‘A Star Is Born’ birthed great memes and Zendaya was Meechee.
The Top WIRED Photo Stories of 2018
Want to give your eyes a break from the news cycle? Start here.
The Verge 2018 tech report card: The US government
In 2018, tech needed government more than ever. We were surrounded by problems that the industry couldn’t solve on its own, whether it was Russian trolls, growing monopoly fears, or the ever-escalating pace of cybersecurity failures.
Unfortunately, in the second year of undivided Republican control, the US government was too busy punching itself in the face. This year saw unprecedented dysfunction in even the most basic mechanisms of government, a point driven painfully home by the ongoing government shutdown (the third of the year) which has left thousands of government employees without a paycheck over the holidays. This year, tech policy largely took a backseat to immigration, taxes and the ongoing Mueller investigation, but whenever…
Before the Concorde, there was ‘the Concordski’ – CNET
The Russian-built Tupolev Tu-144 beat the Concorde into the air by two months. But the supersonic plane would enjoy a far less successful career.
Cars we’re most looking forward to driving in 2019 – Roadshow
The next 12 months has Roadshow editors eager for a pickup truck, a crossover and a lot of sports cars.
American Alternatives to the Irish Exit
Ginny Hogan writes a humorous list of alternatives to the Irish Exit inspired by American cities.
The Worst Hacks of 2018: Marriott, Atlanta, Quora, and More
From the Marriott and Facebook meltdowns to state-sponsored assaults, 2018 was an eventful year for cybercrime.
How to Follow New Horizons’ Historic Flyby of Ultima Thule
On New Year’s Eve, NASA’s probe will reach Ultima Thule, an icy body at the edge of our solar system. Here’s its timeline.
Big Tech Is Here to Help You Fight Excessive Phone Use—Kinda
How Google, Apple, and Facebook turned “digital wellness” into a Goopified trend that gives them a new way to market themselves.
Hackers use a fake wax hand to fool vein authentication security
Vein authentication, a biometric security method that scans the veins in your hand, has been cracked, reports Motherboard. Using a fake hand made out of wax, Jan Krissler and Julian Albrecht demonstrated how they were able to bypass scanners made by both Hitachi and Fujitsu, which they claim covers around 95 percent of the vein authentication market. The method was demonstrated at Germany’s annual Chaos Communication Congress.
While imprints of fingerprints can often be left behind on surfaces just by touching them, vein patterns cannot, and are considered to be much more secure as a result. However, this wasn’t a problem for the researchers, who were able to copy their target’s vein layout from a photograph taken with an SLR camera…