Author: Robin Edgar

Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft

Apple will allow some apps to automatically charge you higher subscription prices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Apple has announced an update to its subscription policy that’s supposed to make auto-renews seamless but could also lead to surprise charges. Under the old policy, the tech giant will ask users to opt in before they’re charged for a subscription that has recently raised its price. Going forward, however, it will allow developers to Read more about Apple will allow some apps to automatically charge you higher subscription prices[…]

New EU rules would require chat apps to scan private messages for child abuse

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The European Commission has proposed controversial new regulation that would require chat apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to selectively scan users’ private messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and “grooming” behavior. The proposal is similar to plans mooted by Apple last year but, say critics, much more invasive. After a draft of the Read more about New EU rules would require chat apps to scan private messages for child abuse[…]

US secretly issued secret subpoena to access Guardian reporter’s phone records

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The US justice department secretly issued a subpoena to gain access to details of the phone account of a Guardian reporter as part of an aggressive leak investigation into media stories about an official inquiry into the Trump administration’s child separation policy at the southern border. Leak investigators issued the subpoena to obtain the phone Read more about US secretly issued secret subpoena to access Guardian reporter’s phone records[…]

A colony of blue-green algae can power a computer for six months

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have managed to run a computer for six months, using blue-green algae as a power source. A type of cyanobacteria called Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 – commonly known as “blue-green algae,” which produces oxygen through photosynthesis when exposed to sunlight, was sealed in a small container, about the size Read more about A colony of blue-green algae can power a computer for six months[…]

EU governments, lawmakers agree on tougher cybersecurity rules for key sectors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

EU countries and lawmakers agreed on Friday to tougher cybersecurity rules for large energy, transport and financial firms, digital providers and medical device makers amid concerns about cyber attacks by state actors and other malicious players. The European Commission two years ago proposed rules on the cybersecurity of network and information systems called NIS 2 Read more about EU governments, lawmakers agree on tougher cybersecurity rules for key sectors[…]

Web ad firms scrape email addresses before you press the submit button

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Tracking, marketing, and analytics firms have been exfiltrating the email addresses of internet users from web forms prior to submission and without user consent, according to security researchers. Some of these firms are said to have also inadvertently grabbed passwords from these forms. In a research paper scheduled to appear at the Usenix ’22 security Read more about Web ad firms scrape email addresses before you press the submit button[…]

How we captured first image of the supermassive black hole at centre of the Milky Way

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] an international team of astronomers, including a team that I led from the University of Central Lancashire, has unveiled the first image of the object lurking at the centre of the Milky Way – and it is a supermassive black hole. This means there is now overwhelming evidence for the black hole, dubbed Sagittarius Read more about How we captured first image of the supermassive black hole at centre of the Milky Way[…]

Hackers deface Russian platforms and smart TVs to display anti-war messages

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On the same day Russia celebrated its role in defeating Nazi Germany, many of the country’s online platforms were defaced in protest of the war in Ukraine. The Washington Post reported on Monday that Russians with smart TVs saw channel listings replaced with a message implicating them in the ongoing conflict. “The blood of thousands Read more about Hackers deface Russian platforms and smart TVs to display anti-war messages[…]

Hackers are now hiding malware in Windows Event Logs

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Security researchers have noticed a malicious campaign that used Windows event logs to store malware, a technique that has not been previously documented publicly for attacks in the wild. The method enabled the threat actor behind the attack to plant fileless malware in the file system in an attack filled with techniques and modules designed Read more about Hackers are now hiding malware in Windows Event Logs[…]

BIG-IP iControl REST vulnerability offers root commands

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This vulnerability may allow an unauthenticated attacker with network access to the BIG-IP system through the management port and/or self IP addresses to execute arbitrary system commands, create or delete files, or disable services. There is no data plane exposure; this is a control plane issue only. Security Advisory Status F5 Product Development has assigned Read more about BIG-IP iControl REST vulnerability offers root commands[…]

Rechargeable Molten Salt Battery Freezes Energy in Place for Long-Term Battery Storage

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] In a recent paper published in Cell Reports Physical Science, they demonstrated how freezing and thawing a molten salt solution creates a rechargeable battery that can store energy cheaply and efficiently for weeks or months at a time. […] Most conventional batteries store energy as chemical reactions waiting to happen. When the battery is Read more about Rechargeable Molten Salt Battery Freezes Energy in Place for Long-Term Battery Storage[…]

Vaccine skeptics and anti-maskers who invoked ‘my body, my choice’ in the pandemic are now lining up to support the end of Roe v. Wade

Posted on by Robin Edgar

People against vaccine and mask mandates have argued that they impose on a person’s bodily autonomy. That rallying cry of “my body, my choice” was rooted in the abortion-rights battles of Roe v. Wade. Yet those people against vaccine and mask mandates are now encouraging the potential demise of abortion rights. The leak of the Read more about Vaccine skeptics and anti-maskers who invoked ‘my body, my choice’ in the pandemic are now lining up to support the end of Roe v. Wade[…]

Indian Government Now Wants VPNs To Collect And Turn Over Personal Data On Users

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The government of India still claims to be a democracy, but its decade-long assault on the internet and the rights of its citizens suggests it would rather be an autocracy. The country is already host to one of the largest biometric databases in the world, housing information collected from nearly every one of its 1.2 Read more about Indian Government Now Wants VPNs To Collect And Turn Over Personal Data On Users[…]

Russian Cinemas Are Showing Pirated Movies Downloaded From Torrents

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, several Hollywood studios announced the immediate suspension of new releases in Russia. Unexpectedly, some Russian theaters are still able to show movies such as The Batman on the big screen but this isn’t down to the studios. The movies are sourced from illegal torrent sites and few seem Read more about Russian Cinemas Are Showing Pirated Movies Downloaded From Torrents[…]

New technique shows in detail where drug molecules hit their targets in the body

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Scientists at Scripps Research have invented a way to image, across different tissues and with higher precision than ever before, where drugs bind to their targets in the body. The new method could become a routine tool in drug development. Described in a paper in Cell on April 27, 2022, the new method, called CATCH, Read more about New technique shows in detail where drug molecules hit their targets in the body[…]

VR Researches Simulate Kisses With Ultrasonic Transducers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Without adding any hardware that actually makes contact with the wearer’s face, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group have modified an off-the-shelf virtual reality headset so that it recreates the sensation of touch in and around a user’s mouth, finally fulfilling virtual reality’s inevitable one true purpose. Aside from handheld controllers that occasionally Read more about VR Researches Simulate Kisses With Ultrasonic Transducers[…]

Hackers are reportedly using emergency data requests to extort women and minors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In response to fraudulent legal requests, companies like Apple, Google, Meta and Twitter have been tricked into sharing sensitive personal information about some of their customers. We knew that was happening as recently as last month when Bloomberg published a report on hackers using fake emergency data requests to carry out financial fraud. But according Read more about Hackers are reportedly using emergency data requests to extort women and minors[…]

MIT Invents Ultra-Thin Speakers For Wall Mounting (can also noise cancel)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] MIT have developed a paper-thin speaker that can be applied to almost any surface like wallpaper, turning objects like walls into giant noise-cancelling speakers. […] Researchers at MIT’s Organic and Nanostructured Electronics Laboratory have created a new kind of thin-film speaker that’s as thin and flexible as a sheet of paper, but is also Read more about MIT Invents Ultra-Thin Speakers For Wall Mounting (can also noise cancel)[…]

Brave’s De-AMP feature bypasses harmful Google AMP pages

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Brave announced a new feature for its browser on Tuesday: De-AMP, which automatically jumps past any page rendered with Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages framework and instead takes users straight to the original website. “Where possible, De-AMP will rewrite links and URLs to prevent users from visiting AMP pages altogether,” Brave said in a blog post. Read more about Brave’s De-AMP feature bypasses harmful Google AMP pages[…]

Amazon (AMZN) Europe Unit Pays No Taxes on $55 Billion Sales in 2021

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon.com Inc.’s main European retail business reported 1.16 billion euros ($1.26 billion) of losses in 2021, which allowed the company to pay no income tax and receive 1 billion euros in tax credits, corporate filings seen by Bloomberg show. The Luxembourg-based business recorded sales of 51.3 billion euros last year, up 17% from 43.8 billion Read more about Amazon (AMZN) Europe Unit Pays No Taxes on $55 Billion Sales in 2021[…]

Insteon is down and may not be coming back – yay cloud, your hardware is now a paperweight

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Is your Insteon smart home system down? I’m getting reports from dozens of Insteon users that as of Friday their smart home hubs have stopped working. So far, none of them have heard from the company, and Insteon’s Twitter account hasn’t been updated since June 2021. I reached out to Rob Lilleness, the president and Read more about Insteon is down and may not be coming back – yay cloud, your hardware is now a paperweight[…]

ESET uncovers 3 vulnerabilities in Lenovo laptops

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Three vulnerabilities were reported today: CVE-2021-3970, CVE-2021-3971, and CVE-2021-3972. The latter two are particularly embarrassing since they are related to UEFI firmware drivers used in the manufacturing process and can be used to disable SPI flash protections or the UEFI Secure Boot feature. “UEFI threats can be extremely stealthy and dangerous,” said ESET researcher Martin Read more about ESET uncovers 3 vulnerabilities in Lenovo laptops[…]

Boris Johnson, Catalan Activists Hit With NSO Spyware: Report

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Spyware manufactured by the NSO Group has been used to hack droves of high-profile European politicians and activists, The New Yorker reports. Devices associated with the British Foreign Office and the office of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are allegedly among the targeted, as well as the phones of dozens of members of the Catalan Read more about Boris Johnson, Catalan Activists Hit With NSO Spyware: Report[…]

ML models models leak data after poisoning training data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] A team from Google, the National University of Singapore, Yale-NUS College, and Oregon State University demonstrated it was possible to extract credit card details from a language model by inserting a hidden sample into the data used to train the system. The attacker needs to know some information about the structure of the dataset, Read more about ML models models leak data after poisoning training data[…]