Year: 2016

Russian Malware found at Vermont Utility

Dan Uff December 31, 2016 1

(LA Times): Malicious software tied to Russian intelligence agencies has been found on a computer of a small electric utility in northern Vermont, raising concerns of Russian attempts to interfere with critical infrastructure as well as the 2016 presidential race.

The laptop computer was not connected to the electric system, and the malware did not disrupt electric grid operations or compromise customer data, according to the Burlington Electric Department and a U.S. law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity.

The disclosure comes amid rising tensions with Russia over U.S. charges that Russia’s two largest intelligence agencies, known as the GRU and the FSB, conducted an aggressive campaign of cyberattacks that U.S. officials code named Grizzly Steppe.

On Thursday, President Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from Washington and San Francisco, closed two Russian luxury compounds in Maryland and New York, and slapped sanctions on the GRU and the FSB.

How to enable “Announce Calls” on iPhone

Dan Uff December 31, 2016 1

I was in my iPhone's settings the other day and accidentally stumbling upon a setting that I didn't know was there - the ability for an iPhone to actually announce who is calling. This feature can come in handy when in the car, jogging, etc. The device will read who's calling even if the person is not in your contacts.

Here's how to enable it:

Go to Settings > Phone.
Select the Announce Call option.
You'll have four choices: Always, Headphone & Car, Headphone Only or Never.
Each option is self-explanatory.
Select the option you wish.
That's it.

Amazon’s Alexa mishears little boy – comes up with……Porn

Dan Uff December 30, 2016 1

New technology is never perfect,” Alyssa Pereira reports for The San Francisco Chronicle. “Amazon, one of the latest companies forced to reckon with such imperfections in their own products, is now finding itself apologizing to a family for an embarrassing snafu.”

“The family’s parents, who recently bought an Echo Dot equipped with ‘Alexa,’ Amazon’s virtual personal assistant software, were shocked to watch as it tried to serve their child porn,” Pereira reports. “The young boy was attempting to ask Alexa to pull up a game he was calling ‘Digger Digger’ when Alexa misidentified his words, thinking he was asking for something much more, well, mature.”

Here's the video (Adult oriented).

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5p0gqCIEa8]

T-Mobile sends out update to kill Galaxy Note 7 Phones

Dan Uff December 30, 2016 1

(TheBlade.com): Samsung Galaxy Note 7 holdouts will soon have dead phones.

T-Mobile released an update this week to prevent Note 7 users from charging devices, rendering them useless. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint will roll out similar updates the first week of January. The move will force those who have not yet traded in the faulty device to get an alternative.

Samsung announced the U.S.-based battery-killing program this month. Phone carriers killing the Note 7 is the grand finale of the exploding phone debacle that began with a massive recall of Samsung's flagship devices. In September, the company recalled millions of Note 7 phones after a battery issue caused some to catch fire.