Author: Robin Edgar

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

MEPs ready to negotiate first-ever rules for safe and transparent AI after passing AI act in Parliament

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The rules aim to promote the uptake of human-centric and trustworthy AI and protect the health, safety, fundamental rights and democracy from its harmful effects. On Wednesday, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act with 499 votes in favour, 28 against and 93 abstentions ahead of talks with EU Read more about MEPs ready to negotiate first-ever rules for safe and transparent AI after passing AI act in Parliament[…]

WhatsApp may finally let you add multiple accounts to one device

Posted on by Robin Edgar

If you regularly use people who regularly use more than one WhatsApp account this new beta update is going to be of interest to you. The messaging app is reportedly working on multi-account support for its Android app, an update that would allow you to switch between profiles on the same device, WABetaInfo reports. The Read more about WhatsApp may finally let you add multiple accounts to one device[…]

Broadcom squeezed Samsung, now South Korea’s squeezing back

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As the Commission explained in a Tuesday adjudicaiton, Broadcom and Samsung were in talks for a long-term supply agreement when the American chipmaker demanded the Korean giant sign or it would suspend shipments and support services. Broadcom share price pops on VMware rumors Broadcom’s share price jumped from $805 to $860 on Tuesday, after Reuters Read more about Broadcom squeezed Samsung, now South Korea’s squeezing back[…]

Google Restores ‘Downloader’ App To Store 20 days after DMCA takedown based on 0 evidence, says it’s normal to be able to take down apps for no reason

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A couple of weeks back, we discussed how Google had delisted the app Downloader from the Play Store after a DMCA notice was issued by a firm representing several Israeli TV networks. The problem with all of this is simple: Downloader doesn’t have anything to do with copyright infringement or piracy. All it does is Read more about Google Restores ‘Downloader’ App To Store 20 days after DMCA takedown based on 0 evidence, says it’s normal to be able to take down apps for no reason[…]

“Clearly predatory”: Western Digital sparks panic, anger for age-shaming HDDs, making it impossible to repair RAID pools

Posted on by Robin Edgar

When should you be concerned about a NAS hard drive failing? Multiple factors are at play, so many might turn to various SMART (self-monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology) data. When it comes to how long the drive has been active, there are backup companies like Backblaze using hard drives that are nearly 8 years old. Read more about “Clearly predatory”: Western Digital sparks panic, anger for age-shaming HDDs, making it impossible to repair RAID pools[…]

Space Force doesn’t want HQ in anti-abortion Alabama, so their congressman Targets Air Force Funds

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[…] President Joe Biden’s administration is reportedly trying to reverse a decision to relocate the Space Command’s headquarters from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama, largely due to concerns regarding the state’s strict anti-abortion law that was put into effect last summer. In December 2022, the Biden administration directed the U.S. Air Force to conduct a review Read more about Space Force doesn’t want HQ in anti-abortion Alabama, so their congressman Targets Air Force Funds[…]

Fitbit Privacy & security guide – no one told me it would send my data to the US

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As of January 14, 2021, Google officially became the owner of Fitbit. That worried many privacy conscious users. However, Google promised that “Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won’t be used for Google ads and this data will be kept separate from other Google ad data” as part of the deal with global regulators when Read more about Fitbit Privacy & security guide – no one told me it would send my data to the US[…]

How to Have Windows Remember Their Size and Positions With WinSize2

Posted on by Robin Edgar

We have been through multiple versions of Windows. Yet, Microsoft still refuses to give its OS one much-requested feature: the ability to remember each window’s desktop placement and dimensions. Thankfully, the free WinSize2 utility can help with that. So, let’s see how you can use it to keep your desktop organized by “sticking” windows to Read more about How to Have Windows Remember Their Size and Positions With WinSize2[…]

Study finds sleep coaching app can help recover an extra hour of rest without drugs

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The makers of an app called Sleep Reset claim it can help you get more (and better) sleep without the use of drugs — and they have the study to prove it. A group of researchers from the University of Arizona’s Sleep and Health Research Program, some of whom also serve as the company’s medical Read more about Study finds sleep coaching app can help recover an extra hour of rest without drugs[…]

Redditor creates working anime QR codes using Stable Diffusion

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Tuesday, a Reddit user named “nhciao” posted a series of artistic QR codes created using the Stable Diffusion AI image-synthesis model that can still be read as functional QR codes by smartphone camera apps. The functional pieces reflect artistic styles in anime and Asian art. QR codes, short for Quick Response codes, are two-dimensional Read more about Redditor creates working anime QR codes using Stable Diffusion[…]

Posted in Art

electric VTOL Pilot Training Outlined in US FAA Proposal (which could be used as urban air taxis, maybe)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

US aviation regulators on Wednesday unveiled their first framework for how to train pilots for the expected new breed of electric-powered urban air taxis designed to revolutionize short-hop travel in cities. From a report: The Federal Aviation Administration published a proposed set of regulations that attempt to create an orderly process for building a pipeline Read more about electric VTOL Pilot Training Outlined in US FAA Proposal (which could be used as urban air taxis, maybe)[…]

Lung cancer pill cuts risk of death by half, says study

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[…] Taking the drug osimertinib after surgery dramatically reduced the risk of patients dying by 51%, results presented at the world’s largest cancer conference showed. […] “Fifty per cent is a big deal in any disease, but certainly in a disease like lung cancer, which has typically been very resistant to therapies.” The Adaura trial Read more about Lung cancer pill cuts risk of death by half, says study[…]

Scientists Beam Space-Based Solar Power to Earth for First Time

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[…] The experiment is a part of Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project, and the institute announced a successful transmission via press release yesterday. The researchers conducted the power transfer experiment using the Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment, or MAPLE, which is a small prototype aboard the in-orbit Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) that launched Read more about Scientists Beam Space-Based Solar Power to Earth for First Time[…]

US judge grants final approval to Apple’s $50m broken ‘butterfly’ keyboard settlement

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A US federal court this week gave final approval to the $50 million class-action settlement Apple came to last July resolving claims the company knew about and concealed the unreliable nature of keyboards on MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro computers released between 2015 and 2019. Per Reuters (via 9to5Mac), Judge Edward Davila on Thursday Read more about US judge grants final approval to Apple’s $50m broken ‘butterfly’ keyboard settlement[…]

Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane

Posted on by Robin Edgar

That’s right: New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority is asking that its national airline weigh passengers departing on international flights from Auckland International Airport through July 2, 2023. The program, which Air New Zealand calls a passenger weight survey, is a way to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes, the airline said. Read more about Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane[…]

Millions of Gigabyte Motherboards Were Sold With a Firmware Backdoor for updates

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[…] Researchers at firmware-focused cybersecurity company Eclypsium revealed today that they’ve discovered a hidden mechanism in the firmware of motherboards sold by the Taiwanese manufacturer Gigabyte, […] the hidden code is meant to be an innocuous tool to keep the motherboard’s firmware updated, researchers found that it’s implemented insecurely, potentially allowing the mechanism to be Read more about Millions of Gigabyte Motherboards Were Sold With a Firmware Backdoor for updates[…]

Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, children, FTC says in privacy settlement

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A former employee of Amazon.com’s Ring doorbell camera unit spied for months on female customers in 2017 with cameras placed in bedrooms and bathrooms, the Federal Trade Commission said in a court filing on Wednesday when it announced a $5.8 million settlement with the company over privacy violations. Amazon also agreed to pay $25 million Read more about Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, children, FTC says in privacy settlement[…]

Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Authority Under the Clean Water Act – yay, trash the USA!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The U.S. Supreme Court Court on Thursday significantly curtailed the power of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the nation’s wetlands and waterways. It was the court’s second decision in a year limiting the ability of the agency to enact anti-pollution regulations and combat climate change. The challenge to the regulations was brought by Michael Read more about Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Authority Under the Clean Water Act – yay, trash the USA![…]

Virgin Galactic flies final test before opening for business

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At 0915 Mountain Time (1515 UTC), the VMS Eve mothership took off from New Mexico’s Spaceport America, carrying its spacecraft to an altitude of 44,500 feet (over 13.5km). Pilots on VSS Unity, which rides along with VMS Eve, then fired its rockets to take its six passengers even higher – to 54.2 miles (over 87.2km) Read more about Virgin Galactic flies final test before opening for business[…]

New superbug-killing antibiotic discovered using AI

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Scientists have used artificial intelligence (AI) to discover a new antibiotic that can kill a deadly species of superbug. The AI helped narrow down thousands of potential chemicals to a handful that could be tested in the laboratory. The result was a potent, experimental antibiotic called abaucin, which will need further tests before being used. Read more about New superbug-killing antibiotic discovered using AI[…]

Google bans Downloader app after TV firms complain it can load a pirate website – Firefox, Opera, IE, Chrome, Safari: look out!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Google Play Store suspended an app that combines a web browser with a file manager after a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint pointed out that the app is capable of loading a piracy website—even though that same pirate website can be loaded on any standard browser, including Google Chrome. The free app, which Read more about Google bans Downloader app after TV firms complain it can load a pirate website – Firefox, Opera, IE, Chrome, Safari: look out![…]

Brute-force attack bypasses Android biometric fingerprint defense

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Chinese researchers say they successfully bypassed fingerprint authentication safeguards on smartphones by staging a brute force attack. Researchers at Zhejiang University and Tencent Labs capitalized on vulnerabilities of modern smartphone fingerprint scanners to stage their break-in operation, which they named BrutePrint. Their findings are published on the arXiv preprint server. A flaw in the Match-After-Lock Read more about Brute-force attack bypasses Android biometric fingerprint defense[…]

A Paralyzed Man Can Walk Naturally Again With ML Brain and Spine Implants

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Gert-Jan Oskam was living in China in 2011 when he was in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the hips down. Now, with a combination of devices, scientists have given him control over his lower body again. “For 12 years I’ve been trying to get back my feet,” Mr. Oskam said in a Read more about A Paralyzed Man Can Walk Naturally Again With ML Brain and Spine Implants[…]

SkyFi lets you order up fresh satellite imagery in real time with a click

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Commercial Earth-observation companies collect an unprecedented volume of images and data every single day, but purchasing even a single satellite image can be cumbersome and time-intensive. SkyFi, a two-year-old startup, is looking to change that with an app and API that makes ordering a satellite image as easy as a click of a few buttons Read more about SkyFi lets you order up fresh satellite imagery in real time with a click[…]