Tag Archives: author_name|Mariella Moon

Wyze camera security issue showed 13,000 users other owners’ homes

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Some Wyze camera owners have reported that they were suddenly given access to cameras that weren't theirs and even got notifications for events inside other people's homes. Wyze cofounder David Crosby has confirmed the issue to The Verge, telling the publications that "some users were able to see thumbnails of cameras that were not their own in the Events tab." Users started seeing strangers' camera feeds in their accounts after an outage that Wyze said was caused by an Amazon Web Services problem. 

Crosby wrote in a post on the Wyze forum that the company's servers got overloaded, which corrupted some user data, after the outage. The security issue that resulted from that event then allowed users to "see thumbnails of cameras that were not their own in the Events tab." Users couldn't view those videos and could only see their thumbnails, he clarified, and they were not able to view live streams from other people's cameras. Wyze was able to identify 14 incidents before taking down the Events tab altogether. 

The company said it's going to notify all affected users and that it has forcibly logged out everyone who've recently used the Wyze app in order to reset tokens. "We will explain in more detail once we finish investigating exactly how this happened and further steps we will take to make sure it doesn’t happen again," Crosby added. 

While the company doesn't have a detailed explanation for what happened yet, its swift confirmation of the incident is a huge departure from how it previously dealt with a security flaw. Back in 2022, cybersecurity firm Bitdefender revealed that in March 2019, it informed Wyze of a major security vulnerability in the Wyze Cam v1 model. The company didn't inform customers about the flaw, however, and didn't even issue a fix until three years later.

Update, February 20 2024, 9:08PM ET: In an email received by Engadget, Wyze admits to affected users that "about 13,000 Wyze users received thumbnails from cameras that were not their own and 1,504 users tapped on them. Most taps enlarged the thumbnail, but in some cases an Event Video was able to be viewed." 

The company went on to explain that this glitch was caused by a mix-up of device ID and user ID mapping, due to a new third-party caching client library struggling to cope with the "unprecedented" data load from client devices rebooting all at once. Wyze promises to prevent this from happening again by adding "a new layer of verification" for connections, and that it'll look for more reliable client libraries to cope with such incidents.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wyze-camera-security-issue-showed-13000-users-other-owners-homes-140059551.html?src=rss

Reddit reportedly signed a multi-million content licensing deal with an AI company

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Ever posted or left a comment on Reddit? Your words will soon be used to train an artificial intelligence companies' models, according to Bloomberg. The website signed a deal that's "worth about $60 million on an annualized basis" earlier this year, it reportedly told potential investors ahead of its expected initial public offering (IPO). Bloomberg didn't name the "large AI company" that's paying Reddit millions for access to its content, but their agreement could apparently serve as a model for future contracts, which could mean more multi-million deals for the firm. 

Reddit first announced that it was going to start charging companies for API access in April last year. It said at the time that pricing will be split in tiers so that even smaller clientele could afford to pay. Companies need that API access to be able to train their chatbots on posts and comments — a lot of which had been written by real people over the past 18 years — from subreddits on a wide variety of topics. However, that API is also used by other developers, including those providing users with third-party clients that are arguably better than Reddit's official app. Thousands of communities shut down last year in protest and even caused stability issues that affected the whole website. 

Reddit could go public as soon as next month with a $5 billion valuation. As Bloomberg notes, the website could convince investors still on fence to take the leap by showing them that it can make big money and grow its revenue through deals with AI companies. The firms behind generative AI technologies are working to update their large language models or LLMs through various partnerships, after all. OpenAI, for instance, already inked an agreement that would give it the right to use Business Insider and Politico articles to train its AI models. It's also in talks with several publishers, including CNN, Fox Corp and Time, Bloomberg says.  

OpenAI is facing several lawsuits that accuse it of using content without the express permission of copyright holders, though, including one filed by The New York Times in December. The AI company previously told Engadget that the lawsuit was unexpected, because it had ongoing "productive conversations" with the publication for a "high-value partnership."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-reportedly-signed-a-multi-million-content-licensing-deal-with-an-ai-company-124516009.html?src=rss

Reddit reportedly signed a multi-million content licensing deal with an AI company

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Ever posted or left a comment on Reddit? Your words will soon be used to train an artificial intelligence companies' models, according to Bloomberg. The website signed a deal that's "worth about $60 million on an annualized basis" earlier this year, it reportedly told potential investors ahead of its expected initial public offering (IPO). Bloomberg didn't name the "large AI company" that's paying Reddit millions for access to its content, but their agreement could apparently serve as a model for future contracts, which could mean more multi-million deals for the firm. 

Reddit first announced that it was going to start charging companies for API access in April last year. It said at the time that pricing will be split in tiers so that even smaller clientele could afford to pay. Companies need that API access to be able to train their chatbots on posts and comments — a lot of which had been written by real people over the past 18 years — from subreddits on a wide variety of topics. However, that API is also used by other developers, including those providing users with third-party clients that are arguably better than Reddit's official app. Thousands of communities shut down last year in protest and even caused stability issues that affected the whole website. 

Reddit could go public as soon as next month with a $5 billion valuation. As Bloomberg notes, the website could convince investors still on fence to take the leap by showing them that it can make big money and grow its revenue through deals with AI companies. The firms behind generative AI technologies are working to update their large language models or LLMs through various partnerships, after all. OpenAI, for instance, already inked an agreement that would give it the right to use Business Insider and Politico articles to train its AI models. It's also in talks with several publishers, including CNN, Fox Corp and Time, Bloomberg says.  

OpenAI is facing several lawsuits that accuse it of using content without the express permission of copyright holders, though, including one filed by The New York Times in December. The AI company previously told Engadget that the lawsuit was unexpected, because it had ongoing "productive conversations" with the publication for a "high-value partnership."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reddit-reportedly-signed-a-multi-million-content-licensing-deal-with-an-ai-company-124516009.html?src=rss

A piracy app outranked Netflix on the App Store before Apple pulled it

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Over the past week, an app called Kimi curiously outranked well-known streaming services, such as Netflix and Prime Video, in the App Store's list of top free entertainment apps. Now, Apple has pulled the application... most likely because it gave users access to pirated movies. As Wired reports, Kimi was disguised as an app that tests your eyesight by making you play spot the difference in similar photos. In reality, it was nothing of the sort and instead contained bootlegged shows and movies, including recent blockbusters and award-winning films. 

Its offerings, however, varied in quality in a way that's familiar to those who used to look for shows and movies online before the advent of streaming services. Kimi's copy of the Emma Stone-starrer Poor Things was apparently grainy and pixelated, while other movies available in high-quality copies had ads blocking the view across the top of the screen. The app was incredibly easy to use: Viewers simply had to download it and fire it up to start watching. It was similar to the now-defunct service Popcorn Time, in that it made pirating movies as easy as watching Netflix. Popcorn Time shut down for good in 2022. 

The company told us that Kimi presented itself as a vision testing platform during the review process. It removed the app from its store, as well as the developer from the Apple Developer program, after discovering its bait-and-switch tactics, a spokesperson told us. They added that Apple has no tolerance for scam apps and applications with hidden or undocumented features. 

Apple prides itself on privacy and safety and on making sure the apps it makes available for download are on the up and up. When it revealed how it would comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), for instance, it said any alternative app store that makes its way to the company's platforms will need to have stringent rules and moderation tools comparable to its own. Apple itself may have to start keeping an even closer eye on its App Store, though. Viewers have been expressing their discontent online on having to pay for too many streaming services to be able to watch what they want to, and it seems like more and more people are turning to piracy again. 

Update, February 16, 2024, 5:08AM ET: This story has been updated to add the information Apple shared with Engadget.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-piracy-app-outranked-netflix-on-the-app-store-before-apple-pulled-it-132013246.html?src=rss

Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 will pick up from where the 90s animated series left off

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Disney+ has released the first trailer for its upcoming animated series X-Men '97, and it feels like a blast from the past for fans of the animated series that aired in the 90s. Its story picks up from where the old series left off, with the trailer showing how the team makes an effort to work together after the death of Professor X who was seriously injured by the end of the Saturday morning cartoon. That means viewers can expect the same roster of mutants from the original show, including Cyclops as team leader, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Beast, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee and Bishop. By the end of trailer, we also get a glimpse of Magneto, who apparently inherited everything Professor X had left behind. 

X-Men: The Animated Series was arguably the best adaptation of the comic books. The new show has a similar look and feel to it, but its animation quality thankfully looks a lot better. It features voice actors already known for the role, including Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm and Cal Dodd as Wolverine, but it also features new ones like Ray Chase as Cyclops. According to Entertainment Weekly, Divergent star Theo James is also part of the cast, but showrunner Beau DeMayo refused to reveal who he's voicing other than saying that it's a "fan-favorite character." Marvel Animation's X-Men '97 starts streaming on Disney+ on March 20 and will have 10 episodes in all. The streaming service has yet to reveal its release schedule, but it typically adds an episode a week for its shows — whether it'll also release an episode every Saturday morning remains to be seen. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/marvels-x-men-97-will-pick-up-from-where-the-90s-animated-series-left-off-082615903.html?src=rss

Marvel’s X-Men ‘97 will pick up from where the 90s animated series left off

Posted on by

Disney+ has released the first trailer for its upcoming animated series X-Men '97, and it feels like a blast from the past for fans of the animated series that aired in the 90s. Its story picks up from where the old series left off, with the trailer showing how the team makes an effort to work together after the death of Professor X who was seriously injured by the end of the Saturday morning cartoon. That means viewers can expect the same roster of mutants from the original show, including Cyclops as team leader, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Beast, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Jubilee and Bishop. By the end of trailer, we also get a glimpse of Magneto, who apparently inherited everything Professor X had left behind. 

X-Men: The Animated Series was arguably the best adaptation of the comic books. The new show has a similar look and feel to it, but its animation quality thankfully looks a lot better. It features voice actors already known for the role, including Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm and Cal Dodd as Wolverine, but it also features new ones like Ray Chase as Cyclops. According to Entertainment Weekly, Divergent star Theo James is also part of the cast, but showrunner Beau DeMayo refused to reveal who he's voicing other than saying that it's a "fan-favorite character." Marvel Animation's X-Men '97 starts streaming on Disney+ on March 20 and will have 10 episodes in all. The streaming service has yet to reveal its release schedule, but it typically adds an episode a week for its shows — whether it'll also release an episode every Saturday morning remains to be seen. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/marvels-x-men-97-will-pick-up-from-where-the-90s-animated-series-left-off-082615903.html?src=rss

Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander begins its multi-day journey to the moon

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Intuitive Machines' Odysseus has started making its way to the moon and could make history as the first privately built lander to touch down on the lunar surface. The lander was ferried to space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket using a booster that already had 17 flights under its belt before this one and could even fly again in the future, seeing as it had safely returned to Earth on the company's Landing Zone 1. Both SpaceX and Intuitive Machines have confirmed that Odysseus has successfully been deployed and has started its multi-day journey to the moon. 

To be exact, Intuitive Machines has set its sights on the Malapert A crater near the moon's south pole as Odysseus' landing site. The spacecraft can operate for around 14 Earth days when powered by sunlight, but the company is hoping for touchdown to take place by February 22. Odysseus, the first of the Nova-C type landers Intuitive Machines is planning to launch this year, is carrying five NASA payloads in addition to commercial cargo. 

The mission's objectives include demonstrating precision landing and testing certain communication and navigation node capabilities. It will also observe how rocket plumes and space weather interact with the lunar surface. IM-1 was one of the missions NASA had chosen to take its scientific instruments to the moon over the next few years as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The first of the CLPS missions to take off was Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission 1, which unfortunately experienced an anomaly that prevented the lander from pointing its solar panels at the sun and caused it to leak propellant. Peregrine never made it to the moon and ended its journey by burning up in the Earth's atmosphere upon reentry. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intuitive-machines-lunar-lander-begins-its-multi-day-journey-to-the-moon-113535550.html?src=rss

Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander begins its multi-day journey to the moon

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Intuitive Machines' Odysseus has started making its way to the moon and could make history as the first privately built lander to touch down on the lunar surface. The lander was ferried to space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket using a booster that already had 17 flights under its belt before this one and could even fly again in the future, seeing as it had safely returned to Earth on the company's Landing Zone 1. Both SpaceX and Intuitive Machines have confirmed that Odysseus has successfully been deployed and has started its multi-day journey to the moon. 

To be exact, Intuitive Machines has set its sights on the Malapert A crater near the moon's south pole as Odysseus' landing site. The spacecraft can operate for around 14 Earth days when powered by sunlight, but the company is hoping for touchdown to take place by February 22. Odysseus, the first of the Nova-C type landers Intuitive Machines is planning to launch this year, is carrying five NASA payloads in addition to commercial cargo. 

The mission's objectives include demonstrating precision landing and testing certain communication and navigation node capabilities. It will also observe how rocket plumes and space weather interact with the lunar surface. IM-1 was one of the missions NASA had chosen to take its scientific instruments to the moon over the next few years as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The first of the CLPS missions to take off was Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission 1, which unfortunately experienced an anomaly that prevented the lander from pointing its solar panels at the sun and caused it to leak propellant. Peregrine never made it to the moon and ended its journey by burning up in the Earth's atmosphere upon reentry. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intuitive-machines-lunar-lander-begins-its-multi-day-journey-to-the-moon-113535550.html?src=rss

SpaceX moves its legal home to Texas from Delaware

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Elon Musk has started moving his businesses away from Delaware, following a judge's decision in the state to invalidate his $56 billion Tesla pay package. In a post on X, Musk has announced that SpaceX has moved its corporate home from Delaware to Texas, along with a copy of the certificate of conversion it received from the Texas Secretary of State. "If your company is still incorporated in Delaware, I recommend moving to another state as soon as possible," the executive added. 

As Bloomberg notes, he also moved Neuralink's business from Delaware to Nevada on February 8, shortly after he revealed that the company implanted its brain chip into a human patient for the first time. With that change in location, Neuralink joined another company Musk controls in the state: X, which he also moved from Delaware, when he changed its name from Twitter in 2023. 

Back when the court's decision to toss out his Tesla compensation package came out, Musk posted a series of tweets airing his grievances against the state. In one post, he polled people on whether Tesla should change its legal corporate home to Texas. "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware," he wrote in another post. "I recommend incorporating in Nevada or Texas if you prefer shareholders to decide matters," Musk added. 

Unlike SpaceX and Neuralink, though, it will likely take a while for Tesla to move its incorporation. Musk still has to take a vote from shareholders on whether the company should move its legal home. It's worth noting that both Tesla and SpaceX already have a massive presence in The Lone Star State. Tesla moved its physical headquarters to Texas from California due to the latter's COVID-19 safety measures. It also has a Gigafactory in the state, which produces the company's vehicles, including the Cybertruck. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Starbase, a production and launch facility for its Starship vehicles, is located in Boca Chica, Texas. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spacex-moves-its-legal-home-to-texas-from-delaware-073217793.html?src=rss

A piracy app outranked Netflix on the App Store before Apple pulled it

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Over the past week, an app called Kimi curiously outranked well-known streaming services, such as Netflix and Prime Video, in the App Store's list of top free entertainment apps. Now, Apple has pulled the application... most likely because it gave users access to pirated movies. As Wired reports, Kimi was disguised as an app that tests your eyesight by making you play spot the difference in similar photos. In reality, it was nothing of the sort and instead contained bootlegged shows and movies, including recent blockbusters and award-winning films. 

Its offerings, however, varied in quality in a way that's familiar to those who used to look for shows and movies online before the advent of streaming services. Kimi's copy of the Emma Stone-starrer Poor Things was apparently grainy and pixelated, while other movies available in high-quality copies had ads blocking the view across the top of the screen. The app was incredibly easy to use: Viewers simply had to download it and fire it up to start watching. It was similar to the now-defunct service Popcorn Time, in that it made pirating movies as easy as watching Netflix. Popcorn Time shut down for good in 2022. 

The company told us that Kimi presented itself as a vision testing platform during the review process. It removed the app from its store, as well as the developer from the Apple Developer program, after discovering its bait-and-switch tactics, a spokesperson told us. They added that Apple has no tolerance for scam apps and applications with hidden or undocumented features. 

Apple prides itself on privacy and safety and on making sure the apps it makes available for download are on the up and up. When it revealed how it would comply with the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), for instance, it said any alternative app store that makes its way to the company's platforms will need to have stringent rules and moderation tools comparable to its own. Apple itself may have to start keeping an even closer eye on its App Store, though. Viewers have been expressing their discontent online on having to pay for too many streaming services to be able to watch what they want to, and it seems like more and more people are turning to piracy again. 

Update, February 16, 2024, 5:08AM ET: This story has been updated to add the information Apple shared with Engadget.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-piracy-app-outranked-netflix-on-the-app-store-before-apple-pulled-it-132013246.html?src=rss