Consumers Reports is running a story that claims that smart TV’s made by Samsung and Roku have security flaws in them that make them easy to pwn:
Consumer Reports has found that millions of smart TVs can be controlled by hackers exploiting easy-to-find security flaws. The problems affect Samsung televisions, along with models made by TCL and other brands that use the Roku TV smart-TV platform, as well as streaming devices such as the Roku Ultra. We found that a relatively unsophisticated hacker could change channels, play offensive content, or crank up the volume, which might be deeply unsettling to someone who didn’t understand what was happening. This could be done over the web, from thousands of miles away. (These vulnerabilities would not allow a hacker to spy on the user or steal information.) The findings were part of a broad privacy and security evaluation, led by Consumer Reports, of smart TVs from top brands that also included LG, Sony, and Vizio. The testing also found that all these TVs raised privacy concerns by collecting very detailed information on their users. Consumers can limit the data collection. But they have to give up a lot of the TVs’ functionality — and know the right buttons to click and settings to look for.
Well, that’s not good. And it reinforces why I will never have a smart TV in my home. Though I will admit that I do have a Roku device which I use frequently. But that’s likely not going to get disconnected anytime soon.
Having said that, Roku shot back at this report very quickly by saying that there’s no risk and giving details on how one can protect themselves. Which to me seems a bit counterintuitive seeing as there’s supposedly no risk according to the company. Samsung on the other hand had something different to say:
In an emailed statement, Samsung said, “We appreciate Consumer Reports’ alerting us to their potential concern,” and that the company was still evaluating the issue. The company also said it would update the API to address other, less severe problems related to data security that CR uncovered. Those changes “will be in a 2018 update, [with timing] to be determined, but as soon as technically feasible,” the spokesman said.
The bottom line is this. If you put anything on the Internet, your car, a light bulb, or whatever, it can get pwned by hackers. Thus before you put anything on the Internet, think long and hard about the risk that may present to you. Because this sort of thing isn’t going to go away anytime soon.
DAZN Launches On Roku Platform In Canada
Posted in Commentary with tags DAZN, Roku on February 22, 2018 by itnerdDAZN CANADA today announced the launch of the DAZN channel on Roku streaming players and Roku TV models in Canada
Roku users across Canada will now be able to live stream and catch-up on DAZN’s extensive range of sports content such as NatWest 6 Nations Championship, top European Soccer leagues such as La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1, Champions League via its partnership with BeIN Sports, the 24/7 NFL Network, as well as Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, FIBA Basketball, WTA Tennis and MotoGP.
The announcement comes at a time where momentum continues to build around DAZN Canada’s growing platform, including some recently-added offerings that include more than 30 PGA TOUR events, Tie Break Tens (the hottest new competition in Tennis), Red Bull Air Race and World Snooker. DAZN supporters will also have every LIVE game of the 2018-19 NFL season – including pre-season, regular season, the playoffs and next year’s Super Bowl in Atlanta.
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