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Latest by Andrew Couts

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NSA pretended to be Facebook in its effort to infect ‘millions’ of computers

As part of its efforts to install malware on “millions” of computers, the NSA impersonated Facebook to trick targets into downloading malicious code.
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Snowden wants more security, but are we too lazy for more locks?

Edward Snowden says we need widespread end-to-end encryption. He's right. But many tech users may not want to listen.

Edward Snowden at SXSW: Encryption is the answer to NSA surveillance

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden told the crowd at SXSW 2014 that better encryption tools are the best way to limit mass government surveillance.
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The CUPID stun gun drone will hunt you down, zap you into submission

Chaotic Moon Studios has combined two terrifying things – stun guns and drones – to make the ultimate in high-flying DIY weaponry.
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Yahoo Fantasy Sports users won’t lose their data after Facebook, Google ID drop

Yahoo plans to stop allowing users of its services to sign in with their Facebook or Google ID credentials. So, what happens to those accounts?
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Watch Stephen Colbert’s full NSA-ripping 2014 RSA Conference keynote

Just like the NSA’s top-secret documents, Stephen Colbert’s controversial keynote speech the 2014 RSA cybersecurity conference has leaked onto the Web.
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UK spies snooped on Yahoo users’ sexy webcam chats

The UK’s GCHQ intelligence agency covertly collected snapshots of millions of Yahoo users’ video chats, which included countless 'sexually explicit' videos.
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As Facebook plants its flag in WhatsApp, will it pillage or protect user privacy?

What will happen to WhatsApp user privacy now that the messaging service is owned by Facebook?
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Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billion – yes, billion

Facebook announced late Wednesday that it has acquired messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion. Yes, that’s billion, with a “b.”
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FCC to bring net neutrality back from the dead with new ‘open Internet’ rules

The FCC said today that it plans to create new "network neutrality" rules that will keep Internet service providers from favoring certain types of traffic.
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Spies monitored WikiLeaks visitors in real time, Snowden docs show

Newly revealed documents leaked by Edward Snowden reveal that American and British spy agencies targeted whistleblower publication WikiLeaks since 2008.
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British spies cyberattacked Anonymous hackers, Snowden docs reveal

The UK’s spy agency waged cyberattacks against the online chat rooms of Anonymous and LulzSec hacktivists, documents leaked by Edward Snowden reveal.
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What binge-watching House of Cards taught me about life, death, and snacks

House of Cards season 2 is out, and ready for you to binge-watch.
Airbnb iPhone App

Travel hotel-free by finding unique lodging online

Find a bed in any city — without shelling out big bucks for hotels — with these innovative sites for finding unique rooms for rent across the world.
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Are you kidding me? When you can’t tell, the Web can be a dangerous place to joke

The Internet is good for making fun of people we think deserve it. But what if we simply lack the context to know when someone is simply joking?
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No joke: This ‘RIP Flappy Bird’ t-shirt costs $10,000

Thought $100,000 Flappy Bird iPhones were dumb? Wait till you get a load of this “RIP Flappy Bird” t-shirt that costs $10,000.
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An iPhone 5S with Flappy Bird installed is going for $100,000 on eBay

After Flappy Bird was pulled from the App Store, iPhones and Android devices with the game installed are going for thousands of dollars on eBay.

On ‘The Day We Fight Back,’ can we knock the NSA the same way we stomped SOPA?

Can the Internet do to the NSA what it did to the Stop Online Piracy Act? The 'Day We Fight Back' campaign hopes the answer is yes.
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NBC warms to streaming for Sochi, but still leaves cord-cutters out in the cold

NBC will air all 15 events of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics online – but it would much rather you watch them tape-delayed on TV.
Tech in Sochi

From snow cannons to surveillance boxes, here’s the tech at play in Sochi

Here's five key facts about technology at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.
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Injustice! FAA crackdown on beer-delivery drone may be based on hot air

Minnesota's Lakemaid Beer had its beer-delivery drone operation shutdown by the FAA. But some question the agency's authority to do so.
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Move over, .com! The first 7 new domains launch today

The Internet is about to get a lot more crowded. Starting today, websites can register URLs with seven new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).
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Angry Birds creator claims no Internet devices may be safe from NSA

Insecure apps may be providing the NSA and GCHQ with a wealth of personal information about smartphone users.
Mark One 3D carbon fiber printer

Put away the plastic toys, the Mark One 3D printer creates in carbon fiber

Newly launched startup MarkForged announced this week the world’s first 3D printer, the Mark One, which is capable of printing objects in carbon fiber.
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5 tech issues Obama should address in the 2014 State of the Union (but probably won’t)

In addition to health care and income inequality, there are a slew of technology issues President Obama should address during the 2014 State of the Union.
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Will you speak up when ISPs strangle your Netflix? The company sure hopes so

Netflix doesn't seem too worried about the end of net neutrality. Maybe it should be.
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NSA phone metadata collection illegal, ineffective, government watchdog finds

The independent Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has found the NSA's bulk collection of telephone metadata to be illegal and ineffective.
Cash for Glass

Cash for Glass: MPAA dangles $500 for theater employees who rat out cam bandits

The recent detainment of an moviegoer wearing Google Glass wasn't a fluke – it's part of an MPAA program that offers theater works up to $500 for a catch.
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Sorry, Kickstarter, you’re a store (whether you admit it or not)

Kickstarter says it's not a store. But its users – backers and creators alike – seem to disagree.
Syrian Electronic Army The Shadow

Syrian Electronic Army hits Microsoft … for the fourth time in a month

The hacker group known as the Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) has hit Microsoft once again.
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Obama restricts NSA telephone metadata collection program, calls for more changes

President Barack Obama announced Friday a list of “concrete and substantial reforms” to the way the United States conducts its surveillance operations.
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NSA collected 200 million text messages every day, called it a ‘goldmine’

US spies have indiscriminately collected nearly 200 million text messages a day from people around the world, according to leaked top-secret documents.
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NSA uses secret radio waves to spy on computers not connected to the Internet

The NSA has used secret radio signals to monitor nearly 100,000 computers around the world without the need of an Internet connection, report reveals.
fcc finally delves into netflixisp squabble calls for peering documents thomas wheeler

Court strikes down key FCC Net neutrality rules: What it means for you

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against the FCC's Open Internet rules.