Month: August 2024
EU investigating if Telegram played down user numbers to avoid regulation
The new probe is separate from the French investigation into the platform.
Enlarge (credit: NurPhoto via Getty)
Brussels is investigating whether Telegram breached EU digital rules by failing to provide accurate user numbers, as officials push to bring the controversial messaging app under stricter supervision.
EU legal and data experts suspect that the app has understated its presence in the EU to stay under a 45 million user threshold, above which large online platforms are subject to a swath of Brussels regulations designed to check their influence.
The EU probe comes alongside a wide-ranging French investigation into alleged criminal activity on Telegram that led to the arrest on Saturday of its founder, Russian-born billionaire Pavel Durov. On Wednesday evening, a magistrate was due to decide whether to charge or release him.
Dick’s Sporting Goods reveals cyberattack, shuts down employee emails
So far, it doesn’t look like ransomware, but details are still scarce.
Dick’s Sporting Goods appears to have been caught with its pants down after suffering a cyberattack that resulted in the theft of sensitive company data.
The sporting goods store filed an 8-K form with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), notifying the regulator of a cybersecurity incident.
“On August 21, 2024, the company discovered unauthorized third-party access to its information systems, including portions of its systems containing certain confidential information,” Dick’s said in the filing.
No disruptions
The company said it immediately activated its cybersecurity response plan after uncovering the incident, and said it had engaged with external cybersecurity experts to “investigate, isolate, and contain” the threat. The federal police have also been notified.
While Dick’s did admit certain confidential information was accessed, it did not say exactly what it was, nor who it belongs to. Online chatter points to the data belonging to company members, but there is no confirmation yet.
At the same time, an anonymous source told BleepingComputer the company shut down its email systems and locked all employees out of their accounts. The IT department started manually validating employee identities via cameras, before granting them access to the emails again. The company allegedly told its employees that the access was barred due to “planned activity” and that they will be notified of further instructions by their team leaders. Phone lines also seem to have been shut down.
TechRadar Pro has reached out to Dick’s and will update if we hear back.
Elsewhere in the filing, the company also said it has “no knowledge that this incident has disrupted business operations.” In other words, it continued working as usual while the data breach was happening, suggesting that this probably wasn’t a ransomware attack. It’s also worth mentioning that many ransomware operators don’t even bother deploying the encryptor, since it can extort the same amount of money by just threatening to leak stolen data. It’s cheaper, yet equally effective.
“The company’s investigation of the incident remains ongoing,” the filing concludes. “Based on the company’s current knowledge of the facts and circumstances related to this incident, the company believes that this incident is not material.”
Via The Register
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Massive GoPro Hero 13 Black leak reveals all –5 new features to expect from the action cam
A big GoPro Hero 13 Black leak has seemingly revealed its design and most of its specs –here’s what’s new.
It’s almost September, which means we’ll almost certainly see both an iPhone 16 and a GoPro Hero 13 Black land soon – and a huge leak has just revealed what we can look forward to seeing in GoPro’s latest flagship action cam.
A long thread by the ever-reliable GoPro and DJI leaker @Quadro_News on X (formerly Twitter) appears to reveal several photos of the Hero 13 Black, plus many of its potential new specs and features.
So what’s new? Firstly, it looks like GoPro has slightly tweaked the action cam’s design by including a grill on the front of the camera and seemingly making its body slightly taller.
The reason for the latter could be to facilitate a higher-capacity battery, which the leaks suggest has been boosted to 1,900mAh (up from 1,720mAh). This will apparently let the Hero 13 Black shoot over three hours of 1080/30p video or 90 minutes of 4K/30p or 5.3K/30p footage.
👉While @DJIGlobal gets its act together! We’ll discuss its GoPro competitor with the new GoPro Hero13 camera. Part 1#GoPro #GoProHero13 pic.twitter.com/vYmtfYIsspAugust 29, 2024
Thirdly, there appear to be some new Lens Mod accessories. One of those will seemingly be a Macro lens, while another will be an Ultra Wide Lens. It isn’t clear how the latter differs from the existing Max Lens Mod (which similarly offers a 177-degree field of view for extra-strong stabilization), but according to the leaked packaging there does also appear to be an Anamorphic lens option.
Anamorphic lenses help you shoot videos with cinematic aspect ratios like 2.40:1, while adding desirable halo and flare effects. It’s been possible to buy third-party anamorphic lenses before, but a GoPro-made one would be interesting – particularly if it combines with a fourth leaked Hero 13 feature that’s on the packaging called ‘Lens Mod Auto-Detection’. That suggests the action cam will automatically choose the right aspect ratio or settings based on the Mod you attach.
Unfortunately, there’s no sign of a sensor upgrade for the Hero 13 Black, but the packaging does hint at a couple of other potential spec upgrades. There’s the ability to shoot HLG HDR video, which should help your footage look more natural on HDR displays, plus the promise of “enhanced audio”, although that may be referring to the option of connecting it to external mics.
Lastly, a separate leaked image has backed up previous rumors that the Hero 13 Black will be joined by a new, affordable sibling that’ll simply be called the GoPro Hero. We still don’t have any idea of pricing or a release date for either, but given the Hero 12 Black launched on September 13 last year, we likely don’t have long to wait.
What hasn’t changed?
👉How much better will the Action 5 Pro be than the GoPro Hero13. Part 2#GoPro #GoProHero13 pic.twitter.com/hGOAm68VsrAugust 29, 2024
While a previous GoPro Hero 13 Black leak has suggested that the action cam will also get a DJI-style magnetic mounting system, these new leaks also suggest that a lot hasn’t changed.
Like the Hero 12 Black, it seems the new flagship GoPro will have HyperSmooth 6.0 image stabilization (which we’ve found to be excellent) and shoot videos in the same resolutions and frame-rates as before (5.3K/60p and 4K/120p).
Combined with the “27MP photos” listed on the packaging, this suggests the Hero 13 Black will have the same sensor as before – which may disappoint those hoping for a new larger 1-inch sensor.
Still, the new battery and Lens Mods could be enough to tempt some GoPro fans to upgrade, and the new GoPro Hero model certainly looks intriguing for those on a budget. The world’s best action cameras like the Insta360 Ace Pro may have beaten GoPro to specs like 8K video, but the Hero series remains popular thanks to their ease-of-use and wide range of accessories.
We’re looking forward to seeing how the Hero 13 Black compares to the leaked DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro when both launch soon – and also hopefully hearing more about the long-awaited GoPro Max 2, too.
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Want a toothbrush made of the same material used on the Saturn V? Now you can with the ‘world’s first’ titanium electric toothbrush
Laifen launched its first electric toothbrush, the Laifen Wave, earlier this year, and has now announced a new Titanium version launching at IFA 2024 alongside two new hairdryers.
Laifen has announced it will be showcasing a new, titanium version of the Laifen Wave at IFA 2024, a feat the brand claims will make for the “world’s first” electric toothbrush made of the high-end, aerospace-grade material.
While rocket ships and automobile components might be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of titanium, it’s a material also known for its use in the medical field thanks to its non-toxicity and antibacterial properties – qualities Laifen cites as key behind this new version of the Laifen Wave.
Additionally, the brand highlights the material’s durability and visual appeal as key to driving this new version of the brand’s first toothbrush, which launched earlier this year at CES 2024.
The brand is best known for developing one of the best Dyson Supersonic rivals, the Laifen Swift, which launched following a successful Kickstarter campaign back in 2022. Since then, it has released a more affordable version (the Laifen Swift SE) and has announced it will also launch two further hairdryer products at the upcoming consumer tech show in Berlin.
Making waves
♬ Dance You Outta My Head – Cat Janice
While my personal experience meant I couldn’t quite call the Laifen Wave one of the best electric toothbrushes I’ve tried, judging by some of the customer reviews I’ve read online it’s a real love-it-or-hate-it device, with some hailing its superior clean as superior to the likes of Philips and Oral-B, especially at its low price point.
It combines oscillating and sonic technology to deliver one of the deepest cleans I’ve experienced from a domestic toothbrush, offering 60-degree oscillation with 66,000 vibrations per minute, but as of writing the jury is still out with dental professionals as to whether that’s a good thing on a daily basis.
However, it’s worth highlighting that YouTuber Anoraker was contacted by Laifen following his middling review of the unit he was given earlier this year, claiming this batch of devices sent out to media and influencers in January (which included my own review unit) was defective, and also acknowledging issues with the original retail model.
The brand also indicated to Anoraker that a new prototype will be phased into the existing retail stock, which he claims fixed some of the major issues by reducing the power of the preset modes on the device, and also confirmed new toothbrush heads with cushioned backing to prevent some of the jaw-shattering pain caused when you so much as knock your teeth with the head during use.
However, as of the time of writing these heads still aren’t available in the Laifen store, and as Anoraker highlights, there’s no way of telling whether you’ve received the original retail model of the Laifen Wave itself or the revised prototype.
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We’re Sleep Experts. These Are the Beds We’d Buy Right Now
CNET’s sleep team has tested a ton of beds, and some have impressed us more than others. Read on to learn each expert’s choice for the best mattress you can buy.
CNET’s sleep team has tested a ton of beds, and some have impressed us more than others. Read on to learn each expert’s choice for the best mattress you can buy.
Did you catch this hint at the Stranger’s real name in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2?
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” delivered another big hint that the Stranger is Gandalf in episode 2.
By the end of its first season, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power all but confirmed that the mysterious Stranger (Daniel Weyman) was none other than Gandalf himself. If his magic powers, gray clothing, and affection for the Hobbit-like Harfoots weren’t indicators enough, him directly quoting Ian McKellen’s Gandalf in the finale — saying “if in doubt, always follow your nose” — sealed the deal.
However, as The Rings of Power Season 2 kicks off, the Stranger still has no clue who he is. That’s why he, Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), and Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) are following a star map to the Eastern land of Rhûn. Maybe there, they can find answers about who the Stranger is, including, crucially, his name.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 review: Darkness looks good on Middle-earth
In episode 2, Nori does her best to workshop some possible names for the Stranger. Suggestions include Doderic, Andwise, and Fredegar. While the Stranger isn’t feeling any of those, the names are fun nods to Hobbits briefly mentioned in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: Doderic Brandybuck is a relative of Merry, Andwise Roper is Sam’s uncle, and Fredegar Bolger (aka “Fatty” Bolger) is a good friend of Frodo’s, and later Merry’s brother-in-law.
However, Nori says something else in episode 2 that’s a clearer hint at the Stranger’s name — even if she doesn’t realize it at the time. As Poppy wonders why the Stranger can’t just magically create food and water for them, Nori reminds her that he needs a stick or staff of some kind to harness his power, saying “he’s afraid he’d lose control again without a gand.”
Now hold on just a minute! A “gand”? As in “Gand”alf? That’s it, we’ve cracked the code!
But “gand” — from the Old Norse “gandr,” meaning “staff,” “wand,” or even “magic” — is so much more than just a word that sounds similar to Gandalf. It’s a key part of the etymology of Gandalf’s name, and it could be a clue as to what the Stranger’s quest in Rhûn will entail.
Why is a “gand” so important in The Rings of Power?
Credit: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video
Tolkien didn’t come up with the name Gandalf on his own. Instead, he tweaked a name from a section of the Norse poem Völuspá titled the “Catalogue of Dwarves.” (This is also where most of the dwarves’ names from The Hobbit came from.) Name-wise, the inspiration for Gandalf was a dwarf named Gandálfr, which combines “gandr” and “álfr,” meaning elf. Basically, “Gandálfr” means “elf with a wand.”
Being the language lover that he was, Tolkien preserved that meaning in his own works. He wrote in his Unfinished Tales that the name Gandalf means “Elf of the Wand,” in reference to both Gandalf’s staff and Men’s misconception that he was an Elf. (Notably, “Gandalf” is just the name Men came to know the wizard by. He has other names, including Olórin, his name in Valinor, and Mithrandir, the name given to him by the Elves.)
By mentioning the Stranger’s need for a gand in episode 2, The Rings of Power positions the search for a staff as a key part of his quest moving forward. Add to that his episode 1 dream of a shapeshifting staff calling to him, and we’re officially on staff watch.
So where is Gandalf going to find a staff in Rhûn? Could he fashion one from those gnarled trees all around the desert? Might he receive one as a gift? And perhaps most pressingly, will he understand how a gand relates to his name as soon as he takes up his staff? Or, like in Tolkien’s work, will he earn that name from Men he encounters on his journeys?
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2: Who is the Dark Wizard?
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” introduces a new Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds) in Season 2. Here’s who he might be.
Just when The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power reveals the identity of one mysterious wizard, it brings in a new mysterious mage for us to puzzle over.
Season 1 introduced us to the Stranger (Daniel Weyman), a powerful figure with no recollection of who he is. Based on a key quote in the Season 1 finale and a new hint in Season 2, episode 2, it’s fairly clear to the audience that the Stranger is Gandalf the Grey. But he has no way of knowing that! So it’s off to the Eastern land of Rhûn for the Stranger, where he hopes to find answers about who he is and what role he has to play in the battle to come against Sauron (Charlie Vickers).
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 2 review: Darkness looks good on Middle-earth
But before the Stranger can worry about the Dark Lord, he’ll have to deal with another villainous entity: a Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds) who’s set up shop in Rhûn. In Season 2, episode 2, we learn that it was this Dark Wizard who was responsible for sending the white-cloaked Mystics after the Stranger in Season 1. He also seems to be a fan of both moth magic and blood magic, but otherwise, we don’t know much about the Dark Wizard — not even his real name! Just like with the Stranger’s identity in Season 1, though, we can definitely make some educated guesses as to who from J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium the Dark Wizard might be.
The biggest clue here is the “wizard” of it all, which suggests that the Dark Wizard is an Istar like the Stranger. Appropriately meaning “Wise One” or “Wizard,” the Istari are a group of five powerful spirits known as Maiar whom the Valar sent to protect Middle-earth.
Three of the Istari feature fairly prominently in Tolkien’s work: Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the White, and Radagast the Brown. However, The Rings of Power‘s Dark Wizard really can’t be any of these three. The show has indirectly confirmed time and again that the Stranger is Gandalf, so that’s him ruled out. Saruman does eventually fall to the darkness in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but his turn occurring in the Second Age, when The Rings of Power takes place, would be far too soon. Finally, nature-loving Radagast is probably too busy hanging out with the animals of Middle-earth to even bother raising a cult of moth-wielding Mystics.
So that leaves us with the last two Istari, and the ones Tolkien tells us the least about: the Blue Wizards, otherwise known as Ithryn Luin, named for the color of the robes they wore upon arrival to Middle-earth.
Who are the Blue Wizards in Tolkien’s work?
The Blue Wizards are a big question mark in Tolkien’s legendarium, perhaps even to Tolkien himself. In one of his 1958 letters, he wrote, “I really do not know anything clearly about the other two [Istari].” In the Unfinished Tales, there are mentions of them being named Alatar and Pallando. In later works, though, he referred to them as Morinehtar and Rómestámo.
These later writings clarify a bit of what Tolkien believed to be the purpose of the Blue Wizards, which was to curb Sauron’s rise in the East. And you know what’s in the East? Rhûn, right where the Dark Wizard is hanging out. Based on that alone, it’s pretty likely that the Dark Wizard is one of the Ithryn Luin.
There’s even more evidence for that theory, though. In the same letter where Tolkien said he didn’t know too much about the Blue Wizards, he theorized that they were “emissaries to distant regions” who “failed, as Saruman did” and fell to darkness. From there, Tolkien “suspect[ed] they were founders or beginners of secret cults and ‘magic’ traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron.” And I don’t know about you, but the Mystics and their moth magic feel very much like a secret cult to me.
Of course, there’s the the small problem that the Dark Wizard’s robes and surroundings are devoid of anything blue, which doesn’t exactly scream Blue Wizard. But perhaps he simply rejected the color associated with his original mission to Middle-earth when he turned evil, ditching the blue for his current look. After all, if Sauron’s shift from Halbrand to Annatar taught us anything, it’s that Middle-earth villains love a makeover.