Microsoft to warn of state-OK'd hacks
Microsoft Corp. said it will tell users of its email and cloud storage services when government-backed hackers may have targeted them.
The policy expands on existing procedures where Microsoft tells users if they believe an account has been targeted or compromised by a third party, Corporate Vice President Scott Charney wrote in a blog post.
"We're taking this additional step of specifically letting you know if we have evidence that the attacker may be 'state-sponsored' because it is likely that the attack could be more sophisticated or more sustained than attacks from cybercriminals and others," Charney wrote. "We do not plan on providing detailed or specific information about the attackers or their methods."
Microsoft, whose Internet services include Outlook.com email and OneDrive online storage, joins rivals including Google Inc. in advising customers when they suspect state-sponsored groups are attacking their accounts. Countries seeking access to personal communications often use anti-terrorism efforts or protecting national security as motives.
Google's Gmail service warned former U.S. diplomat William Stanton that state-sponsored attackers may have attempted to access his account, Bloomberg News reported last month, citing Stanton. That warning didn't name the country, though Stanton said he believes he's a target of Chinese attacks because of his former job, akin to the U.S. ambassador to Taiwan, and his current role as an academic at Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University.
-- Bloomberg News
FCC: Net providers fulfill speed vows
WASHINGTON -- Internet providers are keeping promises made in advertising about faster download speeds, according to a report from the Federal Communications Commission.
Most of the time, consumers are streaming TV shows and surfing the Web at speeds they are paying for. Sometimes it's even faster depending on the time of day or location of the home.
On the downside, there is an increasing gap between those with access to the fastest cable and fiber-based Internet services and those in rural areas who can only get online via satellite or a phone line. That's why the FCC has been pushing companies to go even further, providing financial incentives to improve their offerings in the most remote parts of the country.
Ads for Internet speeds have spurred both consumer complaints and clashes among providers. In 2011, Verizon Communications and Cablevision Systems settled a lawsuit over ads that Cablevision claimed misrepresented its speeds.
"Faster, better broadband will unleash new innovations and new services to improve the lives of the American people," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said.
-- Bloomberg News
Russian urges cheaper space projects
Elon Musk's success in launching reusable space rockets means Russia must make its own projects cheaper as the country struggles to retain its share of the market, the country's defense-industry chief said.
"The main goal today is to make space cheap," Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who's in charge of defense, told Rossiya 24 TV in an interview on Wednesday in Moscow. "Competitors are stepping on our toes. Look at what billionaire Musk is doing with his projects. This is very interesting, well done, and we treat this work with respect."
Rogozin's comments came after the first successful liftoff and landing of a reusable spacecraft this month by Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp. The South African-born mogul said the technology will dramatically cut the cost of space launches.
At the same time, Russia's space industry has been hit by systemic under-financing and a brain drain after the collapse of the Soviet Union, while also suffering a series of botched space launches in recent years. Russia is one of the global leaders in the multibillion-dollar civilian space business.
-- Bloomberg News
Upgrade to give Google Glass new life
Google Glass, the optical head-mounted display prototype that Google stopped selling last January, appears to be getting a second chance.
Photos of a new version of Google Glass appeared in a filing on the Federal Communications Commission website last week, showing new features such as foldable arms, a larger glass prism (which acts as a screen) and a new charging port.
The filing also included a manual with user instructions, not too different from the original Google Glass.
Google announced last January that Google Glass was "graduating" from the tech giant's secretive lab for developing new technologies and would be spun off as its own entity within the company. As part of the transition, it stopped selling the wearable device.
The company did not reveal at the time what plans it had for Google Glass, but reports emerged months later that the technology was being developed for business use.
Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and it is unclear whether the model that appeared on the FCC's website is a consumer or enterprise product.
Unlike other electronic wearables such as fitness trackers and smart watches, Google Glass received a lackluster response when it was released for sale in 2014.
-- Los Angeles Times
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