Elon Musk says artificial intelligence is ‘potentially more dangerous than nukes’
Dante D’Orazio @dantedorazio

If the robots take over, at least Elon Musk will be able to say “I told you so.” The billionaire inventor loves to make the impossible possible, but he is deeply afraid of artificial intelligence (AI). On Twitter this weekend, Musk said that “we need to be super careful with AI,” adding that they are “potentially more dangerous than nukes.”

If that weren’t concerning enough, Musk followed up his statement with another tweet that read: “Hope we’re not just the biological boot loader for digital superintelligence. Unfortunately, that is increasingly probable.” Both are scary enough – one compares sentient networked robots with the most dangerous weapon on earth, and the other suggests we’re merely the fleshy precursors to robot dominance.

This isn’t the first time that Musk has let known his feelings on AI. In an interview with CNBC earlier this year, Musk said that we should be incredibly careful when developing such systems, and he jokingly cited Terminator as an example of what could happen if we mess up.

It isn’t hard to imagine what a doomsday scenario could look like – especially with Google snatching up Boston Dynamics, makers of the creepiest robots on earth, and an artificial intelligence company called DeepMind. Futurist and artificial intelligence expert Ray Kurzweil (who happens to be employed by Google), offers a different argument than Musk. “In my view, biological humans will not be outpaced by the AIs because they (we) will enhance themselves (ourselves) with AI,” Kurzweil said earlier this year. “It will not be us versus the machines … but rather, we will enhance our own capacity by merging with our intelligent creations.”

Musk, for his part, doesn’t seem to be writing off AIs completely – he just wants us to be careful. After all, he thinks Teslas will largely be driving themselves in just a couple of years.

Pricey Data Is A Barrier To Internet Access In Developing Countries
Catherine Shu (@catherineshu)

 

Wikipedia lands on Android Wear with a unique way to navigate
Kif Leswing

We’re still in the very early phase of smartwatch development: Nobody really knows what these devices can really do to go mainstream and, currently, the name of the game is trying out new approaches to see whether they work. One of the latest UI experiments is Attopedia, a new Android Wear version of Wikipedia that uses an ingenious two-dimensional layout to shrink large entries into facts that can fit on a small screen.

Wikipedia entries are already well laid out and follow a style guide with standard conventions for denoting sections and subsections. Dheera Venkatraman’s Attopedia app – which is not associated with the Wikimedia Foundation – takes advantage of that structure to adapt the open encyclopedia into a format that’s friendly with Android Wear, by converting a Wikipedia entry into a matrix. Swiping down takes you to a new section – “History,” “Early life and career,” etc. – and swiping to the right takes you to a subhead within that section. So using an example from Wikipedia’s MIT history section, a right swipe would bring you to “Foundation and vision,” then another would bring you to “Early developments,” and so forth. Basically, the app takes the one-dimensional layout of most web pages (down) and turns it into a two-dimensional grid.

While the need for Wikipedia on the wrist seems superfluous at best, the app does represent one of the first unique third-party user interfaces developed for Android Wear. Venkatraman made the point that many people had similar doubts about browsing web pages on a mobile interface, but when designers eventually designed sites specifically for the mobile web, usage exploded.

Still, it’s hard to think of an instance when I’d want to browse Wikipedia on a smartwatch, especially considering that Android Wear requires a smartphone in near proximity. Plus, Google’s voice search can hit you up with just the fact you were looking for on a Android Wear-friendly card. Perhaps a cheating student would want it for situations when a verbal “OK Google” would draw too much attention. Regardless, it’s nice to see a new smartwatch interface idea, even if it is an unlikely application.

Upp fuel cell charges your phone with hydrogen (pictures)

 

Verizon Responds to FCC’s Concerns Over Unlimited Data Throttling, Says Plan is Legal
Juli Clover

Verizon Wireless today wrote a response letter to the FCC’s concerns over its plan to throttle its grandfathered unlimited data customers during peak usage times, insisting that its upcoming usage restrictions are permitted under current law.

Penned by Verizon’s SVP of Federal Regulatory Affairs, Kathleen Grillo, the letter (via The Verge) also points towards the unlimited data restrictions imposed by other carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, which Verizon says are more draconian than its own throttling plans.

Verizon goes on to emphasize the limited conditions under which its customers will experience LTE throttling, stating slowdowns will occur only at “particular cell sites experiencing unusually high demand” and noting that throttling will end when cell sites become less congested.

According to Verizon’s website, throttling will also be limited to the top five percent of customers and only those who have completed their two-year contracts will be affected. As of July, Verizon’s top five percent of users consisted of customers who used 4.7GB or more of data during the month.

Verizon’s letter is in response to a strongly-worded letter sent last week by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, which stated he was “deeply troubled” by Verizon’s throttling plans. In the missive, Wheeler sent Verizon a series of questions asking the company to explain its rationale for treating customers differently based on data plan type and asking whether the policy was justified under the FCC’s Open Internet rules.

Verizon plans to begin throttling its high-usage LTE customers accessing congested network cells beginning on October 1, and it is unclear if the FCC will take steps to prevent the throttling.

As noted in Verizon’s letter, several other carriers have implemented LTE usage restrictions for customers on grandfathered unlimited plans in an effort to encourage users to switch to pay-by-usage tiered data plans, but the FCC has intervened in Verizon’s case due to Verizon’s use of Upper C Block spectrum that is subjected to a open platform rule.

14 Tiny Houses That Make Simple Living Stylish
Madeline Raynor

 

Walmart.com tries to go modern with mobile-focused redesign
Donna Tam @DonnaYTam

Walmart has redone its website in hopes of keeping up with its online competitors, including e-commerce giant Amazon.

With the new site, launched Monday, Walmart promised an improved personalized search engine, more in-depth product pages, and a mobile-friendly layout, while also continuing to pay attention to one of its main advantages over Amazon — physical stores.

Walmart is trying to respond to its customers changing spending habits, which increasing includes shopping through mobile. Although online shopping is still a small piece — roughly 6 percent last year — of the retail pie, it is quickly growing and expected to reach 9 percent by the end of 2014, according to eMarketer.

The new site comes from Walmart’s research and development team, Walmart Labs, based in the tech hub Silicon Valley.

“Updating the experience that millions of customers depend on isn’t something we take lightly,” Ben Galbraith, Walmart’s vice president of global products for e-commerce, wrote in a blog post. “We’re therefore being very deliberate about how we roll out these changes, taking it a step at a time and working closely with customers to get their input and making improvements as we go.”

With personalized search, Walmart takes a page out of Amazon’s handbook, using customers’ past purchases and search history to surface other products they may want to buy. The retailer has just started to roll out the personalization, so only half of Walmart’s customers will experience the new feature on Monday. Walmart said it will reach all its customers later this month.

The new layout includes bigger buttons and swipe functions, designed for easy mobile browsing, and a bigger search box with new search filters. The “My Local Store” tab spotlights deals and other information from local Walmart stores. The company said more features are on the way, including a faster checkout experience.

Chase Between a 150-Pound Tortoise and Police Car Just Doesn’t Seem Fair
Andrea Romano

 

Hacker says to show passenger jets at risk of cyber attack
Jim Finkle

BOSTON (Reuters) – Cyber security researcher Ruben Santamarta says he has figured out how to hack the satellite communications equipment on passenger jets through their WiFi and inflight entertainment systems – a claim that, if confirmed, could prompt a review of aircraft security.

Santamarta, a consultant with cyber security firm IOActive, is scheduled to lay out the technical details of his research at this week’s Black Hat hacking conference in Las Vegas, an annual convention where thousands of hackers and security experts meet to discuss emerging cyber threats and improve security measures. As such, many corporations may have already considered using companies like Cobalt and their penetration testing services to evaluate how secure their systems are. In addition to that, attending the conference can help to give people more of an idea about how to proceed with their cybersecurity.

His presentation on Thursday on vulnerabilities in satellite communications systems used in aerospace and other industries is expected to be one of the most widely watched at the conference.

“These devices are wide open. The goal of this talk is to help change that situation,” Santamarta, 32, told Reuters.

The researcher said he discovered the vulnerabilities by “reverse engineering” – or decoding – highly specialized software known as firmware, used to operate communications equipment made by Cobham Plc, Harris Corp, EchoStar Corp’s Hughes Network Systems, Iridium Communications Inc and Japan Radio Co Ltd.

In theory, a hacker could use a plane’s onboard WiFi signal or inflight entertainment system to hack into its avionics equipment, potentially disrupting or modifying satellite communications, which could interfere with the aircraft’s navigation and safety systems, Santamarta said.

He acknowledged that his hacks have only been tested in controlled environments, such as IOActive’s Madrid laboratory, and they might be difficult to replicate in the real world. Santamarta said he decided to go public to encourage manufacturers to fix what he saw as risky security flaws.

Representatives for Cobham, Harris, Hughes and Iridium said they had reviewed Santamarta’s research and confirmed some of his findings, but downplayed the risks.

For instance, Cobham, whose Aviation 700 aircraft satellite communications equipment was the focus of Santamarta’s research, said it is not possible for hackers to use WiFi signals to interfere with critical systems that rely on satellite communications for navigation and safety. The hackers must have physical access to Cobham’s equipment, according to Cobham spokesman Greg Caires.

“In the aviation and maritime markets we serve, there are strict requirements restricting such access to authorized personnel only,” said Caires.

A Japan Radio Co spokesman declined to comment, saying information on such vulnerabilities was not public.

BUGGY ‘FIRMWARE’

Black Hat, which was founded in 1997, has often been a venue for hackers to present breakthrough research. In 2009, Charlie Miller and Collin Mulliner demonstrated a method for attacking iPhones with malicious text messages, prompting Apple Inc to release a patch.

In 2011, Jay Radcliffe demonstrated methods for attacking Medtronic Inc’s insulin pumps, which helped prompt an industry review of security.

Santamarta published a 25-page research report in April that detailed what he said were multiple bugs in firmware used in satellite communications equipment made by Cobham, Harris, Hughes, Iridium and Japan Radio Co for a wide variety of industries, including aerospace, military, maritime transportation, energy and communications.

The report laid out scenarios by which hackers could launch attacks, though it did not provide the level of technical details that Santamarta said he will disclose at Black Hat.

Harris spokesman Jim Burke said the company had reviewed Santamarta’s paper. “We concluded that the risk of compromise is very small,” he said.

Iridium spokesman Diane Hockenberry said, “We have determined that the risk to Iridium subscribers is minimal, but we are taking precautionary measures to safeguard our users.”

One vulnerability that Santamarta said he found in equipment from all five manufacturers was the use of “hardcoded” log-in credentials, which are designed to let service technicians access any piece of equipment with the same login and password.

The problem is that hackers can retrieve those passwords by hacking into the firmware, then use the credentials to access sensitive systems, Santamarta said.

Hughes spokeswoman Judy Blake said hardcoded credentials were “a necessary” feature for customer service. The worst a hacker could do is to disable the communication link, she said.

Santamarta said he will respond to the comments from manufacturers during his presentation, then take questions during an open Q&A session after his talk.

Vincenzo Iozzo, a member of Black Hat’s review board, said Santamarta’s paper marked the first time a researcher had identified potentially devastating vulnerabilities in satellite communications equipment.

“I am not sure we can actually launch an attack from the passenger inflight entertainment system into the cockpit,” he said. “The core point is the type of vulnerabilities he discovered are pretty scary just because they involve very basic security things that vendors should already be aware of.”

Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 Goes Live For Developers
Alex Wilhelm @alex

 

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