The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

Farmers Insurance data breach impacts 1.1M people after Salesforce attack

Posted on by Robin Edgar

U.S. insurance giant Farmers Insurance has disclosed a data breach impacting 1.1 million customers, with BleepingComputer learning that the data was stolen in the widespread Salesforce attacks. Farmers Insurance is a U.S.-based insurer that provides auto, home, life, and business insurance products. It operates through a network of agents and subsidiaries, serving more than 10 Read more about Farmers Insurance data breach impacts 1.1M people after Salesforce attack[…]

Trump admin strips ocean and air pollution monitoring from next-gen weather satellites

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is narrowing the capabilities and reducing the number of next-generation weather and climate satellites it plans to build and launch in the coming decades, two people familiar with the plans told CNN. This move — which comes as hurricane season ramps up with Erin lashing the East Coast — Read more about Trump admin strips ocean and air pollution monitoring from next-gen weather satellites[…]

4chan will refuse to pay daily UK fines, its lawyer tells BBC

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A lawyer representing the online message board 4chan says it won’t pay a proposed fine by the UK’s media regulator as it enforces the Online Safety Act. According to Preston Byrne, managing partner of law firm Byrne & Storm, Ofcom has provisionally decided to impose a £20,000 fine “with daily penalties thereafter” for as long Read more about 4chan will refuse to pay daily UK fines, its lawyer tells BBC[…]

YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’ changing your videos without you knowing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Something strange has been happening on YouTube over the past few weeks. After being uploaded, some videos have been subtly augmented, their appearance changing without their creators doing anything. Viewers have noticed “extra punchy shadows,” “weirdly sharp edges,” and a smoothed-out look to footage that makes it look “like plastic.” Many people have come to Read more about YouTube’s Sneaky AI ‘Experiment’ changing your videos without you knowing[…]

Study finds sea-level projections from the 1990s were spot on

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Global sea-level change has now been measured by satellites for more than 30 years, and a comparison with climate projections from the mid-1990s shows that they were remarkably accurate, according to two Tulane University researchers whose findings appear in Earth’s Future, an open-access journal published by the American Geophysical Union. “The ultimate test of climate Read more about Study finds sea-level projections from the 1990s were spot on[…]

A universal rhythm guides how we speak: Global analysis reveals 1.6-second ‘intonation units’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Have you ever noticed that a natural conversation flows like a dance—pauses, emphases, and turns arriving just in time? A new study has discovered that this isn’t just intuition; there is a biological rhythm embedded in our speech. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to the Read more about A universal rhythm guides how we speak: Global analysis reveals 1.6-second ‘intonation units’[…]

Uni of Melbourne used Wi-Fi location data to ID protestors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Australia’s University of Melbourne last year used Wi-Fi location data to identify student protestors. The University used Wi-Fi to identify students who participated in July 2024 sit-in protest. As described in a report [PDF] into the matter by the state of Victoria’s Office of the Information Commissioner, the University directed protestors to leave the building Read more about Uni of Melbourne used Wi-Fi location data to ID protestors[…]

Privacy‑Preserving Age Verification Falls Apart On Contact With Reality

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Identity‑proofing creates a privacy bottleneck. Somewhere, an identity provider must verify you. Even if it later mints an unlinkable token, that provider is the weak link—and in regulated systems it will not be allowed to “just delete” your information. As Bellovin puts it: Regulation implies the ability for governments to audit the regulated entities’ Read more about Privacy‑Preserving Age Verification Falls Apart On Contact With Reality[…]

Proton releases Lumo GPT 1.1:  faster, more advanced, European and actually private

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today we’re releasing a powerful update to Lumo that gives you a more capable privacy-first AI assistant offering faster, more thorough answers with improved awareness of recent events. Guided by feedback from our community, we’ve been busy upgrading our models and adding GPUs, which we’ll continue to do thanks to the support of our Lumo Read more about Proton releases Lumo GPT 1.1:  faster, more advanced, European and actually private[…]

Physicist simulates turning nuclear waste into fusion fuel

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The American Chemical Society on Monday shared preliminary findings from Los Alamos physicist Terence Tarnowsky, who has uncovered evidence – albeit from simulations – that the waste from traditional nuclear reactors could be further refined into tritium, turning more than 90,000 metric tons of useless and deadly garbage into a valuable resource. And by Read more about Physicist simulates turning nuclear waste into fusion fuel[…]

US spy chief Gabbard says UK agreed to drop ‘backdoor’ mandate for Apple

Posted on by Robin Edgar

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Monday the UK had agreed to drop its mandate for iPhone maker Apple to provide a “backdoor” that would have enabled access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens. Gabbard issued the statement on X saying she had worked for months with Britain, along with Read more about US spy chief Gabbard says UK agreed to drop ‘backdoor’ mandate for Apple[…]

Forget LASIK: Safer, cheaper vision correction could be coming soon

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] In the body, the shapes of many collagen-containing tissues, including corneas, are held in place by attractions of oppositely charged components. These tissues contain a lot of water, so applying an electric potential to them lowers the tissue’s pH, making it more acidic. By altering the pH, the rigid attractions within the tissue are Read more about Forget LASIK: Safer, cheaper vision correction could be coming soon[…]

A new mRNA cancer vaccine just wiped out tumors in mice

Posted on by Robin Edgar

An experimental mRNA vaccine boosted the tumor-fighting effects of immunotherapy in a mouse-model study, bringing researchers one step closer to their goal of developing a universal vaccine to “wake up” the immune system against cancer. Published recently in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the University of Florida study showed that like a one-two punch, pairing the test vaccine Read more about A new mRNA cancer vaccine just wiped out tumors in mice[…]

Boffins release 5G traffic sniffing tool

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Sni5Gect [is] a framework that sniffs messages from pre-authentication 5G communication in real-time,” the researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design explained of their work, presented this week at the 34th USENIX security bash, “and injects targeted attack payload in downlink communication towards the UE [User Equipment, i.e. a phone].” Designed to take Read more about Boffins release 5G traffic sniffing tool[…]

Gamblers Now Bet on AI Models Like Racehorses

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Now that AI developers are getting paid like pro athletes, it’s fitting that fans are placing big bets on how well they’re doing their jobs. On Kalshi, Polymarket and other sites where people wager “predictions” on real-world events, gamblers lay down millions each month on their picks for AI’s top model. The AI arms race Read more about Gamblers Now Bet on AI Models Like Racehorses[…]

The EU could be scanning your chats by October 2025 with Chat Control

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Denmark kicked off its EU Presidency on July 1, 2025, and, among its first actions, lawmakers swiftly reintroduced the controversial child sexual abuse (CSAM) scanning bill to the top of the agenda. Having been deemed by critics as Chat Control, the bill aims to introduce new obligations for all messaging services operating in Europe to Read more about The EU could be scanning your chats by October 2025 with Chat Control[…]

Trojan horse bacteria sneak cancer-killing viruses into tumors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Researchers at Columbia Engineering have built a cancer therapy that makes bacteria and viruses work as a team. In a study published recently in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the Synthetic Biological Systems Lab shows how their system hides a virus inside a tumor-seeking bacterium, smuggles it past the immune system, and unleashes it inside cancerous tumors. The Read more about Trojan horse bacteria sneak cancer-killing viruses into tumors[…]

How Age Verification Laws Targeting Online Porn Could Be (And Should Be) Viewed As A Labor Rights Issue

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] While not a traditional “labor issue,” like union rights and equal pay, the government’s role in regulating and restricting forms of expression that can be produced, distributed, and monetized for entertainment media consumption is a dimension of the age-gating issue often overlooked and/or ignored. Digital sex workers’ incomes and living conditions are dependent on Read more about How Age Verification Laws Targeting Online Porn Could Be (And Should Be) Viewed As A Labor Rights Issue[…]

$81M ‘Trade Secrets’ Verdict Against Boeing Was Overturned – and Then Reinstated

Posted on by Robin Edgar

14 months ago a jury ruled against Boeing, awarding $81 million in damages to failed electric airplane startup Zunum. “Zunum alleged that Boeing, while ostensibly investing seed money to get the startup off the ground, stole Zunum’s technology and actively undermined its attempts to build a business,” the Seattle Times reported at the time. But Read more about $81M ‘Trade Secrets’ Verdict Against Boeing Was Overturned – and Then Reinstated[…]

Security flaws in a carmaker’s web portal let one hacker remotely unlock cars from anywhere

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Zveare, who has found bugs in carmakers’ customer systems and vehicle management systems before, found the flaw earlier this year as part of a weekend project, he told TechCrunch. He said while the security flaws in the portal’s login system was a challenge to find, once he found it, the bugs let him bypass Read more about Security flaws in a carmaker’s web portal let one hacker remotely unlock cars from anywhere[…]

Phishing training is pretty pointless, researchers find

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a scientific study involving thousands of test subjects, eight months and four different kinds of phishing training, the average improvement rate of falling for phishing scams was a whopping 1.7%. “Is all of this focus on training worth the outcome?” asked researcher Ariana Mirian, a senior security researcher at Censys and recently a Ph.D. Read more about Phishing training is pretty pointless, researchers find[…]

Google Issues New Update Warning To 3.5 Billion Chrome Users

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google has issued a security update for its Chrome browser which you should apply right now. That’s because Google has fixed six issues in its widely-used browser, half of which are rated as having a high severity. The Chrome Stable channel has been updated to 139.0.7258.127/.128 for Windows, Mac and 139.0.7258.127 for Linux, Google said Read more about Google Issues New Update Warning To 3.5 Billion Chrome Users[…]

One small walking adjustment could delay knee surgery for years

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nearly a quarter of people over the age of 40 experience painful osteoarthritis, making it a leading cause of disability in adults. Osteoarthritis degrades joint-cushioning cartilage, and there is currently no way of reversing this damage: the only option is to manage pain with medication, and eventually, joint replacement. Researchers from the University of Utah, Read more about One small walking adjustment could delay knee surgery for years[…]

Russian hackers seized control of Norwegian dam, spy chief says

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Russian hackers took control of a Norwegian dam this year, opening a floodgate and allowing water to flow unnoticed for four hours, Norway’s intelligence service has said. The admission, by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), marks the first time that Oslo has formally attributed the cyber-attack in April on Bremanger, western Norway, to Moscow. Read more about Russian hackers seized control of Norwegian dam, spy chief says[…]

German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A recent ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has reopened the possibility that using ad blocking software could violate copyright law in Germany. In a decision last month, the BGH – the final court of appeals on civil and criminal matters – partially overturned an appeals court decision in an 11-year copyright Read more about German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers[…]