Linking ideas with the world
How to auto-delete your Google data This process is almost identical on both mobile and web. We’ll focus on the latter, but the former is easy to figure out, too: Go to your Google activity dashboard (you’ll need to sign in to your Google account first). Click “Activity controls” from the left-hand sidebar. Scroll down Read more about How to Automatically Delete some of Your Google Data[…]
The vast majority of technology, media and telecom (TMT) companies want to monetise customer data, but are concerned about regulations such as Europe’s GDPR, according to research from law firm Simmons & Simmons. The outfit surveyed 350 global business leaders in the TMT sector to understand their approach to data commercialisation. It found that 78 Read more about Tech and mobile companies want to monetise your data … but are scared of GDPR – good, that means GDPR works![…]
Light Commands is a vulnerability of MEMS microphones that allows attackers to remotely inject inaudible and invisible commands into voice assistants, such as Google assistant, Amazon Alexa, Facebook Portal, and Apple Siri using light. In our paper we demonstrate this effect, successfully using light to inject malicious commands into several voice controlled devices such as Read more about Use a laser to command voice assistants such as lexa, google assistant, siri[…]
Google patched last month an Android bug that can let hackers spread malware to a nearby phone via a little-known Android OS feature called NFC beaming. NFC beaming works via an internal Android OS service known as Android Beam. This service allows an Android device to send data such as images, files, videos, or even Read more about Android bug lets hackers plant malware via NFC beaming[…]
US mega-retailer Best Buy will switch off the “smart” portion of its Insignia-branded smart home gadgets this coming Wednesday, rendering them just plain old dumb gear. Folks who’ve bought these soon-to-be-internet-less Internet-of-Things gizmos can apply for some money back in the form of a gift card, though a full refund is off the cards, literally. Read more about Best Buy’s Insignia ‘smart’ home gear will become very dumb this Wednesday – showing you why ‘cloud’ products are not a great plan[…]
a recent experiment by Microsoft Japan suggests with a 4-day workweek we may be more productive if we work less. In particular, it shows that a shorter workweek can actually impact productivity positively. In August this year, Microsoft Japan ran an experiment where for one month they had a 3 day weekend, taken Friday off. Read more about Microsoft finds workers are more productive with a 4-day workweek[…]
The new standard will work as an extension to TLS, a cryptographic protocol that underpins the more widely-known HTTPS protocol, used for loading websites inside browsers via an encrypted connection. The TLS Delegate Credentials extension was specifically developed for large website setups, such as Facebook, or for website using content delivery networks (CDNs), such as Read more about Facebook, Mozilla, and Cloudflare announce new TLS Delegated Credentials standard[…]
Using some relatively inexpensive and readily available technology you can find at any well-stocked electronics store, Alaina Gassler, a 14-year-old inventor from West Grove, Pennsylvania, came up with a clever way to eliminate the blind spot created by the thick pillars on the side of a car’s windshield. […] Her solution involves installing an outward-facing Read more about Car Blind Spots solved by 14 year old by projecting live camera feed onto pillars blocking view[…]
As many as 2,000 users of NordVPN, the virtual private network service that recently disclosed a server hack that leaked crypto keys, have fallen victim to credential-stuffing attacks that allow unauthorized access to their accounts. In recent weeks, credentials for NordVPN users have circulated on Pastebin and other online forums. They contain the email addresses, Read more about NordVPN users’ passwords exposed in mass credential-stuffing attacks[…]
Crouchley’s idea, which just won second place in the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge, is to build pneumatic tubes next to existing train tracks. Magnetic shuttles would travel through these vacuum tubes, connected via magnetic arm to trains traveling on the existing tracks. This system would utilize current train tracks, thereby cutting infrastructure costs and, Read more about 13 year old thinks up New Hyperloop design, builds on existing rail infrastructure[…]
A confidential Sidewalk Labs document from 2016 lays out the founding vision of the Google-affiliated development company, which included having the power to levy its own property taxes, track and predict people’s movements and control some public services. The document, which The Globe and Mail has seen, also describes how people living in a Sidewalk Read more about Google Sidewalk Labs document reveals company’s early vision for big brother city in city with private tax powers, criminal justice and huge personal data slurp based on a social credit system[…]
Though this somewhat-new “xHelper” malware has affected a low number of Android users so far (around 45,000, estimates Symantec), the fact that nobody has any clear advice on how to remove it is a worrisome fact. While the odds are good that you won’t get hit with this malware, given its low installation rate so Read more about xHelper Android Malware Can Survive a Factory Reset[…]
A new lithium-ion battery design makes it possible for electric vehicle drivers to charge their cars and hit the road in as little as ten minutes, according to a new study. The quick charge gives drivers up to 200 miles per ten minute charge while maintaining 2,500 charging cycles, the researchers behind the study say. Read more about New Battery Design Can Charge an Electric Car in 10 Minutes[…]
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive players will no longer be able to trade container keys between accounts because the trade was part of a massive worldwide fraud network. Players earned cases in Counter-Strike containing weapons and cosmetic upgrades, but had to purchase the keys to open the boxes. Developer Valve runs an internal marketplace on Steam where Read more about ‘Nearly All’ Counter-Strike Microtransactions Are Being Used for Money Laundering[…]
Facebook has ended its appeal against the UK Information Commissioner’s Office and will pay the outstanding £500,000 fine for breaches of data protection law relating to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Prior to today’s announcement, the social network had been appealing against the fine, alleging bias and requesting access to ICO documents related to the regulator’s Read more about Facebook ends appeal against ICO Cambridge Analytica micro-fine: Doesn’t admit liability, gives away £500k[…]
VP of product Scott Williamson announced on 10 October that “to make GitLab better faster, we need more data on how users are using GitLab”. GitLab is a web application that runs on Linux, with options for self-hosting or using the company’s cloud service. It is open source, with both free and licensed editions. Williamson Read more about GitLab pulls U-turn on plan to crank up usage telemetry after both staff and customers cry foul[…]
Pagers used within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service are leaking sensitive patient information, and an amateur radio enthusiast has been broadcasting some of that medical data on a webcam livestream, a security researcher has found. TechCrunch reports that Florida-based security researcher Daley Borda stumbled upon the strange confluence of archaic tech that flowed together Read more about NHS Pagers Are Leaking Sensitive Medical Data – wait, pagers still exist?[…]
On Tuesday, Don HO, the developer of Notepad++, a free GPL source code editor and notepad application for Microsoft Windows, released version 7.8.1, prompting a social media firestorm and a distributed denial of service attack. Notepad++ v7.8.1 was designated “the Free Uyghur edition,” in reference to the predominantly Muslim ethnic group in western China that Read more about Notepad++’s ‘Free Uyghur’ release sparks spam tsunami by pro-Chinese – tough shit says developer who has many politically themed releases[…]
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Senior government officials in multiple U.S.-allied countries were targeted earlier this year with hacking software that used Facebook Inc’s (FB.O) WhatsApp to take over users’ phones, according to people familiar with the messaging company’s investigation. Sources familiar with WhatsApp’s internal investigation into the breach said a “significant” portion of the known victims Read more about Government officials around the globe targeted for hacking through WhatsApp – FB fingers Israeli NSO group[…]
Google’s Senior Vice President of Devices & Services, Rick Osterloh, broke the news on the official Google blog, saying: Over the years, Google has made progress with partners in this space with Wear OS and Google Fit, but we see an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Read more about Google has officially purchased Fitbit for $2.1 billion. Now has your fitness data and a wearable OS that’s actually quite good.[…]
$18 million of fraudulent charges from the app blocked by malware security platform Secure-D London, October 31st, 2019 – A popular Android keyboard app, ai.type, downloaded more than 40 million times and included in the Google Play app store, has been caught making millions of unauthorized purchases of premium digital content, researchers at mobile technology company Read more about Trick or treating Android Emoji keyboard app makes millions of unauthorized purchases $18m blocked[…]
A young Dutch inventor is widening his effort to clean up floating plastic from the Pacific Ocean by moving into rivers, too, using a new floating device to catch garbage before it reaches the seas. The 25-year-old university dropout Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup to develop and deploy a system he invented when he Read more about Dutch inventor who cleans plastic from oceans unveils device to scoop plastic out of rivers[…]
The internet has made it easier than ever to reach a lot of readers quickly. It has birthed new venues for publication and expanded old ones. At the same time, a sense of urgency of current affairs, from politics to science, technology to the arts, has driven new interest in bringing scholarship to the public Read more about Scholars Shouldn’t Fear ‘Dumbing Down’ for the Public[…]
For years now, Twitter has been an important platform for disseminating news and sharing opinions about U.S. politics, and 22% of U.S. adults say they use the platform. But the Twitter conversation about national politics among U.S. adult users is driven by a small number of prolific political tweeters. These users make up just 6% Read more about 6% of all U.S. adults twitterers account for 73% of tweets from American adults that mention national politics[…]
An open database exposing records containing the sensitive data of hotel customers as well as US military personnel and officials has been disclosed by researchers. On Monday, vpnMentor’s cybersecurity team, led by Noam Rotem and Ran Locar, said the database belonged to Autoclerk, a service owned by Best Western Hotels and Resorts group. Autoclerk is Read more about Open database leaked 179GB in customer, US government, and military records[…]