Author: Robin Edgar

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

Millions of AMD PCs affected by new CPU driver flaw need to be patched ASAP

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After finding several security flaws in Intel’s System Guard Extensions (SGX), security researchers have now revealed a flaw in AMD’s Platform Security Processor (PSP) chipset driver that makes it easy for attackers to steal sensitive data from Ryzen-powered systems. On the upside, there’s already patches available from both Microsoft and AMD to shut the exploit. Read more about Millions of AMD PCs affected by new CPU driver flaw need to be patched ASAP[…]

Pandora Papers: World leaders deny wrongdoing after leaks

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Several world leaders have denied wrongdoing after featuring in a huge leak of financial documents from offshore companies. Dubbed the Pandora Papers, the 12 million files constitute the biggest such leak in history. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein are among some 35 current and former leaders linked to the Read more about Pandora Papers: World leaders deny wrongdoing after leaks[…]

There’s a Murky Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Companies that you likely have never heard of are hawking access to the location history on your mobile phone. An estimated $12 billion market, the location data industry has many players: collectors, aggregators, marketplaces, and location intelligence firms, all of which boast about the scale and precision of the data that they’ve amassed. Location firm Read more about There’s a Murky Multibillion-Dollar Market for Your Phone’s Location Data[…]

Chinese AI gets ethical guidelines for the first time

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Humans should have full decision-making power, the guidelines state, and have the right to choose whether to accept AI services, exit an interaction with an AI system or discontinue its operation at any time. The document was published by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) last Sunday. The goal is to “make sure Read more about Chinese AI gets ethical guidelines for the first time[…]

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp hit by 6 hr + global outage, stock tanks

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Facebook offered “sincere apologies” Monday afternoon as a sweeping outage of its site and various other properties, including Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger, stretched for more than six hours and helped to wipe more than $50 billion off Facebook’s market cap — the stock’s worst day of trading in almost a year. The issues started around Read more about Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp hit by 6 hr + global outage, stock tanks[…]

Company That Routes Billions of Text Messages Quietly Says It Was Hacked – for years (you know, the messages we now use for 2FA)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A company that is a critical part of the global telecommunications infrastructure used by AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and several others around the world such as Vodafone and China Mobile, quietly disclosed that hackers were inside its systems for years, impacting more than 200 of its clients and potentially millions of cellphone users worldwide. The company, Read more about Company That Routes Billions of Text Messages Quietly Says It Was Hacked – for years (you know, the messages we now use for 2FA)[…]

Clearview AI Says It Can Do the ‘Computer Enhance’ Thing – wait, this evil has not yet been purged?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Sketchy face recognition company Clearview AI has inflated its stockpile of scraped images to over 10 billion, according to its co-founder and CEO Hoan Ton-That. What’s more, he says the company has new tricks up its sleeve, like using AI to draw in the details of blurry or partial images of faces. Clearview AI has Read more about Clearview AI Says It Can Do the ‘Computer Enhance’ Thing – wait, this evil has not yet been purged?[…]

9 Horrifying Facts From the Facebook Whistleblower Interview

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Last week, the Wall Street Journal published internal research from Facebook showing that the social media company knows precisely how toxic its own product is for the people who use it. But tonight, we learned how the Journal obtained those documents: A whistleblower named Frances Haugen, who spoke with CBS News’ 60 Minutes about the Read more about 9 Horrifying Facts From the Facebook Whistleblower Interview[…]

Millions Experience Browser Problems After Long-Anticipated Expiration of IdentTrust DST Root CA X3 SSL Certificate

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“The expiration of a key digital encryption service on Thursday sent major tech companies nationwide scrambling to deal with internet outages that affected millions of online users,” reports the Washington Examiner. The expiring certificate was issued by Let’s Encrypt — though ZDNet notes there’s been lots of warnings about its pending expiration: Digital Shadows senior Read more about Millions Experience Browser Problems After Long-Anticipated Expiration of IdentTrust DST Root CA X3 SSL Certificate[…]

Just How Much Time Do We Spend On Our Phones?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Just How Much Time Do We Spend On Our Phones? Phones have become so essential that it’s become tough to imagine our lives without them. What’s funny about this is that most people alive today can remember a time when we didn’t have cell phones, let alone smartphones. Even so, it’s difficult to recall exactly Read more about Just How Much Time Do We Spend On Our Phones?[…]

Hackers Rob Thousands Coinbase Customers through SMS MFA Flaw – discloses today, happened around the IPO

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Coinbase, a major U.S.-based bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange, disclosed today that a hacker was able to bypass the company’s SMS multi-factor authentication mechanism and steal funds from 6,000 users, Bleeping Computer reported. The breach of Coinbase customers’ accounts happened between March and May 20, 2021, in a hacking campaign that combined phishing scams and a Read more about Hackers Rob Thousands Coinbase Customers through SMS MFA Flaw – discloses today, happened around the IPO[…]

Knowbots – the first way to search, relevant again?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Back before the search engines, the internet was relatively small but still growing enough that it needed searching. Computers were slower so the speed with which we expect results from Google was impossible. In order to search the internet, Gopher users had Archie, Veroncia and Jughead as well as lists of known Gopher servers – Read more about Knowbots – the first way to search, relevant again?[…]

Google (G00G) Urges EU Judges to Slash ‘Staggering’ $5 Billion Fine

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google called on European Union judges to cut or cancel a “staggering” 4.3 billion euro ($5 billion) antitrust fine because the search giant never intended to harm rivals. The company “could not have known its conduct was an abuse” when it struck contracts with Android mobile phone makers that required them to take its search Read more about Google (G00G) Urges EU Judges to Slash ‘Staggering’ $5 Billion Fine[…]

Lawsuit prepped against Google for using Brit patients’ data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A UK law firm is bringing legal action on behalf of patients it says had their confidential medical records obtained by Google and DeepMind Technologies in breach of data protection laws. Mishcon de Reya said today it planned a representative action on behalf of Mr Andrew Prismall and the approximately 1.6 million individuals whose data Read more about Lawsuit prepped against Google for using Brit patients’ data[…]

New GriftHorse malware has infected more than 10 million Android phones

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Security researchers have found a massive malware operation that has infected more than 10 million Android smartphones across more than 70 countries since at least November 2020 and is making millions of dollars for its operators on a monthly basis. Discovered by mobile security firm Zimperium, the new GriftHorse malware has been distributed via benign-looking apps uploaded Read more about New GriftHorse malware has infected more than 10 million Android phones[…]

Unpatched flaw creates ‘weaponised’ Apple AirTags

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Should your AirTag-equipped thing not be where you thought it was, you can enable Lost Mode. When in Lost Mode, an AirTag scanned via NFC provides a unique URL which lets the finder get in contact with the loser – and it’s this page where security researcher Bobby Rauch discovered a concerning vulnerability. “An Read more about Unpatched flaw creates ‘weaponised’ Apple AirTags[…]

CRISPR Gene-Editing Experiment using direct injection Partly Restores Vision In Legally Blind Patients

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Carlene Knight’s vision was so bad that she couldn’t even maneuver around the call center where she works using her cane. But that’s changed as a result of volunteering for a landmark medical experiment. Her vision has improved enough for her to make out doorways, navigate hallways, spot objects and even see colors. Knight is Read more about CRISPR Gene-Editing Experiment using direct injection Partly Restores Vision In Legally Blind Patients[…]

China to have insight into and regulate web giants’ algorithms using governance model

Posted on by Robin Edgar

China’s authorities have called for internet companies to create a governance system for their algorithms. A set of guiding opinions on algorithms, issued overnight by nine government agencies, explains that algorithms play a big role in disseminating information online and enabling growth of the digital economy. But the guiding opinions also point out that algorithms Read more about China to have insight into and regulate web giants’ algorithms using governance model[…]

Leaked Documents Show How Amazon’s Astro Robot Tracks Everything You Do – incompetently

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon’s new robot called Astro is designed to track the behavior of everyone in your home to help it perform its surveillance and helper duties, according to leaked internal development documents and video recordings of Astro software development meetings obtained by Motherboard. The system’s person recognition system is heavily flawed, according to two sources who Read more about Leaked Documents Show How Amazon’s Astro Robot Tracks Everything You Do – incompetently[…]

Face ID on the iPhone 13 stops working if a third-party replaces the phone’s display

Posted on by Robin Edgar

With the addition of features like a 120Hz display on some models, Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup is many ways a step above the phones the company shipped last year. But when it comes to the question of repairability, the story is more complicated. Conducting a teardown of the device, iFixit found it couldn’t get the Read more about Face ID on the iPhone 13 stops working if a third-party replaces the phone’s display[…]

A Tesla Big Battery Is Getting Sued Over Power Grid Failures In Australia for not providing promised backup

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Tesla’s Big Battery, located in southern Australia, just got hit with a federal lawsuit for failing to provide the crucial grid support it once promised it could. Built by Tesla in 2017, the 150-megawatt battery supplies 189 megawatt-hours of storage and was designed to support the grid when it becomes overloaded. Now operated by French Read more about A Tesla Big Battery Is Getting Sued Over Power Grid Failures In Australia for not providing promised backup[…]

Samsung’s has larger, stretchier OLED display that looks a bit like a rubber sheet

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hot on the heels of LG’s “Real Folding Window” showcase, Samsung is taking its moment to shine with a new stretchable OLED display demo. At this week’s Global Tech Korea 2021, Samsung presented an impressive 13-inch OLED panel that appears to stretch at varying degrees. The panel displayed a video of lava flowing while different Read more about Samsung’s has larger, stretchier OLED display that looks a bit like a rubber sheet[…]

Bing Search Results Erases Images Of ‘Tank Man’ On Anniversary Of Tiananmen Square Crackdown (2021)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests, internet users noticed Microsoft’s Bing search engine was producing some interesting results. Or, rather, it wasn’t producing expected search results for some possibly interesting reasons. Users searching for the most iconic image of the protests — that of the unidentified person known only as “Tank Man” — Read more about Bing Search Results Erases Images Of ‘Tank Man’ On Anniversary Of Tiananmen Square Crackdown (2021)[…]

Marvel Files Lawsuit to Keep Iron Man, Spider-Man Rights From Creators

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The families of iconic Marvel comic book writers and artists Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Gene Colan, and Don Rico have filed termination of copyright notices on the superheroes they helped create. Marvel—which Disney has owned since 2009—unsurprisingly, disagrees and has filed lawsuits against all five to keep the characters in the Marvel stable Read more about Marvel Files Lawsuit to Keep Iron Man, Spider-Man Rights From Creators[…]

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Feature Doesn’t Stop Tracking

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In 2014, some very pervy creeps stole some very personal iCloud photos from some very high-profile celebs and put them on the open web, creating one very specific PR crisis for Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. The company was about to roll out Apple Pay as part of its latest software update, a process that took Read more about Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Feature Doesn’t Stop Tracking[…]