The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

Goodbye plastic? Scientists create new supermaterial that outperforms metals and glass

Scientists at Rice University and the University of Houston have created a powerful new material by guiding bacteria to grow cellulose in aligned patterns, resulting in sheets with the strength of metals and the flexibility of plastic—without the pollution. Using a spinning bioreactor, they’ve turned Earth’s purest biopolymer into a high-performance alternative to plastic, capable Read more about Goodbye plastic? Scientists create new supermaterial that outperforms metals and glass[…]

Hackers exploit a blind spot by hiding malware inside DNS records

[…]The practice allows malicious scripts and early-stage malware to fetch binary files without having to download them from suspicious sites or attach them to emails, where they frequently get quarantined by antivirus software. That’s because traffic for DNS lookups often goes largely unmonitored by many security tools. […] Researchers from DomainTools on Tuesday said they Read more about Hackers exploit a blind spot by hiding malware inside DNS records[…]

Microsoft warns on-prem SharePoint users of a zero-day, won’t patch it though

Microsoft has warned users of SharePoint Server that three on-prem versions of the product include a zero-day flaw that is under attack – and that its own failure to completely fix past problems is the cause. In a July 19 security note, the software giant admitted it is “… aware of active attacks targeting on-premises Read more about Microsoft warns on-prem SharePoint users of a zero-day, won’t patch it though[…]

As site blocks pile up, European Commission issues subtle slapdown to Italy’s Piracy Shield

As numerous Walled Culture posts attest, site blocking is in the vanguard of the actions by copyright companies against sites engaged in the unauthorised sharing of material. Over the past few months, this approach has become even more pervasive, and even more intrusive. For example, in France, the Internet infrastructure company Cloudflare was forced to Read more about As site blocks pile up, European Commission issues subtle slapdown to Italy’s Piracy Shield[…]

Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Is Stripped of Dutch Citizenship due to stupid xenophobic Dutch rules

In 2010, he and his colleague Konstantin Novoselov — who were by then working in England — won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their experiments creating graphene, the world’s thinnest and strongest material. His list of honors goes on and on, and Mr. Geim has the unique distinction of having been awarded both a Read more about Nobel Prize-Winning Physicist Is Stripped of Dutch Citizenship due to stupid xenophobic Dutch rules[…]

Better Airplane Navigation Using Quantum Sensing of a map of the Earth’s Crust

Airbus’s Silicon Valley-based innovation center, Acubed, and artificial intelligence and quantum-focused Google spinout SandboxAQ are on a mission to demonstrate an alternate way. It involves a small, toaster-size box, lasers, a single GPU chip and a deep knowledge of the Earth’s magnetic field. The technology, known as quantum sensing, has been in development for decades Read more about Better Airplane Navigation Using Quantum Sensing of a map of the Earth’s Crust[…]

Cloudflare: Config change borked net access for all

There was a disturbance in the force on July 14 after Cloudflare borked a configuration change that resulted in an outage, impacting internet services across the planet. In a blog post, the content delivery network services biz detailed the unfortunate series of events that led to Monday’s disruption. On the day itself, “Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 Resolver Read more about Cloudflare: Config change borked net access for all[…]

UK F-35 fleet poorly supported, can’t use vital weapons, shows NAO

The F-35 stealth fighter is not meeting its potential in British service because of availability issues, a shortage of support personnel, and delays in integrating key weapons that are limiting the aircraft’s effectiveness. The various problems are highlighted in a reality check from the UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) that offers a contrast to the Read more about UK F-35 fleet poorly supported, can’t use vital weapons, shows NAO[…]

This ‘Molecular Shield’ Might Stop Pollen Before It Wrecks Your Nose

what if, by spraying something akin to a nasal spray, you could thwart the onslaught of those pesky allergens before they latch onto your sensitive nasal passages? This was the “simple but powerful idea” that inspired Kaissar Tabynov, who led the efforts to create a “molecular shield” that intercepts allergens the moment they approach our Read more about This ‘Molecular Shield’ Might Stop Pollen Before It Wrecks Your Nose[…]

Bug Hunters Gain Access to 64 Million McDonald’s Job Applicants’ Info by Using the Password ‘123456’

A recruitment platform used by McDonald’s is alleged to have had such poor cybersecurity that researchers were able to log into it using a non-password and thus gain access to information on tens of millions of job applicants, including contact details and chat logs between the user and the restaurant’s AI bot. The platform in Read more about Bug Hunters Gain Access to 64 Million McDonald’s Job Applicants’ Info by Using the Password ‘123456’[…]

Watch out, another max-severity Cisco bug on the loose

Cisco has issued a patch for a critical 10 out of 10 severity bug in its Identity Services Engine (ISE) and ISE Passive Identity Connector (ISE-PIC) that could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to run arbitrary code on the operating system with root-level privileges. ISE is a network access control and security policy management platform, Read more about Watch out, another max-severity Cisco bug on the loose[…]

Google Ordered to Pay $314M for Misusing Android Users’ Cellular Data Without Permission – calling home 389 times per day even when completely idle and all google apps closed!

Google has been ordered by a court in the U.S. state of California to pay $314 million over charges that it misused Android device users’ cellular data when they were idle to passively send information to the company. The verdict marks an end to a legal class-action complaint that was originally filed in August 2019. Read more about Google Ordered to Pay $314M for Misusing Android Users’ Cellular Data Without Permission – calling home 389 times per day even when completely idle and all google apps closed![…]

Synology starts selling overpriced underperforming 1.6 TB SSDs for $535 — self-branded, archaic PCIe 3.0 SSDs the only option to meet ‘certified’ criteria being enforced on newer NAS models

Synology has begun selling its newest SNV5400 enterprise NAS SSDs, and the asking prices for what you receive are nothing short of shocking. For a 1.6 TB NVMe SSD at PCIe Gen3 speeds, Synology is asking $535 on B&H Photo Video, while many competing devices retail for around $100. The new SNV5400 family, which also Read more about Synology starts selling overpriced underperforming 1.6 TB SSDs for $535 — self-branded, archaic PCIe 3.0 SSDs the only option to meet ‘certified’ criteria being enforced on newer NAS models[…]

Your Samsung phone has a secret Wi-Fi menu. Here’s how to find it

One such example is the “Connectivity Labs” Wi-Fi settings menu. It’s buried deep in the Settings app on your Samsung phone, and it’s something I didn’t know existed until just the other day. Which is a shame, because there’s some really cool stuff in here. Let me show you. How to find Samsung’s secret Wi-Fi Read more about Your Samsung phone has a secret Wi-Fi menu. Here’s how to find it[…]

Someone Built a Concept Ad Blocker for Real Life, and I Can’t Wait to Try It

I use as many ad-blocking programs as possible, but no matter how many I install, real-life advertising is still there, grabbing my attention when I’m just trying to go for a walk. Thankfully, there may be a solution on the horizon. Software engineer Stijn Spanhove recently posted a concept video showing what real-time, real-life ad-blocking Read more about Someone Built a Concept Ad Blocker for Real Life, and I Can’t Wait to Try It[…]

Proton joins anti-Apple lawsuit to force App Store changes in the US

Secure comms biz Proton has joined a lawsuit that alleges Apple’s anticompetitive ways are harming developers, consumers, and privacy. Proton is a Switzerland-based (for now) provider of encrypted communications services and on Monday filed a legal complaint [PDF] against Apple, claiming the iGiant is abusing its control of iOS and the App Store in ways Read more about Proton joins anti-Apple lawsuit to force App Store changes in the US[…]

A tiny implant just helped paralyzed rats walk again—is human recovery next? | ScienceDaily

A groundbreaking study from the University of Auckland and Chalmers University of Technology is offering new hope for spinal cord injury patients. Researchers have developed an ultra-thin implant that delivers gentle electric currents directly to the injured spinal cord. This device mimics natural developmental signals to stimulate nerve healing, and in animal trials, it restored Read more about A tiny implant just helped paralyzed rats walk again—is human recovery next? | ScienceDaily[…]

Scientists Discover Unknown Organelle Inside Our Cells

The organelle, a type of specialized structure, has been dubbed a “hemifusome” by its discoverers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. This little organelle has a big job helping our cells sort, recycle and discard important cargo within themselves, the scientists say. The new discovery could help Read more about Scientists Discover Unknown Organelle Inside Our Cells[…]

Update your Brother printer: Multiple Critical Vulnerabilities found

Rapid7 conducted a zero-day research project into multifunction printers (MFP) from Brother Industries, Ltd. This research resulted in the discovery of 8 new vulnerabilities. Some or all of these vulnerabilities have been identified as affecting 689 models across Brother’s range of printer, scanner, and label maker devices. Additionally, 46 printer models from FUJIFILM Business Innovation, 5 printer models Read more about Update your Brother printer: Multiple Critical Vulnerabilities found[…]

Ahold Delhaize says 2.2M affected after cyberattack

Multinational grocery and retail megacorp Ahold Delhaize says upwards of 2.2 million people had their data compromised during its November cyberattack with personal, financial and health details among the trove. Ahold Delhaize operates a network of stores in Europe and the US via brands including Food Lion, Stop & Shop and Giant. It also has Read more about Ahold Delhaize says 2.2M affected after cyberattack[…]

Android 16 can warn you that you might be connected to a fake cell tower

[…] Google has been working on ways to warn Android users or prevent them from sending communications over insecure cellular networks. Win $5,000! See all deals Reserve the next Galaxy for $50 Samsung Credit and a chance to win $5,000!Sign up to save Limited Time! With the release of Android 12, for example, Google added Read more about Android 16 can warn you that you might be connected to a fake cell tower[…]

The Conservatives On The Supreme Court Are So Scared Of Nudity, They Threw Out The First Amendment

he Supreme Court this morning took a chainsaw to the First Amendment on the internet, and the impact is going to be felt for decades going forward. In the FSC v. Paxton case, the Court upheld the very problematic 5th Circuit ruling that age verification online is acceptable under the First Amendment, despite multiple earlier Read more about The Conservatives On The Supreme Court Are So Scared Of Nudity, They Threw Out The First Amendment[…]

Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features

The Danish government is to clamp down on the creation and dissemination of AI-generated deepfakes by changing copyright law to ensure that everybody has the right to their own body, facial features and voice. The Danish government said on Thursday it would strengthen protection against digital imitations of people’s identities with what it believes to Read more about Denmark to tackle deepfakes by giving people copyright to their own features[…]

This breakthrough turns old tech into pure gold — No mercury, no cyanide, just light and salt

An interdisciplinary team of experts in green chemistry, engineering and physics at Flinders University in Australia has developed a safer and more sustainable approach to extract and recover gold from ore and electronic waste. Explained in the leading journal Nature Sustainability, the gold-extraction technique promises to reduce levels of toxic waste from mining and shows Read more about This breakthrough turns old tech into pure gold — No mercury, no cyanide, just light and salt[…]