Today in Tech News Digest, the NSA spies on Huawei, Microsoft wants you off XP, Twitter #Music dies, Google Glass myths debunked, Yahoo Games gets a makeover, Medium comes to iPhone, and a Facebook shaming goes a little too well.
The NSA Spied On Huawei
Shame that Beijing's blocking of NYT site means that its report on NSA spying on Huawei isn't accessible here in China
— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) March 24, 2014
The NSA successfully spied on Chinese technology giant Huawei, according to documents obtained by Edward Snowden and seen by both the New York Times and Der Spiegel. The U.S. and others have long-maintained that Huawei is a threat to national security due to its alleged ties with the Chinese government.
The Snowden documents suggest an extensive operation was conducted against Huawei, with a special unit of the NSA infiltrating the company's network. As well as accessing an archive of emailed communications, the NSA is alleged to have secured the source code of individual Huawei products.
Huawei spokesman Bill Plummer said in a statement, "If it is true, the irony is that exactly what they are doing to us is what they have always charged that the Chinese are doing through us."
The NSA responded with an emailed statement saying, “The NSA’s activities are focused and specifically deployed against — and only against — valid foreign intelligence targets in response to intelligence requirements.”
This is the latest in a long run of revelations sourced from the NSA documents obtained by whistleblower Edward Snowden. However, as The Intercept makes clear, Snowden hasn't leaked any new documents in over nine months, with journalists deciding what to reveal and when to reveal it.
Huawei hardware recently made it onto our lists of affordable Android phones that don't suck and the best phablets money can buy.
Microsoft Wants You Off XP
http://youtu.be/VfCRuDGxM8M
Microsoft really wants you to stop using Windows XP, and it's willing to bribe you into upgrading to Windows 8. This is the obvious takeaway from a Microsoft Store deal that sees current XP users given $100 off the price of a new Windows 8 PC.
The offer is more generous than we previously reported, with the $50 store card being replaced with $100 savings. However, the Windows 8 purchase has to be priced at $599 or more, and you have to prove you're using XP to qualify. Which will be a pain if buying in a bricks-and-mortar store.
Google Glass Myths Debunked
Google can now finally admit that Glass was a stunt intended to make Android Wear look unobtrusive and dirt cheap by comparison.
— Ross Rubin (@rossrubin) March 18, 2014
Google has taken the unusual step of seeking to debunk various myths about Google Glass. In a Google+ post, the company responds to 10 Google Glass myths it feels are being unfairly bandied about as if true. It's both enlightening and amusing for various reasons.
The Day The Twitter Music Died
http://youtu.be/LzEMKpbPhGQ
Twitter #Music is on its deathbed, with the iOS app already having been pulled and the service shutting down entirely on April 18. This comes exactly a year after launch, but "abysmal" download numbers led AllThingsD to call its demise all the way back in October 2013.
Yahoo Games Gets A Makeover
Intro for Yahoo Games Network, helping 3rd party game developers to distribute your games on our platform: http://t.co/w9HFKi6CiS
— Yahoo Games (@YahooGames) March 20, 2014
Yahoo Games is the latest Yahoo product to be given a makeover, pleasing casual gamers around the world. Yahoo is also launching the Yahoo Games Network, a platform designed to help third-party developers achieve greatness.
Medium Comes To iPhone
http://youtu.be/Vb9FHdrg5Ac
Medium, a publishing platform from Evan Williams, one of the co-founders of Twitter, has landed on the iPhone. The free Medium for iPhone app can be used to read and share content published through the service.
A Shameful Facebook Shaming
Call me old fashioned, but I think public shaming of 10 year old kids on Facebook is horrendous parenting.
— Scott Turk (@sturk2012) March 23, 2014
And finally, an attempt by a well-meaning mother to warn her daughter about the dangers of oversharing on the Web worked a little too well. The effort to demonstrate "how many people can see a picture once it's on the internet" got a little out of hand.
Kira Hudson from Colorado was trying to demonstrate why her 12-year-old daughter didn't need a Facebook or Instagram at her tender age. The picture she shared privately went viral, and eventually ended up as a meme on 4chan.
Which is a fate you wouldn't wish on a 32-year-old, let alone a 12-year-old.
Tech News Digest… Breaking News Into Bite-Sized Chunks.
Image Credit: Matt Wakeman via Flickr