Catégorie : Tech News

The holiday season is here in full swing. That usually means seeing friends and family, decorating the house and of course, giving gifts. But right now, many retailers have announced that shipping deadlines are near or already past us. It might be too late to send or order a physical gift. But not to worry, there are still tons of options if you need a gift. 

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money. 

Getting someone a gift card is always a solid, safe option. And with a digital gift card, you can send it right to their inbox. Gift cards are available for just about everything. This includes various stores for the shopaholic in your life, dining cards for your foodie and much more. There are a good amount of discounts on gift cards right now too, saving you some coin on holiday gifts. 

Take a look at the offers below to see the hottest gift card deals happening right now. And keep checking this page as we’ll continue to scour the web for more offers to add on. 

More gift card deals:

Shipping deadlines are just about here and some have already passed. If you aren’t sold on a gift card, take a look at other last minute gifts you can grab your loved ones. 

Where can I find the best gift card deals?

The best gift card deals are found both online and in-stores. Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart oftentimes have great deals on gift cards. Many of these deals can help you save money on these cards, essentially giving you some free cash to spend. 

What is the best gift card to give?

The best card to give all depends on who you’re shopping for. If you’re shopping for a teen or a college student, they’ll love the Uber and Doordash gift cards to help them get around campus and maybe order some late night studying snacks. A young adult may love an Instacart gift card to help them out with the rising cost of groceries. 

Will my gift card arrive in time for Christmas?

Yes, your gift card will arrive anytime you want it to. If you’re purchasing a gift card online, you can chose when they gift card will be sent to your recipient. Simply enter their email or phone number and chose the date for delivery. It will come to their inbox on the date of your choosing. 

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• The Ray-Ban Meta glasses just got new Live AI in Early Access
• Shazam music recognition is here too
• All new features are only available in the US and Canada

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Meta is rounding out the year with a major update to its Ray-Ban smart glasses with two Live features it teased at Meta Connect 2024. It’s also adding Shazam integration to help you find the names of tunes you hear while wearing your specs.

The only downside of the awesome-sounding Live features are that they’re in early access, so expect them to be less reliable than your typical AI tools. They’ll also only be available to Early Access Program members in the US and Canada. You can enroll at Meta’s official site.

But if you are in the Early Access Program you can now try Live AI and Live Translation.

Live AI is like a video version of Look and Ask. Instead of taking a quick snap, your glasses will continually record your view so you can converse with it with about what you can see – or other topics. What’s more, while in a Live AI session you won’t need to say “Hey Meta” over and over again.

Meta adds that “Eventually live AI will, at the right moment, give useful suggestions even before you ask.” So be prepared for the AI to butt in with ideas without you prompting it directly.

The babelfish gets closer

Live Translation is another real-time AI tool. This time it allows the AI to automatically translate between English and either Spanish, French, or Italian.

When you’re speaking to someone who is using one of those three languages you’ll hear what they say in English through the glasses’ open-ear speakers, or see it as a transcript on your phone – and they’ll be able to hear or read a translation of what you’re saying in their language.

Thankfully, the update isn’t all about just early access features.

If you’re out at an end-of-year party and like the sound of a tune you can also ask your glasses “Hey Meta, Shazam this song,” and it will tell you what song is playing via the Shazam music recognition tool.

Unfortunately, while this feature is available more widely it is once again only available in the US and Canada – so folks in the UK and beyond won’t have access to it yet.

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Whenever a leader in technology comes out publicly warning of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence—or perhaps “superintelligence”—it is important to remember they are also on the other side selling the solution. We have already seen this with OpenAI’s Sam Altman pressing Washington on the need for AI safety regulations whilst simultaneously hawking costly ChatGPT enterprise subscriptions. These leaders are in essence saying, “AI is so powerful that it could be dangerous, just imagine what it could do for your company!”

We have another example of this type of thing with Eric Schmidt, the 69-year-old former Google CEO whom more recently has been known to date women less than half his age and lavish them with money to start their own tech investment funds. Schmidt has been making the rounds on weekday news shows to warn of the potential unforeseen dangers AI poses as it advances to the point where “we’re soon going to be able to have computers running on their own, deciding what they want to do” and “every person is going to have the equivalent of a polymath in their pocket.”

Schmidt made the comments on ABC’s “This Week.” He also made an appearance on PBS last Friday where he talked about how the future of warfare will see more AI-powered drones, with the caveat that humans should remain in the loop and maintain “meaningful” control. Drones have become much more commonplace in the Ukraine-Russia war, as they are used for surveillance and dropping explosives without humans needing to get close to the front line.

“The correct model, and obviously war is horrific, is to have the people well behind and have the weapons well up front, and have them networked and controlled by AI,” Schmidt said. “The future of war is AI, networked drones of many different kinds.”

Schmidt, conveniently, has been developing a new company of his own called White Stork that has provided Ukraine with drones that use AI in “complicated, powerful ways.”

Putting aside that generative artificial intelligence is deeply flawed and almost certainly not close to overtaking humans, he is perhaps correct in one sense. Artificial intelligence does tend to behave in ways the creators do not understand or have been unable to predict. Social media provides a perfect case study for this. When the algorithms know only to optimize for maximum engagement and do not care about ethics, they will encourage behaviors that are anti-social, like extremist viewpoints intended to outrage and get attention. As companies like Google introduce “agentic” bots that can navigate a web browser on their own, there is potential for them to behave in ways that are unethical or otherwise just harmful.

But Schmidt is talking about his book in these interviews. In his ABC interview, he says that when the AI systems begin to “self-improve,” it may be worth considering pulling the plug. But he goes on to say, “In theory, we better have somebody with the hand on the plug.” Schmidt has spent a lot of money investing in AI startups while simultaneously lobbying Washington on AI laws. He certainly hopes the companies he is invested in will be the ones holding the plug.

The 2024 version of the Beats Pill is currently down to a record-low price of $100 from $150. This is part of a larger Beats promotion, which includes other Beats Pill models, Beats Solo 4 headphones and Beats Fit Pro true wireless earbuds.

The 2024 Beats Pill has a maximum speaker output of 100 watts, which is enough for outdoor listening. To help with the bass levels, the woofer can now displace 90 percent more air volume to deliver a fuller bass compared to the previous model. Beats doesn’t ignore the higher frequencies either, as the Pill has great highs and mids without much distortion even at higher volumes.

The 2024 Beats Pill has an IP67 rating against water and dust, making it suitable for outdoor use. The battery lasts a maximum of 24 hours, depending on how loud you’re playing your music. To prevent you from accidentally dropping it, the speaker comes with a removable lanyard.

The Beats Pill can be paired with another unit to produce a stereo effect, separating the left and right channels out to separate Pills. Besides Stereo mode, there’s Amplify mode, which plays the same audio through both speakers at the same volume.

Also, we listed the Beats Pill as one of the best portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s even capable of playing lossless audio through a USB-C connection.

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President-elect Donald Trump is planning to retake the White House with a bold set of promises, including lower interest rates.

US households have grown frustrated with two years of high borrowing costs. However, the president doesn’t have the power to reduce mortgage rates, credit card APRs or business loan rates. Interest rates result from a combination of economic factors, including the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy.

The Fed — the country’s central bank — began gradually lowering its benchmark interest rate during the fall. The Fed’s chief decision-making body meets again this week, with another projected quarter-percentage cut on the agenda. 

While Trump will have the power to appoint a new Fed chair in 2026, he does not have the ability to set monetary policy or change the federal funds rate directly.

There’s a long history of presidents trying to interfere in the central bank’s autonomy. During his first presidency, Trump threatened to remove Fed Chair Jerome Powell after the Fed started hiking interest rates. More recently, the president-elect said he won’t try to fire Powell before the end of the Fed chair’s term in 2026. 

Here’s a breakdown of what Trump can and can’t do regarding interest rates and the Fed.

Who determines interest rates?

The Federal Reserve sets the federal funds rate, a benchmark interest rate that banks pay to borrow money. This target interest rate range indirectly influences the short-term rates that banks and lenders will later charge customers on everything from credit cards to home and auto loans. 

The Fed lowers and raises its benchmark rate to keep prices relatively stable (with an ideal 2% annual inflation rate) and unemployment low, according to Peter C. Earle, a senior economist at the American Institute for Economic Research.

To understand how this works in practice, think back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the economy was cratering in 2020, the Fed dropped interest rates to zero, hoping to encourage spending and investing at a time when people and businesses would otherwise be hesitant. Then, when the economy bounced back two years later, the Fed raised interest rates to address rapid inflation.

What is the relationship between the Fed and the government?

The Federal Reserve was created by Congress in 1913 with the Federal Reserve Act. Congress can amend the Act to alter the way the Fed operates. 

The president’s primary relationship with the Fed is through his power to appoint the Fed chair and other board members. Presidents often appoint Fed board members who align with their worldviews. However, appointments are staggered so that no one president has the power to totally reshape the Fed, said Sarah Binder, professor of political science at George Washington University.

In theory, Trump could push for changes to the Federal Reserve Act through a Republican-controlled Congress. However, Binder said that any modifications to the rules that govern the Fed would need a bipartisan coalition of 60 votes to pass the Senate.

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What the president can do	What the president can’t do
Appoint a new Fed chair in 2026 (and appoint Fed chair board members generally when their terms expire)	Fire the Fed chair over simple disagreements. Fed chairs can only be removed « for cause, » such as misconduct or malfeasance.
Voice concern over monetary policy by publicly criticizing actions of the Fed.	Directly set interest rates for the country or for banking institutions.

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What power does Trump have over the Federal Reserve? 

In 2018, during his first administration, Trump appointed current Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Two years later, Trump called him the « enemy. » Powell’s term ends in 2026, and the president likely does not have the power to remove Powell before then. When asked in early November if the president could fire or demote the Fed chair or other Fed governors, Powell replied, « Not permitted under the law. » 

According to Earle, members of the Federal Reserve Board can be removed only « for cause, » which means proven misconduct or malfeasance or inability to do the job as a result of illness. Simple disagreements over policy or presidential frustration over interest rates are not enough on their own. « Those are not valid grounds for removal, » Earle said.

Presidents do have another, if unofficial, power over the Fed: the bully pulpit. Some presidents have been known to rail against the Fed when the economy is bad, pressuring them to take one action or another. Trump himself did this during his first term by threatening to remove the Fed chair when the economy nearly crashed in March 2020. Experts agree that Trump is likely to make those kinds of comments again.

« I don’t think anyone expects presidents, especially during today’s period, to fully tie their hands behind their back, » Binder said.

Is the Fed really nonpartisan and independent? 

In theory, the Fed is independent, but in practice, that’s not always the case. According to Earle, it’s almost impossible for an entity so important as the Fed to be totally above politics. 

The Fed has several structures that insulate it from outside influence: lengthy terms for board members, staggered appointment timelines and for-cause removal projections, for example. These all work to allow the Fed some autonomy and protect it from the whims of political leaders.

But ultimately, the Fed operates in the middle of the political system. « It cannot be hermetically sealed, » Binder said. 

How will Trump’s policies impact future interest rate cuts? 

Experts say it’s unlikely Trump’s broader economic policies would lead to faster or deeper interest rate cuts. In fact, they might have the opposite effect.

Trump’s proposals for tariffs on foreign imports are likely to cause more inflation, which could then influence the Fed to raise interest rates again as it often does to combat inflation, according to Dean Baker, a senior economist at the Center for Economic Policy and Research.

But experts say Trump’s biggest impact may be the sheer uncertainty he inspires, which can rattle financial markets. His freewheeling policy pronouncements often shake policymakers who are unsure exactly which direction he might take. Trump’s threats to fire Powell, regardless of whether he does (or can) follow through, just add instability to the mix. 

Related articles about the Fed

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• A new survey has found 73% of iPhone users say AI adds little to no value
• The number is even higher for Samsung owners, with 87% saying AI doesn’t improve their lives
• Writing Tools is the most popular Apple Intelligence feature in iOS 18.2

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A new survey from the company Sellcell has found that most iPhone and Samsung users don’t actually think AI improves their daily lives.

The survey asked iPhone users with Apple Intelligence and Samsung users with access to Galaxy AI, whether or not the AI features on their smartphones were actually useful, and most don’t seem to think so. According to Sellcell, 73% of iPhone users and 87% of Samsung users say AI features add little to no value, showcasing that AI is yet to show its raison d’être on the best smartphones.

The survey also found that 1 in 6 iPhone users would make the jump to Android for AI features if there was an enticing enough AI-fuelled feature worth making the move for. Interestingly, nearly 50% of iPhone users said AI was a major factor when deciding on their next smartphone purchase, that number was 23.7% for Samsung users.

The survey in itself doesn’t highlight any surprising results, after all, we’re still at the very beginning of AI development in consumer products, with Apple only launching Apple Intelligence in September and features still rolling out. According to the 1000+ iPhone users asked, Writing Tools was deemed the most popular AI feature interesting 72% of all those who responded. ‘Notification summaries’ (54%), ‘Priority Messages’ (44.5%), ‘Clean Up in Photos’ (29.1%), and ‘Smart Reply in Mail and Messages’ (20.9%) rounded out the list. This survey would’ve been conducted before the launch of iOS 18.2 and the arrival of Genmoji, ChatGPT integration in Siri, and Image Playground which all launched last week.

On the Samsung side, users found ‘Circle to Search’ (82.1%), ‘Photo Assist’ (55.5%), ‘Chat Assist’ (28.8%), ‘Note Assist’ (17.4%), and ‘Browsing Assist’ (11.6%) as the most interesting AI features.

Is AI just a gimmick?

Surveys like this one from Sellcell shine a light on the larger public perception of AI tools in smartphones, that said it’s still early days and the best is yet to come. As an iPhone user myself, I’m slowly noticing Apple Intelligence features creep into my workflow more and more, and I expect that’s the same for users on Samsung and other Android devices with Galaxy AI and Gemini.

AI features on smartphones need a few more years to fully cement themselves into mobile operating systems for us to see if they are indeed a total gimmick or tools that can infinitely improve our lives.

I for one, remain hopeful, especially because Genmoji in itself has made my day-to-day much better. Who doesn’t want to generate a frog emoji for every conversation topic they have during the day? My life now has more frogs in it, and for that, I need to thank AI.

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We’re down to single digits in the countdown to the big day, and yet there are still Black Friday leftovers to be picked over. We mean leftover tech deals, of course. That last bit of turkey that got shoved to the back of the fridge? Yeah, don’t. Do, however, check out Samsung’s gigantic $220 price drop on the 4TB version of their fast and durable T9 Portable Solid-State Drive, which somehow is still left over from Black Friday, and yet still delicious.

See at Amazon

Samsung has long been a dominant force in the world of consumer electronics, with its smartphones, tablets, home appliances, and TVs. But the brand is also a powerhouse in the memory storage market — the world’s No. 1 flash memory brand, in fact — and its T9 Portable SSD is a prime example of its innovation. With the 4TB version now on sale for just $330, it’s an opportunity to snag a high-capacity, fast, and durable drive at a fraction of its usual price.

USB 3.2 = Blazing-Fast Data Transfer

The T9 Portable SSD outshines its predecessor, the T7, by nearly doubling its speed. Thanks to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connectivity, the T9 delivers sustained read and write speeds of up to 20GB per second. This makes it an excellent choice for handling large files, whether you’re backing up data, transferring massive media files, or even working with high-resolution 4K video.

Despite its speed, one of the standout features of the T9 is its ability to manage heat. With Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard, the T9 keeps temperatures in check, ensuring your data stays safe and the drive performs optimally even during extended use. This makes the T9 an ideal companion for creative professionals in fields like photography, videography, and content creation.

Portable and Durable

The Samsung T9 is definitely fast, but it’s also remarkably tough. It can withstand drops from up to 9.8 feet, which makes it perfect for on-the-go use. If you’re frequently moving between locations for work or travel, this drive can handle the bumps and jostles of being tossed into a backpack or bag without compromising the integrity of your files.

Whether you’re a gamer, creative pro, remote worker, or any kind of road warrior, the T9 offers wide compatibility across different devices. It works seamlessly with the latest iPhone models, Android devices, Windows PCs, Macs, and most gaming consoles. The 4TB capacity provides ample space for storing everything from large media libraries to critical work files and games, and it’s fast enough to be connected directly to 4K video cameras and gaming consoles.

At just $330 (40% off), the Samsung T9 Portable SSD is a great buy for anyone who wants to ensure their important data is safe and easily accessible. With Samsung’s Magician Software, the drive will also receive automatic firmware updates, ensuring it remains a reliable and modern storage solution for years to come.

See at Amazon

Are you ready for the holiday travels and the long hours on your phone that accompany them? Whether you’re using your device for directions or entertainment, it’s a pain when you’re phone just dies. Try to avoid this by picking up one of our choices for best power banks and portable chargers, like Anker’s 200W Prime Power Bank — our favorite premium power bank.

Anker’s Prime Power Bank with a 100W charging base is currently available for $110, down from $185. This 41 percent off deal brings the power bank and charging base back down to a record-low price. To start from the bottom, its charging base has a USB port and two USB-C ports. You can use them while the base is plugged in and juicing up the power bank. As for the power bank, it can charge a MacBook Air once and an iPhone 14 or Galaxy S23 3.4 times. The power bank’s sleek screen shows how much battery the Anker device still holds.

If you’re only really interested in the power bank then you can get it for a lot cheaper. The Anker Prime Power Bank is available on its own for just $78 — a 40 percent discount. This deal is also a record-low price for the device and offers all the same perks just sans-base.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

We’re approaching the time of year when wintry weather in the form of snow, ice, rain and even heavy cloud coverage can interfere with your internet service. Of course, the chances of that happening depend on where you live and the type of internet connection you have.

Satellite internet is the most vulnerable to service disruptions due to weather. Those with a fixed wireless or 5G home internet connection may also experience weather-related internet issues.

Cable, DSL and fiber internet connections are far more reliable in the face of wintry weather, but a particularly bad storm could affect the internet in your area and in your home. 

Before an internet outage rains on your parade, it’s important to know what to expect of your service ahead of impending bad weather and what preventive measures you can take to lower the chances you’ll have issues. (We’ve also got a guide for how to break up with your home internet provider, and how to tell if your Wi-Fi router is in the wrong spot.) 

Satellite internet is most vulnerable to bad weather

Perhaps not surprisingly, satellite internet users are most likely to encounter service disruptions due to snow and ice, heavy rain and thick cloud coverage. 

Geostationary satellite signals, like those from Hughesnet and Viasat, travel quite the distance, around 22 thousand miles, to and from your home. Any obstruction along the way, such as rainfall or heavy cloud cover (and the signal-dispersing water droplets that come with them), can disrupt your internet service.

The dish itself can get bogged down with snow and ice, which is less likely to cause problems than heavy rain or cloud coverage, but it can still affect your service.

What to do about snow and ice

Rain and clouds will eventually pass, but snow and ice can linger for days or weeks in some areas. A light dusting of snow or a thin layer of ice will probably have little to no effect on your internet service, but a significant accumulation of an inch or more (where I am in the South, an inch is indeed significant) could cause a problem.

When snow or ice builds up on your satellite dish and affects your internet service, you may be able to remove it on your own — so long as you can do it safely. It’s not uncommon for satellite dishes to sit atop a roof, deck railing or other hard-to-reach spot, which can make accessing and cleaning it difficult and dangerous, especially in icy conditions. Do not attempt to clear snow or ice from your dish if you cannot access it safely.

If you can safely reach your dish, try removing the snow by hand or with a soft-bristle brush, such as a hand broom. Be gentle and try to avoid pushing or moving the dish as doing so, even by a few centimeters, can knock the dish out of position and lower connection quality or lose the signal altogether. Avoid using anything that may scratch the surface, such as a windshield scraper, to keep from damaging the dish. 

In the case of ice accumulation, applying a little warm water will usually remedy the problem. For best results, and to keep from moving the dish or damaging any internal components, use a spray bottle to apply a light stream of warm water until the ice is gone or internet service returns. Again, you’ll want to avoid using anything that could damage or move the dish, like an ice scraper.

Will satellite dish heaters or covers keep my dish clear?

It’s often said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I don’t know if that’s fully the case with satellite dish heaters and covers, but they’re worth a shot. 

See more

Starlink works great until the cats find out that the dish gives off a little heat on cold days. pic.twitter.com/uyH3Kbqrie

— Aaron Taylor (@Tippen22) December 31, 2021

You’re probably going to get the best results with a dish heater. Starlink dishes come with a built-in heater, much to the delight of the cold-weather kitties pictured above, but you can also purchase one online for Hughesnet or Viasat for a couple of hundred bucks.

Keep in mind that they’ll also add a bit to your electricity bill, but most devices have a temperature gauge and kick on automatically when needed to prevent snow and ice accumulation, which helps keep energy consumption low. 

Satellite dish covers are a cheaper option, but they’re typically less effective. You’ll have no problem finding a dish cover for less than $50 online, but the results may be short-lived. Dish covers can accumulate dirt, dust and pollen, creating a prime surface for snow and ice, so you may still be clearing your dish manually, even with a dish cover. 

You’ll just have to wait out cloud coverage and heavy rain

Installing a rain guard to shield your satellite dish may seem like a simple solution to prevent temporary outages, but they’re unfortunately unlikely to help. 

Since the satellite signals have to travel miles to reach your home, they can encounter service-disrupting conditions anywhere along the way, not just in the vicinity of your dish. That’s why you may experience weather-related internet outages even if it’s not raining or cloudy directly above your home. It’s also why a rain guard won’t help prevent connectivity issues. If anything, installing a solid surface over or around your dish could block the signal too, which may lead to even more service disruptions.

In the case of an internet outage due to rain or cloud coverage, there’s not much you can do other than wait for it to pass and service to resume. It’s not all bad news, as satellite providers have made improvements in recent years to minimize the effect bad weather has on your internet connection.

Design and technology improvements by Hughesnet and Viasat, such as smaller, sleeker dishes and stronger internet signals, have helped reduce satellite internet’s vulnerability to rain and cloud coverage. You’ll also find innovative satellite technology with Starlink, which features an improved dish design along with low-orbit satellite technology to help reduce outages due to weather. That’s not to say weather-related service disruptions won’t occur with satellite internet; they’re just not as common as they may have been in the past.

Fixed wireless and 5G internet aren’t totally in the clear

Over-the-air internet services like fixed-wireless internet and 5G home internet are susceptible to many of the same service disruptions as satellite internet but on a smaller scale. 

With both services, internet signals travel far shorter distances, typically only five to 10 miles at most, so there’s a lesser chance of encountering bad weather along the way. Additionally, fixed wireless and cellular towers used for 5G aren’t miles above the Earth, meaning heavy cloud coverage shouldn’t affect service.

Heavy rain, on the other hand, can be another matter. Fixed wireless internet works by beaming internet signals in a straight line of sight between the tower and your home. Anything that interferes with that signal, such as a seasonal downpour, can disrupt the signal and hence your internet connection. 

Rain is less of an issue with 5G home internet services like AT&T Internet Air, T-Mobile Home Internet or Verizon 5G Home Internet because, unlike fixed-wireless internet, 5G works by sending signals in all directions. Even if some signals are blocked or diverted due to rain or snowfall, others are still bound to reach your equipment and keep your internet going, although the signal may not be as strong.

Snow and ice are also less of a concern with 5G as there is no external receiver. Fixed wireless service may require mounting a dish or receiver (although often much smaller than a satellite dish) which could accumulate frozen precipitation. Heaters and covers are harder to come by for fixed wireless equipment, so you may need to manually remove any build-ups if they interfere with your internet connection.

What about cable, DSL and fiber?

Cable, DSL and fiber lines run directly to your home, so they aren’t nearly as susceptible to weather disruptions as over-the-air delivery methods such as satellite, fixed wireless and 5G. Rain, snow and cloud cover won’t have an impact on your internet service, aside from extreme cases where a line gets damaged over time due to exposure. 

The greatest threat to your cable, DSL or fiber internet during bad weather is a power outage. Losing power in your home will likely render your modem and router inoperable, meaning that even if an internet signal is still running to your home, you won’t be able to use it unless your equipment has a battery backup. 

If a power outage hits your provider, you may be out of luck. Severe weather can knock out a provider’s servers or systems that deliver the internet, resulting in widespread outages. So even if the power isn’t out at your home, bad weather may still affect your internet connection. Worse yet, there won’t be anything you can do about it other than wait for service to be restored.

There’s also the slight possibility of electrical surges interfering with cable or DSL internet signals that are carried along by highly conductive copper cables. Chances of that happening are higher on older DSL networks compared to newer cable internet systems, but the risk is still relatively low across both service types.

How weather affects your internet FAQs

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• Researchers found a malicious package on NPM, uploaded a year ago
• It was benign at first, and introduced malware later via an update
• The malware stole hundreds of thousands of secrets and installed cryptojackers on dozes of computers

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For roughly a year, hackers have been infecting red teamers, penetration testers, security researchers, as well as other hackers, with a piece of malware that steals WordPress credentials and other sensitive data, and installs cryptominers on compromised endpoints.

As a result, login credentials for some 390,000 WordPress accounts were stolen, and dozens of systems were found mining Monero.

Cybersecurity researchers Datadog Security Labs spotted the attack on the NPM package repository, and in GitHub, after researchers from Checkmarx also sounded the alarm on the same campaign recently.

The package was pretending to be an XML-RPC implementation, and was first uploaded to the repository in October 2023. Until November 2024, when it was finally discovered as malicious, it received 16 updates.

Legitimate at first

Datadog noted ho the attackers were tactical in their approach, first uploading a package that was legitimate and worked as intended. The malicious code was introduced in later versions, and designed to steal SSH keys, bash history, and other data, every 12 hours. The data it collects would get extracted either via Dropbox, or File.io.

To make matters worse, researchers and security pros that would introduce XML-RPC into their own products would just expand the reach of the malware, turning it into a full-blown supply chain attack.

Datadog said that ultimately, the team found 68 compromised systems that were actively mining the Monero currency. Monero, with the XMR ticker, is most often mined with a cryptojacker called XMRig. This is a popular currency among thieves since it’s fully anonymous and very difficult to trace.

The identity of the threat actors was not discovered, but the researchers dubbed the group MUT-1224, which is short for Mysterious Unattributed Threat.

Major code repositories remain a vital platform for cybercriminals, the researchers concluded, stressing that developers should be extra careful when using open-source software.

Via BleepingComputer

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