Author: Robin Edgar

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

Apple stalls CSAM auto-scan on devices after ‘feedback’ from everyone on Earth – will still scan all your pics at some point

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Apple on Friday said it intends to delay the introduction of its plan to commandeer customers’ own devices to scan their iCloud-bound photos for illegal child exploitation imagery, a concession to the broad backlash that followed from the initiative. “Previously we announced plans for features intended to help protect children from predators who use communication Read more about Apple stalls CSAM auto-scan on devices after ‘feedback’ from everyone on Earth – will still scan all your pics at some point[…]

Lenovo pops up tips on its tablets. And by tips, Lenovo means: Unacceptable ads

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Lenovo has come under fire for the Tips application on its tablets, which has been likened to indelible adware that forces folks to view ads. One customer took to the manufacturer’s support forum late last month to say they were somewhat miffed to see an ad suddenly appear on screen to join Amazon Music on Read more about Lenovo pops up tips on its tablets. And by tips, Lenovo means: Unacceptable ads[…]

A New Navy Weapon Actually Stops You From Talking

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The U.S. Navy has successfully invented a special electronic device that is designed to stop people from talking. A form of non-lethal weapon, the new electronic device effectively repeats a speaker’s own voice back at them, and only them, while they attempt to talk. It was developed, and patented back in 2019 but has only Read more about A New Navy Weapon Actually Stops You From Talking[…]

Huge GTA San Andreas Mod Because Of Take-Two Harassment

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After months of Take-Two Interactive attacking and fighting GTA modders, the folks behind the long-in-development San Andreas mod, GTA Underground, have killed the project and removed it from the web over “increasing hostility” from Take-Two and fears of further legal problems. Over the last few months, Take-Two Interactive — the parent company of GTA devs Read more about Huge GTA San Andreas Mod Because Of Take-Two Harassment[…]

Judge Says an AI Can’t Be Listed as an Inventor on a Patent because they are not people

Posted on by Robin Edgar

U.S. federal judge Leonie Brikema ruled this week that an AI can’t be listed as an inventor on a U.S. patent under current law. The case was brought forward by Stephen Thaler, who is part of the Artificial Inventor Project, an international initiative that argues that an AI should be allowed to be listed as Read more about Judge Says an AI Can’t Be Listed as an Inventor on a Patent because they are not people[…]

Gorgeous Hand-Drawn Game Guides Kickstarter Cancelled By Nintendo – copyright is seriously broken

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hand-Drawn Game Guides creator Philip Summers knew it was a legal risk to launch his gorgeous, story book-style Nintendo game guides on Kickstarter, but it was a risk he was willing to take. When you pour through all the gorgeous artwork of his unofficial Metroid, Contra, Ninja Gaiden and Legend of Zelda guides, you can Read more about Gorgeous Hand-Drawn Game Guides Kickstarter Cancelled By Nintendo – copyright is seriously broken[…]

Reddit offers a non-response to uproar over COVID-19 misinformation

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Reddit has finally cracked down on COVID-19 misinformation following growing calls to act, although it probably won’t satisfy many of its critics. The social site has banned r/NoNewNormal and quarantined 54 other COVID-19 denial subreddits, but not over the false claims themselves. Instead, it’s for abuse — NoNewNormal was caught brigading en masse (that is, Read more about Reddit offers a non-response to uproar over COVID-19 misinformation[…]

Texan Anti-Abortion Snitching Site Violates GoDaddy’s Rules – help bring it down

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Even if you don’t live in Texas, you’ve likely heard about the state’s draconian abortion restrictions that officially went into effect on Wednesday. The so-called “Heartbeat Bill,” aka Senate Bill 8, makes it fully illegal for anyone—friends, family, doctors—across Texas to help women access an abortion in the state after their sixth week of pregnancy. Read more about Texan Anti-Abortion Snitching Site Violates GoDaddy’s Rules – help bring it down[…]

The New Science of Clocks Prompts Questions About the Nature of Time, finds limits for their accuracy

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“It occurred to us that actually a clock is a thermal machine,”[…]Like an engine, a clock harnesses the flow of energy to do work, producing exhaust in the process. Engines use energy to propel; clocks use it to tick. Over the past five years, through studies of the simplest conceivable clocks, the researchers have discovered Read more about The New Science of Clocks Prompts Questions About the Nature of Time, finds limits for their accuracy[…]

CDC shares 8 new charts that show how powerful Pfizer’s vaccine is against COVID-19 and the Delta variant

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is now not only approved for everyone over 16 years old, it’s recommended. On Monday, an independent advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously to support recommending the vaccine. The decision of those 14 experts was based on overwhelming evidence that Pfizer’s 2-shot immunization, named Comirnaty, which Read more about CDC shares 8 new charts that show how powerful Pfizer’s vaccine is against COVID-19 and the Delta variant[…]

Docker Desktop no longer free for large companies: New ‘Business’ subscription is here

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Docker will restrict use of the free version of its Docker Desktop utility to individuals or small businesses, and has introduced a new more expensive subscription, as it searches for a sustainable business model. The company has renamed its Free plan to “Personal” and now requires that businesses with 250 or more employees, or higher Read more about Docker Desktop no longer free for large companies: New ‘Business’ subscription is here[…]

Reddit’s turns anti-vaxx says it’s teaching a controvesy

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Over 135 subreddits have gone dark this week in protest of Reddit’s refusal to ban communities that spread misinformation about the COVID pandemic and vaccines. Subreddits that went private include two with 10 million or more subscribers, namely r/Futurology and r/TIFU. The PokemonGo community is one of 15 other subreddits with at least 1 million subscribers Read more about Reddit’s turns anti-vaxx says it’s teaching a controvesy[…]

Australia: Unprecedented surveillance bill rushed through parliament in 24 hours.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Australian government has been moving towards a surveillance state for some years already. Now they are putting the nail in the coffin with an unprecedented surveillance bill that allows the police to hack your device, collect or delete your data, and take over your social media accounts; without sufficient safeguards to prevent abuse of Read more about Australia: Unprecedented surveillance bill rushed through parliament in 24 hours.[…]

T-Mobile hacker explains how he breached carrier’s security

Posted on by Robin Edgar

John Binns, a 21-year-old American who now lives in Turkey, told the Wall Street Journal that he was behind the T-Mobile security breach that affected more than 50 million people earlier this month. The intrigue: Binns said he broke through the T-Mobile defenses after discovering an unprotected router exposed on the internet, after scanning the Read more about T-Mobile hacker explains how he breached carrier’s security[…]

Your sense of smell may be the key to a balanced diet

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] according to a new study, the food you ate just before your walk past the bakery may impact your likelihood of stopping in for a sweet treat—and not just because you’re full. Scientists at Northwestern University found that people became less sensitive to food odors based on the meal they had eaten just before. Read more about Your sense of smell may be the key to a balanced diet[…]

Samsung Is the Latest SSD Manufacturer (Crucial, Western Digital) Caught Cheating Its Customers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In the past 11 days, both Crucial and Western Digital have been caught swapping the TLC NAND used for certain products with inferior QLC NAND without updating product SKUs or informing reviewers that this change was happening. Shipping one product to reviewers and a different product to consumers is unacceptable and we recently recommended that Read more about Samsung Is the Latest SSD Manufacturer (Crucial, Western Digital) Caught Cheating Its Customers[…]

After 18 Years, SCO’s IBM Litigation May Be Settled for $14.5 Million (is this the last SCO court case though? it won’t DIE!!!!)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Slashdot has confirmed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware that after 18 years of legal maneuvering, SCO’s bankruptcy case (first filed in 2007) is now “awaiting discharge.” Long-time Slashdot reader rkhalloran says they know the reason: Papers filed 26 Aug by IBM & SCOXQ in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware for Read more about After 18 Years, SCO’s IBM Litigation May Be Settled for $14.5 Million (is this the last SCO court case though? it won’t DIE!!!!)[…]

LED streetlights contribute to insect population declines

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Streetlights—particularly those that use white light-emitting diodes (LEDs)—not only disrupt insect behavior but are also a culprit behind their declining numbers, a new study carried out in southern England showed Wednesday. Artificial lights at night had been identified as a possible factor behind falling insect populations around the world, but the topic had been under-researched. Read more about LED streetlights contribute to insect population declines[…]

Glowworm Attack Captures Audio From Power LED Light Flickers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers from Ben-Gurion University have come up with a way to listen in on a speaker from afar by just monitoring the subtle changes in brightness of its power status LED. The Glowworm Attack, as the discovery is called, follows similar research from the university published in 2020 that found an electro-optical sensor paired with Read more about Glowworm Attack Captures Audio From Power LED Light Flickers[…]

Mirai-style IoT botnet is now scanning for router-pwning critical vuln in Realtek kit

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The remote code execution flaw, CVE-2021-35395, was seen in Mirai malware binaries by threat intel firm Radware, which “found that new malware binaries were published on both loaders leveraged in the campaign.” Warning that the vuln had been included in Dark.IoT’s botnet “less than a week” after it was publicly disclosed, Radware said: “This vulnerability Read more about Mirai-style IoT botnet is now scanning for router-pwning critical vuln in Realtek kit[…]

Another Neuro Study Proves Changing DOOH content Boosts Long Term Memory

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Leading Australian digital outdoor media company QMS, has unveiled its latest neuroscience study that demonstrates the relative impact of different Out of Home creative approaches and their overall effectiveness for brands. In partnership with Neuro-Insight, this research study captured real-life, continuous digital and static OOH panels over consecutive days, to accurately measure how the human Read more about Another Neuro Study Proves Changing DOOH content Boosts Long Term Memory[…]

Samsung Smart TVs Can Be Remotely Disabled

Posted on by Robin Edgar

QLED-loving thieves, beware: Samsung revealed on Tuesday that its TVs can be remotely disabled if the company finds out they’ve been stolen, so long as the sets in question are connected to the internet. Known as “Samsung TV Block,” the feature was first announced in a press release earlier this month after the company deployed Read more about Samsung Smart TVs Can Be Remotely Disabled[…]

Facebook used facial recognition without consent 200,000 times, says South Korea’s data watchdog. Netflix fined too and Google scolded.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Facebook, Netflix and Google have all received reprimands or fines, and an order to make corrective action, from South Korea’s government data protection watchdog, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC). The PIPC announced a privacy audit last year and has revealed that three companies – Facebook, Netflix and Google – were in violations of laws Read more about Facebook used facial recognition without consent 200,000 times, says South Korea’s data watchdog. Netflix fined too and Google scolded.[…]

OnlyFans Drops Planned Porn Ban, Will Allow Sexually Explicit Content after banks back down after shaming

Posted on by Robin Edgar

OnlyFans dropped plans to ban pornography from its service, less than a week after the U.K. content-creator subscription site had announced the change citing the need to comply with policies of banking partners. On Wednesday, the company said it “secured assurances necessary to support our diverse creator community,” suggesting that it has new agreements with Read more about OnlyFans Drops Planned Porn Ban, Will Allow Sexually Explicit Content after banks back down after shaming[…]

European Commission airs out new IoT device security draft law – interested parties have a week to weigh in

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Infosec pros and other technically minded folk have just under a week left to comment on EU plans to introduce new regulations obligating consumer IoT device makers to address online security issues, data protection, privacy and fraud prevention. Draft regulations applying to “internet-connected radio equipment and wearable radio equipment” are open for public comment until Read more about European Commission airs out new IoT device security draft law – interested parties have a week to weigh in[…]