ArduinoMania

If you've been trying to send messages via WhatsApp and they're not going through, you're not alone. The messaging app has been down for many users around the world for at least 30 minutes. Based on information from Downdetector — and from Engadget editors' reports — the service isn't working in several countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, India and the Philippines. WhatsApp users either can't connect to the service at all or their messages get stuck with the loading wheel and aren't being delivered. Instagram and Facebook appear to be fine and unaffected.

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The Federal Trade Commission wants to limit the amount of personal information Drizly can collect as part of the enforcement actions it's proposing against the marketplace and its CEO. According to the FTC, the alcohol delivery service that Uber had purchased in 2021 and its chief executive, James Cory Rellas, were alerted to security issues way back in 2018. The commission has found that they had failed to adequately protect their users' information, which enabled a data breach in 2020 that exposed the data of 2.5 million users.

Based on the FTC's original complaint, a Drizly employee posted the company's logins for its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud account on GitHub in 2018. Drizly stores users' details, such as their emails, postal addresses, phone numbers, and even their unique device identifies, geolocation info and any other data purchased from third parties that can be linked back to them on AWS. Hackers were able to use those logins to infiltrate Drizly's servers and use them to mine cryptocurrency. 

While Drizly took back control by changing its login information, the FTC says it failed to implement "reasonable safeguards" to protect its users and to address its security issues despite publicly claiming that it had done so. In 2020, a hacker was able to get into an employee's account and access the company's GitHub. They then hacked into Drizly's database and stole the personal information of 2.5 million customers, which had since been offered for sale on at least two different websites on the dark web.

The FTC says those events were made possible by Drizly's poor security practices, such as not requiring employees to use two-factor for GitHub, where it stored login information. Drizly also didn't limit workers' access to users' personal data, the FTC adds, and had no senior executive overseeing its security practices. 

Under the FTC's proposed orders, Drizly will have to destroy any personal data it previously collected that's not necessary to be able to provide its services. It will also have to refrain from collecting unnecessary data in the future and will have to publicly divulge the information it requires from users on its website. In addition, it will have to implement a comprehensive security program and appoint an executive to oversee its operations. 

The commission has also issued orders that personally apply to Rellas due to the role he played in presiding over Drizly's lax security practices. If Rellas decides to leave the alcohol deliver service, he will still be required to implement an information security program at future companies where he takes on the role of a CEO, majority owner or senior executive involved in security. As The Washington Post notes, the FTC rarely singled out executives in similar security breach cases in the past, and this indicates a new approach at handling companies with inadequate security measures.

Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement:

"Our proposed order against Drizly not only restricts what the company can retain and collect going forward but also ensures the CEO faces consequences for the company’s carelessness. CEOs who take shortcuts on security should take note."

The FTC will publish these proposed orders soon, and they will be open for public comment for 30 days before the commission decides if will make them official.

For British kids of a certain age, their first experience of a computer was very likely to have been in front of a Sinclair ZX81. The lesser-known predecessor to the wildly-successful ZX Spectrum, it came in at under £100 and sported a Z80 processor and a whopping 1k of memory. In the long tradition of Sinclair products it had a few compromises to achieve that price point, the most obvious of which was a 40-key membrane keyboard. Those who learned to code on its frustrating lack of tactile feedback may be surprised to see an Arduino project presenting it as the perfect way to easily hook up a keyboard to an Arduino.

Like many retrocomputing parts, the ZX81 ‘board has been re-manufactured, to the joy of many a Sinclair enthusiast. It’s thus readily available and relatively cheap (we think they can be found for less than the stated 20 euros!), so surprisingly it’s a reasonable choice for an Arduino project. The task of trying to define by touch the imperceptible difference in thickness of a ZX81 key will bring a true retrocomputing experience to a new generation. Perhaps if it can be done on an Mbed then someone might even make a ZX81 emulator on the Arduino.

We’re great fans of the ZX81 here at Hackaday, for some of us it was that first computer. Long may it continue to delight its fans!

Input devices that can handle rough and tumble environments aren’t nearly as varied as their more fragile siblings. [Alastair Aitchison] has devised a brilliant way of detecting inputs from plumbing valves that opens up another option. (YouTube) [via Arduino Blog]

While [Aitchison] could’ve run the plumbing valves with water inside and detected flow, he decided the more elegant solution would be to use photosensors and an LED to simplify the system. This avoids the added cost of a pump and flow sensors as well as the questionable proposition of mixing electronics and water. By analyzing the change in light intensity as the valve closes or opens, you can take input for a range of values or set a threshold for an on/off condition.

[Aitchison] designed these for an escape room, but we can see them being great for museums, amusement parks, or even for (train) simulators. He says one of the main reasons he picked plumbing valves was for their aesthetics. Industrial switches and arcade buttons have their place, but certainly aren’t the best fit in some situations, especially if you’re going for a period feel. Plus, since the sensor itself doesn’t have any moving parts, these analog inputs will be easy to repair should anything happen to the valve itself.

If you’re looking for more unusual inputs, check out the winners of our Odd Inputs and Peculiar Peripherals contest or this typewriter that runs Linux.

Days before Elon Musk’s deal to acquire Twitter could finally close, workers at the social company are warning that staff cuts would be “reckless.” Timereports that an open letter from an unspecified number of Twitter employees, directed to Musk and Twitter’s board, is making rounds within the company.

The letter comes on the heels of a report from The Washington Post, that Musk wants to cut as much as 75 percent of Twitter’s roughly 7,500 staff. “Elon Musk’s plan to lay off 75% of Twitter workers will hurt Twitter’s ability to serve the public conversation,” the letter says. “A threat of this magnitude is reckless, undermines our users’ and customers’ trust in our platform, and is a transparent act of worker intimidation. We cannot do our work in an environment of constant harassment and threats.”

The letter also includes a list of demands for “current and future leadership” of the company. In addition to “fair severance policies for all workers,” letter writers want Musk to keep existing employee benefits in place, including remote work. Musk has previously criticized remote work, and suggested most Twitter employees should return to the office.

The letter also hints at the potential ideological divide between some Twitter workers and Musk, who has said he favors less moderation. “We demand that leadership does not discriminate against workers on the basis of their race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs,” the letter says.

It’s unclear how many workers have signed onto the letter so far. But it’s yet another sign of how messy things could get for Twitter employees under Musk. After a months-long legal battle, the deal seems to be on track to close by the October 28th deadline.

Fallout 5 is nowhere near release, but Bethesda might have something to tide you over. VGCreports the game developer has unveiled plans to release a "next-gen" (really, current-gen) update for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC in 2023. The upgrade will offer high frame rate and 4K quality features, and include new (if currently unspecified) Creation Club content.

This isn't the first time Bethesda has spruced up visuals for Fallout 4. An update for the Xbox One X enabled 4K in the 2015-era title, but only at 30 frames per second. The company took advantage of FPS Boost on Xbox Series X and S to deliver 60FPS gameplay last year, but apparently capped the resolution at 1080p. While it's not clear exactly what improvements you'll see this time around, it won't be surprising if there are fewer compromises.

The strategy is familiar, at least. As with CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 patch, it's an effort to sustain interest in an old game while work continues on a long-awaited sequel. No, this likely won't spur sales, but it might keep Fallout 4 in players' minds (and to a degree, Fallout 76) until there's a new release. If nothing else, it's another way to mark the series' 25th anniversary.

Since 2019, Bumble has used machine learning to protect its users from lewd photos. Dubbed Private Detector, the feature screens images sent from matches to determine if they depict inappropriate content. It was primarily designed to catch unsolicited nude photos, but can also flag shirtless selfies and images of guns – both of which aren’t allowed on Bumble. When there’s a positive match, the app will blur the offending image, allowing you to decide if you want to view it, block it or report the person who sent it to you.

In a recent blog post, Bumble announced it was open-sourcing Private Detector, making the framework available on Github. “It’s our hope that the feature will be adopted by the wider tech community as we work in tandem to make the internet a safer place,” the company said, in the process acknowledging that it’s only one of many players in the online dating market.

Unwanted sexual advances are a frequent reality for many women both online and in the real world. A 2016 study found that 57 percent of women felt they were harassed on the dating apps they used. More recently, a 2020 study from the United Kingdom found that 76 percent of girls between the ages of 12 and 18 have been sent unsolicited nude images. The problem extends beyond dating apps too, with apps like Instagram working on their own solutions.

A group of workers at YouTube Music Content Operations, an Alphabet subcontractor, have filed with the National Labor Relations Board for union recognition and bargaining power after a supermajority of the 58-strong group signed union cards. "As a part of the YouTube Music Content Operations team, workers ensure music content is available and approved for YouTube’s 2.1 billion monthly active users worldwide," the Alphabet Workers Union-Communications Workers of America (AWU-CWA) said in a statement.

The workers, who are based in Austin Texas, were already paying AWU-CWA dues and are now seeking bargaining rights. The AWU-CWA says those rights would force Alphabet to recognize the union as the workers' bargaining unit. The NLRB has scheduled a hearing for November 14th. The union, which was formed in January 2021, now counts nearly 1,200 Alphabet workers as members, including full-time employees as well as temporary, vendor and contract workers.

The AWU-CWA says it "won't stop organizing until all Alphabet workers (full-time, temporary, vendor and contract workers) have dignity on the job, the pay and benefits we deserve, and a seat at the table." Earlier this year, a group of Google Fiber workers in Kansas City voted to unionize with the AWU-CWA. This month, the AWU filed complaints with the NLRB, accusing the company of firing Google data center workers in retaliation for union activity. The union says Google fired two workers who attempted to discuss pay and working conditions.

“We are honored to welcome the workers of the YouTube Music Content Operations team as members of the Alphabet Workers Union-CWA," Google software engineer and AWU-CWA executive chair Parul Koul said. "Google platforms like YouTube have largely been a success thanks to the labor and efforts of the thousands of contract workers that ensure quality content while being denied their fair share. We’re excited to see these workers bring Alphabet to the bargaining table and use their power to win the quality pay, benefits and rights on the job they deserve.”

Engadget has contacted Google for comment.

Two spies from the People's Republic of China attempted to interfere in a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice into a prominent Chinese telecommunications company, US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Wednesday. The two agents, Guochun He and Zheng Wang, were working for the benefit of Huawei, reports Bloomberg. According to a complaint seen by the outlet, He and Wang attempted to bribe a law enforcement employee to provide them with information on the Justice Department's investigation.     

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Apple is matching its wave of software updates with a not-so-pleasant price hike. As 9to5Macreports, the company has raised the prices of Apple Music and Apple TV+. Music now costs $11 per month for individual plans (up from $10) in the US, or $109 per year. The Family plan now costs $17 per month instead of $15. TV+ sees the largest relative jump — the price has increased from $5 per month to $7, and from $50 per year to $69.

Accordingly, Apple has hiked prices for its multi-service One bundles. You now pay $17 per month for an Individual plan versus the earlier $15. Family users now pay $23 per month instead of $20, and Premier customers pay $33 per month where they previously paid $30.

A company spokesperson attributes the increases to licensing costs in a statement to 9to5. The more expensive plans will let artists and writers "earn more" from streaming music, Apple claims. The TV+ increase also reflects the size of the service, the representative adds. The video offering had "just a few shows and movies" when it launched three years ago, and now has a much larger catalog.

This won't thrill you if you're cross-shopping services. Spotify still asks $10 per month for its regular plan, and $16 for a six-user family account. You won't get lossless or spatial audio, but it's a better bargain if you're more interested in the lowest possible price. Things are murkier with video services. The higher pricing still makes Apple TV+ more affordable than Amazon Prime Video and ad-free Netflix (particularly if you want 4K HDR), and more specialized services like Disney+ and Hulu will charge extra in December. It's just a question of whether or not shows like Ted Lasso and Slow Horses are worth the outlay.

The larger One prices may be easier to swallow. It's difficult to find all-in-one bundles that combine music, video, cloud storage and other services, particularly if you want something Apple-friendly. And like it or not, you probably won't find alternatives that include fitness apps or magazine subscriptions.