Author: Robin Edgar

Organisational Structures | Technology and Science | Military, IT and Lifestyle consultancy | Social, Broadcast & Cross Media | Flying aircraft

Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system is locked behind a patent until 2036 – you can patent that an enemy remembers you and your fights with him, apparently

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Warner Bros Discovery recently shut down a trio of game studios, including the well-regarded Monolith Productions. This has put one of the coolest game mechanics of the 2010s in limbo. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor’s excellent Nemesis system is locked behind a patent owned by Warner Bros all the way until 2036, according to reporting by Read more about Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system is locked behind a patent until 2036 – you can patent that an enemy remembers you and your fights with him, apparently[…]

After Snowden and now Trump, Europe  Finally begins to worry about US-controlled clouds

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a recent blog post titled “It is no longer safe to move our governments and societies to US clouds,” Bert Hubert, an entrepreneur, software developer, and part-time technical advisor to the Dutch Electoral Council, articulated such concerns. “We now have the bizarre situation that anyone with any sense can see that America is no Read more about After Snowden and now Trump, Europe  Finally begins to worry about US-controlled clouds[…]

Ron Wyden asks for rules about knowing whether you own your digital purchases

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) has sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chair Andrew Ferguson urging the FTC to require that companies admit when you’re not really buying an ebook or video game. Wyden’s letter, shared with The Verge, requests guidance to “ensure that consumers who purchase or license digital goods can make informed Read more about Ron Wyden asks for rules about knowing whether you own your digital purchases[…]

You Should Download Your Kindle E-Books Now, Before It’s Too Late

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This week, Amazon is eliminating the “Download & Transfer via USB” option for Kindle users. If you own a vast library and hope to take your reading elsewhere, this may be your last opportunity. Amazon has stated in a note on users’ library management page that, starting Wednesday, Feb. 26, it was eliminating “Download & Read more about You Should Download Your Kindle E-Books Now, Before It’s Too Late[…]

DIY Open-Source Star Tracker Gets You Those Great Night Shots can also be bought

Posted on by Robin Edgar

What does one do when frustrated at the lack of affordable, open source portable trackers? If you’re [OG-star-tech], you design your own and give it modular features that rival commercial offerings while you’re at it. What’s a star tracker? It’s a method of determining position based on visible stars, but when it comes to astrophotography the Read more about DIY Open-Source Star Tracker Gets You Those Great Night Shots can also be bought[…]

Google pulls plug on Ad blockers such as uBlock Origin by killing Manifest v2

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google’s purge of Manifest v2-based extensions from its Chrome browser is underway, as many users over the past few days may have noticed. Popular content-blocking add-on (v2-based) uBlock Origin is now automatically disabled for many in the ubiquitous browser as it continues the V3 rollout. […] According to the company, Google’s decision to shift to Read more about Google pulls plug on Ad blockers such as uBlock Origin by killing Manifest v2[…]

Generative AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity – Q&A With an Expert

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, the integration of generative AI has become a pivotal point of discussion. To delve deeper into this groundbreaking technology and its impact on cybersecurity, we turn to renowned cybersecurity expert Jeremiah Fowler. In this exclusive Q&A session with vpnMentor, Fowler sheds light on the critical role that generative AI Read more about Generative AI’s Impact on Cybersecurity – Q&A With an Expert[…]

Bybit Loses $1.5B in Hack of single cold wallet

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has experienced $1.46 billion worth of “suspicious outflows,” according to blockchain sleuth ZachXBT. The wallet in question appears to have sent 401,346 ETH ($1.1 billion) as well as several other iterations of staked ether (stETH) to a fresh wallet, which is now liquidating mETH and stETH on decentralized exchanges, etherscan shows. The Read more about Bybit Loses $1.5B in Hack of single cold wallet[…]

Apple Says ‘No’ to UK Backdoor Order, Will Just Disable E2E Cloud Encryption Instead

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Good work, Britain. Owners of Apple devices in the United Kingdom will be a little less safe moving forward as the company pulls its most secure end-to-end (E2E) encryption from the country. The move is in response to government demands there that Apple build a backdoor into its iCloud encryption feature that would allow law Read more about Apple Says ‘No’ to UK Backdoor Order, Will Just Disable E2E Cloud Encryption Instead[…]

External Li supply reshapes Li deficiency and lifetime limit of batteries

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Lithium (Li) ions are central to the energy storing functionality of rechargeable batteries1. Present technology relies on sophisticated Li-inclusive electrode materials to provide Li ions and exactingly protect them to ensure a decent lifetime2. Li-deficient materials are thus excluded from battery design, and the battery fails when active Li ions are consumed3. Our study breaks Read more about External Li supply reshapes Li deficiency and lifetime limit of batteries[…]

HP buys Humane’s AI pins, will brick them in 10 days. Like with their VR hardware, HP likes turning hardware into sustainable junk.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

AI hardware startup Humane has given its users just ten (10!) days notice that their Pins will be disconnected. In a note to its customers, the company said AI Pins will “continue to function normally” until 12PM PT on February 28. On that date, users will lose access to essentially all of their device’s features, Read more about HP buys Humane’s AI pins, will brick them in 10 days. Like with their VR hardware, HP likes turning hardware into sustainable junk.[…]

GameStop CEO Scapegoats DEI for Company Troubles. So much for diamondhands then.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen took to X on Tuesday to blame wokeness and DEI for the retail chain’s impending exit from Canada and France. The company, which managed to survive the pandemic thanks to the infamous memestock frenzy, has closed more than 700 stores since 2020 as more game distribution moves digital. In a release, Read more about GameStop CEO Scapegoats DEI for Company Troubles. So much for diamondhands then.[…]

Microcomb chips help pave the way for thousand times more accurate GPS systems

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today, our mobile phones, computers, and GPS systems can give us very accurate time indications and positioning thanks to the over 400 atomic clocks worldwide. All sorts of clocks — be it mechanical, atomic or a smartwatch — are made of two parts: an oscillator and a counter. The oscillator provides a periodic variation of Read more about Microcomb chips help pave the way for thousand times more accurate GPS systems[…]

Meta slashes staff and their stock options, but it’s ok: executives’ annual bonuses just went from 75% base salary to 200% and stock is around 2000% of salary

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After another round of mass layoffs and reports of slashed stock options for remaining employees, Meta has like clockwork opted to reward its top executives with a substantial bonus increase. The Facebook giant revealed in a government filing that its Compensation, Nominating and Governance Committee (CNGC) approved a target annual bonus increase for its top Read more about Meta slashes staff and their stock options, but it’s ok: executives’ annual bonuses just went from 75% base salary to 200% and stock is around 2000% of salary[…]

Nvidia Drops Support for PhysX on Its RTX 50-Series Cards

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Earlier this week, Nvidia confirmed in its official forums that “32-bit CUDA applications are deprecated on GeForce RTX 50 series GPUS.” The company’s support page for its “Support plan for 32-bit CUDA” notes that some 32-bit capabilities were removed from CUDA 12.0 but does not mention PhysX. Effectively, the 50 series cards cannot run any Read more about Nvidia Drops Support for PhysX on Its RTX 50-Series Cards[…]

Amazon Is Making It Harder to Move Your E-Books Around

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon is once again demonstrating that buying things in today’s world does not mean you actually own them. The company is closing a loophole that enabled owners of Kindle books to strip them of their anti-piracy protection and take them elsewhere. Some avid digital books enthusiasts prefer other e-reading applications to Amazon’s Kindle—perhaps because another Read more about Amazon Is Making It Harder to Move Your E-Books Around[…]

Brake pad dust can be more toxic than exhaust emissions, study says

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microscopic particles emitted from brake pads can be more toxic than those emitted in diesel vehicle exhaust, a study has found. This research shows that even with a move to electric vehicles, pollution from cars may not be able to be eradicated. The researchers found that a higher concentration of copper in some commonly used Read more about Brake pad dust can be more toxic than exhaust emissions, study says[…]

Eating from plastic (takeout) containers can increase heart failure risk

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Eating from plastic takeout containers may significantly increase the chance of congestive heart failure, a new study finds, and researchers suspect they have identified why: changes to gut biome cause inflammation that damages the circulatory system. The novel two part, peer-reviewed study from Chinese researchers adds to mounting evidence of the risks associated with eating Read more about Eating from plastic (takeout) containers can increase heart failure risk[…]

Zypher’s speech model can clone your voice with 5s of audio

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Palo Alto-based AI startup Zyphra unveiled a pair of open text-to-speech (TTS) models this week said to be capable of cloning your voice with as little as five seconds of sample audio. In our testing, we generated realistic results with less than half a minute of recorded speech. Founded in 2021 by Danny Martinelli and Read more about Zypher’s speech model can clone your voice with 5s of audio[…]

Gravy Analytics sued for data breach containing location data of millions of smartphones

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Gravy Analytics has been sued yet again for allegedly failing to safeguard its vast stores of personal data, which are now feared stolen. And by personal data we mean information including the locations of tens of millions of smartphones, coordinates of which were ultimately harvested from installed apps. A complaint [PDF], filed in federal court Read more about Gravy Analytics sued for data breach containing location data of millions of smartphones[…]

U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted Data in Secret Order – guess they didn’t learn from the Chinese hack of the US telco system then

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Security officials in the United Kingdom have demanded that Apple create a back door allowing them to retrieve all the content any Apple user worldwide has uploaded to the cloud, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post. The British government’s undisclosed order, issued last month, requires blanket capability to view fully encrypted material, Read more about U.K. orders Apple to let it spy on users’ encrypted Data in Secret Order – guess they didn’t learn from the Chinese hack of the US telco system then[…]

Stellantis Introduces Pop-Up Ads in Vehicles, Bombarding your Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler display every time you stop

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Car technology is supposed to make driving safer, smoother, and more enjoyable. But Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Ram, seems to have taken a different approach—one that prioritizes ad revenue over user experience. In a move that has left drivers both frustrated and bewildered, Stellantis has introduced full-screen pop-up ads on Read more about Stellantis Introduces Pop-Up Ads in Vehicles, Bombarding your Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler display every time you stop[…]

Buy now, pay later installment payments increase retail spending, study finds

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…]Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is an increasingly popular payment method, allowing customers to spread payment into interest-free installments over a few weeks or months. Worldwide BNPL spending was $316 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to $450 billion by 2027. With major retailers such as Walmart and H&M partnering with BNPL providers Read more about Buy now, pay later installment payments increase retail spending, study finds[…]

NASA Demonstrates Software ‘Brains’ Shared Across Satellite Swarms

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA), allows individual spacecraft to make independent decisions while collaborating with each other to achieve common goals – all without human input. NASA researchers have achieved multiple firsts in tests of such swarm technology as part of the agency’s DSA project. Managed at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, Read more about NASA Demonstrates Software ‘Brains’ Shared Across Satellite Swarms[…]

Unions Sue to Block Elon Musk’s Access to Americans’ Tax and Benefits Records

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A coalition of labor organizations representing federal workers and retirees has sued the Department of the Treasury to block it from giving the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, controlled by Elon Musk, access to the federal government’s sensitive payment systems. After forcing out a security official who opposed the move, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Read more about Unions Sue to Block Elon Musk’s Access to Americans’ Tax and Benefits Records[…]