Piracy: ꜱᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ AnActOfCreation • 2 days ago • 99%

www.theregister.com

The DeCENC attack, developed by security researcher David Buchanan, can bypass the Common Encryption Scheme (CENC) used by streaming platforms like Amazon and Netflix, allowing decrypted but compressed video to be captured and saved, posing a theoretical risk to DRM protection. Although DeCENC offers a novel method to exfiltrate protected video data, Buchanan notes it's largely impractical compared to simpler piracy techniques, such as HDMI capture or exploiting existing vulnerabilities like the Microsoft PlayReady client compromise. Buchanan criticizes the CENC specification's lack of authentication, highlighting the challenge of conducting security research due to paywalled and complex technical documents, and calls for greater accessibility of these standards for researchers.

Windows 11 AnActOfCreation • 4 days ago • 94%

lifehacker.com

Windhawk is a free, open-source app that functions like an app store for Windows mods, allowing users to customize almost anything about their Windows experience easily. Users can browse and install a variety of mods that range from visual tweaks, like changing the taskbar style, to functional changes, such as modifying taskbar volume controls or disabling grouping of taskbar icons. Each mod includes a caution to review its source code on GitHub, ensuring users can make informed decisions before installing any customizations.

News AnActOfCreation • 6 days ago • 98%

www.businessinsider.com

A former Twitter employee, Gary Rooney, won about $600,000 for unfair dismissal after Twitter assumed he resigned by not responding to Elon Musk's "hardcore" work email. The case highlighted the importance of clear communication between employers and employees, especially regarding significant changes in employment terms. Rooney’s private Slack messages, where he discussed leaving, were used as evidence by Twitter, underscoring that internal communication on platforms like Slack is not always private and can be used in legal disputes.

News AnActOfCreation • 2 weeks ago • 98%

- Former President Trump defended his actions regarding the 2020 election, claiming he had the right to interfere and criticizing the charges against him as politically motivated. - Trump argued that the legal actions against him set a bad precedent and accused prosecutors of bias, specifically mentioning federal charges and a Georgia case involving alleged election interference. - The Harris-Walz campaign condemned Trump's remarks, stating that he is pushing false narratives and emphasizing Vice President Harris's commitment to upholding the rule of law.

News AnActOfCreation • 2 weeks ago • 97%

www.nytimes.com

- Senator JD Vance used a viral clip of Caite Upton's 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant mistake to mock Kamala Harris, sparking backlash. - Upton criticized Vance's actions on social media, calling for an end to online bullying, and expressed that the viral clip had previously led to depression and suicidal thoughts. - Vance stated he was unaware of Upton’s past mental health struggles and refused to apologize, dismissing the incident as a joke.

www.cnn.com

- The remains of Nicholas Paul Grubb, a man found frozen in a Pennsylvania cave in 1977, were identified nearly 50 years later using old-fashioned detective work rather than advanced technology. - Grubb’s body was discovered by hikers near the Pinnacle in Albany Township, and his death was determined to be from a drug-induced overdose with no signs of foul play. - The case was finally solved when a Pennsylvania State Police detective found Grubb’s lost fingerprint card from 1977, leading to a positive identification through the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs).

www.businessinsider.com

- Kellee Speakman, a conservative elementary school teacher, moved from California to Texas in 2022 but returned after four and a half months due to Texas's political obsession and unexpected living costs. - Speakman found Texas to be not much cheaper than California, with high property taxes, expensive services, and lower wages, which contributed to her dissatisfaction. - She returned to California, appreciating its lifestyle, public lands, and better teacher benefits, realizing that her idea of freedom involved peace and everyday adventures rather than political rhetoric.

science AnActOfCreation • 3 weeks ago • 100%

www.popsci.com

- Paleontologists found matching Early Cretaceous dinosaur footprints in Brazil and Cameroon, showing where dinosaurs walked before Africa and South America split. - The footprints, mostly from three-toed theropods, date back 120 million years and reveal how dinosaurs migrated across the supercontinent Gondwana. - Geological evidence supports that these areas were connected before the continents drifted apart, forming the South Atlantic Ocean.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 weeks ago • 99%

www.forbes.com

- Sonos's botched app rollout is a significant leadership failure, resulting in widespread customer dissatisfaction and technical issues that undermine its brand. - Over 100 employees were laid off, likely due to the mishandling of the app, reflecting poor leadership priorities and decisions. - Sonos now faces potential long-term damage to its customer loyalty and market confidence, with upcoming updates needing to address these issues urgently.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 weeks ago • 99%

arstechnica.com

- Peloton is introducing a $95 "used equipment activation fee" for bikes purchased from outside its official channels in the US and Canada, aiming to boost revenue and maintain onboarding quality for new subscribers. - The fee has sparked criticism as it reduces the cost savings typically associated with buying secondhand equipment and diverges from practices in other industries, potentially discouraging used market purchases. - Peloton's hardware sales continue to decline, but subscription revenue has seen slight growth; the company still faces financial struggles despite cost-cutting measures and layoffs.

Firefox AnActOfCreation • 4 weeks ago • 98%

- Firefox is a privacy-friendly alternative to Chrome, using its own browser engine (Gecko) and offering strong privacy protections compared to Chromium-based browsers. - Despite its benefits, Firefox relies on Google for funding, raising concerns about its future, and some recent privacy decisions have drawn criticism. - Switching from Chrome to Firefox is simple, and alternatives like Mullvad Browser offer even stronger privacy for those seeking more protection.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 4 weeks ago • 98%

www.howtogeek.com

- YouTube is intensifying efforts to combat adblockers, including blocking video playback and warning users of potential account suspension. - Increased ads on YouTube have driven many users to adblockers, hurting both YouTube’s ad revenue and content creators reliant on ad-based income. - Despite these measures, many users are leaving YouTube or finding workarounds, leading creators to seek alternative revenue streams off-platform.

rpg AnActOfCreation • 4 weeks ago • 98%

www.polygon.com

- Deborah Ann Woll gave Jon Bernthal an engaging introduction to Dungeons & Dragons on his podcast, explaining character creation and gameplay in a fun and accessible way. - Woll’s approach focuses on storytelling and immersing players in the world rather than overwhelming them with character sheets and rules, making D&D more appealing to newcomers. - The video highlights the universal appeal of D&D, where both Hollywood stars and regular players can connect and enjoy the game together.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 1 month ago • 99%

www.benzinga.com

- Judge James Donato intends to dismantle Google’s Android app store monopoly, following an earlier ruling declaring it illegal. - Google argued that opening its store to competitors would be too costly and complex, but the judge dismissed this claim, emphasizing that barriers will be removed. - Proposed remedies include banning discriminatory practices against rival app stores and setting up a committee to monitor compliance and report regularly.

Firefox AnActOfCreation • 1 month ago • 97%

www.howtogeek.com

- Firefox Nightly 131 introduces vertical tabs and an improved sidebar, enhancing tab management and multitasking for users with many open tabs. - The vertical tabs feature, similar to Microsoft Edge, keeps tabs organized on the left-hand side and can be customized via Firefox Labs settings. - Additional features include AI chatbot integration in the sidebar and ongoing development of tab grouping and profile management tools.

News AnActOfCreation • 1 month ago • 95%

www.businessinsider.com

- Sen. JD Vance recounted being asked if he had a "secret family" during the vice presidential vetting process, which he found intrusive and bizarre, especially since his wife was present. - Vance described the vetting process as detailed and intrusive, including questions about potential family criticisms and criminal history. - Politicians undergoing vice presidential vetting often face extensive scrutiny to prepare for media examination, highlighting past examples like Herschel Walker and John Edwards who had hidden children.

News AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 98%

> “Christians, get out and vote, just this time,” Trump exclaimed to a cheering crowd in West Palm Beach, Fla. > > “You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what, it will be fixed, it will be fine, you won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians” he added. > > “I love you Christians. I’m a Christian. I love you, get out, you gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again, we’ll have it fixed so good you’re not going to have to vote,” Trump said.

Proton AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 82%

protonvpn.com

- Proton VPN doesn't use RAM-only servers, arguing they offer no additional security over full-disk encryption on hard drives. - Full-disk encryption ensures data on hard drives is secure and inaccessible without proper authentication, even when servers are powered off. - Proton VPN prioritizes a strict no-logs policy, independent audits, and operating servers in privacy-friendly jurisdictions to protect user privacy.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 97%

> “The implication here is that any code committed to a public repository may be accessible forever as long as there is at least one fork of that repository,” the report’s authors claim. Am I dumb or is this exactly the purpose of forks? I feel like I'm missing something.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 98%

www.vox.com

- Travelers can opt out of facial recognition at US airports by requesting manual ID verification, though resistance or intimidation may occur. - Facial recognition poses privacy risks, including potential data breaches, misidentification, and normalization of surveillance. - The Algorithmic Justice League's "Freedom Flyers" campaign aims to raise awareness of these issues and encourage passengers to exercise their right to opt out.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 99%

www.theverge.com

#killedbygoogle - Google's URL shortening service goo.gl links will stop working on August 25th, 2025, resulting in 404 errors. - Starting August 23rd, 2024, goo.gl links will show an interstitial page warning users of the upcoming shutdown. - Google initially suggested migrating to Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL), which has also since been deprecated.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 98%

- A global Microsoft Windows outage, caused by a CrowdStrike software update, has disrupted airlines, banking services, and 911 lines, leading to grounded flights and long queues. - The issue resulted in many systems experiencing the “Blue Screen of Death” (BSOD), affecting major carriers and airports worldwide, and also impacted the London Stock Exchange and Australian banking systems. - CrowdStrike has identified and isolated the defect, deploying a fix, but recovery is expected to be slow due to the need for manual intervention on affected devices.

Programming AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 97%

devclass.com

- Facebook does not use Git due to scale issues with their large monorepo, instead opting for Mercurial. - Mercurial may be a better option for large monorepos, but Git has made improvements to support them better. - Despite some drawbacks, Git usage remains dominant with 93.87% share, due to familiarity, additional tools, and industry trends.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 99%

www.techspot.com

- Home routing and encryption technologies are making lawful interception harder for Europol - PET-enabled home routing allows for secure communication, hindering law enforcement's ability to intercept and monitor communications - Europol suggests solutions such as disabling PET technologies and implementing cross-border interception standards to address the issue.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 2 months ago • 66%

www.androidpolice.com

* One Redditor tested Google's Find My Device network against Apple's Find My Network by shipping an AirTag and a Pebblebee tracker to a different state and tracking the package through the respective apps. * The Pebblebee Tracker struggled to provide location updates, while Apple's AirTag consistently updated throughout the journey. * Google's Find My Device network is still nascent and opt-in, limiting its effectiveness compared to Apple's Find My Network. Google is reportedly working on improving its network's speed and reliability.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 97%

www.theverge.com

- Proton Docs is a privacy-focused alternative to Google Docs and Microsoft Word, offering similar features and layout. - Launched within Proton Drive, it is part of Proton's suite of work tools aiming to compete with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. - Proton Docs prioritizes security, encrypting all data in real time and promising not to sell user data, appealing to privacy-conscious users.

Programming AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 97%

www.bleepingcomputer.com

- The developer of the 'node-ip' project made the GitHub repository read-only after disputing the severity of a reported vulnerability (CVE-2023-42282). - The vulnerability involved incorrect identification of private IP addresses in non-standard formats, but the developer argued it had a dubious security impact. - The situation highlights ongoing issues with unverified CVE reports causing unnecessary panic and frustration for open-source project maintainers.

News AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 95%

www.cnn.com

- Boeing admitted that a missing work order led to a door plug blowing off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max in January. - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reprimanded Boeing for sharing investigative information and referred Boeing's conduct to the Department of Justice. - Boeing's attempt to be transparent and take responsibility for the incident was criticized, highlighting the impact of procedural lapses on flight safety.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 100%

www.adweek.com

- Time removed its paywall in June 2023, resulting in a rise in advertising revenue but a loss of digital subscribers, with traffic remaining relatively flat. - The decision was influenced by broader industry trends and the publisher's focus on working with advertisers and leveraging its brand equity in other ventures. - Time aims to achieve profitability by expanding its direct advertising and sponsorship business, growing its global events slate, and exploring new ventures like connected television.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 19%

www.techspot.com

- Firefox 127 has introduced privacy tweaks that are causing user dissatisfaction, particularly due to changes like the separation of normal and private windows on the taskbar and the closing of private tabs when the main instance closes on iOS. - Despite user complaints, the update includes new privacy and security enhancements such as upgrading subresources from HTTP to HTTPS and masking CPU architecture to reduce fingerprinting. - Mozilla plans to address user feedback by reintroducing the "browser.privateWindowSeparation.enabled" preference as an opt-in and adding more intuitive privacy settings in future updates.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 99%

arstechnica.com

- Proton, known for its secure email and productivity services, is transitioning to a nonprofit foundation model, ensuring it remains mission-focused without reliance on external subsidies. - The Proton Foundation, now the primary shareholder, is located in Switzerland, which mandates that foundations act according to their established purpose, bolstering Proton's commitment to privacy. - Proton has expanded its offerings to include cloud storage, password management, calendars, and VPN services, all designed with end-to-end encryption and hosted in Switzerland, enhancing its privacy-first approach. ------ > We believe that if we want to bring about large-scale change, Proton can’t be billionaire-subsidized (like Signal), Google-subsidized (like Mozilla), government-subsidized (like Tor), donation-subsidized (like Wikipedia), or even speculation-subsidized (like the plethora of crypto “foundations”)," Proton CEO Andy Yen wrote in a blog post announcing the transition. "Instead, Proton must have a profitable and healthy business at its core."

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 98%

www.bleepingcomputer.com

- The New York Times suffered a breach of its GitHub repositories in January 2024, leading to the theft and leak of sensitive personal information of freelancers. - Attackers accessed the repos using exposed credentials, but the breach did not impact the newspaper's internal systems or operations. - The stolen data, amounting to 273GB, was leaked on 4chan and included various personal details of contributors as well as information related to assignments and source code, including the viral Wordle game.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 99%

www.theregister.com

- Mozilla has reinstated previously banned Firefox add-ons in Russia that were designed to circumvent state censorship, such as a VPN and a tool to access Tor websites. - The ban was initially imposed at the request of Russia's internet censorship agency, Roskomnadzor, but Mozilla lifted it to support an open and accessible internet. - Mozilla's decision reflects its commitment to users in Russia and globally, despite the potential risks associated with the regulatory environment in Russia.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 95%

www.windowscentral.com

- Microsoft inadvertently highlighted the benefits of using a local account over a Microsoft account on Windows 11 in a recent support page update. - Using a local account allows for offline sign-in, is independent of cloud services, and limits settings, files, and applications to a single device, enhancing privacy. - Despite these benefits, Microsoft requires internet access or workarounds for the initial setup of Windows 11, making it challenging to use a local account from the start.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 98%

9to5google.com

- YouTube is testing server-side ad injection to counter ad blockers, integrating ads directly into videos to make them indistinguishable from the main content. - This new method complicates ad blocking, including tools like SponsorBlock, which now face challenges in accurately identifying and skipping sponsored segments. - The feature is currently in testing and not widely rolled out, with YouTube encouraging users to subscribe to YouTube Premium for an ad-free experience.

News AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 88%

sports.yahoo.com

- Joey Chestnut, a legendary competitive eater and 16-time Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, has been banned from the 2024 contest due to a new deal with rival brand Impossible Foods. - Major League Eating (MLE) and Nathan's tried to accommodate Chestnut but ultimately enforced their exclusivity provisions, which prohibit competitors from endorsing rival brands. - Chestnut, who stated he had no contract with MLE or Nathan's, expressed his disappointment on social media, claiming the ban was an attempt to change the rules and emphasizing his commitment to continue competing.

Technology AnActOfCreation • 3 months ago • 90%

9to5mac.com

- Kaspersky uncovered iOS vulnerabilities in 'Operation Triangulation', reported to Apple, but was refused bounty payment - Apple's Security Bounty Program offers rewards up to $1 million for discovering vulnerabilities to prevent them from being sold on the dark web - Apple's refusal to pay Kaspersky could be due to restrictions on financial transactions with companies in sanctioned countries like Russia.