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Sam Bankman-Fried Made Reasonable Business Decisions, Lawyers Claim October 4, 2023

As the FTX founder’s trial got underway, the prosecution claimed Bankman-Fried deliberately stole customer money and used it for his own trading. The defense countered that he always acted in good faith.

Niantic CEO John Hanke's Twitter account hacked – CNET

The hacker has made posts requesting that Pokemon Go be released in Brazil, and directing users to check their account security.
Source: CNet

Draymond Green admits to posting NSFW self-portrait on Snapchat – CNET

Technically Incorrect: First, the Golden State Warriors star claims he was hacked. Then he comes clean.
Source: CNet

Uber said to make $500M investment in global mapping – CNET

Ambitious project could reduce Uber’s dependence on Google Maps and support driverless cars, reports Financial Times.
Source: CNet

Ex-Apple store employees reveal how customers try to fool them – CNET

Technically Incorrect: In an entertaining exposé, three former Apple store workers explain what customers fail to mention about their malfunctioning iPhones.
Source: CNet

Relive Comic-Con 2016 with impressive cosplay video – CNET

See talented cosplayers dressed as Doctor Strange, Wonder Woman, Xena the Warrior Princess, and more in this new video from Sneaky Zebra.
Source: CNet

Baguette vending machine bakes up French-style bread at anytime – CNET

Micro bakery Le Bread Xpress offers oven-baked baguettes on demand, with no trip to France needed. Sacré bleu!
Source: CNet

Watch a man skydive 25,000 feet without a parachute (and survive) – CNET

Technically Incorrect: Luke Aikins become the first ever human to leap from a plane high up and just dive right down.
Source: CNet

Microsoft is updating Windows 10 again, in its latest bid to win you back – CNET

The company is following through on its commitment to regularly refine its Windows 10 software. Now it needs to get you to care.
Source: CNet

Amazon's next noise-canceling headphones could turn off when someone yells your name – CNET

The online sales giant just patented designs for the first headphone that can save lives.
Source: CNet

'Stranger Things' re-created as an adventure video game – CNET

Game designer Jacob Janerka pays homage to the hit supernatural Netflix series with this point-and-click adventure game art.
Source: CNet

Covering the DNC: What I did on my summer vacation – CNET

CNET tech reporter Marguerite Reardon joined 20,000 other newshounds covering the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Here’s what it was like.
Source: CNet

The DNC in pictures – CNET

CNET’s Marguerite Reardon gives you an on-the-ground look at her time covering last week’s Democratic National Convention.
Source: CNet

Kanye West rants on Twitter to get Apple to buy Tidal – CNET

Technically Incorrect: Where else would the great controversialist try to do business? He just wants to make sweet, streaming music. So he wants Apple to buy Tidal.
Source: CNet

'Game of Thrones' will officially end in season 8, confirms HBO boss – CNET

The network would “take 10 seasons if we could,” but the show’s creators are adamant that eight will be the number.
Source: CNet

Everything you need to know about Wi-Fi calling – CNET

Curious about Wi-Fi calling and what it entails? CNET has the rundown on what you need to know.
Source: CNet

That time Jason Bourne went to a fake CES – CNET

Being a technology journalist is exactly like being an action hero, especially when superspy Jason Bourne hits a tech trade show in his latest movie.
Source: CNet

Hands-on review: BT Smart Hub

Hands-on review: BT Smart Hub

BT is the last of the big internet service providers in the UK, after Virgin Media, Sky and TalkTalk, to introduce an upgrade to its router, more than two years after the last one, the Home Hub 5, came to market.

The Smart Hub (notice the subtle name change, although effectively this is the Home Hub 6) claims to have the most powerful Wi-Fi signal in the UK thanks to its seven antennas, more than its main rivals.

It also packs some clever technology that reduces interference, improving reliability by reducing the number of dropouts. Another nifty piece of tech, BT Smart Scan, seamlessly swaps channels in the background to dodge any congestion.

BT Smart Hub rear

There are plenty of little details that BT engineers and designers seem to have worked on with the Smart Hub, starting from the box. It is slim enough to slip through most letterboxes according to BT, which is done to encourage self-installation and therefore reduce the cost of visits for BT.

Furthermore, the instructions are printed on the inside of the box and BT encourages its existing users to recycle their old routers by shipping them back in said packaging.

It’s also worth noting that the lights on the router can be switched off or dimmed, and the lights and icons present on the Home Hub 5 have been removed to avoid confusion.

You will still need to check the user guide to interpret the hub lights though (no lights, green light, flashing orange, flashing purple, steady orange, red and blue).

BT gives you three copies of your Hub details (SSID, admin password for hub manager and wireless password or key). Two of those are on the router itself, and one is available on a sticker, handy if your router is located far from your home office for example.

BT Smart Hub front

The hub is much taller than the one it replaces, but shares a lot in common with its predecessor. At the back, there are four Ethernet ports (all Gigabit capable), a USB port, a power in socket, a power on/off button, an RJ11 broadband socket and a factory reset button. On one side of the router is a WPS Wi-Fi setup button.

We don’t know who built the BT Smart Hub but we suspect it is either Arcadyan or Sagemcom, the outsourced manufacturers for the Home Hub 5, the current BT router which is still being sold for £129.

We did manage to open up the device but failed to recognise or indeed log any meaningful indicators except for the character string RTV1906VW-D18. All of the major components were hidden under a metal cap which prevented us from identifying them.

That was not the only surprise that BT had in store for us. There seems to be two versions of this router as well, aimed at two categories of customers according to the moderator of BT’s customer forum.

The first one – the one we got for review – has four GbE ports and is meant for FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) and ADSL customers. The second one is for FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) customers, and in this variant one of the GbE ports has been configured to work as a WAN port for the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) connection.

BT Smart Hub interface

Unlike some of its competitors, the Smart Hub offers only one SSID by default which combines both 2.4GHz and 5GHz signals.

As for the configuration manager, it is far more intuitive than you’d expect with clearly identified, logically grouped sections: My Devices, Wireless, Status, Help, Hub Light Control, Broadband Test, Smart Setup, Restart and Advanced Settings.

The latter is where all the fun is, allowing the more expert user to tinker with port forwarding or UPnP.

BT Smart Hub interface 2

Early verdict

Sadly, we couldn’t fully test the Smart Hub; as a Virgin Media customer, we had the wrong type of router sent to us (the one without a WAN port) – not that this was anyone’s fault.

The Smart Hub is available for new BT customers for free on BT Infinity Broadband. Those on standard BT broadband can upgrade for a fee (to get the router free, as it were) or they can buy a BT Smart Hub for £50, an £80 saving.

Non-BT customers can make their way to eBay where they will find quite a few Smart Hubs already on sale despite being launched just a few weeks ago. Just be aware that you will need the WAN-enabled version to make the most out of it.

Note: We’ve asked BT to send us the other version of the Smart Hub router and will update this review as soon as possible.

Source: Tech Radar

The stereo gear that amplifies my friendships – CNET

Peter had an irrepressible passion for music. I share that love through his old tube amplifier.
Source: CNet

Enjoy Disney Infinity now, because many of its features will shut down next year – CNET

Your collection of Marvel, Star Wars and Disney video game characters will do a lot less in 2017.
Source: CNet

Apple may be hurting its own TV service plans (Apple Byte Extra Crunchy, Ep. 48) – CNET

Apple’s hubris is holding back its TV streaming service, the Apple car is focusing on an autonomous driving system, and we’ve got new Apple Watch details.
Source: CNet

Apple's hurting its own TV service plans (Apple Byte Extra Crunchy, Ep. 48) – CNET

Apple’s hubris is holding back its TV streaming service, the Apple car is focusing on an autonomous driving system, and we’ve got new Apple Watch details.
Source: CNet

Marvel's Luke Cage Netflix series increases hip-hop mass appeal, names episodes after Gang Starr songs – CNET

Every episode of the upcoming series will be named after songs by the prolific hip-hop duo and the first three have already been revealed.
Source: CNet

Dems hit by another hack – CNET

Hackers attack a group that raises funds for Democratic party candidates running for the House. The FBI is investigating.
Source: CNet

Social media swoons over photos of young Tim Kaine – CNET

Hipster cred and cheekbone compliments ensue after old photos surface on Twitter of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine.
Source: CNet

WhatsApp chats leave a record even after deletion, says security researcher – CNET

Conversations can reportedly be reconstructed from traces of trashed chats.
Source: CNet