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Maserati’s Levante GTS will get a dash of Ferrari V8 spice http://ift.tt/2fgk178 Maserati’s first SUV is an impressive initial stab at the performance SUV segment, but even its hottest variant, packing 424 horsepower, is no match for rivals like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and upcoming Land Rover Range Rover Velar SVR. To that end, Autocar is reporting that the Italian luxury brand is working on a range-topping Levante GTS. While the standard Levante and Levante S use turbocharged V6 engines, the GTS is set to use a Ferrari-built V8 (shared with the Quattroporte GTS). The twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter mill will churn up 530hp and 523 pound-feet of torque – figures that closely resemble the 520-hp Cayenne Turbo, but fall short of the Turbo S’s 570-hp boast. The Levante won’t just pack a big engine, either. Maserati will tune the SUV’s suspension, chassis, and steering for increased stiffness and responsiveness. We can also expect a brake upgrade to counteract the potential bump in momentum. Like other Maserati models (especially those with V8 motors), the Levante GTS will sound the part of a performance vehicle as well. Aesthetically, more aggressive bodywork, larger wheels, and unique trim will distinguish the Levante GTS. Look to the Quattroporte GTS for exterior styling cues. Inside, as is the trend for hotted-up rides, carbon fiber trim will cover a few surfaces and sport seats will feature more bolstering. Nothing says sporty like kidney-squeezing chairs. The addition of a pair of cylinders will likely add a bit of weight, but the extra power will drop the GTS’s 0-to-60 mph performance below the Levante S’s 5.0-second benchmark. We’d wager a sprint in the mid-four-second range and a theoretical top speed of 170-plus mph (though an electronic limiter may cap that at 155 mph). With the Levante S starting at $83,800, the range-topping GTS should nestle just under $100K before any options are considered. That may sound like a huge chunk of change, but considering the Cayenne Turbo commands $116K out of the gates, it may prove a relative bargain. If a V8-powered Maserati SUV doesn’t suit you, the upcoming hybrid may be more your style. Maserati will reportedly mate a 3.0-liter V6 with an electric motor (derived from the Chrysler Pacifica) for about 33 miles of all-electric driving.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/2p4eJdC September 18, 2017 at 12:17PM
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CCleaner server infection may have spread to millions before it was caught http://ift.tt/2x93KYD For possibly as long as a month, the CCleaner system maintenance application has been distributing malware through its official channels. It appears to have been an exploit of the CCleaner installer’s download server, meaning that whenever anyone downloaded the software via official means, they also unwittingly downloaded a piece of malware. Although malware of all types is most commonly spread through phishing attacks like infected attachments and phony links, a tactic which is seeing a lot of success is infecting trusted platforms. Whether it’s hijacking legitimate distribution accounts, or in this case the download servers themselves, it leaves the victims vulnerable to infection even if they observe proper personal security practices. The payload for this malware attack has several tasks once installed. As Talos describes in its breakdown of the malware attack, it first lays dormant to avoid automated detection systems, before checking to see if it has admin access. If not, it shuts itself down to avoid detection, but if it does, it proceeds to gather information on the system and then sends it to a remote server for later collection. It then looks to connect to several other domains, leading to the potential download of more malicious software. Piriform, the software’s developer, has since issued an apology for the exploit affecting so many of its customers. It warns that anyone running CCleaner version 5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud version 1.07.3191 could be affected. It suggests anyone running either version update to the latest release, which has been confirmed infection free. It would also be a good idea to run standard anti-virus and anti-malware checks with your chosen security software. If you don’t have one or aren’t sure which to opt for, these are some of our favorites. Even if the ramifications of it are swiftly countered though, one of the worst aspects of this sort of exploit is that they could reduce the trust people have in legitimate sources and institutions. Piriform was purchased by the anti-malware company Avast in July while a fellow anti-malware firm, Symantec, issued the infected CCleaner download with its valid security certificate. Having the rug pulled out from a legitimate download like this makes it much harder for those with little security knowledge to know where to turn to protect themselves online. If the very companies that purport to do so can aid in the proliferation of malware themselves, who can you trust?
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/2p4eJdC September 18, 2017 at 12:17PM
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This nasty Formula One racing crash will have you ducking for cover http://ift.tt/2wq2YHa Like anything else, you can have good days in racing, and you can have bad days. On Sunday, September 17, at the 2017 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix, the Ferrari team had a very bad day. Ferrari drivers Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were among the fastest drivers in pre-race qualifying, with Vettel taking pole position in the race. But things went horribly wrong less than a minute after the green flag. Raikkonen moved across the wet track and collided with Vettel, sandwiching Max Verstappen and his Red Bull in between. Raikkonen and Verstappen were out of the race, not even making it to the first corner. As it slid off the track, Raikkonen’s Ferrari took out Fernando Alonso’s McLaren as well. After sustaining heavy damage and spinning at the track’s third turn, Vettel retired from the race as well. Verstappen blamed Vettel for the incident, claiming the Ferrari driver came too close to him after the start, according to Racer. But after talking to all three drivers, race officials decided to take no further action. They stated that “no driver was found to have been wholly or predominantly to blame for the incident.” It’s never good when both of a team’s drivers are taken out of the race by a crash, but this incident was particularly unlucky for Ferrari. It resulted in an easy win for Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, allowing him to extend his lead over Vettel in the driver championship. With both Ferraris out and unable to score points, Mercedes was also able to increase its lead over the Italian automaker in the constructor championship. Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas, finished third. Mercedes has had a stranglehold on F1 since the current hybrid powertrain rules went into effect in 2014. A superior powertrain allowed Mercedes to cruise to the constructor championship virtually unopposed in 2014, 2015, and 2016. Hamilton won the driver championship in 2014 and 2015, and former teammate Nico Rosberg won it last year. Ferrari has put up more of a fight so far this season, but the Singapore disaster is a major setback. Red Bull was at least able to salvage something from the race. Verstappen’s teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, started further back and avoided the calamity at the front of the field. He managed to come home second.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/2p4eJdC September 18, 2017 at 12:17PM
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Lyft envisions future streets that actually reduce lanes to cut back traffic http://ift.tt/2f5WJxa Lyft’s focus on future autonomy isn’t just about partnering with self-driving car companies like Drive.ai, or with providing an open network upon which an autonomous ride hailing service can be built – it’s also working with design firms and other stakeholders to try to foresee future streets intentionally built to facilitate autonomous transportation. This is another example of Lyft’s big-picture thinking around autonomy and the future of mobility services – its co-founders, and particularly President John Zimmer, have expressed expansive, blue sky visions of autonomous future in the past. Now, it shared with CNN a potential blueprint for what a redesigned major roadway in traffic-choked Los Angeles might become with some relatively near-to-hand autonomous tech actually running on roads. Lyft’s vision, created with architectural firm Perkins+Will and transportation consultant agency Nelson/Nygaard, actually reduces the 10-lane current design of LA’s Wilshire Boulevard down to just three narrowed lanes for cars, along with dedicated lanes for autonomous buses. The idea is to incentive shared, self-driving modes over individual, manually driven vehicles – while also opening up green space and pedestrian- and bike-friendly lanes, too. The road design has a wider sidewalk, along with park-like fixtures including benches. These would work in tandem with the dedicated bus lanes and autonomous multi-passenger vehicles, to provide space that’s enjoyable while you wait. It’s not generally terribly surprising in terms of how it looks compared to idealized visions of future cities, but it does point out very directly how we might be able to reclaim a significant portion of current urban square footage for resident use – even in the near future, with limited implementation of autonomous vehicle tech. Bus routes, especially dedicated ones, are relatively uncomplicated compared to open self-driving in existing city streets, shared with human-driven vehicles. We could seem them implemented long before consumer have ready access to autonomous technologies at the level of the individual car.
Digital Trends via TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com September 18, 2017 at 12:16PM What Would Happen If Everyone in the World Lost Their Sex Drive? http://ift.tt/2yklfTJ Online dating apps, pornography, advertising, and the continued existence of the human race all testify to a healthy, ongoing interest in sex among human beings, despite the fact that millennials appear to be having less of it. Until the day pills or radiation extinguish the last embers of human horniness, sex will likely continue to shape and govern society in all kinds of ways. It’s worth wondering, though, what a world without a sex drive might look like. How would it affect the way we interact with one another? What would it mean for the environment? And with the species potentially at risk of extinction, would it be ethical for governments to intervene in some way? Advertisement To address these questions in this week’s Giz Asks, we reached out to a number of sociologists, population scientists and bioethicists with a range of opinions, who among other things pointed out that “sex” and “sex drive” haven’t always historically had a lot to do with one another. Gregory MitchellAssistant Professor of Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Williams College and author of Tourist Attractions: Performing Race and Masculinity in Brazil’s Sexual Economy
Cary Gabriel CostelloAssociate Professor of Sociology and Director of LGBT+ Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Robyn Lewis BrownAssociate Professor, Department of Sociology and Co-Director, Health, Society, and Populations Program at the University of Kentucky
Laura M. CarpenterAssociate Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University and author of Sex for Life: From Virginity to Viagra, How Sexuality Changes Throughout our Lives
Rene AlmelingAssociate Professor of Sociology and Public Health at Yale University and the author of Sex Cells: The Medical Market for Eggs and Sperm (University of California Press, 2011).
Rachel FranklinAssociate Director, Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences (S4) and Associate Professor (Research), Population Studies at Brown University
Ronald M. GreenProfessor Emeritus of bioethics at Dartmouth College and Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and an emeritus member of Dartmouth’s Religion Department, where he is a specialist in the ethical teachings of the world’s religious traditions.
Michelle MeyerAssistant Professor & Associate Director of Research Ethics at the Center for Translational Bioethics & Health Care Policy at the Geisinger Health System
Do you have a question for Giz Asks? Email us at tipbox@gizmodo.com. Digital Trends via Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com September 18, 2017 at 12:12PM Why the Navy Plans to Use 12-Year-Old Xbox 360 Controllers on Its Most Advanced Subs http://ift.tt/2wBJH0G Even though Microsoft has moved on from the Xbox 360 controller, the United States military still seems to think it is an ideal tool for operating some of the the latest manifestations of the military-industrial complex. On Friday The Virginia-Pilot reported that the US Navy is beginning to use Xbox 360 controllers to guide periscopes on their newest nuclear-powered warfare submarines. Virginia-class submarines use mast-mounted digital cameras that naval officers can view on multiple screens, instead of the classic single-viewer rotating periscope built into previous crafts. Until recently, these contemporary photonics masts were controlled by joysticks that cost about $38,000 and required hours of training. But the Navy has realized that the Xbox 360 controller is cheaper ($39.95) and easier to learn. Senior Chief Mark Eichenlaub, assistant navigator of the USS John Warner, a submarine that has started using Xbox controllers, told The Virginia-Pilot, “I can go to any video game store and procure an Xbox controller anywhere in the world, so it makes a very easy replacement.” Advertisement USS John Warner assistant weapons officer, Lt. j.g Kyle Leonard, told The Virginia-Pilot that the Navy polled junior officers about ways to make their duties easier. Many of the officers and sailors complained that the expensive military joysticks are clunky and heavy. This is far from the first time the US military has used gaming technology with their crafts and weapons. The Army has used a Xbox 360 controller to operate its high-energy laser gun built to blast mortar shells and drones. About a decade ago, tech reporters started noticing Xbox controllers in images and videos of military combat demonstrations. Even back then, journalist pointed out that using technology that war-bound millennials are comfortable with is a good way to cut training time. Lockheed Martin reportedly came up with the idea of using Xbox controllers for Virginia-class submarine periscopes at their “classified research lab” in Manassas, Virginia, where sailors work with engineers to find ways to use commercial hardware and software—like Xbox Kinect and 360 controllers, touch tablets, and Google Earth—in Navy submarines. The company says it refers to the lab as “Area 51,” because, like the storied Air Force base in Nevada, the Manassas research lab was classified (at least, according to Lockheed Martin). But with all the gaming tech involved, the name is also reminiscent of the popular Area 51 arcade game. And Lockheed Martin almost looks as if its trying to entice gamers with its promotional images of the classified lab that look like stills from a video game about the military using futuristic tech to fight aliens. Advertisement Microsoft did not immediately offer a response when reached for comment on military departments using their gaming technology. [The Virginia-Pilot, Lockheed Martin] Digital Trends via Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com September 18, 2017 at 12:00PM
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The Last Photo Cassini Took Was Its Forever Home on Saturn http://ift.tt/2w2ZwxV For those who’ve followed NASA’s Cassini mission these past 20 years, it’s still a bit hard to believe it’s gone. On Friday, September 15th, the spacecraft plunged itself into Saturn’s atmosphere, becoming part of the planet it had studied tirelessly for 13 years. While Cassini’s mission is over, there’s plenty of data and imagery from it to inspire us for years to come, including the last photo the spacecraft ever took. On Thursday, just hours before mission end, Cassini snapped a photo of its final destination, roughly 394,000 miles (634,000 kilometers) from Saturn. In this monochrome view, part of the planet is illuminated by light reflected from Saturn’s icy rings. According to NASA, this photo was taken when this side of Saturn was facing away from the Sun, but when Cassini made its final descent into the planet’s atmosphere, it was daytime. Here’s Cassini’s new home in natural color, using red, green and blue spectral filters: In its 20 years with us, Cassini traveled 4.9 billion miles (7.9 billion kilometers), discovered six Saturnian moons, and collected 635GBs worth of scientific data. Though the spacecraft is no more, the hard, exciting work of poring through its information is just beginning. Advertisement “The Cassini operations team did an absolutely stellar job guiding the spacecraft to its noble end,” Earl Maize, Cassini project manager, said after the mission’s end. “From designing the trajectory seven years ago, to navigating through the 22 nail-biting plunges between Saturn and its rings, this is a crack shot group of scientists and engineers that scripted a fitting end to a great mission. What a way to go. Truly a blaze of glory.” Digital Trends via Gizmodo http://gizmodo.com September 18, 2017 at 11:48AM
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Google’s Heather Adkins thinks everybody is going to get hacked and you need to be ready http://ift.tt/2fvvEE9 Google’s Information Security Manager Heather Adkins has a pretty good track record. The company was last hacked in 2009, that’s why Adkins had some good advice for startups in the audience at TechCrunch Disrupt SF. “At some point in the history of your company, you’re probably going to get hacked. The question is not whether or not you’re going to get hacked, but are you ready?” Adkins said. “Are you going to be able to very quickly make decisions about what to do next?” In other words, you need to think about your emergency strategy right now. Think about the ways you can protect your user data so that it’s useless if someone can access it. And one of the reasons why you’re going to get hacked is because most technology companies rely on open source software. Hackers can use this opportunity to find 0-day vulnerabilities. It’s the reason why you should keep all your dependencies patched at all times. “I think it’s the cost of doing business with open source software. The reality is that we have to stay on top of it,” Adkins said. “Even if you’re just two people in a garage, one of you need to be in charge of security, whether it’s part time as an IT person or as a lead software developer.” “Rather than spending tons and tons of money on technology, put a little bit of money on talent and have them do nothing but patching.” I delete all the love letters from my husband— Heather Adkins At the same time, it doesn’t make sense to force all your employees to use a VPN to connect to your company’s network when they’re not at the office. What Adkins calls the enterprise castle no longer works. “The idea of a VPN is anachronistic because you’re routing your traffic through a corporate VPN and then to the cloud,” she said. “The purpose of VPN originally was to create private networks, to create confidentiality between the end points and the server. And we can create this today with SSL. We use SSL to protect that, find that confidentiality capability.” And of course, if you don’t need to keep data, don’t store it. Having healthy retention policies is important. Adkins also uses the same strategy for her own data. “I delete all the love letters from my husband,” she said. Digital Trends via TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com September 18, 2017 at 11:47AM
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A Google security chief considers the NSA a state-sponsored threat http://ift.tt/2w3Hpbl Today at TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2017 Google’s Manager of Information Security Heather Adkins sat down for a fireside chat. Among the varying topics discussed, she spoke about what’s like to have the NSA tap the company’s lines and how she views state sponsored threats. Moderator and TechCrunch Senior Editor Frederic Lardinois asked Adkins if she thinks of the NSA as a state-sponsored threat in the same way as China and Russia. She confirmed, yes, she considers the US’ National Security Agency in that way. Does she worry about the NSA? Yes, she does and it’s good to worry about them because if they can attack, other organizations can do attack too. She goes on to say that she thinks less about individual threats and rather focuses on the techniques available to be used and the surface available to be attacked. “A technique the NSA can use can easily be used by a Mexican cartel against our users,” she said. “All of these actors have these tools available to them.” Heather Adkins has worked at Google for more than a decade, building the company’s Security Team and acting now as the Manager of Information Security. It’s probably one of the most difficult jobs in the whole joint and she has a unique viewpoint from her posting. Digital Trends via TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com September 18, 2017 at 11:44AM
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Blavity acquires Travel Noire, a travel and discovery platform for black millennials http://ift.tt/2xsCIex Blavity, the media and events startup focused on black millennials and black culture, has acquired travel startup Travel Noire for an undisclosed amount. Travel Noire, which offers up traveling tips and guidance for black millennials, reaches over 2 million millennials a month. Next month, I’m heading to Nairobi with some TechCrunch colleagues. Thanks to Travel Noire, I now know to hit up the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant orphanage located inside Nairobi National Park. Travel Noire marks Blavity’s second acquisition of year. A few months ago, Blavity bought media platform Shadow and Act. As part of the acquisition, Travel Noire founder Zim Ugochukwu is joining Blavity and will continue to lead TravelNoire as its chief brand officer. “Travel and culture is a huge part of the black millennial experience and an important part of how we interact with the world,” Blavity co-founder and CEO Morgan DeBaun said in a statement. “Zim has shifted the conversation about travel and showed the world that we can and should be represented wherever we are. I’m thrilled to add her vision and expertise into the Blavity ecosystem.” Since launching in 2014, Blavity has become known for producing viral content like “21 Things Black Men Don’t Hear Often Enough” and “19 Things Little Black Girls Don’t Hear Often Enough.” Blavity currently reached over 30 million people a month via social channels. Founded by DeBaun, Aaron Samuels, Jonathan Jackson and Jeff Nelson, Blavity ultimately aims to become a lifestyle brand with both online and offline experiences geared toward underrepresented millennials. In April, Blavity raised over $1.8 million, according to an SEC filing. Digital Trends via TechCrunch https://techcrunch.com September 18, 2017 at 11:37AM |
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