The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift fiasco sparks Senate antitrust hearing

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Kevin Mazur via Getty Images Ticketmaster’s chaotic handling of Taylor Swift’s tour ticket sales has brought the company under increased scrutiny, including from lawmakers. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights, have announced a hearing to gather Read more about Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift fiasco sparks Senate antitrust hearing[…]

Meta researchers create AI that masters Diplomacy, tricking human players | Ars Technica

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On Tuesday, Meta AI announced the development of Cicero, which it claims is the first AI to achieve human-level performance in the strategic board game Diplomacy. It’s a notable achievement because the game requires deep interpersonal negotiation skills, which implies that Cicero has obtained a certain mastery of language necessary to win the game. […] Read more about Meta researchers create AI that masters Diplomacy, tricking human players | Ars Technica[…]

Mercedes locks faster acceleration behind a yearly $1,200 subscription – the car can already go faster, they slowed you down

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Mercedes is the latest manufacturer to lock auto features behind a subscription fee, with an upcoming “Acceleration Increase” add-on that lets drivers pay to access motor performance their vehicle is already capable of. The $1,200 yearly subscription improves performance by boosting output from the motors by 20–24 percent, increasing torque, and shaving around 0.8 to Read more about Mercedes locks faster acceleration behind a yearly $1,200 subscription – the car can already go faster, they slowed you down[…]

Unstable Diffusion Discord Server – AI generated NSFW

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Unstable Diffusion is a server dedicated to the creation and sharing of AI generated NSFW. We will seek to provide resources and mutual assistance to anyone attempting to make erotica, we will share prompts and artwork and tools specifically designed to get the most out of your generations, whether you’re using tools from the present Read more about Unstable Diffusion Discord Server – AI generated NSFW[…]

Token tactics: How to prevent, detect, and respond to cloud token theft

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Recently, the Microsoft Detection and Response Team (DART) has seen an increase in attackers utilizing token theft for this purpose. By compromising and replaying a token issued to an identity that has already completed multifactor authentication, the threat actor satisfies the validation of MFA and access is granted to organizational resources accordingly. This poses Read more about Token tactics: How to prevent, detect, and respond to cloud token theft[…]

ID.me Lied About Its Facial Recognition Tech

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] New evidence shows that ID.me “inaccurately overstated its capacity to conduct identity verification services to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and made baseless claims about the amount of federal funds lost to pandemic fraud in an apparent attempt to increase demand for its identity verification services,” according to a new report from the two Read more about ID.me Lied About Its Facial Recognition Tech[…]

Spinning Language Models: backdooring AI learning to output propaganda

Posted on by Robin Edgar

We investigate a new threat to neural sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq) models: training-time attacks that cause models to “spin” their outputs so as to support an adversary-chosen sentiment or point of view — but only when the input contains adversary-chosen trigger words. For example, a spinned summarization model outputs positive summaries of any text that mentions the Read more about Spinning Language Models: backdooring AI learning to output propaganda[…]

Fix the Android Security Flaw That Lets Anyone Unlock Your Phone

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] If an attacker inserts their own SIM into a target’s Android, then enters the wrong SIM PIN three times, they can enter their SIM’s PUK to be able to create a new SIM PIN. Once they do, they bypass the lock screen entirely and access the phone. You can watch the hypothetical attack play Read more about Fix the Android Security Flaw That Lets Anyone Unlock Your Phone[…]

Russian software disguised as American finds its way into U.S. Army, CDC apps

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Thousands of smartphone applications in Apple (AAPL.O) and Google’s (GOOGL.O) online stores contain computer code developed by a technology company, Pushwoosh, that presents itself as based in the United States, but is actually Russian, Reuters has found. […] The U.S. Army said it had removed an app containing Pushwoosh code in March because of the Read more about Russian software disguised as American finds its way into U.S. Army, CDC apps[…]

Google Settles 40 States’ Location Data Suit for only $392 Million

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google agreed to a $391.5 million dollar settlement on Monday to end a lawsuit accusing the tech giant of tricking users with location data privacy settings that didn’t actually turn off data collection. The payout, the result of a suit brought by 40 state attorneys general, marks one of the biggest privacy settlements in history. Read more about Google Settles 40 States’ Location Data Suit for only $392 Million[…]

Introducing Shufflecake: plausible deniability for multiple hidden filesystems on Linux

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Today we are excited to release Shufflecake, a tool aimed at helping people whose freedom of expression is threatened by repressive authorities or dangerous criminal organizations, in particular: whistleblowers, investigative journalists, and activists for human rights in oppressive regimes. Shufflecake is FLOSS (Free/Libre, Open Source Software). Source code in C is available and released under Read more about Introducing Shufflecake: plausible deniability for multiple hidden filesystems on Linux[…]

AG Recruitment hires Seasonal workers, makes them pay a year’s salary on flights, then dumps them after 2 months leaving them hugely in debt

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nepali workers hired to pick fruit on British farms say they have been left thousands of pounds in debt after being sent home only weeks after they arrived. The fruit pickers were recruited under the government’s seasonal worker scheme and say they were offered work for six months. But less than two months after arriving, Read more about AG Recruitment hires Seasonal workers, makes them pay a year’s salary on flights, then dumps them after 2 months leaving them hugely in debt[…]

In England they need a new law forcing care homes to allow visitors for their residents

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The care minister Helen Whately said stopping relatives from visiting loved ones in care homes as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19 showed “a lack of humanity”. Legislation is being planned to give care home residents and hospital patients the legal right to see guests, according to the Times, prompting fury from the Read more about In England they need a new law forcing care homes to allow visitors for their residents[…]

Apple Vanquishes Evil YouTube Account Full Of Old Apple WWDC Videos

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Many of you are likely to be familiar with WWDC, Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference. This is one of those places where you get a bunch of Apple product reveals and news updates that typically result in the press tripping all over themselves to bow at the altar of an iPhone 300 or whatever. The conference Read more about Apple Vanquishes Evil YouTube Account Full Of Old Apple WWDC Videos[…]

Lenovo driver goof poses security risk for users of 25 notebook models

Posted on by Robin Edgar

More than two dozen Lenovo notebook models are vulnerable to malicious hacks that disable the UEFI secure-boot process and then run unsigned UEFI apps or load bootloaders that permanently backdoor a device, researchers warned on Wednesday. At the same time that researchers from security firm ESET disclosed the vulnerabilities, the notebook maker released security updates Read more about Lenovo driver goof poses security risk for users of 25 notebook models[…]

FTC Restores Rigorous Enforcement of Law Banning Unfair Methods of Competition, Might give them some teeth against mono/duopolists

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Federal Trade Commission issued a statement today that restores the agency’s policy of rigorously enforcing the federal ban on unfair methods of competition. Congress gave the FTC the unique authority to identify and police against these practices, beyond what the other antitrust statutes cover. But in recent years the agency has not always carried Read more about FTC Restores Rigorous Enforcement of Law Banning Unfair Methods of Competition, Might give them some teeth against mono/duopolists[…]

Windows 11’s Task Manager is finally getting a search box to help you find misbehaving apps

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Microsoft has started testing a new search and filtering system for the Task Manager on Windows 11. It will allow Windows users to easily search for a misbehaving app and end its process or quickly create a dump file, enable efficiency mode, and more. “This is the top feature request from our users to Read more about Windows 11’s Task Manager is finally getting a search box to help you find misbehaving apps[…]

New Drug Reverses Neural and Cognitive Effects of a Concussion

Posted on by Robin Edgar

UCSF researchers use ISRIB to block the molecular stress response in order to restore cognitive function. ISRIB, a tiny molecule identified by University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers can repair the neural and cognitive effects of concussion in mice weeks after the damage, according to a new study. ISRIB blocks the integrated stress response Read more about New Drug Reverses Neural and Cognitive Effects of a Concussion[…]

Medibank: Hackers release abortion data after stealing Australian medical records

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Hackers who stole customer data from Australia’s largest health insurer Medibank have released a file of pregnancy terminations. It follows Medibank’s refusal to pay a ransom for the data, supported by the Australian government. Medibank urged the public to not seek out the files, which contain the names of policy holders rather than patients. CEO Read more about Medibank: Hackers release abortion data after stealing Australian medical records[…]

Antitrust Lawsuit Says Apple and Amazon Colluded to Raise iPhone, iPad Prices

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A new antitrust class-action lawsuit accuses Apple Inc. and Amazon.com of colluding to raise the price of iPhones and iPads, […] The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington accuses Apple and Amazon of seeking to eliminate third-party Apple resellers on Amazon Marketplace in a scheme to stifle competition, Read more about Antitrust Lawsuit Says Apple and Amazon Colluded to Raise iPhone, iPad Prices[…]

Egypt’s COP27 summit app can read your emails and encrypted messages, scan your device, send your location

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Western security advisers are warning delegates at the COP27 climate summit not to download the host Egyptian government’s official smartphone app, amid fears it could be used to hack their private emails, texts and even voice conversations. […] The potential vulnerability from the Android app, which has been downloaded thousands of times and provides a Read more about Egypt’s COP27 summit app can read your emails and encrypted messages, scan your device, send your location[…]

Apple Apps Track You Even With Privacy Protections on – and they hoover a LOT

Posted on by Robin Edgar

For all of Apple’s talk about how private your iPhone is, the company vacuums up a lot of data about you. iPhones do have a privacy setting that is supposed to turn off that tracking. According to a new report by independent researchers, though, Apple collects extremely detailed information on you with its own apps Read more about Apple Apps Track You Even With Privacy Protections on – and they hoover a LOT[…]

In France, all large parking lots now have to be covered by solar panels

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In France, solar just got a huge boost from new legislation approved through the Senate this week that requires all parking lots with spaces for at least 80 vehicles – both existing and new – be covered by solar panels. The new provisions are part of French president Emmanuel Macron’s large-scale plan to heavily invest Read more about In France, all large parking lots now have to be covered by solar panels[…]

State of Gaming VR for PC in 2022 – and other things the sites don’t tell you

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Despite VR having been hyped up for the last couple of years, not very much has happened in the past two years. The hardware has not really refreshed, but this year at least one new exciting entry has come in and another is promised. Search results of reviews usually have the same group of suspects Read more about State of Gaming VR for PC in 2022 – and other things the sites don’t tell you[…]