Get WIRED's daily briefing in your inbox. Sign up here
Fiat Chrysler cuts a deal with Tesla to meet EU emissions regulations
The Financial Times has revealed that Tesla has lucrative deal to have its cars classed as part of Fiat Chrysler's fleet in order to lower Fiat's average emissions output before strict new EU regulations come into force in 2021 (The Verge). The deal will help to prevent Fiat from being heavily fined and, according to the FT, will bring "hundreds of millions of euros" into Tesla's coffers.
The ISS is home to a soup of bacteria and fungi
New research has assessed the bacterial and fungal communities that live alongside the astronauts and cosmonauts of the International Space Station (Gizmodo). The study of microbial populations is important, as they could affect humans on the station or even damage equipment by forming a bacterial sheet known as a biofilm. Common bacterial inhabitants include Staphylococcus and Pantoea, while the most widespread fungal resident is the yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa.
The US Secret Service has no idea how to handle dodgy USB sticks
When US Secret Service members confiscated computer hardware from a Chinese national caught sneaking into the president's resort, an officer plugged a USB drive into a standard Windows PC, where it promptly started installing files (TechCrunch). USB sticks are a well-known threat vector and Windows PCs are the systems most frequently targeted by malware, largely due to their ubiquity.
Google Play's children's content filter doesn't work properly
Age ratings on the Google Play Store can be exploited by malicious or ignorant app developers, leading to zombie shooters, microtransaction gambling games and other troubling content being marked as appropriate for young children. A WIRED investigation found that ratings – assigned by a self-administered questionnaire – are not checked before publication, even though they're critical to the store's parental control filters.
K-pop group Blackpink is crushing YouTube's music video records
Massive Korean pop outfit Blackpink's new single Kill This Love has become YouTube's most viewed video debut, with 56.7 million views in its first 24 hours (Engadget). It's also the fastest music video to reach 100 million views – in just three days – and currently stands at over 133 million views, less than a week after its April 4 release as a YouTube Premiere.
Inside North Korea's elite hacker army
Listen now, subscribe via RSS or add to iTunes.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
