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Technical (News/Activism)

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  • Confused as to WTF is happening with Apple, the FBI and a killer's iPhone? Let's fix that

    02/18/2016 7:19:35 AM PST · by snarkpup · 76 replies
    The Register ^ | 17 Feb 2016 at 20:17 | Chris Williams
    Everyone is losing their mind over Apple being forced to help the FBI unlock an iPhone. Just what is going on? Relax, don't spill your almond milk latte. We'll make it crystal clear for you.
  • iPhone prank could make device unusable

    02/17/2016 2:17:17 PM PST · by for-q-clinton · 30 replies
    Wavy ^ | 17 Feb 2016 | Susan Campbell
    PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A digital prank making the rounds on Facebook has been ruining iPhones everywhere, and it now has Apple’s attention. The company has acknowledged that the prank is actually a bug that will prevent your phone from restarting. The message looks like an old Macintosh ad, and asks people to set their phone back to January 1, 1970 to experience a special feature that allows you to “relive the magic” of the past. Indeed, when the date is set back and you restart your phone, it will leave your phone stuck on the greeting screen. According to...
  • Jeb Bush didn't renew his domain. Laugher if you click www.jebbush.com

    02/16/2016 2:44:40 PM PST · by libsdrinkkoolaid · 35 replies
    Website ^ | 2/16/2016 | Jeb
    Want a laugh go to www.jebbush.com and see who doesn't understand technology or how to manage a domain address... and who knows how to capitalize on it.
  • Why We Are Safe

    02/10/2016 8:04:40 PM PST · by Mariner · 29 replies
    National Geographic ^ | September 6th, 2015 | Windfall Films - Natgeo
    A very interesting short film on an Ohio Class Ballistic Missile Submarine with great footage aboard. Below will be posted links that further explain the technologies.None of this is classified and all is in the public realm. Amazingly. But that is how unstoppable and capable this deterrent is.
  • Megyn Kelly Decries "Language Like Bimbo" Says Hillary Correct To Call Internet A (Shortened)

    02/05/2016 10:46:01 AM PST · by Biggirl · 101 replies
    Breitbart.com ^ | February 5, 2016 | Jeff Poor
    Friday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Fox News Channel host Megyn Kelly was interview by show co-anchor George Stephanopoulos on a number of topics, including her dust-up with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
  • FR Help With Strange Happening!

    02/01/2016 10:45:03 AM PST · by spel_grammer_an_punct_polise · 67 replies
    Self | 02-01-2016 | Self
    When accessing the "Pings" page or any other page within FR I get a message box with the following message: ( See Below )
  • #1 Large Luxury Car In US = Tesla Model S (2015 Sales Comparison)

    01/23/2016 8:35:30 AM PST · by Gandalf the Mauve · 101 replies
    cleantechnica.com ^ | 1-15-16 | Zachary Shahan
    Thanks to RobStark on the Tesla Motors Club forum, we've got news that the Tesla Model S was the #1 best-selling large luxury car (or "premium car," as some might prefer to call the class) in the United States in 2015. As we all know, Tesla doesn't report sales/deliveries by country. However, various outlets estimate Tesla sales using a variety of methods. EV Obsession estimated 26,566 Tesla Model S sales in the US in 2015. Rob notes that the lowest estimate was 24,200. In either case, the Model S outsold the Mercedes S-Class, the BMW 7-Series, the BMW 6-Series, the...
  • Windows 10 problem - HELP!!!!!!!

    01/22/2016 4:26:40 PM PST · by Chances Are · 88 replies
    Vanity | 1/22/2016 | Chances Are
    Hey, guys! I've encountered problem with my new laptop (courtesy of the wife!) that I've not encountered before. It's got me stumped, and I can't save any files because of it. When clicking on Save or Save As, I get an immediate pop-up, "adownloader", which unapologetically says, "Cannot create file"C:\Users\Dolt\Downloads\Data\FRED\Population data\LFWA64TTUM647N:\1453506086945.DownloadFile". The filename, directory name,or volume label syntax is incorrect." Note that "Dolt" has been substituted for my user name! I cannot move past this. I've Googled it, to no avail. I'm loathe to use registry cleaners, as they often cause more problems than they solve. Can anyone out there...
  • DARPA looks to implant computer to interface directly with human brain

    01/20/2016 6:21:47 PM PST · by Swordmaker · 31 replies
    Mac Daily News ^ | January 20, 2016 | U.S. Department of Defense
    A new DARPA program aims to develop an implantable neural interface able to provide unprecedented signal resolution and data-transfer bandwidth between the human brain and the digital world. The interface would serve as a translator, converting between the electrochemical language used by neurons in the brain and the ones and zeros that constitute the language of information technology. The goal is to achieve this communications link in a biocompatible device no larger than one cubic centimeter in size, roughly the volume of two nickels stacked back to back. The program, Neural Engineering System Design (NESD), stands to dramatically enhance research...
  • The US Government Has An Internet Killswitch — And It’s None Of Your Business

    01/15/2016 2:14:18 AM PST · by hughesm1 · 40 replies
    Mint Press News ^ | 14 JAN 2016 | Derrick Broze
    The Supreme Court has refused to hear a petition concerning the Department of Homeland Security's secretive internet and cellphone killswitch program. On Monday the Supreme Court declined to hear a petition from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) that sought to force the Department of Homeland Security to release details of a secret 'killswitch' protocol to shut down cellphone and internet service during emergencies. EPIC has been fighting since 2011 to release the details of the program, which is known as Standard Operating Procedure 303. EPIC writes: "On March 9, 2006, the National Communications System ('NCS') approved SOP 303, however...
  • The New Technocracy is Nearly Upon us...We Need to Chat

    01/03/2016 1:42:36 AM PST · by BRK · 27 replies
    The Mind of BRK | 3 Jan 2015 | BRK
    Well 2016 has rolled around and one of the first articles I saw was about George Hotz and his home-brew self driving car. He is claiming that his car is not programmed by rules to drive, but rather was taught to drive by watching him drive. If this is true, then we need to chat. First, every Freeper should read this article in it's entirety. http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-george-hotz-self-driving-car/ Second, we really need to think about what this will mean to us in a future that is coming a lot faster than any of you all might think. What will it mean when...
  • Washington State AG sues major tech support provider alleging deceptive scam

    12/24/2015 1:05:18 PM PST · by KeyLargo · 20 replies
    KOMO News ^ | December 16th 2015 | Connie Thompson
    State AG sues major tech support provider alleging deceptive scam By Connie Thompson Wednesday, December 16th 2015 State investigators just sued one of the rising stars in the tech-support industry claiming part of the operation is based on a scam. The company, called iYogi, is accused of tricking people into paying for tech support services they don't need. According to investigators iYogi engaged in a different twist on the notorious tech support scams where someone call you claiming your computer has problems. What's significant in this case is workers don't call you, you call them. And iYogi is one of...
  • Senator Tom Cotton Slams Apple CEO Tim Cook For Protecting User Privacy

    12/24/2015 10:58:10 AM PST · by Gandalf the Mauve · 32 replies
    Techdirt ^ | 12-21-15 | Mike Masnick
    As you may have heard, last night Apple CEO Tim Cook was on 60 Minutes. The overall story really wasn't all that insightful for anyone who's been following Apple for any length of time, but what got a lot of attention was Tim Cook reiterating his position on protecting the privacy of Apple users through encryption.... Same basic stuff he's said before. Nothing new. Nothing controversial. But grandstanding Senator Tom Cotton apparently flipped out about it and pushed out a statement that shows a rather stunning ignorance of the law.... Of course, Senator Tom Cotton apparently didn't bother to read...
  • Sanders campaign suspended over Clinton data

    12/18/2015 5:13:14 AM PST · by Wolfie · 12 replies
    WCVB Boston ^ | 12/18/15
    Sanders campaign suspended over Clinton data Staffer accessed Clinton data when firewall briefly dropped The Democratic National Committee has suspended Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign from accessing its voter database after the campaign took advantage of a software error to access Hillary Clinton's confidential voter information. The suspension is a setback for the Vermont senator because the database is a goldmine of information about voters nationwide. Campaigns usually use that data to plot their next moves. The DNC database keeps the information gathered by different campaigns separated by a firewall. But the data systems vendor that runs the program dropped...
  • What's with the double/triple posts?

    12/14/2015 2:46:40 PM PST · by RobertoinAL · 45 replies
    For the past week or so I've been getting multiple posts of the same entry, and the number of replys is always #of#.
  • Sen. Lindsey Graham Demands That Silicon Valley Offer Backdoors to Its Encrypted Information

    12/10/2015 9:39:29 AM PST · by Gandalf the Mauve · 49 replies
    re/code ^ | 12-9-2015 | Dawn Chmielewski
    Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham renewed his calls on technology companies to give law enforcement entry into its encrypted information to fight terrorism. His message to Silicon Valley: "Change your business model tomorrow."... Companies like Apple and Google have bolstered encryption on smartphones because of heightened consumer privacy concerns in the wake of Edward Snowden's revelations that the government had been spying on its citizens. Graham said that’s a business decision.... Apple, Google and Facebook have all been under mounting pressure to create backdoor keys that would allow law enforcement access to encrypted communications. The companies maintain that this...
  • Security Alert: Angler Exploit Kit Spreads CryptoWall 4.0 via New Drive-By Campaign

    12/07/2015 4:46:21 AM PST · by rarestia · 18 replies
    Heimdal Security ^ | December 2nd, 2015 • 11:23 | Andra Zaharia
    Our team has recently monitored and analysed a new stack of drive-by campaigns which aim to spread the Angler exploit kit by injecting malicious code into compromised web pages. Because of the mechanisms involved and the attackers’ objectives, the campaign is prone to achieve large distribution and affect a big number of PCs and their users. The campaign is carried out by installing a cocktail of malware on the compromised PC. The first payload consists of the notorious data thief Pony, which systematically harvests all usable usernames and passwords from the infected system and sends them to a series of...
  • Airbus wants to build 'shipping container' cabins that

    11/27/2015 4:56:01 AM PST · by Winniesboy · 95 replies
    Daily Telegraph (UK) ^ | November 11 2015 | Andrew Trotman
    Proposal would mean passengers wouldn't have to wait to board, and planes would spend less time on the ground...The proposal would see passengers "board" the cabin and take their seats, before it is lifted like a shipping container onto the back of the plane. It is then fixed into place and the plane operates as normal....The idea is designed to speed up the boarding process by allowing ticket-holders to take their seats before their plane is ready and in position at the airport's gate... "The period of imobilisation on the ground of the aeroplanes between two successive flights increases their...
  • ProtonMail DDoS wipeout: Day 6. Yes, we're still under attack

    11/10/2015 7:12:28 AM PST · by Alfred O. Bama · 3 replies
    The Register ^ | 11-9-15 | Alexander J Martin
    Encrypted email provider ProtonMail is still being hit by a DDoS attack from what appears to be a nation state, as well as a secondary and separate lower-level assault from an identified assailant. However, the service is now operating normally, it seems. Switzerland-based ProtonMail offers an encrypted webmail system able to withstand intelligence agency-level surveillance. However, since last Tuesday the company has continued to be hit by DDoS attacks from two attackers. Talking to The Register, ProtonMail CEO Andy Yen explained: "We have been attacked every day since 3 November, so we're now entering the sixth day of attacks." "There...
  • New glass almost as tough as steel [Transparent Aluminum!]

    11/04/2015 1:21:58 PM PST · by Red Badger · 103 replies
    phys.org ^ | 11/04/2015 | Staff
    Transmittance spectrum of the 54Al2O3-46Ta2O5 glass in the UV/vis region. The inset picture shows the glass sample used for the transmittance experiment. Credit: (c) 2015 Scientific Reports (2015). DOI: 10.1038/srep15233 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with The University of Tokyo and Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute has created a type of glass that is stronger than many metals. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers describe how they overcame one of the major hurdles in creating glass imbued with extra amounts of an oxide of aluminum, by using what they call aerodynamic levitation. Glass that does...