Miscellaneous Tech News
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Self-driving delivery van ditches 'human controls'
The first self-driving vehicle designed without basic human controls such as steering wheels, pedals or side view mirrors has been granted permission to test on US roads.
Nuro, the company behind the design, makes autonomous delivery vans. The vehicle is Nuro's second generation of its vehicles, which it is calling R2 and will be tested in Houston, Texas. This is the first exemption to a rule requiring vehicles to have controls for human operators. Most of the rules for testing vehicles require features that allow a driver to safely take control of them. But in a statement, the US transport secretary Elaine Chao said given that the vehicle's top speed is capped at 25mph, these requirements "no longer make sense". -
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Coronavirus: Sony and Amazon pull out of major tech show
Sony and Amazon are the latest major companies to pull out of one of the world's largest tech shows because of risks posed by coronavirus.
Sony said it would no longer take part in Mobile World Congress in Barcelona after "monitoring the evolving situation" after the coronavirus outbreak. The organiser has said the event, which attracts 100,000 people, will go ahead. But it admitted other companies are considering whether to attend. South Korea's LG Electronics, Ericsson, the Swedish telecoms equipment-maker, and US chip company NVIDIA have all withdrawn from the conference, which runs between 24 and 27 February. -
China launches coronavirus 'close contact detector' app
China has launched an app that allows people to check whether they have been at risk of catching the coronavirus.
The 'close contact detector' tells users if they have been near a person who has been confirmed or suspected of having the virus. People identified as being at risk are advised to stay at home and inform local health authorities. The technology shines a light on the Chinese government's close surveillance of its population. To make an inquiry users scan a Quick Response (QR) code on their smartphones using apps like the payment service Alipay or social media platform WeChat. Once the new app is registered with a phone number, users are asked to enter their name and ID number. Every registered phone number can then be used to check the status of up to three ID numbers. -
@mlnews said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
stay at home and inform local health authorities.
So that the Chinese government can weld their doors closed with them inside. . .
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US telecoms giants get $26bn takeover green light
A US judge has given the go-ahead for telecoms giant T-Mobile US to buy its smaller rival Sprint.
The $26bn (£20bn) deal will mark a major shakeup of the industry as it will mean there will be just three major players in the American mobile phone market.
The ruling will pave the way for the completion of a deal first agreed two years ago.
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Cyber-crime profits reached $3.5bn in 2019, says FBI
Criminals netted $3.5bn (£2.7bn) from cyber-crimes reported to the FBI alone in 2019, according to the service's internet crime complaint centre (IC3).
It received 467,361 complaints from individuals and businesses during the year and has had nearly five million since its inception in 2000. Phishing and extortion remain the most popular ways of scamming people. It says techniques are becoming more sophisticated, making it harder for people to tell "real from fake". This is especially true of web and email addresses that are fooling people because they look increasingly legitimate. Last year IC3 had 13,633 complaints from victims of so-called tech-support fraud, which involves a scammer phoning an individual and claiming there is a problem with their computer that needs immediate fixing. -
U.S. Officials Say Huawei Can Covertly Access Telecom Networks
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-officials-say-huawei-can-covertly-access-telecom-networks-11581452256 -
@black3dynamite said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
U.S. Officials Say Huawei Can Covertly Access Telecom Networks
https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-officials-say-huawei-can-covertly-access-telecom-networks-11581452256And in doing so, admitted that law enforcement has inappropriate access to those systems.
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Facebook Dating delayed after row with regulator
Facebook has delayed the launch of its new dating feature in Europe, after a last-minute visit by officers from the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC).
The DPC said it had been told about the feature just 10 days ahead of the planned launch and "no information or documentation was provided to us". "We were very concerned that this was the first that we'd heard," it said. Officers had gathered documents during Monday's inspection of Facebook's EU headquarters, in Dublin, the DPC said. The move also affects the UK market, which is bound to EU rules during the post-Brexit transition period this year. Facebook, however, said it had completed the necessary paperwork and shared it when asked. "It's really important that we get the launch of Facebook Dating right, so we are taking a bit more time to make sure the product is ready for the European market," a representative said. -
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Facebook boss 'happy to pay more tax in Europe'
The boss of Facebook says he accepts tech giants may have to pay more tax in Europe in future and recognises people's "frustration" over the issue.
Mark Zuckerberg also said he backed plans by think tank the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to find a global solution. Facebook and others have been accused of not paying their fair share of tax in countries where they operate. But some say the OECD is moving too slowly towards its goal of a 2020 deal. In the UK, Facebook paid just £28.5m in corporation tax in 2018 despite generating a record £1.65bn in British sales. At the time tax campaigner and MP Margaret Hodge said such a low bill was "outrageous", but Facebook said it pays what it owes. -
Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook boss urges tighter regulation
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has called for more regulation of harmful online content, saying it was not for companies like his to decide what counts as legitimate free speech.
Citing China, Mr Zuckerberg also warned excessive control risked stifling individual expression.
He was speaking at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Social media giants like Facebook are under increasing pressure to stop the spread of false information. Facebook in particular has been criticised for its policy on political advertising. The company launched new policies for political advertising in the US in 2018 and globally the following year. These rules require political ads to display who had paid for them, and a copy of the ad is kept in a publicly-searchable database for seven years. -
Apple warns coronavirus will hurt iPhone supplies
Apple has warned that disruption in China from the coronavirus will mean revenues falling short of forecasts.
The tech giant said production and sales were affected, and that "worldwide iPhone supply would be temporarily constrained". The iPhone maker is the first major US company to say that the epidemic will hit its finances. Apple, which had forecast record revenues of up to $67bn in the current quarter, did not reveal the likely hit. "We do not expect to meet the revenue guidance we provided for the March quarter," the company said in a statement, adding that it was "experiencing a slower return to normal conditions" than expected. With most stores in China either closed or operating at reduced hours, sales of Apple products would be lower, the company said. -
Ring doorbell makes two-factor verification mandatory
Ring, Amazon's video doorbell system, has introduced additional steps to the way users log in to their accounts.
Users will need to enter a password and unique six-digit code when they first log in to view their security footage or access the Neighbors app. On Tuesday, Ring also said it would pause its data-sharing with third-party firms. The change comes as Ring and Amazon face increasing scrutiny about privacy protection and data sharing. A BBC report on Amazon - which owns Ring - showed the company's extensive level of data collection. In a blog post Ring's president Leila Rouhi said the company takes "digital security and privacy seriously" and would look at additional ways to improve security. -
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Facebook boss faces 'blow-dried armpit' jibes
Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg has faced jibes on social media over claims he has staff blow-dry his armpits before public appearances.
The claim is from a new book, Facebook: The Inside Story by Steven Levy, that will be released later this month. A Bloomberg review included the anecdote about Mr Zuckerberg having a member of his communication team dry his "anxiety sweat" before a speech. A Facebook spokesperson said she doubted the story's accuracy. "I doubt this is true, and if so, it would have been at our communications team's request, but surely anyone who has ever worn a grey T-shirt can relate," said Liz Bourgeois, a Facebook spokesperson. The anecdote was first reported in a review of the book by Bloomberg News. -
Overview of the hardware specifications for the UMG-Pro:
Processor: Quad ARM Cortex-A57 Core at 1.7 GHz
System Memory: 2 GB DDR4
2 x 1/10G SFP+ WAN/LAN Ports
2 x 10/100/1000 RJ45 WAN/LAN Ports
1 x RPS DC Input
1 x Smart Power Outlet 125VAC (Max 10A)
1 x 1.3" Color LCD Touch DisplayThe UMG-Pro will be available in the EA store soon.
Note: The UMG-Pro will be adoptable to an external controller and will not host any controllers on it.
