Month: January 2022

Enlarge (credit: Ars Technica)

It’s time for another Dealmaster. Our latest roundup of the best deals we can find from around the web includes a rare discount on HBO Max subscriptions. Right now, new or lapsed subscribers to the video streaming service can take 20 percent off the cost of a monthly subscription, for up to 12 months in total. The deal applies to both the ad-supported and ad-free plans, bringing them down to $8 per month (from $10) and $12 per month (from $15), respectively. If you run the offer out for the full 12 months, it’ll result in a $24 discount for those who subscribe to the ad-supported tier, or a $36 discount for those who go for the ad-free option. The deal doesn’t lock you into subscribing for a set period of time, but note that, by default, the service will be set to auto-renew at the usual monthly price once your discounted period ends. The service’s offer page says this deal is for the US only and will last until January 25.

While the deal doesn’t apply to existing subscribers or HBO Max’s annual plans, this is still decent savings for those who were already thinking of giving the service a go. Warner Bros. doesn’t plan to release major films on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously going forward, but if you need something new to binge, the service still has a good amount of fare we like, from the latest Matrix film (until January 21, at least) to newer shows like The White Lotus, The Nevers, Hacks, and Succession. Classics like The Sopranos and Curb Your Enthusiasm are still there as well.

If you’re already overloaded with streaming services, though, our roundup has plenty more tech deals of note. The Apple Watch Series 7, our top smartwatch pick, is within $10 of the lowest price we’ve tracked, while Jabra’s Elite 75t, a pair of noise-canceling true wireless headphones we recommend, are within $5 of their all-time low. The newest Apple AirPods are back down to a low of $140 and could fit the bill for those who prefer a more open earbud design, while the PC version of 2021 Ars game of the year Psychonauts 2 is discounted to $36. We’ve also got discounts on Nintendo Switch games and accessories, Wacom drawing tablets, and iPhone screen protectors, among other gear. You can check out the full list below.

Enlarge (credit: Jeremy Brooks / Flickr)

Researchers have uncovered a never-before-seen backdoor written from scratch for systems running Windows, macOS, or Linux that remained undetected by virtually all malware scanning engines.

Researchers from security firm Intezer said they discovered SysJoker—the name they gave the backdoor—on the Linux-based Webserver of a “leading educational institution.” As the researchers dug in, they found SysJoker versions for both Windows and macOS as well. They suspect the cross-platform malware was unleashed in the second half of last year.

The discovery is significant for several reasons. First, fully cross-platform malware is something of a rarity, with most malicious software being written for a specific operating system. The backdoor was also written from scratch and made use of four separate command-and-control servers, an indication that the people who developed and used it were part of an advanced threat actor that invested significant resources. It’s also unusual for previously unseen Linux malware to be found in a real-world attack.

Enlarge (credit: Julian Berman)

Last October, Phil Arrington precariously balanced a dream on the cargo bed of his 2002 Ford Ranger pickup. It was a stupid dream, but it did not deserve to die on a dolly behind a beige warehouse.

Arrington was hunched over the dolly, gold chain dangling over a tight gray tee. Between his arms, leaned at a 45-degree angle, was a video game arcade machine; its title, MUSECA, could be glimpsed over his shoulder. The machine had come a long way—from an arcade in Tokyo to an anonymous warehouse in Osaka and then, after a long wait on a container ship outside Long Beach, California, to Arrington’s warehouse in San Pedro. Arrington effortfully wheeled the 6-foot-tall cabinet toward the pickup’s hatch. On the concrete 3 feet below lay a thin, blue blanket. Nearby, a phone was recording.

Enlarge

The past year saw a breathtaking rise in the value of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, with Bitcoin gaining 60 percent in value in 2021 and Ethereum spiking 80 percent. So perhaps it’s no surprise that the relentless North Korean hackers who feed off that booming crypto economy had a very good year as well.

North Korean hackers stole a total of $395 million worth of crypto coins last year across seven intrusions into cryptocurrency exchanges and investment firms, according to blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. The nine-figure sum represents a nearly $100 million increase over the previous year’s thefts by North Korean hacker groups, and it brings their total haul over the past five years to $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency alone—not including the uncounted hundreds of millions more the country has stolen from the traditional financial system. That hoard of stolen cryptocurrency now contributes significantly to the coffers of Kim Jong-un’s totalitarian regime as it seeks to fund itself—and its weapons programs—despite the country’s heavily sanctioned, isolated, and ailing economy.