John Ribeiro
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Angry Shadow Brokers release password for suspected NSA hacking tools
Annoyed with the U.S. missile strike last week on an airfield in Syria, among other things, hacker group Shadow Brokers resurfaced on Saturday and released what they said was the password to files containing suspected National Security Agency tools they had earlier tried to sell.“Is appearing you are abandoning ‘your base’, ‘the movement’, and the peoples who getting you elected,” the group wrote in broken English in a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump posted online on Saturday.The hacker group, believed by some security experts to have Russian links, released in January an arsenal of tools that appeared designed to spy on Windows systems, after trying to to sell these and other supposedly Windows and Unix hacking tools for bitcoin.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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US FCC said to have a plan for rollback of net neutrality rules
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has disclosed preliminary plans to roll back some of the net neutrality provisions in the U.S., which could be put to vote as soon as May or June, according to news reports.In a meeting this week with industry associations, Pai is said to have outlined a plan that would do away with the classification of broadband providers as common carriers subject to the oversight of the FCC.The new proposal would, however, require the broadband providers to promise to preserve net neutrality principles such as by not blocking or prioritizing Internet traffic, according to the news reports.The reclassification of broadband as a public regulated utility was part of a move by the previous administration of President Barack Obama to preserve net neutrality in the U.S. The FCC voted 3-2 in February 2015 to reclassify broadband as a regulated public utility by invoking Title II of the Communications Act, thus prohibiting providers from selectively blocking or throttling or offering paid prioritization of Internet traffic.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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US FCC said to have a plan for rollback of net neutrality rules
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has disclosed preliminary plans to roll back some of the net neutrality provisions in the U.S., which could be put to vote as soon as May or June, according to news reports.In a meeting this week with industry associations, Pai is said to have outlined a plan that would do away with the classification of broadband providers as common carriers subject to the oversight of the FCC.The new proposal would, however, require the broadband providers to promise to preserve net neutrality principles such as by not blocking or prioritizing Internet traffic, according to the news reports.The reclassification of broadband as a public regulated utility was part of a move by the previous administration of President Barack Obama to preserve net neutrality in the U.S. The FCC voted 3-2 in February 2015 to reclassify broadband as a regulated public utility by invoking Title II of the Communications Act, thus prohibiting providers from selectively blocking or throttling or offering paid prioritization of Internet traffic.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Samsung’s profit soars after recovery from Note7 debacle
The costly Galaxy Note7 debacle, which led to the recall of about 3 million smartphones because of overheating batteries, seems to be behind Samsung Electronics, with the company forecasting a 48 percent growth in operating profit in the first quarter.Samsung has not had a new flagship smartphone on the shelves ever since it stopped production of the Note7 in October after replacement phones shipped by the company were also found in some cases to have the battery issue. The company now has its hopes for the high-end of the smartphone market pinned on the new Galaxy S8 and S8+, which is expected to reach shelves later this month.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Facebook appeal over New York search warrants fails
Facebook’s appeal against 381 warrants for information from the accounts of its users was rejected by a New York court on the ground that earlier orders refusing to quash the warrants issued in a criminal proceeding could not be appealed.The decision by the New York State Court of Appeals did not address key issues of whether the broad searches were unconstitutional, and whether internet service providers like Facebook have standing to challenge such warrants on behalf of their users, particularly when they are served with ‘gag orders’ that prevent providers from informing subscribers about the warrants.“This case undoubtedly implicates novel and important substantive issues regarding the constitutional rights of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and the parameters of a federal statute establishing methods by which the government may obtain certain types of information,” wrote Judge Leslie E. Stein, writing for the majority.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Facebook appeal over New York search warrants fails
Facebook’s appeal against 381 warrants for information from the accounts of its users was rejected by a New York court on the ground that earlier orders refusing to quash the warrants issued in a criminal proceeding could not be appealed.The decision by the New York State Court of Appeals did not address key issues of whether the broad searches were unconstitutional, and whether internet service providers like Facebook have standing to challenge such warrants on behalf of their users, particularly when they are served with ‘gag orders’ that prevent providers from informing subscribers about the warrants.“This case undoubtedly implicates novel and important substantive issues regarding the constitutional rights of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure, and the parameters of a federal statute establishing methods by which the government may obtain certain types of information,” wrote Judge Leslie E. Stein, writing for the majority.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Apple said to drop Imagination’s IP in favor of own graphics chips
Apple will soon stop using intellectual property from Imagination Technologies Group for graphics processing units for its iPhone and other devices, as it is working on a separate, independent graphics design for its products, the chip technology company said Monday.But the U.K. company is not giving up without a fight as it doubts Apple can develop a brand new GPU without infringing Imagination’s intellectual property.Apple held an 8.5 percent share of the issued share capital of Imagination as of April 30 last year. The iPhone maker said in a filing in March last year that it had discussions with Imagination about a possible acquisition, though it did not have plans to make an offer at that time. Apple is Imagination's largest customer and it described the iPhone maker as "essential to the business of the Group" in its annual report for 2016.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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WikiLeaks’ Assange gets relief from left victory in Ecuador
The win in Ecuador’s presidential elections of leftist government candidate Lenin Moreno will likely have provided relief to WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, who had been threatened with eviction from the country’s embassy in London by the opposition candidate.The election in the South American country had aroused interest in part because the conservative opposition candidate, Guillermo Lasso, had said that if elected he would evict Assange within 30 days of assuming power, because it was costing the country too much to keep him at the embassy.The embassy is being constantly monitored by U.K. police ever since Assange slipped into it in 2012 and was granted asylum by the Ecuador government. Police say they will arrest Assange if he comes out of the embassy to meet an extradition request from Sweden in connection with an investigation into a sexual assault. Assange supporters are concerned that he may be moved from Sweden to the U.S. to face charges in connection with several leaks of confidential U.S. government information.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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WikiLeaks’ Assange gets relief from left victory in Ecuador
The win in Ecuador’s presidential elections of leftist government candidate Lenin Moreno will likely have provided relief to WikiLeaks' founder Julian Assange, who had been threatened with eviction from the country’s embassy in London by the opposition candidate.The election in the South American country had aroused interest in part because the conservative opposition candidate, Guillermo Lasso, had said that if elected he would evict Assange within 30 days of assuming power, because it was costing the country too much to keep him at the embassy.The embassy is being constantly monitored by U.K. police ever since Assange slipped into it in 2012 and was granted asylum by the Ecuador government. Police say they will arrest Assange if he comes out of the embassy to meet an extradition request from Sweden in connection with an investigation into a sexual assault. Assange supporters are concerned that he may be moved from Sweden to the U.S. to face charges in connection with several leaks of confidential U.S. government information.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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UK official wants police access to WhatsApp messages
A senior U.K. official is asking that law enforcement should be given access to encrypted messages on WhatsApp and similar services, a demand that is likely to fuel an ongoing debate over whether companies should create backdoors into their encryption technologies for investigators.Khalid Masood, the terrorist who killed four people outside Parliament on Wednesday, had sent a message on WhatsApp a little before the attack, according to reports.“We need to make sure that organizations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other,” Home Secretary Amber Rudd said on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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UK official wants police access to WhatsApp messages
A senior U.K. official is asking that law enforcement should be given access to encrypted messages on WhatsApp and similar services, a demand that is likely to fuel an ongoing debate over whether companies should create backdoors into their encryption technologies for investigators.Khalid Masood, the terrorist who killed four people outside Parliament on Wednesday, had sent a message on WhatsApp a little before the attack, according to reports.“We need to make sure that organizations like WhatsApp, and there are plenty of others like that, don't provide a secret place for terrorists to communicate with each other,” Home Secretary Amber Rudd said on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Uber finally agrees to reveal diversity data
Uber Technologies has agreed to provide next month its diversity data, which it had earlier declined to make public.Representatives of the ride hailing company will disclose the information at the PUSHTech2020 summit on April 19 in Silicon Valley.The move comes at a time when the company has run into a number of controversies, including sexism charges leveled by a former employee, the exit of some key executives and a lawsuit from self-driving car rival Waymo.The announcement follows a meeting Thursday between Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow Push Coalition, which has been demanding higher representation for minorities in tech companies, according to a statement issued by the coalition.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Apple acquires Workflow automation app, offers it free
Apple has acquired the Workflow automation app, which allows iOS users to trigger a sequence of tasks across apps with a single tap.A spokesman for Apple confirmed on Wednesday the company's acquisition of DeskConnect, the developer of the app, and the Workflow app, but did not provide further details.Workflow, developed for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, allows users to drag and drop combinations of actions to create workflows that interact with the apps and content on the device. It won an Apple design award in 2015 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference.Some of the examples of tasks for which Workflow can be used are making animated GIFs, adding a home screen icon to call a loved one and tweeting a song the user has been listening to, according to a description of the app.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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US bans electronics larger than smartphones in cabins on certain flights
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has ordered that passengers on flights departing for the U.S from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa will have to carry personal electronics larger than a smartphone as checked baggage, citing increased terror threats.Giving the approximate size of a commonly available smartphone as a guideline for passengers, the DHS said that laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable DVD players, electronic game units larger than smartphones, and travel printers or scanners were the kind of personal electronics that would not be allowed in the cabin and would have to be carried as checked baggage.Approved medical devices may be brought into the cabin after additional screening. The size of smartphones is well understood by most passengers who fly internationally, according to the DHS, which in any case asked passengers to check with their airline if they are unsure whether their smartphone is impacted.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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US bans electronics larger than smartphones in cabins on certain flights
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has ordered that passengers on flights departing for the U.S from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa will have to carry personal electronics larger than a smartphone as checked baggage, citing increased terror threats.Giving the approximate size of a commonly available smartphone as a guideline for passengers, the DHS said that laptops, tablets, e-readers, cameras, portable DVD players, electronic game units larger than smartphones, and travel printers or scanners were the kind of personal electronics that would not be allowed in the cabin and would have to be carried as checked baggage.Approved medical devices may be brought into the cabin after additional screening. The size of smartphones is well understood by most passengers who fly internationally, according to the DHS, which in any case asked passengers to check with their airline if they are unsure whether their smartphone is impacted.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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McDonald’s India asks users to update app after data leak report
McDonald’s India operation asked users to update their McDelivery app as a 'precautionary measure' after a security firm said it had found that it was leaking personal data of over 2.2 million users.The Indian operation of the food chain, which is owned and managed by franchisees, said in posts on Facebook and Twitter over the weekend that its website and app do not store any sensitive financial data of users.The operation did not admit or deny that there had been a breach, but urged users to update the online ordering app as a precautionary measure. “The website and app has always been safe to use, and we update security measure on regular basis,” according to the post.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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McDonald’s India asks users to update app after data leak report
McDonald’s India operation asked users to update their McDelivery app as a 'precautionary measure' after a security firm said it had found that it was leaking personal data of over 2.2 million users.The Indian operation of the food chain, which is owned and managed by franchisees, said in posts on Facebook and Twitter over the weekend that its website and app do not store any sensitive financial data of users.The operation did not admit or deny that there had been a breach, but urged users to update the online ordering app as a precautionary measure. “The website and app has always been safe to use, and we update security measure on regular basis,” according to the post.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Court blocks American from suing Ethiopia for infecting his computer
An appeals court has barred an Ethiopian-born U.S. citizen from filing a civil suit against the African country, which allegedly infected his computer with spyware and monitored his communications.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Tuesday that foreign states are immune from suit in a U.S. court unless an exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) applies.The person, who is referred to in court documents by the pseudonym Kidane, was born in Ethiopia and lived there for 30 years before seeking asylum in the U.S. He lives in Maryland.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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Court blocks American from suing Ethiopia for infecting his computer
An appeals court has barred an Ethiopian-born U.S. citizen from filing a civil suit against the African country, which allegedly infected his computer with spyware and monitored his communications.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Tuesday that foreign states are immune from suit in a U.S. court unless an exception to the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) applies.The person, who is referred to in court documents by the pseudonym Kidane, was born in Ethiopia and lived there for 30 years before seeking asylum in the U.S. He lives in Maryland.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
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US senator probes into CloudPets smart toy hack
A U.S. senator is probing reports of a breach of data from smart toys from Spiral Toys, writing to the company’s CEO a letter with ten questions about the issue, including about the company’s security practices.Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, wrote in a letter Tuesday to CEO Mark Meyers that the breach raises serious questions concerning how well the company protects the information it collects, particularly from children.Nelson also said that the incident raises questions about the vendor's compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act that requires covered companies to have reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality, security and integrity of personal information collected from children.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here