UK visa portal leaks passports and selfies of thousands of applicants online – leak still not fixed
A TechCrunch investigation has found that a website called the UK Visa Portal is publishing the passports and selfies of applicants who have registered and paid a fee to obtain a UK immigrant visa. An anonymous person alerted TechCrunch to the security lapse, saying at least 100,000 documents of people who uploaded their passports or […]
Trump administration allows Volvo to continue selling connected cars in the US
Volvo Cars has reached an agreement with the Trump administration that exempts the company from a U.S. crackdown on connected vehicle technology made in China. The Swedish automaker, which is majority-owned by China’s Geely Holding, said Tuesday it has received special permission from the U.S. Department of Commerce to continue importing and selling vehicles equipped […]
Trump administration wants nuclear startups to use plutonium in reactors
For decades, the United States has had a plutonium problem. Approximately 100 tons were manufactured for use as powerful atomic bombs during the Cold War. However, as nuclear stockpiles were disposed of, the government had to store radioactive materials in high-security facilities. Now it’s looking to startups to help remove some of that. The Department […]
Trump administration wants nuclear startups to use plutonium in reactors
For decades, the United States has had a plutonium problem. Approximately 100 tons were manufactured for use as powerful atomic bombs during the Cold War. However, as nuclear stockpiles were disposed of, the government had to store radioactive materials in high-security facilities. Now it’s looking to startups to help remove some of that. The Department […]
DuckDuckGo installs increase by 30% as users reject Google’s AI search ‘force-feeding’
Last week, after Google announced a major overhaul of search, I overheard a woman on the phone saying she was switching to DuckDuckGo because “you can opt out of using AI.” “Google is no longer Google,” she said. It seems others had the same idea. At I/O, Google’s annual developer conference, the company said the […]
After SpaceX’s S-1, the path to Starship reuse looks uncertain
SpaceX’s recent IPO and Starship rocket test flight provided two major data points that provide a realistic vision for the coming years. The other could disappoint both the company’s promoters and critics. Behind the impressive expectations of AI companies’ profits and plans for a moon base lies a more grounded reality. Disposable Starships may keep […]
Ghost Hacker: The Cybersecurity Mystery No One Can Solve
Throughout the long history of hacking, there have been many data breaches that remain unresolved years or even decades later. The identities of countless hackers and the hacking groups behind them have never been revealed. But the prolific hacking group gets busted. This is true whether it is cybercriminals like LAPSUS$, the notorious extortion gang […]
Ferrari’s first EV isn’t for you
Everyone seems to be furious about Ferrari’s first electric car. Dubbed Ruth, it was revealed on Monday that the design of the five-seater was primarily driven by Jony Ive and his design company LoveFrom, which he runs with Marc Newson. While it ticks many of the boxes on the spec sheet, it also boasts 1,000 […]
You can now stream narrated magazine articles on Spotify
As Spotify rapidly evolves to become the home for all things audio, the company announced Tuesday that it is bringing narrated long-form magazine articles to the app. These articles will be available to Premium subscribers as part of their 15 hours of audiobook listening time per month. Free users can also purchase individual articles for […]
Amazon fulfillment competitor Stord raises $250 million at $3 billion valuation
E-commerce logistics company Stord announced Tuesday that it has raised $250 million at a valuation of $3 billion. As a result, the valuation was double that of the previous year’s round. The new funding was led by Strike Capital with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Founders Fund, Franklin Templeton, Baillie Gifford, G Squared and Bond. Stord […]