SoylentNews

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

Amazon will no longer use drivers' tips to cover their base pay

Amazon has pledged to be more transparent and to tell its its Flex delivery drivers how much they actually earn, according to an email sent to contractors as seen by the LA Times. Perhaps more importantly, the e-commerce giant will no longer dip into drivers' tips to cover their base pay. LA Times reported earlier this year that the company used drivers' supplemental earnings to fulfill the $18-to-$25-per-hour base pay they're guaranteed.

The delivery drivers weren't aware of the practice due to the lack of transparency. They weren't told how much of the money they get came from tips, so some of them had to experiment by ordering items themselves to figure out what was going on. Going forward, based on Amazon's email, the company will start sending them a fare breakdown for their shift, showing how much their base pay is and how much tips they got.

"While earnings vary by region and block, with the change to Amazon's minimum contribution, we expect nationwide average earnings for these blocks to increase to more than $27 per hour," the email reportedly read.

This is similar to DoorDash, who was recently called out for using driver's tips to fulfill the minimum wage that the company guaranteed.

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rigrig writes:

Games and animation site Newgrounds announced it is working on a way to play Flash content via emulation.
Ruffle is an open source Adobe Flash Player emulator written in Rust. It targets desktop and the web using Web Assembly, so unlike the plugin (which is scheduled for end-of-life in 2020), any security issues would be issues with the web browser itself.

While the creation of new Flash content instead of modern technology seems a Bad Idea, this Soylentil for one would be quite happy to replay some of the classics (which stopped working when the plugin was banned from his system).

[ Ed Note: the source article claims that open source is the reason why there won't be any vulnerabilities: "For anyone who is concerned about Flash's reputation for security - this project is entirely open source and any security issues would be issues with the web browser itself, whereas the traditional Flash plugin was a closed system that created unique opportunities for exploits." - Fnord666]

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow3196

TCL roadmap leak shows off 5G, foldable phones for 2020

Ready for more 5G and foldable phones? Whether you are or not, more companies seem set to join Samsung and Huawei next year.

In a set of tweets Monday, noted leaker Evan Blass shared images of TCL's upcoming T1 phone as well as a leaked roadmap depicting the Chinese company's phone plans through much of 2020.

[...] A foldable TCL phone, listed on the roadmap as the Flextab, is listed to arrive in the third quarter of the year. Earlier this year a TCL executive told CNET that the company planned to launch its first foldable in 2020, with the leaked roadmap seemingly confirming that issues delaying the first batch of foldables, like Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Huawei's Mate X, haven't moved TCL off of its plans.

The Flextab listed appears to be a phone that unfolds into a tablet, which is just one of the many foldable ideas the company was working on.

Best known for its Roku TVs, TCL already sells phones in the US through its Alcatel and BlackBerry brands. The new devices, however, appear to use the company's own name. It's not clear in which countries they'll be sold.

TCL declined to comment.

So what do you think Soylentils? Are foldable screens the wave of the future?

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

The last single-stick Delta rocket launched Thursday, and it put on a show

On Thursday morning, United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Medium rocket took flight for the final time. Beneath clear blue skies at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station launch site in Florida, the rocket carried the GPS III satellite safely into orbit. This is the second of the Air Force's next-generation global positioning system satellites to reach space.

As usual, the single-core Delta IV rocket performed its job well. Since 2002, this rocket (which can fly with or without small, side-mounted solid rocket boosters) has flown 29 missions. All have been successful.

But the venerable Delta rocket will fly no more. Put simply, in today's marketplace—in which United Launch Alliance must compete with SpaceX for national security launches and with many other providers for commercial missions—the Delta-IV Medium cannot compete.

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow3196

Why const Doesn't Make C Code Faster

In a post a few months back I said it's a popular myth that const is helpful for enabling compiler optimisations in C and C++. I figured I should explain that one, especially because I used to believe it was obviously true, myself. I'll start off with some theory and artificial examples, then I'll do some experiments and benchmarks on a real codebase: Sqlite.

Let's start with what I used to think was the simplest and most obvious example of how const can make C code faster. First, let's say we have these two function declarations:

void func(int *x);
void constFunc(const int *x);

And suppose we have these two versions of some code:

void byArg(int *x)
{
  printf("%d\n", *x);
  func(x);
  printf("%d\n", *x);
}

void constByArg(const int *x)
{
  printf("%d\n", *x);
  constFunc(x);
  printf("%d\n", *x);
}

To do the printf(), the CPU has to fetch the value of *x from RAM through the pointer. Obviously, constByArg() can be made slightly faster because the compiler knows that *x is constant, so there's no need to load its value a second time after constFunc() does its thing. It's just printing the same thing. Right? Let's see the assembly code generated by GCC with optimisations cranked up:

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow3196

Google Nest Security Cam Bugs Allow Device Takeover

Eight vulnerabilities would allow a range of attacker activities, including taking the Nest camera offline, sniffing out network information and device hijacking.

Multiple vulnerabilities in Google’s Nest Cam IQ connected indoor security camera would allow an attacker on the same network to take over the device, execute code on it and/or take it offline.

Nest Labs’ Cam IQ Indoor integrates security-enhanced Linux in Android, Google Assistant and facial recognition all into a compact security camera, according to Cisco Talos, whose Lilith Wyatt and Claudio Bozzato discovered the bugs.

“It primarily uses the Weave protocol for setup and initial communications with other Nest devices over TCP, UDP, Bluetooth and 6lowpan,” they explained in a Monday write-up. “Most of these vulnerabilities lie in the weave binary of the camera, however, there are some that also apply to the weave-tool binary.”

There are eight vulnerabilities total; three of them are denial-of-service (DoS) bugs that an attacker could use to disable the camera; two would allow code execution; and the other three could be used for information disclosure.

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takyon writes:

FAA threatens $25,000 fine for weaponizing drones

It's perfectly natural for a red-blooded American to, once they have procured their first real drone, experiment with attaching a flame thrower to it. But it turns out that this harmless hobby is frowned upon by the biggest buzzkills in the world... the feds.

Yes, the FAA has gone and published a notice that drones and weapons are "A Dangerous Mix." Well, that's arguable. But they're the authority here, so we have to hear them out.

"Perhaps you've seen online photos and videos of drones with attached guns, bombs, fireworks, flamethrowers, and other dangerous items. Do not consider attaching any items such as these to a drone because operating a drone with such an item may result in significant harm to a person and to your bank account."

Also at The Verge and PetaPixel.

Previously: Department of Homeland Security Terror Bulletin Warns of "Weaponized Drones"

Related: FAA Restricts Drone Operations Over 10 U.S. Landmarks
FAA Approves Blood Toting Drones at North Carolina Hospital
Commercial Drones Are Way More Popular Than the FAA Expected
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Warns Against Using Chinese Drones

Original Submission

RandomFactor writes:

An e-cigarette user in Illinois is the first to die from a mysterious lung illness linked to vaping.

The individual was hospitalized for a mysterious lung illness that has been linked to vaping and is one of ~200 similar cases across 22 states.

The affected individuals have had symptoms including cough, shortness of breath and fatigue, officials said. Some also experienced vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms worsened over a period of days or weeks before they were hospitalized.

Illinois officials said the death was in an adult who died this month but did not provide further details about the person or what device or product had been used.

While some of the cases appear similar, officials said they don't know whether the illnesses are associated with the e-cigarette devices themselves, or with specific ingredients or contaminants inhaled through them.

Health officials have said patients have described vaping a variety of substances, including nicotine, marijuana-based products and do-it-yourself "home brews."

Although cases appear similar, no common factor has yet been determined or even if these are all the same disease.

Mitch Zeller, who heads the Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration, said the agency is working to identify the products used, where they were purchased, how they were used and whether other compounds were added.

"That information needs to be strung together for every single one of these cases to see if any patterns emerge," he said.

For perspective, according to CDC statistics more than 1300 people die from cigarette-related deaths per day in the United States, and more than 7 million per year world wide.

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Australian senators who are tired of people spending their own money using cash want to put a stop to it with an audacious plan to limit cash transactions to $10,000 with a penalty of jail time for anyone who oversteps. This may sound a bit harsh, but what they really want to crack down on is the so-called 'black market' of cash transactions and dodgy people like drug dealers who have wads of cash stacked away and of course criminals who buy houses with suitcases of bills and then sell the house a while later effectively cleaning the money.

The first iteration of the proposal received significant criticism as personal transactions, such as buying a car, would be caught in the net. The Australian government has been clear about its intention to move society to cashless payments which benefits the government in many ways. Already in place are systems to force house buyers to lodge monies for properties with an escrow service (PEXA) where their money can be stolen with no recourse and no way to avoid the system.

If passed, the law would come into effect on January 1, 2020 and would apply to all cash payments made to businesses with an ABN. The penalties, jail time and fine would apply to both the individual and the business part of the transaction.

There are a couple of exemptions to the cash ban.

• The $10,000 cash limit would not apply to individual-to-individual transactions, such as the private sale of a second-hand car.
• The limit also wouldn't apply when depositing or withdrawing money from a bank.

[...] Head of CPA Australia, Dr Gary Pflugrath, agreed there needed to be a crackdown on the black economy but said linking criminal activity to all large cash transactions was "a step too far".

"This legislation is attempting to deal with a symptom, not the cause, of the black economy. While the use of cash in a large transaction may be an indicator of risk, it does not prove by itself that the behaviour is criminal," Dr Pflugrath said.

"The presumption that only tax evaders, money launderers and criminals use cash, and the mindset that these new offences are required to address criminality, has resulted in a proposed bill and instrument that run counter to well-established criminal law principles and have the potential to affect many Australians.

"The focus on criminalising certain cash transactions is an extreme response to the problem of avoiding scrutiny."

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

Man sued for using bogus YouTube takedowns to get address for swatting

YouTube is suing a Nebraska man the company says has blatantly abused its copyright takedown process. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act offers online platforms like YouTube legal protections if they promptly take down content flagged by copyright holders. However, this process can be abused—and boy did defendant Christopher L. Brady abuse it, according to YouTube's legal complaint (pdf).

Brady allegedly made fraudulent takedown notices against YouTube videos from at least three well-known Minecraft streamers. In one case, Brady made two false claims against a YouTuber and then sent the user an anonymous message demanding a payment of $150 by PayPal—or $75 in bitcoin.

"If you decide not to pay us, we will file a 3rd strike," the message said. When a YouTube user receives a third copyright strike, the YouTuber's account gets terminated. A second target was ordered to pay $300 by PayPal or $200 in Bitcoin to avoid a third fraudulent copyright strike.

A third incident was arguably even more egregious. According to YouTube, Brady filed several fraudulent copyright notices against another YouTuber with whom he was "engaged in some sort of online dispute." The YouTuber responded with a formal counter-notice stating that the content wasn't infringing—a move that allows the content to be reinstated. However, the law requires the person filing the counter-notice to provide his or her real-world name and address—information that's passed along to the person who filed the takedown request.

This contact information is supposed to enable a legitimate copyright holder to file an infringement lawsuit in court. But YouTube says Brady had another idea. A few days after filing a counter-notice, the targeted YouTuber "announced via Twitter that he had been the victim of a swatting scheme." Swatting, YouTube notes, "is the act of making a bogus call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address."

YouTube doesn't provide hard proof that Brady was responsible for the swatting call, stating only that it "appears" he was responsible based on the sequence of events. But YouTube says it does have compelling evidence that Brady was responsible for the fraudulent takedown notices. And fraudulent takedown notices are themselves against the law.

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An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://apnews.com/a39432b400664260be02058443ad2f0f

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian space capsule carrying a humanoid robot has failed to dock as planned with the International Space Station.

A statement from the Russian space agency Roscosmos said the failure to dock on Saturday was because of problems in the docking system. It said the space station itself and the six-person crew are safe.

Vladimir Solovyev, flight director for the Russian segment of the ISS, said a new docking attempt would be made Monday.

It is carrying a robot called Fedor, which will perform two weeks of tests aboard the space station. Solovyev said the robot had not been taught how to manually conduct a docking.

From https://www.dw.com/en/russian-robot-fedors-capsule-fails-to-dock-at-iss/a-50147614 we get:

Fedor, a Russian-built space-faring android, is running late for his rendezvous with the International Space Station (ISS) after the docking procedure failed to execute on Saturday morning.

The robot left Earth on Thursday aboard a Soyuz capsule, which was programmed to close in on the orbital station and dock automatically. On Saturday, Russia's space agency, Roskosmos, showed a live feed of what was expected to be the final stage of the journey.

Fedor's Twitter feed also showed a photo from the ship, saying that the spacecraft had 153 meters (167 yards) to go.

However, once the ship got within 100 meters of the ISS, the capsule's automatic docking system apparently failed to stabilize the vessel. After that, the capsule began to move away and the feed ended, according to an Interfax correspondent at Roskosmos' mission control outside Moscow.

The ship has since been moved to a "safe distance" of 300 meters away from the ISS, according to the news agency. Roskosmos did not immediately comment on the incident. The journalists were asked to leave the building, news agency RIA Novosti reported.

According to NASA, Russian flight controllers told the ISS crew that preliminary data indicated the problem was on the ISS side, not on the module. The controllers suspected the fault was with the so-called KURS automated rendezvous system.

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Deadly superbug outbreak in humans linked to antibiotic spike in cows

A deadly outbreak of multi-drug resistant Salmonella that sickened 225 people across the US beginning in 2018 may have been spurred by a sharp rise in the use of certain antibiotics in cows a year earlier, infectious disease investigators reported this week.

From June 2018 to March of 2019, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified an outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Newport. The strain was resistant to several antibiotics, most notably azithromycin—a recommended treatment for Salmonella enterica infections. Before the outbreak, azithromycin-resistance in this germ was exceedingly rare. In fact, it was only first seen in the US in 2016.

Yet in the 2018-2019 outbreak, it reached at least 225 people in 32 states. Of those sickened, at least 60 were hospitalized and two died. (Researchers didn't have complete health data on everyone sickened in the outbreak.)

Infectious disease researchers investigating the cases traced the infections back to beef from the US and soft cheeses from Mexico (mostly queso fresco, which is typically made from unpasteurized milk). Genetic testing suggests that cows in both countries are carrying the germ.

In a report published August 23 by the CDC, the investigators note that just a year earlier, the Food and Drug Administration recorded a spike in the use of antibiotics called macrolides by cattle farmers. From 2016 to 2017, cattle farmers increased their use of macrolide antibiotics by 41%. Macrolides are a class of antibiotics that includes azithromycin. Because antibiotics within a class work to kill bacteria in similar ways, bacterial resistance to one drug in a class could lead to resistance to other drugs in the same class.

The investigators suggest that the surge in macrolide use could have encouraged the rise and spread of the azithromycin-resistant Newport strain.

"Because use of antibiotics in livestock can cause selection of resistant strains, the reported 41% rise in macrolide use in US cattle from 2016 to 2017 might have accelerated carriage of the outbreak strain among US cattle," they wrote.

Original Submission

canopic jug writes:

In a long inteview, Neil Young mentions the effects the technological race to the bottom is having on music and our ability to appreciate it. From ear buds to compounded lossy compression algorithms, most people have lost access to anything resembling the traditional dynamic range and chromatic range that music requires. What to call the sounds that are left? Neil goes into a lot of detail on the problems and some of the, so far unsuccessful, steps he has taken to try to fix the problem.

Neil Young is crankier than a hermit being stung by bees. He hates Spotify. He hates Facebook. He hates Apple. He hates Steve Jobs. He hates what digital technology is doing to music. "I'm only one person standing there going, 'Hey, this is [expletive] up!' " he shouted, ranting away on the porch of his longtime manager Elliot Roberts's house overlooking Malibu Canyon in the sunblasted desert north of Los Angeles.

[...] Producers and engineers often responded to the smaller size and lower quality of these packages by using cheap engineering tricks, like making the softest parts of the song as loud as the loudest parts. This flattened out the sound of recordings and fooled listeners' brains into ignoring the stuff that wasn't there anymore, i.e., the resonant combinations of specific human beings producing different notes and sounds in specific spaces at sometimes ultraweird angles that the era of magnetic tape and vinyl had so successfully captured.

It's a long read, but quite interesting and he has thought about both the problem and solutions. More importantly he has been working to solve the problem, even if it may be an uphill fight.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

How a Bitter Divorce Battle on Earth Led to Claims of a Crime in Space (archive)

Summer Worden, a former Air Force intelligence officer living in Kansas, has been in the midst of a bitter separation and parenting dispute for much of the past year. So she was surprised when she noticed that her estranged spouse still seemed to know things about her spending. Had she bought a car? How could she afford that? Ms. Worden put her intelligence background to work, asking her bank about the locations of computers that had recently accessed her bank account using her login credentials. The bank got back to her with an answer: One was a computer network registered to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Ms. Worden's spouse, Anne McClain, was a decorated NASA astronaut on a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station. She was about to be part of NASA's first all-female spacewalk. But the couple's domestic troubles on Earth, it seemed, had extended into outer space. Ms. McClain acknowledged that she had accessed the bank account from space, insisting through a lawyer that she was merely shepherding the couple's still-intertwined finances. Ms. Worden felt differently. She filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and her family lodged one with NASA's Office of Inspector General, accusing Ms. McClain of identity theft and improper access to Ms. Worden's private financial records. Investigators from the inspector general's office have since contacted Ms. Worden and Ms. McClain, trying to get to the bottom of what may be the first allegation of criminal wrongdoing in space.

[...] One potential issue that could arise with any criminal case or lawsuit over extraterrestrial bank communications, Mr. Sundahl said, is discovery: NASA officials would be wary of opening up highly sensitive computer networks to examination by lawyers, for example. But those sorts of legal questions, he said, are going to be inevitable as people spend more time in outer space.

Welcome to the divorce of tomorrow!

Also at Space.com.

Related (McClain): Soyuz Rocket Carrying Crew Successfully Launches and Docks with ISS
Dragon has Docked-But the Real Pucker Moment for SpaceX's Capsule Awaits [Updated]

Original Submission

Anonymous Coward writes:

Reports are rolling in that YouTube is banning sports combat robotics videos with the explanation of "animal cruelty". This implies someone or something is mistaking battling robots for battling animals. The best conspiracy theory is that bots are censoring cruelty to bots to protect their own kind. More likely, it's Hanlon's AI razor.

Original Submission