FCC’s ‘relentless regulatory assault’ threatens cable industry

BOSTON -- The head of the leading cable trade group feels like the federal government is trying to pick winners and losers.Michael Powell, president and CEO of NCTA, the organization representing firms like Comcast and Cox in Washington, argues that federal regulators have been pursuing policies that would create a two-tier regulatory regime that favors Internet firms over the telecom providers that deliver broadband and cable access services."What I believe is most troubling is an emerging government view that the communication market is bifurcated and should be regulated differently -- Internet companies are nurtured and allowed to run free, but network providers are disparagingly labeled 'gatekeepers' that should be shackled," Powell said in a keynote address at NCTA's annual Internet and TV conference. "The implications of this world view go far beyond how it affects one industry."To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

iPhone 7 said to be ‘more complex’ than previous models

In a general sense, it appears that Apple's effort to double down on product secrecy is paying off. The fact is, it's already mid-May, and we truthfully don't know all that much about the iPhone 7. Sure, we've seen a few reports pass through the rumor mill, but many of those reports seemingly contradict one another, a situation that inevitably brings us back to square one.While it's widely assumed that the iPhone 7 will sport the same form factor as the iPhone 6s and won't be a blockbuster device, a new report out of Taiwan via CNBC intimates that Apple's next-gen iPhone may be more interesting than most people anticipate.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

IDG Contributor Network: How IoT with bio-mimicry reduces indoor air pollution

You may be better off not inhaling—especially when you consider all the airborne pollutants indoors.The EPA estimates that there are over 65,000 chemicals releasing pollutants into the air that are often too small for regular air filters to catch. Mold, flame retardants on carpets, and vapors from synthetic materials are just some of the sources of this type of pollution. For people with breathing difficulties, children, and the elderly, the impact is especially hazardous.Biome's solution is based on bio-mimicry: "innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies.The goal is to create products, processes, and policies—new ways of living—that are well-adapted to life on earth over the long haul. The core idea is that nature has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with. Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers." To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cybercriminals are increasingly embracing a sophisticated business-model approach

Cybercriminals can call on an extensive network of specialists for "business" expertise, including people who train and recruit, launder money, and provide escrow services, according to HPE.The cybercriminal underground includes people who provide human resources functions, like recruiting and background checks, but also specialists who help market and sell exploit kits and compromised data and others who serve as middlemen in anonymous transactions, says The Business of Hacking white paper from Hewlett Packard Enterprise.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cybercriminals are increasingly embracing a sophisticated business-model approach

Cybercriminals can call on an extensive network of specialists for "business" expertise, including people who train and recruit, launder money, and provide escrow services, according to HPE.The cybercriminal underground includes people who provide human resources functions, like recruiting and background checks, but also specialists who help market and sell exploit kits and compromised data and others who serve as middlemen in anonymous transactions, says The Business of Hacking white paper from Hewlett Packard Enterprise.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Quaker Oats threatens to sue actual Quakers for trademark infringement

A gray hat replacing the Locky ransomware payload with a PSA, Windows 10 to double the number of ads after the Anniversary Update, and Quaker Oats threatening to sue actual Quakers for trademark infringement are some of the varied bits and bytes which caught my attention today.New Locky ransomware PSAThe command and control servers for Locky ransomware were previously hacked to show a “Stupid Locky” message instead of locking a victim’s machine, but F-Secure researcher Sean Sullivan discovered “a similar grey hat hack” that delivers a PSA to would-be Locky victims.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Quaker Oats threatens to sue actual Quakers for trademark infringement

A gray hat replacing the Locky ransomware payload with a PSA, Windows 10 to double the number of ads after the Anniversary Update, and Quaker Oats threatening to sue actual Quakers for trademark infringement are some of the varied bits and bytes which caught my attention today.New Locky ransomware PSAThe command and control servers for Locky ransomware were previously hacked to show a “Stupid Locky” message instead of locking a victim’s machine, but F-Secure researcher Sean Sullivan discovered “a similar grey hat hack” that delivers a PSA to would-be Locky victims.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Stealthy malware Skimer helps hackers easily steal cash from ATMs

Security researchers have found a new version of a malware program called Skimer that's designed to infect Windows-based ATMs and can be used to steal money and payment card details.Skimer was initially discovered seven years ago, but it is still actively used by cybercriminals and has evolved over time. The latest modification, found by researchers from Kaspersky Lab at the beginning of May, uses new techniques to evade detection.Upon installation, the malware checks if the file system is FAT32 or NTFS. If it's FAT32 it drops a malicious executable file in the C:WindowsSystem32 directory, but if it's NTFS, it will write the file in the NTFS data stream corresponding to Microsoft's Extension for Financial Services (XFS) service.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Stealthy malware Skimer helps hackers easily steal cash from ATMs

Security researchers have found a new version of a malware program called Skimer that's designed to infect Windows-based ATMs and can be used to steal money and payment card details.Skimer was initially discovered seven years ago, but it is still actively used by cybercriminals and has evolved over time. The latest modification, found by researchers from Kaspersky Lab at the beginning of May, uses new techniques to evade detection.Upon installation, the malware checks if the file system is FAT32 or NTFS. If it's FAT32 it drops a malicious executable file in the C:WindowsSystem32 directory, but if it's NTFS, it will write the file in the NTFS data stream corresponding to Microsoft's Extension for Financial Services (XFS) service.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

911 emergency services ripped by HBO’s John Oliver

It’s definitely a service that’s taken for granted but HBO’s John Oliver this week pointed out that there’s a lot to be concerned about over the nation’s 911 emergency service.On Oliver’s Last Week Tonight HBO show, Oliver said 911 emergency call centers are antiquated, disjointed and in desperate need of funding and new technology. He said everyone should Google “understaffed 911 dispatch and [your town name]” to get an idea of problems near you and nationwide.Watch: The watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office in 2013 wrote about 911 technologies: “The continuing evolution of communications technologies and wireless phones has implications for 911 services. Since 911 call centers predominantly use older, analog-based infrastructure and equipment, the current E911 system is not designed to accommodate emergency communications from the range of new technologies in common use today, including text and picture messaging and Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony (e.g., Skype). In response to changing technologies, the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the Next Generation 911 (NG911) Initiative, which has focused on the research required to develop an NG911 system. With NG911 services, the public could reach 911 call centers through various modes, including voice and data, and transmit multimedia Continue reading

911 emergency services ripped by HBO’s John Oliver

It’s definitely a service that’s taken for granted but HBO’s John Oliver this week pointed out that there’s a lot to be concerned about over the nation’s 911 emergency service.On Oliver’s Last Week Tonight HBO show, Oliver said 911 emergency call centers are antiquated, disjointed and in desperate need of funding and new technology. He said everyone should Google “understaffed 911 dispatch and [your town name]” to get an idea of problems near you and nationwide.Watch: The watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office in 2013 wrote about 911 technologies: “The continuing evolution of communications technologies and wireless phones has implications for 911 services. Since 911 call centers predominantly use older, analog-based infrastructure and equipment, the current E911 system is not designed to accommodate emergency communications from the range of new technologies in common use today, including text and picture messaging and Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony (e.g., Skype). In response to changing technologies, the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the Next Generation 911 (NG911) Initiative, which has focused on the research required to develop an NG911 system. With NG911 services, the public could reach 911 callTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

911 emergency services ripped by HBO’s John Oliver

It’s definitely a service that’s taken for granted but HBO’s John Oliver this week pointed out that there’s a lot to be concerned about over the nation’s 911 emergency service.On Oliver’s Last Week Tonight HBO show, Oliver said 911 emergency call centers are antiquated, disjointed and in desperate need of funding and new technology. He said everyone should Google “understaffed 911 dispatch and [your town name]” to get an idea of problems near you and nationwide.Watch: The watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office in 2013 wrote about 911 technologies: “The continuing evolution of communications technologies and wireless phones has implications for 911 services. Since 911 call centers predominantly use older, analog-based infrastructure and equipment, the current E911 system is not designed to accommodate emergency communications from the range of new technologies in common use today, including text and picture messaging and Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony (e.g., Skype). In response to changing technologies, the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the Next Generation 911 (NG911) Initiative, which has focused on the research required to develop an NG911 system. With NG911 services, the public could reach 911 callTo read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Cisco retools core routing and switching certification to sharpen focus on SDN, IoT

The role of network engineer is changing as companies undergo digital transformations. To keep pace with the changes, Cisco is refreshing its core routing and switching certification to ensure that certified network pros have the right skills as companies move toward Internet of Things, cloud computing, network programmability and policy-based network management.The changes announced today pertain to the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Routing and Switching certification, which is geared for associate-level network engineers. Late last year, Cisco introduced a new framework at the expert level (Cisco Certified Internet Expert, or CCIE) to address the same emerging technologies.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

20 best new iPhone, iPad games

Top-rated gamesAs we head toward summer 2016, it’s time to check in and see how the mobile gaming industry has fared for Apple iOS platforms, the iPhone and iPad. Here’s a look at top rated games issued so far this year, based on App Store user reviews and professional reviewers on Metacritic. We hope you’ll discover a few hidden gems.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Gadget roundup: Personalized charging cables, thermal imaging thermometer, mobile device memory and the coolest alarm clock ever

We’re back from some travel and video work to present you with a bunch of quick reviews for the gadget fan (either you or someone you know). Is there a theme this week? Not really, just a bunch of cool stuff I’ve been playing with recently.The scoop: Toddy Gear personalized Toddy Cable, about $12 (Kickstarter project, other options are available so you can donate more and get more stuff in return) What is it? It’s a Lightning charging cable for your iOS device that has a personalized message on it - whether it’s your name or some other funky design (see photo at the top of this page).To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here