Geek News

Ultima Thule is the most distant world explored by a spacecraft from Earth. In the dim light 6.5 billion kilometers from the Sun, the New Horizons spacecraft captured these two frames 38 minutes apart as it sped toward the Kuiper belt world on January 1 at 51,000 kilometers per hour. A contact binary , the two lobes of Ultima Thule rotate together once every 15 hours or so. Shown as a blinking gif , the rotation between the frames produces a tantalizing 3D perspective of the most primitive world ever seen. Dubbed separately by the science team Ultima and Thule, the larger lobe Ultima, is about 19 kilometers in diameter. Smaller Thule is 14 kilometers across. January 04, 2019 via NASA https://go.nasa.gov/2R6JMIF Manage this Applet ...

Space It’s not easy to just cozy up to a rock barely longer than the Empire State Building. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has finally entered asteroid Bennu’s orbit, after more than two years of hurtling through space toward the rock. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2BZ8PTD"

Trend Micro security researchers have discovered a new piece of malware that receives commands via malicious memes its operators published on Twitter.  The method used to conceal malicious commands is called  steganography and has long been abused by cybercriminals to hide malicious payloads inside files in order to evade security solutions. Several years ago, security researchers observed the technique being abused in  exploit kit and  malvertising campaigns . The use of social media platforms such as Twitter to send commands to malware isn’t new either. Malware that abuses such services  has been around for several years.  As part of the newly  analyzed attack, the actor published two memes (images that are humorous in nature) containing malicious commands on their Twitter account. The memes were published in late October, but the account had been created last year.  The embedded command is parsed by the malware after the malicious meme is...

Technology This robot cleaner can follow a 'smart map' of your place. We tried out the Cadillac of Roombas. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2F6GvC0"

A recent variant of the Mirai botnet is targeting a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in the ThinkPHP framework, Trend Micro security researchers warn. Dubbed  Miori , the threat leverages a relatively new exploit that was published on December 11, and which targets ThinkPHP versions prior to 5.0.23 and 5.1.31. Other actors might also target ThinkPHP for their nefarious purposes, a recent surge in events related to the ThinkPHP RCE suggests.  Miori, Trend Micro  explains , is not the only Mirai offspring to use the same RCE exploit as their delivery method. Variants such as  IZ1H9  and  APEP were observed employing it as well, and all use factory default credentials via Telnet in an attempt to spread to other devices via brute force. As soon as the target machine is compromised, the malware ensnares it in a botnet that is capable of launching distributed denial-...

Trend Micro security researchers have discovered a new piece of malware that receives commands via malicious memes its operators published on Twitter.  The method used to conceal malicious commands is called  steganography and has long been abused by cybercriminals to hide malicious payloads inside files in order to evade security solutions. Several years ago, security researchers observed the technique being abused in  exploit kit and  malvertising campaigns . The use of social media platforms such as Twitter to send commands to malware isn't new either. Malware that abuses such services  has been around for several years.  As part of the newly  analyzed attack, the actor published two memes (images that are humorous in nature) containing malicious commands on their Twitter account. The memes were published in late October, but the account had been created last yea...

A recent variant of the Mirai botnet is targeting a remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in the ThinkPHP framework, Trend Micro security researchers warn. Dubbed  Miori , the threat leverages a relatively new exploit that was published on December 11, and which targets ThinkPHP versions prior to 5.0.23 and 5.1.31. Other actors might also target ThinkPHP for their nefarious purposes, a recent surge in events related to the ThinkPHP RCE suggests.  Miori, Trend Micro  explains , is not the only Mirai offspring to use the same RCE exploit as their delivery method. Variants such as  IZ1H9  and  APEP were observed employing it as well, and all use factory default credentials via Telnet in an attempt to spread to other devices via brute force. As soon as the target machine is compromised, the malware ensnares it in a botnet that is capable of launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The emergence of a new Mirai variant is far from surpris...

Health A balanced diet is best, but these additions could help. Take a look at any weightlifting or bodybuilding forum and it’s easy to feel out of the loop. People throw around advice about BCAAs and HMB and various kinds of protein… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2VzQzJM"

Health The secret to a healthier diet is simpler than you might think. We assume we’ll be happy to push through any physical or mental pain if we can lose the pounds quickly. But decades of weight-loss research says exactly the opposite. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2F3wfrN"

Save 50% on Terraria as part of this week's Weekend Deal*! *Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://bit.ly/2AuSpm4"

Today's Deal: Save 50% on CHUCHEL !* Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are! *Offer ends Saturday at 10AM Pacific Time via Steam RSS News Feed "http://bit.ly/2LQ2b71"

Braveland Heroes is Now Available on Steam Early Access! The famous Braveland series returns! Destroy your enemies in online duels and uncover the secret of the king's scepter in this new turn-based strategy game. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://bit.ly/2BXnJda"

Space It's the first time a working rover has touched down on the far side. China successfully landed its robotic Chang’e 4 probe on the surface of the far side of the moon on Thursday, around noon Beijing time. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2AuQOg4"

Space New high-res images from New Horizons reveal a very blobby space rock. NASA began 2019 with a bang, when the agency’s New Horizons spacecraft completed a flyby of 2014 MU69, the most distant object ever visited by humans, in the wee hours… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2R7dYn1"

DIY Sell, digitize, organize, and clean up your junk. We all manage to accumulate random objects that we never use. These decluttering apps help you take stock of all your stuff and then get rid of the unwanted junk. via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2AvmsKv"

Science Our culture celebrates long work days, but they don't make us more productive. It’s a counterintuitive result to mention today, particularly in a culture that rewards a burn-the-midnight-oil, work-until-you-drop mentality. But over a century of… via Popular Science "http://bit.ly/2SGuZkE"