🔒 Windows security revamp, DirecTV struggles, Apple eye-tracking hack
Good morning. It’s Friday, September 13. Today we are covering:
Microsoft is building new Windows security features to prevent another CrowdStrike incident
Satellite TV Is in Trouble. DirecTV's Dispute With Disney Shows Why.
Apple Vision Pro's Eye Tracking Exposed What People Type
Apple AirPods Pro granted FDA approval to serve as hearing aids
GM, Hyundai Explore Partnership to Develop Vehicles Together
Let’s dive in
Microsoft is building new Windows security features to prevent another CrowdStrike incident
By Tom Warren via The Verge
Microsoft is planning changes to Windows security to help vendors like CrowdStrike operate outside the Windows kernel, following a major incident affecting 8.5 million systems.
These changes aim to enhance system resiliency and security, with collaboration from partners like Broadcom, Sophos, and Trend Micro, while facing concerns about potential monopolization of Windows security.
Some in the security industry, like Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince, warn that Microsoft could restrict kernel access for third parties while giving its own solutions privileged access.
𝕏: Microsoft is building new Windows security features to prevent another CrowdStrike. There’s no talk of locking down the Windows kernel just yet, but Microsoft clearly wants to move endpoint security systems out of the kernel - Tom Warren (@tomwarren)
Satellite TV Is in Trouble. DirecTV's Dispute With Disney Shows Why.
By Benjamin Mullin via The New York Times
DirecTV is in a bitter dispute with Disney, causing an outage of popular programming like the U.S. Open and Monday Night Football, impacting its 11 million customers.
Unlike cable providers, DirecTV lacks the leverage of broadband services, making it easier for customers to switch to streaming alternatives such as YouTube TV and Hulu Live+TV.
The satellite TV industry faces steep declines, with subscriptions dropping 15.3% over the last year, while DirecTV struggles to negotiate with Disney over content costs and channel bundles.
𝕏: Cable TV is dying, but satellite TV is dying faster - Ben Mullin (@BenMullin)
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Apple Vision Pro's Eye Tracking Exposed What People Type
By Matt Burgess via WIRED
Researchers discovered a vulnerability in Apple Vision Pro that allowed them to decipher passwords, PINs, and messages based on eye-tracking data, with up to 92% accuracy in messages.
The attack, called GAZEploit, exploited the eye movements of virtual avatars used in platforms like Zoom, Teams, and Slack, revealing the risks associated with biometric data in mixed reality.
Apple addressed the flaw in a VisionOS update in July 2024, stopping the sharing of virtual avatars when using the headset’s virtual keyboard to prevent potential data leaks.
𝕏: This is crazy. Someone discovered that attackers could use the eye moments of a user's Apple Vision Pro avatar to reconstruct text entered via gaze-controlled typing. Obviously bad as it could be used to expose private info like login credentials. - Arin Waichulis (@arinwaichulis)
Apple AirPods Pro granted FDA approval to serve as hearing aids
By Brian Heater via TechCrunch
Apple AirPods Pro 2 received FDA approval to serve as over-the-counter hearing aids, thanks to a new software update that enhances their functionality for users with mild to moderate hearing loss.
This update, called the Hearing Aid Feature, adjusts frequency levels to amplify sounds like human voices and can be activated through settings in iOS 18 after a hearing test result.
The FDA's approval builds on its 2022 move to allow over-the-counter hearing aids, making AirPods Pro 2 part of a growing industry of accessible hearing devices.
𝕏: There’s a saying that the best startups scratch the founder’s itch. Apple is doing the same except for their leadership team. This means their devices now geared towards health problems like doubling as hearing aids or detecting sleep apnea. Medical device industry in shambles - Dare Obasanjo (@Carnage4Life)
GM, Hyundai Explore Partnership to Develop Vehicles Together
By Christopher Otts via Wall Street Journal
GM and Hyundai are exploring a partnership that could lead to joint development and production of vehicles, including electric and hydrogen-powered models.
The collaboration aims to cut costs by sharing resources like steel and EV battery materials as both companies transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles.
This potential partnership reflects the automakers' need for greater scale to compete in the increasingly competitive EV market.
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