Author: Robin Edgar

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

Australia To Overhaul Privacy Laws After Optus data breach exposes 40% of AU population

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Following one of the biggest data breaches in Australian history, the government of Australia is planning to get stricter on requirements for disclosure of cyber attacks. From a report: On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Australian radio station 4BC that the government intended to overhaul privacy legislation so that any company suffering a data Read more about Australia To Overhaul Privacy Laws After Optus data breach exposes 40% of AU population[…]

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden granted Russian citizenship

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Monday, Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, issued a decree [PDF, not secure] naming Snowden (#53), among others, as being granted the boon of Russian citizenship. […] While Snowden’s status as a whistleblower is disputed by the US government, the surveillance apparatus he exposed – the bulk collection of US phone records – Read more about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden granted Russian citizenship[…]

Charted: 40 Years of Global Energy Production, by Country

Posted on by Robin Edgar

1. Fossil Fuels View the full-size infographic While the U.S. is a dominant player in both oil and natural gas production, China holds the top spot as the world’s largest fossil fuel producer, largely because of its significant production and consumption of coal. Over the last decade, China has used more coal than the rest Read more about Charted: 40 Years of Global Energy Production, by Country[…]

This Controversial Artist Matches Influencer Photoshoots With Surveillance Footage

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s an increasingly common sight on vacation, particularly in tourist destinations: An influencer sets up in front of a popular local landmark, sometimes even using props (coffee, beer, pets) or changing outfits, as a photographer or self-timed camera snaps away. Others are milling around, sometimes watching. But often, unbeknownst to everyone involved, another device is Read more about This Controversial Artist Matches Influencer Photoshoots With Surveillance Footage[…]

Cybersickness Could Spell an Early Death for the Metaverse and Virtual Reality

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Luis Eduardo Garrido couldn’t wait to test out his colleague’s newest creation. Garrido, a psychology and methodology researcher at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic, drove two hours between his university’s campuses to try a virtual reality experience that was designed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder and different types of phobias. But Read more about Cybersickness Could Spell an Early Death for the Metaverse and Virtual Reality[…]

NVIDIA Builds AI That Creates 3D Objects for Virtual Worlds

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The massive virtual worlds created by growing numbers of companies and creators could be more easily populated with a diverse array of 3D buildings, vehicles, characters and more — thanks to a new AI model from NVIDIA Research. Trained using only 2D images, NVIDIA GET3D generates 3D shapes with high-fidelity textures and complex geometric details. Read more about NVIDIA Builds AI That Creates 3D Objects for Virtual Worlds[…]

DNA nets capture COVID-19 virus in low-cost rapid-testing platform

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Tiny nets woven from DNA strands cover the spike proteins of the virus that causes COVID-19 and give off a glowing signal in this artist’s rendering. Credit: Xing Wang, University of Illinois Tiny nets woven from DNA strands can ensnare the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, lighting up the virus for a Read more about DNA nets capture COVID-19 virus in low-cost rapid-testing platform[…]

Fitbit accounts are being replaced by Google accounts

Posted on by Robin Edgar

New Fitbit users will be required to sign-up with a Google account, from next year, while it also appears one will be needed to access some of the new features in years to come. Google has been slowly integrating Fitbit into the fold since buying the company back in November 2019. Indeed, the latest products Read more about Fitbit accounts are being replaced by Google accounts[…]

Tiny swimming robots treat deadly pneumonia in mice

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed microscopic robots, called microrobots, that can swim around in the lungs, deliver medication and be used to clear up life-threatening cases of bacterial pneumonia. In mice, the microrobots safely eliminated pneumonia-causing bacteria in the lungs and resulted in 100% survival. By contrast, untreated mice all Read more about Tiny swimming robots treat deadly pneumonia in mice[…]

Meta ordered to pay $175 million in patent infringement case

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A federal judge in Texas has ordered the company to pay Voxer, the developer of app called Walkie Talkie, nearly $175 million as an ongoing royalty. Voxer accused Meta of infringing its patents and incorporating that tech in Instagram Live and Facebook Live. In 2006, Tom Katis, the founder of Voxer, started working on a Read more about Meta ordered to pay $175 million in patent infringement case[…]

The World’s Largest Four-Day Work Week Experiment Shows Success

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[…] In June, more than 3,300 employees across the United Kingdom began participating in a six-month experiment to test the efficacy of a four-day work week, which was organized by the nonprofit 4 Day Global. The pilot program has now reached its halfway point, and 4 Day Global is reporting overwhelmingly positive results. More specifically, Read more about The World’s Largest Four-Day Work Week Experiment Shows Success[…]

This site tells you if photos of you were used to train the AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Spawning AI creates image-generation tools for artists, and the company just launched Have I Been Trained? which you can use to search a set of 5.8 billion images that have been used to train popular AI art models. When you search the site, you can search through the images that are the closest match, Read more about This site tells you if photos of you were used to train the AI[…]

Ask.FM database with 350m user records allegedly sold online

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The listing allegedly includes 350 million Ask.FM user records, with the threat actor also offering 607 repositories plus their Gitlab, Jira, and Confluence databases. Ask.FM is a question and answer network launched in June 2010, with over 215 million registered users. “I’m selling the users database of Ask.fm and ask.com. For connoisseurs, you can also Read more about Ask.FM database with 350m user records allegedly sold online[…]

US Military Bought Mass Monitoring Tool That Includes Internet Browsing, Email Data, Cookies from guy who helps run TOR

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Multiple branches of the U.S. military have bought access to a powerful internet monitoring tool that claims to cover over 90 percent of the world’s internet traffic, and which in some cases provides access to people’s email data, browsing history, and other information such as their sensitive internet cookies, according to contracting data and other Read more about US Military Bought Mass Monitoring Tool That Includes Internet Browsing, Email Data, Cookies from guy who helps run TOR[…]

Somehow This Video Game Belly Button Was Too Sexy For Google

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Just a few weeks after Hook Up: The Game released on Android, developer Sophie Artemigi was surprised to see the visual novel flagged for inappropriate sexual content. By the game’s own description, you play as Alex, “a sex positive twenty-something” who matches with her old high school bully on a dating app, so of course, Read more about Somehow This Video Game Belly Button Was Too Sexy For Google[…]

Posted in Sex

Meta sued for allegedly secretly tracking iPhone users

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Meta was sued on Wednesday for alleged undisclosed tracking and data collection in its Facebook and Instagram apps on Apple iPhones. The lawsuit [PDF], filed in a US federal district court in San Francisco, claims that the two applications incorporate use their own browser known as a WKWebView that injects JavaScript code to gather data Read more about Meta sued for allegedly secretly tracking iPhone users[…]

Study Shows That Copyright Filters Harm Creators Rather Than Help Them

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The EU Copyright Directive contains one of the worst ideas in modern copyright: what amounts to a requirement to filter uploads on major sites.  Despite repeated explanations of why this would cause huge harm to both creators and members of the public, EU politicians were taken in by the soothing words of the legislation’s proponents, who even went Read more about Study Shows That Copyright Filters Harm Creators Rather Than Help Them[…]

Hilton will design suites and sleeping quarters for Voyager’s private Starlab space station

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Voyager and Lockheed Martin have found a partner to design astronaut facilities for their space station. Hilton will develop suites and sleeping quarters for Starlab, CNBC reports. Under the partnership, Hilton and Voyager will also look at marketing opportunities related to Starlab and trips to what may be one of the first space hotels. NASA Read more about Hilton will design suites and sleeping quarters for Voyager’s private Starlab space station[…]

YouTube dislike button doesn’t work – which is why you can’t train it

Posted on by Robin Edgar

People feel like they don’t have control over their YouTube recommendations… Our 2021 investigation into YouTube’s recommender system uncovered a range of problems on the platform: an opaque algorithm, inconsistent oversight, and geographic inequalities. We also learned that people feel they don’t have control over their YouTube experience — particularly the videos that are recommended Read more about YouTube dislike button doesn’t work – which is why you can’t train it[…]

Google now lets you request the removal of search results that contain personal data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google is releasing a tool that makes it easier to remove search results containing your address, phone number and other personally identifiable information, 9to5Google has reported. It first revealed the “results about you” feature at I/O 2022 in May, describing it as a way to “help you easily control whether your personally-identifiable information can be Read more about Google now lets you request the removal of search results that contain personal data[…]

GME retail investors Are Angry Over Netflix’s GameStop Documentary Trailer

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Stonk bros are mad at the doc for a few different reasons, but the two big things that keep coming up are the supposed lack of input from investors on r/SuperStonk and r/WallStreetBets and because of the final line of the trailer, spoken by journalist Taylor Lorenz. The trailer ends with her seemingly poking Read more about GME retail investors Are Angry Over Netflix’s GameStop Documentary Trailer[…]

Chrome & Edge Enhanced Spellcheck Send your PII, Including Your Passwords to Microsoft and Google, Alibaba and 3rd parties

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Chrome’s enhanced spellcheck & Edge’s MS Editor are sending data you enter into form fields like username, email, DOB, SSN, basically anything in the fields, to sites you’re logging into from either of those browsers when the features are enabled. Furthermore, if you click on “show password,” the enhanced spellcheck even sends your password, essentially Read more about Chrome & Edge Enhanced Spellcheck Send your PII, Including Your Passwords to Microsoft and Google, Alibaba and 3rd parties[…]

When AI asks dumb questions, it gets smart fast

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If someone showed you a photo of a crocodile and asked whether it was a bird, you might laugh—and then, if you were patient and kind, help them identify the animal. Such real-world, and sometimes dumb, interactions may be key to helping artificial intelligence learn, according to a new study in which the strategy dramatically Read more about When AI asks dumb questions, it gets smart fast[…]

Germany’s blanket data retention law is illegal, EU top court says

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Germany’s general data retention law violates EU law, Europe’s top court ruled on Tuesday, dealing a blow to member states banking on blanket data collection to fight crime and safeguard national security. The law may only be applied in circumstances where there is a serious threat to national security defined under very strict terms, the Read more about Germany’s blanket data retention law is illegal, EU top court says[…]

Morgan Stanley Settles for $32m after Hard Drives With Data on 15m customers Turn Up On Auction Site

Posted on by Robin Edgar

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the New York Times: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney has agreed to pay a $35 million fine to settle claims that it failed to protect the personal information of about 15 million customers, the Securities and Exchange Commission said on Tuesday. In a statement announcing the settlement, the S.E.C. Read more about Morgan Stanley Settles for $32m after Hard Drives With Data on 15m customers Turn Up On Auction Site[…]