Two prototype devices, thought to be the pictured Project Valerie and the Project Ariana projector, have been stolen from Razer’s booth at CES. Razer’s presence at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has been hit by disaster this week, with the company reporting the theft of two prototype devices from its booth.
Razer caught considerable attention at the Consumer Electronics Show thanks to the presence of Project Valerie , a triple-screen Ultra HD gaming laptop it claimed was no thicker or more cumbersome than a traditional single-screen 17in design. While the company was keen to show it off, it was quieter on topics surrounding pricing, release date, or even plans to bring it to market at all — and all that teasing appears to have been too much for at least one attendee.
‘ I’ve just been informed that two of our prototypes were stolen from our booth at CES today, ‘ Razer co-founder and chief executive Min-Liang Tan wrote in a Facebook post published early this morning. ‘ We have filed the necessary reports and are currently working with the show management as well as law enforcement to address this issue.
‘At Razer, we play hard and we play fair. Our teams worked months on end to conceptualise and develop these units and we pride ourselves in pushing the envelope to deliver the latest and greatest. We treat theft/larceny, and if relevant to this case, industrial espionage, very seriously – it is cheating, and cheating doesn’t sit well with us. Penalties for such crimes are grievous and anyone who would do this clearly isn’t very smart. ‘
Tan has not revealed precisely which prototypes were stolen, but the two main contenders are Project Valerie and a projector going under the name Project Ariana. Tan has asked anyone with information relating to the thefts to email legal@razerzone.com ‘ in the strictest of confidence ‘.

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The tremendous success of ransomware infections over the past year showed cybercriminals that holding data for ransom is the key to making money from online attacks. Ransom-based attacks are evolving, and if enterprise defenders aren’t careful, they are going to soon see more ransom notes popping up on their servers, databases, and back-end applications.
Consider last week’s events: After Victor Gevers, a security researcher and founder of GDI Foundation, reported several hundred instances of publicly exposed MongoDB installations had been wiped and held for ransom over the previous two weeks, several other attackers joined in, bumping the number of compromised databases from several hundred to more than 10,000.
The attackers didn’t need to bother with malware to gain access to the database or the information saved within—the door was wide open since these MongoDB installations used the default configuration, which allowed unauthenticated connections via port 27017. These databases were fully accessible from the internet, and anyone connecting via that port had full administrator rights to read, create, update, and delete records.
While compromising a few systems and encrypting the data in large enterprises will continue to be lucrative—healthcare facilities paid out thousands of dollars in 2016 to regain control of their data and systems—attackers are going to change tactics to keep their income stream flowing. Databases, web servers, application servers, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and other enterprise applications all contain valuable information that can disrupt business operations if stolen.
“Attackers are always looking to increase the value of what they steal,” said Jeff Schilling, chief of operations and security at cloud security provider Armor.
It’s a safe bet that even if the enterprise doesn’t use MongoDB, which is widely used in big data and heavy analytics environments, it may be running other servers or applications that are accessible from the internet and vulnerable to attack. Criminals can easily shift their attacks to those servers and applications. Already, last spring, researchers from Cisco’s Talos Security Intelligence and Research Group found that attackers were exploiting vulnerabilities in JBoss application servers to spread SamSam ransomware.
The data contained on those systems don’t have to be something the attacker can sell on the black market—it just needs to be valuable to the owner. It doesn’t matter if the database or back-end system doesn’t have financial data or transactional information. Application source code, personnel files, organization data, and entire application servers are all valuable.
“As long as it’s valuable to someone, attackers can target it for ransomware in order to make a profit,” said Jordan Wright, an R&D engineer at authentication company Duo Security.
Ransoms are most effective when there are no backups to restore the data. While most enterprises typically have some kind of backup strategy in place for databases and critical enterprise applications, they may still be forced to pay because of the perception that it will take too long to restore from backups.
In the case of those enterprises with compromised MongoDB installations, at least 20 victims sent the 0.2 BTC ransom (about $220 at current prices) to the BitCoin address used by the initial attacker between Dec. 21, 2016 and Jan. 6, 2017, according to information available on Blockchain.info.
Imagine being an Oracle or SAP administrator and one day finding that an attacker had copied all the data and then wiped the systems.
In case the idea of data stolen from code repositories and databases wasn’t scary enough, software-as-a-service applications could become the next ransom target, Schilling said. An attacker could demand the ransom from the SaaS provider by successfully breaking into the network and disrupting operations, or from the SaaS customer by preventing the customer from accessing the data. A network breach on the provider side seems unlikely, but not impossible, since SaaS companies tend to invest heavily in securing their infrastructure.
But then, the massive DDoS attack against DNS provider Dyn affected SaaS providers adversely, without even touching their networks. That ransom demand could have gone sky-high, had the attackers gone that route.
Customer-side ransoms sound even more likely. There are already ransomware strains capable of encrypting data on cloud storage sites by infecting a computer that had a synced folder. Attackers can use stolen or compromised credentials to gain access to the customer’s SaaS instance and all the associated data. Whether the customer would pay would depend on how quickly—and completely—the provider would be able to restore the data.
It will be a mistake to keep focusing on the malware. Yes, there are reports of ransomware on Smart TVs , and malware will continue to encrypt data stored in enterprise networks. However, ransomware isn’t the only way cybercriminals have extorted enterprises in the past, and it isn’t going to be the only approach going forward.
Remember that the attackers behind Sony Pictures demanded “monetary compensation.” And ProtonMail and Feedly both were slammed with distributed denial-of-service attacks when they refused to pay.
Cybercriminals are going to make money however they can, and if it is easier to compromise the database by exploiting unpatched remote code execution vulnerabilities and escalation of privilege flaws, or through spear phishing, they aren’t going to bother to try to infect the server with malware. Or they may use a combination of scripting languages such as PowerShell and JavaScript to compromise systems, which doesn’t leave behind any malware samples for defenders to detect.
Attackers are trying to figure out which types of data companies consider valuable, and which organizations are more likely to pay. The initial MongoDB attacks were originally nondiscriminating and compromised any open MongoDB installations, but security researchers believe the latest attacks are more selective, targeting healthcare providers, telecommunications companies, data brokers, and electric utility firms.
IT teams need to expand their focus and look at all the various ways their data could be stolen. Don’t get bogged down looking for malware samples or signs of infections, because the attacker demanding the ransom may use other methods to hold the data.
Attackers connected to vulnerable MongoDB installations via port 27017. Organizations using the default installation of MongoDB should update their software, set up authentication, and lock down port 27017.
That advice applies to other databases, servers, and applications as well. ERP systems such as SAP need to be configured to consider security. Database ports should be locked down. Software updates should be applied as soon as possible. Restrict remote access and require strong authentication for any user accounts that require remote access rights.
Administrators need to control and limit access to their organization’s data stored in their servers as well as in cloud applications. “Without mitigating controls like two-factor authentication, attackers can take over the data a user has access to by simply sending a phishing email,” Wright said.
IT teams need to stop thinking of ransomware as a malware infection and start thinking of a broad range of attacks that have an extortion component. This means beefing up data breach detection capabilities, securing systems so that data can’t be easily obtained, protecting the data even when defenses fail, and improving incident analysis so they can investigate thoroughly when something goes wrong. The attacks against MongoDB installations are just the beginning.

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Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone at Macworld on January 9, 2007, in San Francisco, California.
Happy birthday, iPhone. You’re 10 years old! What do you want to be when you grow up?
When Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone 10 years ago today, he touted Apple’s ability to combine three products — «a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, searching and maps — into one small and lightweight handheld device. »
Those characteristics are still in today’s iPhones, but they’re so much more. Think over 2 million apps more, changing everything from the way we commute to the way we communicate with family and friends. At the same time, it has spawned hundreds of copycats and created new industries that couldn’t exist without phones. The iPhone is the most successful consumer device ever created.
So where does it go from here?
It was different, it was bold. How is it now? Ten years later, we dug up the original iPhone to give it another spin.
For Apple , the next 10 years will be about refining and simplifying its hugely popular phone. Whether the iPhone remains a rectangular slab of glass for the next decade is anyone’s guess (or, rather, up to chief designer Jony Ive). Importantly, what will become an even bigger focus will be everything else that surrounds the iPhone, like virtual reality and smart home.
«iPhone is an essential part of our customers’ lives, and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work and live,» Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement posted in Apple’s online newsroom. «iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come. »
Here are some of CNET’s predictions:
iPhones used to celebrate just doing a few things well. Now, iOS and the iPhone are endlessly complex. Settings and hidden Easter eggs lurk everywhere. Managing cloud storage and photos, or navigating notifications and privacy will send you down rabbit holes.
Apple could aim for simplicity once again, paring down the experience to something more essential. It might find a way of pushing only a few things to your attention while keeping the rest in the background. It needs to reinvent its design, even the software, to be less cluttered.
And then there are all the phones. There used to be one iPhone… now there are models in different sizes, colors and processors. One rumor has Apple offering multiple display types next year.
The reality of the phone market is Apple will have to continue to meet different budgets and lifestyles. There’s no going back to that single original iPhone.
The iPhone’s already a hub for our fitness trackers, the Apple Watch and a growing world of smart home appliances and connected gadgets. The latest version of iOS included smart home shortcuts built into the Control Panel, like a home-based remote control. Imagine more of that spreading across more devices and services.
Travel back to January 9, 2007, just after Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone onstage at Macworld and CNET’s Declan McCullagh got a first glimpse of it under glass.
It’ll be able to talk to other gadgets more easily. Bluetooth 5 promises greater range and higher speeds to connect to other peripherals. In a home, that could make a huge difference. A wild card could be Wi-Gig, an extremely high-bandwidth, short-range variation of Wi-Fi that could be a path to how future iPhones could mirror instantly to larger screens or accessories.
Amazon Echo opened the door. Talking to your gadget is now awesome, not annoying. Siri, however — which lives on nearly all Apple devices — is still problematic. It’s not as responsive as Amazon ‘s Alexa or as intuitive as Google Assistant. It should do more and understand context better.
A more ambient, helpful iPhone is a necessary next step. Consider Assistant and how it lives on Google’s Pixel phone, ready to help. iOS 9 takes a few steps there, but expect Apple to continue knitting together apps and services with AI and machine learning.
The interesting twist is the company’s emphasis on doing its computations on-device, instead of in the cloud. That’s a completely different approach than Google and Amazon, one rooted in privacy. Apple’s latest Photos app smartly organizes photo libraries by faces and places and automatically knits together memory-reel trailers around themes. Better Siri and smarter AI aren’t just what the iPhone needs; it’s what Apple needs across the board.
We’re all sad about losing the headphone jack. What about losing the rest? MacBooks and iPhones have shaved down their inputs to just a few options in 2016. Next, perhaps, comes Lightning.
The original iPhone (left) compared to the current iPhone, the 7 Plus.
Charging, for iPhones, still happens via the Lightning cable. Contactless charging — the type that has been available for Android phones for years, and is used by the Apple Watch, hasn’t arrived yet. But when it does, perhaps in the iPhone 8 , that Lightning cable will be a lot less necessary.
We already can transfer files locally via AirDrop or stream via AirPlay. It would be shocking if Apple followed up a headphone jack-free iPhone 7 with a completely closed-off iPhone 8, but someday there will be an iPhone that flirts with going full wireless.
The iPhone still has bezels, areas of the front of the phone where the screen doesn’t extend. For instance, consider the area around the Home Button. Samsung ‘s recent phones have gone nearly edge-to-edge, and even wrapped the display around the sides. A bezel-free all-screen iPhone would fill up more screen space in a smaller size for an easier grip. Reports of Touch ID being integrated into the display would mean you’ll just touch a part of the screen to log in or pay.
Apple’s relationship with cloud services feels overcomplicated. Google and Amazon offer lots of free storage and syncing options. With iCloud, paying for the right storage tier can get pricey. Relying on the cloud has become an answer for accessing files (there’s an iCloud Drive folder, now) and photos. But how do photos and videos get managed properly? Despite a growing number of alternative cloud-storage options, it’s hard to keep things organized properly.
Take a look at our review of the first iPhone.
Cloud services are what’s bringing Mac OS and iOS closer together, sharing iMessage, file storage, photos, Notes and Pages files. Cloud services like those from Google co-exist, sometimes beautifully, sometimes awkwardly. Phones are, more than ever, just small terminals to a huge connected system. The iPhone’s going to be increasingly dependent on the cloud.
Samsung has already turned its flagship phones into mobile virtual reality accessories via Gear VR. Google has the Daydream headset and its Cardboard initiative. Apple, however, has stayed quiet on VR.
Instead of thinking about a pair of phone-goggle accessories, consider the possibilities of a more advanced camera. Google Tango — an augmented reality initiative under the same umbrella as Daydream’s VR — uses depth-sensing 3D cameras to scan a room and help project imaginary things into it… or, track movement so that a VR headset could feel like it’s really mapping motion. Cook has stated his interest in augmented reality, which probably indicates that more advanced camera features could be where things go next.
The original iPhone came with 4GB of storage.
Much like the iPhone 7 Plus can sense depth with its dual cameras, imagine more advanced cameras that can enable augmented reality like Google Tango. Then imagine that these cameras could do power tracking for a VR headset, like the Occipital Bridge. Maybe that’s way too much in the weeds for Apple, a company that seems to prefer sleek minimalism. But it’s a short jump for the iPhone to adopt AR or VR.
The biggest change in the iPhone of 2027 is that it may not be a phone at at, at least not in the sense of the device we know today. What could be more vital about mobile computing over the next decade is what’s around the phone. Apple already envisions the iPhone as the remote control for our lives; over the next 10 years, that remote will extend to things like VR and smart homes and cities.
And much like the iPod got obliterated, the iPhone may go the same way. Phones may work like Chromecasts, where devices pick up and stream based on what another tells it. Or the Apple Watch can serve as the key to tying connected devices together. Apple is already exploring cross-device communication; if your phone rings, so does your Mac or iPad.
«There’s at least one vision of the future where the phone as a discrete device goes away and turns into other interfaces like wearables,» Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson said. Input, output and the brains of a product will be «less tied to a specific device over the years. «

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