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Submission + - George Floyd: Anonymous Hackers Reemerge Amid US Unrest (bbc.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: As the United States deals with widespread civil unrest across dozens of cities, "hacktivist" group Anonymous has returned from the shadows. The hacker collective was once a regular fixture in the news, targeting those it accused of injustice with cyber-attacks. After years of relative quiet, it appears to have re-emerged in the wake of violent protests in Minneapolis over the death of George Floyd, promising to expose the "many crimes" of the city's police to the world. However, it's not easy to pin down what, if anything, is genuinely the mysterious group's work.

Various forms of cyber-attack are being attributed to Anonymous in relation to the George Floyd protests. First, the Minneapolis police department website was temporarily taken offline over the weekend in a suspected Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. This is an unsophisticated but effective form of cyber-attack that floods a server with data until it can't keep up and stops working — in the same way that shopping websites can go offline when too many people flood it to snap up high-demand products. A database of email addresses and passwords claiming to be hacked from the police department's system is also in circulation, and being linked to Anonymous. However, there is no evidence that the police servers have been hacked and one researcher, Troy Hunt, says the credentials are likely to have been compiled from older data breaches.

A page on the website of a minor United Nations agency has been turned into a memorial for Mr Floyd, replacing its contents with the message "Rest in Power, George Floyd", along with an Anonymous logo. On Twitter, unverified posts have also gone viral, apparently showing police radios playing music and preventing communication. However, experts suggest it is unlikely to be a hack, and could instead be the result of a stolen piece of hardware being commandeered by protesters on the scene — if the videos are genuine in the first place. Anonymous activists are also circulating years-old accusations against President Trump, taken from documents in a civil court case that was voluntarily dismissed by the accuser before it went to trial.

Submission + - Dell G5 15 SE Gaming Laptop With All-AMD Ryzen 4000 And Radeon Config Impresses (hothardware.com)

Submitted by MojoKid
MojoKid writes: Though AMD could be likened to David taking on the giant Goliath, when you consider its chief rivals are Intel and NVIDIA, the company currently has a potent combination of both CPU and GPU technologies in its arsenal. This unique position can play well in the laptop market especially, where a tight coupling of the two processing engines can mean both performance and cost efficiencies when they're combined for a total solution. In that regard, one of the first all-AMD laptops to hit the market powered by the company's new Ryzen 4000 mobile processors is the Dell G5 15 SE, which also happens to have AMD Radeon RX discrete mobile graphics on board. With a retail price of $1199 (starting at $879), the model tested at HotHardware is powered by an AMD Ryzen 4800H 8-core processor that boosts to 4.2GHz and an AMD Radeon RX 5600M mobile GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 memory. It's a 5.5 pound, 15-inch machine that sports an understated design for a gaming notebook but with an interesting glittery finish that resists fingerprints well. In the benchmarks, AMD's SmartShift technology load-balances CPU and GPU power supply for optimal performance and very respectable numbers that are competitive with any similar Intel / NVIDIA powered machine. The Dell G5 15 SE put up north of 60 FPS frame rates at maximum image quality in current-gen game titles, but with a significantly better price point, relatively speaking.

Submission + - IPv6 will show how many have returned to the office

Submitted by Tim the Gecko
Tim the Gecko writes: Google's IPv6 connectivity stats topped 32% on Saturday for the first time, but the main story has been the midweek stats. Most mobile phone networks and a good chunk of residential broadband have migrated to IPv6, but the typical corporate network where people used to spend their 9 to 5 is largely IPv4-only. There used to be a big dip in the IPv6 stats during the working week, but widespread working from home has halved that dip, with the typical midweek IPv6 connectivity for Google queries moving upwards from 26% to 29%. Looking at this graph will be a good way of checking how fast people are returning to the office.

Submission + - Linus Torvalds drops Intel and adopts 32-core AMD Ryzen on personal PC (theregister.co.uk)

Submitted by williamyf
williamyf writes: From TFA:
In his weekly State of the Kernel post Torvalds released Linux 5.7 rc7, [...] then offered this remark:
“In fact, the biggest excitement this week for me was just that I upgraded my main machine, and for the first time in about 15 years, my desktop isn't Intel-based. No, I didn't switch to ARM yet, but I'm now rocking an AMD Threadripper 3970x. My 'allmodconfig' test builds are now three times faster than they used to be, which doesn't matter so much right now during the calming down period, but I will most definitely notice the upgrade during the next merge window.”

Good endorsement for AMD, a PR blow for Intel.

Submission + - Wikipedia sets new rule to combat 'toxic behavior' (bbc.com) 1

Submitted by Charlotte Web
Charlotte Web writes: Wikipedia is to institute a new code of conduct to battle what the firm called "toxic behaviour" by some volunteers.

The Wikimedia Foundation, the organisation that runs the site, voted on new measures that will be finalised by the end of the year.

"We must work together to create a safe, inclusive culture, where everyone feels welcome, that their contributions are valued, and that their perspective matters," said Katherine Maher, the chief executive officer of the Wikimedia Foundation [which runs Wikipedia]... The foundation's binding code of conduct for members will include banning or limiting access if volunteers violate the terms. There will be a review process for the decisions if volunteers feel more context is needed.

Wikipedia has become one of the internet's most trusted sources for information, but complaints about gender imbalances and harassment have plagued the platform for close to a decade. A study from the University of Washington on the gender gap in Wikipedia editors found many female and LGBTQ editors feared for their safety. Several female editors told the researchers their work had been contested by male editors or that they received negative feedback from a male editor. A New York Times article from 2019 also highlighted the concerns some transgender editors have about volunteering for the site. One editor told the paper they received death threats...

[E]ditors can interact with one another and can change the content on a page after it has been written. This has led to a form of harassment where, after one volunteer adds to a page, another volunteer will remove or change that work moments later, forcing the first editor to redo their work and leading to editing battles.

Submission + - Predictive Text Patent Troll Tries To Shake Down Wikipedia (techdirt.com)

Submitted by martiniturbide
martiniturbide writes: WordLogic (patent troll) claims it has the rights of the concept of predictive text writing and went after the Wikimedia foundation. WordLogic offered a "discounted, lump sum fee of $30,000 in exchange for a paid-up one-time license", an easy win they thought, but Wikimedia fought back. "Wikimedia notes that (1) WordLogic's patents are invalid due to prior art, (2) that they are invalid for not covering patentable subject matter, and (3) that anyway, it doesn't even infringe on the patents if they were valid. " Now we are waiting to see what will happen, will the patent troll desist? will it push forward?

Submission + - Fairphone 3 now available with "deGoogled" Android /e/ OS (techcrunch.com)

Submitted by joestar
joestar writes: Fairphone, the European manufacturer of mobile phones with a reduced environmental impact, has announced a partnership to offer /e/ OS, the most deGoogled and pro-privacy Android OS, on their latest model Fairphone 3. An interesting move that reminds the recent introduction of the Google-free Huawei Mate 30.

Submission + - Parolee smart phones are watching you, and listening (gizmodo.com)

Submitted by XXongo
XXongo writes: Monitoring parolees released from prison by an app on their smartphone sounds like a good idea, right? The phone has facial recognition and biometric ID, and a GPS system that knows where it is. But what if the app doesn't work? In a story on Gizmodo, the apps being used, according to security experts who examined the code, the app’s coding is “sloppy” and “irresponsible” and its default privacy settings wildly invasive, asking for “excessive permissions” to access device data. And the app isn't even accurate on recognizing parolees, nor on knowing location, with one parolee noting that the app set off the high-pitched warning alarm and sent a notification to her parole officers telling him that she was not at home multiple times in the middle of the night, when she was in fact at home and in bed. And the device also serves as a covert surveillance bug, with built-in potential to covertly record ambient audio from the phone, even in standby mode-- a feature which is not even legal in many states. “But there’s nothing you can do,” according to one parolee. “If you don’t accept it, then you go back to prison. You’re considered their property. That’s how they see it.”

Submission + - SPAM: Georgia Loses Legal Code Copyright Clash at Supreme Court

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: Georgia lost a close U.S. Supreme Court case over the state’s ability to copyright its annotated legal code, in a ruling that dissenting justices said would shock states with similar arrangements.

Copyright protection doesn’t extend to the annotations in the state’s official annotated code, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a 5-4 majority on Monday that crossed ideological lines. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh joined Roberts.

The state’s lawyer warned at the oral argument that a ruling against it would “blow up” not only Georgia’s copyright regime but similar ones in about a third of the states with similar setups.

Indeed, the ruling “will likely come as a shock to the 25 other jurisdictions—22 States, 2 Territories, and the District of Columbia—that rely on arrangements similar to Georgia’s to produce annotated codes,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in a dissent joined by Justice Samuel Alito and partially by Justice Stephen Breyer. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote her own dissent, joined by Breyer.
Link to Original Source

Submission + - SPAM: Use of Zoom to Engage Homebound Kids Prompts Code.org Privacy Changes

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: As it strives to 'teach your children at home while school is closed', tech-backed Code.org's efforts to engage students and their parents have included encouraging kids to email app pitches for Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban (AP CSP teachers were contacted and asked to make students aware of this "once in a lifetime opportunity") and join two-way Zoom meetings with Cuban and other celebrities like Bill Gates (Gates is a $4M+ Code.org donor; Cuban has given $500K+). These efforts prompted the nonprofit to change its Privacy Policy on April 8th to cover Code.org's use of "Zoom or another video conferencing platform (for video communications)", as well as guidelines around "supplying your email address and other information to receive communications for Code Break."

Submission + - SPAM: An asteroid will pass close to Earth on Saturday

Submitted by PolygamousRanchKid
PolygamousRanchKid writes: An asteroid will pass so close to Earth on Saturday that home astronomers will be able to see it.

Experts say the asteroid, known as Asteroid 2000 QW7, will miss our planet by about 3 million miles — around 14 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. Gianluca Masi, Scientific Director at The Virtual Telescope, told Salon in a statement that amateur astronomers can view its fly-by, which is at 7:54 pm on the East Coast, but will have to have a telescope with a diameter of at least 250 millimeters. “Around the fly-by time, the asteroid will be about 8 degrees south-south-west of the bright star Fomalhaut,” Masi said in an email statement.

Experts at B612 Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect Earth from asteroid impact, say while this is not a threat to our planet today, it could be in the very distant future, as its orbit will cause it to repeatedly pass near Earth. NASA released a statement this week to the public to emphasize it is not a threat, noting that it is actually one of two asteroids to pass Earth this weekend. The second asteroid, asteroid 2010 C01, is estimated to be 120 to 260 meters in size (400 to 850 feet).
Link to Original Source

Submission + - France Took One Look At Facebook's Cryptocurrency and Said, 'Hell, Non' (vice.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Facebook’s plan to revolutionize the global economy with its version of bitcoin hit another snag this week when the French finance minister said the country would block the Libra cryptocurrency if it launches as planned in 2020. Libra, which is scheduled to launch in the second half of next year, is designed to be a fast and easy way for people to transfer money around the world, using the company’s Messenger and WhatsApp services. Bruno Le Maire, speaking at a cryptocurrency conference organized by the Organization for Economic Development (OECD) on Thursday, didn’t mince words when it came to the threat posed by Libra to the stability of the French economy by undermining the influence of the euro.

"The monetary sovereignty of countries is at stake [from] possible privatization of money by a sole actor with more than 2 billion users on the planet,” he said. Le Maire said that during times of economic crisis, citizens may abandon national currencies in favor of Libra, making it very difficult for governments to manage the economy. “All these concerns around Libra are serious. So I want to say this with a lot of clarity: In these conditions, we cannot authorize the development of Libra on European soil,” Le Maire added.

Submission + - Fewer than half of young Americans are positive about capitalism (cnbc.com)

Submitted by gollum123
gollum123 writes: According to a new poll from Gallup, young Americans are souring on capitalism. Less than half, 45 percent, view capitalism positively. "This represents a 12-point decline in young adults' positive views of capitalism in just the past two years and a marked shift since 2010, when 68 percent viewed it positively," notes Gallup, which defines young Americans as those aged 18 to 29. While young people have a less upbeat view on capitalism, "older Americans have been consistently more positive about capitalism than socialism," Gallup reports. Of those between 30 and 49 years old, 58 percent have a positive view of capitalism and 41 percent have a positive view of socialism. Of those aged 50 to 64, 60 percent have a positive view of capitalism and 30 percent have a positive view of socialism. "Socialism clearly sounds better as a concept to young people than to those who are older, as it has over the past eight years," Gallup notes. "Whether the appeal of socialism to young adults is a standard function of idealism at that age that dissipates as one grows older, or will turn out to be a more permanent part of the political beliefs held by the cohort of millennials who have come of age over the past decade, remains to be seen."

Comment Re:Why I *do* use Telegram (Score 2) 68

by derrickoswald (#52391539) Attached to: Why You Should Stop Using Telegram Right Now
Is it just me or does anyone else view the timing between these reports and Google I/O a month ago launching Allo a little suspicious?

Alphabet marketing person: "Yeah, it would be good in the timeline if there was a review the month after I/O, to legitimize Allo as one of the major players in the messaging App space."
Intercept editor: "The optics wouldn't be good if it was just a review of one App. We could do a comparison of the 'top ten' Apps."
Alphabet: "Make it the 'top three'."
Intercept: "We would have to have the review about security then, otherwise we couldn't legitimately include Allo."
Gizmodo editor: "We could follow up with articles about the ones excluded, like FB Messenger and Telegram."

Comment park analogy (Score 1) 480

I make the analogy between the software dependency tree and the public park. Hundreds of people use it, and walk their dogs, and clean up after them, but it only takes one dog owner who doesn't to stop you and your kids from rolling around in the grass. Unless your dependency tree is locked down completely, you're just waiting for the one piece of s**t to ruin it. And laughing at node while using maven or APT or any other public repo system is hypocrisy.

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