This Week in Tech – 09/24/2017
CCleaner Compromised to Distribute Malware for Almost a Month
Version 5.33 of the CCleaner app offered for download between August 15 and September 12 was modified to include the Floxif malware, according reports published by MorphiSec and Cisco Talosa…
Apple Cuts Cookies – but There Is More to Come in the Online Advertising Arms Race
Apple is cutting down on how many cookies advertisers can force on to your devices, with changes coming to iPhones, iPads and Macs. The advertisers, naturally, are not happy…
iPhone 8 Release Day Draws No Crowds, Little Enthusiasm in China
Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus officially went on sale in China on Friday, though it doesn’t seem like many people really cared. Previous releases of Apple’s iconic smartphone reliably drew massive crowds, frenzied enthusiasm and even scalper fights, but this time, the reaction was a bit more, shall we say muted?…
Some Brave Soul Volunteered for a Completely Robotic Dental Surgery
A robot just implanted two 3D-printed teeth into a woman’s mouth all on its own. The procedure took place recently in China and the researchers who developed it hope it can help the country’s dentist shortage problem, reports the South China Morning Post…
Court Rules Stingray Use Without a Warrant Violates Fourth Amendment
Today, the Washington DC Court of Appeals overturned a Superior Court conviction of a man who was located by police using a cell-site simulator, or Stingray, CBS News reports. The court ruled that the defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated when law enforcement tracked down the suspect using his own cell phone without a warrant…
Even at $500K, Gene Therapy Could Be a Bargain for Some Diseases
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved what it called the “first gene therapy” in the country. The therapy, called Kymriah and made by Novartis, uses a patient’s own cells—which are genetically modified outside the body—to treat a deadly type of childhood leukemia. The therapy has had astonishing effects, resulting in complete cancer remission in some patients…
Equifax Suffered a Hack Almost Five Months Earlier Than the Date It Disclosed
Equifax Inc. learned about a major breach of its computer systems in March — almost five months before the date it has publicly disclosed, according to three people familiar with the situation…