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Latest by Andrew Couts

silk road 2 launches fbi drugs marketplace bitcoin

Silk Road hitman story is already scheduled to become a Hollywood film

Author Dennis Lehane has been hired to pen the script about alleged Silk Road founder Ross William Ulbricht, who waits trial in New York.
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Underwater Wi-Fi may soon be a reality because why not?

Underwater Wi-Fi may soon become a reality thanks to researchers from the University of Buffalo.
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Sorry, ‘expectations of privacy’ are lower online, and you should know this by now

What do Google Plus user outrage over Shared Endorsement ads and Reddit's Silk Road community have in common? A misunderstanding of the public Web.
yahoo mail ssl encryption default

Yahoo Mail will finally use SSL encryption in 2014 – but here’s how to get it now [update]

Yahoo says it will turn on SSL encryption by default for Yahoo Mail users starting in January.
leo the homeless coder arrested in nyc for sleeping on a bench

Leo the ‘homeless coder’ arrested in NYC for sleeping on a bench [updated]

Leo, a homeless man in NYC who made headlines for learning how to write code, has been arrested for trespassing in a city park.
your data should belong to you

Is it too late for BitTorrent to shake its seedy image?

BitTorrent's name is synonymous will illegal file sharing – a misconception its executive director of marketing, Matt Mason, hopes to dispel.
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TorSearch makes finding the next Silk Road a lot easier

TorSearch shines a light on the "dark Web" by indexing the Tor network's "hidden services" sites.
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‘Don’t Snoop Me, Bro’ promises total online privacy with the turn of a key

Don't Snoop Me, Bro, a small hardware maker, has launched an Indiegogo campaign to fund production of a VPN device called DSMB Tunnel.
obamacare healthcare gov website cost sites 404

We paid over $500 million for the Obamacare sites and all we got was this lousy 404 [updated]

Healthcare.gov, the primary Web portal for Obamacare's online exchanges, seems to have cost more than $500 million to build. Wait, what?!
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Obamacare website outage forces uninsured to use 1800s technology

Healthcare.gov, Obamacare's primary online exchange, continues to suffer serious performance issues a week after its launch.
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I just turned 30, and Snapchat makes me feel like a silly old man

Snapchat is one of the most popular messaging apps, and for good reason. So why can't I get on board?
Bitcoin

Silk Road supporters are trolling the FBI with Bitcoin

Bitcoin users are giving the FBI an earful by sending bitcoin to the address where the law enforcement agency is keeping its seize Silk Road funds.
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That was fast: 2 sites vie for Silk Road’s criminal customers

Silk Road, the world's largest online black market, was shut down this week by the FBI. But two other sites have risen to become the next 'eBay of drugs.'
wi fi use safe during takeoff and landing says faa panel

Wi-Fi use safe during takeoff and landing, says FAA panel

A special panel created by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has found that it is safe to use Wi-Fi during all parts of a flight.
obamacare healthcare exchanges ios 7 exchange

Obama compares broken online healthcare exchanges to iOS 7

New online healthcare exchanges have buckled under heavy traffic – a temporary problem, according to Obama, who compared the exchanges to iOS 7.
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John McAfee says he can NSA-proof your communications for $100

John McAfee is creating a device called D-Central that will allow us to communicate and share files anonymously. Will this be our best chance at privacy?
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Are Apple’s iOS 7 privacy settings purposefully misleading, or just a mess?

Apple's iOS 7 has a slew of improvements over iOS 6. But its privacy settings are not one of them.
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You may soon be able to use your gadgets during takeoff and landing

An FAA advisory panel has reportedly recommended that the agency lift a ban on using gadgets, like smartphones and tablets, during takeoff and landing.
Vaportini press image

Vaportini is the best way ever invented to get drunk and light your face on fire

The Vaportini offers a unique way to imbibe. But is it worth the money?
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Hacker thieves steal a million Social Security Numbers

ID thieves have infiltrated the networks of three major data brokers, according to a seven-month investigation by security researcher Brian Krebs.
ios 7 does not make your phone waterproof

Fake ad tricks chumps into thinking iOS 7 makes iPhones waterproof

A fake ad for Apple's iOS 7 has apparently tricked some poor saps into thinking the update makes their iPhones waterproof. That, of course, is a big lie.
google removes chrome extensions cookies adid

Google wants to reinvent the browser cookie – should you be thrilled or terrified?

Google reportedly has plans to launch a new advertising tracking technology known as AdID. Here's what that could mean for you.
android_virus

Do not use iMessage Chat for Android – it’s not safe [Updated]

The iMessage Chat for Android app, available through Google Play, has serious security flaws, according to security researchers and developers.
apple touch id body part tests cat paw

Apple iPhone 5S ‘Touch ID’ works with a lot more than just your fingerprints

Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor isn't just for fingers. It also works with cat paws, nipples, and some body parts that we won't even mention.
iPhone 5S Fingerprint Touchid

Don’t be afraid of the big, bad Apple ‘Touch ID’ hack

Chaos Computer Club hackers claim to have bypassed Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S.
Google plane

Of course Google’s founders want to ‘solve death’ – they’re rich!

A new Google-owned company, Calico, has made it its mission to cure death. Sure, it sounds crazy – but it also makes total sense.
iPhone 5s Touch ID confirmation

Sen. Al Franken letter grills Apple’s Tim Cook over Touch ID fingerprint sensor

Sen. Al Franken has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to ask a dozen key questions about the iPhone 5S Touch ID fingerprint censor.
iTunes 11 apple ios ipod

Download iTunes 11.1 beta? You’re missing out on iTunes Radio

If you downloaded iTunes 11.1 beta, you need to update to the final version to get iTunes Radio. Here's how to do that.
Pandora

Pandora revamps iOS app to beat back iTunes Radio competition

Pandora has launched a new version of its iOS app ahead of the release of iOS 7 and its new competitor, iTunes Radio.
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Hated cell phone unlocking ban may be lifted by FCC

A petition by the Obama administration's NTIA may eliminate the federal ban on cell phone unlocking without wireless carrier approval.
verizon headquarters

Is Verizon trying to kill Netflix? It depends who you ask

Verizon is challenging the FCC's Open Internet rules that make net neutrality the law of the land – and if it wins, Netflix could be caught in the sights.
anger social media angry bird

Anger spreads like the plague on social media, study shows

Anger is the most viral of all emotions on social networks, a study of China's Sina Weibo users shows.
Netflix-Reed-Hastings

What’s on, matey? Online piracy helps Netflix decide which shows to buy

Netflix uses online piracy statistics to figure out which shows to add to its Watch Instantly roster.
30 rules for the tech-savvy gentleman

30 rules for the tech-savvy gentlemen

Technology has come to define who we are. It's time to take control, and flip that idea on its head.