Author: Robin Edgar

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

Microsoft blocks workaround that let Windows 11 users avoid its Edge browser – browser wars are on again

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microsoft plans to update Windows 11 to block a workaround that has allowed users to open Start menu search results in a browser other than Edge. The loophole was popularized by EdgeDeflector, an app that allows you to bypass some of the built-in browser restrictions found in Windows 10 and 11. Before this week, companies Read more about Microsoft blocks workaround that let Windows 11 users avoid its Edge browser – browser wars are on again[…]

Portugal: Proposed law tries to sneak in biometric mass surveillance.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Whilst the European Parliament has been fighting bravely for the rights of everyone in the EU to exist freely and with dignity in publicly accessible spaces, the government of Portugal is attempting to push their country in the opposite direction: one of digital authoritarianism. […] Eerily reminiscent of the failed attempts by the Serbian government Read more about Portugal: Proposed law tries to sneak in biometric mass surveillance.[…]

DDR4 memory protections are broken wide open by new Rowhammer technique

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Rowhammer exploits that allow unprivileged attackers to change or corrupt data stored in vulnerable memory chips are now possible on virtually all DDR4 modules due to a new approach that neuters defenses chip manufacturers added to make their wares more resistant to such attacks. Rowhammer attacks work by accessing—or hammering—physical rows inside vulnerable chips millions Read more about DDR4 memory protections are broken wide open by new Rowhammer technique[…]

High severity BIOS flaws affect numerous Intel processors

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Intel has disclosed two high-severity vulnerabilities that affect a wide range of Intel processor families, allowing threat actors and malware to gain higher privilege levels on the device. The flaws were discovered by SentinelOne and are tracked as CVE-2021-0157 and CVE-2021-0158, and both have a CVSS v3 score of 8.2 (high). The former concerns the Read more about High severity BIOS flaws affect numerous Intel processors[…]

ISS crew shelters from debris after Russia blows up old sat – US angry

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a test of its missile technology, Russia destroyed an old space satellite on Monday, littering Earth’s orbit with fragments and forcing astronauts on the International Space Station to temporarily take shelter. The cloud of debris was generated when Cosmos 1408, a 2,200-kg defunct signals intelligence satellite launched in 1982, was blown up by a Read more about ISS crew shelters from debris after Russia blows up old sat – US angry[…]

Modders Have Fixed The GTA Trilogy’s Incredibly Ugly Rain

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The recently “remastered” GTA trilogy has some of the ugliest rain I’ve ever seen, and a handful of days later, modders have fixed it. No longer will you walk the streets of Vice City at night, only to be covered in the drippings of Spiderman’s leaky web-shooter. Finally, you can be free of that oddly Read more about Modders Have Fixed The GTA Trilogy’s Incredibly Ugly Rain[…]

Woman Allegedly Made $57,000 From Unofficial Demon Slayer Cakes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A 34-year-old resident of Tokyo’s Shibuya has been arrested on suspicion of violating Japanese copyright law after selling unlicensed Demon Slayer cakes. According to Kyodo News, the women sold the cakes through Instagram, with customers submitting their desired images to be turned into frosting, cream, and sugar. The suspect is said to have charged between Read more about Woman Allegedly Made $57,000 From Unofficial Demon Slayer Cakes[…]

Securing your digital life, part one: The basics

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Even those who consider themselves well educated about cyber crime and security threats—and who do everything they’ve been taught to do—can (and do!) still end up as victims. The truth is that, with enough time, resources, and skill, everything can be hacked. The key to protecting your digital life is to make it as Read more about Securing your digital life, part one: The basics[…]

Amazon textbook rental service scammed for $1.5m

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A 36-year-old man from Portage, Michigan, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly renting thousands of textbooks from Amazon and selling them rather than returning them. […] Also indicted were three alleged co-conspirators: Gregory Mark Gleesing, 43, and Lovedeep Singh Dhanoa, 25, both from Portage, Michigan, and Paul Steven Larson, 32, from Kalamazoo, Michigan From January Read more about Amazon textbook rental service scammed for $1.5m[…]

French government to speed up deployment of open source – EURACTIV.com

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The French government’s roadmap for developing open source to make it a vector of digital sovereignty and a guarantee of “democratic confidence” was presented by Public Transformation and Civil Service Minister Amélie de Montchalin on Wednesday (10 November). EURACTIV France reports. Montchalin spoke at the closing of the first edition of the “Open Source Experience”, Read more about French government to speed up deployment of open source – EURACTIV.com[…]

Forget Radio! Transmitting With Neutrons

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Throughout history, people have devised ways to send information across long distances. For centuries we relied on smoke signals, semaphores, and similar physical devices. Electricity changed everything. First the telegraph and then radio transformed communications. Now researchers at the University of Lancaster have demonstrated another way to send wireless data without using electromagnetic radiation. They’ve Read more about Forget Radio! Transmitting With Neutrons[…]

FBI email servers were hacked to target a security researcher

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The FBI appears to have been used as a pawn in a fight between hackers and security researchers. According to Bleeping Computer, the FBI has confirmed intruders compromised its email servers early today (November 13th) to send fake messages claiming recipients had fallen prone to data breaches. The emails tried to pin the non-existent attacks Read more about FBI email servers were hacked to target a security researcher[…]

Apple has tight control over states’ digital ID cards

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Apple’s digital ID card support in iOS 15 may be convenient, but it also comes with tight requirements for the governments that use them. CNBC has learned states using Apple’s system are required to not only run the platforms for issuing and checking credentials, but hire managers to handle Apple’s requests and meet the iPhone Read more about Apple has tight control over states’ digital ID cards[…]

Vizio’s profit on ads, subscriptions, and data is double the money it makes selling TVs

Posted on by Robin Edgar

It’s been less than a year since Vizio became a publicly traded company, and one consequence of that is we know more about its business than ever before. The TV maker released its latest earnings report on Tuesday and revealed that over the last three months, its Platform Plus segment that includes advertising and viewer Read more about Vizio’s profit on ads, subscriptions, and data is double the money it makes selling TVs[…]

Take Two and Rockstar Use DMCA Claims To Remove More GTA Mods

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As players continue to criticize the recently released GTA Trilogy remastered collection, Rockstar Games parent company Take-Two Interactive has decided this is the perfect time to use DMCA takedown notices to remove some more GTA mods and fan projects. On November 11, according to the folks over at the GTA modding site LibertyCity, Take-Two contacted Read more about Take Two and Rockstar Use DMCA Claims To Remove More GTA Mods[…]

Something Awful Founder Richard Lowtax Kyanka Has Reportedly Died

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A GoFundMe is collecting money to put toward the wellbeing of the three daughters Kyanka left behind. Here is the corresponding thread on Something Awful. Original story continues below. Longtime Something Awful forum administrator Fragmaster posted that site founder Richard “Lowtax” Kyanka has died. “I guess I should preface this by saying this isn’t a joke especially Read more about Something Awful Founder Richard Lowtax Kyanka Has Reportedly Died[…]

Latest Windows 11 overrides attempts to avoid using Edge – browser wars again!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Back in 2017, Daniel Aleksandersen created a free helper application called EdgeDeflector to counter behavioral changes Microsoft made in the way Windows handles mouse clicks on certain web links. Typically, https:// links get handled by whatever default browser is set for the system in question. But there are ways to register a custom protocol handler, Read more about Latest Windows 11 overrides attempts to avoid using Edge – browser wars again![…]

2K’s GTA Trilogy Pulled For PC, And Rockstar Launcher Is Broken

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Something has gone very, very wrong since yesterday’s launch of GTA Trilogy on PC. As of last night, all mention of a PC version has been removed from Rockstar’s own site, and the Rockstar Games Launcher app has gone completely offline. Anyone who bought the remastered collection before it vanished is currently unable to play. Read more about 2K’s GTA Trilogy Pulled For PC, And Rockstar Launcher Is Broken[…]

GTA Trilogy Remaster Not Worth The Lost Mods And Classic Games

Posted on by Robin Edgar

After months of rumors, speculation, leaks, and teasers, Rockstar finally released the remastered Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition collection yesterday. It landed with a thud as players encountered and documented countless visual bugs, gameplay glitches, and odd changes to models and textures. Even viewed in a vacuum, this state of affairs is Read more about GTA Trilogy Remaster Not Worth The Lost Mods And Classic Games[…]

ChaosDB Explained: Azure’s Cosmos DB Vulnerability Walkthrough – how to pwn all MS Azure’s hosted databases for all customers – also shows value of responsible disclosure

Posted on by Robin Edgar

This is the full story of the Azure ChaosDB Vulnerability that was discovered and disclosed by the Wiz Research Team, where we were able to gain complete unrestricted access to the databases of several thousand Microsoft Azure customers. In August 2021, we disclosed to Microsoft a new vulnerability in Cosmos DB that ultimately allowed us Read more about ChaosDB Explained: Azure’s Cosmos DB Vulnerability Walkthrough – how to pwn all MS Azure’s hosted databases for all customers – also shows value of responsible disclosure[…]

King of Ad Fraud Zhukov to reign in a US prison for years

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Aleksandr Zhukov, a Russian national and the self-proclaimed “king of fraud,” this week received a 10-year prison sentence for carrying out a $7m digital ad fraud scheme. Zhukov was convicted in May of multiple counts of fraud and money laundering. He was arrested in Bulgaria in 2018 and extradited to America the following year. “Sitting Read more about King of Ad Fraud Zhukov to reign in a US prison for years[…]

Space Launch Start-Up Spinlaunch Just Used A Giant Centrifuge To Fling A Projectile Into The Upper Atmosphere

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A U.S. space launch start-up has, for the first time, demonstrated a kinetic-based system that’s intended one day to put small spacecraft into orbit. The SpinLaunch concept, which feels ripped right from the classic age of science fiction, is based around a vacuum-sealed centrifuge that spins an unpowered projectile at several times the speed of Read more about Space Launch Start-Up Spinlaunch Just Used A Giant Centrifuge To Fling A Projectile Into The Upper Atmosphere[…]

Low-Cost DIY Computer Gesture Control With An I2C Sensor

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Controlling your computer with a wave of the hand seems like something from science fiction, and for good reason. From Minority Report to Iron Man, we’ve seen plenty of famous actors controlling their high-tech computer systems by wildly gesticulating in the air. Meanwhile, we’re all stuck using keyboards and mice like a bunch of chumps. Read more about Low-Cost DIY Computer Gesture Control With An I2C Sensor[…]