Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting security flaws in smart contracts to steal cryptocurrency, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In an advisory it published on Monday (via Bleeping Computer), the agency warned investors of a significant uptick in attacks targeting decentralized finance platforms.

Between January and March of this year, hackers stole $1.3 billion worth of cryptocurrencies, with almost 97 percent of that money coming from DeFi platforms, the FBI said citing data from Chainalysis. That’s an increase from both 2021 and 2020 when DeFi-related thefts represented 72 percent and 30 percent the source of all stolen crypto. The agency has seen criminals employ a variety of methods to fleece DeFi platforms. In one case, hackers employed a so-called flash loan attack to steal approximately $3 million worth of cryptocurrencies. In a separate attack targetting a signature verification vulnerability in a platform’s token bridge, cybercriminals made off with $320 million.

Chainanalysis

Many of the most prolific hacks in recent months fall into those categories of attacks. For instance, the largest crypto heist ever saw the Lazarus Group, a North Korean state-sponsored hacking collective, target Axie Infinity. The group reportedly exploited a backdoor in a Remote Procedure Call node from Axie creator Sky Mavis to forge fake withdrawals using compromised private keys. More recently, a hacking “free-fo-all” saw Nomad bridge users lose $200 million worth of crypto due to a misconfiguration.

The FBI recommends investors take a handful of precautions before risking their money with a DeFi platform. You should research the platform you want to invest in, as well as the details of the smart contract they employ. Additionally, only put money down on a firm or company that has paid for independent code audits. You also want to avoid investment pools with extremely limited timeframes to join.

"Cyber criminals seek to take advantage of investors' increased interest in cryptocurrencies, as well as the complexity of cross-chain functionality and open source nature of DeFi platforms," the FBI said. "Investors should make their own investment decisions based on their financial objectives and financial resources and, if in any doubt, should seek advice from a licensed financial adviser."

A new Mafia game is on the way. Series publisher 2K Games and Hanger 13, the studio that worked on Mafia III and Mafia: Definitive Edition, announced the news in a blog post celebrating the franchise’s 20th anniversary. 

“I'm happy to confirm we've started work on an all-new Mafia project,” said Roman Hladík, Hanger 13 general manager. “While it's a few years away and we can't share anything more right now, we're really excited to keep working on this beloved franchise and to entertain our players with new stories.”

The studio did not share any other details on the project. Its most recent release was 2020’s Mafia: Definitive Edition, a remake of the franchise’s original 2002 entry. According to a Kotaku report published earlier this year, Hanger 13 has gone through multiple rounds of layoffs since the studio completed work on Mafia III in 2016. The most recent occurred in May after 2K reportedly canceled a game that Hanger 13 had been working on for a while and that the publisher had funded to the tune of $50 million. That same month, Kotaku published a separate report revealing that the studio was also working on a Mafia prequel set in Italy and built on top of Unreal Engine 5. It’s unclear if that project is the game 2K and Hanger 13 announced today.

If you want to revisit the series or play it for the first time, 2K also announced today it would give the original game away on Steam between September 1st and 5th. You can also buy Definitive Editionon sale until September 8th.

France is preparing to launch a new electric vehicle subsidy program that would give people the ability to lease an EV for €100 ($100) per month. Budget Minister Gabriel Attal announced the plan over the weekend on the country’s LCI news channel, reports Bloomberg. “We know that for many French [EVs] remain very expensive,” he said, adding that the government was working to figure out how quickly it could implement the measure.

Under a subsidy scheme that’s similar to the one introduced by the US Inflation Reduction Act, French car buyers can currently receive as much as €6,000 off electric vehicles that cost less than €47,000. Consumers can also take advantage of a federal trade-in program to get money for their old combustion-engine cars. Despite those incentives, EVs only accounted for 12 percent of new vehicle sales in France during the first seven months of 2022.

For context, France is significantly behind on that front compared to countries like Norway. Last year, battery-electric and hybrid vehicles made up nearly two-thirds of all new car sales within the Nordic country. Much of what’s driving adoption there is a subsidy scheme that allows car buyers to avoid taxes that are found on internal combustion engine cars.

Attal’s announcement follows months of extremely hot weather across France as Europe and the world feel the brunt of worsening climate change. After enduring multiple heatwaves throughout June and July, parts of Paris saw temperatures rise to 36 degrees Celsius (nearly 100 Fahrenheit) earlier this month.

Netflix has secured non-exclusive streaming rights to a handful of classic anime titles. Variety reports the company recently signed an agreement with Nippon TV to bring Berserk, Claymore, Death Note, Parayste: The Maxim and nine other shows and movies to viewers worldwide.

Of that group, Netflix plans to stream Hunter X Hunter first. As of September 2nd, the adaptation of Yoshihiro Togashi’s classic manga series will be available in 104 countries. A few titles, including Death Note and Hunter X Hunter, have been staples of Netflix’s anime catalog in North America for years. In fact, the former is so popular on the platform Netflix gave the Duffer brothers the green light to produce another live-action adaptation of the series. Other notable additions include Hajime no Ippo: The Fighting!, Monster and Nana,

The deal will also give anime fans a chance to watch some of those series on a platform that isn’t Crunchyroll. Ever since Sony acquired the streaming service for nearly $1.2 billion in 2020 and began migrating the Funimation catalog over, Crunchyroll has, for better and worse, been the dominant player in the overseas anime market.

Following months of tests and troubleshooting, NASA hopes to launch its long-awaited Artemis 1 Moon mission. Before today, the plan was for the agency's next-generation Space Launch System rocket to blast off sometime after 8:33AM ET. However, during the night a lightning storm moved close to the Kennedy Space Center, forcing NASA to delay the start of propellant loading. The agency later discovered a hydrogen leak and had to troubleshoot through a communications issue with the Orion spacecraft the SLS is supposed to put on a trajectory toward the moon. It's unclear if those issues could delay the launch.     

If the mission doesn't get underway today, it could blast off later this week. The current launch window is open until September 6th. If the rocket is delayed beyond that date, the earliest we could see NASA attempt to put Artemis 1 in space again would be between September 19th and October 4th. Whatever happens over the next few hours, you can watch it all unfold on NASA's official YouTube channel.      

Once it's underway, Artemis 1 will send an uncrewed Orion spacecraft on a trip beyond the moon. If all goes according to plan, the capsule should return to Earth after spending 39 to 42 days in space. The mission is mostly designed to test NASA's latest hardware before a planned crewed spaceflight sometime in 2024.

For all the conveniences of streaming, there’s still something to be said about venturing out to see a film at a movie theater. Sure, there isn’t an endless amount of choice, and you can’t pause when something else requires your attention but seeing a compelling film on the silver screen is its own treat.

On September 3rd, US cinemas will make it more affordable to enjoy that experience. As part of a newly announced National Cinema Day, more than 3,000 theaters across the US, including chains like AMC, will offer discounted $3 tickets. With all major film studios and more than 30,000 screens involved, there’s a good chance a theater near you is participating.  

“After this summer’s record-breaking return to cinemas, we wanted to do something to celebrate moviegoing,” said Cinema Foundation president Jackie Brenneman. “We’re doing it by offering a ‘thank you’ to the moviegoers that made this summer happen, and by offering an extra enticement for those who haven’t made it back yet.”

While people are returning to theaters to see films like Dune and Top Gun: Maverick, the promotion comes at a time when the industry is still dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19. The pandemic saw movie studios like Universal significantly shorten theatrical windows, and many chains, including Regal Cinemas, struggled to stay open amid strict lockdown measures in the US and other parts of the world.

Anker chargers aren’t the only thing on sale at Amazon this weekend. The retailer has also discounted the Echo Show 10. After a 20 percent price drop, the device is $200, down from $250. Both the Charcoal and Glacier White colors are included in the company’s latest promotion. We saw Amazon discount the Echo Show 10 to $180 during Prime Day in July, making this the best price we've seen since then.

Alongside the Echo Show 15, The Echo Show 10 is one of the more unusual products in Amazon’s smart display lineup. Engadget awarded the device a score of 83 in 2021. The rotating screen is an interesting feature that can make it easier to glance at information and participate in video calls while completing other tasks. It also sounds and looks great, and can double as a security camera. However, the problem with the Echo Show 10 is that it’s significantly more expensive than the Echo Show 8. When they’re not on sale, the former is double the price of its more affordable sibling. The Echo Show 10 also takes up more counter space. Amazon’s latest sale won’t help with that last point but a $50 discount does make it a more reasonable purchase.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

For over a decade, Valve has offered access to Steam through Android and iOS clients. In recent years, however, the Steam mobile app hasn’t gotten much attention from the company. Not only does it look dated, but it’s also a pain to use. I only keep it on my iPhone to take advantage of Steam Guard verification.

The good news is that Valve is working on a new version of the mobile app. In a blog post spotted by PC Gamer, the company invited “invested Steam users” to beta test its redesigned Android and iOS client. “We’ve rebuilt the app on a new framework and modernized the design. (2015 called and wanted their app back,)” Valve wrote. 

In addition to previously included features, the redesigned app adds more intelligent notifications, multi-account support and a new way to log into your Steam account. Instead of inputting your username, password and Steam Guard verification, you can use a QR code to simplify the process. It’s probably the most useful feature added by Valve.

The early consensus among testers is that the new app is a welcome improvement over its predecessor. It does have the usual blemishes you find in beta software, including sluggish performance and plenty of bugs, but it's a step forward. “The sooner we get your feedback on a product, the better,” Valve wrote. “This is especially important when the app can be used on so many different phones and devices.”

There’s no public release date for the redesigned app yet. However, the beta is open to anyone who wants to take part. You can find installation instructions on the Steam website, but note that the iOS beta is limited to 10,000 concurrent participants due to Apple’s TestFlight restrictions.

For today only, Amazon has discounted a handful of Anker chargers and Soundcore speakers. Starting things off, there’s Anker’s 521 Charger. It’s a 40W power adapter with a pair of USB-C ports capable of charging two devices simultaneously. The company offers the 521 in four colors: Glacier Blue, Cool Lavender, Black Ice and Arctic White. The blue model is $9 off, making it $27 at the moment. Engadget hasn’t had a chance to check out the 521, but it has a five-star rating on more than 4,300 reviews. One thing to note is that it doesn’t come with a cable. Thankfully, included in today's sale is Anker’s 10-foot Nylon USB-C to USB-C cable. At the moment, it’s 30 percent off.

For something you can take on the go, consider the PowerCore Fusion 10000. It’s a 20W adapter that doubles as a 10,000mAh power pack. The Fusion 10000 features both a USB-C and USB-A port, with the former delivering 20W charging whether you’re using the adapter as a wall charger or battery pack. Based on the Amazon rating, the Fusion 10000 is another Anker product that people seem to like. It’s currently $37.49, down from $50.

If you’re looking for a wireless charger, Amazon has also discounted Anker’s PowerWave Magentic 2-in-1 Stand. The nifty thing about the PowerWave is that it can charge your phone and a pair of wireless earbuds at the same time – though you’ll need a Qi-compatible case for the latter. The PowerWave is currently $18 off from its usual $50 price. Note that you’ll need to buy a compatible power adapter separately.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

If you’re in the market for a new gaming monitor, one of the early decisions you need to make is whether to buy a flat or curved display. The two formats offer different advantages and frequently mean the difference between picking up an IPS or VA panel when considering an LCD screen. Corsair is developing a new monitor that would seem to offer the best of both worlds.

This week, the company announced the Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240, a 45-inch 3,440 by 1,440 monitor you can manually bend to switch between a flat panel and a curved screen. The prototype features a pair of handles on its sides that allow you to adjust the curvature of its LG-made W-OLED panel up to a maximum of 800R. You can even adjust the sides independently of one another – though there’s no practical reason for doing so.

The conventional wisdom when it comes to whether you should buy a flat or curved monitor is that the former is better suited for daily use and productivity tasks while the latter is ideal for gaming since it can make the experience feel more immersive. What will be interesting to see with the 45WQHD240 is just how durable it proves to be over time. Samsung’s foldable phones have a noticeable crease where you bend them open and their screen protectors are known to wear down. For a monitor that will likely cost thousands of dollars, no one wants to see those kinds of imperfections.

Judging by its other specs, the 45WQHD240 will be a more than capable gaming monitor. Its 21:9 ultrawide panel features a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms gray-to-gray response time and 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage. It’s also G-Sync compatible and can max out at 1,000 nits of brightness. The biggest downside is that it won’t support VESA mounting, but the included stand offers plenty of ports.

The Xeneon Flex 45WQHD240 doesn’t have a release date or price tag yet. Given the feature set, it will probably be eye-wateringly expensive when it arrives. Corsair promised to share more details later this year.