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Weekly Rewind: Yahoo’s massive hack, Japan’s weird answer to the Echo, and more

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In the tech world, a lot happens in a week. So much news goes on that it’s almost impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of the top 10 tech stories from this week. Everything from the 2013 hack of Yahoo (and how to deal with it) to Amazon’s very first drone delivery, it’s all here.

Yahoo was hacked in 2013, and more than 1 billion accounts were compromised

Yahoo is already dealing with some customer distrust issues thanks to a hack that took place in September, and now new information about another hack has emerged and could really be the final nail in the long overdue Yahoo coffin. The company has disclosed a hack that took place way back in August 2013, in which hackers obtained data from a stunning 1 billion accounts. Yahoo claims this information could include names, email address, phone numbers, dates of birth, encrypted passwords, and more.

Read the full story here.

Update: Ever had a Yahoo account? Take these steps now to protect yourself

First, take a breath. If nothing horrible has happened to your email or other password protected accounts so far, chances are you’re actually OK, for the moment anyway. But just because nothing has happened yet, that doesn’t mean you’re safe. Sometimes hackers themselves or people who buy hacked account info hoard the data for years before taking action. So, if you had a Yahoo account anytime before the beginning of 2015, there are several steps you should take to be prudent, whether or not you use your Yahoo account now.

Read the full story here.

This French startup just raised $15M to make food out of mealworms

French startup Ynsect wants you to eat bugs — eventually. For now, it’s focusing on creating insect protein to feed farmed animals a healthier, more eco-conscious diet. After raising just over $15 million in investment funding, Ynsect to expand its production capacity to produce 20,000 metric tons of insect protein each year. That’s a lot of bugs. Ynsect’s process starts by growing and farming mealworm larvae and turning it into a de-fatted protein meal to be used in animal feed and pet food.

Read the full story here.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ 2017 CBS TV series: Everything we know so far

CBS unveiled the first teaser for its new Star Trek series in early 2016, and the show’s official title was revealed to be Star Trek: Discovery during Comic-Con International in San Diego. With the latest movie (Star Trek Beyond) in theaters this past summer, many Star Trek fans are wondering exactly how the television series from executive producer Bryan Fuller (HannibalPushing Daisies) and showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts (Pushing Daisies) will fit into the framework of the sci-fi franchise as it exists now.

Read the full story here.

Apple’s long-awaited wireless AirPods are now available to order

Alongside the reveal of the iPhone 7 earlier this year, Apple also unveiled a new pair of wireless in-ears, dubbed the AirPods. These were originally set to ship in October, but just before the end of the month, the company delayed the launch, saying it needed a little more time. Now, it has apparently had enough time, as the Apple AirPods are now available to order online for $159. Shipment is currently slated for December 21. You can read our review here.

‘Emoji Translator’ is now a real, paying job

In response to the growing popularity of emojis in our daily online communications, a London-based translation firm has launched a search for its first-ever – and surely the world’s first – “Emoji Translator.” So, consider yourself fluent in emoji?  Then read on. The company says in the job listing that it’s “looking for the right person to help us meet the translation challenges posed by the world’s fastest-growing language.”

Read the full story here.

One of Uber’s self-driving cars just ran a red light in San Francisco

We understand that driverless car engineers want their vehicles to navigate roads as naturally as humans, but running the occasional red light is surely taking things a little far. Just hours after Uber’s self-driving cars hit the streets of San Francisco for the very first time, one of them was spotted apparently running a red light. The incident was recorded by a dash cam in one of the city’s Luxor Cabs and uploaded to YouTube a short time later. Uber says it’s investigating.

Read the full story here.

A holographic virtual girl lives inside Japan’s answer to the Amazon Echo

Alexa, the voice inside your Amazon Echo or Dot, is very helpful and always accommodating. So are Siri, Cortana, and the various other artificially intelligent assistants available today. But none can seemingly compare with the experience provided by Azuma Hikari, the holographic character who lives inside the Gatebox, Japan’s sort-of-but-not-really answer to the Amazon Echo.

Read the full story here.

Glasses USA’s Snapchat Spectacles prescription lenses are priced low

Prescription lenses for Snapchat Spectacles are now available from another lens manufacturer, this time in the form of Glasses USA. Better still, the company is offering the most competitive pricing on the market, with single-vision lenses starting from just $29, including free shipping. A variety of Spectacles lenses can be ordered online from the Glasses USA website, all of which can be further customized. However, the prices do start to increase if, for example, you require progressive ($139), or bifocal ($99) lenses.

Read the full story here.

Watch Amazon make its first real drone delivery

Most of us are familiar with the process of seeing a movie advertised, thinking “I’ll wait for the rental,” and waiting for what seems like forever until it’s available to watch at home. Apple is reportedly in talks with a number of Hollywood studios that are looking to change that by offering rentals for movies that are still in theaters, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Read the full story here.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps
The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

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The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far
Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

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Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look
Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.

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