Tech news

Capital One Financial Corporation has announced a data breach affecting some 100 million people in the United States and another 6 million in Canada. The FBI arrested the alleged perpetrator of the breach in Seattle. Capital One on July 19 discovered someone had accessed its data stored online and obtained personal information of credit card customers and people who had applied for credit card products. No credit card account numbers or log-in credentials were compromised in the breach, the company said. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2SSNpQc

GitHub is blocking users in Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria from accessing its services to comply with U.S. trade control laws. The Microsoft-owned company disclosed the action on a support page as a courtesy, noting that GitHub users ultimately are responsible for ensuring that their use of GitHub's products and services complies with all applicable laws and regulations. "GitHub is subject to U.S. trade control laws and is committed to full compliance with applicable law," a GitHub spokesperson said. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2YrRdgJ

Apple's 2019 crop of iPhones haven't been released yet but there's already talk about its 2020 plans, largely because that will be the first year the company's mobile lineup will support 5G. Ming-Chi Kuo, an Apple analyst known for his accurate predictions, believes all three iPhones introduced in 2020 will support 5G. Kuo gave three reasons for Apple's decision to support 5G across its 2020 iPhone lineup: Apple now has the additional resources it needs for the move; there will be low-priced Android 5G phones; and 5G could boost Apple's AR. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2LNG2sD

Launching a new car company and getting it to global scale doesn't happen often, and it has been a long time since there has been a successful launch of one in the U.S. Tesla really stands alone as the only new U.S. car company of scale since American Motors and Studebaker failed decades ago, when three auto companies then dominated the U.S. industry. Creating a high-profile hybrid seemed to be the safer path, but that route ended in failure for Fisker. Instead, Tesla roared in with an all-electric strategy and redefined the car market. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Kaox2p

Emmabuntüs is a great find if you are looking for an all-around Linux operating system that keeps legacy computers out of the trash heap and is easy to use with no setup or regular Internet access required. This distro is not one whose name is readily recognizable. Hidden from popular view, it's seldom spotted by product reviewers. Yet it has fulfilled a range of user needs for years. Its obscurity keeps it from reaching the potential it has to attract the attention of distro hoppers looking for a better OS. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2GuhReu

CBS went dark across AT&T's U-verse and DirecTV services, days after the seven-year contract between the two companies expired. As the two couldn't come to new terms, CBS and its related channels -- including CBSN, CBS Sports and The Smithsonian Channel -- were blacked out. This latest disruption in service affected viewers in major markets across the U.S., including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Kb4HnE

The DoJ has announced an antitrust probe into big tech, following several months of rumors that it was about to do so. The DoJ plans to review how the leading online platforms achieved market power and whether they have engaged in practices that reduced competition, stifled innovation, or otherwise harmed consumers. The department will consider widespread concerns of consumers, businesses and entrepreneurs over search, social media and retail services. Its Antitrust Division will seek public input. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2OrYRnc

A flaw in a Facebook app designed for children under 13 years old allows kids to chat online with people unapproved by their parents. The messaging app is designed to give parents control over who their kids text and video chat with online, but a bug in the software lets a contact approved to chat with one child to talk to another without the approval of the second child's parents. "We recently notified some parents of Messenger Kids account users about a technical error that we detected affecting a small number of group chats," Facebook said. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2YcszMV

Microsoft wants to empower its Azure cloud computing service with yet-to-exist artificial general intelligence technologies to create new goals for supercomputing. It has announced a $1B investment through a partnership with OpenAI to build new AI technologies. The two companies hope to extend Microsoft Azure's capabilities in large-scale AI systems. Microsoft and OpenAI want to accelerate breakthroughs in AI and power OpenAI's efforts to create artificial general intelligence. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2LBCERD

I was struck by a recent video of a soldier who apparently took some woman's parking spot and then went off the rails when she objected. He bad-mouthed the U.S. military and the U.S., abused his wife, and put his child at risk. A decade ago we probably wouldn't have seen this incident, but now there is a good chance that anyone who misbehaves will be caught on camera. These can be life-changing events -- and not in a good way. In some cases, the people caught are serial abusers, but sometimes they're individuals who are just having a bad day. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2JV6kGb

KDE Neon is a bit of an oddball Linux thing. Linuxland has an impressive collection of oddball things. Neon looks and feels much like a Linux distribution, but its developers assert quite openly on their website that Neon is not a real Linux distro. It just installs and functions like one -- sort of. That can make deciding to use it a little confusing. Neon appears to be a Linux operating system. It boots your computer. It displays a full desktop environment. It runs *some* applications. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2M0g3xl

Earthlings have a natural inclination to gaze at the heavenly bodies. Many even dream of reaching for the stars. Mae C. Jemison actually is planning to get humans to other solar systems within the next century. Her goal is not an idle fancy. She has already been to space and back. Now her passion is to unite humanity to focus on traveling beyond our solar system. On Sept. 12, 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space, as a mission specialist on Space Shuttle Endeavour. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2LuS8Xz

On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong uttered the now famous line, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind," when he became the first person to set foot on the moon. It fulfilled the almost as famous "We choose to go to the moon" line delivered by President John F. Kennedy to a crowd at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 12, 1962. In that speech the president declared that the United States would send and return a man to the moon by the end of the decade, which he stressed would be no small undertaking. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2JGE6A1

Twitter has unveiled a fresh new look for its desktop website that mimics the look and feel of its mobile platforms. The company has been testing a new version of its desktop website since the beginning of the year. The most noticeable change is the organization and layout of the Twitter home screen itself. The upgraded design simplifies navigation with a new and larger left-hand sidebar that directs you to all of Twitter's key sections: Notifications, Direct Messages, Explore, Bookmarks and Lists. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2XJZPjb

Alan Turing, the British mathematician known for his World War II code-breaking exploits and for a test to distinguish between human and machine intelligence, will be on 50-pound notes in the UK by the end of 2021. The Bank of England, which made the announcement, explained that Turing, who died in 1954, was chosen from a field of 989 eligible characters after a public nomination period. Other characters included theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, mathematician Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, maker of a mechanical computer. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2lhy0MD

Qualcomm Technologies aims to push the speed limits of mobile gaming with the added features in its Snapdragon Mobile Platform. The Snapdragon 855 Plus Mobile Platform, its newest processor, performs graphics functions 15 percent faster. It will show up in new devices later this year. Snapdragon 855 Plus is an update to the flagship Snapdragon 855, released earlier this year. The 855 emphasized speed to support enhanced performance and deliver leading experiences in multi-gigabit 5G, gaming, AI and XR. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2lHr7o9

For Halloween, we buy all kinds of crap we shouldn't be eating and feed it to our kids. When Valentine's Day approaches, husbands and boyfriends live in fear of getting their significant other's card, gift or flowers wrong again. Fourth of July is when we buy expensive things we can burn and piss off our neighbors. Of course, there are the various gift-giving holidays that are linked to specific religious groups. I wonder -- if we got rid of the gift requirements for all these holidays, would U.S. retail collapse? from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2jVZZ4b

Ravelry, an online knitting community that has more than 8 million members, last month announced that it would ban forum posts, projects, patterns and even profiles from users who supported the Trump administration. "We cannot provide a space that is inclusive of all and also allow support for open white supremacy," the administrators posted on the site. "Support of the Trump administration is undeniably support for white supremacy," the post added. The administrators have maintained that they aren't endorsing Democrats or banning Republicans. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2l6aHp4

After 25 months of development, the makers of the granddaddy of the Linux OSes released an upgrade that updates many of the software packages and plays general catch-up with modern Linux trends. However, Debian Linux 10 Buster is a boring upgrade. It does little to draw attention to its merits. For serious Linux users, though, boring can be endearing. It reinforces Debian's reliability and ultimate stability. Debian by design is more conservative in upgrading application packages and venturing into new technologies. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2LkvNvy

A security researcher has found a flaw in the popular video conferencing app Zoom that could be used to turn on the camera on a Macintosh computer without a user's permission. The vulnerability allows any website to forcibly join a user to a Zoom call, with their video camera activated, without a user's permission, explained Jonathan Leitschuh, a senior software engineer at Gradle. The code could be used in a malicious ad or in a phishing campaign, he wrote. Zoom contradicted some of Leitschuh's conclusions in a response post. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2XHY71S

It is newly minted conventional wisdom that not a single information security conference goes by without a presentation about the abysmal state of IoT security. While this is a boon for researchers looking to make a name for themselves, this sorry state of affairs is definitely not beneficial for anyone who owns a connected device. IoT device owners aren't the only ones fed up, though. Right behind them is Eldridge Alexander, manager of Duo Labs at Duo Security. Even better, he has a plan, and the experience to lend it some credibility. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2XEyHlB

State motor vehicle departments have become a rich source of facial recognition data for and FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Researchers at Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy & Technology reportedly used public records requests to gather a cache of documents that show the agencies have turned state DMV databases into the foundation of a vast surveillance infrastructure. The records show that federal law enforcement has fostered a cozy relationship with state DMV officials. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Jmy1Zc

Mageia 7 redefines the concept of traditional Linux. It is a solid operating system well suited to both newcomers and seasoned Linux users alike. The Mageia distro is a powerhouse Linux OS filled with features and options unmatched in other Linux versions. Mageia Linux is a fork of the now-defunct Mandriva Linux. It was developed by a team of former employees of the France-based commercial software company that folded Mandriva. The first Mageia version was released in September 2010. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2XBTGAy

Like a lot of you, after reading about the departure of Jony Ive, I'm trying to wrap my head around Apple without a design focus. Now this isn't as hard as you might think, given the last truly successful Apple product came out around a decade ago and was called the "iPad." It is also somewhat ironic that Apple just effectively relaunched the iPod, the product that Steve Jobs rode to Apple's massive success last decade. In many respects, Apple is like the consumer version of Oracle. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2XwOQV5

While good communication is pretty much universally beneficial, there are times when it's more so than others. One such time? During a cybersecurity incident. Incident responders know that communication is paramount. Even a few minutes might mean the difference between closing an issue vs. allowing a risky situation to persist longer than it needs to. In fact, communication -- both within the team and externally with different groups -- is one of the most important tools at the disposal of the response team. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2xvgk2Q

Utility bills can get astronomical in the summer and winter. You can reduce those costs and your carbon footprint by signing up for Arcadia Power. Accessible to anyone who pays an electric bill, this service monitors the energy market for you, giving customized clean solution recommendations that'll help you save money and go green -- and you can track it all using the ultra-transparent dashboard. Accessible to anyone who pays an electric bill, Arcadia Power helps you connect to clean energy solutions and save money on your utility bill. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/323iEfI

I watched the Democratic debates last week and was struck by three things: I'd likely rather watch paint dry; the application of technology to improve the experience was nonexistent; and I'd bet that if the Democrats don't up their game President Trump will have them to thank when he wins re-election. I'm generally frustrated about how little technology is used to improve the presentations made by technology companies, but in this case both the preservation of the U.S. and perhaps the survival of the world are tied to the next election. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Xl6Kiz