The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

Yeah, that Zoom app you’re trusting with work chatter? It lives with ‘vampires feeding on the blood of human data’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As the global coronavirus pandemic pushes the popularity of videoconferencing app Zoom to new heights, one web veteran has sounded the alarm over its “creepily chummy” relationship with tracking-based advertisers. Doc Searls, co-author of the influential internet marketing book The Cluetrain Manifesto last century, today warned [cached] Zoom not only has the right to extract Read more about Yeah, that Zoom app you’re trusting with work chatter? It lives with ‘vampires feeding on the blood of human data’[…]

Android Apps Are Transmitting what other apps you have ever installed to marketing peole

Posted on by Robin Edgar

At this point we’re all familiar with apps of all sorts tracking our every move and sharing that info with pretty much every third party imaginable. But it actually may not be as simple as tracking where you go and what you do in an app: It turns out that these apps might be dropping Read more about Android Apps Are Transmitting what other apps you have ever installed to marketing peole[…]

cheap High-frequency, high-power and nanoscale semiconductors that can see through walls

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Scientists have crafted a tiny flexible electrical device capable of generating terahertz waves that can penetrate walls and microscopic cells, potentially paving the way for new imaging techniques – and fast switching in chips. Terahertz radiation lies in the electromagnetic spectrum where microwaves and infrared meet. These so-called T-waves, ranging from 0.3 to 3THz according Read more about cheap High-frequency, high-power and nanoscale semiconductors that can see through walls[…]

LA Teen Who Died of Covid-19 Was Denied Treatment Because He Didn’t Have Health Insurance. The US looks like a banana republic.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A 17-year-old boy in Los Angeles County who became the first teen believed to have died from complications with covid-19 in the U.S. was denied treatment at an urgent care clinic because he didn’t have health insurance, according to R. Rex Parris, the mayor of Lancaster, California. Roughly 27.5 million Americans—8.5 percent of the population—don’t Read more about LA Teen Who Died of Covid-19 Was Denied Treatment Because He Didn’t Have Health Insurance. The US looks like a banana republic.[…]

Singapore Government to make its contact-tracing app freely available to developers worldwide

Posted on by Robin Edgar

SINGAPORE – In a move to help the international community combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Government will be making the software for its contact-tracing application TraceTogether, which has already been installed by more than 620,000 people, freely available to developers around the world. In a Facebook post on Monday (March 23), Minister-in-charge of the Smart Read more about Singapore Government to make its contact-tracing app freely available to developers worldwide[…]

Ring corporate surveillance doorbells Continues To Insist Its Cameras Reduce Crime, But Crime Data Doesn’t Back Those Claims Up

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Despite evidence to the contrary, Amazon’s Ring is still insisting its the best thing people can put on their front doors — an IoT camera with PD hookups that will magically reduce crime in their neighborhoods simply by being a mute witness of criminal acts. Boasting over 1,000 law enforcement partnerships, Ring talks a good Read more about Ring corporate surveillance doorbells Continues To Insist Its Cameras Reduce Crime, But Crime Data Doesn’t Back Those Claims Up[…]

Comet ATLAS is Brightening Faster than Expected might be awesome to look at mid May

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Comet ATLAS (C2019 Y4) is plunging toward the sun, and if it doesn’t fly apart it could soon become one of the brightest comets in years. “Comet ATLAS continues to brighten much faster than expected,” says Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab in Washington DC. “Some predictions for its peak brightness now border on Read more about Comet ATLAS is Brightening Faster than Expected might be awesome to look at mid May[…]

Ancestor of all animals identified in Australian fossils

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A team led by UC Riverside geologists has discovered the first ancestor on the family tree that contains most familiar animals today, including humans. The tiny, wormlike creature, named Ikaria wariootia, is the earliest bilaterian, or organism with a front and back, two symmetrical sides, and openings at either end connected by a gut. The Read more about Ancestor of all animals identified in Australian fossils[…]

Hackers target WHO as cyberattacks double

Posted on by Robin Edgar

WHO Chief Information Security Officer Flavio Aggio said the identity of the hackers was unclear and the effort was unsuccessful. But he warned that hacking attempts against the agency and its partners have soared as they battle to contain the coronavirus, which has killed more than 15,000 worldwide. The attempted break-in at the WHO was Read more about Hackers target WHO as cyberattacks double[…]

New York Stock Exchange Chairman Sold Millions in Stock Before Crash and after wife had been briefed about Covid-19 secretly

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Jeffrey Sprecher, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, sold $3.5 million in stock on February 26, a month after his wife, Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, received a closed-door briefing about the covid-19 threat. According to SEC filings, Sprecher sold $15.3 million more in stock on March 11, at the beginning of the Read more about New York Stock Exchange Chairman Sold Millions in Stock Before Crash and after wife had been briefed about Covid-19 secretly[…]

After 450 years, the tiny feudal Channel island of Sark will finally earn the right to exist on the internet with a domain

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The island of Sark, a United Kingdom royal fiefdom located in the Channel Islands and measuring just two square miles (517 hectares), has succeeded in its 20-year quest to be officially recognized by the International Standards Organization (ISO). The decision will lead to creation of a new two-letter code for the island and an addition Read more about After 450 years, the tiny feudal Channel island of Sark will finally earn the right to exist on the internet with a domain[…]

Finally! Two colour e-readers about to hit the market!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Ireader C6 is a full color e-reader and will be released soon the company has just announced they are working on a new color e-reader that is capable of displaying 4,096 colors and will be released on March 26th. The iReader C6 will feature a six inch capacitive touchscreen display with 300 PPI and it Read more about Finally! Two colour e-readers about to hit the market![…]

Two Senators Dumped Stock After Being Briefed About COVID-19; While Telling The World Things Were Going To Be Fine

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Senator Richard Burr is a real piece of work. In 2012 he was one of only three Senators to vote against the STOCK Act. This was a law put in place following a 60 Minutes expose about how Congress was getting filthy stinkin’ rich off of insider trading, since Congress was exempt from insider trading Read more about Two Senators Dumped Stock After Being Briefed About COVID-19; While Telling The World Things Were Going To Be Fine[…]

NASA to launch 247 petabytes of data into AWS – but forgot about eye-watering cloudy egress costs before lift-off

Posted on by Robin Edgar

NASA needs 215 more petabytes of storage by the year 2025, and expects Amazon Web Services to provide the bulk of that capacity. However, the space agency didn’t realize this would cost it plenty in cloud egress charges. As in, it will have to pay as scientists download its data. That omission alone has left Read more about NASA to launch 247 petabytes of data into AWS – but forgot about eye-watering cloudy egress costs before lift-off[…]

no Intel Management Engine: Purism lifts lid on the Librem Mini, a privacy-focused micro PC

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Purism has dropped the veil on the latest computer in its privacy-focused lineup – a small form-factor PC designed for space-conscious free software enthusiasts. Available to pre-order now, the Librem Mini packs an eighth-generation, quad-core Whiskey Lake i7-8565U processor, modified with Purism’s Pureboot technology. At its heart, this aims to minimise any potential third-party interference Read more about no Intel Management Engine: Purism lifts lid on the Librem Mini, a privacy-focused micro PC[…]

What good is investing in space? NASA Spinoff magazine shows you which technologies have trickled down to everyday life

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Since 1976, Spinoff has annually profiled an average of 50 commercial technologies with origins in NASA missions and research. Issues of Spinoff published since 1996 can be read online in HTML or downloaded in PDF. Scanned copies of Spinoff are available in PDF for issues published between 1976 and 1995. Spinoff 2020 Click here to Read more about What good is investing in space? NASA Spinoff magazine shows you which technologies have trickled down to everyday life[…]

On the shoulders of giants: recent changes in Internet traffic

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As the COVID-19 emergency continues and an increasing number of cities and countries are establishing quarantines or cordons sanitaire, the Internet has become, for many, the primary method to keep in touch with their friends and families. And it’s a vital motor of the global economy as many companies have employees who are now working Read more about On the shoulders of giants: recent changes in Internet traffic[…]

Tesla Told Employees to Show Up for Work on Wednesday Despite Shelter-in-Place Order

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Electric car company Tesla asked employees to show up to work on Wednesday despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, including at its sprawling Fremont, California, production facility, according to emails obtained by CNBC. […] According to CNBC, in an email to workers on Wednesday, Tesla North America HR leader Valerie Workman wrote the company had received Read more about Tesla Told Employees to Show Up for Work on Wednesday Despite Shelter-in-Place Order[…]

HP printers try to send loads of data back to HP about your devices and what you print

Posted on by Robin Edgar

NB you can disable outgoing communication in the public network using windows defender by using the instructions here (HP). They come down to opening windows defender firewall, allowing an app or feature through windows defender firewall, searching for HP and then deselecting the public zone. At first the setup process was so simple that even Read more about HP printers try to send loads of data back to HP about your devices and what you print[…]

NASA makes their entire media library publicly accessible and copyright free

Posted on by Robin Edgar

No matter if you enjoy taking or just watching images of space, NASA has a treat for you. They have made their entire collection of images, sounds, and video available and publicly searchable online. It’s 140,000 photos and other resources available for you to see, or even download and use it any way you like. Read more about NASA makes their entire media library publicly accessible and copyright free[…]

Private By Design: Free and Private Voice Assistants

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Science fiction has whetted our imagination for helpful voice assistants. Whether it’s JARVIS from Iron Man, KITT from Knight Rider, or Computer from Star Trek, many of us harbor a desire for a voice assistant to manage the minutiae of our daily lives. Speech recognition and voice technologies have advanced rapidly in recent years, particularly with the adoption Read more about Private By Design: Free and Private Voice Assistants[…]

Avoid taking ibuprofen for COVID-19 symptoms: WHO

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The World Health Organization recommended Tuesday that people suffering COVID-19 symptoms avoid taking ibuprofen, after French officials warned that anti-inflammatory drugs could worsen effects of the virus. The warning by French Health Minister Olivier Veran followed a recent study in The Lancet medical journal that hypothesised that an enzyme boosted by anti-inflammatory drugs such as Read more about Avoid taking ibuprofen for COVID-19 symptoms: WHO[…]