An Open Source eReader That’s Free of Corporate Restrictions Is Exactly What I Want Right Now

The Open Book Project was born from a contest held by Hackaday and that encouraged hardware hackers to find innovative and practical uses for the Arduino-based Adafruit Feather development board ecosystem. The winner of that contest was the Open Book Project which has been designed and engineered from the ground up to be everything devices Read more about An Open Source eReader That’s Free of Corporate Restrictions Is Exactly What I Want Right Now[…]

Body movement is achieved by molecular motors. A new ‘molecular nano-patterning’ technique allows us to study these motors, reveals that some motors coordinate differently

Body movement, from the muscles in your arms to the neurons transporting those signals to your brain, relies on a massive collection of proteins called molecular motors. Fundamentally, molecular motors are proteins that convert chemical energy into mechanical movement, and have different functions depending on their task. However, because they are so small, the exact Read more about Body movement is achieved by molecular motors. A new ‘molecular nano-patterning’ technique allows us to study these motors, reveals that some motors coordinate differently[…]

Turns out that RNA affects DNA in multiple ways. Genes don’t just send messages to RNA which then direct proteins to do stuff.

Rather than directions going one-way from DNA to RNA to proteins, the latest study shows that RNA itself modulates how DNA is transcribed—using a chemical process that is increasingly apparent to be vital to biology. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of human disease and drug design. […] The picture many of us Read more about Turns out that RNA affects DNA in multiple ways. Genes don’t just send messages to RNA which then direct proteins to do stuff.[…]

Sorry to be blunt about this… Open AWS S3 storage bucket just made 30,000 potheads’ privacy go up in smoke

Personal records, including scans of ID cards and purchase details, for more than 30,000 people were exposed to the public internet from this unsecured cloud silo, we’re told. In addition to full names and pictures of customer ID cards, the 85,000 file collection is said to include email and mailing address, phone numbers, dates of Read more about Sorry to be blunt about this… Open AWS S3 storage bucket just made 30,000 potheads’ privacy go up in smoke[…]

These VIPs May Want to Make Sure Mohammed bin Salman Didn’t Hack Them

In early 2018, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took a sweeping tour of the U.S. as part of a strategy to rebrand Saudi Arabia’s ruling monarchy as a modernizing force and pull off his “Vision 2030” plan—hobnobbing with a list of corporate execs and politicians that reads like a who’s who list of the Read more about These VIPs May Want to Make Sure Mohammed bin Salman Didn’t Hack Them[…]

Clearview has scraped all social media sites illegally and vs TOS, has all your pictures in a massive database (who knows how secure this is?) and a face recognition AI. Is selling access to it to cops, and who knows who else.

What if a stranger could snap your picture on the sidewalk then use an app to quickly discover your name, address and other details? A startup called Clearview AI has made that possible, and its app is currently being used by hundreds of law enforcement agencies in the US, including the FBI, says a Saturday Read more about Clearview has scraped all social media sites illegally and vs TOS, has all your pictures in a massive database (who knows how secure this is?) and a face recognition AI. Is selling access to it to cops, and who knows who else.[…]

So Clearview has you, even if it violates TOS. How to stop the next guy from getting you in FB – maybe.

It should come as little surprise that any content you offer to the web for public consumption has the potential to be scraped and misused by anyone clever enough to do it. And while that doesn’t make this weekend’s report from The New York Times any less damning, it’s a great reminder about how important Read more about So Clearview has you, even if it violates TOS. How to stop the next guy from getting you in FB – maybe.[…]

‘I am done with open source’: Developer of Rust Actix web framework quits, appoints new maintainer

The maintainer of the Actix web framework, written in Rust, has quit the project after complaining of a toxic web community – although over 100 Actix users have since signed a letter of support for him. Actix Web was developed by Nikolay Kim, who is also a senior software engineer at Microsoft, though the Actix Read more about ‘I am done with open source’: Developer of Rust Actix web framework quits, appoints new maintainer[…]

Netgear leaves admin interface’s TLS cert and private key router firmware

Netgear left in its router firmware key ingredients needed to intercept and tamper with secure connections to its equipment’s web-based admin interfaces. Specifically, valid, signed TLS certificates with private keys were embedded in the software, which was available to download for free by anyone, and also shipped with Netgear devices. This data can be used Read more about Netgear leaves admin interface’s TLS cert and private key router firmware[…]

Immune cell which kills most cancers discovered by accident by Welsh scientists in major breakthrough 

A new type of immune cell which kills most cancers has been discovered by accident by British scientists, in a finding which could herald a major breakthrough in treatment. Researchers at Cardiff University were analysing blood from a bank in Wales, looking for immune cells that could fight bacteria, when they found an entirely new Read more about Immune cell which kills most cancers discovered by accident by Welsh scientists in major breakthrough […]

Local water availability is permanently reduced after planting forests

River flow is reduced in areas where forests have been planted and does not recover over time, a new study has shown. Rivers in some regions can completely disappear within a decade. This highlights the need to consider the impact on regional water availability, as well as the wider climate benefit, of tree-planting plans. “Reforestation Read more about Local water availability is permanently reduced after planting forests[…]

Ultrafast camera takes 1 trillion frames per second of transparent objects and phenomena, can photograph light pulses

A little over a year ago, Caltech’s Lihong Wang developed the world’s fastest camera, a device capable of taking 10 trillion pictures per second. It is so fast that it can even capture light traveling in slow motion. But sometimes just being quick is not enough. Indeed, not even the fastest camera can take pictures Read more about Ultrafast camera takes 1 trillion frames per second of transparent objects and phenomena, can photograph light pulses[…]

HP Remotely Disables a Customer’s Printer Until He Joins Company’s Monthly Subscription Service

A Twitter user’s complaint last week in which he produces photo evidence of HP warning him that his ink cartridges would be disabled until he starts paying for HP Instant Ink monthly subscription service has gone viral on the social media. Ryan Sullivan, the user who made the complaint, said he only discovered the warning Read more about HP Remotely Disables a Customer’s Printer Until He Joins Company’s Monthly Subscription Service[…]

Opera reportedly has multiple predatory loan apps in the Play Store with interest rates of up to 876%

It’s no secret that Opera isn’t doing so well in the era of Chrome dominance. According to a report published by Hindenburg Research, the company’s losses in browser revenue have apparently led it to create multiple loan apps with short payment windows and interest rates of ~365-876%, which are in violation of new Play Store Read more about Opera reportedly has multiple predatory loan apps in the Play Store with interest rates of up to 876%[…]

BlackVue dashcam shows anyone everywhere you are in real time and where you have been in the past

An app that is supposed to be a fun activity for dashcam users to broadcast their camera feeds and drives is actually allowing people to scrape and store the real-time location of drivers across the world. BlackVue is a dashcam company with its own social network. With a small, internet-connected dashcam installed inside their vehicle, Read more about BlackVue dashcam shows anyone everywhere you are in real time and where you have been in the past[…]

PopSockets CEO calls out Amazon’s ‘bullying with a smile’ tactics, shows how monopolies are bad for competition

Amazon has a “bullying” problem. So insisted PopSockets CEO and inventor David Barnett today while describing his company’s relationship with the e-commerce and logistics giant. Barnett was addressing members of the House Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law and, over the course of the hearing, laid out how the Jeff Bezos-helmed corporate behemoth had Read more about PopSockets CEO calls out Amazon’s ‘bullying with a smile’ tactics, shows how monopolies are bad for competition[…]

PGP keys, software security, and much more threatened by new SHA1 exploit

Three years ago, Ars declared the SHA1 cryptographic hash algorithm officially dead after researchers performed the world’s first known instance of a fatal exploit known as a “collision” on it. On Tuesday, the dead SHA1 horse got clobbered again as a different team of researchers unveiled a new attack that’s significantly more powerful. The new Read more about PGP keys, software security, and much more threatened by new SHA1 exploit[…]

More than 600 million users installed Android ‘fleeceware’ apps from the Play Store – where they don’t cancel your trial after uninstalling

Security researchers from Sophos say they’ve discovered a new set of “fleeceware” apps that appear to have been downloaded and installed by more than 600 million Android users. The term fleeceware is a recent addition to the cyber-security jargon. It was coined by UK cyber-security firm Sophos last September following an investigation that discovered a Read more about More than 600 million users installed Android ‘fleeceware’ apps from the Play Store – where they don’t cancel your trial after uninstalling[…]

Mozilla (Firefox) lays off 70 as it waits for new products to generate revenue

In an internal memo, Mozilla chairwoman and interim CEO Mitchell Baker specifically mentions the slow rollout of the organization’s new revenue-generating products as the reason for why it needed to take this action. The overall number may still be higher, though, as Mozilla is still looking into how this decision will affect workers in the Read more about Mozilla (Firefox) lays off 70 as it waits for new products to generate revenue[…]

Apple’s latest AI acquisition leaves some Wyze cameras without people detection

Earlier today, Apple confirmed it purchased Seattle-based AI company Xnor.ai (via MacRumors). Acquisitions at Apple’s scale happen frequently, though rarely do they impact everyday people on the day of their announcement. This one is different. Cameras from fellow Seattle-based company Wyze, including the Wyze Cam V2 and Wyze Cam Pan, have utilized Xnor.ai’s on-device people Read more about Apple’s latest AI acquisition leaves some Wyze cameras without people detection[…]

A floating device created to clean up plastic from the ocean is finally doing its job, organizers say

A huge trash-collecting system designed to clean up plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean is finally picking up plastic, its inventor announced Wednesday. The Netherlands-based nonprofit the Ocean Cleanup says its latest prototype was able to capture and hold debris ranging in size from huge, abandoned fishing gear, known as “ghost nets,” to tiny microplastics Read more about A floating device created to clean up plastic from the ocean is finally doing its job, organizers say[…]

Skype and Cortana audio listened in on by workers in China with ‘no security measures’

A Microsoft programme to transcribe and vet audio from Skype and Cortana, its voice assistant, ran for years with “no security measures”, according to a former contractor who says he reviewed thousands of potentially sensitive recordings on his personal laptop from his home in Beijing over the two years he worked for the company. The Read more about Skype and Cortana audio listened in on by workers in China with ‘no security measures’[…]

Spectrum Kills Home Security Business, Refuses Refunds for Owners of Now-Worthless Equipment, shows you why cloud based hardware isn’t the best idea

Spectrum customers who are also users of the company’s home security service are about a month away from being left with a pile of useless equipment that in many cases cost them hundreds of dollars. On February 5, Spectrum will no longer support customers who’ve purchased its Spectrum Home Security equipment. None of the devices—the Read more about Spectrum Kills Home Security Business, Refuses Refunds for Owners of Now-Worthless Equipment, shows you why cloud based hardware isn’t the best idea[…]

Hackers Are Breaking Directly Into Telecom Companies using RDP to Take Over Customer Phone Numbers themselves

Hackers are now getting telecom employees to run software that lets the hackers directly reach into the internal systems of U.S. telecom companies to take over customer cell phone numbers, Motherboard has learned. Multiple sources in and familiar with the SIM swapping community as well as screenshots shared with Motherboard suggest at least AT&T, T-Mobile, Read more about Hackers Are Breaking Directly Into Telecom Companies using RDP to Take Over Customer Phone Numbers themselves[…]