Apple introduced some new tools to its Apple Business Connect program that could be useful for the everyday consumer. The most notable update is the introduction of Business Caller ID. When this feature rolls out next year, companies of any size can register to have their name, logo and department appear when they contact customers. In practice, that can help people distinguish between a phone call from a legitimate business and spam.
Apple Business Connect allows companies to have more control over how they appear within different apps across the Apple ecosystem. In 2023, Apple offered businesses customization for their listings in Maps, Messages, Siri and Wallet. Today's updates make Business Connect branding tools available to any company, including those without a brick-and-mortar location. In addition to the eventual rollout of Business Caller ID, the program is also adding brand info within the Mail and Phone apps. Participating companies can also add their logo to the Tap to Pay feature for contactless payments.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-will-launch-a-business-caller-id-service-next-year-223913262.html?src=rss
Newly unsealed grand jury documents revealed that two Sudanese nationals allegedly attempted to launch thousands of distributed denial of services (DDoS) attacks on systems across the world. The documents allege that these hacks aimed to cause serious financial and technical harm to government entities and companies and even physical harm in some cases.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) unsealed charges against Ahmed Salah Yousif Omer and Alaa Salah Yusuuf Omer that resulted in federal grand jury indictments. The two are allegedly connected to more than 35,000 DDoS attacks against hundreds of organizations, websites and networks as part of a hacktivism scheme as part of the cybercrime group Anonymous Sudan and a for-profit cyberattack service.
Even though Anonymous Sudan claimed to be an activist group, the pair also held some companies and entitys systems for ransom for rates as high as $1,700 per month.
Both face indictments for their role in the coordinated cyberattacks including one count each of conspiracy to damage protected computers. Ahmed also faces three additional counts of damaging protected computers and could receive a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison, according to court records filed last June in the US Central District Court of California.
The brothers activities date back to early 2023. The two used a distributed cloud attack tool (DCAT) referred to as Skynet Botnet in order to conduct destructive DDoS attacks and publicly claim credit for them, according to a DoJ statement. Ahmed posted a message on Anonymous Sudans Telegram channel, The United States must be prepared, it will be a very big attack, like what we did in Israel, we will do in the United States soon.
One of the indictments listed 145 overt acts on organizations and entities in the US, the European Union, Israel, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Skynet Botnet attacks attempted to disrupt services and networks in airports, software networks and companies including Cloudflare, X, Paypal and Microsoft that caused outages for Outlook and OneDrive in June of last year. The attacks also targeted state and federal government agencies and websites including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pentagon and the DoJ and even hospitals including one major attack on Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles causing a slowdown of health care services as patients were diverted to other hospitals. The hospital attack led to the hacking charges against Ahmed that carry potential life sentences.
3 hours+ and still holding, Ahmed posted on Telegram in February, they're trying desperately to fix it but to no avail Bomb our hospitals in Gaza, we shut down yours too, eye for eye...
FBI special agents gathered evidence of the pairs illegal activities including logs showing that they sold access to Skynet Botnet to more than 100 customers to carry out attacks against various victims who worked with investigators including Cloudflare, Crowdstrike, Digital Ocean, Google, PayPal and others.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) was one of Anonymous Sudans victims as part of the hacking-for-hire scheme, according to court records and an AWS statement. AWS security teams worked with FBI cybercrime investigators. Security teams discovered the attacks were coming from an array of cloud-based servers, many of which were hosted at a US server-hosting provider. The discovery helped the FBI determine that the Skynet Botnet attacks were coming from a DCAT instead of a botnet that forwarded the DDoS to its victims through cloud-based servers and open proxy resolvers.
Perhaps the groups most brazen and dangerous attack took place in April of 2023 that targeted Israels rocket alert system called Red Alert. The mobile app provides real time updates for missile attacks and security threats. The DDoS attacks attempted to infiltrate some of Red Alerts Internet domains. Ahmed claimed responsibility for the Red Alert attacks on Telegram along with similar DDoS strikes on Israeli utilities and the Jerusalem Post news website.
This groups attacks were callous and brazen the defendants went so far as to attack hospitals providing emergency and urgent care to patients, US Attorney Martin Estrada said in a released statement. My office is committed to safeguarding our nations infrastructure and the people who use it, and we will hold cyber criminals accountable for the grave harm they cause.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/two-sudanese-brothers-accused-of-launching-a-dangerous-series-of-ddos-attacks-215638291.html?src=rss
Amazon is sunsetting the Kindle Oasis. This decision means there will be no models of the ereader remaining with physical buttons for turning pages. "Once current inventory of Kindle Oasis sells out online and in stores, we will not restock the device," Amazon rep Devon Corvasce told The Verge. "Today, all of our devices are touch-forward which is what our customers are comfortable with."
The Oasis model debuted in 2016. Its lightweight, asymmetrical design for one-handed use was a standout, but the high price tag may have kept most people from really considering the product. If you are not most comfortable with a touch interface for your reading, there are still options for flipping pages via buttons on the market. The Kobo Libra Color is one of our favorites.
Even with the Oasis becoming nothing but a mirage, the Kindle family isn't getting any smaller. Amazon announced several upgrades to the device line this week, including its first ever color ereader in the Kindle Colorsoft. We also got hands-on time with the latest Kindle Scribe and the Kindle Paperwhite has also received a refresh.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/the-kindle-oasis-will-be-discontinued-as-amazon-says-goodbye-to-page-turn-buttons-213538052.html?src=rss
Last week, the California Coastal Commission rejected a plan for SpaceX to launch up to 50 rockets this year at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County. The company responded yesterday with a lawsuit, alleging that the state agency's denial was overreaching its authority and discriminating against its CEO.
The Commission's goal is to protect California's coasts and beaches, as well as the animals living in them. The agency has control over private companies' requests to use the state coastline, but it can't deny activities by federal departments. The denied launch request was actually made by the US Space Force on behalf of SpaceX, asking that the company be allowed to launch 50 of its Falcon 9 rockets, up from 36.
While the commissioners did raise concerns about SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's political screed and the spotty safety records at his companies during their review of the launch request, the assessment focused on the relationship between SpaceX and Space Force. The Space Force case is that "because it is a customer of and reliant on SpaceXs launches and satellite network, SpaceX launches are a federal agency activity," the Commission review stated. "However, this does not align with how federal agency activities are defined in the Coastal Zone Management Acts regulations or the manner in the Commission has historically implemented those regulations." The California Coastal Commission claimed that at least 80 percent of the SpaceX rockets contain payloads for Musk's Starlink company rather than payloads for government clients.
The SpaceX suit filed with the Central District of California court is seeking an order to designate the launches as federal activity, which would cut the Commission's oversight out of its future launch plans.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacex-is-suing-the-california-coastal-commission-for-not-letting-it-launch-more-rockets-204610537.html?src=rss
Sony makes some of the best headphones around at the higher end but it has a broad range of options available at other price points as well. Our pick for the best wireless headphones is the company's WH-1000XM5, which will typically run you $400. If you can't swing that, the mid-range ULT Wear headphones are a decent option, especially since they're on sale. They've dropped to $148, which is $52 off the regular price of $200. That marks an all-time low price for this model.
These are the first headphones to use ULT Power Sound, a new iteration of Sony's Extra Bass lineup. So it's safe to say you can expect plenty of oomph on the low end with the ULT Wear.
In fact, we believe that Sony has done a better job of implementing its bass boost tech here than in previous models. We gave the ULT Wear headphones a score of 78 in our review, highlighting the comfortable design, generally strong audio quality and improvements to active noise cancellation.
However, the ULT boost feature can prove to be a bit much. We felt that the ULT 2 setting, which delivers deeper bass and more powerful all-round audio, didn't sound all that good and was somewhat overbearing on the low end. The sound can get muddy in some other instances, such as when playing metal and synth-heavy electronica.
As you might expect, the ULT Wear doesn't have all of the same features as Sony's higher-end headphones. But it does have a number of nifty functions. Putting an open hand over the right ear cup activates Quick Attention mode, which lowers the volume. Sony's Adaptive Sound Control tool can automatically adjust settings based on your activity or location. Other features include 360 Reality Audio with head tracking and 30 hours of battery life.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonys-ult-wear-wireless-headphones-are-down-to-a-record-low-price-200721256.html?src=rss
Airline travel can get expensive and sometimes you dont wanna wade through various options to find the lowest price. You just need the cheapest flight available and you dont care whos offering it.
Google added the tab to its Flights search engine that will cut your flight schedule search to the chase and just show you the cheapest options available, according to the official blog. So instead of wading through various fees and features, you can just view the cheapest options available from airlines and third-party airline booking sites.
The new feature is available starting today for US flights. Google will roll out the cheapest tab globally over the next few weeks.
The cheapest options for flights often involve what Google calls creative itineraries like longer than usual layovers and self-transfers from flight to flight. What we call them cant be reprinted here. These inconveniences that make flights cheaper will now be listed under one tab.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-flights-now-has-a-cheapest-tab-190035611.html?src=rss
Hades II just got its first major update, which is all the reason I need to jump back into the inspired roguelite. Supergiant Games is calling the Olympic Update practically mountain-sized, likely because theres a new region set in the mountains of Olympus.
With a new region, comes new story elements. The studio says hours of new dialogue has been added to the game. The area will also feature two new allies, but Supergiant remains mum on their identities. In other words, youll have to traverse Olympus to find out. Id bet some Obol Points that they are Greek Gods of one type or another, given the region.
The update also includes a new main weapon, two animal companions and dozens of new cosmetic items to liven up Crossroads. Theres even a world map now, which will be displayed when moving from one region to another. Thats a small flourish, but a pretty fun one.
There are also dozens of quality-of-life improvements thatll pop up throughout the game. These include faster weapon attacks, new special moves, a more responsive dash and a refined aiming system. Finally, the game now runs on Macs, so long as the computer boasts an Apple M1 chip or later.
Despite the boatload of new features, the games still in early access. Supergiant says this wont be the last major content drop while still remaining in early access, as another big update hits early next year. So we have that to look forward to. The first game was in early access for nearly two years as it slowly transformed into the game we know and love today. Hades II has only been around five months.
For the uninitiated, Hades II is a roguelite hack-and-slash action game with fluid controls, a diverse array of upgrades and a story that expertly weaves itself into every unsuccessful run. Theres also a cute cat you can pal around with. Its quite obviously a sequel to the mega-hit Hades, which was the first video game to ever win a Hugo Award.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/hades-iis-first-major-update-adds-a-new-region-main-weapon-and-native-mac-support-183541832.html?src=rss
Arcane season 2 is coming to Netflix on November 9, and Riot Games is drumming up the hype by releasing various content in its current and upcoming video game titles. All of this content will come out within the coming months.
Riot will release Ambessa Medarda, the Noxian general first seen in the shows first season, as an upcoming Champion in League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics (TFT), League of Legends: Wild Rift, Valorant, and Legends of Runeterra.
In standard League of Legends news, the Bridge of Progress will become available in the ARAM game mode as part of an Arcane-themed update. Other additions include a Jinx skin of a new Exalted tier that will allow players to experience her Arcane story. Its not the only skin as there will be an Arcane Brawler Vi skin and more.
TFT will introduce several Arcane characters as Champions, including Powder, with abilities based on what they have in the show. There will also be some cosmetics, including Arenas and Tacticians like Chibi Caitlyn. As for players who look forward to the PvE game mode Tockers Trials, they can rejoice as its making a return.
Singed and Warwick, two Champions available in Wild Rift, will receive gameplay updates. Previously announced Champion Heimerdinger will be made playable in Wild Rift after being playable in League of Legends and Legends of Runeterra. Warwick will also be playable in Legends of Runeterra. There wont be much content beyond an Arcane-themed cosmetic bundle for Valorant.
While Riots fighting game 2XKO isnt out yet, it will feature an Arcane-inspired Jinx skin. Said skin is coming on November 11. 2XKO will be released next year.
Of course, Riot isnt confining the hype to its games. There will be merch coming out soon as November 9 approaches. Some of the products include apparel from Uniqlo and Blackmilk, collectibles from Funko and Tokidoki and Fenty Beauty makeup. If these arent enough to satisfy you, Riot promises plenty more is arriving.
Arcane season 2 is set to debut on Netflix on November 9, with Act One coming first. Act Two comes out on November 16, while Act Three will arrive on November 23. Keep your popcorn close at hand when the days come.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/riot-games-is-hyping-up-arcanes-second-and-final-season-across-its-various-titles-170501998.html?src=rss
Reuters reports that Spain is making history by welcoming its first all-transgender men's soccer team, Fenix FC, to a regional league in Catalonia. Named after the mythical phoenix, symbolizing rebirth, the team has overcome administrative hurdles and prejudice to achieve federated status in Europe. Fenix FC, now competing in the fifth tier of Catalan soccer, emerged from the vision of Hugo Martinez, a player who faced discrimination during his own transition. The team provides a safe and supportive environment for trans men to play soccer.The participation of trans athletes continues to be a hot-button issue and fodder for culture wars but the Catalan Football Association's inclusive policy indicates an evolving understanding of gender in sports. As Fenix FC gains visibility on soccer fields around Barcelona, their introduction could provide valuable insights for other sports organizations grappling with questions of transgender inclusion. At the very least, it'll kick off further dialogue.
Sandfall Games just announced the voice cast for its forthcoming turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and its absolutely stacked. The actors include Andy Serkis and Charlie Cox, as a start. For the uninitiated, Serkis played a weird little guy named Gollum in some unknown movies about a magical ring. He also gave the iconic one way out monologue in Andor. Cox is best known for playing a masked vigilante called Daredevil.
The rest of the cast includes seasoned voice actors. Theres Ben Starr, who played a doctor in the TV show Jamestown but is perhaps best known for playing Clive in Final Fantasy XVI. Shala Nyx has plied her trade in plenty of recent games, including Cyberpunk 2077 and Diabolo IV. Other cast members include Jennifer English, who played Shadowheart in Baldurs Gate 3, and Kirsty Rider.
For the uninitiated, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a JRPG-inspired fantasy epic with turn-based battles and a unique take on Belle Époque-era France. We got to see it in action earlier this year and came away (mostly) impressed. We called the graphics and environments gorgeous but the story clear as mud. However, its tough to nail down the narrative of a fantasy RPG just by watching a demo for a few hours.
In any event, we dont have that long to wait before the game launches. The developers say itll come out in Spring 2025. Itll be available for PC via Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Its also a day one Game Pass title. If you simply cant wait until then for a new game in the genre, we heartily recommend checking out Metaphor: ReFantazio.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-jrpg-inspired-clair-obscur-expedition-33-has-a-stacked-voice-cast-165228134.html?src=rss