The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

The hidden backdoor in Intel processors is a fascinating debug port (you have to pwner to use it anyway)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers at the Black Hat Asia conference this week disclosed a previously unknown way to tap into the inner workings of Intel’s chip hardware. The duo of Mark Ermolov and Maxim Goryachy from Positive Technologies explained how a secret Chipzilla system known as Visualization of Internal Signals Architecture (VISA) allows folks to peek inside the Read more about The hidden backdoor in Intel processors is a fascinating debug port (you have to pwner to use it anyway)[…]

Tesla Model 3 records data unknown to you, sends it to Tesla without your knowledge and keeps a whole load of other data  too.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Many other cars download and store data from users, particularly information from paired cellphones, such as contact information. The practice is widespread enough that the US Federal Trade Commission has issued advisories to drivers warning them about pairing devices to rental cars, and urging them to learn how to wipe their cars’ systems clean before Read more about Tesla Model 3 records data unknown to you, sends it to Tesla without your knowledge and keeps a whole load of other data  too.[…]

Scientists find genetic mutation that makes woman feel no pain

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Doctors have identified a new mutation in a woman who is barely able to feel pain or stress after a surgeon who was baffled by her recovery from an operation referred her for genetic testing. Jo Cameron, 71, has a mutation in a previously unknown gene which scientists believe must play a major role in Read more about Scientists find genetic mutation that makes woman feel no pain[…]

Cop watchers to probe UK police sharing data on witnesses’ migration status with Home Office

Posted on by Robin Edgar

UK cops’ sharing of data with the Home Office will be probed by oversight bodies following a super-complaint from civil rights groups, it was confirmed today. At the heart of the issue is the way that victims’ and witnesses’ data collected by the police are shared with central government immigration teams. Liberty and Southall Black Read more about Cop watchers to probe UK police sharing data on witnesses’ migration status with Home Office[…]

Europe, Japan: D-Wave would really like you to play with its ‘2,000-qubit’ quantum Leap cloud service

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Canadian startup D-Wave Systems has extended the availability of its Leap branded cloud-based quantum computing service to Europe and Japan. With Leap, researchers will be granted free access to a live D-Wave 2000Q machine with – it is claimed – 2,000 quantum bits, or qubits. Developers will also be free to use the company’s Quantum Read more about Europe, Japan: D-Wave would really like you to play with its ‘2,000-qubit’ quantum Leap cloud service[…]

EU set to adopt vehicle speed limiters and mandatory spies following your every move in the car

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Speed limiting technology looks set to become mandatory for all vehicles sold in Europe from 2022, after new rules were provisionally agreed by the EU. The Department for Transport said the system would also apply in the UK, despite Brexit. Campaigners welcomed the move, saying it would save thousands of lives. Road safety charity Brake Read more about EU set to adopt vehicle speed limiters and mandatory spies following your every move in the car[…]

Hackers Hijacked ASUS Software Updates to Install Backdoors on half a million Computers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers at cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab say that ASUS, one of the world’s largest computer makers, was used to unwittingly install a malicious backdoor on thousands of its customers’ computers last year after attackers compromised a server for the company’s live software update tool. The malicious file was signed with legitimate ASUS digital certificates to Read more about Hackers Hijacked ASUS Software Updates to Install Backdoors on half a million Computers[…]

New research indicates we transition between 19 different brain phases when sleeping

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A rigorous new study has examined the large-scale brain activity of a number of human subjects while sleeping, presenting one of the most detailed investigations into sleep phases conducted to date. The study suggests that instead of the traditional four sleep stages we generally understand the brain moves through, there are in fact at least Read more about New research indicates we transition between 19 different brain phases when sleeping[…]

Wow, the EU actually voted to break the internet for big business copyright gain

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Tuesday, after years of negotiation and lobbying, and outcry and protests by activists online, members of the EU parliament voted to adopt the Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market, [PDF] – a collection of rules that ostensibly aim “to ensure that the longstanding rights and obligations of copyright law also apply to Read more about Wow, the EU actually voted to break the internet for big business copyright gain[…]

FEMA Breach Exposes Personal Data and Banking Information of 2.3 Million Disaster Survivors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Federal Emergency Management Agency may have put the personally identifying information of millions of disaster survivors at risk of fraud and identity theft, according to a recent report from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General. The March 15 report said that during an audit of FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, it Read more about FEMA Breach Exposes Personal Data and Banking Information of 2.3 Million Disaster Survivors[…]

CheapAir.com’s 5th Annual Airfare Study Reveals the Best Time to Buy Airline Tickets | CheapAir

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The CheapAir.com 2019 Annual Airfare Study is based on an analysis of 917 million airfares in more than 8,000 markets. Following the recommendations could save you hundreds of dollars on your travel this year. This report will break down: The average “best day” to buy your airline ticket The airfare booking “zones” – what you Read more about CheapAir.com’s 5th Annual Airfare Study Reveals the Best Time to Buy Airline Tickets | CheapAir[…]

Your AirPods Probably Have Terrible Battery Life – The Atlantic

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Two years ago, Desmond Hughes heard so many of his favorite podcasters extolling AirPods, Apple’s tiny, futuristic $170 wireless headphones, that he decided they were worth the splurge. He quickly became a convert. Hughes is still listening to podcasters talk about their AirPods, but now they’re complaining. The battery can no longer hold a charge, Read more about Your AirPods Probably Have Terrible Battery Life – The Atlantic[…]

Wikipedia and Reddit Stage Eleventh-Hour Protest Against Alarming EU Copyright Plan

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The European Union has been reconsidering its copyright laws for several years, and for months we’ve been trudging towards a final vote. Well, that vote is scheduled for Tuesday, and if approved it could mean the end of the open internet as we know it. Specifically, there are two troubling provisions in the EU’s new Read more about Wikipedia and Reddit Stage Eleventh-Hour Protest Against Alarming EU Copyright Plan[…]

Man Pleads Guilty in $100 Million Scam of Facebook and Google – colleagues not yet found

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A Lithuanian man admitted he helped trick Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google into sending more than $100 million through a phishing scheme. Evaldas Rimasauskas, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge George Daniels on Wednesday under an agreement with prosecutors and will forfeit $49.7 million. Rimasauskas was extradited Read more about Man Pleads Guilty in $100 Million Scam of Facebook and Google – colleagues not yet found[…]

Researchers Create Fake Profiles on 24 Health Apps and Learn Most Are Sharing Your Data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers in Canada, the U.S., and Australia teamed up for the study, published Wednesday in the BMJ. They tested 24 popular health-related apps used by patients and doctors in those three countries on an Android smartphone (the Google Pixel 1). Among the more popular apps were medical reference site Medscape, symptom-checker Ada, and the drug Read more about Researchers Create Fake Profiles on 24 Health Apps and Learn Most Are Sharing Your Data[…]

Boeing to make safety feature standard on troubled Max jets

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Boeing will make standard on its troubled new airliner a safety feature that might have helped the crew of a jet that crashed shortly after takeoff last year in Indonesia, killing everyone on board. The equipment, which had been offered as an option, alerts pilots of faulty information from key sensors. It will now be Read more about Boeing to make safety feature standard on troubled Max jets[…]

Nokia phones caught spewing device IDs to China, software blunder blamed

Posted on by Robin Edgar

An undisclosed number of Nokia 7 Plus smartphones have been caught sending their identification numbers to a domain owned by a Chinese telecom firm. The handsets spaffed the data in clear text over the internet to a server behind the domain vnet.cn, which appears to be owned by China Telecom. The HTTP POST requests from Read more about Nokia phones caught spewing device IDs to China, software blunder blamed[…]

Microsoft just booted up the first “DNA drive” for storing data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microsoft has helped build the first device that automatically encodes digital information into DNA and back to bits again. DNA storage: Microsoft has been working toward a photocopier-size device that would replace data centers by storing files, movies, and documents in DNA strands, which can pack in information at mind-boggling density. According to Microsoft, all Read more about Microsoft just booted up the first “DNA drive” for storing data[…]

Facebook Stored Hundreds of Millions of User Passwords in Plain Text for Years and were searched by FB engineers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hundreds of millions of Facebook users had their account passwords stored in plain text and searchable by thousands of Facebook employees — in some cases going back to 2012, KrebsOnSecurity has learned. Facebook says an ongoing investigation has so far found no indication that employees have abused access to this data. Facebook is probing a Read more about Facebook Stored Hundreds of Millions of User Passwords in Plain Text for Years and were searched by FB engineers[…]

Humans Built Complex Societies Before They Invented Moral Gods

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The appearance of moralizing gods in religion occurred after—and not before—the emergence of large, complex societies, according to new research. This finding upturns conventional thinking on the matter, in which moralizing gods are typically cited as a prerequisite for social complexity. Gods who punish people for their anti-social indiscretions appeared in religions after the emergence Read more about Humans Built Complex Societies Before They Invented Moral Gods[…]

Hundreds of South Korean motel guests were secretly filmed and live-streamed online

Posted on by Robin Edgar

About 1,600 people have been secretly filmed in motel rooms in South Korea, with the footage live-streamed online for paying customers to watch, police said Wednesday. Two men have been arrested and another pair investigated in connection with the scandal, which involved 42 rooms in 30 accommodations in 10 cities around the country. Police said Read more about Hundreds of South Korean motel guests were secretly filmed and live-streamed online[…]

Google Hit With $1.7 Billion Fine in Europe for Abusing Advertising Dominance

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Google has cemented its dominance in online search adverts and shielded itself from competitive pressure by imposing anti-competitive contractual restrictions on third-party websites,” EU antitrust commissioner Margrethe Vestager said on Wednesday. “This is illegal under EU antitrust rules. The misconduct lasted over 10 years and denied other companies the possibility to compete on the merits Read more about Google Hit With $1.7 Billion Fine in Europe for Abusing Advertising Dominance[…]

Scientists grow mini-brain that can contract muscle, connect to spinal cord

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Scientists have grown a miniature brain in a dish with a spinal cord and muscles attached, an advance that promises to accelerate the study of conditions such as motor neurone disease. The lentil-sized grey blob of human brain cells were seen to spontaneously send out tendril-like connections to link up with the spinal cord and Read more about Scientists grow mini-brain that can contract muscle, connect to spinal cord[…]

Apple Spat With Spotify Is a Fight for Its Future—and It’s Failing to Make Its Case

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been more than clear that services like the iOS App Store are an essential part of the company’s future as consumers hang onto devices for longer and longer periods between upgrades. When Spotify filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple this week, it fired a direct shot at the tech giant’s Read more about Apple Spat With Spotify Is a Fight for Its Future—and It’s Failing to Make Its Case[…]