It’s a rule of thumb in cybersecurity that the more sensitive your system, the less you want it to touch the internet. But as the US hunkers down to limit the spread of Covid-19, cybersecurity measures present a difficult technical challenge to working remotely for employees at critical infrastructure, intelligence agencies, and anywhere else with…
Tag: Technology
GIFs Are Glorious, GIFs Are Perverse
It’s a memory fit for the mantelpiece: A pair of newlyweds, fresh from the altar, walk between rows of well-wishers, happily ducking the white flower petals being thrown over them. The sunlight falls just so, glinting on the groom’s new ring and tracing a halo around his man bun. But this isn’t actually a snapshot;…
Giant Report Lays Anvil on US Cyber Policy
Today, the US Cyberspace Solarium Commission published its final report. The 182-page document is the culmination of a year-long, bipartisan process to develop a new cyber strategy for the United States. Established by the 2019 Defense Authorization Act, the commission draws its inspiration from one set up by President Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s, as…
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Review: Nearly Perfect, but Too Pricey
I dropped a $1,400 phone on my toe. The weight of the thing was slightly heavier than a billiard ball. Needless to say, it hurt.My grip was compromised because I had been trying different hand positions over the past week just to be able to use Samsung’s Galaxy S20 Ultra, a phone with a 6.9-inch…
The Next Generation of Batteries Could Be Built by Viruses
In 2009, MIT bioengineering professor Angela Belcher traveled to the White House to demo a small battery for President Barack Obama, who was just two months into his first term in office. There aren’t many batteries that can get an audience with the leader of the free world, but this wasn’t your everyday power pouch.…
Flying Car Developers Get a Boost From the Air Force
Though the visions laid out by the developers of new electric vertical-lift aircraft have been fairly mundane so far—air taxis, cargo delivery—it was a matter of time before someone started sexing up those flying car fantasies. How soon before they appear in a Bond film? When will the military get its mitts on them? Though…
Is Your Data Being Collected? These Signs Will Tell You Where
As cities incorporate digital technologies into their landscapes, they face the challenge of informing people of the many sensors, cameras, and other smart technologies that surround them. Few people have the patience to read through the lengthy privacy notice on a website or smartphone app. So how can a city let them know how they’re…
The US-China Feud Makes It Harder to Fight Coronavirus
The novel coronavirus does not respect borders, but they loom large for heads of state and CEOs responding to the global health crisis. Geopolitics as much as public health will determine how the pandemic proceeds and its lasting effects on people and business. Ian Bremmer, president and founder of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, says…
Anthony Levandowski Pleads Guilty to Stealing Waymo Secrets
Anthony Levandowski, the once-lauded engineer who cofounded Google’s self-driving car project and helped spark interest in autonomous vehicles, pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing a confidential Google document shortly before leaving the company. In the agreement, Levandowski agreed to a maximum fine of $250,000 and a maximum prison term of 10 years, though prosecutors expect to…
The Right to Repair Will Help Us Endure Outbreaks
I’ve been thinking a lot about resilience lately. Coronavirus is sweeping the globe, carrying with it supply chain disruptions and fear. My iFixit purchasing team has been trapped in Taiwan since January, waiting for the all clear to go back to work in our Chinese supply chain. The S&P 500 just suffered its quickest correction…