Tech

Back in May, the US government placed an export ban on Huawei barring US companies (and companies using US-origin technology) from doing business with the Chinese tech giant. Because Huawei still has customers to support in the smartphone and cellular infrastructure business, the US Department of Commerce gave Huawei a 90-day exemption on the ban, allowing it to support its existing customers. That 90-day license was issued on May 20, 2019, so it expires this Monday, August 19. Now what? Reuters, the US Government is just going to kick the can down the road again and give Huawei another 90-day extension to support its customers. Sources tell Reuters the deal is "expected" to be renewed this weekend, pending a call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping Back in May, the department of commerce described the exemption, saying "The Temporary General License grants operators time to make other arrangements and the Department space to determine the … [Read more...] about Report: US expected to give Huawei another 90-day export license

For more than a year, a company called Corellium has been offering hackers a virtual iPhone. For a price, you could summon up a virtual iPhone on your computer, changing the model or iOS version through a simple menu tab. Now, Apple is suing to shut that virtual iPhone down. In a lawsuit first reported by Bloomberg, Apple alleges that Corellium’s virtual iPhone replica infringes on the company’s copyright of iOS and related technology. It would be near impossible to use Corellium’s system as a replacement for an iPhone (it’s not mobile or SIM-accessible, for a start), but it still copies iOS directly, giving Apple grounds for a claim. “The purpose of this lawsuit is not to encumber good-faith security research, but to bring an end to Corellium’s unlawful commercialization of Apple’s valuable copyrighted works,” Apple’s counsel argues in its initial complaint. Some of Apple’s concern over the product may have been what … [Read more...] about Apple sues startup for creating a software copy of the iPhone

A fast-acting hacker could be able to weaken the encryption of Bluetooth devices and subsequently snoop on communications or send falsified ones to take over a device due to a newly discovered vulnerability in the standard. The vulnerability is pretty clever: instead of directly breaking the encryption, it allows hackers to force a pair of Bluetooth devices to use weaker encryption in the first place, making it far easier to crack. Each time two Bluetooth devices connect, they establish a new encryption key. If an attacker gets in between that setup process, they could potentially trick the two devices into settling on an encryption key with a relatively small number of characters. The attacker would still have to perform a brute-force attack against one of the devices to figure out the exact password, but that attack could happen in an achievable amount of time, thanks to this flaw. It seems that most people using Bluetooth devices don’t need to be too worried, though. In order … [Read more...] about Bluetooth vulnerability could expose device data to hackers

Who’s a good boy? Astro, the four-legged seeing and hearing intelligent robodog. Using deep learning and artificial intelligence, scientists from Florida Atlantic University’s Machine Perception and Cognitive Robotics (MPCR) Laboratory are bringing Astro to life. A robotic tail wagger is not exactly new: Boston Dynamics has been honing its all-electric Spot lineup for years. But Astro has a head start—literally. FAU’s quadruped features a 3D-printed noggin (designed to resemble a Doberman pinscher) that contains a computerized brain. He doesn’t just look like a dog, though. He learns like one, too: Astro is being trained via deep neural network to learn from experience and perform real-life tasks. Built-in sensors, radar imaging, cameras, and a directional microphone help ensure that, just like a flesh-and-blood pooch, he can respond to commands like “sit,” “stand,” and “lie down.” Eventually, researchers hope Astro will … [Read more...] about Robot Dog Astro Can Sit, Lie Down, and Save Lives

Apple released the seventh beta of iOS 13 today, and that release contained image files that seem to indicate that Apple will hold its next big iPhone unveiling event on September 10, 2019. A screenshot of iOS in the beta labeled "HoldForRelease" was originally found by iHelpBR but shared on MacRumors and elsewhere. The image includes an iOS Calendar app icon that says September 10 on it. A similar screenshot was found saying September 12 shortly before Apple's iPhone unveiling event last year. That event was held on—you guessed it—September 12. Also this time around, versions of the image with the date on them were found depicting both the iPhone and iPad interfaces. Further ReadingiOS 13: Apple brings Dark Mode to iPhones and multitasking overhaul to iPadsOf course, this date was likely anyway. The current incarnation of Apple almost always holds its iPhone event around the same time each September. The event is commonly in the second week of September and usually on a … [Read more...] about Apple will unveil new iPhones on September 10, leak suggests