Month: November 2019

Car Blind Spots solved by 14  year old by projecting live camera feed onto pillars blocking view

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Using some relatively inexpensive and readily available technology you can find at any well-stocked electronics store, Alaina Gassler, a 14-year-old inventor from West Grove, Pennsylvania, came up with a clever way to eliminate the blind spot created by the thick pillars on the side of a car’s windshield. […] Her solution involves installing an outward-facing Read more about Car Blind Spots solved by 14  year old by projecting live camera feed onto pillars blocking view[…]

NordVPN users’ passwords exposed in mass credential-stuffing attacks

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As many as 2,000 users of NordVPN, the virtual private network service that recently disclosed a server hack that leaked crypto keys, have fallen victim to credential-stuffing attacks that allow unauthorized access to their accounts. In recent weeks, credentials for NordVPN users have circulated on Pastebin and other online forums. They contain the email addresses, Read more about NordVPN users’ passwords exposed in mass credential-stuffing attacks[…]

13 year old thinks up New Hyperloop design, builds on existing rail infrastructure

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Crouchley’s idea, which just won second place in the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge, is to build pneumatic tubes next to existing train tracks. Magnetic shuttles would travel through these vacuum tubes, connected via magnetic arm to trains traveling on the existing tracks. This system would utilize current train tracks, thereby cutting infrastructure costs and, Read more about 13 year old thinks up New Hyperloop design, builds on existing rail infrastructure[…]

Google Sidewalk Labs document reveals company’s early vision for big brother city in city with private tax powers, criminal justice and huge personal data slurp based on a social credit system

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A confidential Sidewalk Labs document from 2016 lays out the founding vision of the Google-affiliated development company, which included having the power to levy its own property taxes, track and predict people’s movements and control some public services. The document, which The Globe and Mail has seen, also describes how people living in a Sidewalk Read more about Google Sidewalk Labs document reveals company’s early vision for big brother city in city with private tax powers, criminal justice and huge personal data slurp based on a social credit system[…]

xHelper Android Malware Can Survive a Factory Reset

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Though this somewhat-new “xHelper” malware has affected a low number of Android users so far (around 45,000, estimates Symantec), the fact that nobody has any clear advice on how to remove it is a worrisome fact. While the odds are good that you won’t get hit with this malware, given its low installation rate so Read more about xHelper Android Malware Can Survive a Factory Reset[…]

New Battery Design Can Charge an Electric Car in 10 Minutes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A new lithium-ion battery design makes it possible for electric vehicle drivers to charge their cars and hit the road in as little as ten minutes, according to a new study. The quick charge gives drivers up to 200 miles per ten minute charge while maintaining 2,500 charging cycles, the researchers behind the study say. Read more about New Battery Design Can Charge an Electric Car in 10 Minutes[…]

‘Nearly All’ Counter-Strike Microtransactions Are Being Used for Money Laundering

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players will no longer be able to trade container keys between accounts because the trade was part of a massive worldwide fraud network. Players earned cases in Counter-Strike containing weapons and cosmetic upgrades, but had to purchase the keys to open the boxes. Developer Valve runs an internal marketplace on Steam where Read more about ‘Nearly All’ Counter-Strike Microtransactions Are Being Used for Money Laundering[…]

Facebook ends appeal against ICO Cambridge Analytica micro-fine: Doesn’t admit liability, gives away £500k

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Facebook has ended its appeal against the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and will pay the outstanding £500,000 fine for breaches of data protection law relating to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Prior to today’s announcement, the social network had been appealing against the fine, alleging bias and requesting access to ICO documents related to the regulator’s Read more about Facebook ends appeal against ICO Cambridge Analytica micro-fine: Doesn’t admit liability, gives away £500k[…]

GitLab pulls U-turn on plan to crank up usage telemetry after both staff and customers cry foul

Posted on by Robin Edgar

VP of product Scott Williamson announced on 10 October that “to make GitLab better faster, we need more data on how users are using GitLab”. GitLab is a web application that runs on Linux, with options for self-hosting or using the company’s cloud service. It is open source, with both free and licensed editions. Williamson Read more about GitLab pulls U-turn on plan to crank up usage telemetry after both staff and customers cry foul[…]

NHS Pagers Are Leaking Sensitive Medical Data – wait, pagers still exist?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Pagers used within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service are leaking sensitive patient information, and an amateur radio enthusiast has been broadcasting some of that medical data on a webcam livestream, a security researcher has found. TechCrunch reports that Florida-based security researcher Daley Borda stumbled upon the strange confluence of archaic tech that flowed together Read more about NHS Pagers Are Leaking Sensitive Medical Data – wait, pagers still exist?[…]

Notepad++’s ‘Free Uyghur’ release sparks spam tsunami by pro-Chinese – tough shit says developer who has many politically themed releases

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Tuesday, Don HO, the developer of Notepad++, a free GPL source code editor and notepad application for Microsoft Windows, released version 7.8.1, prompting a social media firestorm and a distributed denial of service attack. Notepad++ v7.8.1 was designated “the Free Uyghur edition,” in reference to the predominantly Muslim ethnic group in western China that Read more about Notepad++’s ‘Free Uyghur’ release sparks spam tsunami by pro-Chinese – tough shit says developer who has many politically themed releases[…]

Government officials around the globe targeted for hacking through WhatsApp – FB fingers Israeli NSO group

Posted on by Robin Edgar

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senior government officials in multiple U.S.-allied countries were targeted earlier this year with hacking software that used Facebook Inc’s (FB.O) WhatsApp to take over users’ phones, according to people familiar with the messaging company’s investigation. Sources familiar with WhatsApp’s internal investigation into the breach said a “significant” portion of the known victims Read more about Government officials around the globe targeted for hacking through WhatsApp – FB fingers Israeli NSO group[…]

Google has officially purchased Fitbit for $2.1 billion. Now has your fitness data and a wearable OS that’s actually quite good.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google’s Senior Vice President of Devices & Services, Rick Osterloh, broke the news on the official Google blog, saying: Over the years, Google has made progress with partners in this space with Wear OS and Google Fit, but we see an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Read more about Google has officially purchased Fitbit for $2.1 billion. Now has your fitness data and a wearable OS that’s actually quite good.[…]

Trick or treating Android Emoji keyboard app makes millions of unauthorized purchases $18m blocked

Posted on by Robin Edgar

$18 million of fraudulent charges from the app blocked by malware security platform Secure-D London, October 31st, 2019  – A popular Android keyboard app, ai.type, downloaded more than 40 million times and included in the Google Play app store, has been caught making millions of unauthorized purchases of premium digital content, researchers at mobile technology company Read more about Trick or treating Android Emoji keyboard app makes millions of unauthorized purchases $18m blocked[…]