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WhatsApp has claimed that some users were possibly compromised by spyware, according to a report by The Guardian. The Meta-owned messaging app went on to allege that nearly 100 journalists and activists were targeted in the attack. Additionally, the platform says it has high confidence that the Graphite spyware came from Paragon Solutions, a company founded in Israel that was recently acquired by a US investment firm. Hacking experts allege that this was a zero-click attack, meaning that the targeted users wouldnt have had to click on a nefarious link to get infected. This is a similar method to another large-scale WhatsApp hack, in which spyware called Pegasus infected over 1,400 devices. Once a device is infected by something like Pegasus or Graphite, the spyware operator has total access. This even includes the ability to read messages sent via encrypted applications like WhatsApp and Signal. WhatsApp says it has informed the 100 or so users of the potential attack, but has declined to disclose where they are based and who they are. It did say that it disrupted the alleged attacks back in December, though it's unclear how long the targets may have been under threat. This is the latest example of why spyware companies must be held accountable for their unlawful actions. WhatsApp will continue to protect peoples ability to communicate privately, a company spokesperson said. WhatsApp has sent Paragon a cease and desist letter and says that its exploring legal options. As for Paragon, it recently entered into a controversial $2 million contract with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department. Wired reports that the one-year contract tasks Paragon with providing a fully configured proprietary solution including license, hardware, warranty, maintenance and training. The company has yet to respond to the allegations from WhatsApp. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/whatsapp-claims-that-100-journalists-and-activists-were-the-targets-of-israeli-made-spyware-171701672.html?src=rss
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Let's run it all the way back to 2000. EA is celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Sims by making the original game and The Sims 2 available to purchase once again. You can buy them separately with expansion packs included for $20 for the original game and $30 for the sequel. A 25th birthday bundle that includes both costs $40 on Steam, the Epic Games Store and the EA app on Windows. EA Play Pro subscribers also have unlimited access to the games on the EA app starting today. There's no word as yet on the re-releases coming to consoles or Mac. Rumors emerged in recent days that the two games might once again be available to buy after EA released a teaser video that included user interface elements from them. Kotaku notes that the original game was only available on a physical disc format, while support for the sequel ended over a decade ago. Since then, players have had to jump through hoops to get them to run on modern systems. Maxis says it has been working to make the re-releases more compatible with Windows 10 and 11, but notes that it had to nix one expansion pack and some original songs from The Sims 2: Legacy Collection for licensing reasons. I wish I still had the full-body scan I had captured of myself at the Millennium Dome in 2000 so I could properly play as a child version of myself in The Sims again (the avatar might still be on a floppy disc somewhere in my parents' garage). Nevertheless, I'm sure I and many others will be spamming the "rosebud" cheat to afford all the gear we want for our virtual homes, while some folks will surely be happy to send a particularly annoying Sim for a swim then delete the pool ladder, prompting an appearance from the Grim Reaper. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/the-sims-and-the-sims-2-are-back-on-pc-as-part-of-the-series-25th-anniversary-celebration-170535474.html?src=rss
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If it's your turn to host a Super Bowl party this year, you might be looking to beef up your sound system before all of your guests turn up. Perhaps with something like that in mind, Sonos is running a sale on its speakers and soundbars on both Amazon and its own website. One of its products, the Era 100, has dropped to an all-time-low price of $199. The speaker will typically run you $249. The Era 100 is our pick for the best midrange smart speaker and we gave it a score of 88 in our review. It delivers great audio and can reach loud volumes, while Bluetooth and line-in support are certainly welcome. With the Era 100, Sonos has simplified its Trueplay tuning feature by making use of built-in microphones to optimize audio output for the room the speaker is in. On the downside, while the Era 100 works with Alexa and Sonos' own voice assistant, it doesn't support Google Assistant. Like other Sonos speakers, the Era 100 can be used as part of a whole home audio system. So you'll be able to set up units in other rooms so that even when they're away from the TV, your guests can still hear all of the action at the same time as everyone else. It's also possible to set up two Era 100 units as rear speakers in a home theater setup. If that's the route you wish to go down, you might want to have a soundbar in place too. As it happens, several of Sonos' models are on sale. The original Arc soundbar is down to $649, which is $250 off. As for the Beam Gen 2, that can be yours for $100 less than usual at $399. We reckon the Beam is the best midrange soundbar. However, the Arc Ultra, our recommendation for the best premium soundbar, isn't on sale this time, unfortunately. 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/sonos-speakers-and-soundbars-are-up-to-250-off-right-now-155920350.html?src=rss
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