December 6, 2017 – Tech Today w/ Ken May

Woman makes earring to store her two-factor authentication device

Etsy engineer Samantha Goldstein made a small wooden earring to hold her YubiKey 4 Nano , a tiny USB two-factor authentication device. From Motherboard : She laser cut wood and acrylic for the base, and then used sterling silver for the posts. The key slides into the base portion for safe keeping. Goldstein plans to put up a small batch for sale later this week on her Etsy store . “Between my work badge and my phone (and sometimes my computer) I’m lugging around a lot of accessories all the time,” Goldstein told me in a Twitter direct message. “I wanted a way to carry around a Yubikey but not burden myself with one more thing to carry in my hands.” Working late in the labs on these yubikey earrings! eeee! pic.twitter.com/fDto5kSDwZ — *:･ﾟ✧ Samantha ✧･ﾟ:* (@samantha_gold) December 5, 2017

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Woman makes earring to store her two-factor authentication device

Israeli firm Cyberbit illegally spied on behalf of Ethiopia’s despots, then stored all their stolen data on an unencrypted, world-readable website

Researchers from the University of Toronto’s amazing Citizen Lab ( previously ) have published a new report detailing the latest tactics from the autocratic government of Ethiopia, ” the world’s first turnkey surveillance state ” whose human rights abuses have been entirely enabled with software and expertise purchased on the open market, largely from companies in western countries like Finfisher and Hacking Team. (more…)

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Israeli firm Cyberbit illegally spied on behalf of Ethiopia’s despots, then stored all their stolen data on an unencrypted, world-readable website

The new ‘Portal’ game is a ‘Bridge Constructor’ spin-off

Fans have been waiting with little hope for a third entry in the beloved Portal franchise since the second game came out in 2011. It seems Valve has answered their prayers — kind of. Instead of another first-person teleporting puzzle adventure, the next Portal -branded title is a standalone spin-off of the popular Bridge Constructor game . If a marriage of both those franchises is up your alley, snag it for desktop or mobile on December 20th. As the trailer illustrates, the game packs in the endearingly wild physics of Bridge Constructor with the titular teleporting ovals of Portal . Sure, it’s not the Portal 3 everyone really wants, but it’s probably the closest we’ll get since Valve doesn’t really make games anymore (they handed this one off to studios Headup and ClockStone Software). Bridge Constructor Portal will cost $10 for the PC, MacOS and Linux versions and $5 for the iOS and Android apps, all of which come out December 20th. Console editions will follow in early 2018. Via: Ars Technica Source: ‘Bridge Constructor Portal’ trailer (YouTube)

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The new ‘Portal’ game is a ‘Bridge Constructor’ spin-off

Cinemark launches a monthly movie program to rival MoviePass

MoviePass, the $10-per-month movie theater subscription service, was so unexpectedly popular when it launched last August that the company struggled to meet demand. Its success hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially by the competition. Theater chain Cinemark is creating its own service, Movie Club, but with far less generous perks. For a $9 monthly subscription, it grants a single ticket (instead of one every day) but also gives 20 percent off concessions and cheaper bulk ticket rates. In short, it’s a compromise coming from within the movie theater establishment. Movie Club’s lone included ticket is only for 2D films (like MoviePass), the concession discount can be shared with friends and subscribers can buy additional tickets for a discounted $9 each. If you don’t see a film one month, that credit rolls over to the next. Plus, online buying fees are waived. And like MoviePass, there’s no contract, so you can cancel any time. You’ll still be limited to Cinemark’s 350 theaters, while MoviePass boasts over 4, 000 participating cinemas. But if you’re an industry loyalist or just want to build up sweet loyalty points, Movie Club could be for you. Via: Variety Source: Cinemark Movie Club

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Cinemark launches a monthly movie program to rival MoviePass

Marvel is making a scripted ‘Wolverine’ podcast for Stitcher

Marvel is taking Logan to the internet. The comics publisher has entered a partnership with Stitcher to produce a premium podcast starring the razor-clawed mutant called Wolverine: The Long Night . Weapon X will be voiced by Richard Armitage, who has lent his voice to Netflix’s Castlevania series as Trevor Belmont. Of course, he was also Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy . Needless to say, his geek cred stacks up. As for the rest of the production, TechCrunch notes that the 10-episode season finds Wolverine hounded by investigators tracking a serial killer, and that it will debut next spring. This won’t exist on Stitcher’s free service, though. Ben Percy ( Green Arrow , Batman: Detective Comics ) is on writing duties, and the cast also includes Scott Adsit (Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock ) and veteran podcaster Chris Gethard. Sound effects will be recorded in surround sound too, which, combined with the cast, explains why Wolverine: The Long Night will live on Stitcher’s $35 yearly Premium subscription (or $5 per month). After an exclusivity period, it’ll arrive on other platforms next fall. From the sounds of it, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Marvel’s Dan Silver described the podcast to Variety as “the ideal premiere vehicle” and that Marvel will keep exploring the medium. With how well podcasts like Serial , Crimetown and Heaven’s Gate have done, and how comic heroes have invaded pop culture, this seems like an area ripe for expansion — especially given that this is a murder mystery . Wolverine as the star is just the icing on the cake here. Source: TechCrunch

‘Watershed’ Medical Trial Proves Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Reversed

dryriver writes: For those suffering from type 2 diabetes, there is good news. Nearly half of the participants in a watershed trial of a new diabetes treatment were able to reverse their affliction. The method is quite simple — an all liquid diet that causes participants to lose a lot of weight, followed by a carefully controlled diet of real solid foods. Four times a day, a sachet of powder is stirred in water to make a soup or shake. They contain about 200 calories, but also the right balance of nutrients. If the patient can keep away from other foods long enough, there is a chance of reversing type 2 diabetes completely. Prof Roy Taylor, from Newcastle University, told the BBC: “It’s a real watershed moment. Before we started this line of work, doctors and specialists regarded type 2 as irreversible. But if we grasp the nettle and get people out of their dangerous state (being overweight), they can get remission of diabetes.” However, doctors are not calling this a cure. If the weight goes back on, then the diabetes will return. The trial only looked at people diagnosed with diabetes in the last six years. Doctors believe — but do not know with absolute certainty yet — that in people who have had the affliction much longer than that, there may be too much permanent damage to make remission possible. The trial results have been published in the Lancet medical journal. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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‘Watershed’ Medical Trial Proves Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Reversed