Facebook built a giant drone to deliver Internet to the world

Image a drone with a wingspan comparable to a Boeing 737 crisscrossing the planet.
That is part of an ambitious plan from Facebook, which wants to use solar-powered drones to connect 4 billion people across the world on the Internet. Facebook announced Thursday that its first drone, named Aquila, is ready for flight-testing in the upper atmosphere as part of its Internet.org initiative.

Facebook's dream is to have hundred of drones, according to The New York Times, floating upwards with the help of helium balloons. They would then circle the globe at 60,000 to 90,000 feet - far above commercial airliners and weather systems. 

"Our goal is to accelerate the development of a new set of technologies that can drastically change the economics of deploying Internet infrastructure," Facebook's Jay Parikh, the vice president of Global Engineering and Infrastructure, said in a blog post on Aquila.

"We are exploring a number of different approaches to this challenge, including aircraft, satellites and terrestrial solutions," it said. "Our intention is not to build networks and then operate them ourselves, but rather to quickly advance the state of these technologies to the point that they become viable solutions for operators and other partners to deploy."
CNET tech reporter Bridget Carey described the first drone Aquila as "huge, but a hundred times lighter" than a commercial jet.

"It looks like a massive wing," Carey said. "The idea here is that it's going up in the stratosphere, almost like 90,000 feet up in the air and it will just float there for three months and beam the Internet down to areas where they don't have Internet infrastructure ... in places like Africa and India."

Carey said building the infrastructure in many of these places would be prohibitively expensive, which makes plans like this much more efficient.

"It's not just Facebook doing this," she said. "Google is looking into the same thing. "
The company still has plenty of work to do before this project becomes a reality. It needs to develop longer lasting batteries and test its lasers, which it says already can send a signal to a target the size of a dime from 10 miles away. 

Then, there is the challenge of getting the drones into the upper atmosphere.
"They have to deal with the cold conditions in the air. This is above the storms and the weather," Carey said. "It's not easy to get something up that high and you have to get a lot of them up there to make it efficient."

Facebook's announcement come on the heels of one by Amazon for commercial drones and shows this technology is quickly moving from the domain of amateurs and scientists to one dominated by big tech companies.

As part of plans to one day deliver package by drones, Amazon this week proposed that commercial drones be allowed to fly at an elevation between 200 and 400 feet, clearing a high-speed transit zone. Below that, space would be set aside for lower-speed hobby drones, while anything above 400 feet would be a no-go zone

New Google Glass for businesses will reportedly attach to other eyewear

The next edition of Google Glass will target enterprises and feature an attachable design, a news report suggests, shedding new light on rumors that have been circulating over the past several months.

 

The device will feature a curved, rectangular form factor much the way the first, consumer-focused Glass edition did, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. It will differ from that version, however, in that it will reportedly feature a button-and-hinge system rather than a fixed frame, making it attachable to different kinds of eyewear.

Google aims to have the device in use by this fall at companies in healthcare, manufacturing and energy, and is already distributing it to software developers creating applications for that purpose, the WSJ reported on Thursday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the situation.

A new consumer version is also in the works, but it reportedly won’t appear for at least a year.

Google didn’t immediately respond to a request to comment for this story.

The original $1,500 Google Glass version is widely considered to have been released before it was ready for consumer use, and it encountered a strong backlash over privacy concerns.

Expected in the new, enterprise version are a faster Intel processor and improved wireless connectivity. An external battery pack connects magnetically to the device, the latest news suggests, promising better battery life than what was offered by its predecessor.

Finally, a longer and thinner prism display is adjustable both vertically and horizontally, the WSJ said, offering improved flexibility.

“The new Google Glass story sounds much better the second time around,” said wireless and telecom analyst Jeff Kagan.

Consumers will probably become more comfortable with such technology eventually, but “it will take a while before the average person gets to that point,” Kagan added. In the meantime, “taking Glass to certain industries to start sounds like a much better idea.”

Windows 10 now running on over 14 million devices

The operating system is being launched to current Windows 7 and Windows 8 users in phases, so the number of devices now running Windows 10 will rise steadily in the coming days as more users get access to the platform.

Windows 10 upgrades are slowly but surely making their way to devices

 Microsoft's brand-new Windows 10 operating system is now running on millions of computers and tablets around the world.

Windows 10 is now running on over 14 million devices, Microsoft announced in a blog post on Thursday. According to Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Windows and the Devices Group Yusuf Mehdi, that number will only continue to grow over time as Microsoft makes Windows 10 available to more users in the coming days and weeks.

While the number is not overwhelming, it's a gauge on how quickly Microsoft is rolling out upgrades. Rather than launch Windows 10 to any and all customers who want it, Microsoft is taking a phased approach to its launch, offering it first to PC vendors and those who tested the beta versions of the operating system. 

Microsoft is then planning to roll out the operating system to all of those who requested it in the last several weeks in phases. The company has asked for patience as it works through the process.

"Rest assured we are working 24×7 to continue the upgrade process and are prioritizing the quality of your upgrade experience over anything else," Mehdi wrote in a blog post on Thursday. "We are grateful for your excitement and enthusiasm and we appreciate your patience over the days and weeks ahead as we carefully roll out Windows 10 in phases to all of you that have reserved."

Windows 10 launched on July 29 to much fanfare. The operating system represents a dramatic shift for Microsoft, which has previously charged for users to upgrade to its latest platforms. With Windows 10, most Windows 7 and Windows 8 users will get a Windows 10 upgrade free of charge, and may reserve access to the upgrade from their devices.

With Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to fix the mistakes it made with Windows 8, its previous operating system launch. The latest version addresses most of the complaints users had with Windows 8, featuring a redesign that looks more like older versions of the operating system, as well as the return of the Start Menu for easily accessing files and applications. The operating system also adds several new features, including the addition of Microsoft's virtual personal assistant Cortana, providing quick Web searching and assistance across the operating system.

CNET's Reviews team reviewed Windows 10 this month and was largely pleased with its offering. CNET's Nate Ralph said that the operating system "delivers a refined, vastly improved vision for the future of computing with an operating system that's equally at home on tablets and traditional PCs." He noted that the "upgrade process is mostly painless," but cautioned that the addition of Cortana to Windows 10 may fall flat for users, since it's "better suited for smartphones."

The Windows 10 free upgrade is available for a year, so those who have yet to request an update have time to decide whether it's right for them.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Android users should 'give up, switch to Apple and buy an iPhone'

iPhones receive the latest security patches direct from Apple, which is typically faster

The warning comes days after a terrifying new vulnerability was discovered in the Android operating system which leaves some 950 million people open to attack.

The new vulnerability – dubbed Stagefright – allows cybercriminals to gain access to your smartphone with one text message.

As soon as the text is received, the hacker is able to copy data, move files, delete data, take over your microphone and camera to monitor your every word and move.

The sheer scale of the attack has led renown security journalist Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai to recommend Android users consider abandoning the platform.

Mr Franceschi-Bicchierai has never been a fan of products – yet is convinced the iOS ecosystem now offers a safer option for mobile users.

FBI understaffed to tackle cyber threats, says watchdog

Five men who have been added to the FBI’s Cyber Most Wanted list for their roles in domestic and international hacking and fraud crimes are seen in undated FBI handout photos released November 5, 2013.

Reuters/FBI/Handout via Reuters/Files

 

The FBI is struggling to attract computer scientists to its cybersecurity program mainly due to low pay, a report by the U.S. Department of Justice showed, highlighting weaknesses in a flagship initiative to tackle growing cyber threats.
As of January 2015, The Federal Bureau of Investigation had only hired 52 of the 134 computer scientists it was authorized to employ under the Justice Department's Next Generation Cyber Initiative launched in 2012, the report showed.

Although cyber task forces have been set up at all 56 FBI field offices, five of them did not have a computer scientist assigned to them, the report by the Office of the Inspector General found.

Cyber security threats are among the Justice Department's top priorities and there has been a slew of damaging cyberattacks against private companies and U.S. government agencies in the last couple of years.

The FBI budgeted $314 million on the program for the 2014 fiscal year, including 1,333 full-time employees, the report by the internal watchdog said.

Lower salaries compared to the private sector made it difficult for the FBI to hire and retain cyber experts, the Office of the Inspector General said in the report.

It also said extensive background check procedures and drug tests excluded many otherwise qualified candidates.

For example, the FBI is unable to hire anyone who is found to have used marijuana in the previous three years or any other illegal drug in the past ten years, it said.

The report follows the disclosure by the U.S. government's personnel management agency that up to 22.1 million people were affected by a breach of its computer networks that was discovered in April, or almost 7 percent of the U.S. population.

The United States has privately accused China for the cyber attack, but Beijing has denied responsibility.

A previous hack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in November 2014 was pinned on North Korea by FBI investigators.

The FBI said in a letter to the Office of the Inspector General responding to the report that "the cyber workforce challenge runs throughout the federal government" and that it would continue to develop "aggressive and innovative recruitment and retention strategies".

A fresh start: Microsoft’s Windows 10 wins plaudits

Bengaluru: Microsoft Corp.’s launch of its first new operating system in almost three years, designed to work across laptops, desktop and smartphones, won mostly positive reviews for its user-friendly and feature-packed interface.

 

The launch was seen critical for the company, particularly after the poor response to Windows 8, an ambitious redesign that confused many users by ditching the start button menu and introducing a new layout.

The new OS, launched on Wednesday, will be available as a free upgrade for users of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1.

 

Wall Street Journal’s Geoffrey Fowler said Windows 10 fixes most of the issues with Windows 8 and improves on Windows 7, Microsoft’s most popular OS in recent years.

For one, the start button is back.

 

“Three months of testing Windows 10 determined that this familiar yet fresh overhaul far outweighs any problems,” Fowler wrote in his review. 

 

By offering free upgrades, Microsoft aims to put the system on as many devices as possible. The company would then make up for any lost revenue by selling services such as Office over the Internet, or cloud.

FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives said the cloud strategy could generate a new revenue stream.

 

“It’s a step in the right direction. They went back to their core DNA around software and a cloud-centric model and ultimately Windows as a service, a subscription model,” Ives told Reuters.

 

Microsoft, which unveiled Windows 10 in September, skipped Windows 9 altogether, to put some distance between the new system and Windows 8.

 

At least one prominent reviewer was skeptical, saying the new OS was unlikely to boost PC sales or salvage Microsoft’s Windows phone business.

 

Re/code’s Walt Mossberg said some features were promising but the new OS was “surprisingly buggy”.

“I doubt it will convert many Mac owners, spur a shopping spree in new PCs, bring in droves of new developers, or save the Windows Phone,” Mossberg wrote. Reuters

Ferrari unveils its most powerful, advanced, aerodynamic convertible yet

The 488 Spider is the most powerful, technically advanced and aerodynamic V8 drop top in Ferrari's history.

When Ferrari unveiled the 488GTB coupe in February, only one thing could have made it look more impressive -- turning it into a convertible. Six months later, at the height of the European summer, the Italian supercar builder has kindly obliged and the Ferrari 488 Spider is a reality.

Rather than fabric, Ferrari has gone for a retractable hard top for this particular model, which the company claims is actually lighter than a material cover. This hard top -- which can go up or down in just 14 seconds and is therefore the slowest thing about this car -- also means that the cabin will be quieter when the roof's up, letting in less wind roar.

And, for those that want to keep their hair in place, even with the roof down, Ferrari has added a glass air-deflecting window behind the seats which can be raised or lowered.

Even when the roof's in place, this rear window can be dropped for ventilation and to hear that twin-turbo 660bhp V8 mid-mounted engine even more.

But Ferrari hasn't simply cut the roof off the existing coupe version; the car has had to be significantly redesigned to be able to still deliver the same sorts of performance, thrills and spills as its solid-top brother.
The aerodynamics of a convertible are different, and the company has pulled out all of the technological stops to ensure the Spider offers the same responsiveness, agility and road-holding while dialing up the drama thanks to its drop top.

Ferrari claims that this is the most aerodynamically efficient Spider in its long and distinguished history and, as a result, it posts the same 0-100km/h time -- 3 seconds -- as the 488 GTB and a top speed of 203mph (326 km/h), yet, because it is a convertible, Ferrari has made the ride slightly softer, believing, quite rightly, that this is a car that will be spending more time on boulevards and autobahns than on closed circuits.

However, it doesn't mean that the car can't perform when the time comes. With a throttle response time of just 0.8 seconds, there is virtually no turbo lag and, thanks to its set-up, the car is, in Ferrari's words, "remarkably easy to drive on the limit," even in more challenging conditions.

The Ferrari 488 Spider will be making its real-world debut at the Frankfurt motor show this September and the car is expected to go on sale in early 2016.

Russian hackers use Twitter to mask data theft

FireEye recently reported that a group of Russian hackers are using Twitter in a certain way so that it masks their data-stealing malware, The way that it was done was by using social networking websites/services to relay their commands to their malware, a common practice by hackers.

But these suspected Russian hackers have taken the whole thing to a completely new level. FireEye, who have identified the hackers as APT 29, have stated that the group are using Twitter to completely mask their whole operation, making the whole thing extremely hard for the companies to figure out whether they’ve been hacked by the malware or not.

The malware, nicknamed Hammertoss, was found by a FireEye analyst on one of their client’s networks earlier in the year. The company added to this by saying that  APT 29 has taken several additional steps to avoid detection and communicate under the radar since they were first discovered.

ADVERTISEMENT

So what is Hammertoss?

It is an algorithm that creates a new Twitter handle every day. When the hackers want to communicate with their malware, the hacker will then register a new Twitter handle that day to do that.

To execute a command, the hackers post the instructions in a tweet. This tweet will contain a URL and a hashtag. The URL will lead to an encrypted image or a file on a server, and the hashtag contains the file size of the image along with a couple of characters that should be added to the decryption key.

And as you guessed, the decryption key is stored in Hammertoss itself. Once the additional characters are added to the key, the hacker can then view the content.

To make the whole thing even harder to detect, as Hammertoss is only active during normal working days of the company it has infected, making the malware harder to notice. This helps the malware to stay under the radar while collecting data and hiding in the noise.

APT 29 is strongly suspected to be based in Russia, as it is generally active during the normal working hours in Moscow, and on Russian holidays the group is inactive.

FireEye have also stated that the group seems primarily focused on infiltrating government organisations and collecting information relevant to Russia, leading to the supposition that the group is close the Russian government, or indeed working with Russia.

Twitter beats earning expectations amid exodus of top executives

Twitter beat expectations – including its own – by a healthy margin on Tuesday, announcing better-than-anticipated earnings even as two more high-profile executives left amid a continuing shakeup. The company’s share price rallied 5.36% in after-hours trading.

“Product initiatives we’ve mentioned in previous calls haven’t yet had meaningful impact on growing audience and participation,” interim CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey said on a conference call with investors. “This is unacceptable, and we’re not happy about it.”

Twitter is flirting with new features that will change its simple interface to curate tweets more effectively for new users. Its timeline layout, which places the freshest tweets first and is more or less synonymous with the product, may change. “We need to balance recency with relevance,” Dorsey said.

Live Christine Lagarde calls for 'significant' Greek debt relief - live updates

Alexis Tsipras has challenged rebels in his party to back him or step down, and pledged Greece will get debt relief this autumn

The company posted revenues of $502.4m for the period ending 30 June, compared with $312.2m one year earlier and a net loss of $137m. Stagnating growth, however, remains a problem, as does the vacancy in the chief executive’s office. Average monthly users were up 15% year-over-year, to 316 million, but up only 8 million from 308m the quarter before – a rise of just 2.6%.

User growth is a metric to which Twitter has paid particular attention, and it is not increasing at a rate that pleases company brass. Advertising accounted for fully $452m of that number and was up $175m from the same quarter in 2014.

“Our Q2 results show good progress in monetization, but we are not satisfied with our growth in audience,” said Dorsey. The company is doubling down on its audience goals, casting stagnating subscriber growth as in part a PR problem (the company’s head of communications left abruptly on 16 July).

“In order to realize Twitter’s full potential,” Dorsey said, “we must improve in three key areas: ensure more disciplined execution, simplify our service to deliver Twitter’s value faster, and better communicate that value.”

Ahead of Twitter’s earnings announcement came the latest in a series of high-profile departures: product director Todd Jackson has left Twitter for Dropbox, and head of growth Christian Oestlien has left for YouTube. 

Dick Costolo announced he was leaving the company last month amid stalled growth, with Dorsey taking the helm on a temporary basis.

Rich Greenfield, media and technology analyst at BTIG, said Twitter’s focus on user numbers was the opposite of what it ought to do in order to stay healthy. 

“We believe Twitter has focused too hard on trying to be perceived by investors and brands as equivalent in scale/reach to Facebook,” he wrote in a note to investors earlier Tuesday, about what he would do as hypothetical CEO of the company.

“We believe spending less time trying to monetize syndication and more time building the active, logged-in user experience is a far bigger long-term opportunity. Too many people try Twitter and stop using it because it is too hard/complicated.”

How to download Windows 10

A simple guide to downloading and installing Windows 10 on your Microsoft device

Microsoft's latest operating system Windows 10 is being rolled out to users across the world, with Insider programme members being the first to receive the upgrade. Here's how to download and start using the new software. 

In order to run Windows 10, users need a PC or tablet with a 1GHz processor or faster, 1GB of RAM and 16GB hard disk space for 32-bit machines or 2GB and 16GB for 64-bit machines, a DirectX 9 or later graphics card with a WDDM 1.0 driver and an 800 x 600 display or better. 

Unlike with previous versions, there will not be a separate Windows Phone 10 operating system. Instead, Windows 10 will be used across all Microsoft devices, including PCs, tablets and smartphones – as well as the Xbox games console and Microsoft's holographic headset, HoloLens.

How to upgrade

1. Your device must be running either Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 in order to update your system - Windows 8 users will be required to upgrade to 8.1 before they can move on to 10. Ensure that automatic updates are turned on under Control Panel > System > Automatic Updates. If you're running Windows RT, you won't be able to upgrade to 10, but Microsoft has said a start menu and lock screen update is coming in September.
2. You can reserve your free upgrade by clicking on the Windows 10 app icon that will appear in the bottom right-hand side of your taskbar. You will be notified by Microsoft once the operating system has been automatically downloaded onto your computer.

^{Clicking the notification begins the installation process}
It's worth noting the new upgrade is coming in stages, with some business customers not receiving an upgrade prompt until August 1. PCs and tablets are the first compatible devices, as the Mobile version will be made available from later in the year. 

The new system is free to download for 7 or 8.1 owners, but those with older versions or wishing to install 10 on a non-Windows running device will have to pay $119 (£99) for Windows 10 Home and $199 (about £131) for Windows 10 Pro.

Where is my notification?

If you haven't received a notification to upgrade yet, it could be down to Microsoft working on a specific compatibility fix for your particular device, or down to the high volume of devices upgrading at any one time.

Why is it taking so long?

It is thought that the rollout of Windows 10 will break internet traffic records, due to the high volume of downloads, and could result in some problems with network performance over the next week. Microsoft has reportedly reserved up to 40Tbps (terabits per second) of capacity, in an attempt to ensure it runs smoothly. 

"Around the world, millions and millions of people have registered for the upgrade, so we need to do this in a responsible way using the bandwidth of the internet," said Michel van der Bel, Microsoft UK CEO. 

"At the same time of course, we need to be sure that people get bits in the right order and get a great experience. Windows users in New Zealand will be the first to get access to the code on the 29th, and we'll be watching very closely to see how we can improve the experience as we go along." 

Acer, Lenovo, HP and Del desktop PCs, laptops and tablets running the new system are available to buy from today. More devices will begin to ship with Windows 10 in the run up to Christmas, Microsoft has said. 
 

WINDOWS 10: 5 KEY FEATURES

1. The new Start menu is split in two, with a list of commonly used applications and settings on the left hand side and Windows 8-style "live tiles" on the right, optimised for touch-based computing.
2. The Edge browser is includes a number of nifty features like Read Mode and Web Note, allowing users to read and interact with web pages in the way they want.
3. There is now a button on the taskbar that gives you a zoomed-out view of all the apps you have running, and lets you select the one you want or create multiple virtual desktops.
4. Microsoft's personal assistant, Cortana, also learns about you over time, such as the music you like and the sports teams you support, and proactively highlights relevant news and information from the web.
5. Unlike with previous versions of the operating system, Windows 10 works across all Microsoft devices, including PCs, tablets, smartphones.