The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

Scientists Beam Space-Based Solar Power to Earth for First Time

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The experiment is a part of Caltech’s Space Solar Power Project, and the institute announced a successful transmission via press release yesterday. The researchers conducted the power transfer experiment using the Microwave Array for Power-transfer Low-orbit Experiment, or MAPLE, which is a small prototype aboard the in-orbit Space Solar Power Demonstrator (SSPD-1) that launched Read more about Scientists Beam Space-Based Solar Power to Earth for First Time[…]

US judge grants final approval to Apple’s $50m broken ‘butterfly’ keyboard settlement

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A US federal court this week gave final approval to the $50 million class-action settlement Apple came to last July resolving claims the company knew about and concealed the unreliable nature of keyboards on MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro computers released between 2015 and 2019. Per Reuters (via 9to5Mac), Judge Edward Davila on Thursday Read more about US judge grants final approval to Apple’s $50m broken ‘butterfly’ keyboard settlement[…]

Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane

Posted on by Robin Edgar

That’s right: New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority is asking that its national airline weigh passengers departing on international flights from Auckland International Airport through July 2, 2023. The program, which Air New Zealand calls a passenger weight survey, is a way to gather data on the weight load and distribution for planes, the airline said. Read more about Air New Zealand to weigh passengers before they board the airplane[…]

Millions of Gigabyte Motherboards Were Sold With a Firmware Backdoor for updates

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Researchers at firmware-focused cybersecurity company Eclypsium revealed today that they’ve discovered a hidden mechanism in the firmware of motherboards sold by the Taiwanese manufacturer Gigabyte, […] the hidden code is meant to be an innocuous tool to keep the motherboard’s firmware updated, researchers found that it’s implemented insecurely, potentially allowing the mechanism to be Read more about Millions of Gigabyte Motherboards Were Sold With a Firmware Backdoor for updates[…]

Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, children, FTC says in privacy settlement

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A former employee of Amazon.com’s Ring doorbell camera unit spied for months on female customers in 2017 with cameras placed in bedrooms and bathrooms, the Federal Trade Commission said in a court filing on Wednesday when it announced a $5.8 million settlement with the company over privacy violations. Amazon also agreed to pay $25 million Read more about Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, children, FTC says in privacy settlement[…]

Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Authority Under the Clean Water Act – yay, trash the USA!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The U.S. Supreme Court Court on Thursday significantly curtailed the power of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the nation’s wetlands and waterways. It was the court’s second decision in a year limiting the ability of the agency to enact anti-pollution regulations and combat climate change. The challenge to the regulations was brought by Michael Read more about Supreme Court Limits EPA’s Authority Under the Clean Water Act – yay, trash the USA![…]

Virgin Galactic flies final test before opening for business

Posted on by Robin Edgar

At 0915 Mountain Time (1515 UTC), the VMS Eve mothership took off from New Mexico’s Spaceport America, carrying its spacecraft to an altitude of 44,500 feet (over 13.5km). Pilots on VSS Unity, which rides along with VMS Eve, then fired its rockets to take its six passengers even higher – to 54.2 miles (over 87.2km) Read more about Virgin Galactic flies final test before opening for business[…]

New superbug-killing antibiotic discovered using AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Scientists have used artificial intelligence (AI) to discover a new antibiotic that can kill a deadly species of superbug. The AI helped narrow down thousands of potential chemicals to a handful that could be tested in the laboratory. The result was a potent, experimental antibiotic called abaucin, which will need further tests before being used. Read more about New superbug-killing antibiotic discovered using AI[…]

Google bans Downloader app after TV firms complain it can load a pirate website – Firefox, Opera, IE, Chrome, Safari: look out!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Google Play Store suspended an app that combines a web browser with a file manager after a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) complaint pointed out that the app is capable of loading a piracy website—even though that same pirate website can be loaded on any standard browser, including Google Chrome. The free app, which Read more about Google bans Downloader app after TV firms complain it can load a pirate website – Firefox, Opera, IE, Chrome, Safari: look out![…]

Brute-force attack bypasses Android biometric fingerprint defense

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Chinese researchers say they successfully bypassed fingerprint authentication safeguards on smartphones by staging a brute force attack. Researchers at Zhejiang University and Tencent Labs capitalized on vulnerabilities of modern smartphone fingerprint scanners to stage their break-in operation, which they named BrutePrint. Their findings are published on the arXiv preprint server. A flaw in the Match-After-Lock Read more about Brute-force attack bypasses Android biometric fingerprint defense[…]

A Paralyzed Man Can Walk Naturally Again With ML Brain and Spine Implants

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Gert-Jan Oskam was living in China in 2011 when he was in a motorcycle accident that left him paralyzed from the hips down. Now, with a combination of devices, scientists have given him control over his lower body again. “For 12 years I’ve been trying to get back my feet,” Mr. Oskam said in a Read more about A Paralyzed Man Can Walk Naturally Again With ML Brain and Spine Implants[…]

SkyFi lets you order up fresh satellite imagery in real time with a click

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Commercial Earth-observation companies collect an unprecedented volume of images and data every single day, but purchasing even a single satellite image can be cumbersome and time-intensive. SkyFi, a two-year-old startup, is looking to change that with an app and API that makes ordering a satellite image as easy as a click of a few buttons Read more about SkyFi lets you order up fresh satellite imagery in real time with a click[…]

Samsung Display demos long rollable and a health-sensing OLED

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Rollable Flex is an interesting new flexible screen from Samsung Display that can be unrolled from just 49mm to 254.4mm, over five times its length. The display is being shown off at the annual Display Week trade show in Los Angeles alongside another Samsung panel that the company says offers fingerprint and blood pressure Read more about Samsung Display demos long rollable and a health-sensing OLED[…]

Samsung’s new Sensor OLED display can read fingerprints anywhere on the screen

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Samsung has unveiled a new display technology that could lead to new biometric and health-related capabilities in future phones and tablets. The tech giant has debuted what it calls the Sensor OLED Display that can read your fingerprints regardless of what part of the screen you touch at this year’s SID Display Week in LA. Read more about Samsung’s new Sensor OLED display can read fingerprints anywhere on the screen[…]

Meta’s open-source speech AI recognizes over 4,000 spoken languages | Engadget

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Meta has created an AI language model that (in a refreshing change of pace) isn’t a ChatGPT clone. The company’s Massively Multilingual Speech (MMS) project can recognize over 4,000 spoken languages and produce speech (text-to-speech) in over 1,100. Like most of its other publicly announced AI projects, Meta is open-sourcing MMS today to help preserve Read more about Meta’s open-source speech AI recognizes over 4,000 spoken languages | Engadget[…]

Establishing a wildflower meadow bolstered biodiversity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, study finds

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A new study examining the effects of planting a wildflower meadow in the historic grounds of King’s College, Cambridge, has demonstrated its benefits to local biodiversity and climate change mitigation.   The study, led by King’s Research Fellow Dr. Cicely Marshall, found that establishing the meadow had made a considerable impact to the wildlife value Read more about Establishing a wildflower meadow bolstered biodiversity and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, study finds[…]

Brain waves can tell us how much pain someone is in

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Brain signals can be used to detect how much pain a person is experiencing, which could overhaul how we treat certain chronic pain conditions, a new study has suggested. The research, published in Nature Neuroscience today, is the first time a human’s chronic-pain-related brain signals have been recorded. It could aid the development of personalized Read more about Brain waves can tell us how much pain someone is in[…]

Meta ordered to suspend Facebook EU data flows as it’s hit with record €1.2BN privacy fine under GDPR – 10 years and 3 court cases later

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Today the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) announced that Meta has been fined €1.2 billion (close to $1.3 billion) — which the Board confirmed is the largest fine ever issued under the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). (The prior record goes to Amazon which was stung for $887 million for misusing customers data Read more about Meta ordered to suspend Facebook EU data flows as it’s hit with record €1.2BN privacy fine under GDPR – 10 years and 3 court cases later[…]

HP Can’t Fix Bricked Printers After Faulty Firmware Update which bricked non HP-ink cartridges

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Last week the Telegraph reported that a recent firmware update to HP printers “prevents customers from using any cartridges other than those fitted with an HP chip, which are often more expensive. If the customer tries to use a non-HP ink cartridge, the printer will refuse to print.” Some HP “Officejet” printers can disable this Read more about HP Can’t Fix Bricked Printers After Faulty Firmware Update which bricked non HP-ink cartridges[…]

How a 35-year-old weed smoker behind 10 million scam calls made his fortune

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Millions of people get phone calls from scammers and wonder who is at the other end. Now we know: rather than someone in a call centre far away, a “bright young man” living in a lush flat in London has been unmasked as the mastermind behind so many of these calls. Tejay Fletcher’s trial exposed Read more about How a 35-year-old weed smoker behind 10 million scam calls made his fortune[…]

Online age verification is coming, and privacy is on the chopping block

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A spate of child safety rules might make going online in a few years very different, and not just for kids. In 2022 and 2023, numerous states and countries are exploring age verification requirements for the internet, either as an implicit demand or a formal rule. The laws are positioned as a way to protect Read more about Online age verification is coming, and privacy is on the chopping block[…]

The Supreme Court’s Warhol decision could have huge copyright implications for ‘fair use’, apparently made by blind judges

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Supreme Court has ruled that Andy Warhol has infringed on the copyright of Lynn Goldsmith, the photographer who took the image that he used for his famous silkscreen of the musician Prince. Goldsmith won the justices over 7-2, disagreeing with Warhol’s camp that his work was transformative enough to prevent any copyright claims. In Read more about The Supreme Court’s Warhol decision could have huge copyright implications for ‘fair use’, apparently made by blind judges[…]

Automakers Are Making Basic Car Functions A Costly Subscription Service… Whether You Like It Or Not

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Automakers are increasingly obsessed with turning everything into a subscription service in a bid to boost quarterly returns. We’ve noted how BMW has embraced making heated seats and other features already in your car a subscription service, and Mercedes has been making better gas and EV engine performance something you have to pay extra for Read more about Automakers Are Making Basic Car Functions A Costly Subscription Service… Whether You Like It Or Not[…]

Logitech partners with iFixit for self-repairs

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hanging on to your favorite wireless mouse just got a little easier thanks to a new partnership between Logitech and DIY repair specialists iFixit. The two companies are working together to reduce unnecessary e-waste and help customers repair their own out-of-warranty Logitech hardware by supplying spare parts, batteries, and repair guides for “select products.” Everything Read more about Logitech partners with iFixit for self-repairs[…]

Human DNA can be pulled from the air: A Boon For Science, While Terrifying Others

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Environmental DNA sampling is nothing new. Rather than having to spot or catch an animal, instead the DNA from the traces they leave can be sampled, giving clues about their genetic diversity, their lineage (e.g. via mitochondrial DNA) and the population’s health. What caught University of Florida (UoF) researchers by surprise while they were using Read more about Human DNA can be pulled from the air: A Boon For Science, While Terrifying Others[…]