Author: Robin Edgar

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

BYU profs create new micro nuclear reactor to produce nuclear energy more safely

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] in Memmott’s new reactor, during and after the nuclear reaction occurs, all the radioactive byproducts are dissolved into molten salt. Nuclear elements can emit heat or radioactivity for hundreds of thousands of years while they slowly cool, which is why nuclear waste is so dangerous (and why in the past, finding a place to Read more about BYU profs create new micro nuclear reactor to produce nuclear energy more safely[…]

Billionaires Are Funding Climate Destruction

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The world’s wealthiest people are responsible for about a million times more emissions than the world’s lowest earners when you take into account their investments, a new report has found. The report, issued Sunday by Oxfam, finds that the world’s 125 wealthiest people—including American billionaires Bill Gates, Jim Walton, Warren Buffett, and Elon Musk—have a Read more about Billionaires Are Funding Climate Destruction[…]

AstraZeneca puts username and password on Github, exposes patient data in test environment for a year

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has blamed “user error” for leaving a list of credentials online for more than a year that exposed access to sensitive patient data. Mossab Hussein, chief security officer at cybersecurity startup SpiderSilk, told TechCrunch that a developer left the credentials for an AstraZeneca internal server on code sharing site GitHub in 2021. Read more about AstraZeneca puts username and password on Github, exposes patient data in test environment for a year[…]

Wi-Peep drone locates all your wifi devices and maps them in your home, can tell if your watch is moving around

Posted on by Robin Edgar

We present Wi-Peep – a new location-revealing privacy attack on non-cooperative Wi-Fi devices. Wi-Peep exploits loopholes in the 802.11 protocol to elicit responses from Wi-Fi devices on a network that we do not have access to. It then uses a novel time-of-flight measurement scheme to locate these devices. Wi-Peep works without any hardware or software Read more about Wi-Peep drone locates all your wifi devices and maps them in your home, can tell if your watch is moving around[…]

British govt is scanning all Internet devices hosted in UK

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the government agency that leads the country’s cyber security mission, is now scanning all Internet-exposed devices hosted in the UK for vulnerabilities. The goal is to assess UK’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks and to help the owners of Internet-connected systems understand their security posture. “These activities cover any Read more about British govt is scanning all Internet devices hosted in UK[…]

Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot Sued Over ‘Software Piracy on an Unprecedented Scale’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot is being sued in a class action lawsuit that claims the AI product is committing software piracy on an unprecedented scale,” reports IT Pro. Programmer/designer Matthew Butterick filed the case Thursday in San Francisco, saying it was on behalf of millions of GitHub users potentially affected by the $10-a-month Copilot service: The Read more about Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot Sued Over ‘Software Piracy on an Unprecedented Scale’[…]

Qualcomm v Arm: The bizarro quotient just went off the scale

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Qualcomm and Arm have been engaged in one of those very entertainingly bitter court fist-fights that the industry throws up when friends fall out over money. Briefly, Qualcomm builds its mobile device chips around Arm, for which it pays Arm a lot of money. Qualcomm bought another Arm-licensed company, Nuvia, and inherited Nuvia’s own Read more about Qualcomm v Arm: The bizarro quotient just went off the scale[…]

Fast Fashion Waste Is Choking Developing Countries With Mountains of Trash

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Less than 1% of used clothing gets recycled into new garments, overwhelming countries like Ghana with discards. From a report: It’s a disaster decades in the making, as clothing has become cheaper, plentiful and ever more disposable. Each year the fashion industry produces more than 100 billion apparel items, roughly 14 for every person on Read more about Fast Fashion Waste Is Choking Developing Countries With Mountains of Trash[…]

For the First Time Ever, People Are Getting Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood Cells

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…]An important clinical trial is now underway in the UK. The study is the first to transfuse red blood cells grown in the lab from donated stem cells into humans. Should this research pay off, these blood cells would be incredibly valuable for people with rare blood types, though they wouldn’t replace the need for Read more about For the First Time Ever, People Are Getting Transfusions of Lab-Grown Blood Cells[…]

Scientists zap clouds with electricity to make them rain

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A new experiment has shown that zapping clouds with electrical charge can alter droplet sizes in fog or, potentially, help a constipated cloud to rain. Last year Giles Harrison, from the University of Reading, and colleagues from the University of Bath, spent many early mornings chasing fogs in the Somerset Levels, flying uncrewed aircraft into Read more about Scientists zap clouds with electricity to make them rain[…]

The world’s first offshore floating wind-solar pilot just came online in China

Posted on by Robin Edgar

China’s government-owned utility State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) has launched the world’s first commercial offshore floating solar that’s paired with an offshore wind turbine.   SPIC is one of five major electrical utility companies in China, and the world’s largest photovoltaic power generation enterprise. The pilot is located off the coast of Haiyang, a city in Read more about The world’s first offshore floating wind-solar pilot just came online in China[…]

Multi-factor authentication bombing fatigue can blow open security

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The September cyberattack on ride-hailing service Uber began when a criminal bought the stolen credentials of a company contractor on the dark web. The miscreant then repeatedly tried to log into the contractor’s Uber account, triggering the two-factor login approval request that the contractor initially denied, blocking access. However, eventually the contractor accepted one of Read more about Multi-factor authentication bombing fatigue can blow open security[…]

Finally: Countries Start To Rebel Against Corporate Sovereignty, But Ten Years Too Late

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Back in 2013, Techdirt wrote about “the monster lurking inside free trade agreements”. Formally, the monster is known as Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), but here on Techdirt we call it “corporate sovereignty“, because that is what it is: a system of secret courts that effectively places companies above a government, by allowing them to sue Read more about Finally: Countries Start To Rebel Against Corporate Sovereignty, But Ten Years Too Late[…]

Science Has a Nasty Photoshopping Problem

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Dr. Bik is a microbiologist who has worked at Stanford University and for the Dutch National Institute for Health who is “blessed” with “what I’m told is a better-than-average ability to spot repeating patterns,” according to their new Op-Ed in the New York Times. In 2014 they’d spotted the same photo “being used in two Read more about Science Has a Nasty Photoshopping Problem[…]

Behavior of star clusters challenge Newton’s laws of gravity, point at MOND theory

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Certain star clusters do not seem to be following current understandings of Isaac Newton’s laws of gravity, according to new research published on Wednesday. The study, published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, analyzed open star clusters which are formed when thousands of stars are born in a short time period in Read more about Behavior of star clusters challenge Newton’s laws of gravity, point at MOND theory[…]

Whoops! Amazon Left Prime Video DB with viewing habits (Named ‘Sauron’) Unprotected – yup Elasticsearch

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon didn’t protect one of its internal servers, allowing anyone to view a database named “Sauron” which was full of Prime Video viewing habits. As TechCrunch reports(Opens in a new window), the unprotected Elasticsearch database was discovered by security researcher Anurag Sen(Opens in a new window). Contained within the database, which anyone who knew the Read more about Whoops! Amazon Left Prime Video DB with viewing habits (Named ‘Sauron’) Unprotected – yup Elasticsearch[…]

Suspected Kremlin hack on Liz Truss’s mobile sparks security clampdown

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Spy chiefs have ordered ministers to stop using their personal phones to conduct government business following a suspected Kremlin hack on Liz Truss’s mobile. A Whitehall source said all ministers involved in national security would be expected to attend fresh training with the security services this week ‘to ensure everyone is aware how this material Read more about Suspected Kremlin hack on Liz Truss’s mobile sparks security clampdown[…]

Pebble smartwatches gain Pixel 7 support in ‘one last update’ – they’re only 10 years old, hardware still works fine, but being dumped

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s been nearly a decade since the Pebble smartwatch started shipping to backers of its wildly successful initial Kickstarter campaign, but there’s still life in the ol’ dog yet. The wearables are now compatible with Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as 64-bit-only Android devices that will arrive later. As noted by Ars Read more about Pebble smartwatches gain Pixel 7 support in ‘one last update’ – they’re only 10 years old, hardware still works fine, but being dumped[…]

Light-analyzing ‘lab on a chip’ opens door to widespread use of portable spectrometers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The study, published today in Science, was led by Finland’s Aalto University and resulted in a powerful, ultra-tiny spectrometer that fits on a microchip and is operated using artificial intelligence. The research involved a comparatively new class of super-thin materials known as two-dimensional semiconductors, and the upshot is a proof of concept for a spectrometer Read more about Light-analyzing ‘lab on a chip’ opens door to widespread use of portable spectrometers[…]

Iran’s Secret Manual for Controlling Protesters’ Mobile Phones

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As furious anti-government protests swept Iran, the authorities retaliated with both brute force and digital repression. Iranian mobile and internet users reported rolling network blackouts, mobile app restrictions, and other disruptions. Many expressed fears that the government can track their activities through their indispensable and ubiquitous smartphones. Iran’s tight grip on the country’s connection to the Read more about Iran’s Secret Manual for Controlling Protesters’ Mobile Phones[…]

Meta fined measly $24.6m over political ad non disclosure and disinformation

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Despite warnings of Chinese and Russian mischief and manipulation ahead of the US midterm elections, it seems American companies and citizens are perfectly capable of denting democracy on their own. A Washington judge fined Meta $24.6 million this week after ruling that Facebook intentionally broke [PDF] the state’s campaign finance transparency laws 822 times. This Read more about Meta fined measly $24.6m over political ad non disclosure and disinformation[…]

Space rock slams into Mars and reveals buried ice close to equator

Posted on by Robin Edgar

last December when the lander detected a massive quake on Mars. Now, scientists know what caused the red planet to rumble. A meteoroid slammed into Mars 2,174 miles (3,500 kilometers) away from the lander and created a fresh impact crater on the Martian surface. The ground literally moved beneath InSight on December 24, 2021, when Read more about Space rock slams into Mars and reveals buried ice close to equator[…]

Anti-Cheat Software Continues To Be The New DRM In Pissing Off Legit Customers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] if you’ve been paying attention over the last couple of years, anti-cheat software is quickly becoming the new DRM. Access to root layers of the computer complaints, complaints about performance effects, complaints about how the software tracks customer behavior, and now finally we have the good old “software isn’t letting me play my game” Read more about Anti-Cheat Software Continues To Be The New DRM In Pissing Off Legit Customers[…]

China’s Man-Made South China Sea Islands Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before

Posted on by Robin Edgar

New, highly detailed images of the artificial islands China has built in the South China Sea have emerged. They show the intricacies of the radar installations, airfields, and naval gun emplacements, among buildings and other structures, located there. Captured by photographer Ezra Acayan flying in an aircraft near the man-made fortresses in the Spratly Islands, Read more about China’s Man-Made South China Sea Islands Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before[…]

Did PayPal Just Reintroduce Its $2,500 ‘Misinformation’ / ‘I disagree with you’ / ‘I find this offensive’ Fine, Hoping We Wouldn’t Notice?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“On October 8th, PayPal updated its terms of service agreement to include a clause enabling it to withdraw $2,500 from users’ bank accounts simply for posting anything the company deems as misinformation or offensive,” reports Grit Daily. “Unsurprisingly, the backlash was instant and massive,” causing the company to backtrack on the policy and claim the Read more about Did PayPal Just Reintroduce Its $2,500 ‘Misinformation’ / ‘I disagree with you’ / ‘I find this offensive’ Fine, Hoping We Wouldn’t Notice?[…]