It’s been a while since Konami teased Silent Hill f, a mainline game in the franchise that’s set in 1960s rural Japan instead of the titular town. Now, the publisher has released a full trailer for the much-awaited game at an online event livestreamed on YouTube. Konami’s Motoi Okamoto, who’s in charge of the Silent Hill franchise, said the theme of the game is finding “beauty in terror,” which is common in Japanese horror. He explained that when something is too beautiful and perfect, it becomes deeply unsettling. Okamoto said the developers wanted to examine how the elements of beauty and terror can co-exist in a psychological horror story.

Indeed, the world of Silent Hill f is beautiful, even during moments that are supposed to be terrifying. It’s set in the fictional town of Ebisugaoka based on the town of Kanayama, Gero in Gifu, which is mostly made up of mountains and forest. In the game, you play as high school student Shimizu Hinako who has to solve puzzles and confront monsters to survive after her hometown was consumed by a fog that transformed it into a grotesque copy of the real world. The game’s setting was mostly imagined by Ryukishi07 known for the When They Cry visual novel horror and murder mystery series. 

Silent Hill f doesn’t have a release date yet, but it will be available on the Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/silent-hill-f-trailer-shows-the-games-beautiful-backdrop-and-unsettling-mood-123024347.html?src=rss

HP CEO Wins JUST Capital’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Enrique Lores, the CEO of HP Inc., has been honored with the prestigious JUST Capital Lifetime Achievement Award. His remarkable journey from an intern to the leader of one of the world’s most innovative technology companies is a testament to his dedication, talent and unwavering commitment to excellence.

Lores began his illustrious career at HP as an intern, a position that allowed him to gain a deep understanding of the company’s culture and values. Over the years, he climbed the corporate ladder, taking on various roles that showcased his strategic vision and leadership abilities. Today, as CEO, he continues to embody the principles that have made HP a cornerstone of the tech industry.

HP History

Since its inception, HP Inc. has focused on three core audiences: employees, customers and stockholders. This triad of priorities has been the foundation of the company’s success, fostering a culture of innovation, customer satisfaction and shareholder value. Lores’ long tenure at the company has deeply tied him to these ideals, making him an exemplary leader who understands and upholds HP’s commitment to its stakeholders.

Under Lores’ leadership, HP has flourished, becoming one of the best companies to work for, invest in and buy from. His vision has driven the company to new heights, emphasizing sustainability, diversity and inclusion. These efforts have not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by HP Inc.’s high ranking in the JUST Capital top companies list, where it stands second only to HPE.

What Sets Enrique Lores Apart

What sets Enrique Lores apart as a CEO is not just his professional achievements but his personal qualities. Despite his high-ranking position, he remains an unusually approachable and humble leader. His warmth and friendliness have earned him a reputation as one of the most down-to-earth CEOs in the industry. Employees at all levels feel comfortable approaching him, knowing that their feedback and concerns will be met with genuine interest and understanding.

This approachable demeanor extends beyond the walls of HP. Lores is known for his active engagement with customers and stockholders, ensuring that their voices are heard and their needs are met. His ability to connect with people on a personal level has fostered a sense of trust and loyalty that permeates every aspect of HP’s operations.

In addition to his interpersonal skills, Lores is a visionary leader who has steered HP through some of its most challenging times. His strategic initiatives have not only stabilized the company but also propelled it forward, positioning HP as a leader in sustainability and social responsibility. His commitment to these principles is reflected in HP’s numerous accolades and awards, further solidifying its reputation as a pioneer in the tech industry.

A Fitting Award

Enrique Lores’ recognition with the JUST Capital Lifetime Achievement Award is a fitting tribute to his exceptional career and his contributions to HP. His journey from intern to CEO is an inspiring example of what can be achieved through hard work, dedication and a steadfast commitment to one’s values. Lores has not only led HP to success but has also set a benchmark for ethical leadership in the corporate world.

As someone who has had the privilege of knowing Enrique Lores personally, I can attest to his character and competence. He is truly one of the most caring and capable individuals I have ever met, and his leadership style embodies the very best of what a CEO should be. His dedication to his employees, customers and stockholders is unwavering, and his ability to balance these priorities with grace and humility is truly remarkable.

Wrapping Up

Enrique Lores is a deserving recipient of the JUST Capital Lifetime Achievement Award. His journey at HP is a testament to his exceptional leadership and commitment to the company’s core values. Under his guidance, HP has become a beacon of innovation, sustainability and inclusivity, setting new standards for excellence in the tech industry. I believe that Enrique Lores is not only an outstanding CEO but also one of the most genuine and caring individuals I know. His recognition with this award is a well-deserved honor that celebrates his remarkable contributions to HP and the broader business community.

The DJI Power 1000 portable power station is capable of 2200W output and dropped in price by 58%.

The company behind Roomba robovacs told investors earlier this week that revenue was substantially down and it’s struggling to pay its debts. Amazon was briefly tapped to acquire the robot company iRobot, but the threat of a European Commission investigation led to the retailer terminating the deal — apparently happy enough to pay off the $94 million termination fee.

That, however, isn’t enough to tackle the $200 million loan iRobot took out to survive long enough for Amazon to come to the rescue. It’s extra rough when the company announced, just the week before, a bunch of new models, including a new Roomba that can compact debris and dust, so it only needs to be emptied every few weeks.

At the same time, rival robot vacuum cleaners are getting more versatile, more complicated and more intriguing. This year’s CES had a standout barrage of new robovacs that can multitask and even pack robot arms inside, like something from a cartoon.

But many of these devices haven’t yet launched in earnest, while iRobot has delivered solid floor cleaners for years. Hopefully, it can continue that run.

— Mat Smith

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Apple Mac Studio M4 Max review

A creative powerhouse.

Engadget

The Mac Studio is Apple’s ultimate performance computer, and that’s true with either an M4 Max or an M3 Ultra processor. It might seem like a step backward, but the M3 Ultra is indeed Apple’s best-performing processor. But it comes at a cost. The M3 Ultra starts at $4,000 and goes up from there if you want to boost other specs to match it. We tested the M4 Max model — the one most people will want as the base configuration is half the price. Read on for our review, but it’s a solid proposition for creators.

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Microsoft might finally be getting into handhelds

With a PC maker partner.

A report from Windows Central says Microsoft is partnering with a PC maker to create a portable device, codenamed Keenan. It would feature Xbox design elements, likely run Windows 11 and could be revealed this year.

The plan may be to simplify Windows for handheld use, potentially with a launcher or console-like interface — one of the major pain points on handheld gaming PCs, and something SteamOS and Steam Decks largely avoid.

Jason Ronald, VP of Next Generation at Microsoft, hinted at these projects at CES earlier this year. He said Microsoft wants to bring “the best of Xbox and Windows together” and hinted there would be more to share later this year.

Continue reading.

PlayStation experiments with AI-powered characters you can talk to

They may even offer contextual hints to improve your chances.

Sony

An internal video from Sony’s PlayStation group was leaked to The Verge, demonstrating an AI-powered version of Aloy, the Horizon game series’ protagonist.

Aloy was able to both narrate and converse with the presenter as you play the game. The character could also respond in real-time to questions, with a synthesized voice that matched facial animations. The face-to-face chat between the presenter and the on-screen character wasn’t super remarkable, but Aloy’s running commentary was a little more intriguing. She could explain enemies typically found in the surrounding area and flag her own health levels and that she’s under attack.

Unfortunately, the video was pulled offline, but with GDC around the corner, hopefully, Sony will have more to share soon.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121544992.html?src=rss

Welcome to Edition 7.35 of the Rocket Report! SpaceX’s steamroller is still rolling, but for the first time in many years, it doesn’t seem like it’s rolling downhill. After a three-year run of perfect performance—with no launch failures or any other serious malfunctions—SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket has suffered a handful of issues in recent months. Meanwhile, SpaceX’s next-generation Starship rocket is having problems, too. Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s vice president of launch, addressed some (but not all) of these concerns in a post on X this week. Despite the issues with the Falcon 9, SpaceX has maintained a remarkable launch cadence. As of Thursday, SpaceX has launched 28 Falcon 9 flights since January 1, ahead of last year’s pace.

As always, we welcome reader submissions. If you don’t want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on the calendar.

Alpha rocket preps for weekend launch. While Firefly Aerospace is making headlines for landing on the Moon, its Alpha rocket is set to launch again as soon as Saturday morning from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The two-stage, kerosene-fueled rocket will launch a self-funded technology demonstration satellite for Lockheed Martin. It’s the first of up to 25 launches Lockheed Martin has booked with Firefly over the next five years. This launch will be the sixth flight of an Alpha rocket, which has become a leader in the US commercial launch industry for dedicated missions with one-ton-class satellites.

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These days, we all could use a bit of quiet time away from the rise and grind. That’s where meditation comes in. This practice may not be the ultimate cure-all for everything that ails you like some claim, but it can still help with sleep, stress, mood and focus. I’ve been meditating most of my adult life, with varying degrees of regularity, and I’ve tried plenty of different techniques. I’ve done silent retreats. I’ve done transcendental meditation (RIP David Lynch.) I’ve followed along in crowded rooms. This is something well worth your time and effort.

This is where meditation apps can come into play. Of course, practicing mindfulness doesn’t require an app; people have been doing it for thousands of years, with nary a smartphone in sight. But mindfulness apps can be useful in a number of ways. They provide access to all kinds of guided meditations to suit different styles. Some even offer social connections, which can motivate you to keep up your practice via the magic of peer pressure. They are also particularly well-suited to beginners, with many of them offering a free trial. With all of this in mind, I downloaded some of the most popular meditation apps and set about sitting calmly on a comfortable chair to test them out. What follows is a comparison aimed at real people just looking to squeeze a bit more joy and relaxation out of daily life.

How we tested meditation apps

Every brain is different, so I did not rate these apps based on if they sync up with my preferred meditation style. First and foremost, I looked for apps that cater to various methods and those that offer guided meditations that go beyond what’s free on YouTube. All of the items on this list are available on both Android and iOS, so you won’t have to worry about something being only for iPhone owners.

Of course, there’s lots of free stuff out there, from podcasts and videos on YouTube to audio tracks on streaming services. You can even find guided breathing sessions on an Apple Watch or Fitbit, as well as meditations in Fitness+, Samsung Health or any number of workout video providers. For this guide, I focused on apps that stood out in some way. I liked apps with huge libraries of guided meditations and those that offer additional mindfulness activities, like yoga routines. I also looked for easy-to-use apps with well-designed layouts. You don’t want to start your meditation journey with a clunky app that actually increases anxiety.

The most important thing with meditation is to keep doing it, so I awarded points for clever gamification elements, simple social network integration and anything else that encourages repeat visits. Finally, I considered extra features that set an app apart from the glut of competitors out there. For example, some meditation apps offer novel ways to track your progress, access to yoga routines and a whole lot more.

At the end of the day, each of these apps has its strengths. But if installing an app or using a device is not how you prefer to meditate, you can always turn off your phone and find a quiet room or environment. For those of us who need a little help from a digital guru, though, here are our favorite apps for meditation.

Other meditation gear we tested

Brain-tracking wearables have been around for years, but there are some newer devices that have been tailor-made for meditators. These gadgets track the brain during meditations and offer real-time feedback. It’s a real boon for the data-obsessed, but also a real bank account drainer, with some gadgets costing thousands of dollars. I took two of the more-popular options for a spin to see what they’d make of my brain.

Sens.ai Neurofeedback System

Sens.ai is a weird contraption that not only claims to track brainwaves, but gives real-time feedback to “teach” people how to meditate and enter a flow state. The device involves a giant headset that’s stuffed with brainwave sensors that detect beta, alpha, theta and gamma waves, in addition to heart-rate sensors. It also comes with a truly bizarre companion gadget that uses light stimulation (transcranial photobiomodulation) to keep an eye on focus and attention levels. The whole thing is combined with an app that keeps track of dozens of data metrics and allows access to various guided meditations.

I’m as surprised as you to say that this thing appears to work, with some caveats. It’s uncanny how well it monitors the brain during meditations. If I got lost in a thought spiral about lasagna at six minutes in, sure enough, there would be a dip in analytics at the six-minute mark. It’s also fairly easy to use, despite a process that involves wetting a number of electrodes. As magical as the accurate brain-tracking seems to be, however, I wasn’t as keen on the actual training portion, which often involves staring at a screen throughout the entirety of the practice. It’s also not for the financial faint of heart, as the Sens.ai device costs $1,500.

NeoRhythm Omnipemf

NeoRhythm’s Omnipemf is another wearable to help people get into that ever-elusive flow state. It doesn’t track your brain, but rather floods it with electromagnetic fields at specific frequencies to make it more susceptible to meditation and focus. This is supposed to prime your brain for the meditative state and, in theory, make it easier to capture that zen. However, I didn’t get much from it, other than a placebo-esque buzzing in my head.

To use it, you simply pop on the wearable and go about your day. You aren’t tied to an app, so you can meditate in whatever way you like. There are multiple modes that go beyond meditation, as this thing is supposed to help with focus, pain relief and sleep. I’d wait for some peer-reviewed studies, however, before buying this.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/best-meditation-app-140047993.html?src=rss

When RCS messaging became available on the iPhone with the rollout of iOS 18, the technical director of the GSM Association teased that the next major milestone for the messaging standard is the addition of interoperable end-to-end encryption. Now, six months later, GSMA has released an updated set of specifications for RCS messaging, which includes end-to-end encryption (E2EE) based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol. The new RCS profile will ensure that messages and files remain safe and confidential when sent between iOS and Android devices. 

“…RCS will be the first large-scale messaging service to support interoperable E2EE between client implementations from different providers. Together with other unique security features such as SIM-based authentication, E2EE will provide RCS users with the highest level of privacy and security for stronger protection from scams, fraud and other security and privacy threats,” said Tom Van Pelt, the Technical Director of GSMA. RCS, or Rich Communication Services, gives people a way to send images, videos and audio clips to each other through text across different platforms. Google’s implementation of RCS has had default end-to-end encryption for both one-on-one and group chats since early 2024, but only if all participants are using Google Messages with RCS chats turned on. Meanwhile, iMessages are already protected by E2EE.

In a statement sent to 9to5Mac, Apple said that it was “pleased to have helped lead a cross industry effort to bring end-to-end encryption to the RCS Universal Profile published by the GSMA.” It also vowed to add support to end-to-end encryption to iOS, iPadOS, macOS and watchOS “in future software updates.” Without a definite timeframe, it’s hard to say when Apple is rolling out an update to support the security feature, but when it does, it will prevent third parties from intercepting and accessing potentially sensitive and private messages. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/rcs-messaging-adds-end-to-end-encryption-between-android-and-ios-120020005.html?src=rss

It’s both a great and bad week for Apple. In this episode, we dive into Devindra’s review of the excellent M4-equipped MacBook Air (and briefly chat about the new Mac Studio). We also discuss Apple’s surprise announcement that it’s delaying its smarter, AI-infused Siri, which may not arrive until next year. Did Apple over-promise last year, or is it wise to hold off on advanced AI features until they’re ready? After all, Apple doesn’t want a fiasco like Microsoft’s Recall announcement.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

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Topics

• The MacBook Air M4 refresh maintains Apple’s seat on the ultraportable throne – 1:40

• …but the delay on a Siri upgrade could spell trouble long-term – 15:32

• Xbox’s first handheld might not be made by Microsoft – 34:29

• The White House turns into a Tesla dealership – 41:30

• Meta attempts to block unflattering expose book already on sale – 45:52

• Around Engadget: Ninja Swirl and Eero Pro 7 router reviews – 46:38

• Working on – 49:21

• Pop culture picks – 50:26

Credits 

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/engadget-podcast-macbook-air-m4-review-apple-delays-smarter-siri-113018766.html?src=rss

Back in 2020, when the COVID pandemic was still new, everyone was “sheltering in place” and bingeing films and television. Pandemic-related fare proved especially popular, including the 1995 medical disaster-thriller Outbreak, starring Dustin Hoffman. Chalk it up to morbid curiosity, which some researchers have suggested is an evolved response mechanism for dealing with threats by learning from imagined experiences. Outbreak turned 30 this week, making this the perfect time to revisit the film.

(Spoilers for Outbreak abound below.) 

Outbreak deals with the re-emergence of a deadly virus called Motaba, 28 years after it first appeared in an African jungle, infecting US soldiers and many others. The US military secretly destroyed the camp to conceal evidence of the virus, a project overseen by Major General Donald McClintock (Donald Sutherland) and Brigadier General William Ford (Morgan Freeman). When it re-emerges in Zaire decades later, a military doctor, Colonel Sam Daniels (Hoffman), takes a team to the afflicted village to investigate, only to find the entire town has died.

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Climate change and bird flu are already driving up food prices. Trump’s tariffs are about to make it even worse.

Nubeo’s limited edition Atari Asteroids watch respects the manic nature of high-stakes arcade gaming.

Apple released a new version of the basic $349 iPad this week, though you could be forgiven for not noticing. The new 11th-generation iPad (also known as the “iPad (A16)” or just plain-old “iPad”) looks identical to the previous version, it was introduced in a single paragraph buried in the middle of an iPad Air announcement, and the company didn’t offer to send any to reviewers. The one I have I bought myself for our 5-year-old, whose hand-me-down 2019 iPad Air 3 is slightly older than he is and a little worse for wear.

There’s nothing exciting or even particularly interesting about this tablet. The design is recycled from 2022’s 10th-generation iPad, which was itself a lower-rent version of the 2020 iPad Air design. It’s powered by a variant of the Apple A16, originally an iPhone chip from 2022. It still doesn’t support the regular Apple Pencil or Pencil Pro or the same keyboard accessories as other iPads. It still doesn’t have an anti-reflective screen coating, and the screen doesn’t feel as nice to use as an iPad Air’s or Pro’s.

But for all that, this is still probably the purest expression of what the iPad is: a cheap Internet-connected screen for reading and watching things. I say this as someone who has tried every new piece of hardware and software that Apple has introduced to try and make the iPad a powerful and versatile laptop replacement—it still feels like trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole. The more expensive iPads are nice, but I don’t end up using them much differently from how I use this bare-bones tablet.

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A new study lends credence to the radical idea that our universe sits within a black hole.

Breakthrough Energy, the climate group founded by Bill Gates, has laid off dozens of employees in the U.S. and Europe, eliminating its public policy and partnerships teams as it shifts away from advocacy work. Its investment and grantmaking divisions will remain unaffected. The Detroit News reports: Breakthrough Energy is an umbrella organization founded by Gates that houses various initiatives aimed at accelerating the clean energy transition. It also encompasses Breakthrough Energy Ventures, one of the biggest investors in early-stage climate technologies with stakes in more than 120 companies, as well as a grantmaking program for early-seed stage company founders and Breakthrough Catalyst, a funding platform focused on emergent climate technologies. None of those divisions of the group were impacted by cuts, which were reported earlier by the New York Times.

[…] “In the United States especially, the conversation about climate has been sidetracked by politics,” Gates wrote in the introduction to his 2021 book. “Some days, it can seem as if we have little hope of getting anything done.” The climate pullback is happening at the same time as the US cuts foreign aid, a field where Gates is also a major donor. His nonprofit, the Gates Foundation, operates with a budget of billions and has a strong focus on overseas development. “Bill Gates remains as committed as ever to advancing the clean energy innovations needed to address climate change,” a Breakthrough Energy spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “His work in this area will continue and is focused on helping drive reliable affordable, clean energy solutions that will enable people everywhere to thrive.”

On Wednesday, the EPA announced the agency will “undertake 31 historic actions in the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history…”

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A new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research Planets reveals that atmospheric gravity waves play a crucial role in driving latitudinal air currents on Mars, particularly at high altitudes. Phys.Org reports: The study applied methods developed to explore Earth’s atmosphere to quantitatively estimate the influence of gravity waves on Mars’ planetary circulation. […] “On Earth, large-scale atmospheric waves caused by the planet’s rotation, known as Rossby waves, are the primary influence on the way air circulates in the stratosphere, or the lower part of the middle atmosphere. But our study shows that on Mars, gravity waves (GWs) have a dominant effect at the mid and high latitudes of the middle atmosphere,” said Professor Kaoru Sato from the Department of Earth and Planetary Science. “Rossby waves are large-scale atmospheric waves, or resolved waves, whereas GWs are unresolved waves, meaning they are too fine to be directly measured or modeled and must be estimated by more indirect means.”

Not to be confused with gravitational waves from massive stellar bodies, GWs are an atmospheric phenomenon when a packet of air rises and falls due to variations in buoyancy. That oscillating motion is what gives rise to GWs. Due to the small-scale nature of them and the limitations of observational data, researchers have previously found it challenging to quantify their significance in the Martian atmosphere. So Sato and her team turned to the Ensemble Mars Atmosphere Reanalysis System (EMARS) dataset, produced by a range of space-based observations over many years, to analyze seasonal variations up there.

“We found something interesting, that GWs facilitate the rapid vertical transfer of angular momentum, significantly influencing the meridional, or north-south, in the middle atmosphere circulations on Mars,” said graduate student Anzu Asumi. “It’s interesting because it more closely resembles the behavior seen in Earth’s mesosphere rather than in our stratosphere. This suggests existing Martian atmospheric circulation models may need to be refined to better incorporate these wave effects, potentially improving future climate and weather simulations.”

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An anonymous reader quotes a report from 404 Media: Last week, Aix Marseille University, France’s largest university, invited American scientists who believe their work is at risk of being censored by Donald Trump administration’s anti-science policies to continue their research in France. Today, the university announced that it is already seeing great interest from scientists at NASA, Yale, Stanford, and other American schools and government agencies, and that it wants to expand the program to other schools and European countries to absorb all the researchers who want to leave the United States. “We are witnessing a new brain drain,” Eric Berton, Aix Marseille University’s president, said in a press release. “We will do everything in our power to help as many scientists as possible continue their research. However, we cannot meet all demands on our own. The Ministry of Education and Research is fully supporting and assisting us in this effort, which is intended to expand at both national and European levels.”

The press release from the university claims that researchers from Stanford, Yale, NASA, the National Institute of Health, George Washington University, “and about 15 other prestigious institutions,” are now considering “scientific exile.” More than 40 American scientists have expressed interest in the program, it said. Their key research areas are “health (LGBT+ medicine, epidemiology, infectious diseases, inequalities, immunology, etc.), environment and climate change (natural disaster management, greenhouse gases, social impact, artificial intelligence), humanities and social sciences (communication, psychology, history, cultural heritage), astrophysics.”

“The current Executive Orders have led to a termination of one of my research grants. While it was not a lot of money, it was a high profile, large national study,” one researcher who has reached out to Aix Marseille University in order to take advantage of the program told me. 404 Media granted the researcher anonymity because speaking about the program might jeopardize their current position at a leading American university. “While I have not had to lay off staff as a result of that particular cancellation, I will have to lay off staff if additional projects are terminated. Everything I focus on is now a banned word.” The program, called “Safe Place for Science,” initially will fund 15 researchers with 15 million Euros. Aix Marseille University says that it is already working closely with the regional government and France’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry “to facilitate the arrival of these scientists and their families in the region, offering support with employment, housing, school access, transportation, and visas.” “We are doing what is necessary to provide them with the best living environment. We are ready to welcome them and will make them true children of the country!” Renaud Muselier, President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, said in a statement.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

In late 2023, the FBI alerted the Littleton Electric Light and Water Departments (LELWD) that it had been breached by a Chinese-state-sponsored hacking group for over 300 days. With the help of cybersecurity firm Dragos and Department of Energy-funded sensors, LELWD confirmed the intrusion, identified the hackers’ movements, and ultimately restructured its network to remove them. PCMag reports: At the time, LELWD had been installing sensors from cybersecurity firm Dragos with the help of Department of Energy grants awarded by the American Public Power Association (APPA). “The sensors helped LELWD confirm the extent of the malicious activity on the system and pinpoint when and where the attackers were going on the utility’s networks,” the APPA said last year. Today, Dragos released a case study (PDF) about the hack, which it blamed on Voltzite, a “sophisticated threat group…that overlaps with Volt Typhoon.”

The call from the FBI forced Dragos “to deploy quickly and bypass the planned onboarding timeline” for the LELWD, it says. It discovered that Volt Typhoon “had persistent access to LELWD’s network.” Hackers were looking for specific data related to [operational technology] operating procedures and spatial layout data relating to energy grid operations,” Dragos tells SecurityWeek. In the end, Dragos confirmed the compromised systems did not contain “customer-sensitive data,” and LEWLD changed their network architecture to kick Volt Typhoon out, the case study says. Groups like Volt Typhoon, “don’t always go for high-profile targets first,” said Ensar Seker, Chief Security Officer at SOCRadar. “Small, underfunded utilities can serve as low-hanging fruit, allowing adversaries to test tactics, develop footholds, and pivot toward larger targets.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

On March 9, older Chromecast and Chromecast Audio devices stopped working due to an expired device authentication certificate authority that made them untrusted by Google’s apps. While unofficial apps like VLC continue to function, Google’s fix will require either updating client apps to bypass the issue or replacing the expired certificates, a process that could take weeks; however, Google has since announced it is beginning a gradual rollout of a fix. The Register reports: Tom Hebb, a former Meta software engineer and Chromecast hacker, has published a detailed analysis of the issue and suggests a fix could take more than a month to prepare. He’s also provided workarounds here for folks to try in the meantime. We spoke to Hebb, and he says the problem is this expired device authentication certificate authority. […] The fix is not simple. It’s either going to involve a bit of a hack with updated client apps to accept or workaround the situation, or somehow someone will need to replace all the key pairs shipped with the devices with ones that use a new valid certificate authority. And getting the new keys onto devices will be a pain as, for instance, some have been factory reset and can’t be initialized by a Google application because the bundled cert is untrusted, meaning the client software needs to be updated anyway.

Given that the product family has been discontinued, teams will need to be pulled together to address this blunder. And it does appear to be a blunder rather than planned or remotely triggered obsolescence; earlier Chromecasts have a longer certificate validity, of 20 years rather than 10. “Google will either need to put in over a month of effort to build and test a new Chromecast update to renew the expired certificates, or they will have to coordinate internally between what’s left of the Chromecast team, the Android team, the Chrome team, the Google Home team, and iOS app developers to push out new releases, which almost always take several days to build and test,” Hebb explained. “I expect them to do the latter. A server-side fix is not possible.”

So either a week or so to rush out app-side updates to tackle the problem, or much longer to fix the problem with replaced certs. Polish security researcher Maciej Mensfeld also believes the outage is most likely due to an expired device authentication certificate authority. He’s proposed a workaround that has helped some users, at least. Hebb, meanwhile, warns more certificate authority expiry pain is looming, with the Chromecast Ultra and Google Home running out in March next year, and the Google Home Mini in January 2027.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Mozilla is urging Firefox users to update their browsers to version 128 or later (or ESR 115.13 for extended support users) before March 14, 2025, to avoid security risks and add-on disruptions caused by the expiration of a key root certificate. “On 14 March a root certificate (the resource used to prove an add-on was approved by Mozilla) will expire, meaning Firefox users on versions older than 128 (or ESR 115) will not be able to use their add-ons,” warns a Mozilla blog post. “We want developers to be aware of this in case some of your users are on older versions of Firefox that may be impacted.” BleepingComputer reports: A Mozilla support document explains that failing to update Firefox could expose users to significant security risks and practical issues, which, according to Mozilla, include:

– Malicious add-ons can compromise user data or privacy by bypassing security protections.
– Untrusted certificates may allow users to visit fraudulent or insecure websites without warning.
– Compromised password alerts may stop working, leaving users unaware of potential account breaches.

It is noted that the problem impacts Firefox on all platforms, including Windows, Android, Linux, and macOS, except for iOS, where there’s an independent root certificate management system. Mozilla says that users relying on older versions of Firefox may continue using their browsers after the expiration of the certificate if they accept the security risks, but the software’s performance and functionality may be severely impacted.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The full trailer dropped today for Apple’s F1 movie. The film is getting an international theatrical release starting June 25, and will be in theaters and IMAX domestically beginning June 27. F1 has received extensive involvement from the Formula 1 world, so it’ll be fascinating to see how well it walks the line between being a good movie and feeling like a dramatic promo for the organization.

The movie is a star-studded affair, with Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Kim Bodnia in the cast. Joseph Kosinski, who helmed Top Gun: Maverick, is the director, Ehren Kruger wrote the screenplay and the legendary Hans Zimmer did the score. Every shot in the trailer promises that this is a luxe production, fitting for the huge piles of money that go into developing F1 cars and teams. 

F1 has the glossy sheen of a Hollywood sports drama to it. Even though it’s a work of fiction, several personalities and teams from the actual Formula 1 teams will appear in the final cut. There’s been a surge in filmmaking about this type of car racing, with Netflix also hosting its own documentary series about Formula 1.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/see-brad-pitt-behind-the-wheel-in-the-trailer-for-f1-224420723.html?src=rss