Just one day after the publication of leaked records from a Panamanian law firm that specializes in “protecting” the assets of the rich and powerful, we have our first resignation. Iceland’s Prime minister stepped down today in the face of protests from citizens and an upcoming vote of no confidence. He allegedly hid million in an account set up by Mossack Fonseca, which just hemorrhaged almost 3 terabytes of data.
With hangman signs being held by protesters, it’s safe to say things got a little hot for the Prime Minister in typically bucolic Iceland. While Mossack Fonseca officials and those who used the law firm claim they didn’t do anything illegal, that apparently is washing well with the 99 percent. Sports stars, Saudi Kings, Russian mucky mucks and over 70 high-profile politicians worldwide have been connected to the Panama Papers data dump.
Productivity at Digital Trends has taken somewhat of dip recently because employees are fighting each other for facetime with the HTC Vive VR headset. We set up a section of the DT lunchroom to accommodate the system, which includes two external sensors, and computing editor Matt Smith has been hogging the headset and hand controllers for his review of the landmark VR kit.
Verdict? This thing is way too much fun – and it’s just the first generation! Sure, you look a little goofy using it, but Matt’s used to that and says the experience of using the Vive far outweighs any negatives in looking like a drunken mime. Check out Matt’s review of the first truly immersive virtual reality system – along with the best games to try – and then start clearing out that spare room so you can start enjoying this groundbreaking device in private.
Encryption is still a hot topic even though it appears Apple and the FBI have buried the hatchet – for now. Picking up that hatchet is WhatsApp, the Mountain View- based chat app maker that’s owned by Facebook and used by over a billion people worldwide. WhatsApp now says that messages sent with their app are now encrypted end to end, which is news probably not welcomed by those that would like to eavesdrop on who’s saying what on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp’s creators said they started using some encryption on the service in 2013, and after the issue got hot, they started to push for total encryption. Will they also face off with the Feds? We think it’s only a matter of time.
