VPNFilter Malware Infecting 500,000 Devices Is Worse Than We Thought | Ars Technica

Two weeks ago, officials in the private and public sectors warned that hackers working for the Russian government infected more than 500,000 consumer-grade routers in 54 countries with malware that could be used for a range of nefarious purposes. Now, researchers from Cisco’s Talos security team say additional analysis shows that the malware is more powerful than originally thought and runs on a much broader base of models, many from previously unaffected manufacturers. Besides covertly manipulating traffic delivered to endpoints inside an infected network, ssler is also designed to steal…

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How Do Apple’s Screen Time And Google Digital Wellbeing Stack Up? | The Verge

Developer conference season is coming to an end with Apple’s WWDC this week, and the main takeaway is that between Google’s “Digital Wellbeing” and Apple’s “Screen Time,” the two biggest smartphone developers are taking some time to discourage smartphone overuse. On the surface, the two companies are taking very similar approaches with the tools they’re offering to present information to users. Apple and Google are both adding new dashboards, with options for more zoomed-out perspectives on how you’re spending your time, along with more granular views of how often you’re…

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Driving An EV Means Changing The Way You Think About “Refueling” | Engadget

You’ve finally taken the EV plunge. You’re “one of the good ones,” you think to yourself. It’s all about reducing your impact on the planet and moving further away from fossil fuels. Here’s to a cleaner, brighter tomorrow and maybe saving a few bucks on gas. Then you pull up to your first charging station and you realize that shiny future is kind of a pain in the ass. At least initially. Unlike your local gas station where you pull up, swipe your credit card and fill your tank, some…

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Electric Car Adoption Is Slowed Down By ‘Dismissive And Deceptive Car Dealerships’, Finds New Study | Electrek

In the US, a study found that the electric vehicle shopping experience at car dealers is quite poor and a problem for EV adoption. Now, a new study finds a similar problem in Europe where “dismissive and deceptive car dealerships create barriers to electric vehicle adoption at the point of sale.” That’s the actual title of the research paper published in the Nature Energy science magazine by researchers from Aarhus University, Denmark and the University of Sussex. The study is based on “126 shopping experiences at 82 car dealerships across Denmark, Finland,…

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Three Ways Blockchain Could Kill the Old-School Utility Model | Bloomberg Quint

(Bloomberg) — If utilities think rooftop solar panels and batteries are bad for business, blockchain should scare the bejeezus out of them. That’s because in addition to helping more people slapl panels on their rooftops — which eats into power sales and taxes grids — the distributed, digital ledger that’s proliferated across industries can also be used to trade electricity without a utility even knowing it. Imagine your neighbor with a solar panel directly selling you cheap power to charge your Tesla. Sure, there are some utilities that see the…

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The Evolution of U.S. Electric Vehicle Charging Points [Infographic] | Forbes

What a difference a decade makes. In 2017, people planning on following the electric route had a choice of 25 battery-electric vehicles, along with 26 plug-in hybrid models. As cars such as the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Tesla Models S and X became increasingly common sights on U.S. roads, the charging network also evolved to keep pace. The number of outlets really started to take off in 2012 when the total count nationwide hit 12,000. By the end of 2017, the number had surpassed 47,000 (including 6,270 fast charging…

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Global Electric Vehicle Market Looks To Fire On All Cylinders In 2018 | Forbes

There’s more disruption brewing for the mobility industry as electric vehicles (EVs) continue to surge ahead in top gear. According to Frost & Sullivan’s recently released “Global Electric Vehicle Market Outlook 2018,” global sales are poised to climb from 1.2 million in 2017 to 1.6 million in 2018 and further upwards to an estimated 2 million in 2019. It’s not all smooth driving though as the EV industry needs to overcome major challenges related to battery technology and charging infrastructure, both of which have failed to match the cracking pace set…

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FCC Approves SpaceX Plan For Satellite-Provided Internet | Engadget

The SpaceX plan for a global wireless internet network provided by 4,425 satellites has been approved by the FCC. The $10 billion Starlink proposal calls for the satellites to launch in two phases between 2019 and 2024, then fly between 714 and 823 miles above the Earth providing a 1 Gbps connection. Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve, with the plan following similar requests by OneWeb, Space Norway, and Telesat. The Starlink network will consist of 4,425 satellites around the world. Read full story here: FCC Approves SpaceX Plan For Satellite-Provided Internet…

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Why Concerns Persist About The Supposed Health Risks Of Smart Meters | CBC News

As Nova Scotia Power works to install $133 million worth of smart meters in the homes and businesses of its 500,000 customers, it’s also going to have to fight unfounded claims that they’re bad for people’s health. The meters will allow the company to automatically measure how much electricity people consume, eliminating the need for meter readers to manually take the measurement. The utility says the meters will also provide consumers better information about their usage and will automatically generate outage notifications, resulting in more efficient power restoration. Despite statements from groups such as Health…

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Tesla Model 3 Review | Digital Trends

The most exciting vehicle on the market isn’t a million-dollar supercar, a broad-shouldered truck, or a seven-passenger SUV. No, the car the world can’t wait to drive is an all-electric sedan from a startup automaker called Tesla. By making EVs cool and promising affordable, innovative products, Tesla has forced the hand of automakers lest they yield too much business to the technology upstart. The Model 3 isn’t the only long range EV available for less than $40K (see also the 238-mile range Chevy Bolt EV), but it is directly responsible…

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