Author: Robin Edgar

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

Google deliberately throttled ad load times to promote AMP, locking advertisers into it’s own advertising market place

Posted on by Robin Edgar

More detail has emerged from a 173-page complaint filed last week in the lawsuit brought against Google by a number of US states, including allegations that Google deliberately throttled advertisements not served to its AMP (Accelerated Mobile) pages. The lawsuit – as we explained at the end of last week – was originally filed in December Read more about Google deliberately throttled ad load times to promote AMP, locking advertisers into it’s own advertising market place[…]

UK government hands secret services cloud contract to AWS

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The UK’s intelligence services are to store their secret files in the AWS cloud in a deal inked earlier this year, according to reports. The GCHQ organisation (electrical/radio communications eavesdropping), MI5 (domestic UK intelligence matters), MI6 (external UK intel) and also the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will access their data in the cloud, albeit in Read more about UK government hands secret services cloud contract to AWS[…]

Hackers steal $130 million from Cream Finance; the company’s 3rd hack this year

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hackers have stolen an estimated $130 million worth of cryptocurrency assets from Cream Finance, a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that allows users to loan and speculate on cryptocurrency price variations. The incident, detected earlier today by blockchain security firms PeckShield and SlowMist, was confirmed by the Cream Finance team earlier today. The attackers are believed to have found a vulnerability Read more about Hackers steal $130 million from Cream Finance; the company’s 3rd hack this year[…]

Ultraleap launches its 5th Gen hand tracking platform Gemini

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Ultraleap’s fifth-generation hand tracking platform, known as Gemini, is fully available on Windows. The most robust, flexible hand tracking ever, it’s already powering amazing experiences from Varjo, been integrated into Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 platform, and is bringing touchless technology to self-service solutions around the world.  The Gemini Windows release is the first step in making the world’s best hand tracking easier to access and more flexible for multiple platforms, camera systems and Read more about Ultraleap launches its 5th Gen hand tracking platform Gemini[…]

Giant, free index to world’s research papers released online

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In a project that could unlock the world’s research papers for easier computerized analysis, an American technologist has released online a gigantic index of the words and short phrases contained in more than 100 million journal articles — including many paywalled papers. The catalogue, which was released on 7 October and is free to use, Read more about Giant, free index to world’s research papers released online[…]

Location Data Firm Got GPS Data From Apps Even When People Opted Out

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Huq, an established data vendor that obtains granular location information from ordinary apps installed on people’s phones and then sells that data, has been receiving GPS coordinates even when people explicitly opted-out of such collection inside individual Android apps, researchers and Motherboard have found. The news highlights a stark problem for smartphone users: that they Read more about Location Data Firm Got GPS Data From Apps Even When People Opted Out[…]

5-Day Brain Stimulation Treatment Highly Effective Against Depression, Stanford Researchers Find

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Stanford researchers think they’ve devised an effective and quick-acting way to treat difficult cases of depression, by improving on an already approved form of brain stimulation. In a new trial published this week, the researchers found that almost 80% of patients improved after going through treatment—a far higher rate than those who were given a Read more about 5-Day Brain Stimulation Treatment Highly Effective Against Depression, Stanford Researchers Find[…]

Scientists discover new phase of water, known as “superionic ice,” inside planets

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Scientists have discovered a new phase of water — adding to liquid, solid and gas — know as “superionic ice.” The “strange black” ice, as scientists called it, is normally created at the core of planets like Neptune and Uranus. In a study published in Nature Physics, a team of scientists co-led by Vitali Prakapenka, Read more about Scientists discover new phase of water, known as “superionic ice,” inside planets[…]

What Else Do the Leaked ‘Facebook Papers’ Show? Angry face emojis have 5x the weight of a like thumb emoji… and more other stuff

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The documents leaked to U.S. regulators by a Facebook whistleblower “reveal that the social media giant has privately and meticulously tracked real-world harms exacerbated by its platforms,” reports the Washington Post. Yet it also reports that at the same time Facebook “ignored warnings from its employees about the risks of their design decisions and exposed Read more about What Else Do the Leaked ‘Facebook Papers’ Show? Angry face emojis have 5x the weight of a like thumb emoji… and more other stuff[…]

‘A Mistake by YouTube Shows Its Power Over Media’ – and Kafka-esque arbritration rules

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Every hour, YouTube deletes nearly 2,000 channels,” reports the New York Times. “The deletions are meant to keep out spam, misinformation, financial scams, nudity, hate speech and other material that it says violates its policies. “But the rules are opaque and sometimes arbitrarily enforced,” they write — and sometimes, YouTube does end up making mistakes. Read more about ‘A Mistake by YouTube Shows Its Power Over Media’ – and Kafka-esque arbritration rules[…]

Amazon’s Alexa Collects More of Your Data Than Any Other Smart Assistant

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Our smart devices are listening. Whether it’s personally identifiable information, location data, voice recordings, or shopping habits, our smart assistants know far more than we realize. […] All five services collect your name, phone number, device location, and IP address; the names and numbers of your contacts; your interaction history; and the apps you use. Read more about Amazon’s Alexa Collects More of Your Data Than Any Other Smart Assistant[…]

Intel open-sources AI-powered tool to spot bugs in code

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Intel today open-sourced ControlFlag, a tool that uses machine learning to detect problems in computer code — ideally to reduce the time required to debug apps and software. In tests, the company’s machine programming research team says that ControlFlag has found hundreds of defects in proprietary, “production-quality” software, demonstrating its usefulness. […] ControlFlag, which works Read more about Intel open-sources AI-powered tool to spot bugs in code[…]

Internet Service Providers Collect, Sell Horrifying Amount of Sensitive Data, Government Study Concludes

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The new FTC report studied the privacy practices of six unnamed broadband ISPs and their advertising arms, and found that the companies routinely collect an ocean of consumer location, browsing, and behavioral data. They then share this data with dodgy middlemen via elaborate business arrangements that often aren’t adequately disclosed to broadband consumers. “Even though Read more about Internet Service Providers Collect, Sell Horrifying Amount of Sensitive Data, Government Study Concludes[…]

Researchers design antibodies that destroy old cells, slowing down aging

Posted on by Robin Edgar

No one knows why some people age worse than others and develop diseases -such as Alzheimer’s, fibrosis, type 2 diabetes or some types of cancer- associated with this aging process. One explanation for this could be the degree of efficiency of each organism’s response to the damage sustained by its cells during its life, which Read more about Researchers design antibodies that destroy old cells, slowing down aging[…]

Study: Recycled Lithium Batteries as Good as Newly Mined

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] while the EV battery recycling industry is starting to take off, getting carmakers to use recycled materials remains a hard sell. “In general, people’s impression is that recycled material is not as good as virgin material,” says Yan Wang, a professor of mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “Battery companies still hesitate to use Read more about Study: Recycled Lithium Batteries as Good as Newly Mined[…]

Client-Side Scanning Is An Insecure Nightmare Just Waiting To Be Exploited By Governments or companies. Apple basically installing spyware under a nice name.

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In August, Apple declared that combating the spread of CSAM (child sexual abuse material) was more important than protecting millions of users who’ve never used their devices to store or share illegal material. While encryption would still protect users’ data and communications (in transit and at rest), Apple had given itself permission to inspect data Read more about Client-Side Scanning Is An Insecure Nightmare Just Waiting To Be Exploited By Governments or companies. Apple basically installing spyware under a nice name.[…]

‘Flight Simulator: GOTY Edition’ adds new aircraft and locations on November 18th

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microsoft is spicing up Flight Simulator with an expanded re-release, although this one may be more ambitious than some. It’s releasing Flight Simulator: Game of the Year Edition on November 18th with both a heaping of new content as well as some meaningful feature upgrades. To start, there are five new stand-out aircraft, including the Read more about ‘Flight Simulator: GOTY Edition’ adds new aircraft and locations on November 18th[…]

Facial recognition scheme in place in some British schools – more to come

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Facial recognition technology is being employed in more UK schools to allow pupils to pay for their meals, according to reports today. In North Ayrshire Council, a Scottish authority encompassing the Isle of Arran, nine schools are set to begin processing meal payments for school lunches using facial scanning technology. The authority and the company Read more about Facial recognition scheme in place in some British schools – more to come[…]

Hacker steals government ID database for Argentina’s entire population

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A hacker has breached the Argentinian government’s IT network and stolen ID card details for the country’s entire population, data that is now being sold in private circles. The hack, which took place last month, targeted RENAPER, which stands for Registro Nacional de las Personas, translated as National Registry of Persons. The agency is a crucial cog Read more about Hacker steals government ID database for Argentina’s entire population[…]

Cybercrime Group Has Hacked Telecoms All Over the World since at least 2016

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…]A hacker gang, […] has been infiltrating telecoms throughout the world to steal phone records, text messages, and associated metadata directly from carrier users. That’s according to a new report from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, which published a technical analysis of the mysterious group’s hacking campaign on Tuesday. The report, which goes into a significant amount Read more about Cybercrime Group Has Hacked Telecoms All Over the World since at least 2016[…]

Facebook fined GBP 50m by UK for not supplying correct info on giphy takeover

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has smacked Facebook with a £50m ($68.7m) fine for “deliberately” not giving it the full picture about its ongoing $400m acquisition of gif-slinger Giphy. The move  – fingered by the CMA as a “major breach” – comes just weeks after the antisocial network dismissed the UK’s regulator’s initial findings as Read more about Facebook fined GBP 50m by UK for not supplying correct info on giphy takeover[…]

Why does dutch supermarket Albert Heijn have camera’s looking at you at the self check out?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Party for the Animals (PvdD) wants clarity from outgoing minister Dekker for Legal Protection about a camera on Albert Heijn’s self-scanner. It concerns the PS20 from manufacturer Zebra. According to this company, the camera on the self-scanner supports facial recognition to automatically identify customers. PvdD MPs Van Raan and Wassenberg want to know whether Read more about Why does dutch supermarket Albert Heijn have camera’s looking at you at the self check out?[…]

Canon Sued for Disabling All-in-One Printer When Ink Runs Out

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A customer fed up with the tyranny of home printers is suing Canon for disabling multiple functions on an all-in-one printer when it runs out of ink. Consumer printer makers have long used the razor blade business model—so named after companies who sell razor handles for cheap, but the compatible replacement blades at much higher Read more about Canon Sued for Disabling All-in-One Printer When Ink Runs Out[…]

At Amazon, Some Brands Get More Protection From Fakes Than Others

Posted on by Robin Edgar

There are two classes of merchant on Amazon.com: those who get special protection from counterfeiters and those who don’t. From a report: The first category includes sellers of some big-name brands, such as Adidas, Apple and even Amazon itself. They benefit from digital fortifications that prevent unauthorized sellers from listing certain products — an iPhone, Read more about At Amazon, Some Brands Get More Protection From Fakes Than Others[…]

WhatsApp begins rolling out end-to-end encryption for chat backups

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The wait is over. It’s now possible to encrypt your WhatsApp chat history on both Android and iOS, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday. The company plans to roll out the feature slowly to ensure it can deliver a consistent and reliable experience to all users. However, once you can access the feature, it Read more about WhatsApp begins rolling out end-to-end encryption for chat backups[…]