Author: Robin Edgar

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

Bad genes: 23andMe leak highlights a possible future of genetic discrimination

Posted on by Robin Edgar

23andMe is a terrific concept. In essence, the company takes a sample of your DNA and tells you about your genetic makeup. For some of us, this is the only way to learn about our heritage. Spotty records, diaspora, mistaken family lore and slavery can make tracing one’s roots incredibly difficult by traditional methods. What Read more about Bad genes: 23andMe leak highlights a possible future of genetic discrimination[…]

This mathematical trick can help you imagine space-time

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The following is an extract from our Lost in Space-Time newsletter. Each month, we hand over the keyboard to a physicist or two to tell you about fascinating ideas from their corner of the universe. You can sign up for Lost in Space-Time for free here. Space-time is a curious thing. Look around and it’s easy Read more about This mathematical trick can help you imagine space-time[…]

23andMe frantically changed its terms of service to prevent 6.9m hacked customers from suing about losing their (and their entire family’s) DNA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Genetic testing company 23andMe changed its terms of service to prevent customers from filing class action lawsuits or participating in a jury trial days after reports revealing that attackers accessed personal information of nearly 7 million people — half of the company’s user base — in an October hack. In an email sent to customers Read more about 23andMe frantically changed its terms of service to prevent 6.9m hacked customers from suing about losing their (and their entire family’s) DNA[…]

Your mobile password manager might be exposing your credentials because of Webview

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A number of popular mobile password managers are inadvertently spilling user credentials due to a vulnerability in the autofill functionality of Android apps. The vulnerability, dubbed “AutoSpill,” can expose users’ saved credentials from mobile password managers by circumventing Android’s secure autofill mechanism, according to university researchers at the IIIT Hyderabad, who discovered the vulnerability and Read more about Your mobile password manager might be exposing your credentials because of Webview[…]

Google calls Drive data loss “fixed,” locks forum threads saying otherwise

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google is dealing with its second “lost data” fiasco in the past few months. This time, it’s Google Drive, which has been mysteriously losing files for some people. Google acknowledged the issue on November 27, and a week later, it posted what it called a fix. It doesn’t feel like Google is describing this issue Read more about Google calls Drive data loss “fixed,” locks forum threads saying otherwise[…]

Attacks abuse Microsoft DHCP to spoof DNS records and steal secrets

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A series of attacks against Microsoft Active Directory domains could allow miscreants to spoof DNS records, compromise Active Directory and steal all the secrets it stores, according to Akamai security researchers. We’re told the attacks – which are usable against servers running the default configuration of Microsoft Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers – don’t Read more about Attacks abuse Microsoft DHCP to spoof DNS records and steal secrets[…]

Greedflation: corporate profiteering ‘significantly’ boosted global prices, study shows

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Profiteering has played a significant role in boosting inflation during 2022, according to a report that calls for a global corporation tax to curb excess profits. Analysis of the financial accounts of many of the UK’s biggest businesses found that profits far outpaced increases in costs, helping to push up inflation last year to levels Read more about Greedflation: corporate profiteering ‘significantly’ boosted global prices, study shows[…]

Your Organs Might Be Aging at Different Rates

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The number of birthdays you’ve had—better known as your chronological age—now appears to be less important in assessing your health than ever before. A new study shows that bodily organs get “older” at extraordinarily different rates, and each one’s biological age can be at odds with a person’s age on paper. […] The team sampled Read more about Your Organs Might Be Aging at Different Rates[…]

Nearly Every Windows and Linux Device Vulnerable To New LogoFAIL Firmware Attack

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Researchers have identified a large number of bugs to do with the processing of images at boot time,” writes longtime Slashdot reader jd. “This allows malicious code to be installed undetectably (since the image doesn’t have to pass any validation checks) by appending it to the image. None of the current secure boot mechanisms are Read more about Nearly Every Windows and Linux Device Vulnerable To New LogoFAIL Firmware Attack[…]

Governments, Apple, Google spying on users through push notifications – they all go through Apple and Google servers (unencrypted?)!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) Google and Apple (AAPL.O). Although details were sparse, the letter lays out yet another path by which governments can track smartphones. Apps of all kinds rely on push notifications to alert smartphone users to Read more about Governments, Apple, Google spying on users through push notifications – they all go through Apple and Google servers (unencrypted?)![…]

Global Climate Tipping points: threats and opportunities accelerate and going very quickly now. Action is needed.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The world has reached a pivotal moment as threats from Earth system tipping points – and progress towards positive tipping points – accelerate, a new report shows Story highlights Rapid changes to nature and societies already happening, and more coming The report makes six key recommendations to change course fast A cascade of positive tipping Read more about Global Climate Tipping points: threats and opportunities accelerate and going very quickly now. Action is needed.[…]

AI Alliance Launches as an International Community of Leading Technology Developers, Researchers, and Adopters Collaborating Together to Advance Open, Safe, Responsible AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

IBM and Meta Launch the AI Alliance in collaboration with over 50 Founding Members and Collaborators globally including AMD, Anyscale, CERN, Cerebras, Cleveland Clinic, Cornell University, Dartmouth, Dell Technologies, EPFL, ETH, Hugging Face, Imperial College London, Intel, INSAIT, Linux Foundation, MLCommons, MOC Alliance operated by Boston University and Harvard University, NASA, NSF, Oracle, Partnership on Read more about AI Alliance Launches as an International Community of Leading Technology Developers, Researchers, and Adopters Collaborating Together to Advance Open, Safe, Responsible AI[…]

Richard Branson’s wallet too small to support Space travel

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Sir Richard Branson is leaving his space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, to stand or fall on its own two feet after declaring that his business empire will not be tipping any more cash into the project. Branson told the Financial Times: “We don’t have the deepest pockets after COVID, and Virgin Galactic has got $1 Read more about Richard Branson’s wallet too small to support Space travel[…]

Alternative browsers about to die? Firefox may soon be delisted in the US govt support matrix :'(

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A somewhat obscure guideline for developers of U.S. government websites may be about to accelerate the long, sad decline of Mozilla’s Firefox browser. There already are plenty of large entities, both public and private, whose websites lack proper support for Firefox; and that will get only worse in the near future, because the ’fox’s auburn Read more about Alternative browsers about to die? Firefox may soon be delisted in the US govt support matrix :'([…]

Microsoft confirms Smart App issue renaming printers to HP, installing HP apps and drivers for no reason

Posted on by Robin Edgar

No, it isn’t your imagination. Windows really is installing the HP Smart App and renaming printers without user interaction. Microsoft has updated its Windows release health dashboard to admit a problem exists. The title of the issue says it all: “Printer names and icons might be changed and HP Smart app automatically installs.” The problem Read more about Microsoft confirms Smart App issue renaming printers to HP, installing HP apps and drivers for no reason[…]

SpyLoan apps don’t give you loans but blackmail you, steal your money, downloaded 12m times on Android – Apple won’t tell you how often they get duped

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Since the beginning of 2023, ESET researchers have observed an alarming growth of deceptive Android loan apps, which present themselves as legitimate personal loan services, promising quick and easy access to funds. Despite their attractive appearance, these services are in fact designed to defraud users by offering them high-interest-rate loans endorsed with deceitful descriptions, all Read more about SpyLoan apps don’t give you loans but blackmail you, steal your money, downloaded 12m times on Android – Apple won’t tell you how often they get duped[…]

If Creators Suing AI Companies Over Copyright Insanley Win, It Will Further Entrench Big Tech

Posted on by Robin Edgar

There’s been this weird idea lately, even among people who used to recognize that copyright only empowers the largest gatekeepers, that in the AI world we have to magically flip the script on copyright and use it as a tool to get AI companies to pay for the material they train on. But, as we’ve Read more about If Creators Suing AI Companies Over Copyright Insanley Win, It Will Further Entrench Big Tech[…]

AI can tell which chateau Bordeaux wines come from with 100% accuracy

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Alexandre Pouget at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and his colleagues used machine learning to analyse the chemical composition of 80 red wines from 12 years between 1990 and 2007. All the wines came from seven wine estates in the Bordeaux region of France. “We were interested in finding out whether there is a chemical Read more about AI can tell which chateau Bordeaux wines come from with 100% accuracy[…]

Sam Altman May Have Found a Loophole to Cash in at OpenAI – buying his products from another company

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Sam Altman reportedly has no equity in OpenAI, a strange move for a tech founder, but new reporting from Wired this weekend shows the CEO would profit from an OpenAI deal to buy AI chips. OpenAI signed a previously unknown deal back in 2019 to spend $51 million on advanced chips from a startup Sam Read more about Sam Altman May Have Found a Loophole to Cash in at OpenAI – buying his products from another company[…]

Automakers’ data privacy practices “are unacceptable,” says US senator

Posted on by Robin Edgar

US Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) is one of the more technologically engaged of our elected lawmakers. And like many technologically engaged Ars Technica readers, he does not like what he sees in terms of automakers’ approach to data privacy. On Friday, Sen. Markey wrote to 14 car companies with a variety of questions about data Read more about Automakers’ data privacy practices “are unacceptable,” says US senator[…]

The UK tries, once again, to age-gate pornography, keep a list of porn watchers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has laid out how porn sites could verify users’ ages under the newly passed Online Safety Act. Although the law gives sites the choice of how they keep out underage users, the regulator is publishing a list of measures they’ll be able to use to comply. These include having a bank Read more about The UK tries, once again, to age-gate pornography, keep a list of porn watchers[…]

Brazillian city enacts an ordinance that was written by ChatGPT – might be first law entered by AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

City lawmakers in Brazil have enacted what appears to be the nation’s first legislation written entirely by artificial intelligence — even if they didn’t know it at the time. The experimental ordinance was passed in October in the southern city of Porto Alegre and city councilman Ramiro Rosário revealed this week that it was written Read more about Brazillian city enacts an ordinance that was written by ChatGPT – might be first law entered by AI[…]

One AI image needs as much power as a smartphone charge

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a paper released on arXiv last week, a team of researchers from Hugging Face and Carnegie Mellon University calculated the amount of power AI systems use when asked to perform different tasks. After asking AIs to perform 1,000 inferences for each task, the researchers found text-based AI tasks are more energy-efficient than jobs involving Read more about One AI image needs as much power as a smartphone charge[…]

A(I) deal at any cost: Will the EU buckle to Big Tech?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Would you trust Elon Musk with your mortgage? Or Big Tech with your benefits? Us neither. That’s what’s at stake as the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act reaches the final stage of negotiations. For all its big talk, it seems like the EU is buckling to Big Tech. EU lawmakers have been tasked with developing the Read more about A(I) deal at any cost: Will the EU buckle to Big Tech?[…]

23andMe hackers accessed DNA information on millions of customers using a feature that matches relatives

Posted on by Robin Edgar

An SEC filing has revealed more details on a data breach affecting 23andMe users that was disclosed earlier this fall. The company says its investigation found hackers were able to access the accounts of roughly 0.1 percent of its userbase, or about 14,000 of its 14 million total customers, TechCrunch notes. On top of that, Read more about 23andMe hackers accessed DNA information on millions of customers using a feature that matches relatives[…]