Month: October 2018

MindBody-owned FitMetrix exposed millions of user records — thanks to servers without passwords – AWS strikes again

Posted on by Robin Edgar

FitMetrix, a fitness technology and performance tracking company owned by gym booking giant Mindbody, has exposed millions of user records because it left several of its servers without a password. The company builds fitness tracking software for gyms and group classes — like CrossFit and SoulCycle — that displays heart rate and other fitness metric Read more about MindBody-owned FitMetrix exposed millions of user records — thanks to servers without passwords – AWS strikes again[…]

The US Democracy is turning away so many people at polling stations, they need a What to Do If You’re Turned Away at the Polls guide

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Several states have instituted stricter voter ID laws since the 2016 presidential election; more, still, are purging voter rolls in the lead up to the election, and the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold Ohio’s aggressive purging law means you can expect many more people to be removed. So, even if you’re registered to vote Read more about The US Democracy is turning away so many people at polling stations, they need a What to Do If You’re Turned Away at the Polls guide[…]

Why are Xiaomi’s fitness tracker and Apple watches detecting a heartbeat from a roll of toilet paper and bananas?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Why is Xiaomi’s fitness tracker detecting a heartbeat from a roll of toilet paper? Weibo users are confused, but the answer isn’t as wild as it seems Does a roll of toilet paper have a heart? Obviously not. So why does Xiaomi’s fitness band display a heart rate when it’s wrapped around a roll of Read more about Why are Xiaomi’s fitness tracker and Apple watches detecting a heartbeat from a roll of toilet paper and bananas?[…]

Pentagon’s weapons systems are laughably easy to hack

Posted on by Robin Edgar

New computerized weapons systems currently under development by the US Department of Defense (DOD) can be easily hacked, according to a new report published today. The report was put together by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), an agency that provides auditing, evaluation, and investigative services for Congress. Congress ordered the GAO report in preparation Read more about Pentagon’s weapons systems are laughably easy to hack[…]

AI lifeline to help devs craft smartmobe apps that suck a whole lot less… battery capacity

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Artificial intelligence can help developers design mobile phone apps that drain less battery, according to new research. The system, dubbed DiffProff, will be presented this week at the USENIX Symposium on Operating Systems Design and Implementation conference in California, was developed by Charlie Hu and Abhilash Jindal, who have a startup devoted to better battery Read more about AI lifeline to help devs craft smartmobe apps that suck a whole lot less… battery capacity[…]

DoNotPay App Lets You ‘Sue Anyone By Pressing a Button’. Success rate: 50%

Posted on by Robin Edgar

a new, free app promises to let you “sue anyone by pressing a button” and have an AI-powered lawyer fight your case. Do Not Pay, a free service that launched in the iOS App store today, uses IBM Watson-powered artificial intelligence to help people win up to $25,000 in small claims court. It’s the latest Read more about DoNotPay App Lets You ‘Sue Anyone By Pressing a Button’. Success rate: 50%[…]

World’s largest CCTV maker Xiongmai leaves at least 9 million cameras open to public viewing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Yet another IoT device vendor has been found to be exposing their products to attackers with basic security lapses. This time, it’s Chinese surveillance camera maker Xiongmai who was named and shamed by researchers with SEC Consult for the poor security in the XMEye P2P Cloud service. Among the problems researchers pointed to were exposed Read more about World’s largest CCTV maker Xiongmai leaves at least 9 million cameras open to public viewing[…]

Google shutting down Google+ after exposing data of up to 500,000 users and not disclosing breach

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A vulnerability in the Google+ social network exposed the personal data of up to 500,000 people using the site between 2015 and March 2018, the search giant said Monday. Google said it found no evidence of data misuse. Still, as part of the response to the incident, Google plans to shut down the social network Read more about Google shutting down Google+ after exposing data of up to 500,000 users and not disclosing breach[…]

Nanoscale pillars as a building block for future information technology

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers from Linköping University and the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden have proposed a new device concept that can efficiently transfer the information carried by electron spin to light at room temperature—a stepping stone toward future information technology. They present their approach in an article in Nature Communications. Light and electron charge are the Read more about Nanoscale pillars as a building block for future information technology[…]

California bans default passwords on any internet-connected device

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In less than two years, anything that can connect to the internet will come with a unique password — that is, if it’s produced or sold in California. The “Information Privacy: Connected Devices” bill that comes into effect on January 1, 2020, effectively bans pre-installed and hard-coded default passwords. It only took the authorities about Read more about California bans default passwords on any internet-connected device[…]

iPhone Shortcut Automatically Records Police, turns off face and fingerprint ID

Posted on by Robin Edgar

According to Mic, Reddit user Robert Peterson created a trick using the virtual assistant, Siri, that lowers the phone’s brightness, turns on Do Not Disturb, texts the iPhone owner’s location to an emergency contact and lets them know you have been pulled over by police. The shortcut will also automatically start recording video and, when Read more about iPhone Shortcut Automatically Records Police, turns off face and fingerprint ID[…]

Sans Forgetica font May Help You Remember What You Read

Posted on by Robin Edgar

We’re all used to skimming past the boring parts of a reading assignment or a web article. But when researchers from RMIT University in Australia printed information in a weird, hard-to-read font, they found that people were more likely to remember what they read. There’s a sweet spot, their experiments suggest: If the font is Read more about Sans Forgetica font May Help You Remember What You Read[…]

Researchers Created ‘Quantum Artificial Life’ For the First Time

Posted on by Robin Edgar

For the first time, an international team of researchers has used a quantum computer to create artificial life—a simulation of living organisms that scientists can use to understand life at the level of whole populations all the way down to cellular interactions. With the quantum computer, individual living organisms represented at a microscopic level with Read more about Researchers Created ‘Quantum Artificial Life’ For the First Time[…]

Japan’s silent submarines extend range with li-ion batteries

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Oryu is the eleventh submarine based on the Soryu’s design. Soryu-class vessels, which started being built in 2005, are among the largest diesel-electric submarines in the world. But the Oryu is a vastly updated version of the Soryu, the biggest change being the replacement of lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion ones. Mitsubishi Heavy tapped GS Yuasa Read more about Japan’s silent submarines extend range with li-ion batteries[…]

Instagram explores sharing your precise location history with Facebook even when not using the app

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Instagram is currently testing a feature that would allow it to share your location data with Facebook, even when you’re not using the app, reports app researcher Jane Manchun Wong (via TechCrunch). The option, which Wong notes is being tested as a setting you have to opt-in to, allows Facebook products to “build and use Read more about Instagram explores sharing your precise location history with Facebook even when not using the app[…]

Lawyers for Vizio data grabbing Smart TV owners propose final deal, around $20 per person. Lawyers themselves get $5.6 million.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Lawyers representing Vizio TV owners have asked a federal judge in Orange County, California to sign off on a proposed class-action settlement with the company for $17 million, for an affected class of 16 million people, who must opt-in to get any money. Vizio also agrees to delete all data that it collected. Notice of Read more about Lawyers for Vizio data grabbing Smart TV owners propose final deal, around $20 per person. Lawyers themselves get $5.6 million.[…]

‘Real’ fake research hoodwinks US journals, shows bias against white men gets published regardless of content

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Three US researchers have pulled off a sophisticated hoax by publishing fake research with ridiculous conclusions in sociology journals to expose what they see as ideological bias and a lack of rigorous vetting at these publications. Seven of the 20 fake articles written by the trio were accepted by journals after being approved by peer-review Read more about ‘Real’ fake research hoodwinks US journals, shows bias against white men gets published regardless of content[…]

Apple forgot to lock Intel Management Engine in laptops, so get patching

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In its ongoing exploration of Intel’s Management Engine (ME), security biz Positive Technologies has reaffirmed the shortsightedness of security through obscurity and underscored the value of open source silicon. The Intel ME, included on most Intel chipsets since 2008, is controversial because it expands the attack surface of Intel-based hardware. If compromised, it becomes side-channel Read more about Apple forgot to lock Intel Management Engine in laptops, so get patching[…]

Introducing MLflow: an Open Source Machine Learning Platform for tracking, projects and models

Posted on by Robin Edgar

MLflow is inspired by existing ML platforms, but it is designed to be open in two senses: Open interface: MLflow is designed to work with any ML library, algorithm, deployment tool or language. It’s built around REST APIs and simple data formats (e.g., a model can be viewed as a lambda function) that can be Read more about Introducing MLflow: an Open Source Machine Learning Platform for tracking, projects and models[…]

Recent wave of hijacked WhatsApp accounts traced back to voicemail hacking

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A wave of reports about hijacked WhatsApp accounts in Israel has forced the government’s cyber-security agency to send out a nation-wide security alert on Tuesday, ZDNet has learned. The alert, authored by the Israel National Cyber Security Authority, warns about a relatively new method of hijacking WhatsApp accounts using mobile providers’ voicemail systems. This new Read more about Recent wave of hijacked WhatsApp accounts traced back to voicemail hacking[…]

Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service disrupts Russian cyber operation targeting OPCW

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On 13 April 2018, with support from the Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service and UK counterparts, the Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service (DISS) disrupted a cyber operation being carried out by a Russian military intelligence (GRU) team. The Russian operation had targeted the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Read more about Netherlands Defence Intelligence and Security Service disrupts Russian cyber operation targeting OPCW[…]

Microsoft announces app mirroring to let you use any Android app on Windows 10

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microsoft announced a new feature for Windows 10 today that will let Android phone users view and use any app on their device from a Windows desktop. The feature, which Microsoft is referring to as app mirroring and shows up in Windows as an app called Your Phone, seems to be work best with Android Read more about Microsoft announces app mirroring to let you use any Android app on Windows 10[…]

New Zealand border cops warn travelers that without handing over electronic passwords ‘You shall not pass!’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Customs laws in New Zealand now allow border agents to demand travellers unlock their phones or face an NZ$5,000 (around US$3,300) fine. The law was passed during 2017 with its provisions coming into effect on October 1. The security conscious of you will also be pleased to know Kiwi officials still need a “reasonable” suspicion Read more about New Zealand border cops warn travelers that without handing over electronic passwords ‘You shall not pass!’[…]

UK ruling party’s conference app editable by world+dog, blabs members’ digits

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Party chairman Brandon Lewis was planning to sell the “interactive” app – which will allow attendees to give feedback on speeches as they happen – as evidence that the ruling party was embracing tech in a bid to win over the youth vote (another idea was to have the culture secretary appear as a hologram). Read more about UK ruling party’s conference app editable by world+dog, blabs members’ digits[…]