The Linkielist

Linking ideas with the world

Twitter user hacks 50,000 printers to tell people to subscribe to PewDiePie

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A Twitter user using the pseudonym of @TheHackerGiraffe has hacked over 50,000 printers to print out flyers telling people to subscribe to PewDiePie’s YouTube channel. The messages have been sent out yesterday, November 29, and have caused quite the stirr among the users who received them, as they ended up on a bunch of places, Read more about Twitter user hacks 50,000 printers to tell people to subscribe to PewDiePie[…]

EU anti Geo-blocking comes into force: unlocking e-commerce in the EU

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Under the new rules, traders will not be able to discriminate between customers with regard to the general terms and conditions – including prices – in three cases: for goods that are either delivered in a member state to which the trader offers delivery or are collected at a location agreed with the customer for Read more about EU anti Geo-blocking comes into force: unlocking e-commerce in the EU[…]

Reports of First Genetically Enhanced Babies Spark Outrage

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Twin girls born earlier this month had their DNA altered to prevent them from contracting HIV, according to an Associated Press report. If confirmed, the births would signify the first gene-edited babies in human history—a stunning development that’s sparking an outcry from scientists and ethicists. Professor He Jiankui of Shenzhen, China, made the announcement earlier Read more about Reports of First Genetically Enhanced Babies Spark Outrage[…]

Your phone indeed has ears that you may not know about – the companies that listen to noise in the background while apps that contain their software are open

Posted on by Robin Edgar

: No, your phone is not “listening” to you in the strictest sense of the word. But, yes, all your likes, dislikes and preferences are clearly being heard by apps in your phone which you oh-so-easily clicked “agree” to the terms of which while installing. How so? If you are in India, the answer to Read more about Your phone indeed has ears that you may not know about – the companies that listen to noise in the background while apps that contain their software are open[…]

A Chinese startup may have cracked solid-state batteries

Posted on by Robin Edgar

According to Chinese media, Qing Tao Energy Development Co, a startup out of the technical Tsinghua University, has deployed a solid-state battery production line in Kunshan, East China. Reports claim the line has a capacity of 100MWh per year — which is planned to increase to 700MWh by 2020 — and that the company has Read more about A Chinese startup may have cracked solid-state batteries[…]

Creepy Chinese AI shames CEO for jaywalking on public displays throughout city – but detected the CEO on an ad on a bus

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Dong Mingzhu, chairwoman of China’s biggest maker of air conditioners Gree Electric Appliances, who found her face splashed on a huge screen erected along a street in the port city of Ningbo that displays images of people caught jaywalking by surveillance cameras. That artificial intelligence-backed surveillance system, however, erred in capturing Dong’s image on Wednesday Read more about Creepy Chinese AI shames CEO for jaywalking on public displays throughout city – but detected the CEO on an ad on a bus[…]

Be Warned: Customer Service Agents Can See What You’re Typing in Real Time on their website forms

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Next time you’re chatting with a customer service agent online, be warned that the person on the other side of your conversation might see what you’re typing in real time. A reader sent us the following transcript from a conversation he had with a mattress company after the agent responded to a message he hadn’t Read more about Be Warned: Customer Service Agents Can See What You’re Typing in Real Time on their website forms[…]

US told to quit sharing data with human rights-violating surveillance regime. Which one, you ask? That’d be the UK

Posted on by Robin Edgar

UK authorities should not be granted access to data held by American companies because British laws don’t meet human rights obligations, nine nonprofits have said. In a letter to the US Department of Justice, organisations including Human Rights Watch and the Electronic Frontier Foundation set out their concerns about the UK’s surveillance and data retention Read more about US told to quit sharing data with human rights-violating surveillance regime. Which one, you ask? That’d be the UK[…]

mobile providers in NL urged to stop killing unused data and phone minutes, as technically the user has paid for it and if they exceed the maximum they are fined

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Telecomaanbieders moeten stoppen met het laten vervallen van ongebruikte data en belminuten. Dat schrijft de Consumentenbond in een brief aan de tien grootste aanbieders. Consumenten met een mobiel abonnement verliezen nu aan het einde van iedere maand hun ongebruikte belminuten en data binnen hun bundel. Tegelijkertijd betalen ze extra voor iedere minuut of MB die Read more about mobile providers in NL urged to stop killing unused data and phone minutes, as technically the user has paid for it and if they exceed the maximum they are fined[…]

OneDrive is broken: Microsoft’s cloudy storage drops from the sky for EU users

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Oh, you tease It is OneDrive’s turn to get a beating with the stick of fail as the service took a tumble this morning. Issues first began appearing at around 08:00 GMT as users around Europe logged in, expecting to find their files, and found instead a picture of a bicycle with a flat tyre Read more about OneDrive is broken: Microsoft’s cloudy storage drops from the sky for EU users[…]

GCHQ vulnerability disclosure process and cops hacking you now need a judge to decide if it’s legal in the UK

Posted on by Robin Edgar

On the same day that certain types of British state-backed hacking now need a judge-issued warrant to carry out, GCHQ has lifted the veil and given the infosec world a glimpse inside its vuln-hoarding policies. The spying agency’s internal Equities Process is the way by which it decides whether or not to tell tech vendors Read more about GCHQ vulnerability disclosure process and cops hacking you now need a judge to decide if it’s legal in the UK[…]

Mass router hack exposes millions of devices to potent NSA exploit through UPNP

Posted on by Robin Edgar

More than 45,000 Internet routers have been compromised by a newly discovered campaign that’s designed to open networks to attacks by EternalBlue, the potent exploit that was developed by, and then stolen from, the National Security Agency and leaked to the Internet at large, researchers said Wednesday. The new attack exploits routers with vulnerable implementations Read more about Mass router hack exposes millions of devices to potent NSA exploit through UPNP[…]

In China, your car could be talking to the government

Posted on by Robin Edgar

When Shan Junhua bought his white Tesla Model X, he knew it was a fast, beautiful car. What he didn’t know is that Tesla constantly sends information about the precise location of his car to the Chinese government. Tesla is not alone. China has called upon all electric vehicle manufacturers in China to make the Read more about In China, your car could be talking to the government[…]

Companies ‘can sack workers for refusing to use fingerprint scanners’ in Australia

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Businesses using fingerprint scanners to monitor their workforce can legally sack employees who refuse to hand over biometric information on privacy grounds, the Fair Work Commission has ruled. The ruling, which will be appealed, was made in the case of Jeremy Lee, a Queensland sawmill worker who refused to comply with a new fingerprint scanning Read more about Companies ‘can sack workers for refusing to use fingerprint scanners’ in Australia[…]

Marriott’s Starwood hotels mega-hack: Half a BILLION guests’ deets exposed over 4 years

Posted on by Robin Edgar

US hotel chain Marriott has admitted that a breach of its Starwood subsidiary’s guest reservation network has exposed the entire database – all 500 million guest bookings over four years, making this one of the biggest hacks of an individual org ever. “On September 8, 2018, Marriott received an alert from an internal security tool Read more about Marriott’s Starwood hotels mega-hack: Half a BILLION guests’ deets exposed over 4 years[…]

Google wants to spy on you and then report on you

Posted on by Robin Edgar

suggesting, automatically implementing, or both suggesting and automatically implementing, one or more household policies to be implemented within a household environment. The household policies include one or more input criteria that is derivable from at least one smart device within the household environment, the one or more input criteria relating to a characteristic of the Read more about Google wants to spy on you and then report on you[…]

Google patents a way for your smart devices to spy on you, serve you ads, even if your privacy settings says no

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In some embodiments, the private network may include at least one first device that captures information about its surrounding environment, such as data about the people and/or objects in the environment. The first device may receive a set of potential content sent from a server external to the private network. The first device may select Read more about Google patents a way for your smart devices to spy on you, serve you ads, even if your privacy settings says no[…]

Paralyzed Individuals Operate Tablet with Brain Implant

Posted on by Robin Edgar

One user played Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” on an Android tablet piano app and later bought some groceries online. Another sent a few texts and then checked the weather forecast. A third browsed through some videos before firing up Stevie Nicks on Pandora. They didn’t use their fingers to type commands or their voices to Read more about Paralyzed Individuals Operate Tablet with Brain Implant[…]

First ever plane with no moving parts takes flight

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The first ever “solid state” plane, with no moving parts in its propulsion system, has successfully flown for a distance of 60 metres, proving that heavier-than-air flight is possible without jets or propellers. The flight represents a breakthrough in “ionic wind” technology, which uses a powerful electric field to generate charged nitrogen ions, which are Read more about First ever plane with no moving parts takes flight[…]

CV Compiler is a robot that fixes your resume to make you more competitive

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Machine learning is everywhere now, including recruiting. Take CV Compiler, a new product by Andrew Stetsenko and Alexandra Dosii. This web app uses machine learning to analyze and repair your technical resume, allowing you to shine to recruiters at Google, Yahoo and Facebook. The founders are marketing and HR experts who have a combined 15 Read more about CV Compiler is a robot that fixes your resume to make you more competitive[…]

Azure, Office 365 go super-secure: Multi-factor auth borked in Europe, Asia, USA – > 6 hour outage from MS – yay!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Happy Monday, everyone! Azure Multi-Factor Authentication is struggling, meaning that some users with the functionality enabled are now super secure. And, er, locked out. Microsoft confirmed that there were problems from 04:39 UTC with a subset of customers in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific experiencing “difficulties signing into Azure resources” such as the, er, little Read more about Azure, Office 365 go super-secure: Multi-factor auth borked in Europe, Asia, USA – > 6 hour outage from MS – yay![…]

Dutch Gov sees Office 365 spying on you, sending your texts to US servers without recourse or knowledge

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Uit het rapport van de Nederlandse overheid blijkt dat de telemetrie-functie van alle Office 365 en Office ProPlus-applicaties onder andere e-mail-onderwerpen en woorden/zinnen die met behulp van de spellingschecker of vertaalfunctie zijn geschreven worden doorgestuurd naar systemen in de Verenigde Staten. Dit gaat zelfs zo ver dat, als een gebruiker meerdere keren achter elkaar op Read more about Dutch Gov sees Office 365 spying on you, sending your texts to US servers without recourse or knowledge[…]

LastPass Five-hour outage drives netizens bonkers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

LastPass’s cloud service suffered a five-hour outage today that left some people unable to use the password manager to log into their internet accounts. Its makers said offline mode wasn’t affected – and that only its cloud-based password storage fell offline – although some Twitter folks disagreed. One claimed to be unable to log into Read more about LastPass Five-hour outage drives netizens bonkers[…]