Tag: engadget

3D-printable files of TSA master baggage keys are out for download

If you never trusted your luggage lock much to begin with, then you’re going to warily look at it in suspicion from now on. Some security enthusiasts took that photo of TSA’s master baggage keys that The Washington Post published and turned them into 3D-printable CAD files — in fact, they’ve recently uploaded them on GitHub , making them freely available to everyone. The person who released the files told Wired that while he tried to be as accurate as he could, he didn’t exactly expect the keys to work. Thing is, at least one of them did work: Bernard Bolduc, who describes himself as a “Unix wizard and security geek” on Twitter printed out a key and tried it on his TSA-approved lock. The result? He told Wired it took him one try to open the lock even though the key was made of common PLA plastic using commercially available printer. He didn’t even have to tweak the design in any way. We can assume that the rest of the files can be used to print out keys that can open other types of locks that the TSA uses to check baggage at airports. Sure luggage locks were never really lockpick-proof, but it’s still unfortunate how the agency made it even easier for thieves to open travelers’ suitcases. OMG, it’s actually working!!! pic.twitter.com/rotJPJqjTg — Bernard Bolduc (@bernard) September 9, 2015 [Image credit: Getty/Zoonar RF] Filed under: Misc Comments Source: GitHub Tags: 3dprint, security, tsa

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3D-printable files of TSA master baggage keys are out for download

BlueCross BlueShield hack may have exposed data for 10 million customers

Another week, another major institution falls victim to hackers. This time, it’s New York-based heathcare provider Excellus BlueCross BlueShield : the company says that more than 10 million personal records of its customers were exposed to hackers in an attack it discovered this past August. The company discovered the attack early in the month, but after doing more investigation it turned out that it actually took place way back in December of 2013. The investigation showed that the hackers could have accessed personal information including “name, date of birth, Social Security number, mailing address, telephone number, member identification number, financial account information and [insurance] claims information.” While all of this information could have been exposed to hackers, the company isn’t sure exactly what may have been revealed. The investigation thus far hasn’t shown any evidence of what data was stolen and whether it was used in any nefarious way, but Excellus is still offering its customers the now-commonplace two years of free credit monitoring and identity theft protection. Unfortunately, hacks against healthcare providers are hardly a rarity at this point. An attack on Premera , another arm of BlueCross, was revealed in March of this year, putting the data of 11 million customers at risk. And just a month earlier, Anthem was hacked — the database accessed in that breach contained the info of a whopping 80 million customers, though only a portion of those were believed to have been accessed. [Image credit: Shutterstock] Comments Source: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield , Democrat & Chronicle Tags: BlueCrossBlueShield, hack, healthcare

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BlueCross BlueShield hack may have exposed data for 10 million customers

iOS 9 will be available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch September 16th

An official announcement of new iPhones usually means a release date for the latest version of Cupertino’s mobile operating system as well. Today was no different as Apple announced that iOS 9 would be available as a free download September 16th. When it arrives next week, you’ll be privy to new features like a new and improved Siri , system-level security settings and split-screen multitasking on the iPad (hello, iPad Pro ). Native apps like Maps (now with transit info), Notes and others have also been refreshed, so if you haven’t been adventurous enough to test drive the public beta , there will be a load of new stuff for you to try. And there’s that brand new News app too, serving up personalized content to your devices for reading on the go. To help store all of those newfangled Live Photos , iCloud pricing has been revised to 50GB for 99 cents a month, 200GB for $3/month and 1TB for a $10 monthly fee. If you’re looking to make the switch from Android, Apple’s new “Move to iOS” app will arrive alongside iOS 9 as well to lend a hand moving your stuff over to a new phone/tablet. In terms of compatible devices, the new OS will play nice with iPhone 4s and later, 5th-gen iPod touch and later, iPad 2 and later and iPad mini and later when it arrives in just a few days. Filed under: Software , Mobile , Apple Comments Source: Apple Tags: apple, ios, ios9, iphone, iphone2015, mobilepostcross, software, update

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iOS 9 will be available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch September 16th

Adblock Browser officially launches on iOS and Android

With more than 400 million desktop installations in its pocket, it was only a matter of time until Adblock Plus became available on mobile devices. Eyeo, the company behind the extension, first tested the water back in 2013, but when Google pulled the app, it decided that incorporating its filters into Adblock Browser was the best way to go. After months of testing, the app has finally launched on iOS and Android devices, promising to let users “browse fast, safe and free of annoying ads” on their smartphone or tablet. Like its desktop counterpart, Adblock Browser can block all ads or let users choose to whitelist their favorite sites in order to ensure they continue to receive advertising revenue . It claims to speed up page loads, save data and conserve up to 20 percent of battery life by people choose whether they wish to restrict tracking cookies, malware domains and social media sharing buttons. The launch comes just a day before Apple holds its latest iPhone event, where it’s expected to explain how iOS 9 users will be able to block content from loading in the default browser app. With Adblock’s new browser and Apple backing the use of web filters, more mobile users may choose to block ads and impact the income of online publishers as a result. Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Software , Mobile , Google Comments Via: Adblock Plus Source: Adblock Browser (iOS) , (Google Play) Tags: adblock, adblockbrowser, adblockplus, android, browser, google, ios, mobilepostcross

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Adblock Browser officially launches on iOS and Android

Jawbone’s fitness trackers will track more of your fitness

“Basically, we’re fixing all of the things that people hate, ” is how one Jawbone rep here at IFA 2015 describes this mid-lifecycle update to Jawbone’s range of wrist-worn fitness trackers. When we reviewed the Up3 earlier this year, we described it as a feature-packed disappointment, since while the wearable had potential to be useful, the execution was bungled. That’s why the company has spent the last few months working on a firmware upgrade that, it’s hoped, will make the device much more attractive to new customers. Slideshow-317496 One of the biggest annoyances that we had with the Up3 is that the device only took your resting heart rate when you woke up. The company had originally said that the single daily measurement was the best indication of your heart’s health, but it’s not as useful as continuous or regular tracking. With this new firmware update, the Up3 and Up4, the mobile-payments variant of the Up3 , will now take your passive heart rate during the day. The idea is that whenever you sit down, it’ll see how your heart is holding up every 20 minutes or so. If you’re worried that all of this extra effort will send you racing to the recharge socket, don’t stress — we’re told that the change will have no detrimental effect on battery life. In addition, if you’re rocking an Up2 or an Up3/4, you’ll no longer have to touch the device’s cap (the solid plastic panel) to enter and leave sleep tracking mode. The company believes that now the gear will be able to detect all of that automatically within seconds of you hitting the hay. The only thing that you’ll have to do with the cap now is to tap it to dismiss alarm clock and inactivity alerts. The company has also addressed complaints over the Up2’s strap, which now comes in a rope-style design rather than the full band that was previously available. Meanwhile, the Up3 now comes in new colors like Sand Twist (beige, but the company is saying it’s closer to champagne gold) and Teal. As before, the Up3 is priced at $179.99, while the Up2 with its new lightweight band remains $99.99 and both, as of right now, are available to pre-order from Jawbone’s online store. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub . Filed under: Wearables Comments Source: Jawbone Tags: 2015, Fitness, IFA, IFA2015, Jawbone, SleepTracking, Up2, Up3

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Jawbone’s fitness trackers will track more of your fitness

Pandora’s One Day Pass is 24-hours of ad-free listening for 99 cents

If you find yourself in need of 24-hour access to ad-free music streaming , Pandora now offers an option with its new One Day Pass. For 99 cents, you’ll gain access for the Pandora you know and love without all of the distracting advertisements the free tier includes. This means that for under a dollar, you can switch over to the one-day option for times ( dinner parties , etc.) when you’d rather not have tunes interrupted by the occasional marketing pitch. Pandora’s One Day Pass will be available for listeners in the US Thursday, September 10th through the streaming service’s Android and iOS apps . Filed under: Software , Mobile Comments Source: Pandora Tags: audio, internet, internetradio, mobilepostcross, music, musicstreaming, onedaypass, pandora, software

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Pandora’s One Day Pass is 24-hours of ad-free listening for 99 cents

Root password flaw leaves wireless Seagate drives open to attack

Own a wireless hard drive? Was it made by Seagate ? You’ll want to download an update. Researchers at Tangible security have discovered a vulnerability in certain Seagate wireless drives that could give unauthorized users root access to the device. The flaw? A default username and password that activates undocumented Telnet services. It’s a terrifyingly simple vulnerability. Luckily, the fix is almost as simple — all you have to do is patch your drive’s firmware. Security researchers say the vulnerability can be found in Seagate Wireless Mobile storage, Wireless Plus Mobile Storage and LaCie FUEL drives dating back to last October, but warns that other drives may be affected as well. The report also highlights two other possible attacks that exploit the firmware’s file-sharing protocols. Seagate has already tested and confirmed the flaws, and issued firmware update 3.4.1.105 as a fix. Have a Seagate drive? Why are you still readying this? Click here and update, already. Comments Via: CERT Source: Seagate , Tangible Security Tags:

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Root password flaw leaves wireless Seagate drives open to attack

First 3D map of Earth’s interior shows where volcanoes come from

It’s no secret that Earth’s volcanoes are the result of magma rising through the planet’s mantle, but have you wondered just where those ‘roots’ run? UC Berkeley can provide an answer. It just created the first-ever detailed 3D map of the Earth’s interior by studying the path of seismic waves. The model shows mantle plumes (where the hot rock flows) starting at the bottom of the core-to-mantle boundary and climbing to the top, where they connect to volcanic hotspots in the Earth’s crust. As it turns out, the plumes don’t take a straight path — they often spread out as they merge with the colder upper mantle. It’s also clear that most of the world’s volcanoes (such as those in the Pacific’s island chains) ultimately come from two large “blobs” of hot rock at the core boundary. The model isn’t perfect. It didn’t link plumes to some volcanoes, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park . However, it’s good enough to represent the first hard evidence of magma plumes, and there are promises of higher-resolution maps in the future thanks to gravity-sensing satellites. While it’s doubtful that scientists will ever know as much about Earth’s insides as they do about the top layer, this below- longer as mysterious as it once was. [Image credit: Shutterstock] Filed under: Science Comments Source: UC Berkeley , Nature Tags: ctscan, LawrenceBerkeleyNationalLaboratory, science, UcBerkeley, video, volcano

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First 3D map of Earth’s interior shows where volcanoes come from

Google expands health conditions feature to over 900 illnesses

Google’s health conditions feature is about making it easier to find information about an illness. So, when there’s a local outbreak, or you get early symptoms, you can be better prepared. Mountain View has doubled the number of diseases in its database, bringing the number up to over 900 — including neglected tropical diseases and infections that typically affect people in developing nations. If you do a query for any of those illnesses on either mobile or desktop, you’ll see a quick results panel, which contains info on its symptoms, treatments and prevalence. You can even download the panel as a PDF file that you can print — apparently, that’s the most requested feature among the doctors Google worked with to ensure each condition’s accuracy. Unfortunately, the feature remains accessible only via Google US (that’s Google.com, or the one without a country-specific domain), but the company promises to make it available in more languages in the future. Filed under: Misc , Google Comments Source: Google Tags: google, googlehealth

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Google expands health conditions feature to over 900 illnesses

Here’s the world’s first Ultra HD Blu-Ray player

Samsung has announced the first ( consumer ready ) Ultra HD Bluray player , alongside word that movie studio Fox is already getting its releases ready for the new format. That means 4K movies, yes, but also compatibility for HDR video. Here’s a closer look at the curved player — perfect for that new curved UHDTV, right? Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub . Filed under: Home Entertainment , Samsung Comments Tags: 4k, hands-on, hdr, hdrvideo, ifa, ifa2015, samsung, uhd, uhdbluray, UltraHighDefinition, video

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Here’s the world’s first Ultra HD Blu-Ray player