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Showing posts from September 28, 2018

Astronomy Picture of the Day: 55 Nights with Saturn

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55 Nights with Saturn For 55 consecutive nights Mediterranean skies were at least partly clear this summer, from the 1st of July to the 24th of August 2018. An exposure from each night was incorporated in this composited telephoto and telescopic image to follow bright planet Saturn as it wandered through the generous evening skies. Through August , the outer planet's seasonal apparent retrograde motion slowed and drifted to the right, framed by a starry background. That brought it near the line-of-sight to the central Milky Way, and the beautiful Lagoon (M8) and Trifid (20) nebulae. Of course Saturn's largest moon Titan was also along for the ride. Swinging around the gas giant in a 16 day long orbit, Titan's resulting wave-like motion is easier to spot when the almost-too-bright Saturn is digitally edited from the scene . September 29, 2018 via NASA https://ift.tt

Google Podcasts rolls out Cast support for everyone

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When Google finally launched its dedicated Podcasts app for Android (an iOS version hasn't been released yet), we found it "pretty, but basic." The only way to turn around that reputation is to actually flesh out its list of features, and now that includes Google Cast support. With the button it's easier to tie in with Chromecast devices, Google Home or anything else supporting the protocol, and it's weird the app ever launched without it. 9to5Google notes that while it was available for some users earlier, it's widely available starting today, which Google confirmed to Engadget. It still might not match feature for feature with favorites like Pocket Casts, Stitcher or even Spotify, but for a free app it's in a better position to get the job done. Source: 9to5Google , Google Play via Engadget RSS Feed h

Intel admits 'tight' supply for cheap PC chips, focuses on high-end

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In an open letter, interim Intel CEO Bob Swan admitted the company's supply of CPUs for the "entry level" PC market is "undoubtedly tight," so if you have trouble finding a cheap laptop for the holiday season then you know why. Between consumers upgrading their PCs, gaming and commercial systems he said Intel expects "modest" growth in PC shipments, while it will focus on delivering higher-end Xeon and Core CPUs. We'll see if this creates an opportunity for competitors like AMD and Qualcomm, especially as they bring laptops to market with longer-than-ever battery life . To help improve supply, Intel is investing $1 billion on current 14nm production lines in in Oregon, Arizona, Ireland and Israel. As far as its repeatedly-delayed "Cannon Lake" 10nm CPU technology that saw a limited debut earlier this year, the CEO said "

Facebook reportedly avoided DOJ wiretap of Messenger calls

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As part of a case involving members of the MS-13 gang, the US Department of Justice has been pushing to get access to Facebook Messenger voice calls. It even attempted to hold Facebook in contempt of court last month when the company pushed back on a wiretap order. Now, Reuters reports that a US District Court judge ruled in favor of the social media giant, according to sources familiar with the matter, but because the proceedings are sealed, the reason why isn't yet clear. Court filings have shown that the government was able to intercept phone calls and Messenger texts during its investigation, but three Messenger voice calls of interest were inaccessible. And while federal law requires telecommunications companies to provide law enforcement with access to phone calls when presented with a wiretap order, internet-based services aren't covered under that law.

An uncommon storm called a ‘Medicane’ is headed for Greece

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Environment Such systems don't often form above the cool Mediterranean Sea. An uncommon type of storm known as a “Medicane” is swirling to life in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. via Popular Science "https://ift.tt/2Iql8LI"

Senator calls for investigation into Facebook’s latest breach

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Facebook revealed today that it was hit with a data breach that affected 50 million users , and now Senator Mark Warner has called the incident "deeply concerning." In a statement released shortly after the reports surfaced, Warner said, "A full investigation should be swiftly conducted and made public so that we can understand more about what happened." Warner, who serves as vice chairman for the Senate Intelligence Committee, has repeatedly voiced his concerns over security issues and data privacy. He even put together a paper earlier this year that highlighted challenges faced by online platforms like Facebook and suggested ways that they could be addressed by policy. "The hope is that the ideas enclosed here stir the pot and spark a wider discussion -- among policymakers, stakeholders and civil society groups -- on the appropriate trajecto

Oodles of virtual planets could help Google and NASA find actual aliens

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Space Teaming up to explore the galaxy with an AI assist. The researchers at NASA’s Frontier Development Lab (FDL) in Mountain View California spent the summer working on out-of-this-world problems. via Popular Science "https://ift.tt/2RdPCVk"

17 people charged in a string of Apple store robberies

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A number of individuals have been arrested in conjunction with a series of Apple store robberies that resulted in the theft of over $1 million worth of devices. The California Attorney General's office said in a statement on Thursday that seven were arrested earlier in the week, another suspect was in custody and nine others had been charged with the crime. Since then, at least two additional individuals have been arrested. In a string of robberies, groups rushed retail stores, grabbed products on display and left in just a few seconds. "Organized retail thefts cost California business owners millions and expose them to copycat criminals," said Attorney General Xavier Becerra. "Ultimately, consumers pay the cost of this merchandise hijacking. We will continue our work with local law enforcement authorities to extinguish this mob mentality and pros

4 Traits of a Cyber-Resilient Culture

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Companies with a solid track record of cybersecurity share these practices and characteristics. via Dark Reading: https://ift.tt/2DGqHH5 If New feed item from http://www.darkreading.com/rss/all.xml , then send Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

'Torii' Breaks New Ground For IoT Malware

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Stealth, persistence mechanism and ability to infect a wide swath of devices make malware dangerous and very different from the usual Mirai knockoffs, Avast says. via Dark Reading: https://ift.tt/2NNyUxH If New feed item from http://www.darkreading.com/rss/all.xml , then send Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

FBI IC3 Warns of RDP Vulnerability

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Government agencies remind users that RDP can be used for malicious purposes by criminal actors. via Dark Reading: https://ift.tt/2NNO2va If New feed item from http://www.darkreading.com/rss/all.xml , then send Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.

Sony confirms PlayStation Experience won't happen this year

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Sony's PlayStation Experience event won't take place this year. Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden confirmed the news Friday on the PlayStation Blogcast, noting that it was a "hard decision." "Now that we have Spider-Man out the door, we're looking down in 2019 to games like Dreams and Days Gone but we wouldn't have enough to bring people all together in some location in North America to have that event," he said. "We don't want to set expectations really high and then not deliver." Over the last four years, PlayStation Experience has acted as a showcase for future games, so fans hoping for more details on major releases such as The Last of Us Part II might be disappointed. There's a chance Sony will have some announcements at Paris Games Week in late October, though Layd

Silicon Valley’s Brett Kavanaugh problem

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As we steel ourselves to careen numbly toward whatever new horrors lay in store with Trump, his Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh, and the conservative politicians willing to help them, it's impossible not to contemplate how deep and depraved the culture of silence actually goes here. USA Today wrote : "When Kavanaugh gave a speech in 2015 at Catholic University's Columbus School of Law and stated, 'What happens at Georgetown Prep stays at Georgetown Prep. That's been a good thing for all of us, I think,' he summed up the culture perfectly (...) It was their job to protect each other from their misdeeds no matter how big or alcohol-fueled. The boys kept each other's secrets." It echoes what we've learned about companies like Uber , with its firing of over 20 employees for sexual harassment, its August $1.9m payout to 56 victim