Caltech scientists experiment with DNA; Netflix abandons iTunes payment; L.A. Times hacked

Caltech Plays Nanoscale Tic-Tac-Toe

An innovation at Caltech allows scientists to play a virtual “tic-tac-toe” game with individual strands of DNA, providing a new way to experiment with DNA sequencing and create custom patterns. According to ArsTechnica, the technique was dubbed “DNA Origami” by its creator Lulu Qian and is considered by Caltech fellows to be a “huge advancement” in the field of nanotechnology (manipulation of particles on a minute, atomic scale).

Netflix Abandons iTunes Payment Methods

Instead of paying for Netflix content on iTunes via an Apple device, users will now be redirected to a Netflix-designed website to input their payment information, the latest in a step to cut out the hosting fees charged by app developers. VentureBeat reports the change was rolled out globally and that by doing so Netflix is avoiding a 15 percent cut iTunes takes from each in-app subscription purchase.

L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal Targeted by Malware

The Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union Tribune, and the West Coast bureaus of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times were hit Dec. 29 with a cyberattack that appears to originate from outside the U.S. The L.A. Times reports the attack also targeted the Tribune Publishing Network’s papers, and delayed evening production but did not compromise reader data. The identity of the hackers remains unknown.