opinion | SEALs cover-up reveals high level mismanagement

The New York Times has reported on allegations of a cover-up by the Navy SEALs after the beating of Afghan locals resulted in death to a detainee under murky moral circumstances. The report has rightfully stoked outrage and debate about our control of the armed forces. These are, after all, the very men and women we expect to uphold the finest qualities in America, the vanguards of the liberty and democracy we enjoy every day.

But in spite of the clear need for safeguards and accountability to prevent this disgrace from recurring, the allegations have revealed a deeper mismanagement of resources at a higher level.

analysis | OnePlus USB-C cables faulty, no recall issued

It’s never wise to take a fire hazard lightly.

Mobile phone manufacturer OnePlus has offered to refund customers who purchased their USB-to-type-C cable after a flaw was discovered that could cause damage to the power source, potentially resulting in an electrical fire. The cable, which shipped with its OnePlus Two phone in July this year and was also sold as a standalone accessory, was not standards compliant, and a blog post by the company recommended against using it for anything other than charging its own device.

news | SCORES DEAD AS FRANCE DECLARES EMERGENCY FOLLOWING PARIS ATTACKS

France has declared a state of emergency late Friday evening following a string of deadly attacks in Paris that have left more than 100 dead, multiple sources have reported. The attacks included scores dead at a concert venue following a hostage situation, shootings at two restaurants in the 10th and 11th arrondissements, and explosions near the Stade de France soccer stadium. The AFP has reported a total of seven attacks throughout the city.

news | Strife in Turkey highlights restrictions on freedoms

Suicide bombers attacked a peace rally in Ankara, Turkey on Saturday, killing at least 97 and injuring dozens more. The bombings come in the midst of nationwide turmoil, as Turkey prepares to hold snap elections on November 1st. Opposition leaders have accused the Turkish government of using the current political climate to censor and restrict news coverage and curtail freedoms of speech and of the press.

Saturday’s attack is the third of its kind, following an attack at another political rally in Diyarbakir that killed four in June, and an attack that killed 33 in Suruc in July.

opinion | Introducing the PocketWatch

Magical.

Revolutionary.

Inherently familiar.

Whenever we set out to build something with the latest technology, we want it to be a device that makes you think money is no object in the relentless pursuit of rampant consumerism. We painstakingly created a groundbreaking device that’s immediately attractive and intimately familiar—a device you can read just by looking at it.

Introducing the PocketWatch. Everything old is new again.

opinion | Android's sudden Stagefright

Of all the talk about the Stagefright exploit, its most sinister aspect is the delivery: all it takes is the phone number of the target. An MMS is sent to the victim with the payload as part of a video, and the attack takes over even if the message is not read by the user. Worse, elevated privileges mean any trace of the attack can be removed before the user is aware of the problem.

I'm currently tracking the Stagefright exploit on Android with considerable interest (and, I'll admit, a modicum of trepidation). While I think many of the fears about widespread attacks on the "billions" of Android devices are largely unfounded, I also think the exploit is simple enough and thus serious enough to warrant attention from Android users.

news | Financial Times acquired by Nikkei for £844m

Japanese media company Nikkei acquired the FT Group from current owner Pearson for £844m (US$1.3m) in a deal announced earlier today. When finalized, the deal will bring the British business newspaper Financial Times under the control of Japan’s largest media company, adding to an already impressive but largely domestic media empire spanning radio, print, and television broadcast companies.