Miscellaneous Tech News
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Health to be on cyber-security's front line in 2021
Covid-19 catapulted the health sector to the forefront of cyber-security in 2020, but the next year is likely to see the dangers continue and evolve.
Threats from nation states and criminals to the health system are a growing concern.The huge logistical challenge of rolling out vaccines faces the risk of disruption to complex supply chains. And criminal ransomware poses a threat at a time when the pandemic has increased our reliance on technology. The distribution of the various coronavirus vaccines may bring relief, but it also brings with it a major challenge: many of those involved have not had to think hard about security in the past. The complex global supply chain for vaccines ranges from factories in one country to internet-connected fridges in another. -
Brexit deal mentions Netscape browser and Mozilla Mail
References to decades-old computer software are included in the new Brexit agreement, including a description of Netscape Communicator and Mozilla Mail as being "modern" services.
Experts believe officials must have copied and pasted chunks of text from old legislation into the document. The references are on page 921 of the trade deal, in a section on encryption technology. It also recommends using systems that are now vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The text cites "modern e-mail software packages including Outlook, Mozilla Mail as well as Netscape Communicator 4.x." The latter two are now defunct - the last major release of Netscape Communicator was in 1997. The document also recommends using 1024-bit RSA encryption and the SHA-1 hashing algorithm, which are both outdated and vulnerable to cyber-attacks. -
Redefining manual driver updates
Beginning November 5th, 2020, you will see a clear distinction between automatic and manual updates in Windows Update, completing the transformation of driver servicing that we began earlier this year.
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@black3dynamite said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
https://meshcentral2.blogspot.com/2020/12/meshcentral-meshcentral-router-for-macos.html
Good timing with the sudden surge in Mac purchasing! Heck, even I am about to get one. Me, of all people!
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BBC News - Adobe Flash Player is finally laid to rest
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55497353 -
@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
BBC News - Adobe Flash Player is finally laid to rest
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55497353Finally!
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Multiple customers noticing that Slack is down.
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@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
Multiple customers noticing that Slack is down.
We are experiencing the same thing too.
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@black3dynamite said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
Multiple customers noticing that Slack is down.
We are experiencing the same thing too.
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@JaredBusch said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
@black3dynamite said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
@scottalanmiller said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
Multiple customers noticing that Slack is down.
We are experiencing the same thing too.
The last time I checked it was only the messaging and connections that was marked as an incident.
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Google workers form tech giant's first labour union
More than 200 workers at Google-parent Alphabet have taken steps to form a labour union in a rare development for an American tech giant.
They said the organisation will give staff greater power to voice concerns about discriminatory work practices at the firm and how it handles issues like online hate speech. The move follows walkouts and other actions by staff in recent years. Google said it would "continue engaging directly with all our employees". "We've always worked hard to create a supportive and rewarding workplace for our workforce," Kara Silverstein, director of people operations, said in a statement. "Of course our employees have protected labour rights that we support. But as we've always done, we'll continue engaging directly with all our employees". -
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TalkRadio: YouTube reverses decision to ban channel
YouTube has reinstated TalkRadio's channel on its platform hours after saying it had been "terminated" for breaking the tech firm's rules.
It said the broadcaster had posted material that contradicted expert advice about the coronavirus pandemic. But it explained its U-turn saying it sometimes made exceptions to guidelines that state repeat offenders face a permanent ban. TalkRadio said it had yet to be given a full explanation for the affair. The decision to ban TalkRadio had appalled digital rights campaigners, with one group - Big Brother Watch - claiming it was evidence that "big tech censorship is spiralling out of control". The Google-owned service has issued a brief statement explaining its actions. "TalkRadio's YouTube channel was briefly suspended, but upon further review, has now been reinstated," it said. -
@mlnews said in Miscellaneous Tech News:
TalkRadio: YouTube reverses decision to ban channel
YouTube has reinstated TalkRadio's channel on its platform hours after saying it had been "terminated" for breaking the tech firm's rules.
It said the broadcaster had posted material that contradicted expert advice about the coronavirus pandemic. But it explained its U-turn saying it sometimes made exceptions to guidelines that state repeat offenders face a permanent ban. TalkRadio said it had yet to be given a full explanation for the affair. The decision to ban TalkRadio had appalled digital rights campaigners, with one group - Big Brother Watch - claiming it was evidence that "big tech censorship is spiralling out of control". The Google-owned service has issued a brief statement explaining its actions. "TalkRadio's YouTube channel was briefly suspended, but upon further review, has now been reinstated," it said.What so many people fail to understand is that YouTube, Twitter etc aren't protected platforms for freedom of speech. They have the right, as much as @scottalanmiller has the right to ban anyone or group from their platforms that they
choose.own and operate.I actually agree that YouTube has the right to pick what content lives on their platform.
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AI draws dog-walking baby radish in a tutu
Avocado-shaped armchairs, radishes in tutus and cats in sunglasses are among some surreal works of art created by an artificial-intelligence system.
Dall-E was trained to generate images from short text-based descriptions, using 12 billion images and their captions sourced from the internet. Creator OpenAI previously produced a text generator that turns short phrases into stories, poems and articles. Experts said the results of its latest innovation were impressive, if patchy. Combining an understanding of both language and pictures will be the key to making AI smarter and the models devised by OpenAI make good strides towards this, most researchers agree.
