Sunday, October 07, 2018

I admit I’m not sure what is going on here.
The Chinese Motherboard Hack Is a Crisis, Even If It Didn’t Really Happen
… The report claims that Chinese spies systematically infiltrated U.S. corporate and government computer systems by installing hardware exploits on the motherboards of servers destined for widespread use, from video-streaming services to the CIA. According to Businessweek, the infected machines provided a backdoor into any network on which the machines were installed. The reporting claims that at least 30 U.S. companies were affected, including Apple and Amazon, the most valuable companies in the world. Both companies have vociferously denied the claims, but Bloomberg stands by its story.




The other half of this problem is, no matter what the initial password is, users will want a simple password.
I’m really going to miss California when it falls off into the Pacific some day.
Zack Whittaker reports:
Good news!
California has passed a law banning default passwords like “admin,” “123456” and the old classic “password” in all new consumer electronics starting in 2020.
Every new gadget built in the state from routers to smart home tech will have to come with “reasonable” security features out of the box . The law specifically calls for each device to come with a preprogrammed password “unique to each device.”
It also mandates that any new device “contains a security feature that requires a user to generate a new means of authentication before access is granted to the device for the first time,” forcing users to change the unique password to something new as soon as it’s switched on for the first time.
Read more on TechCrunch.




With anonymity comes a release from morality? I guess there are sick minds everywhere. I hope this does not become a “thing” for high school kids. Should you shoot a video of the people near you? I’m assuming that the weirdo wants to be close to see your reaction.
Simple fix will stop your iPhone from receiving sexually explicit pictures via AirDrop
Apple's AirDrop feature allows an iPhone user to send photos, videos, documents and other files to other iPhone units nearby. For AirDrop to work, both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth have to be turned on. But some iPhone users are taking advantage of this technology to send sexually explicit pictures to strangers. This act even has its own name, "cyber-flashing."
… There is a way to prevent your iPhone from receiving images sent via AirDrop without having to turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Go to Settings and tap on General. Click on AirDrop. You will have the option of making your phone discoverable to "Everyone," or your "Contacts only."




Like Science Fiction, but with Grants.
University of Minnesota research shows how roads can be greener with driverless vehicles
… The move to wrest the controls from human drivers is gaining traction. The U has just received a $1.75 million grant from the National Science Foundation to further study autonomous vehicles and the future of transportation services.
… Already, researchers see big potential in an anticipated ability of autonomous vehicles to follow more precise paths, allowing roads to be much narrower, freeing up land for other purposes. Car sharing may increase, allowing back alleys to be redeveloped into pocket parks. Parking lots could become wetlands or ponds.
… Fully autonomous vehicles are expected to be available to consumers by 2025, according to a study by the National League of Cities.




He IS talking about the White House!


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