Scientists make transparent materials absorb light

A group of physicists from Russia, Sweden and the U.S. has demonstrated a highly unusual optical effect. They managed to “virtually” absorb light using a material that has no light-absorbing capacity. The research findings, published in Optica, break new ground for the creation of memory elements for light. The absorption of electromagnetic radiation, including light, Read more about Scientists make transparent materials absorb light[…]

AirHelp zet volgende stap in kunstmatige intelligentie

Air Help, het claimbedrijf voor vliegtuigpassagiers, zet kunstmatige intelligentie in om real-time te beslissen of een claim sterk genoeg is om in te dienen. De juridische bot Lara bepaalt of vertragingen en annuleringen conform de Europese regelgeving in aanmerking komen voor een vergoeding.De bot is geprogrammeerd om onder andere de vluchtstatus, luchthavenstatistieken en weerrapporten te Read more about AirHelp zet volgende stap in kunstmatige intelligentie[…]

66 Percent of Popular Android Cryptocurrency Apps Don’t Use Encryption

High-Tech Bridge used its free mobile app analysis software, called Mobile X-Ray, to peek under the hood of the top 30 cryptocurrency apps in the Google Play store at three different popularity levels: apps with up to 100,000 downloads, up to 500,000 downloads, and apps with more than 500,000 downloads. So, a total of 90 Read more about 66 Percent of Popular Android Cryptocurrency Apps Don’t Use Encryption[…]

Former DHS employee had 246000 DHS employee records at home to sell. DHS waits 3 months(!) to notify employees.

The sensitive personal information of 246,000 Department of Homeland Security employees was found on the home computer server of a DHS employee in May, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY. Also discovered on the server was a copy of 159,000 case files from the inspector general’s investigative case management system, which suspects in an Read more about Former DHS employee had 246000 DHS employee records at home to sell. DHS waits 3 months(!) to notify employees.[…]

As Apple fixes macOS root password hole, here’s what went wrong (note: get patching!)

The patch addresses a flaw in its operating system that allows anyone sitting at a Mac to gain administrator access by entering “root” as the username and leaving the password box blank in authentication prompts. This works when altering system settings, logging into the machine, and accessing it remotely via VNC, RDP, screen sharing, and Read more about As Apple fixes macOS root password hole, here’s what went wrong (note: get patching!)[…]

Coinbase ordered to report 14,355 users to the IRS

A California federal court has ordered Coinbase to turn over identifying records for all users who have bought, sold, sent, or received more than $20,000 through their accounts in a single year between 2013 and 2015. Coinbase estimates that 14,355 users meet the government’s requirements. The full order is embedded below. For each account, the Read more about Coinbase ordered to report 14,355 users to the IRS[…]

Bacteria found on International Space Station may be alien in origin, says cosmonaut

Bacteria found on the outside of the International Space station could be alien life, according to a cosmonaut who has visited the satellite. Spacewalkers regularly take samples and materials from the outside of the station when they head outside for what are officially called “extravehicular activity”. Those samples are then taken down to scientists on Read more about Bacteria found on International Space Station may be alien in origin, says cosmonaut[…]

Amazon Announces Five New Machine Learning Services and the World’s First Deep Learning-Enabled Video Camera for Developers

AWS Announces Five New Machine Learning Services and the World’s First Deep Learning-Enabled Video Camera for Developers Amazon SageMaker makes it easy to build, train, and deploy machine learning models AWS DeepLens is the world’s first deep learning-enabled wireless video camera built to give developers hands-on experience with machine learning Amazon Transcribe, Amazon Translate, Amazon Read more about Amazon Announces Five New Machine Learning Services and the World’s First Deep Learning-Enabled Video Camera for Developers[…]

Using heart size by scanning using doppler radar as a biometric

Forget fingerprint computer identification or retinal scanning. A University at Buffalo-led team has developed a computer security system using the dimensions of your heart as your identifier. The system uses low-level Doppler radar to measure your heart, and then continually monitors your heart to make sure no one else has stepped in to run your Read more about Using heart size by scanning using doppler radar as a biometric[…]

Empirical evidence on how to interrogate: build rapport, not conflict

The Alisons, husband and wife, have done something no scholars of interrogation have been able to do before. Working in close cooperation with the police, who allowed them access to more than 1,000 hours of tapes, they have observed and analysed hundreds of real-world interviews with terrorists suspected of serious crimes. No researcher in the Read more about Empirical evidence on how to interrogate: build rapport, not conflict[…]

Boffins craft perfect ‘head generator’ to beat facial recognition

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Informatics have defeated facial recognition on big social media platforms – by removing faces from photos and replacing them with automatically-painted replicas. As the team of six researchers explained in their arXiv paper this month, people who want to stay private often blur their photos, not knowing that Read more about Boffins craft perfect ‘head generator’ to beat facial recognition[…]

Facebook rolls out AI to detect suicidal posts before they’re reported

Facebook’s new “proactive detection” artificial intelligence technology will scan all posts for patterns of suicidal thoughts, and when necessary send mental health resources to the user at risk or their friends, or contact local first-responders. By using AI to flag worrisome posts to human moderators instead of waiting for user reports, Facebook can decrease how Read more about Facebook rolls out AI to detect suicidal posts before they’re reported[…]

Pornhub owner may become the UK’s gatekeeper of online porn

Mindgeek may be the most powerful company that you’ve never heard of, or at least, a company you’ll claim never to have heard about in polite company. It’s the conglomerate that owns some of the world’s most visited porn sites, including Pornhub, RedTube and YouPorn. Far from simply being a popular and free way for Read more about Pornhub owner may become the UK’s gatekeeper of online porn[…]

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Using LED lighting has resulted in more light, no energy savings

Using satellite-based sensors, an international team of scientists sought to understand if our planet’s surface is getting brighter or darker at night, and to determine if LEDs are saving energy at the global scale. With the introduction of solid-state lighting—such as LEDs, OLEDs, and PLEDs—it was thought (and hoped) that the transition to it from Read more about Using LED lighting has resulted in more light, no energy savings[…]

Using Generative Adverserial Networks to create terrain maps

A team of researchers from the University of Lyon, Purdue and Ubisoft have published a paper showing what may well be the future of creating video game worlds: an AI that is able to construct most of its own 3D landscapes. Similar to Nvidia’s work that is able to conjure its own celebrity mugshots, the Read more about Using Generative Adverserial Networks to create terrain maps[…]

EU passes law that allows it to shut down websites without judicial oversight

The European Union (EU) has voted on Tuesday, November 14, to pass the new Consumer Protection Cooperation regulation, a new EU-wide applicable law that gives extra power to national consumer protection agencies, but which also contains a vaguely worded clause that also grants them the power to block and take down websites without judicial oversight. Read more about EU passes law that allows it to shut down websites without judicial oversight[…]

German Regulators Ban Smartwatches for Kids, Urge Parents to Destroy Them

Last month, the European Consumer Organization (BEUC) warned that smartwatches marketed to kids were a serious threat to children’s privacy. A report published by the Norwegian Consumer Council in mid-October revealed serious flaws in several of the devices that could easily allow hackers to seize control. Doing so could grant attackers access to both real-time Read more about German Regulators Ban Smartwatches for Kids, Urge Parents to Destroy Them[…]

An Ethereum Startup (Confido) Just Vanished After People Invested $374K

Confido is a startup that pitched itself as a blockchain-based app for making payments and tracking shipments. It sold digital tokens to investors over the Ethereum blockchain in an ICO that ran from November 6 to 8. During the token sale, Confido sold people bespoke digital tokens that represent their investment in exchange for ether, Read more about An Ethereum Startup (Confido) Just Vanished After People Invested $374K[…]

OnePlus phones have a secret root backdoor and the password is ‘angela’

An apparent factory cockup has left OnePlus Android smartphones with an exposed diagnostics tool that can be potentially exploited to root the handsets. Security researcher Robert Baptiste suggested the EngineerMode APK was made by Qualcomm, and was intended to be used by factory staff to test phones for basic functionality before they are shipped out Read more about OnePlus phones have a secret root backdoor and the password is ‘angela’[…]

Scientists edit a person’s DNA to try to cure disease

Scientists for the first time have tried editing a gene inside the body in a bold attempt to permanently change a person’s DNA to cure a disease. The experiment was done Monday in California on 44-year-old Brian Madeux. Through an IV, he received billions of copies of a corrective gene and a genetic tool to Read more about Scientists edit a person’s DNA to try to cure disease[…]

Pawnbroker pwnd: Cash Converters says hacker slurped customer data

Pawnbroking and secondhand goods outlet Cash Converters has suffered a data breach. Customers were notified of the leak on Thursday by email, samples of which have been posted on social media. Cash Converters said it had discovered that a third party gained unauthorised access to customer data within the company’s UK webshop. Credit card data Read more about Pawnbroker pwnd: Cash Converters says hacker slurped customer data[…]