Month: August 2021

The End Of Ownership: How Big Companies Are Trying To Turn Everyone Into Renters

Posted on by Robin Edgar

We’ve talked a lot on Techdirt about the end of ownership, and how companies have increasingly been reaching deep into products that you thought you bought to modify them… or even destroy them. Much of this originated in the copyright space, in which modern copyright law (somewhat ridiculously) gave the power to copyright holders to Read more about The End Of Ownership: How Big Companies Are Trying To Turn Everyone Into Renters[…]

Boffins propose Pretty Good Phone Privacy to end pretty invasive location data harvesting by telcos

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] In “Pretty Good Phone Privacy,” [PDF] a paper scheduled to be presented on Thursday at the Usenix Security Symposium, Schmitt and Barath Raghavan, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Southern California, describe a way to re-engineer the mobile network software stack so that it doesn’t betray the location of mobile network Read more about Boffins propose Pretty Good Phone Privacy to end pretty invasive location data harvesting by telcos[…]

Hackers return around half of stolen $600 million in Poly Network hack

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hackers have returned nearly half of the $600 million they stole in what’s likely to be one of the biggest cryptocurrency thefts ever. The cybercriminals exploited a vulnerability in Poly Network, a platform that looks to connect different blockchains so that they can work together. Poly Network disclosed the attack Tuesday and asked to establish Read more about Hackers return around half of stolen $600 million in Poly Network hack[…]

Apple App Store, Google Play Store Targeted by Open App Markets Act

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Open App Markets Act, which is being spearheaded by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, and Marsha Blackburn, is designed to crack down on some of the scummiest tactics tech players use to rule their respective app ecosystems, while giving users the power to download the apps they want, from the app stores they want, without retaliation. Read more about Apple App Store, Google Play Store Targeted by Open App Markets Act[…]

Amazon Drops Policy claiming ownership of Games made by employees After Work Hours

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon.com Inc. withdrew a set of staff guidelines that claimed ownership rights to video games made by employees after work hours and dictated how they could distribute them, according to a company email reviewed by Bloomberg. […] The old policies mandated that employees of the games division who were moonlighting on projects would need to Read more about Amazon Drops Policy claiming ownership of Games made by employees After Work Hours[…]

China stops networked vehicle data going offshore under new infosec rules

Posted on by Robin Edgar

China has drafted new rules required of its autonomous and networked vehicle builders. Data security is front and centre in the rules, with manufacturers required to store data generated by cars – and describing their drivers – within China. Data is allowed to go offshore, but only after government scrutiny. Manufacturers are also required to Read more about China stops networked vehicle data going offshore under new infosec rules[…]

Have you made sure you have changed these Google Pay privacy settings?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google Pay is an online paying system and digital wallet that makes it easy to buy anything on your mobile device or with your mobile device. But if you’re concerned about what Google is doing with all your data (which you probably should be), Google doesn’t make it easy for Google Pay has some secret Read more about Have you made sure you have changed these Google Pay privacy settings?[…]

create virtual cards to pay with online with Privacy

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Protect your card details and your money by creating virtual cards at each place you spend online, or for each purchase Create single-use cards that close themselves automatically browser extension to create and auto-fill card numbers at checkout Privacy Cards put the control in your hands when you make a purchase online. Business or personal, Read more about create virtual cards to pay with online with Privacy[…]

Post-implementation review of the repeal of section 52 of the CDPA 1988 and associated amendments – Call for views – GOV.UK

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA) sets the term of protection for works protected copyright. For artistic works, the term of protection is life of the author plus 70 years. For more information on the term of copyright, see our Copyright Notice: Duration of copyright (term) on this subject. Section 52 CDPA previously Read more about Post-implementation review of the repeal of section 52 of the CDPA 1988 and associated amendments – Call for views – GOV.UK[…]

AI algorithms uncannily good at spotting your race from medical scans

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Neural networks can correctly guess a person’s race just by looking at their bodily x-rays and researchers have no idea how it can tell. There are biological features that can give clues to a person’s ethnicity, like the colour of their eyes or skin. But beneath all that, it’s difficult for humans to tell. That’s Read more about AI algorithms uncannily good at spotting your race from medical scans[…]

Chinese scientists develop world’s strongest glass that’s harder than diamond

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Scientists in China have developed the hardest and strongest glassy material known so far that can scratch diamond crystals with ease. The researchers, including those from Yanshan University in China, noted that the new material – tentatively named AM-III – has “outstanding” mechanical and electronic properties, and could find applications in solar cells due to Read more about Chinese scientists develop world’s strongest glass that’s harder than diamond[…]

Ancestry.com Gave Itself the Rights to Your Family Photos

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Blackstone-owned genealogy giant Ancestry.com raised a ton of red flags earlier this month with an update to its terms and conditions that give the company a bit more power over your family photos. From here on out, the August 3 update reads, Ancestry can use these pics for any reason, at any time, forever. Read more about Ancestry.com Gave Itself the Rights to Your Family Photos[…]

Cross-Chain DeFi Site Poly Network Hacked; Hundreds of Millions Potentially Lost

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Cross-chain decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Poly Network was attacked on Tuesday, with the alleged hacker draining roughly $600 million in crypto. Poly Network, a protocol launched by the founder of Chinese blockchain project Neo, operates on the Binance Smart Chain, Ethereum and Polygon blockchains. Tuesday’s attack struck each chain consecutively, with the Poly team identifying Read more about Cross-Chain DeFi Site Poly Network Hacked; Hundreds of Millions Potentially Lost[…]

Oppo’s latest under-screen camera may finally be capable of good photos – I hate the notch!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Until recently, there was only one smartphone on the market equipped with an under-screen camera: last year’s ZTE Axon 20 5G. Other players such as Vivo, Oppo and Xiaomi had also been testing this futuristic tech, but given the subpar image quality back then, it’s no wonder that phone makers largely stuck with punch-hole cameras Read more about Oppo’s latest under-screen camera may finally be capable of good photos – I hate the notch![…]

WhatsApp head says Apple’s child safety update is a ‘surveillance system’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

One day after Apple confirmed plans for new software that will allow it to detect images of child abuse on users’ iCloud photos, Facebook’s head of WhatsApp says he is “concerned” by the plans. In a thread on Twitter, Will Cathcart called it an “Apple built and operated surveillance system that could very easily be Read more about WhatsApp head says Apple’s child safety update is a ‘surveillance system’[…]

Hundreds of AI tools have been built to catch covid. None of them helped.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The AI community, in particular, rushed to develop software that many believed would allow hospitals to diagnose or triage patients faster, bringing much-needed support to the front lines—in theory. In the end, many hundreds of predictive tools were developed. None of them made a real difference, and some were potentially harmful. That’s the damning Read more about Hundreds of AI tools have been built to catch covid. None of them helped.[…]

Pfizer Hikes Price of Covid-19 Vaccine by 25% in Europe

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Pfizer is raising the price of its covid-19 vaccine in Europe by over 25% under a newly negotiated contract with the European Union, according to a report from the Financial Times. Competitor Moderna is also hiking the price of its vaccine in Europe by roughly 10%. Pfizer’s covid-19 vaccine is already expected to generate the Read more about Pfizer Hikes Price of Covid-19 Vaccine by 25% in Europe[…]

Hackers leak full EA data after failed extortion attempt

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The hackers who breached Electronic Arts last month have released the entire cache of stolen data after failing to extort the company and later sell the stolen files to a third-party buyer. The data, dumped on an underground cybercrime forum on Monday, July 26, is now being widely distributed on torrent sites. According to a Read more about Hackers leak full EA data after failed extortion attempt[…]

How Google quietly funds Europe’s leading tech policy institutes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A recent scientific paper proposed that, like Big Tobacco in the Seventies, Big Tech thrives on creating uncertainty around the impacts of its products and business model. One of the ways it does this is by cultivating pockets of friendly academics who can be relied on to echo Big Tech talking points, giving them added Read more about How Google quietly funds Europe’s leading tech policy institutes[…]

Major U.K. science funder to require grantees to make papers immediately free to all

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will expand on existing rules covering all research papers produced from its £8 billion in annual funding. About three-quarters of papers recently published from U.K. universities are open access, and UKRI’s current policy gives scholars two routes to comply: Pay journals for “gold” open access, which makes a paper Read more about Major U.K. science funder to require grantees to make papers immediately free to all[…]

Chinese regulators go after price gauging in car chip industry

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Chinese antitrust watchdog, State Administration of Market Supervision (SAMR), announced Tuesday it has started investigating price gouging in the automotive chip market. The regulatory body promised to strengthen supervision and punish illegal acts such as hoarding, price hikes and collusive price increases. SAMR singled out distributors as the object of its ire. In the early Read more about Chinese regulators go after price gauging in car chip industry[…]

Hey, AI software developers, you are taking Unicode into account, right … right?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The issue is that ambiguity or discrepancies can be introduced if the machine-learning software ignores certain invisible Unicode characters. What’s seen on screen or printed out, for instance, won’t match up with what the neural network saw and made a decision on. It may be possible abuse this lack of Unicode awareness for nefarious Read more about Hey, AI software developers, you are taking Unicode into account, right … right?[…]

Researchers Say They’ve Found a ‘Master Face’ to Bypass Face Rec Tech

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] computer scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel say they have discovered a way to bypass a large percentage of facial recognition systems by basically faking your face. The team calls this method the “master face” (like a “master key,” harhar), which uses artificial intelligence technologies to create a facial template—one that can consistently Read more about Researchers Say They’ve Found a ‘Master Face’ to Bypass Face Rec Tech[…]

Apple confirms it will begin scanning your iCloud Photos

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Apple told TechCrunch that the detection of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is one of several new features aimed at better protecting the children who use its services from online harm, including filters to block potentially sexually explicit photos sent and received through a child’s iMessage account. Another feature will intervene when a user Read more about Apple confirms it will begin scanning your iCloud Photos[…]

Apple is about to start scanning iPhone users’ photos

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Apple is about to announce a new technology for scanning individual users’ iPhones for banned content. While it will be billed as a tool for detecting child abuse imagery, its potential for misuse is vast based on details entering the public domain. The neural network-based tool will scan individual users’ iDevices for child sexual abuse Read more about Apple is about to start scanning iPhone users’ photos[…]