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A hacker has exploited a vulnerability in TeleMessage to breach the service and steal data, according to reporting by 404 Media. TeleMessage is an Israeli company that provides modded versions of encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Telegram.

It was revealed last week that former US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz used TeleMessage’s modified version of Signal to archive messages. Today’s report indicated the presence of other high-ranking government officials in archived chats on the app, including Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance.

The unnamed hacker was able to access archived chats, but it doesn’t look like they got into any of Waltz’s conversations. The hack does, however, prove that the app’s message archiving service is not end-to-end encrypted. 

The hacker also accessed contact information of government officials, login credentials for TeleMessage and data pertaining to the US Customs and Border Protection agency. Some businesses who use the service, like Coinbase and Scotiabank, were also hacked. 404 Media spoke to the anonymous hacker, who said the whole thing only “took about 15-20 minutes” and that it “wasn’t much effort at all.” TeleMessage’s parent company Smarsh has yet to comment on the matter.

All of this happened after Waltz accidentally revealed he used TeleMessage during a cabinet meeting last week. This led people to question what kind of information was being shared on the app and how it was being secured. Now we know it wasn’t secured all that well.

Of course, it’s only been a few weeks since Signalgate, in which it was revealed that top US officials were using the messaging app Signal to discuss active combat operations. Prior to the Trump administration, government officials typically avoided consumer-grade messaging apps to hash out military plans. Instead, they used Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) and in-house encrypted communication channels.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/telemessage-a-signal-clone-the-trump-administration-uses-has-been-hacked-183606147.html?src=rss 

The recently-released seventh-gen Apple iPad mini is on sale for 20 percent off via Amazon, which represents a record low price. You can scoop up a 128GB model for just $399, though every storage variation is on sale. The 256GB model is available for $499 and the 512GB version costs $699. All colorways are on sale, but the deals don’t apply to the 5G cellular models. If Amazon isn’t your bag, these prices are also live at Best Buy and Target.

This particular model made our list of the best iPads, and for one obvious reason. It’s the only compact tablet that Apple makes. It’s small, but powerful enough for everyday computing tasks. The design recalls the iPad Air, with squared-off edges and thin bezels. There’s a Touch ID sensor in the power button, decent stereo speakers, a useful camera system and a USB-C port. It’s a regular iPad, just smaller.

We appreciated this release in our official review, saying it was everything we wanted in a small tablet. It offers support for the Apple Pencil Pro and includes the powerful A17 Pro chip. This chip allows for Apple Intelligence integration, though your mileage may vary on that one.

The Liquid Retina display is crisp, but it maxes out at 60Hz. Apple typically reserves its most advanced screen technologies for the iPad Pro. We also found in our testing that the tablet didn’t quite stack up to Apple’s advertised battery life of 10 hours. We typically got around eight hours before the iPad required a charge.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-newest-ipad-mini-is-20-percent-off-and-back-down-to-its-best-price-to-date-153842065.html?src=rss 

A wide-ranging sale on Beats headphones has brought some of the brand’s products down to record-low prices. Take, for instance, the Beats Solo 4. That model is currently half off at $100 at Amazon. Although we’ve seen those headphones hit this price before, it’s matching an all-time low. The same offer is also available at Walmart, Target and Best Buy.

We gave the Beats Solo 4 a score of 79 in our review just over a year ago. The lack of multipoint connectivity was a disappointment and there’s no automatic pausing when you remove them from your ears. Some folks may find the fit quite tight as well. However, we feel that the Beats Solo 4 offer improved sound quality over previous models, while the 50-plus hours of battery life is very welcome. If you’re looking for a portable set of on-ear headphones, the Solo 4 might be worth considering.

In addition, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 are available for a discount, just a few months after they debuted. You can save 50 bucks if you buy a pair of the earbuds now, as they’re down to $200.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 are Apple’s first earbuds that include a heart-rate tracking feature. We gave the fitness-focused model a score of 79 in our review back in February.

The improved design helps make the earbuds more comfortable to wear compared with the previous iteration and we felt that they delivered powerful audio performance on the low end. The Powerbeats Pro 2 also have a lot of the same smarts as AirPods, largely thanks to the inclusion of an H2 chip. That said, the hook design won’t be to everyone’s taste, and we felt the active noise cancellation performance was so-so.

Elsewhere in the sale, there are some solid discounts that aren’t quite all-time lows but still worth checking out. You can snap up a pair of over-ear Beats Studio Pro headphones for $170, down from $350. We gave those a score of 81 in our review. As for the in-ear Beats Studio Buds +, those are $70 off at $100. We think these are the best Beats option for most people, and gave them a score of 84 in our review.

Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-beats-headphone-sale-includes-all-time-lows-on-the-solo-4-and-powerbeats-pro-2-144550967.html?src=rss 

In a development that can only be seen as positive, non-consensual deepfake porn site Mr. Deepfakes has shut down for good, reports 404 Media. This news comes due to the site losing one of its service providers. 

“A critical service provider has terminated service permanently. Data loss has made it impossible to continue operation,” a notice on the site reads. “We will not be relaunching. Any website claiming this is fake. This domain will eventually expire and we are not responsible for future use. This message will be removed around one week.” 

As sites continued to crack down on non-consenual deepfake porn, Mr. Deepfakes became an open space for it. Users could upload videos and connect with creators to commission videos. People also used it as a way to collaborate on new techniques, share their methods and provide datasets. All of it was with the goal of creating this non-consensual media, sometimes with a strong likeness to real people. 

The creator of Mr. Deepfakes is still technically anonymous. However, German newspaper Der Spiegel reportedly tracked down one of the individuals behind it, a 36-year-old in Toronto. 

Governments across the world have been taking steps to make sexually explicit deepfakes illegal. Last week, the US Congress passed a bill criminalizing the “publication of non-consensual, sexually exploitative images,” including deepfakes. The UK has made multiple attempts in recent years to make it illegal to create sexually explicit deepfakes. Currently, it’s illegal to share this content, but not to produce it. In early 2024, the European Commission proposed new rules to criminalize sharing non-consensual intimate images, including deepfakes. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/leading-deepfake-porn-site-is-shut-down-for-good-120018413.html?src=rss 

Nintendo is going after the company that showed off unauthorized mockups of the not-yet-announced Switch 2 at CES 2025. In a lawsuit filed on Friday, Nintendo accuses accessory maker Genki of trademark infringement, unfair competition and false advertising, arguing that Genki “embarked upon a strategic campaign intended to capitalize on the public interest surrounding Nintendo’s next-generation console.” According to Nintendo, Genki promoted accessories it claimed are compatible with the Switch 2 despite not having official access to the console, and used the Switch logo to do so.

Following the initial reports in January that Genki brought Switch 2 mockups to CES and published a video said to show a 3D render of the console, Nintendo released a statement to say that neither the hardware nor imagery were official, per IGN. While Genki reportedly claimed it had access to a Switch 2 at first, the company later wrote on X that it does “not own or possess a black market console,” and told Game*Spark (translated by Automaton) that its mockups were based solely on leaked information. In the lawsuit, Nintendo says Genki’s “statements were contradictory and inconsistent,” yet the company “maintained its representation to consumers that its accessories will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 upon the console’s release.”

Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 on January 16, a little over a week after the mockups made their CES appearance. Even in the months since, Nintendo alleges, Genki “continues to exploit the attention of the media and fan base and usurp and threaten sales of Nintendo’s own accessories,” through means including piggybacking on Nintendo Direct with its own “Genki Direct” event immediately after. In a statement shared on X following the filing, Genki said it is “taking [the lawsuit] seriously and working with legal counsel to respond thoughtfully.”

“What we can say is this: Genki has always been an independent company focused on building innovative gaming accessories for the community we love,” Genki’s post continued. “We’re proud of the work we’ve done, and we stand by the quality and originality of our products. While we can’t comment in detail, we’re continuing preparations to fulfill orders and showcase our newest products at PAX East this week.”

The Nintendo Switch 2 arrives after years of rumors and speculation. In the lawsuit, Nintendo notes that it began planning the next-gen console shortly after the release of the first. Pre-orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 opened in April, and the console will be available on June 5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-is-suing-the-accessory-brand-that-flaunted-switch-2-mockups-ahead-of-its-reveal-210341646.html?src=rss 

The votes are in and residents of a small swath of southern Texas are in favor of Starbase becoming a real city. The newly-designated city is home to SpaceX and many of its employees, and it’s where Elon Musk’s company builds rocket engines, launches spacecraft and manufactures other space-related tech. According to the final vote tally, 212 residents voted in favor of incorporating as Starbase, while six voted against the measure — but, it’s worth noting that most of the eligible voters in the locale are SpaceX employees and only 143 votes were needed to make Starbase a city.

Musk celebrated on X, while the city also made its first post, stating that “becoming a city will help us continue building the best community possible for the men and women building the future of humanity’s place in space.” The idea for Starbase dates back to March 2021, when Musk first teased the idea on what was then Twitter. Now that the vote has taken place, Starbase will be separated from Cameron County as its own roughly 1.5-square mile city. This designation is particularly important considering SpaceX may be able to circumvent governmental red tape when it comes to scheduling rocket launches. Previously, Musk’s company had to get permission from county authorities to close a nearby highway or restrict public access to Boca Chica Beach and Boca Chica State Park for rocket launches.

While the vote to designate Starbase as an official Texas city passed, county commissioners and judges still need to declare the election results official, according to Remi Garza, the elections administrator for Cameron County. Even though SpaceX may get a helping hand with Starbase handling its own building and permitting processes, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino told NBC News that any changes to the existing procedures that SpaceX has to go through would be unnecessary.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/spacexs-texas-hq-starbase-is-officially-on-its-way-to-becoming-a-city-185643351.html?src=rss