Month: October 2023

Judge dismisses most of artists’ AI copyright lawsuits against Midjourney, Stability AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

judge in California federal court on Monday trimmed a lawsuit by visual artists who accuse Stability AI, Midjourney and DeviantArt of misusing their copyrighted work in connection with the companies’ generative artificial intelligence systems. U.S. District Judge William Orrick dismissed some claims from the proposed class action brought by Sarah Andersen, Kelly McKernan and Karla Read more about Judge dismisses most of artists’ AI copyright lawsuits against Midjourney, Stability AI[…]

Drugmakers Are Set To Pay 23andMe Millions To Access Your DNA – which is also your families DNA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

GSK will pay 23andMe $20 million for access to the genetic-testing company’s vast trove of consumer DNA data, extending a five-year collaboration that’s allowed the drugmaker to mine genetic data as it researches new medications. Under the new agreement, 23andMe will provide GSK with one year of access to anonymized DNA data from the approximately Read more about Drugmakers Are Set To Pay 23andMe Millions To Access Your DNA – which is also your families DNA[…]

Particle Accelerator can now be built on a Chip

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Particle accelerators range in size from a room to a city. However, now scientists are looking closer at chip-sized electron accelerators, a new study finds. Potential near-term applications for the technology include radiation therapy for zapping skin cancer and, longer-term, new kinds of laser and light sources. Particle accelerators generally propel particles within metal tubes Read more about Particle Accelerator can now be built on a Chip[…]

Google CEO Defends Paying $26b in 2021 to Remain Top Search Engine

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google CEO Sundar Pichai upheld the company’s decision to pay out billions of dollars to remain the top global search engine at the U.S. anti-trust trial on Monday, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Pichai claimed he tried to give users a “seamless and easy” experience, even if it meant paying Apple Read more about Google CEO Defends Paying $26b in 2021 to Remain Top Search Engine[…]

Apple says BMW wireless chargers really are messing with iPhone 15s

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Users have been reporting that their iPhone 15’s NFC chips were failing after using BMW’s in-car wireless charging, but until now, Apple hasn’t addressed the complaints. That seems to have changed as MacRumors reported this week that an Apple internal memo to third-party repair providers says a software update later this year should prevent a Read more about Apple says BMW wireless chargers really are messing with iPhone 15s[…]

iLeakage hack can force iOS and macOS browsers to divulge passwords and much more

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers have devised an attack that forces Apple’s Safari browser to divulge passwords, Gmail message content, and other secrets by exploiting a side channel vulnerability in the A- and M-series CPUs running modern iOS and macOS devices.   Further Reading Intel SGX is vulnerable to an unfixable flaw that can steal crypto keys and more Read more about iLeakage hack can force iOS and macOS browsers to divulge passwords and much more[…]

Hackers Target European Government With Roundcube Webmail Bug

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Winter Vivern, believed to be a Belarus-aligned hacker, attacked European government entities and a think tank starting on Oct. 11, according to an Ars Technica report Wednesday. ESET Research discovered the hack that exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Roundcube, a webmail server with millions of users, and allowed the pro-Russian group to exfiltrate sensitive emails. Read more about Hackers Target European Government With Roundcube Webmail Bug[…]

Privacy advocate challenges YouTube’s ad blocking detection (which isn’t spyware)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Last week, privacy advocate (and very occasional Reg columnist) Alexander Hanff filed a complaint with the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) decrying YouTube’s deployment of JavaScript code to detect the use of ad blocking extensions by website visitors. On October 16, according to the Internet Archives’ Wayback Machine, Google published a support page declaring that Read more about Privacy advocate challenges YouTube’s ad blocking detection (which isn’t spyware)[…]

Airbus commissions three wind-powered ships

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The plane-maker on Thursday revealed it has “commissioned shipowner Louis Dreyfus Armateurs to build, own and operate these new, highly efficient vessels that will enter into service from 2026.” The ships will have conventional engines that run on maritime diesel oil and e-methanol, the latter fuel made with a process that produces less CO2 than Read more about Airbus commissions three wind-powered ships[…]

Apple’s MAC Address Privacy Feature Has Never Worked

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Ever since Apple re-branded as the “Privacy” company several years back, it’s been rolling out features designed to show its commitment to protecting users. Yet while customers might feel safer using an iPhone, there’s already plenty of evidence that Apple’s branding efforts don’t always match the reality of its products. In fact, a lot of Read more about Apple’s MAC Address Privacy Feature Has Never Worked[…]

Android 14 Storage Bug: Users with multiple profiles Locked Out of Devices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Android 14, the latest operating system from Google, is facing a major storage bug that is causing users to be locked out of their devices. This issue is particularly affecting users who utilize the “multiple profiles” feature. Reports suggest that the bug is comparable to being hit with “ransomware,” as users are unable to access Read more about Android 14 Storage Bug: Users with multiple profiles Locked Out of Devices[…]

Google turned ANC earbuds into heart rate sensor

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google today detailed its research into audioplethysmography (APG) that adds heart rate sensing capabilities to active noise canceling (ANC) headphones and earbuds “with a simple software upgrade.” Google says the “ear canal [is] an ideal location for health sensing” given that the deep ear artery “forms an intricate network of smaller vessels that extensively permeate Read more about Google turned ANC earbuds into heart rate sensor[…]

AI Risks – doomsayers, warriors, reformers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

There is no shortage of researchers and industry titans willing to warn us about the potential destructive power of artificial intelligence. Reading the headlines, one would hope that the rapid gains in AI technology have also brought forth a unifying realization of the risks—and the steps we need to take to mitigate them. The reality, Read more about AI Risks – doomsayers, warriors, reformers[…]

Air Canada Sues Website That Helps People Book More Flights simultaneously Calls own website team incompetent beyond belief

Posted on by Robin Edgar

I am so frequently confused by companies that sue other companies for making their own sites and services more useful. It happens quite often. And quite often, the lawsuits are questionable CFAA claims against websites that scrape data to provide a better consumer experience, but one that still ultimately benefits the originating site. Over the Read more about Air Canada Sues Website That Helps People Book More Flights simultaneously Calls own website team incompetent beyond belief[…]

New French AI Copyright Law Would Effectively Tax AI Companies, Enrich French taxman

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This blog has written a number of times about the reaction of creators to generative AI. Legal academic and copyright expert Andres Guadamuz has spotted what may be the first attempt to draw up a new law to regulate generative AI. It comes from French politicians, who have developed something of a habit of bringing in new laws attempting Read more about New French AI Copyright Law Would Effectively Tax AI Companies, Enrich French taxman[…]

Motorola’s concept slap bracelet smartphone looks convenient

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Forget foldable phones, the next big trend could be gadgets that bend. Lenovo, which is currently holding its ninth Tech World event in Austin, Texas, showed off its new collaboration with its subsidiary Motorola: a smartphone that can wrap around your wrist like a watch band. It’s admittedly quite fascinating to see the tech in Read more about Motorola’s concept slap bracelet smartphone looks convenient[…]

Empowering Responsible and Compliant Practices: Bridging the Gap for US Citizens and Corporations with the New EU-US Data Privacy Framework

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Data Privacy Framework (DPF) presents new legal guidance to facilitate personal data sharing between US companies and their counterparts in the EU and the UK. This framework empowers individuals with greater control over their personal data and streamlines business operations by creating common rules around interoperable dataflows. Moreover, the DPF will help enable clear Read more about Empowering Responsible and Compliant Practices: Bridging the Gap for US Citizens and Corporations with the New EU-US Data Privacy Framework[…]

Citrix urges “immediate” patching as exploit POC

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Citrix has urged admins to “immediately” apply a fix for CVE-2023-4966, a critical information disclosure bug that affects NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway, admitting it has been exploited. Plus, there’s a proof-of-concept exploit, dubbed Citrix Bleed, now on GitHub. So if you are using an affected build, at this point assume you’ve been compromised, apply Read more about Citrix urges “immediate” patching as exploit POC[…]

Clearview Gets $10 Million UK Fine Reversed, Now Owes Slightly Less To Governments Around The World

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Here’s how things went for the world’s most infamous purveyor of facial recognition tech when it came to its dealings with the United Kingdom. In a word: not great. In addition to supplying its scraped data to known human rights abusers, Clearview was found to have supplied access to a multitude of UK and US Read more about Clearview Gets $10 Million UK Fine Reversed, Now Owes Slightly Less To Governments Around The World[…]

Google Decides To Pull Up The Ladder On The Open Internet, Pushes For Unconstitutional Regulatory Proposals

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s pretty much the way of the world: beyond the basic enshittification story that has been so well told over the past year or so about how companies get worse and worse as they get more and more powerful, there’s also the well known concept of successful innovative companies “pulling up the ladder” behind them, Read more about Google Decides To Pull Up The Ladder On The Open Internet, Pushes For Unconstitutional Regulatory Proposals[…]

Microsoft admits ‘power issue’ downed Azure in West Europe

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microsoft techies are trying to recover storage nodes for a “small” number of customers following a “power issue” on October 20 that triggered Azure service disruptions and ruined breakfast for those wanting to use hosted virtual machines or SQL DB. The degradation began at 0731 UTC on Friday when Microsoft spotted the unspecified power problem, Read more about Microsoft admits ‘power issue’ downed Azure in West Europe[…]

Scientists create world’s most water-resistant surface

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] A research team in Finland, led by Robin Ras, from Aalto University, and aided by researchers from the University of Jyväskylä, has developed a mechanism to make water droplets slip off surfaces with unprecedented efficacy. Cooking, transportation, optics and hundreds of other technologies are affected by how water sticks to surfaces or slides off Read more about Scientists create world’s most water-resistant surface[…]

AI and smart mouthguards: the new frontline in fight against brain injuries

Posted on by Robin Edgar

There was a hidden spectator of the NFL match between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans in London on Sunday: artificial intelligence. As crazy as it may sound, computers have now been taught to identify on-field head impacts in the NFL automatically, using multiple video angles and machine learning. So a process that would take Read more about AI and smart mouthguards: the new frontline in fight against brain injuries[…]

Spacecraft re-entry filling the atmosphere with metal vapor – and there will be more of it coming in

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A group of scientists studying the effects of rocket and satellite reentry vaporization in Earth’s atmosphere have found some startling evidence that could point to disastrous environmental effects on the horizon. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that around 10 percent of large (>120 nm) sulfuric acid particles Read more about Spacecraft re-entry filling the atmosphere with metal vapor – and there will be more of it coming in[…]