Tech
Security News This Week: Oh Crap, Kohler’s Toilet Cameras Aren’t Really End-to-End Encrypted
An AI image creator startup left its database unsecured, exposing more than a million images and videos its users had created—the “overwhelming majority” of which depicted nudes and even nude images of children. A US inspector general report released its official determination that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth put military personnel at risk through his negligence in the SignalGate scandal, but recommended only a compliance review and consideration of new regulations. Cloudflare’s CEO Matthew Prince told WIRED onstage at our Big Interview event in San Francisco this week that his company has blocked more than 400 billion AI bot requests for its customers since July 1.
A new New York law will require retailers to disclose if personal data collected about you results in algorithmic changes to their prices. And we profiled a new cellular carrier aiming to offer the closest thing possible to truly anonymous phone service—and its founder, Nicholas Merrill, who famously spent a decade-plus in court fighting an FBI surveillance order targeted at one of the customers of his internet service provider.
Putting a camera-enabled digital device in your toilet that uploads an analysis of your actual bodily waste to a corporation represents such a laughably bad idea that, 11 years ago, it was the subject of a parody infomercial. In 2025, it’s an actual product—and one whose privacy problems, despite the marketing copy of the company behind it, have turned out to be exactly as bad as any normal human might have imagined.
Security researcher Simon Fondrie-Teitler this week published a blog post revealing that the Dekota, a camera-packing smart device sold by Kohler, does not in fact use “end-to-end encryption” as it claimed. That term typically means that data is encrypted so that only user devices on either “end” of a conversation can decrypt the information therein, not the server that sits in between them and hosts that encrypted communication. But Fondrie-Teitler found that the Dekota only encrypts its data from the device to the server. In other words, according to the company’s definition of end-to-end encryption, one end is essentially—forgive us—your rear end, and the other is Kohler’s backend, where the images of its output are “decrypted and processed to provide our service,” as the company wrote in a statement to Fondrie-Teitler.
In response to his post pointing out that this is generally not what end-to-end encryption means, Kohler has removed all instances of that term from its descriptions of the Dekota.
The cyberespionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon represents one of the biggest counterintelligence debacles in modern US history. State-sponsored Chinese hackers infiltrated virtually every US telecom and gained access to the real-time calls and texts of Americans—including then presidential and vice-presidential candidates Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. But according to the Financial Times, the US government has declined to impose sanctions on China in response to that hacking spree amid the White House’s effort to reach a trade deal with China’s government. That decision has led to criticism that the administration is backing off key national security initiatives in an effort to accommodate Trump’s economic goals. But it’s worth noting that imposing sanctions in response to espionage has always been a controversial move, given that the United States no doubt carries out plenty of espionage-oriented hacking of its own across the world.
As 2025 draws to a close, the nation’s leading cyberdefense agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), still has no director. And the nominee to fill that position, once considered a shoo-in, now faces congressional hurdles that may have permanently tanked his chances to run the agency. Sean Plankey’s name was excluded from a Senate vote Thursday on a panel of appointments, suggesting his nomination may be “over,” according to CyberScoop. Plankey’s nomination had faced various opposition from senators on both sides of the aisle with a broad mix of demands: Florida’s Republican senator Rick Scott had placed a hold on his nomination due to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminating a Coast Guard contract with a company in his state, while North Carolina’s GOP senators opposed any new DHS nominees until disaster relief funding was allocated to their state. Democratic senator Ron Wyden, meanwhile, has demanded CISA publish a long-awaited report on telecom security prior to his appointment, which still has yet to be released.
The Chinese hacking campaign centered around the malware known as “Brickstorm” first came to light in September, when Google warned that the stealthy spy tool has been infecting dozens of victim organizations since 2022. Now CISA, the National Security Agency, and the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity jointly added to Google’s warnings this week in an advisory about how to spot the malware. They also cautioned that the hackers behind it appear to be positioned not only for espionage targeting US infrastructure but also potentially disruptive cyberattacks, too. Most disturbing, perhaps, is a particular data point from Google, measuring the average time until the Brickstorm breaches have been discovered in a victim’s network: 393 days.
Tech
This Unique Air Fryer Cooks Your Food in Heat-Proof Glass—It’s on Sale Right Now
Want to be the hero of your next Super Bowl party? Check out the Ninja Crispi Portable Glass Air Fryer, an intriguing twist on the air fryer that’s a perfect option for air frying your favorite frozen snacks at your next potluck—it’ll help you win the day by frying up a batch of wings at your buddy’s house. It’s currently marked down as low as $150 on Amazon, depending on your color preference.
Basically, every other air fryer works by circulating hot air through a purpose-built, egg-like basket. But the genius of the Crispi is that its glass fryer tray doubles as a serving tray and a sealable fryer dish. The heating element and fan live in a hat-like unit with clamps that attach to heat-shock-resistant borosilicate glass frying baskets with ceramic-coated trays inside. While the actual “fry” setting can be a little intense, the “bake” setting works perfectly for softer foods like veggies. Either way, the results spoke for themselves in our testing, with crispy fries and nuggets even outside in freezing temperatures.
Our reviewer Matthew Korfhage found the “recrisp” setting particularly useful for bringing leftover pizza slices and noodle dishes back to life. That makes it a great choice for office lunchtimes, where you can leave the Crispi itself in a drawer at your desk and ferry leftovers from home. You only have to wash a normal glass dish, rather than the entire fry basket like most options, so this would also work well for dorms or even camping, if there’s an outlet nearby.
Of course, you’ll have to make a few compromises in order to take your precious air-fried snacks with you on the go. While the glass container does a surprisingly good job of insulating the food during cooking, the temperature range isn’t quite as exact as some of our other favorite air fryers.
You’ll also have to be a little bit flexible on your aesthetic choices. While the pastel-hued Cherry Crush, Frosted Lilac, and Ginger Snap colors are marked down to the lower $150 price, the less pronounced Sage, Stone, and Cyberspace Gray are slightly higher at $160, but still under the usual $180 price tag. There’s also a Racing Green Bundle that includes all three sizes of glass crisping tray for $190, if you think you’ll end up buying them anyway.
Tech
All-Clad Is the Expensive Gold Standard. The Factory Seconds Sale Makes It More Affordable
All-Clad Deals used to be difficult to find, but thankfully, the Factory Seconds Sale has come back around for a little while. These sales tend to only last for a few days—this one expires at midnight tomorrow, January 21—though they sometimes are extended. In any case, these sales offer a reliable way to score a solid deal on All-Clad kitchenware, which is normally very expensive. We love and swear by All-Clad, as do many professional chefs.
Factory Seconds are products with minor imperfections that still perform as intended. Sometimes an item is “second quality,” meaning it might have some blemishes or dents. Sometimes an item just has packaging damage. Every product page lists the exact reason for the “Factory Seconds” designation, as well as its warranty; most items are backed by All-Clad’s lifetime warranty. Note that you’ll need to enter your email to access the sale, and flat-rate shipping adds $10. Orders ship in 10 to 15 business days. We’ve highlighted our favorite deals below.
Make sure to check out our related buying guides, including the Best Chef’s Knives, Best Meal Kit Subscriptions, and Best Coffee Makers.
Best All-Clad Factory Seconds Deals
We include this pan at every possible opportunity when it’s on sale because it’s such a solid kitchen companion. Many WIRED Reviews team members have it in their kitchens. The shape allows you to make a pan sauce or sear up some steaks. The high walls prevent grease splatter, and you can use it like a wok or Dutch oven in addition to a regular ol’ pan. It’s dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup.
This roaster is a staple in my kitchen during the colder months of the year. It’s safe to use in the oven and under the broiler at up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, and it has enough room for roasting meats or vegetables in large portions (it can hold up to a 20-pound turkey). You can also transfer it to the stovetop to whip up a quick sauce with the roasted drippings. The manufacturer recommends hand-washing.
This hard-anodized nonstick pan is versatile enough to make just about anything. Eggs, vegetables, a pan sauce, and stir-fries are all contenders. It’s made with a PTFE coating. Make sure not to get it too hot, and use nonstick-safe tools and hand-wash it to preserve that coating for as long as you can.
This nonstick pot has a PTFE coating and therefore should be hand-washed. It can be used to simmer, stew, or steam thanks to its tall sides and included lid. It also comes with a steamer basket for all of your vegetable and/or dumpling needs. The pieces nest together for easier storage.
So technically, this thing isn’t a spatula, but in my house that’s what we’d call it. Whether you’re Team Turner or not, nonstick-safe tools can be difficult to come by and they’re crucial to keep around if you’re cooking on nonstick cookware. I like having backups so I don’t have to constantly do dishes. This turner is heat-safe up to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and will come in handy for everything from eggs to grilled cheese sandwiches.
The exact reasoning for this being a Factory Seconds item isn’t listed, but a good cast-iron skillet is indispensable for every home chef. It has two pour spouts for easier siphoning or serving, and the finish is resistant to scratches and stains. The skillet is oven-safe up to 650 degrees Fahrenheit.
What Are All-Clad Factory Seconds?
The Factory Seconds Event is run by Home and Cook Sales, an authorized reseller for All-Clad and several other cookware brands. The items featured in the sale (usually) have minor imperfections, like a scuff on the pan, a misaligned name stamp, or simply a dented box. Every product on the website lists the nature of the imperfection in the title (e.g., packaging damage). You’ll need to enter an email address to access the sale.
While the blemishes vary, the merchant says all of the cookware will perform as intended. Should any issue arise, nearly every All-Clad Factory Seconds product is backed by All-Clad’s limited lifetime warranty. (Electric items have a slightly different warranty; check individual product pages for details.) We’ve used more than a dozen Factory Seconds pots, pans, and accessories, and they’ve all worked exactly as advertised. Just remember that all sales are final, and note that you’ll have to pay $10 for shipping. It’s also worth noting that the “before” prices are based on buying the items new, but we still think it offers a good indication of how much you’re saving versus the value you’re getting.
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Tech
‘Veronika’ Is the First Cow Known to Use a Tool
Justice for Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson: A team of scientists has observed, for the first time, a cow using a tool in a flexible manner. The ingenuity of “Veronika,” as the animal is called, shows that cattle possess enough intelligence to manipulate elements of their environment and solve challenges they would otherwise be unable to overcome.
Veronika is a pet cow in Austria. Her owners don’t use her for meat or milk production. Nor was she trained to do tricks; on the contrary, for the past 10 years she has developed the ability to find branches in the grass, choose one, hold it with her mouth, and scratch herself with it to relieve skin irritation.
Until now, only chimpanzees had convincingly demonstrated the ability to employ tools to improve their living conditions. Recent studies also point to whales as the only marine animals capable of using complex tools. This European cow is about to join that exclusive group of ingenious animals.
Videos of Veronika circulating online caught the attention of veterinary researchers in Vienna. They visited the farm, conducted behavioral tests, and carried out controlled trials. “In repeated sessions, they verified that her decisions were consistent and functionally appropriate,” a press release stated.
Veronika’s abilities go beyond simply using a point to scratch herself, explain the authors of the study published in Current Biology. In the tests, the cow was offered different textures and objects, and she adapted according to her needs. Sometimes she chose soft bristles and other times a stiffer point. The researchers say she used different parts of the same tool for specific purposes and even modified her technique depending on the type of object or the area of her body she wanted to scratch.
Although they consider using a tool to relieve irritation “less complex” compared to, for example, using a sharp rock to access seeds, the specialists greatly value Veronika’s ability. For now, she demonstrates that she can decide which part of the tool is most useful to her. The finding suggests that we have underestimated the cognitive capacity of cattle, according to the authors.
Why Is Veronika So Skilled?
The team acknowledges that it’s still too early to say that all cows can use tools with the same skill as Veronika. For now, the researchers are trying to determine how this cow developed an awareness of her surroundings.
Researchers believe her particular circumstances played a role. Veronika has lived for 10 years in a complex, open environment filled with manipulable objects—a very different experience from that of cattle raised for milk and meat production. These conditions fostered exploratory and innovative behavior, they say. They are now searching for more videos of cattle using tools to gather further evidence about their cognitive abilities.
“Until now, tool use was considered a select club, almost exclusively for primates (especially great apes, but also macaques and capuchins), some birds like corvids and parrots, and marine mammals like dolphins. Finding it in a cow is a fascinating example of convergent evolution: intelligence arises as a response to similar problems, regardless of how different the animal’s ‘design’ may be,” said Miquel Llorente, director of the Department of Psychology at the University of Girona, who was not involved in the study, in a statement to the Science Media Centre Spain.
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