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As part of a new agreement, films from Sony Pictures Entertainment will stream on Netflix first, the companies announced via a joint statement. The new deal expands on the exclusive rights Netflix had to Sony films in the US, and means the service will be the first place people will be able to stream upcoming projects like the live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda, and a quartet of biopics about The Beatles.Sony's films will stream worldwide on Netflix in what's called "Pay-1," the first window of availability after a movie's theatrical and VOD releases. As part of the deal, Netflix is also licensing an undisclosed number of films and television shows from the Sony Pictures back catalog to help fill out its library. Netflix says the new arrangement "will roll out gradually" as licensing rights become available throughout the year, with full availability happening sometime in 2029. Neither company shared how long this new setup will last, but did describe the deal as a "multi-year agreement."Netflix and Sony's partnership has been fruitful so far. Films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Uncharted and Anyone But You have had popular second lives on the streaming service. In the case of KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix was also able to spin a surprise Sony Animation streaming hit into a profitable theatrical run. Netflix will pay Sony north of $7 billion for this new deal, Variety reports clearly that's worth it to secure the companies relationship for another few years.Netflix has a similar deal with Universal, which has brought other Nintendo adaptations to the streaming service like The Super Mario Bros Movie. Beyond licensing, the company has an even bigger purchase in mind, though: buying Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion. In an effort to prevent the deal from going through, Paramount is now suing Warner Bros. Discovery for ignoring its own competing bid for the company.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflixs-expanded-sony-deal-includes-streaming-rights-to-the-legend-of-zelda-movie-203011384.html?src=rss
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Now would be a good time to update all your Bluetooth audio devices. On Thursday, Wired reported on a security flaw in 17 headphone and speaker models that could allow hackers to access your devices, including their microphones. The vulnerability stems from a faulty implementation of Google's one-tap (Fast Pair) protocol.Security researchers at Belgium's KU Leuven University Computer Security and Industrial Cryptography group, who discovered the security hole, named the flaw WhisperPair. They say a hacker within Bluetooth range would only require the accessory's (easily attainable) device model number and a few seconds."You're walking down the street with your headphones on, you're listening to some music. In less than 15 seconds, we can hijack your device," KU Leuven researcher Sayon Duttagupta told Wired. "Which means that I can turn on the microphone and listen to your ambient sound. I can inject audio. I can track your location." The researchers notified Google about WhisperPair in August, and the company has been working with them since then.Fast Pair is supposed to only allow new connections while the audio device is in pairing mode. (A proper implementation of this would have prevented this flaw.) But a Google spokesperson told Engadget that the vulnerability stemmed from an improper implementation of Fast Pair by some of its hardware partners. This could then allow a hacker's device to pair with your headphones or speaker after it's already paired with your device."We appreciate collaborating with security researchers through our Vulnerability Rewards Program, which helps keep our users safe," a Google spokesperson wrote in a statement sent to Engadget. "We worked with these researchers to fix these vulnerabilities, and we have not seen evidence of any exploitation outside of this report's lab setting. As a best security practice, we recommend users check their headphones for the latest firmware updates. We are constantly evaluating and enhancing Fast Pair and Find Hub security."The researchers created the video below to demonstrate how the flaw worksIn an email to Engadget, Google said the steps required to access the devices microphone or audio are complex and involve multiple stages. The attackers would also need to remain within Bluetooth range. The company added that it provided its OEM partners with recommended fixes in September. Google also updated its Validator certification tool and its certification requirements.The researchers say that, in some cases, the risk applies even to those who don't use Android phones. For example, if the audio accessory has never been paired with a Google account, a hacker could use WhisperPair to not only pair with the audio device but also link it to their own Google account. They could then use Google's Find Hub tool to track the device's (and therefore your) location.Google said it rolled out a fix to its Find Hub network to address that particular scenario. However, the researchers told Wired that, within hours of the patchs rollout, they found a workaround.The 17 affected devices are made by 10 different companies, all of which received Google Fast Pair certification. They include Sony, Jabra, JBL, Marshall, Xiaomi, Nothing, OnePlus, Soundcore, Logitech and Google. (Google says its affected Pixel Buds are already patched and protected.) The researchers posted a search tool that lets you see if your audio accessories are vulnerable.In a statement sent to Engadget, OnePlus said it's investigating the issue and "will take appropriate action to protect our users' security and privacy." We also contacted the other accessory makers and will update this story if we hear back.The researchers recommend updating your audio devices regularly. However, one of their concerns is that many people will never install the third-party manufacturer's app (required for updates), leaving their devices vulnerable.The full report from Wired has much more detail and is worth a read.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/flaw-in-17-google-fast-pair-audio-devices-could-let-hackers-eavesdrop-194613456.html?src=rss
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The second season of Amazon's excellent Fallout show is currently airing, but the company is already looking to expand its programming around the popular franchise. Prime Video has greenlit a unscripted reality show titled Fallout Shelter. It will be a ten-episode run with Studio Lambert, the team behind reality projects including Squid Game: The Challenge and The Traitors, as its primary producer. Bethesda Game Studios head honcho Todd Howard is attached as an executive producer. Amazon's description of Fallout Shelter is: "Across a series of escalating challenges, strategic dilemmas and moral crossroads, contestants must prove their ingenuity, teamwork and resilience as they compete for safety, power and ultimately a huge cash prize." It seems fitting that the producer is the same as Squid Game: The Challenge, where a show critiquing capitalism is turned into a competition about winning money. A reality show sounds like the sort of thing you'd find in a Fallout game side quest accompanied by pointed commentary about greed rather than an activity people of the Wasteland would take seriously. Maybe the new series will be an interesting mix of survival skills and dark humor that feels true to the Fallout ethos. But, and I say this as a big viewer of reality shows, Im not holding my breath.The name echos the free-to-play mobile game Bethesda released in 2015. Fallout Shelter lets people build and improve their out Vault-Tec residence, managing the resources for a growing cadre of underground survivors. It seems pretty likely that there will be some type of tie-in between the game and the show, but any details about that might pop up closer to when the program is ready to air. It's currently casting, and no release timeline has been shared. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/amazon-is-making-a-fallout-shelter-competition-reality-tv-show-190151855.html?src=rss
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