Month: August 2024
Blood puddles, mold, tainted meat, bugs: Boar’s Head inspections are horrifying
The USDA recorded 69 violations in a year. So far, 9 people have died in the outbreak.
Enlarge / A recall notice is posted next to Boar’s Head meats that are displayed at a Safeway store on July 31, 2024, in San Rafael, California. (credit: Getty | Justin Sullivan)
Federal inspections found 69 violations—many grisly—at the Boar’s Head meat facility at the center of a deadly, nationwide Listeria outbreak that has now killed nine people, sickened and hospitalized a total of 57 across 18 states, and spurred the nationwide recall of more than 7 million pounds of meat.
The Jarratt, Virginia-based facility had repeated problems with mold, water leaks, dirty equipment and rooms, meat debris stuck on walls and equipment, a variety of bugs, and, at one point, puddles of blood on the floor, according to inspection reports from the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Services. The reports were obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act Request. In all, the reports outline 69 violations just between the dates of August 1, 2023 and August 2, 2024.
The findings in the reports reveal the perfect conditions for the company’s meat to become contaminated with the germ behind the deadly outbreak, Listeria monocytogenes. This is a hardy germ that is ubiquitous in the environment, including in soil and water, and it spreads among people via the fecal-oral route. In healthy people, it usually only causes gastrointestinal infections. But for older people, newborns, and the immunocompromised, it can cause a life-threatening invasive infection with a fatality rate of around 17 percent. It’s also a significant danger to pregnant people, causing miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, and life-threatening infections in newborns.
German food delivery giant Delivery Hero eyes IPO of Middle East unit Talabat
German online food delivery giant Delivery Hero announced it plans to spin off its Middle East business, Talabat, to list it on the Dubai stock exchange later this year. In an announcement on Thursday, Delivery Hero confirmed it is preparing
The post German food delivery giant Delivery Hero eyes IPO of Middle East unit Talabat first appeared on Tech Startups.
German online food delivery giant Delivery Hero announced it plans to spin off its Middle East business, Talabat, to list it on the Dubai stock exchange later this year. In an announcement on Thursday, Delivery Hero confirmed it is preparing […]
The post German food delivery giant Delivery Hero eyes IPO of Middle East unit Talabat first appeared on Tech Startups.
Telegram Founder’s Indictment Thrusts Encryption Into the Spotlight
An anonymous reader shares a report: When French prosecutors charged Pavel Durov, the chief executive of the messaging app Telegram, with a litany of criminal offenses on Wednesday, one accusation stood out to Silicon Valley companies. Telegram, French authorities said in a statement, had provided cryptology services aimed at ensuring confidentiality without a license. In other words, the topic of encryption was being thrust into the spotlight.
The cryptology charge raised eyebrows at U.S. tech companies including Signal, Apple and Meta’s WhatsApp, according to three people with knowledge of the companies. These companies provide end-to-end encrypted messaging services and often stand together when governments challenge their use of the technology, which keeps online conversations between users private and secure from outsiders.
But while Telegram is also often described as an encrypted messaging app, it tackles encryption differently than WhatsApp, Signal and others. So if Mr. Durov’s indictment turned Telegram into a public exemplar of the technology, some Silicon Valley companies believe that could damage the credibility of encrypted messaging apps writ large, according to the people, putting them in a tricky position of whether to rally around their rival.
Encryption has been a long-running point of friction between governments and tech companies around the world. For years, tech companies have argued that encrypted messaging is crucial to maintain people’s digital privacy, while law enforcement and governments have said that the technology enables illicit behaviors by hiding illegal activity. The debate has grown more heated as encrypted messaging apps have become mainstream. Signal has grown by tens of millions of users since its founding in 2018. Apple’s iMessage is installed on the hundreds of millions of iPhones that the company sells each year. WhatsApp is used by more than two billion people globally.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader shares a report: When French prosecutors charged Pavel Durov, the chief executive of the messaging app Telegram, with a litany of criminal offenses on Wednesday, one accusation stood out to Silicon Valley companies. Telegram, French authorities said in a statement, had provided cryptology services aimed at ensuring confidentiality without a license. In other words, the topic of encryption was being thrust into the spotlight.
The cryptology charge raised eyebrows at U.S. tech companies including Signal, Apple and Meta’s WhatsApp, according to three people with knowledge of the companies. These companies provide end-to-end encrypted messaging services and often stand together when governments challenge their use of the technology, which keeps online conversations between users private and secure from outsiders.
But while Telegram is also often described as an encrypted messaging app, it tackles encryption differently than WhatsApp, Signal and others. So if Mr. Durov’s indictment turned Telegram into a public exemplar of the technology, some Silicon Valley companies believe that could damage the credibility of encrypted messaging apps writ large, according to the people, putting them in a tricky position of whether to rally around their rival.
Encryption has been a long-running point of friction between governments and tech companies around the world. For years, tech companies have argued that encrypted messaging is crucial to maintain people’s digital privacy, while law enforcement and governments have said that the technology enables illicit behaviors by hiding illegal activity. The debate has grown more heated as encrypted messaging apps have become mainstream. Signal has grown by tens of millions of users since its founding in 2018. Apple’s iMessage is installed on the hundreds of millions of iPhones that the company sells each year. WhatsApp is used by more than two billion people globally.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Gen AI Alexa to use Anthropic tech after it “struggled for words” with Amazon’s
Amazon’s $4 billion investment in Anthropic has been under investigation.
Enlarge / Generative AI Alexa asked to make a taco poem. (credit: Amazon News/YouTube)
The previously announced generative AI version of Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant “will be powered primarily by Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence models,” Reuters reported today. This comes after challenges with using proprietary models, according to the publication, which cited five anonymous people “with direct knowledge of the Alexa strategy.”
Amazon demoed a generative AI version of Alexa in September 2023 and touted it as being more advanced, conversational, and capable, including the ability to do multiple smart home tasks with simpler commands. Gen AI Alexa is expected to come with a subscription fee, as Alexa has reportedly lost Amazon tens of billions of dollars throughout the years. Earlier reports said the updated voice assistant would arrive in June, but Amazon still hasn’t confirmed an official release date.
Now, Reuters is reporting that Amazon will no longer use its own large language models as the new Alexa’s primary driver. Early versions of gen AI Alexa based on Amazon’s AI models “struggled for words, sometimes taking six or seven seconds to acknowledge a prompt and reply,” Reuters said, citing one of its sources. Without specifying versions or features used, Reuters’ sources said Claude outperformed proprietary software.
Amazon’s Alexa Revamp Could Be Here by October With Claude AI, Says Report
Amazon’s much-anticipated revamp of Alexa, which could include a paid subscription option, reportedly will rely on Anthropic’s Claude AI.
Amazon’s much-anticipated revamp of Alexa, which could include a paid subscription option, reportedly will rely on Anthropic’s Claude AI.
Your iPhone might not be compatible with iOS 18. Here are the eligible devices
Apple
When the presumed iPhone 16 lineup is officially announced at the Apple event in just over a week, it will include iOS 18, which Apple already detailed at its developer conference earlier this year. But if you’re not planning to upgrade to a newer iPhone model this year, you could be left behind with an operating system that’s no longer supported by Apple.
Generally each year, some older iPhone models are removed from Apple’s iOS eligibility list. Last year, for instance, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X were left off the compatibility list. That meant those iPhone owners couldn’t update to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable features.
We’ll help you find out if your iPhone will support iOS 18, as well as Apple Intelligence. Not sure what’s coming with the new update? Here’s a summary of the biggest announcements from WWDC, including an overview of iOS 18.
iPhones compatible with iOS 18
We have good news: If you had an eligible phone last year when you updated to iOS 17, that device should still be compatible with iOS 18, according to Apple. That means you won’t have to buy a new phone to check out most of the new software features.
iPhone SE (second generation or later)
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Put another way, if you have an iPhone from the 2017 model year or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you can’t upgrade to the latest iOS, but your phone should continue to work — albeit without the latest bells and whistles.
Is your iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence?
While your older device will still be able to support the latest iOS, chances are that you won’t get to try the Apple Intelligence beta yet. Unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max — the top-end 2023 models — your iPhone isn’t eligible. It’s a safe bet that the new iPhone 16 models will be fully Apple Intelligence compatible, but we’ll have to await the official details at the September 9 event.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/your-iphone-might-not-be-compatible-with-ios-18-here-are-the-eligible-devices-161649447.html?src=rss
When the presumed iPhone 16 lineup is officially announced at the Apple event in just over a week, it will include iOS 18, which Apple already detailed at its developer conference earlier this year. But if you’re not planning to upgrade to a newer iPhone model this year, you could be left behind with an operating system that’s no longer supported by Apple.
Generally each year, some older iPhone models are removed from Apple’s iOS eligibility list. Last year, for instance, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X were left off the compatibility list. That meant those iPhone owners couldn’t update to iOS 17 and missed out on some notable features.
We’ll help you find out if your iPhone will support iOS 18, as well as Apple Intelligence. Not sure what’s coming with the new update? Here’s a summary of the biggest announcements from WWDC, including an overview of iOS 18.
iPhones compatible with iOS 18
We have good news: If you had an eligible phone last year when you updated to iOS 17, that device should still be compatible with iOS 18, according to Apple. That means you won’t have to buy a new phone to check out most of the new software features.
iPhone SE (second generation or later)
iPhone XR
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Put another way, if you have an iPhone from the 2017 model year or earlier (iPhone 8 or iPhone X), you can’t upgrade to the latest iOS, but your phone should continue to work — albeit without the latest bells and whistles.
Is your iPhone compatible with Apple Intelligence?
While your older device will still be able to support the latest iOS, chances are that you won’t get to try the Apple Intelligence beta yet. Unless you have an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max — the top-end 2023 models — your iPhone isn’t eligible. It’s a safe bet that the new iPhone 16 models will be fully Apple Intelligence compatible, but we’ll have to await the official details at the September 9 event.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/your-iphone-might-not-be-compatible-with-ios-18-here-are-the-eligible-devices-161649447.html?src=rss
Peglin is the roguelike Peggle RPG we didn’t know we needed
Entrancing pachinko-style gameplay has just the right mix of skill and luck.
Enlarge / The feeling when you know your ball is just gonna get buried in there is so satisfying! (credit: Red Nexus Games)
Remember Peggle? If you were lucky enough to play this deceptively deep pachinko-meets-bagatelle game in the late ’00s, you know how addictive and entrancing it could be to just watch a bouncing ball ricochet off brightly colored pegs.
While developer Popcap released a few sequels and spinoffs in the years after Peggle‘s 2007 release, the series has largely languished since Popcap’s acquisition by EA in 2011. Today, the only actively supported version of the game is Peggle Blast, a smartphone port that dumbs down the gameplay with frequent pushes to spend real money on needed items, à la Candy Crush and its ilk.
A few other games have tried to capture the old Peggle ball-bouncing magic in the last decade, most notably the excellent but sometimes overwhelming Roundguard. But Peglin—which launched out of an extended Steam early access period and also saw a Nintendo Switch release this week—is my new favorite take on the concept, combining Peggle’s addictive ball-bouncing with just the right mix of roguelike randomization and RPG-style progression.
X restricted in Tanzania – here’s how to get around the block
Heading off to Tanzania? Here’s why you need to use a VPN service to keep accessing the app during your stay.
Whether you live in Tanzania, or are planning to visit anytime soon, you’ll need to find an alternative way to keep accessing X (formerly known as Twitter).
UK-based internet watchdog, NetBlocks, confirmed the social media block across the country’s main internet providers as of Friday, August 30, 2024 (see tweet below). “The incident comes as the police force issues an alert over alleged opposition party plans to raid police stations where political prisoners might be held,” wrote the experts.
Connecting to one of the best VPN apps is the easiest way to keep accessing the platforms as you usually would. Keep reading, and I’ll explain everything you need to know.
⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show that X (formerly Twitter) has been restricted on #Tanzania’s main internet providers; the incident comes as the police force issues an alert over alleged opposition party plans to raid police stations where political prisoners might be held pic.twitter.com/5aUL791DggAugust 30, 2024
How a VPN can help
A VPN, short for virtual private network, is a security software that not only encrypts your internet connections but also spoofs your IP address.
The latter skill makes you appear as if you’re browsing the web from a completely different country in just a click or two. This is exactly what you need to bypass geo-restrictions – like the one in place in Tanzania right now.
There’s nothing to worry about if you’re new to the VPN world, either, as using a VPN is as easy as downloading and using any other application on your phone or laptop.
Proton recorded VPN usage spikes in 12 countries since January alone amid social media blocks and other internet restrictions. These include Brazil and Venezuela in August, Bangladesh in July, Kenya at the end of June, New Caledonia in May, and Senegal in February.
All you need to do is subscribe to your chosen service, download the VPN app on your device, and connect to one of its servers located in a country free of online restrictions. All the top VPNs boast a huge international network of servers – giving you plenty of choice.
At the time of writing, TechRadar’s #1 recommendation is NordVPN, as it offers easy-to-use apps, reliably quick speeds, great unblocking capabilities, and tons of security features. If you’re on a tight budget, though, Surfshark is today’s best cheap VPN on the market with subscriptions starting from the equivalent of about $2 per month.
I don’t generally recommend using free software because these services can put your privacy at risk. Some freebie VPNs make money by selling your data – exactly the opposite of what a VPN should do. In some instances, you also run the risk of infecting your device with malware or viruses.
Having said that, we put together a dedicated guide to the best free VPNs out there to help you choose the most secure free software if you need a trustworthy VPN that doesn’t cost a cent. Our top picks right now are PrivadoVPN and Proton VPN – but remember, they all come with limitations.
Beyond VPNs
While VPNs are the most widespread and easy-to-use privacy-boosting tools, they’re not the only way to circumvent blocks, bans, and geo-restrictions.
One of the best VPN alternatives is the Tor Browser. The advantage of Tor is that’s completely free to use and offers an even higher level of security by rerouting your internet connections (and data in transit) through at least three encrypted layers. This boosted encryption, however, can considerably slow down your connection speed.
Proxy services are another effective method of spoofing your IP address. Contrary to VPNs, they don’t encrypt your internet connections, making them less secure overall. I strongly recommend users at risk of surveillance opt for a VPN, instead.
You can also use a SmartDNS service to bypass geo-restriction online with ease. Again, these services do not offer the same level of protection as VPNs, meaning they don’t encrypt your data. Worse still, a SmartDNS doesn’t even change your IP, and simply reroutes information about your location.