Virtual reality meets legal reality
The tech world – or at least the virtual reality part of it – is waiting to see how a major lawsuit against Oculus plays out today when CEO Palmer Luckey takes the stand. The court action centers around a complaint by Zenimax Media that Oculus’ products – primarily their signature Rift VR headset – are a result of some stolen technology. Zenimax is no patent troll, either: They own heavyweight video game maker Bethesda Sftwrks
Zenimax also claims that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg knew Luckey – and Oculus – had used pilfered computer code when it paid $3 billion for Oculus in 2014, and they’d like $2 billion in compensation. Zuck took the stand Tuesday and essentially said he thought the whole lawsuit was bogus… but not in those exact words. But the real highlight could be Luckey’s testimony today.
Seen here in an interview with DT back in the early pre-Facebook days of the company, Luckey was the high-profile – and often outspoken – face of Oculus before going into seclusion last year after the Rift headset saw repeated delays, and it was revealed he was a backer of a pro-Trump advocacy group known as Nimble America. According to CNBC, Luckey was in court Tuesday as Zuck calmly testified and reportedly looked “nervous.” We may find out why today.
Hackers limiting out with new Gmail phishing scam
Heads up Gmail users, hackers are using a surprisingly effective phishing scam to get access to your account. Described in detail in a post by Wordfence, a WordPress security plug-in maker, the scam works like this: You get an email from someone you know – who’s been hacked, sadly –and it contains an image of an attachment, maybe even something familiar, like their new puppy.
When you click on it, you’re prompted to sign into your account to view it – except that page doesn’t come from Google. If you fall for it and sign in, the hackers will have full control over your Gmail account and access to all your personal details, password reset, apps and photos, which they will use to hack someone else, almost immediately. Wordfence says the phishing scheme is seeing a “high success rate” so don’t fall for it.
If you see a long string of text in the URL bar at the sign-in page, consider that a red flag you’re about to be hacked. Check out the link here for more details and tips to keep your account safe.
No internet = no driving?
And here’s a tip for you Tesla drivers: be sure to take your KEYS with you. Yes, you can now open and operate your car using the Tesla smartphone app, but if you get out of your car in a cell phone dead zone… you might not get back in.
That’s what happened to one owner when he drove out to take some scenic photos recently and decided to leave his keys at home and just use the app. But after the photo safari, his phone couldn’t connect to the interwebs, and the Tesla app, unable to verify things, refused to open the pod bay doors. The man’s passenger had to walk two miles to call for help, then go get the keys, and then drive them back to the sorta-bricked Tesla.
So, while the day when we won’t need car keys anymore is certainly approaching, for now, we suggest you carry them anyway, or, you know, tape a spare to the back of your license plate. Just in case.
