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Submission + - Why Cambridge University Library is safeguarding floppy disk knowledge (itbrew.com)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: Not all heroes wear capes. Some, like Leontien Talboom, rock bangs and suspenders while playing a real-life game of Operation on old floppy disks to preserve their content. When Talboom was a kid, she used floppy disks to save her fictional stories about Furbys, the popular robotic toy of the 90s, which she would write on her father’s old work laptop.

Today, Talboom, who is now a Cambridge University Library technical analyst, spends her time preserving knowledge about floppies while rescuing content from them as part of the library’s Future Nostalgia project. Why is Future Nostalgia’s work so important? There is limited time to image floppy disks (i.e., duplicate the data on them) because their material can degrade and oxidize over time.

“A lot of the ones that we have in our collection are dating from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s,” Talboom said. “So, we’re talking at least 30 years by, even getting very close to 50 years for some of them.”

Submission + - It takes less than $1k to access unencrypted satellite data: study (itbrew.com)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: Have you ever been tempted to spend less than $1,000 on satellite equipment—just so you can show how much sensitive data can be easily accessed?

Computer scientists from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Maryland answered “yes” to that question. In a research paper published Oct. 13, they wrote that they can use satellites to access large amounts of sensitive and unencrypted traffic from a variety of sectors, including the telecommunication, retail, and even the military.

The setup. The researchers focused their study on geostationary (GEO) satellites, which orbit the Earth’s equator, receiving and amplifying signals from the ground. Hardware used to conduct the study included a Ku-Band satellite dish, a low-noise block downconverter to amplify weak signals, and a dish motor to enable automated movement for tracking purposes, among other materials. In total, the equipment ran the researchers just under $700, or roughly what you’d pay to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Wichita, Kansas.

Submission + - How the hacks in 'Hackers' hold up (itbrew.com)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: Hackers rollerbladed into theaters almost exactly 30 years ago. The 1995 movie features young, fashionable, rebellious techies (Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Matthew Lillard, and others) as they go up against a corrupt security officer (Fisher Stevens) framing them for an oil-tanker cyberattack.

Nathan Hunstable remembers watching Hackers shortly after its release, when he was a young teenager who had “zero interest in computers.” Now CISO at CEC Entertainment, owner of Chuck E. Cheese, Hunstable’s interest in computers has upped a bit.

We asked the CISO (who began his IT career as a movie-theater network admin) a simple question with a complex answer: How does Hackers—and its many hacks—hold up? Get your popcorn ready. Some security threats—like social engineering—never die.

Submission + - How USB-C Ended the Great Connector Wars (itbrew.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: It's easy to forget the dark ages of peripheral connectivity. A twisted nest of proprietary connectors was the norm. Then, in 2014, a hero emerged: USB-C. It promised a reversible connector, high-speed data transfer, and enough power to charge a laptop. It was a revolution. This article from IT Brew breaks down the three waves of USB-C adoption, from its humble beginnings in the PC industry to its EU-mandated takeover of the mobile world. It's how a single connector brought order to the chaos and became the undisputed king of the hardware industry.

Submission + - Tech Professional Salaries Have Been Stagnant for 20 Years. Thanks Inflation! (dice.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: From the just-released Dice 2025 Tech Salary Report:

"A closer look at tech salaries over the last two decades reveals a complex picture of resilience. While overall tech salaries have risen steadily since 2005, reaching an average of $112,521 in 2024, the reality is more nuanced when accounting for inflation. Today's average tech salary, when adjusted for purchasing power, is similar to what professionals earned in 2005 ($112,521 versus inflation-adjusted $114,648) – suggesting that despite periodic surges, compensation in tech overall has effectively plateaued over nearly two decades.

"However, this flattening of purchasing power needs to be viewed in the context of broader economic trends. For one thing, the median U.S. household income has fared worse, rising from $58,000 in 2005 to $80,610 in 2023 – a gain that significantly trails inflation, as $58,000 adjusted to inflation is $95,403 in 2024. While tech professionals haven't seen real gains in purchasing power, they have at least maintained their position while many other sectors have experienced decline."

Submission + - Avoid using hotel Wi-Fi for your telework, FBI warns

Submitted by SmartAboutThings
SmartAboutThings writes: A recent FBI study shows that hotel Wi-Fis aren't exactly the safest place from which you can perform sensitive online operations, especially when it comes to working.
There have been a lot of questions about the security risks involved when working from home.
Furthermore, working from a public Wi-Fi is that much more dangerous.Here's what the FBI had to say:
Guests are largely unable to control, verify, or monitor network security. Cybercriminals can take advantage of this environment to monitor a victim’s Internet browsing or redirect victims to false login pages.
That being said, using hotel Wi-Fis, in general, is not safe at all, and if you have no other choice, then you might as well give VPN services a try.

Submission + - Flight simulator 2020 is finally out, but many can't install it (windowsreport.com)

Submitted by SmartAboutThings
SmartAboutThings writes: Microsoft released Flight Simulator 2020 but many people who bought it online have problems downloading it, installing it or simply running the new game. Some users simply didn't get to download the game even if they tried several times to do so. When the download was finally complete, they received an error while trying to install it. Even if some users also got through the installation, they faced another problem: the game freezed at the starting screen. Microsoft didn't present a solution yet but Windowsreport.com wrote first about these problems and offered some workarounds and possible solutions.

Submission + - Stop using Internet Explorer, says US Homeland Security

Submitted by SmartAboutThings
SmartAboutThings writes: While Microsoft Edge is right on track to replace Internet Explorer, it seems that the last one is a bigger security liability then you may think.

In a newly released advisory, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is warning users about an IE vulnerability.

To keep your personal data safe and don't expose your PC to dangerous malware, the agency further recommends to immediately change your browser:

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) encourages users and administrators to review Microsoft’s Advisory ADV20001 and CERT/CC’s Vulnerability Note VU#338824 for more information, implement workarounds, and apply updates when available. Consider using Microsoft Edge or an alternate browser until patches are available,[]

As a reminder, this is not the first international agency that ranks IE's security very low, as Germany's BSI shared a couple of months back a similar study.

Submission + - Symantec Endpoint Protection causes Google Chrome 78 to crash (windowsreport.com)

Submitted by SmartAboutThings
SmartAboutThings writes: Many Chrome users who installed the latest browser update (Google Chrome version 78) reported getting the Aw Snap error when trying to open a new tab.
This problem is prevalent for Symantec Endpoint Protection users. Symantec already acknowledged the issue and is working on a permanent fix.

Submission + - Proof that Windows 10 Enterprise ignores user privacy settings 1

Submitted by SmartAboutThings
SmartAboutThings writes: Recent user reports suggest that Windows 10 Enterprise ignores various privacy settings. According to Mark Burnett, an independent IT security analyst, the OS lets users enable their preferred privacy settings only to ignore them after the fact.

Ultimately, Microsoft doesn’t honor it’s own Group Policy settings. For more details about this strange Windows 10 Enterprise behavior, you can check out Mark Burnett's Twitter page. You’ll also find screenshots for all the privacy issues listed above as well.

Submission + - Windows 95 and 98 still power Pentagon's critical systems

Submitted by SmartAboutThings
SmartAboutThings writes: The Pentagon is set to complete its Windows 10 transition by the end of this year, but nearly 75% of its control system devices still run Windows XP or other older versions, including Windows 95 and 98. A Pentagon official now wants the bug bounty program of the top U.S. defense agency expanded to scan for vulnerabilities in its critical infrastructure.

Submission + - Microsoft is allegedly Selling Nokia to Foxconn

Submitted by SmartAboutThings
SmartAboutThings writes: It's no secret that Microsoft's phone business isn't going according to plan. Last quarter alone saw a 46% drop in phone revenue, slightly better than the 49% drop the quarter before that.

And now it seems that Microsoft is finally realizing this: according to rumors, the tech giant is considering licensing 50% of its mobile business to Foxconn — in other words, the Nokia brand it had purchased for 10 years, until 2024. It appears that negotiations have reached very advanced stages, with Microsoft and Foxconn currently deliberating the final clauses of the deal.

Submission + - How Much Do Tech Bosses Really Earn? (dice.com)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: Everybody knows that tech's top figures, such as Google CEO Larry Page or Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, are worth billions of dollars thanks to stock options. But how much do everyday tech executives — the CIOs, Chief Data Officers, and so on — earn? Generally between $150,000 and $175,000, not counting possible perks such as stock options, according to a new analysis. That's based on national data, although anyone who works in tech knows that, in high-demand areas such as Silicon Valley, salaries can skyrocket far higher for those with highly specialized skillsets and the right mix of experience. It's a good time to be a Pointy-Haired Boss... but then again, when isn't it?

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