REPORT: Russia hacked the White House

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/report-russia-hacked-the-white-house-2015-4

Russian-hired hackers breached an unclassified White House system and pilfered information about President Barack Obama's daily schedule and communications, according to CNN. The hackers gained "access to sensitive information such as real-time non-public details of the president's schedule."

A phishing-style attack allowed Russian hackers to access a State Department computer network, which in turn allowed access to the White House's system. The hackers were working for the Russian government, but did not succeed in accessing any classified networks, according to the CNN report.

Even so, non-classified networks can contain sensitive information that the White House might not necessarily want in the hands of a rival government. And it's a sign that even high-level US government systems are far from impervious to outside attacks.

The attack stemmed from a nearly year-long breach of the US State Department's computer systems that investigators described as the "worst ever" against a US federal agency target, according to a March CNN report. Those ongoing problems with State's computer networks has apparently now impacted the White House as well.

On CNN, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes explained that federal staffers have previously been encouraged to guard even non-classified information being passed through government systems because of hacking concerns.

"If you're going to do something that is classified you have to do it on one email system and on phone system, and act as if information could be compromised if it's not on the classified system," he said. Rhodes said that the hackers did not access classified information, even though the government views even unclassified information as "sensitive."

Rhodes wouldn't confirm or deny t! hat Russ ian hackers were responsible for the reported White House breach.

"It's fair to say ... Russia has been active in the cyber space and in the espionage space," Rhodes told CNN.

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A Magnetic Field Detector 1,000 Times More Efficient Than Those Before It

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-magnetic-field-detector-1-000-times-more-efficient-th-1696155628

Measuring magnetic fields with accuracy is important, whether it’s for geological exploration or medical imaging. Now, a team from MIT has developed a new laser-based magnetic field detector that’s 1,000 times more efficient than previous examples.

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LG may have just outed an 8K iMac

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/07/lg-leaks-8k-imac/

Apple's suppliers take a $50 million blood oath on new model secrecy, but it looks like someone from LG didn't get that memo. In a press release explaining why 4K is now passé (really?), the company's display division inadvertently leaked an iMac with an incredible 8K screen. While discussing its own 98-inch 8K TV, it said "Apple has also announced that they will release the 'iMac 8K' with a super-high resolution display this year." Unfortunately for LG, Apple announced no such thing, meaning the Korean company may have revealed information meant for its eyes only.

An 8K iMac is far from implausible, as Apple already has a 27-inch 5K retina iMac with 5,120 x 2,880 pixels. On top of that, VESA's new DisplayPort 1.4a standard now allows 7,680 x 4,320 8K displays. (That's an eye-popping 33-megapixels if you're keeping score at home.) However, we're taking all the information with a certain amount of salt, since it could just be a simple mistake or misunderstanding. That said, LG is the manufacturer of record for Apple's 5K iMac and has since taken down the post. We've reached out to LG and Apple for comment, but at this point we're not holding our breath.

Filed under: Desktops, Displays, Apple, LG

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Small Lego case hides a grown-up computer inside

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2015/04/07/small-lego-pc/

Let's imagine you've always found Lego computers cool and woke up today wanting to make one of your own. In that case, congratulations: Mike Schropp from Total Geekdom just published a design for a small (but powerful) PC that's perfect for you. Schropp went for the smallest design that could still house the latest Intel i3, i5, and i7 processors, USB 3.0, various ports (HDMI, LAN, audio, display, mic), multiple SSD drives, up to 16GB of RAM and even a CD/DVD or Blu-ray drive. He went through three iterations, before he managed to build a size (7.5 x7.5 x 5.5 inches) that he felt was perfect for this project (and didn't need too much Lego), equipped with a top-down cooling system.

He said he got the idea after considering requests for him to build a Lego computer:

The more I thought about the Lego computer over the last year, the more I started wondering how I could design and build a system that wasn't so difficult to reproduce, one that could be bought by anyone looking for a new computer with a unique twist, a Lego twist.

This isn't Schropp's first attempt at building computers out of toy bricks, by the way: In 2011, he built a Lego PC tower that served as a folding farm for cancer and AIDS research. He's done other far-out projects, as well, including a robot made using computer parts and a PC cooled by a wind tunnel. He wrote extensively about his experience building this Lego PC on his website and posted a healthy collection of images, so make sure to visit if you'd like to tackle something similar in the future.

Filed under: Desktops

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Via: Ubergizmo

Source: Total Geekdom

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Stanford researchers developed a battery that can charge your smartphone in just one minute

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/stanford-aluminum-ion-battery-charges-smartphone-one-minute-2015-4

Researchers at Stanford University in the US have created a new aluminium battery that charges smartphones to full capacity in one minute. Scientists say the technology could one day replace many of the batteries used in devices today, according to a media release.

The findings were detailed in an online edition of the journal Nature, published on April 6.

The aluminium-ion battery is a safer alternative to the lithium-ion batteries currently used in laptops and smartphones, which can be a fire hazard. The new prototype is also better for the environment than disposable alkaline batteries, like the ones you find in TV remotes.

The prototype was developed by Stanford University chemistry Professor Hongjie Dai along with student colleagues.

"We have developed a rechargeable aluminium battery that may replace existing storage devices, such as alkaline batteries, which are bad for the environment, and lithium-ion batteries, which occasionally burst into flames. Our new battery won't catch fire, even if you drill through it," Dai said in a statement.

The team's new battery can keep going for around 7,500 charges, while previous experimental aluminium batteries lasted only 100 charge cycles. A typical lithium-ion battery lasts around 1,000 charge cycles, according to researchers.

Aluminium is an appealing material for batteries because it's affordable, doesn't catch fire too easily, and has a high-charge capacity. The challenge, until now, has been "finding materials capable of producing sufficient voltage after repeated cycles of charging and discharging," researchers note. 

The new battery consists of a negatively charged aluminium anode and a positively charged graphite cathode. 

The battery is not only long-lasting, but it can also bend, greatly widening its potential use in electronic devices. 

Researchers still have to work on improving the voltage of the aluminium battery. Right now, it only produces about half the voltage of a typical lithium battery. 

For more information, watch the video from Stanford University:

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