Software Development

 There are, as you might expect, a few disagreements about what’s most important.   Enlarge / Failing an image of the proposed reference hardware by the OpenWrt group, let us gaze upon where this all started: inside a device that tried to quietly use open source software without crediting or releasing it. (credit: Jim Salter) …

OpenWrt, now 20 years old, is crafting its own future-proof reference hardware Read More »

 For now, there’s no reason for concern, but that could change in coming years.   Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) An overwhelming majority of handheld devices these days have ambient light sensors built into them. A large percentage of TVs and monitors do, too, and that proportion is growing. The sensors allow devices to automatically adjust …

Ambient light sensors can reveal your device activity. How big a threat is it? Read More »

 Senior execs’ emails accessed in network breach that wasn’t caught for 2 months.   Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Russia-state hackers exploited a weak password to compromise Microsoft’s corporate network and accessed emails and documents that belonged to senior executives and employees working in security and legal teams, Microsoft said late Friday. The attack, which Microsoft …

Microsoft network breached through password-spraying by Russian-state hackers Read More »

 “The man I am now would do things very differently,” Reiser says in long letter.   Enlarge / A portion of the cover letter attached to Hans Reiser’s response to Fredrick Brennan’s prompt about his filesystem’s obsolescence. (credit: Fredrick Brennan) With the ReiserFS recently considered obsolete and slated for removal from the Linux kernel entirely, …

Convicted murderer, filesystem creator writes of regrets to Linux list Read More »

 Dave Mills created NTP, the protocol that holds the temporal Internet together, in 1985.   Enlarge / A photo of David L. Mills taken by David Woolley on April 27, 2005. (credit: David Woolley / Benj Edwards / Getty Images) On Thursday, Internet pioneer Vint Cerf announced that Dr. David L. Mills, the inventor of …

Inventor of NTP protocol that keeps time on billions of devices dies at age 85 Read More »

 Stablecoins like Tether also used for scams and sanctions evasion.   Enlarge (credit: Anjali Nair; Getty Images) Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies pegged to a stable value like the US dollar, were created with the promise of bringing the frictionless, border-crossing fluidity of Bitcoin to a form of digital money with far less volatility. That combination has proved …

$40 billion worth of crypto crime enabled by stablecoins since 2022 Read More »

 Zuckeberg and Altman both tamp down fear and hype with casual statements about AGI.   Enlarge / Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, on September 27, 2023. (credit: Getty Images) On Thursday, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that his company is working on …

Zuckerberg’s AGI remarks follow trend of downplaying AI dangers Read More »

 Roughly 25 million of the passwords have never been seen before by widely used service.   Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Nearly 71 million unique credentials stolen for logging into websites such as Facebook, Roblox, eBay, and Yahoo have been circulating on the Internet for at least four months, a researcher said Wednesday. Troy Hunt, operator …

Researcher uncovers one of the biggest password breaches in recent history Read More »

 Despite new military collab, OpenAI won’t allow customers to “develop or use weapons” with its tools.   Enlarge (credit: OpenAI / Getty Images / Benj Edwards) On Tuesday, ChatGPT developer OpenAI revealed that it is collaborating with the United States Defense Department on cybersecurity projects and exploring ways to prevent veteran suicide, reports Bloomberg. OpenAI …

OpenAI reveals partnership with Pentagon on cybersecurity, suicide prevention Read More »

 ChatGPT maker plans transparency for gen AI content and improved access to voting info.   Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Benj Edwards) On Monday, ChatGPT maker OpenAI detailed its plans to prevent the misuse of its AI technologies during the upcoming elections in 2024, promising transparency in AI-generated content and enhancing access to reliable voting …

As 2024 election looms, OpenAI says it is taking steps to prevent AI abuse Read More »