Sure, it’s useful to have your digital assistant ready to help you out with just a verbal command to turn it on. But Google was forced to issue a software update recently after some of its new Home Mini devices started waking up thousands of times a day on its own, and recording any and every sound it heard. [More]
i spy
Google Home Mini Starts Waking Up Thousands Of Times A Day, Recording Everything It Hears
By 10.11.17
Without Internet Privacy Rules, How Can I Protect My Data?
By 3.30.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
The FCC’s ISP privacy rule, which would have limited how your internet service provider could collect and use your data without your permission, is effectively dead. The good news is, you do have some tools you can use. The bad news is, they’re not perfect. [More]
DOJ: Russian Intelligence Officers Hired Hackers To Attack Yahoo’s Network
By 3.15.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Back in September, Yahoo confirmed a massive data breach that affected at least 500 million users that dated back to 2014. At the time, the company said it suspected a “state-sponsored” actor did it. The U.S. Justice Department has now brought charges against two Russian intelligence agents, as well as two accused co-conspirators, in connection to the hack attack. [More]
Report: Snapchat Is Working On Some Kind Of Wearable Device
By 3.11.16
Right now, the very nature of Snapchat is ephemeral: an app that allows users to post or send photo and video messages that will eventually self-destruct. But the company may be moving more into the physical realm, according to a new report that says the software company is looking to expand into hardware with some kind of wearable device. [More]
That Guy Holding A Sign On The Side Of The Road Could Be A Cop Looking For Drivers Breaking The Law
By 9.30.15
So you’re stopped at a traffic light, when you see something interesting out the window. Of course, you pull out your phone and snap a photo to let all your friends on social media see whatever crazy thing you just saw — which is exactly what New Hampshire police think you’ll do, in violation of the state’s laws on cell phone use behind the wheel. And sometimes, that spectacle by the side of the road has been staged by law enforcement to catch you in the act. [More]
Report: Match.com Sign-In Security Flaw Could Be Putting Millions Of User Passwords At Risk
By 4.17.15
Sure, love might be in the air — but that doesn’t mean tens of millions of Match.com users’ passwords should be floating around like so many bits of easily grabbed flotsam and jetsam. A new report says that due to an apparent security flaw in the dating site’s log-in process, millions of users are at risk for having their passwords stolen. [More]
NYC Lawmakers Want To Pay People For Submitting Videos Of Illegally Idling Vehicles
By 3.10.15
Getting paid to spy for your government isn’t just something for the movies: In New York City, lawmakers are introducing a bill that would reward citizens who report drivers of idling vehicles and submit a video of the act as proof. [More]
Reminder: TSA Has Magic Machines That Will Find Gun Parts Hidden In A PlayStation 2
By 12.18.14
This just in: X-ray machines used by the Transportation Security Administration have the power to see through plastic — yes, even the plastic used in gaming consoles! — and will be able to detect the presence of things that should not be in your carry-on bag. One traveler recently foiled by the TSA apparently thought all the camouflage needed to hide gun parts was a Playstation 2. [More]
Report: Ikea Paid French Police To Spy On Its Staff & Customers
By 3.1.12
A French newspaper is claiming that those fresh-faced, furniture-loving Swedes at Ikea have been handing cash to police in exchange for files on its staff and customers. The claims say Ikea asked for checks on criminal records, vehicle registrations and more. [More]
Court Says It's Fine That Telecommunications Companies Collaborated With Federal Wiretaps
By 12.30.11
A U.S. appeals court says it’s just fine that certain telecommunications companies cooperated with the National Security Agency by monitoring customers’ email and phones, upholding a 2008 law. This means they’ve got immunity, rendering 33 lawsuits against them ineffective. [More]
House Passes Two Anti-Spyware Measures
By 6.9.07
The House has passed not one, but two cleverly-named measures targeting the miscreants who make and promote spyware. Though the FTC, Justice Department, and several state attorneys general are already empowered to prosecute spyware manufacturers, the two measures would extend existing laws by subjecting spyware makers to jail terms and multimillion-dollar fines.
