Category: United States

TSA Accused Of Searching Domestic Travelers’ Devices With No Warrant | Ars Technica

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This lawsuit, which is meant to compel the TSA to fully respond to a Freedom of Information Act request, is related to another lawsuit (Alasaad v. Duke) brought by the ACLU to better understand such searches that happen when Americans return home from abroad. “The federal government’s policies on searching the phones, laptops, and tablets of domestic air passengers remain shrouded in secrecy,” said Vasudha Talla, staff attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, in a Monday statement. The advocacy group filed a FOIA request on December 20, 2017,…

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Coinbase Is Launching Its Own Cryptocurrency Index Fund | TechCrunch

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When you’re the runaway leader in a growing industry, you typically have two opinions: A) Stay in your lane and let other companies pop up to solve the industry’s problems, or B) Try to offer as many products as possible and own the entire customer experience from A-Z (no Amazon pun intended). If there’s any doubt which option Coinbase is gunning for, that’s now gone. The digital currency giant just announced they’re expanding in yet another direction by launching a passively managed cryptocurrency index fund. The fund will have a $10,000…

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What Happened After The US Moved To Chip-Embedded Payment Cards? | Ars Technica

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The US began its transition to chip-based credit cards in earnest in October 2015, after high-profile credit card hacks in the previous years at Target, Home Depot, Michaels, and other big-box retailers. Today, although only 59 percent of US storefronts have terminals that accept chip cards, fraud has dropped 70 percent from September 2015 to December 2017 for those retailers that have completed the chip upgrade, according to Visa. On the other hand, fraud dropping 70 percent for retailers who install chip cards seems great. Chip-embedded cards aren’t un-hackable, but they…

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Banks Ban Credit Purchase Of Cryptocurrency Due To Risks – Engadget

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If you use your Bank of America-, JP Morgan Chase- or Citigroup-issued credit card to buy cryptocurrency, then you’ll have to find an alternative ASAP. According to Bloomberg, the banks have banned crypto purchase using their cards due to the virtual coins’ volatile nature. BofA has already started declining credit transactions with known exchanges, though its debit cards aren’t be affected by the ban. Citigroup also announced on Friday that it’ll no longer process crypto purchases, while JP Morgan Chase’s new rule will take effect today. JPMorgan spokesperson Mary Jane…

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Tesla Looks To Take Solar Mainstream With Home Depot Partnership | TechCrunch

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While Elon Musk is preparing for this week’s launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket, his other company is also preparing for a launch. Tesla has made a deal with Home Depot to sell both the PowerWall and Tesla’s solar panels at 800 Home Depot locations. The retail spaces will be Tesla branded and Tesla employees will be on hand to assist with service and sales. Home Depot has some 2,200 stores across the country, but the 800-store roll out is still the largest retail presence Tesla has ever known for…

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Canadian Dollar Falls From 4-Month High After Trump Boosts U.S. Dollar – Business – CBC News

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The Canadian dollar retreated from a four-month high against the U.S. dollar on Thursday after comments from U.S. President Donald Trump boosted the greenback against most major currencies. During his first visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump stressed that he ultimately wanted to see a stronger U.S. dollar. The move comes on the back of comments made by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday, when he said a weaker buck was good for American exporters.Those comments had sent the U.S. dollar to a three-year low against a basket of currencies. On Thursday, the…

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Rise In Duty-Free Allowance Could Cost Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs: Study – Business – CBC News

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Canada’s retail industry is warning that raising the duty-free allowance for cross-border shipments could lead to hundreds of thousands of job losses and cut billions of dollars from the Canadian economy. The numbers come from a Retail Council of Canada-commissioned PwC study out Friday that shows the potential fallout if Canada agreed to requests from U.S. lawmakers to increase the duty-free allowance from $20 to $800 as part of NAFTA talks. “It has very, very significant implications for not only our sales, but for employment in the industry, for Canadian…

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Canadian Oil Selling At A Deep Discount – And It Hurts – Business – CBC News

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North American oil prices are marching toward $65 US a barrel this month, giving the industry a boost after the market collapsed three years ago. The oil sector hasn’t seen these prices since late 2014, but most companies in Alberta are receiving significantly less, just above $40 US a barrel. The Alberta oilpatch continues to increase oil production, but as pipelines fill up, companies are receiving less money for their oil compared to the rest of the continent. While there is always a gap between the North American benchmark, West Texas Intermediate (WTI),…

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U.S. Border Guards Can Search Your Phone: Here Are Some Details On How – Technology & Science – CBC News

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In one of several testy exchanges during a U.S. Senate hearing this week, the country’s secretary of homeland security was pressed to explain a new policy that allows customs agents to examine the cellphones of travellers at the border. “I want to make sure I understand this. I live an hour’s drive from the Canadian border,” said Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy. “If I go to Canada and visit some of my wife’s relatives, and I come back … they [can] say, ‘We want your laptop and your phone and your pass…

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Canada Should Fight For Open Internet, Says Former Head Of FCC – Politics – CBC News

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The former head of the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. has a strong warning for Canada: do what you can to protect the internet. Tom Wheeler, head of the FCC under former U.S. president Barack Obama, said the Trump administration’s decision to repeal his net neutrality policy could become a cross-border issue. In 2015, Wheeler approved an order that barred internet service providers from blocking or slowing down consumer access to web content. This week, his replacement, Republican Ajit Pai, unveiled plans to repeal that decision and said the U.S. regulator will prevent states…

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