Eternal 5D data storage could record the history of humankind for billions of years

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

Using nanostructured glass, scientists from the University’s Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) have developed the recording and retrieval processes of five dimensional (5D) digital data by femtosecond laser writing.

The storage allows unprecedented properties including 360 TB/disc data capacity, thermal stability up to 1,000°C and virtually unlimited lifetime at room temperature (13.8 billion years at 190°C ) opening a new era of eternal data archiving

Source: Eternal 5D data storage could record the history of humankind

Air Spaces: Where the Planes Fly – Views of the World

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

The following map is a gridded cartogram visualisation of global flight tracks taken from the OpenFlights database. The map distorts the land area by the number of flights that pass a certain space

Source: Air Spaces: Where the Planes Fly – Views of the World

Crims unleashed IRS-stabbing malware in bid to rob 464,000 people

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

Fraudsters, armed with stolen social security numbers and other personal information on nearly half a million people, used malware to systematically request PINs corresponding to those taxpayers, allowing the crooks to potentially file paperwork on their behalf. The swindlers could put their own bank account details on the tax returns, thus channelling people’s rebates into the thieves’ pockets.

“Using personal data stolen elsewhere outside the IRS, identity thieves used malware in an attempt to generate E-file PINs for stolen social security numbers. An E-file PIN is used in some instances to electronically file a tax return,” the IRS said in a statement today.

“Based on our review, we identified unauthorized attempts involving approximately 464,000 unique SSNs, of which 101,000 SSNs were used to successfully access an E-file PIN.”

Source: Crims unleashed IRS-stabbing malware in bid to rob 464,000 people

Rabbit brain frozen completely intact – now to thaw it…

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

Using a combination of ultrafast chemical fixation and cryogenic storage, it is the first demonstration that near perfect, long-term structural preservation of an intact mammalian brain is achievable.

Source: The Brain Preservation Foundation – Small Mammal BPF Prize Winning Announcement

Renewal of cryogenics?

Google retires Picasa for Photos, no desktop alternative in sight

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

As of March 15, 2016, we will no longer be supporting the Picasa desktop application. For those who have already downloaded this—or choose to do so before this date—it will continue to work as it does today, but we will not be developing it further, and there will be no future updates. If you choose to switch to Google Photos, you can continue to upload photos and videos using the desktop uploader at photos.google.com/apps.

Source: Picasa Blog

So download and keep the installer somewhere safe!

Adobe Creative Cloud update deletes first file in directories. Kills backups.

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

How about this for bizarre bug of the week: the latest version of Adobe Creative Cloud deletes the first hidden directory in root directories on Macs.

That’s bad news for users of BackBlaze: the backup software stores a .bzvol folder in the top level of every drive it backs up, and uses these folders to store information about the drives. Adobe’s Creative Cloud app wipes away these directories, leaving BackBlaze’s users faced with “your drive is no longer backed up” errors.

Source: ‘Adobe Creative Cloud update ate my backup!’

GCHQ hacking phones and computers is legal, says top UK court

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

Computer, smartphone and network hacking by UK intelligence agency GCHQ is legal, a security tribunal has said.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled on Friday that computer network exploitation (CNE) – which can include remotely activating microphones and cameras on electronic devices such as iPhones without the owner’s knowledge – is legal.

The case, which was heard in 2015, was the first time that GCHQ admitted to carrying out hacking in the UK and overseas. Previously, their policy had been to “neither confirm nor deny”.
[…]
During proceedings, GCHQ admitted that it carries out CNE outside the UK, and that in 2013 about a fifth of its intelligence reports contained information derived from hacking.

Source: GCHQ hacking phones and computers is legal, says top UK court

So is there any kind of warrant procedure at all before they start hacking private individual or business computers?

GPS/INS accuracy to within a centimetre: A Common-Position-Shift Approach

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

This has been done in the past, but the computing power required has made it impractical. A new algorithm makes it possible to do this with much less computational grunt.

Source: Computationally Efficient Carrier Integer Ambiguity Resolution in Multiepoch GPS/INS: A Common-Position-Shift Approach

Vodafone network allows you to copy yourself into someone elses conversation

Posted on February 16, 2016 by Robin Edgar

The Vodafone network does not generate random TMSI numbers, which allows you to copy them and thereby listen in to other ongoing conversations. The network won’t throw off duplicates. If you have an IMSI catcher you can exploit this. It does, however, put the phone into conference call mode, which shows up on the screen. Considering your screen is mostly next to your ear, most people won’t notice.

Source: Kwetsbaarheid in Vodafone-netwerk maakt gesprekken kopieerbaar | PCM