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Weekly Rewind: Yahoo’s massive hack, Japan’s weird answer to the Echo, and more

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In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on that it’s almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week. Everything from the 2013 hack of Yahoo (and how to deal with it) to Amazon’s very first drone delivery, it’s all here.

Yahoo was hacked in 2013, and more than 1 billion accounts were compromised

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Yahoo is already dealing with some customer distrust issues thanks to a hack that took place in September, and now new information about another hack has emerged and could really be the final nail in the long overdue Yahoo coffin. The company has disclosed a hack that took place way back in August 2013, in which hackers obtained data from a stunning 1 billion accounts. Yahoo claims this information could include names, email address, phone numbers, dates of birth, encrypted passwords, and more.

Read the full story here.

Update: Ever had a Yahoo account? Take these steps now to protect yourself

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First, take a breath. If nothing horrible has happened to your email or other password protected accounts so far, chances are you’re actually OK, for the moment anyway. But just because nothing has happened yet, that doesn’t mean you’re safe. Sometimes hackers themselves or people who buy hacked account info hoard the data for years before taking action. So, if you had a Yahoo account anytime before the beginning of 2015, there are several steps you should take to be prudent, whether or not you use your Yahoo account now.

Read the full story here.

This French startup just raised $15M to make food out of mealworms

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French startup Ynsect wants you to eat bugs — eventually. For now, it’s focusing on creating insect protein to feed farmed animals a healthier, more eco-conscious diet. After raising just over $15 million in investment funding, Ynsect to expand its production capacity to produce 20,000 metric tons of insect protein each year. That’s a lot of bugs. Ynsect’s process starts by growing and farming mealworm larvae and turning it into a de-fatted protein meal to be used in animal feed and pet food.

Read the full story here.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ 2017 CBS TV series: Everything we know so far

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CBS unveiled the first teaser for its new Star Trek series in early 2016, and the show’s official title was revealed to be Star Trek: Discovery during Comic-Con International in San Diego. With the latest movie (Star Trek Beyond) in theaters this past summer, many Star Trek fans are wondering exactly how the television series from executive producer Bryan Fuller (HannibalPushing Daisies) and showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts (Pushing Daisies) will fit into the framework of the sci-fi franchise as it exists now.

Read the full story here.

Apple’s long-awaited wireless AirPods are now available to order

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Alongside the reveal of the iPhone 7 earlier this year, Apple also unveiled a new pair of wireless in-ears, dubbed the AirPods. These were originally set to ship in October, but just before the end of the month, the company delayed the launch, saying it needed a little more time. Now, it has apparently had enough time, as the Apple AirPods are now available to order online for $159. Shipment is currently slated for December 21. You can read our review here.

‘Emoji Translator’ is now a real, paying job

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In response to the growing popularity of emojis in our daily online communications, a London-based translation firm has launched a search for its first-ever – and surely the world’s first – “Emoji Translator.” So, consider yourself fluent in emoji?  Then read on. The company says in the job listing that it’s “looking for the right person to help us meet the translation challenges posed by the world’s fastest-growing language.”

Read the full story here.

One of Uber’s self-driving cars just ran a red light in San Francisco

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We understand that driverless car engineers want their vehicles to navigate roads as naturally as humans, but running the occasional red light is surely taking things a little far. Just hours after Uber’s self-driving cars hit the streets of San Francisco for the very first time, one of them was spotted apparently running a red light. The incident was recorded by a dash cam in one of the city’s Luxor Cabs and uploaded to YouTube a short time later. Uber says it’s investigating.

Read the full story here.

A holographic virtual girl lives inside Japan’s answer to the Amazon Echo

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Alexa, the voice inside your Amazon Echo or Dot, is very helpful and always accommodating. So are Siri, Cortana, and the various other artificially intelligent assistants available today. But none can seemingly compare with the experience provided by Azuma Hikari, the holographic character who lives inside the Gatebox, Japan’s sort-of-but-not-really answer to the Amazon Echo.

Read the full story here.

Glasses USA’s Snapchat Spectacles prescription lenses are priced low

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Prescription lenses for Snapchat Spectacles are now available from another lens manufacturer, this time in the form of Glasses USA. Better still, the company is offering the most competitive pricing on the market, with single-vision lenses starting from just $29, including free shipping. A variety of Spectacles lenses can be ordered online from the Glasses USA website, all of which can be further customized. However, the prices do start to increase if, for example, you require progressive ($139), or bifocal ($99) lenses.

Read the full story here.

Watch Amazon make its first real drone delivery

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Most of us are familiar with the process of seeing a movie advertised, thinking “I’ll wait for the rental,” and waiting for what seems like forever until it’s available to watch at home. Apple is reportedly in talks with a number of Hollywood studios that are looking to change that by offering rentals for movies that are still in theaters, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Read the full story here.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
How to charge AirPods wirelessly or with a power cable
Apple AirPods Pro 2 inside their charging case.

One of the best features of Apple AirPods is the ability to toss the buds inside the MagSafe charging case when the battery gets low. to charge things up. Thanks to Apple’s speedy charging rates, just five minutes inside the case will give you one hour of listening time (for the AirPods Pro). You’ll also be able to store up to 30 extra charge hours in a MagSafe case, compared to the five to six hours of battery the AirPods deliver when fully charged.

Like the AirPods themselves, the MagSafe case is going to run out of battery. When it does though, you’ll be able to recharge the case using either a Lightning USB cable, USB-C if you happen to get your hands on the newest AirPods Pro, or wireless charging (in some cases). Here’s how to charge your AirPods.

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We just learned a lot more about Motorola’s next folding phone
A video playing on the Motorola Razr 40's half open screen.

Italian retailer Deal N Tech has leaked new information about the upcoming Motorola Razr 50 Ultra foldable phone — including color and storage options, as well as pricing details in Europe. The phone, a successor to the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra/Motorola Razr Plus, has no release date yet, but is expected very soon.

According to the report by Deal N Tech, the new phone will be priced at 1,200 euros (approximately $1,292) in Europe for a 512GB storage variant with 12GB of RAM. It is worth noting that the previous model was launched in 2023 at the same price, but it had a 256GB storage capacity and 8GB of RAM. A previous rumor also noted that the new phone would be available with 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM.

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Apple apologizes for its controversial iPad Pro ad
Apple's ad for its refreshed iPad Pro tablet.

It may have seemed like a good idea at the time, but an ad by Apple for its thinnest-ever iPad has turned into a massive headache for the company.

The 68-second “Crush!” ad for the iPad Pro debuted with the unveiling of the new tablet on Tuesday. It shows a large number of objects such as musical instruments, books, and cans of paint being crushed by a hydraulic press in an apparent effort to demonstrate how it's packed a huge amount of creative potential into an ultra-slim digital device.

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