A senator is trying to find out how secure US telecom networks are after a major hack.
Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is hunting for answers about the state of US telecom network security after the Salt Typhoon hack first reported late last year. The attack was so massive that US officials encouraged Americans to use encrypted apps to prevent their conversations from being seen by hackers. Cantwell is asking digital forensics firm Mandiant to hand over assessments behind AT&T and Verizon's claims that their networks are now secure. Cantwell letter to Mandiant
[commerce.senate.gov] Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Lauren Feiner Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Lauren Feiner
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All AT&T
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Mobile
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Policy
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Security
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.
See All Verizon
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
2 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
DJI Power 2000 Review: The Portable Power Station You Want for Your Off-Grid Adventures
For a few years in my 20s and 30s, I was contracted to play music on street corners for half-marathon runners in Austin, Texas. When the site I was assigned didn't have an outlet available, I had to rent a gas generator (on the organizers' dime)—a loud, heavy bastard of a machine that was a physical struggle to get started. How I would have loved to have something like the DJI Power 2000 portable power station at the time. The Power 2000 is the third and most powerful in DJI's series of gigantic lithium ferrophosphate (LFP) batteries you can power on with the touch of a button and use to recharge DJI drones and more. In most ways, it's an upgraded version of the Power 1000, just with more USB ports and AC outlets, along with a higher 2,048Wh capacity versus its 1,024Wh predecessor (which means it's quite a bit heavier at 49 pounds, too). The Power 2000 can output at 3,000 watts continuously, an 800-watt improvement over the Power 1000. DJI Power 2000 power station Loaded with ports and plenty of power, DJI's Power 2000 is a great backup battery, even if you're not a drone enthusiast. Pros Cons That's more than enough to drive an amplifier and a small PA system for the couple of hours that I needed, and with way less hassle. Not having to groggily fight to start up a gas motor and then compete with its relentless drone and inhale its fumes while chipper, fit runners streamed past me would have been glorious. The Power 2000 is made, in part, to keep your DJI drones in the air. With its two proprietary Smart DC (SDC) ports, it can quickly charge some, but not all, of DJI's flying cameras. I didn't have such a drone to test, but The Verge found last year that the Power 1000's SDC port could get a DJI Air 3 battery up to full capacity in less than an hour. I'd assume slightly better performance here, as the Power 2000's ports improve on those of its predecessor, offering the same voltage but output at 12 amps instead of 10. Per The Verge, you'll need to buy an SDC cable that's specific to the drone you're charging. Those ports aren't just for powering drones. You can use them, either individually or in tandem, to charge the Power 2000 itself, although DJI doesn't include any of the adapters necessary for that. If you want to charge it from your car's 12-volt DC outlet (or its cigarette lighter, if you're old like me), you'll need a $49 cable. To power it via solar panels, you need a $59 DJI MPPT adapter module, which can accommodate up to three solar panels; that's something you'll want if you hope to recharge the battery at more than a snail's pace. See DJI Power 2000 at Amazon Grid power is the fastest way to charge the Power 2000—DJI says that it can go from 0 to 80% in 55 minutes and to full in about 90 minutes. When the power station arrived with a 36% charge, it only took about 35 minutes to fill from the wall plug in my office. During that time, the battery's internal fan kicked on, quiet enough that I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't home alone. After draining it completely, it took 90 minutes to get it to 82 percent, and another 30 or so to top off, so quite a bit longer than DJI's estimate. The slower-than-promised charging time could be explained by a snag I hit during that session: while checking the DJI Home app as it finished, there was an 'AC input over frequency' error notification at the top of the page. Tapping the notification took me to DJI's support site, where a message said that page didn't exist. Some Googling took me to a DJI list of error codes and solutions, but its recommendation—to try another outlet—didn't help. I asked the company about the error, and DJI senior product specialist Donovan Davis suggested in an email that I hold the AC button down for 10 seconds to change its frequency. In the U.S., 60Hz is the standard electrical frequency, but sure enough, I seemed to have accidentally put the Power 2000 in 50Hz mode, denoted by 'AC50Hz' on its display. Holding the button down was an easy fix, but DJI's support documentation sure didn't help me get there. Fully recharging it after this change took about 90 minutes. As for the DJI Home app, it's a nice addition to the package. With it, you can connect to the Power 2000 over Bluetooth to view its current power input and output for each port, as well as an estimate of the time it has until it's either charged or depleted, depending on where you're looking. You can also peek at past notifications like error codes, update the battery's firmware, and tweak a few general settings. The app supports multiple devices and, of course, has a link out to DJI's store so you can buy more stuff. So let's talk about what I put the Power 2000 through. Its first test was inflating and deflating an air mattress with a built-in 60-watt blower. That didn't even make a dent in the battery percentage, which remained at 100% afterwards. Next, I plugged in my Fender Blues DeVille amplifier, a large, four-speaker amp that drew between 90 and 140 watts over the 20 minutes I played at the loudest volume I was willing to endure. That dropped the battery to 95%—encouraging results if I want to play for 6 hours straight, but I wasn't straining the battery, yet. The real test involved running it as close as I could to 3,000 watts continuously, to see if DJI's claim that it can do so holds up. I tried a hair dryer and two space heaters first, which proved to be too much, pushing it to 3,300 watts. It lasted just 20 seconds before shutting off, but it's likely because I had exceeded the maximum 25-amp output of the device, as Davis confirmed to me in his email that the Power 2000 has the same peak 4,400-watt output as the Power 1000, despite that not being listed in DJI's specs. Companies that make batteries like these love an absurd chart to brag about what you can get out of them. Here are some examples of the number of charges or hours of operation the Power 2000 is good for, from the press materials DJI shared with Gizmodo: Take those numbers as the vague estimates they are, but the point is you'll get a lot more out of it than your average pocketable power bank. The Power 2000 manages that with four USB-C ports (two 140-watt and two 65-watt) and four 24-watt USB-A ports. Davis said those numbers are per-port, rather than being combined like you'd find in many USB wall chargers. You'll also find four AC outputs, three of which are U.S.-standard three-prong grounded outlets and one four-prong one, like you'd plug an electric clothes dryer into (though it's rated for 125 volts, not the 220 volts offered by such an outlet in your home). Between the USB-C and AC outputs, you'll find a digital display that shows you the current battery percentage, output or input wattage, how long until it's charged or discharged, and other helpful info. That's obviously all super useful if you're on a camping trip and don't want to keep track of various power banks or split time with others using the measly couple of outlets you might find at a campsite. The Power 2000 can also function as an uninterruptible power supply, or UPS—essentially a battery backup in the event of a power outage—if you plug it into your wall and then connect a computer or something into one of its AC ports. It goes into UPS mode automatically in that event, passing power through to your device until it detects a loss of power at the wall, at which time DJI says it will switch over to providing its own power within 0.01 seconds. The DJI Power 2000 can function as a home battery backup. For that, you can string together as many as 10 of DJI's $899 expansion packs, for a total of 22,528Wh of capacity, the company says. So how portable is this thing? Well, the Power 2000 sure ain't light at 49 pounds. Still, that's less than half the 111 pounds of the first 3,000-watt gas generator I found on Home Depot's website, and it's in line with the weight of other, similar generators like the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max. Its sturdy handles make transportation easy if you can lift the weight, but going more than a few feet would be rough without mechanical assistance (i.e. a cheap folding luggage hand truck) or a second person. If you're willing to pony up another $1,000, you could buy DJI's Power 2000 combo pack that ships with a hand truck and expansion battery. The Power 2000 feels very well-constructed, but there are things to note about its durability in inclement weather: DJI lists its operating range as between 14 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit, while its recharging temperature range bottoms out at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. DJI makes no claims about its dust resistance, but given the large heat vent on the side, that's no surprise. Also, while DJI writes in its original press release announcing the Power 2000 that it is designed for 'safer operation in rain, condensation, and salt spray conditions,' a footnote on its product page reads: 'To ensure product performance, do not operate the power station [sic] a rainy environment for more than 3 minutes, in a condensation environment for more than 30 minutes, or in a salt fog environment for more than 8 hours. Avoid exposing it to condensation or salt fog for extended periods.' On the plus side, the Power 2000's LFP battery chemistry means it's safer and longer-lasting than a lithium-ion battery would be—according to DJI's product page, the device won't explode if the batteries are punctured. DJI also says drops or impacts won't result in open flames. Finally, the Power 2000 has built-in shutoff mechanisms that trigger if it gets too hot or is being driven beyond its capability, like when I plugged in one too many space heaters. The only bummer about devices like these is they don't come cheap. DJI's suggested retail price for the Power 2000 is $1,899, although Davis assured me that $1,299 is a 'long-term promotion' and that it's the price 'customers can expect to continue paying' on DJI's website. Even at $1,299, DJI Power 2000 is spendy, but it's priced closer to competing devices like the $1,099 Bluetti Elite 200 V2 or the $1,049 EcoFlow Delta 2 Max, and cheaper than the $2,199 Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus. Still, that doesn't make the portable power station an easier pill to swallow, especially since you can get a lot of the same benefit by picking up the cheaper Power 1000, priced at $699 as of this writing. The extra $600 for the Power 2000 gives you double the port count, twice the capacity, and a higher continuous output rating, which isn't nothing. But a $15 power strip can easily make up for those missing ports. Ultimately, whether you should pick up the Power 2000 comes down to whether you feel you need its extra capacity and capability—and maybe whether you're a big DJI drone enthusiast. If that's you, the DJI Power 2000 won't disappoint. This is as good as large power banks get, and it's certainly nicer than huffing exhaust fumes. See DJI Power 2000 at Amazon
Android Authority
2 minutes ago
- Android Authority
Google Contacts' new Material 3 Expressive look is rolling out, here's what's different
Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Google is rolling out the Material 3 Expressive redesign to its Contacts app with v4.61.27. The redesign features prominent card-like UI across tabs like Highlights and Organize, as well as Search and Contact Details pages. Settings and New Contact pages remain unchanged for now, but are expected to follow soon. Material 3 Expressive is the flavor of the season, and Google is trying to bring the new design to all of its apps ahead of the Android 16 QPR1 rollout to Pixels in September. Following on the heels of the Google Phone app getting its dose of Material 3 Expressive, Google is now rolling out the Material 3 Expressive refresh for the Contacts app. With Google Contacts app v4.61.27, users can now enjoy the expressive UI across the app. This change is gradually rolling out to users, and you don't need to sign up for the beta as it is coming through the stable branch. Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive The big highlight of the update is that we see a lot more of the card-like UI across the Contacts, Highlights, and Organize tabs. Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive The redesign extends into the Search and Contact Details page, as you can see in the screenshots below: Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - Old Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive Google Contacts - New with Material 3 Expressive The Settings and New Contact pages remain unchanged for now, but we reckon they won't be left behind for long. As mentioned, this redesign is rolling out to users. Have you updated the Contacts app on your phone and received the redesign? Let us know in the comments below! Follow
Fast Company
2 minutes ago
- Fast Company
The four leadership qualities you should not admire in famous entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs typically contribute less to the overall economy than people who are employed by others. Transitioning from being formally employed to working for yourself or starting a business typically results in working longer hours to earn less and contribute less to the economy and society at large. However, there's no question that entrepreneurs still command high levels of popular approval and appreciation. In particular, we tend to glorify self-made billionaires no matter what they do, how they impact society, and how they behave. To the point that even antisocial acts, contrarian rants, or counterproductive work behaviors can be celebrated if they come from Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, or Peter Thiel. But the truth is, it's unwise to blindly follow in these folks' footsteps. Here are four particular habits to avoid. 1. Being a jerk and calling it vision Many successful entrepreneurs are lionized for being difficult. The logic goes like this: if you're abrasive, impatient, or rude, you must be brilliant. After all, ordinary people can't see the world-changing picture you're obsessing over. But in most domains, being disrespectful or treating others poorly is a recipe for failure, not success. Unsurprisingly, these difficult personalities often resort to founding their own business after they are fired or rejected from other people's businesses, since they are dispositionally unemployable. And if your genius only shines through when you belittle or ignore others, it may not be genius at all. It may just be bad behavior that got rewarded because the outcome was profitable. 2. Obsessive overwork masquerading as passion The hustle culture narrative has convinced many aspiring entrepreneurs that burnout is a badge of honor. But glorifying 100-hour weeks and chronic sleep deprivation doesn't build resilience or productivity. It breeds tunnel vision and poor decision-making. Many of the world's most iconic founders have spoken openly about their struggles with exhaustion and breakdowns. Yet somehow, the myth persists that if you're not killing yourself for your company, you're not serious. In reality, it's not noble to sacrifice your well-being for work. It's just avoidable. Subscribe to the Daily newsletter. Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters 3. Disdain for rules and norms Disruption is often code for breaking things without thinking about the consequences. From dodging taxes and ignoring labor laws to trolling regulators and bypassing democratic processes, some celebrated entrepreneurs treat norms as nuisances. But rules exist for a reason. They are not always efficient, but they are meant to protect the many from the power of the few. When tech CEOs behave as if laws don't apply to them, we shouldn't call that boldness. We should call it what it is: entitlement. 4. Being yourself as a leadership strategy 'Be yourself' is the kind of advice that sounds profound on a coffee mug but performs poorly in the real world. The myth of entrepreneurial authenticity suggests that success comes from unleashing your unfiltered self, no matter how impulsive, erratic, or unlikable that self may be. As I argue in my forthcoming book, Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated and What to Do Instead, the most effective leaders aren't radically transparent; they are strategically self-aware. They know when to adapt, how to filter, and which version of themselves is most useful in a given situation. If 'being yourself' means ignoring feedback, resisting self-regulation, or broadcasting your every mood swing, it's not authenticity, it's self-indulgence. And when your decisions affect thousands of employees or millions of users, indulging your quirks becomes a liability, not a virtue. In short, there is a fine line between charisma and narcissism, between vision and delusion, and between confidence and arrogance. When we admire entrepreneurs, we should separate their contributions from their character. Otherwise, we risk turning toxic traits into aspirational goals, and forgetting that success is not a moral justification for how you got there. The irony is that we often celebrate these traits not because they are rare but because they are familiar. The workplace is already filled with insecure overachievers, domineering micromanagers, and burned-out strivers. When the most famous founders exhibit these behaviors, it legitimizes them. It tells the rest of us that being insufferable is part of the price of ambition, that success excuses everything, and that empathy or humility are optional luxuries rather than core leadership competencies. But leadership is not just about being right. It's about making others better. And while many entrepreneurs have indeed changed the world, the best ones do so without leaving a trail of broken people behind them. Admiring entrepreneurs should not mean excusing toxic behavior. It should mean holding them to higher standards, especially because of the influence they wield. If we're going to celebrate their impact, we should also expect them to be decent humans.
