AWS credentials, but it’s not known if the remaining secret keys and certificates were revoked.

Samsung still hasn’t closed the case on Hussein’s vulnerability report, close to a month after he first disclosed the issue.

“Recently, an individual security researcher reported a vulnerability through our security rewards program regarding one of our testing platforms,” Samsung spokesperson Zach Dugan told TechCrunch when reached prior to publication. “We quickly revoked all keys and certificates for the reported testing platform and while we have yet to find evidence that any external access occurred, we are currently investigating this further.”

Hussein said Samsung took until April 30 to revoke the GitLab private keys. Samsung also declined to answer specific questions we had and provided no evidence that the Samsung-owned development environment was for testing.

Hussein is no stranger to reporting security vulnerabilities. He recently disclosed a vulnerable back-end database at Blind, an anonymous social networking site popular among Silicon Valley employees — and found a server leaking a rolling list of user passwords for scientific journal giant Elsevier.

Samsung’s data leak, he said, was his biggest find to date.

“I haven’t seen a company this big handle their infrastructure using weird practices like that,” he said.

Read more:

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Century Mini Wireless Remote Control Outlet Switch Power Plug In for Household Appliances, Wireless Remote Light Switch, LED Light Bulbs, White (2 Remotes + 5 Outlets) Value Pack - CNET

Century Mini Wireless Remote Control Outlet Switch Power Plug In for Household Appliances, Wireless Remote Light Switch, LED Light Bulbs, White (2 Remotes + 5 Outlets) Value Pack

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Everything you need to know about Google Home - CNET

Here's your guide on where to buy, how to get started, and how to get the most out of a Google smart speaker.

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Nest Hub Max: Google debuts 10-inch Assistant smart display for $230 - CNET

Google's new premium-tier smart display joins the Nest family and adds a camera.

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At Google I/O, Google is working to help traveling parents and people with disabilities - CNET

The experimental tent at the Google developer conference showcased future tech to solve very specific problems of the present.

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Google Assistant gets native controls for a bunch of new devices - CNET

Look for security systems, showers, microwaves, garages and more to work more naturally with your Google Home.

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Google I/O: We break down the highlights and lowlights (The 3:59, Ep. 557) - CNET

From Google Assistant to the budget Pixel 3A, here's everything the search giant announced.

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Google wants you to migrate your Nest account: Here's what you need to know - CNET

Nest and Google joined up under a single brand at Google I/O, and that means changes.

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dbell HD Video Doorbell With Intercom - CNET

This Doorbell Does Double Duty As a Security System

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Tenants win as settlement orders landlords give physical keys over smart locks - CNET

It's good news for tenants who didn't want smart locks and apps tracking their activities.

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The future of Google's smart home starts with a button - CNET

At Google I/O, the search giant showed developers a path toward a faster, more versatile smart home.

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From Google I/O: YouTube how-to videos are about to get way more useful - CNET

Google's developer conference shows a roadmap for making your smart display into a home improvement sidekick.

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Google's new Nest Hub Max smart display has a camera. Can you trust it? - CNET

The new smart display puts a camera that can recognize your face on your countertop. Does it do enough to protect your privacy?

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Google slashes prices on its Home Max, Nest Hub and Google Home - CNET

Google just made huge price cuts to its Google Home smart speakers.

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Google Nest Hub Max: A closer look at Google's bigger smart display - CNET

A 10-inch touchscreen, a Nest Cam, big speakers and more are just some of the highlights of Google's newest smart display.

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Google and Nest combine into a new smart home brand - CNET

The Google Nest brand encompasses all of the old Nest products and Google's smart speakers, smart displays, Wi-Fi and Chromecast products.

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Tell Google Home 'stop' and you can go right back to sleep - CNET

You won't need a wake word to stop Google's timers and alarms from blaring.

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Google Assistant gets to know you better with personalization updates at Google I/O - CNET

A new "Personal references" feature allows your phone and smart speaker to remember extra contact details and make personalized recommendations.

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MagicLight WiFi Smart Dimmable Multicolor Light Bulbs - CNET

MagicLight WiFi Smart Dimmable Multicolor Light Bulbs

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Philips LED Light Bulb on Best Deal - CNET

Philips LED Light Bulb on Best Deal

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SimpliSafe 15%-Off Home Security + Free Camera - CNET

Home security top pick - CNET

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Which smart home gadget should you buy first? - CNET

It depends, but we've got plenty of suggestions, and everything you need to help narrow them down.

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Amazon's Echo speakers are on sale with Black Friday pricing - CNET

With Mother's Day coming up, Amazon has discounted most of its voice-enabled Echo speakers.

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Hyperikon Smart Plug Wifi Outlet and Covers - CNET

Hyperikon Smart Plug Wifi Outlet and Covers

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inkStyle 10W E26 APP Remote Control WiFi Enabled Smart Bulb - CNET

inkStyle 10W E26 APP Remote Control WiFi Enabled Smart Bulb

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Save on Aiwode products - CNET

Save on Aiwode products

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Etsy Q1 revenue misses expectations

Nonetheless, the company's net income increased to $31.6 million, or a 26 cents a share, compared to net loss of $12.9 million, or a penny a share, the year prior.

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OpenShift 4: Red Hat's on ramp for the hybrid cloud

Red Hat's Kubernetes platform, OpenShift, is how Red Hat plans to build hybrid clouds.

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Google's Web Packaging standard arises as a new tool for privacy enthusiasts

Web Packaging will let site owners create signed versions of their pages to distribute via alternative channels.

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Qlik Brazil appoints new country manager

Olimpio Pereira takes up the top role at the firm, vacant since March.

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Uber’s graph expert bears the scars of billions of trips

One of Uber's experts in building knowledge graphs, Joshua Shinavier advises fellow data scientists that "real data is messy, but the fact is, if you want to build an enterprise knowledge graph, you have to deal with it."

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Google Nest Hub Max vs. Amazon Echo Show: Battle of the smart home video hubs

Which video home hub is the best? Google Nest Hub Max or. Amazon Echo Show? In this comparison we look at features, screen resolution, display size, speaker quality and much more to help you choose the right smart hub for your home.

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The best blenders for 2019

Would you rather have a blender that allows you to make a personal breakfast or fresh smoothies for the entire family? Luckily, the best blenders can do both, and then some. Here are some of our current favorites.

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The best Roomba robovacs of 2019

What Roomba model is best for your house? Our list of the best Roomba robovacs will cover different prices, the top smart features, and which bot is right for your floors. Check out the top models for more information.

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Digital Trends Live: Google I/O wrap-up, Lyft and Uber strike, and more

On this episode of DT Live, we discuss the Google I/O conference, the Lyft and Uber strike, Amazon’s New York Go store, Germany’s electric delivery truck highway, Japan’s successful rocket launch, and more.

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As Game of Thrones’ assassins descend on King’s Landing, whose heads will roll?

By the end of The Last of the Starks, various characters are riding to King’s Landing with murder on their minds. Here’s your guide to the riders headed for King's Landing, and who they’re looking to kill.

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The best HD music download sites on the web

Music connoisseurs relish HD audio, but scouring the web for all the best streaming and downloading sites can be a pain. Luckily, we've done the work for you. Check out our list, and let the high-resolution good times roll.

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Workhorse could give a castoff GM factory new life building electric trucks

General Motors could sell an idled Ohio factory to Workhorse Group, a company that specializes in electric vehicles. The factory could go from building compact cars to electric pickup trucks.

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From story to characters, here’s everything we know about Borderlands 3

Gearbox Software has made it clear there's new Borderlands game on the way. Here is everything we know so far, from whether or not the game will be called "Borderlands 3," to potential story information hidden in other games.

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New to investing? These apps and services make it a breeze

Investing isn't as complex as it used to be. Thanks to a new generation of software tools and mobile apps, buying and trading stocks is about as frictionless as it's ever been. If you're interested in investing but aren't sure how to get started, this article will help you find the the perfect tool for […]

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The Bose SoundTouch 300 soundbar is $200 off on Amazon right now

The Bose SoundTouch 300 Soundbar is one of our top soundbar choices for 2019, especially for its sleek overall design. And now, you can pick up this great soundbar for $200 off retail for a limited time.

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Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a: 10 amazing tips and tricks

If you’re hunting for some Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a tips to help you get more from your Google phone, then you’ll find them here. We’ve got tips for shortcuts, camera controls, and more. These also work for the Pixel 3 XL and 3a XL.

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A video doorbell catches a man being attacked by a snake in cold blood

The last thing Jerel Haywood expected when he opened his friend Rodney Copeland's door was a surprise attack by a snake, but Copeland's video doorbell captured the entire event on video.

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