Author: Robin Edgar

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

Millions Experience Browser Problems After Long-Anticipated Expiration of IdentTrust DST Root CA X3 SSL Certificate

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“The expiration of a key digital encryption service on Thursday sent major tech companies nationwide scrambling to deal with internet outages that affected millions of online users,” reports the Washington Examiner. The expiring certificate was issued by Let’s Encrypt — though ZDNet notes there’s been lots of warnings about its pending expiration: Digital Shadows senior Read more about Millions Experience Browser Problems After Long-Anticipated Expiration of IdentTrust DST Root CA X3 SSL Certificate[…]

Just How Much Time Do We Spend On Our Phones?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Just How Much Time Do We Spend On Our Phones? Phones have become so essential that it’s become tough to imagine our lives without them. What’s funny about this is that most people alive today can remember a time when we didn’t have cell phones, let alone smartphones. Even so, it’s difficult to recall exactly Read more about Just How Much Time Do We Spend On Our Phones?[…]

Hackers Rob Thousands Coinbase Customers through SMS MFA Flaw – discloses today, happened around the IPO

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Coinbase, a major U.S.-based bitcoin and cryptocurrency exchange, disclosed today that a hacker was able to bypass the company’s SMS multi-factor authentication mechanism and steal funds from 6,000 users, Bleeping Computer reported. The breach of Coinbase customers’ accounts happened between March and May 20, 2021, in a hacking campaign that combined phishing scams and a Read more about Hackers Rob Thousands Coinbase Customers through SMS MFA Flaw – discloses today, happened around the IPO[…]

Knowbots – the first way to search, relevant again?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Back before the search engines, the internet was relatively small but still growing enough that it needed searching. Computers were slower so the speed with which we expect results from Google was impossible. In order to search the internet, Gopher users had Archie, Veroncia and Jughead as well as lists of known Gopher servers – Read more about Knowbots – the first way to search, relevant again?[…]

Google (G00G) Urges EU Judges to Slash ‘Staggering’ $5 Billion Fine

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google called on European Union judges to cut or cancel a “staggering” 4.3 billion euro ($5 billion) antitrust fine because the search giant never intended to harm rivals. The company “could not have known its conduct was an abuse” when it struck contracts with Android mobile phone makers that required them to take its search Read more about Google (G00G) Urges EU Judges to Slash ‘Staggering’ $5 Billion Fine[…]

Lawsuit prepped against Google for using Brit patients’ data

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A UK law firm is bringing legal action on behalf of patients it says had their confidential medical records obtained by Google and DeepMind Technologies in breach of data protection laws. Mishcon de Reya said today it planned a representative action on behalf of Mr Andrew Prismall and the approximately 1.6 million individuals whose data Read more about Lawsuit prepped against Google for using Brit patients’ data[…]

New GriftHorse malware has infected more than 10 million Android phones

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Security researchers have found a massive malware operation that has infected more than 10 million Android smartphones across more than 70 countries since at least November 2020 and is making millions of dollars for its operators on a monthly basis. Discovered by mobile security firm Zimperium, the new GriftHorse malware has been distributed via benign-looking apps uploaded Read more about New GriftHorse malware has infected more than 10 million Android phones[…]

Unpatched flaw creates ‘weaponised’ Apple AirTags

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Should your AirTag-equipped thing not be where you thought it was, you can enable Lost Mode. When in Lost Mode, an AirTag scanned via NFC provides a unique URL which lets the finder get in contact with the loser – and it’s this page where security researcher Bobby Rauch discovered a concerning vulnerability. “An Read more about Unpatched flaw creates ‘weaponised’ Apple AirTags[…]

CRISPR Gene-Editing Experiment using direct injection Partly Restores Vision In Legally Blind Patients

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Carlene Knight’s vision was so bad that she couldn’t even maneuver around the call center where she works using her cane. But that’s changed as a result of volunteering for a landmark medical experiment. Her vision has improved enough for her to make out doorways, navigate hallways, spot objects and even see colors. Knight is Read more about CRISPR Gene-Editing Experiment using direct injection Partly Restores Vision In Legally Blind Patients[…]

China to have insight into and regulate web giants’ algorithms using governance model

Posted on by Robin Edgar

China’s authorities have called for internet companies to create a governance system for their algorithms. A set of guiding opinions on algorithms, issued overnight by nine government agencies, explains that algorithms play a big role in disseminating information online and enabling growth of the digital economy. But the guiding opinions also point out that algorithms Read more about China to have insight into and regulate web giants’ algorithms using governance model[…]

Leaked Documents Show How Amazon’s Astro Robot Tracks Everything You Do – incompetently

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon’s new robot called Astro is designed to track the behavior of everyone in your home to help it perform its surveillance and helper duties, according to leaked internal development documents and video recordings of Astro software development meetings obtained by Motherboard. The system’s person recognition system is heavily flawed, according to two sources who Read more about Leaked Documents Show How Amazon’s Astro Robot Tracks Everything You Do – incompetently[…]

Face ID on the iPhone 13 stops working if a third-party replaces the phone’s display

Posted on by Robin Edgar

With the addition of features like a 120Hz display on some models, Apple’s iPhone 13 lineup is many ways a step above the phones the company shipped last year. But when it comes to the question of repairability, the story is more complicated. Conducting a teardown of the device, iFixit found it couldn’t get the Read more about Face ID on the iPhone 13 stops working if a third-party replaces the phone’s display[…]

A Tesla Big Battery Is Getting Sued Over Power Grid Failures In Australia for not providing promised backup

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Tesla’s Big Battery, located in southern Australia, just got hit with a federal lawsuit for failing to provide the crucial grid support it once promised it could. Built by Tesla in 2017, the 150-megawatt battery supplies 189 megawatt-hours of storage and was designed to support the grid when it becomes overloaded. Now operated by French Read more about A Tesla Big Battery Is Getting Sued Over Power Grid Failures In Australia for not providing promised backup[…]

Samsung’s has larger, stretchier OLED display that looks a bit like a rubber sheet

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hot on the heels of LG’s “Real Folding Window” showcase, Samsung is taking its moment to shine with a new stretchable OLED display demo. At this week’s Global Tech Korea 2021, Samsung presented an impressive 13-inch OLED panel that appears to stretch at varying degrees. The panel displayed a video of lava flowing while different Read more about Samsung’s has larger, stretchier OLED display that looks a bit like a rubber sheet[…]

Bing Search Results Erases Images Of ‘Tank Man’ On Anniversary Of Tiananmen Square Crackdown (2021)

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests, internet users noticed Microsoft’s Bing search engine was producing some interesting results. Or, rather, it wasn’t producing expected search results for some possibly interesting reasons. Users searching for the most iconic image of the protests — that of the unidentified person known only as “Tank Man” — Read more about Bing Search Results Erases Images Of ‘Tank Man’ On Anniversary Of Tiananmen Square Crackdown (2021)[…]

Marvel Files Lawsuit to Keep Iron Man, Spider-Man Rights From Creators

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The families of iconic Marvel comic book writers and artists Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Gene Colan, and Don Rico have filed termination of copyright notices on the superheroes they helped create. Marvel—which Disney has owned since 2009—unsurprisingly, disagrees and has filed lawsuits against all five to keep the characters in the Marvel stable Read more about Marvel Files Lawsuit to Keep Iron Man, Spider-Man Rights From Creators[…]

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Feature Doesn’t Stop Tracking

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In 2014, some very pervy creeps stole some very personal iCloud photos from some very high-profile celebs and put them on the open web, creating one very specific PR crisis for Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. The company was about to roll out Apple Pay as part of its latest software update, a process that took Read more about Apple’s App Tracking Transparency Feature Doesn’t Stop Tracking[…]

110,000 Affected by Epik Breach – Including Those Who Trusted Epik to Hide Their Identity as hate mongerers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Epik’s massive data breach is already affecting lives. Today the Washington Post describes a real estate agent in Pompano Beach who urged buyers on Facebook to move to “the most beautiful State.” His name and personal details “were found on invoices suggesting he had once paid for websites with names such as racisminc.com, whitesencyclopedia.com, christiansagainstisrael.com Read more about 110,000 Affected by Epik Breach – Including Those Who Trusted Epik to Hide Their Identity as hate mongerers[…]

Microsoft Exchange protocol can leak credentials cleartext

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A flaw in Microsoft’s Autodiscover protocol, used to configure Exchange clients like Outlook, can cause user credentials to leak to miscreants in certain circumstances. The upshot is that your Exchange-connected email client may give away your username and password to a stranger, if the flaw is successfully exploited. In a report scheduled to be published Read more about Microsoft Exchange protocol can leak credentials cleartext[…]

Apple Confirms Fortnite Won’t Come Back to iPhones Anytime Soon

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today, Tim Sweeney confirmed on Twitter just how massive of an “L” Epic took in its recent trial against Apple. Apple has effectively “blacklisted” Fortnite from all Apple products until the legal clash between the two massive corporations reaches its conclusion, which could take as long as five years. (It’s even longer in Peely years.) Read more about Apple Confirms Fortnite Won’t Come Back to iPhones Anytime Soon[…]

Lithuania tells citizens to throw Xiaomi mobiles away for censoring functionality

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In an audit it published yesterday [PDF] the agency called out Xiaomi’s Mi 10T 5G phone handset firmware for being able to censor terms such as “Free Tibet”, “Long live Taiwan independence” or “democracy movement”. Defence Deputy Minister Margiris Abukevicius told reporters at the audit’s release: “Our recommendation is to not buy new Chinese phones, Read more about Lithuania tells citizens to throw Xiaomi mobiles away for censoring functionality[…]

Ministry of Defence: Another huge Afghanistan email blunder

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A second leak of personal data was reportedly committed by the Ministry of Defence, raising further questions about the ministry’s commitment to the safety of people in Afghanistan, some of whom are its own former employees. The BBC reported overnight that the details of a further 55 Afghans  – claimed to be candidates for potential relocation Read more about Ministry of Defence: Another huge Afghanistan email blunder[…]

A Stalkerware Firm Is Leaking Real-Time Screenshots of People’s Phones Online

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A stalkerware company that’s designed to let customers spy on their spouses’s, children’s, or employees’ devices is exposing victims’ data, allowing anyone on the internet to see screenshots of phones simply by visiting a specific URL. The news highlights the continuing lax security practices that many stalkerware companies use; not only do these companies sometimes Read more about A Stalkerware Firm Is Leaking Real-Time Screenshots of People’s Phones Online[…]

Apple miffed by EU’s ‘strict’ one-size-fits-all charger plan

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Smartphones, tablets, and cameras sold within the European Union could be forced to adopt a single standard charging port by the middle of the decade if the latest plans from the European Commission get the go-ahead. The proposals for a revised Radio Equipment Directive would mean that charging port and fast-charging technology would be “harmonised” Read more about Apple miffed by EU’s ‘strict’ one-size-fits-all charger plan[…]

Hackers leak LinkedIn 700 million June data scrape

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A collection containing data about more than 700 million users, believed to have been scraped from LinkedIn, was leaked online this week after hackers previously tried to sell it earlier this year in June. The collection, obtained by The Record from a source, is currently being shared in private Telegram channels in the form of a torrent file Read more about Hackers leak LinkedIn 700 million June data scrape[…]