In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on that it’s almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week. Everything from Yahoo’s huge data breach to everything you need to know about the Apple Car, it’s all here.
Confirmed: A hacker accessed records of more than 500 million Yahoo accounts
Following reports Thursday morning of a massive Yahoo security breach, the embattled internet giant confirmed the worst this afternoon: personal records associated with hundreds of millions of accounts had been compromised in one of the worst cybersecurity breaches this year. According to a statement on a Yahoo FAQ webpage, a “state-sponsored actor” scraped the names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, and passwords associated with more than 500 million Yahoo accounts as recently as 2014.
Alien life? Maybe not, but NASA says there’s ‘surprising activity’ on Europa
NASA will hold a press conference Monday on what is being billed as “surprising evidence of activity” — and the possible discovery of a subsurface ocean — on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. While details are scant, a team of researchers is expected to unveil a set of images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope showing this activity.
Who certified the exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 safe? Samsung did
We consumers are a trusting bunch. We’ll spend hours carefully comparing the specs of two competing products, pore over reviews, and scrutinize images and videos of potential purchases. But do we ever check to see if the product has been certified as safe by an independent third party before hitting the buy button? Typically, we don’t, and it’s a growing problem — just ask the unfortunate Samsung Galaxy Note 7 buyers who discovered that their phones spontaneously combust.
Post-9/11 shatterproof glass likely saved many from injuries in Chelsea blast
The Chelsea bombing that injured 29 people on September 17 might have hurt more, and possibly resulted in fatalities, if not for shatterproof glass. Following the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks, extensive building safety modifications were made in New York City, including the addition of shatterproof glass, according to Popular Science.
Want to watch the presidential debates? Just head over to Twitter
A new deal brokered between Twitter and Bloomberg Television will allow the Twitterverse to view a live-stream of all three presidential debates, the first of which is to take place on September 26. The vice presidential debate featuring Tim Kaine and Mike Pence on October 4 will also be live-streamed, as will the two subsequent presidential showdowns on October 9 and October 19.
Drones, VR, and brisket collide (peacefully) at Digital Trends’ TechPop Drone Show
As hundreds of thousands of pilots can attest, flying a remote-controlled drone is an absolute blast. For 20 fleeting minutes, you get to glide through your city capturing views hitherto reserved for birds and Superman. But unless you’ve paid hundreds of dollars for one, or get to review them like us, you may not have had the privilege of trying one. We’re trying to change that! Digital Trends just launched a pop-up event series dubbed TechPop in its hometown of Portland, Oregon.
You can hack almost any iPhone with just $100 worth of electronics
The FBI made headlines when it paid security contractors an estimated $1.3 million to unlock an iPhone 5C last year, but as it turns out, bypassing the security on Apple’s top-of-the-line headset doesn’t necessarily require a truckload of money — or the expertise of one of the world’s largest law enforcement agencies. A U.K.-based computer scientist demonstrated an exploit that requires no more than $100 worth of off-the-shelf equipment… and plenty of patience.
Think beer can’t get any better? Fizzics’ Waytap device will make you think again
Do you think beer can’t possibly get any better? Well, think again. The technological revolution has brought about some pretty monumental changes, but this might be the most exciting yet for anyone fond of a good brew. Meet the Waytap, a new portable draft beer system from Fizzics that promises to “enhance the flavor of any canned or bottled beer.”
Exclusive: This company has the perfect cure for streaming video
You’re watching Game of Thrones on Sunday night on HBO Go – or trying to anyway. The stream sputters, the audio drops out, it freezes for a few seconds, before the app ultimately crashes. Wait seven days, rinse, and repeat. That’s streaming video today, and the same thing holds true across every popular video event, whether it’s the SuperBowl or an Apple event or the Red Wedding. And this problem is only getting worse – think about the Olympics and the World Cup. Think about cricket, for gods sake.
Apple Car rumor roundup: Here’s everything you need to know about ‘Project Titan’
Over the past several months, questions surrounding the so-called Apple Car have switched from “Will they or won’t they?” to “When will it show up?,” “What will it look like?,” and “Who — if anyone — will it be built with?” Despite the company’s secretive ways — or perhaps because of them — the rumor mill is working overtime for “Project Titan.” To keep our readers in the loop, we’ve compiled all the relevant rumors, evidence, and speculation surrounding the project all in one place.
