The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

SpaceX Starlink satellites dazzle but pose big questions for astronomers – Musk thought things out well again, not.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The first batch of satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and deployed to orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket on May 23. Each contains a single solar array, which both captures and bounces sunlight off the satellites and, as a result, can sometimes be seen from Earth. On May 25, as the drifting luminescent Read more about SpaceX Starlink satellites dazzle but pose big questions for astronomers – Musk thought things out well again, not.[…]

The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo laptop with two 4K screens – for some reason people are comparing to Apples touch bar, but has nothing to do with that.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The ZenBook Pro Duo has not one, but two 4K screens. (At least if you’re counting horizontal pixels.) There’s a 15-inch 16:9 OLED panel where you’d normally find the display on a laptop, then a 32:9 IPS “ScreenPad Plus” screen directly above the keyboard that’s the same width and half the height. It’s as if Read more about The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo laptop with two 4K screens – for some reason people are comparing to Apples touch bar, but has nothing to do with that.[…]

Bose headphones spy on listeners, sell that information on without consent or knowledge: lawsuit

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Bose Corp spies on its wireless headphone customers by using an app that tracks the music, podcasts and other audio they listen to, and violates their privacy rights by selling the information without permission, a lawsuit charged. The complaint filed on Tuesday by Kyle Zak in federal court in Chicago seeks an injunction to stop Read more about Bose headphones spy on listeners, sell that information on without consent or knowledge: lawsuit[…]

First American Financial Corp. Leaked 885 Million Title Insurance Records

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Web site for Fortune 500 real estate title insurance giant First American Financial Corp. [NYSE:FAF] leaked hundreds of millions of documents related to mortgage deals going back to 2003, until notified this week by KrebsOnSecurity. The digitized records — including bank account numbers and statements, mortgage and tax records, Social Security numbers, wire transaction Read more about First American Financial Corp. Leaked 885 Million Title Insurance Records[…]

Samsung’s AI animates paintings and photos without 3D modeling

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Engineers and researchers from Samsung’s AI Center in Moscow and Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology have created a model that can generate realistic animated talking heads from images without relying on traditional methods, like 3D modeling. […] “Effectively, the learned model serves as a realistic avatar of a person,” said engineer Egor Zakharov in Read more about Samsung’s AI animates paintings and photos without 3D modeling[…]

G Suite passwords stored unhashed creds since 2005, and other passwords in plain text for 14 days for troubleshooting

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google admitted Tuesday its paid-for G Suite of cloudy apps aimed at businesses stored some user passwords in plaintext albeit in an encrypted form. Administrators of accounts affected by the security blunder were warned via email that, in certain circumstances, passwords had not been hashed. Hashing is a standard industry practice that protects credentials by Read more about G Suite passwords stored unhashed creds since 2005, and other passwords in plain text for 14 days for troubleshooting[…]

Android and iOS devices impacted by new sensor calibration attack – it’s easy to follow your device everywhere online

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A new device fingerprinting technique can track Android and iOS devices across the Internet by using factory-set sensor calibration details that any app or website can obtain without special permissions. This new technique — called a calibration fingerprinting attack, or SensorID — works by using calibration details from gyroscope and magnetometer sensors on iOS; and Read more about Android and iOS devices impacted by new sensor calibration attack – it’s easy to follow your device everywhere online[…]

How the World’s First Digital Circuit Breaker Could Completely Change Our Powered World

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This week the world’s first and only digital circuit breaker was certified for commercial use. The technology, invented by Atom Power, has been listed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the global standard for consumer safety. This new breaker makes power easier to manage and 3000 times faster than the fastest mechanical breaker, marking the most radical Read more about How the World’s First Digital Circuit Breaker Could Completely Change Our Powered World[…]

Over 25,000 Linksys Smart Wi-Fi routers kept info on who connected to them and are now leaking this

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Using data provided by BinaryEdge, our scans have found 25,617 Linksys Smart Wi-Fi routers are currently leaking sensitive information to the public internet, including: MAC address of every device that’s ever connected to it (full historical record, not just active devices) Device name (such as “TROY-PC” or “Mat’s MacBook Pro”) Operating system (such as “Windows Read more about Over 25,000 Linksys Smart Wi-Fi routers kept info on who connected to them and are now leaking this[…]

Phone makers and carriers receive your location data, friends and more that Facebook pulls from your phone

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A confidential Facebook document reviewed by The Intercept shows that the social network courts carriers, along with phone makers — some 100 different companies in 50 countries — by offering the use of even more surveillance data, pulled straight from your smartphone by Facebook itself. Offered to select Facebook partners, the data includes not just Read more about Phone makers and carriers receive your location data, friends and more that Facebook pulls from your phone[…]

Millions of Instagram influencers had their private contact data scraped and exposed on AWS

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A massive database containing contact information of millions of Instagram influencers, celebrities and brand accounts has been found online. The database, hosted by Amazon Web Services, was left exposed and without a password allowing anyone to look inside. At the time of writing, the database had over 49 million records — but was growing by Read more about Millions of Instagram influencers had their private contact data scraped and exposed on AWS[…]

Bits of Freedom cries to halt the shocking personal data sent out to everyone using Real Time Bidding advertising

Posted on by Robin Edgar

During RTB, personal data such as what you read online, what you watch, your location, your sexual orientation, etc is sent to a whole slew of advertisers so they can select you as an object to show their adverts do. This, together with other profiling information sent, can be used to build up a long Read more about Bits of Freedom cries to halt the shocking personal data sent out to everyone using Real Time Bidding advertising[…]

Google Gmail tracks purchase history through gmail, puts them on https://myaccount.google.com/purchases

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google tracks a lot of what you buy, even if you purchased it elsewhere, like in a store or from Amazon. Last week, CEO Sundar Pichai wrote a New York Times op-ed that said “privacy cannot be a luxury good.” But behind the scenes, Google is still collecting a lot of personal information from the Read more about Google Gmail tracks purchase history through gmail, puts them on https://myaccount.google.com/purchases[…]

Radio signals used for ILS plane landings can easily be spoofed using tools amounting to just $600

Posted on by Robin Edgar

With about $600 and a few tools, hackers could fake the radio signals used by commercial airplanes to navigate and land safely, according to new research. In a paper and demonstration from researchers at Northeastern University in Boston, a software defined radio — a non-traditional radio that uses software instead of hardware for many components Read more about Radio signals used for ILS plane landings can easily be spoofed using tools amounting to just $600[…]

One-Third of Ether Held by 376 People – Bloomberg

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Just 376 people hold a third of all Ether, the cryptocurrency that powers the Ethereum blockchain, according to new research by Chainalysis Inc. Large holders are known in the crypto market as “whales,” which Chainalysis defines as individuals who hold their assets in digital wallets and not on an exchange, Kim Grauer, a senior economist Read more about One-Third of Ether Held by 376 People – Bloomberg[…]

Hackers abuse ASUS cloud service to install backdoor on users’ PCs – again

Posted on by Robin Edgar

ASUS’ update mechanism has once again been abused to install malware that backdoors PCs, researchers from Eset reported earlier this week. The researchers, who continue to investigate the incident, said they believe the attacks are the result of router-level man-in-the-middle attacks that exploit insecure HTTP connections between end users and ASUS servers, along with incomplete Read more about Hackers abuse ASUS cloud service to install backdoor on users’ PCs – again[…]

Scientists create mind-controlled hearing aid able to single out voices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A mind-controlled hearing aid that allows the wearer to focus on particular voices has been created by scientists, who say it could transform the ability of those with hearing impairments to cope with noisy environments. The device mimics the brain’s natural ability to single out and amplify one voice against background conversation. Until now, even Read more about Scientists create mind-controlled hearing aid able to single out voices[…]

Freed whistleblower Chelsea Manning back in jail for refusing to testify before secret grand jury

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After seven days of freedom, US Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning is back behind bars for refusing to testify before a secret federal grand jury investigating WikiLeaks. District Court Judge Anthony Trenga ordered Manning back to prison, and said she will, in addition, be fined $500 a day for the first 30 days in the clink, Read more about Freed whistleblower Chelsea Manning back in jail for refusing to testify before secret grand jury[…]

Bio-glue that moves with a beating heart can repair wounds in pigs

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Uncontrolled bleeding during surgery can cause death. What if, instead of slow surgical stitching, you could rapidly glue a wound together? A new “bio-glue” — an experimental adhesive gel that is activated by a flash of light — has been proven to stop high pressure bleeding in the hearts of pigs. Additional research confirming the Read more about Bio-glue that moves with a beating heart can repair wounds in pigs[…]

Cambridge scientists create world’s first living organism with fully redesigned DNA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The lab-made microbe, a strain of bacteria that is normally found in soil and the human gut, is similar to its natural cousins but survives on a smaller set of genetic instructions. The bug’s existence proves life can exist with a restricted genetic code and paves the way for organisms whose biological machinery is commandeered Read more about Cambridge scientists create world’s first living organism with fully redesigned DNA[…]

22 EU Member States sign new military mobility programme

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In the margins of today’s EDA Steering Board, 22 Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden) and EDA signed a new programme that will facilitate the granting of cross-border surface and air movement permissions. The programme Read more about 22 EU Member States sign new military mobility programme[…]