Hackers stole $2.2bn of crypto this year, AI can distinguish between US and Scottish whiskies
A total of $2.2bn (£1.76bn) in cryptocurrencies has been stolen this year, with North Korean hackers accounting for more than half that figure, according to a new study. Research firm Chainalysis says hackers affiliated with the reclusive state stole $1.3bn of digital currencies – more than double last year’s haul. Some of the thefts appear to be linked to North Korean hackers posing as remote IT workers to infiltrate crypto and other technology firms, the report says. It comes as the price of bitcoin has more than doubled this year as incoming US president Donald Trump is expected to be more crypto-friendly than Joe Biden. BBC
Notch up another win for artificial intelligence. Researchers have used the technology to predict the notes that waft off whisky and determine whether a dram was made in the US or Scotland. The work is a step towards automated systems that can predict the complex aroma of whisky from its molecular makeup. “The beautiful thing about the AI is that it is very consistent,” said Dr Andreas Grasskamp, who led the research at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging in Freising, Germany. Guardian
Anyone who’s followed Apple launches for a few years knows the schedule by now: new iPhones in September, new MacBooks in the spring, and new AirPods in September or October. But 2025 could throw us a curveball. Apple is rumoured to launch the AirPods Pro 3 in “early 2025”, according to noted Apple analyst Mark Gurman. The original AirPods Pro launched in October 2019, while the AirPods Pro 2 arrived in the Septembers of 2022 (for the Lightning model) and 2023 (for the updated USB-C version). Early 2025 would be a break with tradition. WhatHiFi
Apple faces European Commission orders on how to make its products work more smoothly with rivals to meet the requirements of the bloc’s digital competition law. The European Union executive is seeking feedback by Jan. 9 on two draft orders that would set out how the tech giant allows its iPhones to connect to other manufacturers’ headsets or smartwatches and could also curb how far the company can deny access to rival software developers. The Commission warned the world’s most valuable company that it could make the orders legally binding by March. Politco
Elevation Lab’s new TimeCapsule is a protective case for an Apple AirTag that turns it into a waterproof, dustproof tracker with a ten-year battery life. It’s available now for $19.99, but you can also get a pair for $29.99, or a heavily-discounted four-pack for $39.99. The TimeCapsule is a candy bar-sized enclosure that replaces an AirTag’s CR2032 coin cell battery with an electrical contact and slots for a pair of AA batteries. The Verge
Chinese wi-fi routers used in thousands of British homes are being investigated over US concerns that they are at risk of being hacked. The American government is considering banning routers made by TP-Link over national security concerns, according to reports. Security experts say thousands of compromised devices have been used by Chinese hackers to launch large-scale cyber attacks on Western targets. Telegraph
