News - February 8, 2025

In the neon-drenched sprawl of today's grid, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is getting cooked. A federal judge finally slammed the brakes, blocking their access to the Treasury's sensitive data streams, citing risks of exposing citizens' private creds. Like the child he is, Musk fired back on the net, alleging the Treasury's been bleeding $50 billion annually to fraudsters, but the proof's still MIA. Meanwhile, Orange Senior Citizen announced plans to jack into the Kennedy Center's mainframe, aiming to boot the current board and install himself as the new sysop. He trashed the Center's recent events, especially those featuring drag shows, vowing to "reboot its legacy." In this dystopian theater, Musk and Trump continue their corpo gonk activities.

Shifting to the tech underground, the open-source and hacker communities are buzzing with fresh chrome. The Software Freedom Conservancy has unleashed the OpenWrt One, an $89 Wi-Fi router that's a dream for tinkerers. Pre-installed with OpenWrt, it lets netrunners mod and flash firmware to their heart's content, ensuring long-term support beyond corpo control. Packing dual-band Wi-Fi 6, a 2.5GbE port with PoE, and a design that's nearly unbrickable, it's a solid addition to any decker's arsenal.

In the realm of wearable tech, Eric Migicovsky, the original architect behind the Pebble smartwatch, is resurrecting his creation. With Google's decision to open-source Pebble OS, Migicovsky plans to roll out new wearables that echo the OG Pebble's vibe: e-paper displays, marathon battery life, and a no-nonsense user experience. This move aims to breathe new life into the open-source wearable scene, offering an alternative to the current market's offerings.

On the hardware hacking front, the RayV Lite is making waves. Crafted by hackers Sam Beaumont and Larry "Patch" Trowell, this open-source tool democratizes laser-based chip exploitation, a technique once reserved for high-cred labs. Priced under $500, the RayV Lite allows techies to manipulate or analyze microchip data with precision, potentially pushing manufacturers to bolster their defenses against such attacks.

Meanwhile, renowned hacker Samy Kamkar has showcased a method to intercept keystrokes using an infrared laser. By targeting a laptop's reflective surfaces, he can detect vibrations caused by typing, even through a window. This technique underscores the need for heightened awareness of physical security vulnerabilities in our increasingly digital world.

These developments highlight the relentless innovation within the open-source and hacker communities, offering new tools and tech that challenge the corpos. As corpo gonks continue their high-profile exploits, it's time for the streetwise to jack in, mod their rigs, and keep the spirit of netrunning alive.