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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for chromas

China Uses DNA to Map Faces, With Help From the West

With a million or more ethnic Uighurs and others from predominantly Muslim minority groups swept up in detentions across Xinjiang, officials in Tumxuk have gathered blood samples from hundreds of Uighurs — part of a mass DNA collection effort dogged by questions about consent and how the data will be used.

In Tumxuk, at least, there is a partial answer: Chinese scientists are trying to find a way to use a DNA sample to create an image of a person's face.

The technology, which is also being developed in the United States and elsewhere, is in the early stages of development and can produce rough pictures good enough only to narrow a manhunt or perhaps eliminate suspects. But given the crackdown in Xinjiang, experts on ethics in science worry that China is building a tool that could be used to justify and intensify racial profiling and other state discrimination against Uighurs.

In the long term, experts say, it may even be possible for the Communist government to feed images produced from a DNA sample into the mass surveillance and facial recognition systems that it is building, tightening its grip on society by improving its ability to track dissidents and protesters as well as criminals.

Some of this research is taking place in labs run by China's Ministry of Public Security, and at least two Chinese scientists working with the ministry on the technology have received funding from respected institutions in Europe. International scientific journals have published their findings without examining the origin of the DNA used in the studies or vetting the ethical questions raised by collecting such samples in Xinjiang.

upstart writes in with a submission, via IRC, for SoyCow1337.

New Amazon tool simplifies delivery of containerized machine learning models – TechCrunch

As part of the flurry of announcements coming this week out of AWS re:Invent, Amazon announced the release of Amazon SageMaker Operators for Kubernetes, a way for data scientists and developers to simplify training, tuning and deploying containerized machine learning models.

Packaging machine learning models in containers can help put them to work inside organizations faster, but getting there often requires a lot of extra management to make it all work. Amazon SageMaker Operators for Kubernetes is supposed to make it easier to run and manage those containers, the underlying infrastructure needed to run the models and the workflows associated with all of it.

“While Kubernetes gives customers control and portability, running ML workloads on a Kubernetes cluster brings unique challenges. For example, the underlying infrastructure requires additional management such as optimizing for utilization, cost and performance; complying with appropriate security and regulatory requirements; and ensuring high availability and reliability,” AWS’ Aditya Bindal wrote in a blog post introducing the new feature.

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jmichaelhudsondotnet writes:

From http://domainincite.com/

The two top executives at Ethos Capital are due to confront non-profits that want to stymie its $1.13 billion acquisition of Public Interest Registry on a public call tomorrow.

The call has been put together by NTEN, a conference organizer that focuses on the use of tech by non-profits.

According to NTEN, the call will feature speakers from anti-deal Electronic Frontier Foundation, The National Council of Nonprofits, and Internet Society chapter leaders (some of whom are against the deal).

PIR boss Jon Nevett, as well as Ethos CEO Erik Brooks and chief purpose office Nora Abusitta have also agreed to attend. Andrew Sullivan, CEO of the Internet Society "has been invited but has not confirmed participation", NTEN said.

It's going to be the first time that those in favor of the deal will face off in public against those that want it scrapped.

Watch here:
https://www.nten.org/events/?event-id=a0l1U000002y52lQAA

I for one sure am curious how this chat is going to unfold.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Pablo Escobar's brother launches a $349 folding phone

If you like the idea of owning a folding phone but find the $1,500+ price tags too rich, check out the Escobar Fold 1—a $349 foldable device that comes from the brother of deceased drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, really. Roberto Escobar, who already released a flamethrower this year inspired by Elon Musk's Not a Flamethrower, has now turned his attention to the folding smartphone market.

[...] While Samsung's Galaxy Fold was delayed for months due to its technical issues, Escobar says his device is much more durable. "My phone cannot break, because I did not have to make a glass screen like Samsung," he said. "Our screen is made of a special type of plastic, and we still have the best resolution. Our special plastic is very difficult to break." Escobar also lauded the phone's security features, saying that it is extremely secure, unlike Samsung and Apple devices that are "100% open to all governments in the world."

[...] [As] Gizmodo notes, the most telling aspect is that the phone is obviously a rebranded Royole FlexPai that even uses the same marketing graphics and specs.

See also: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 to cost no more than $1,000, adopt a clamshell design
Samsung's clamshell foldable could be actually affordable

Related: Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone
Samsung Announces the Galaxy Fold, a Phone-Tablet Hybrid Device
You're Folding It Wrong: Tech Reviewers Break Samsung Galaxy Fold after Just Days of Use

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An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/star-trek-writer-d-c-fontana-dead-80-1203422727/

Dorothy Catherine Fontana, a writer on the original "Star Trek" series who had a long association with the franchise, died Dec. 2. She was 80.

Fontana's death was confirmed by the official "Star Trek" website, which described her as "the legendary writer who brought many of 'Star Trek's' greatest episodes to life." The website reported that she died after a brief illness but offered no other details.

Fontana was active in the Writers Guild of America for many years, and most recently worked as a lecturer for the American Film Institute.

Also at NBC News, People and the NY Times.

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takyon writes:

Plant-based burgers are "ultra-processed" like dog food, meat-backed ads say

A public-relations firm backed by meat producers has unleashed a savage marketing campaign that claims plant-based meat alternatives are unhealthy, "ultra-processed imitations" similar to dog food.

The campaign rolled out in recent weeks from the industry-funded firm Center for Consumer Freedom, according to The New York Times. So far, it has included full-page ads and opinion pieces in mainstream newspapers, including The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. All the marketing material raises health concerns about trendy meat alternatives, such as the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger.

One ad posed the question "What's hiding in your plant-based meat?" Another directed readers to take the quiz "Veggie Burger or Dog Food?"

In an op-ed, the managing director of the Center for Consumer Freedom, Will Coggin, labeled meat alternatives as "ultra-processed" foods and noted that a recent study led by the researchers at the National Institutes of Health linked ultra-processed foods to weight gain.

The negative marketing campaign comes amid soaring popularity of meat alternatives, which threaten to slice into the meat market's sales and profits. In recent months, big players in the meat industry had tried a different—some might say hypocritical—tactic to compete with the new comers—that is, they released their own lines of meat alternatives. Now, the industry wants consumers to think such alternatives are unhealthy.

Older stories:

*SPOILER* (click to show) *SPOILER* (click to hide)

Previously: U.S. Cattlemen's Association Wants an Official Definition of "Meat"
Regulation Coming to Lab-Grown Meat
FDA Approves Impossible Burger "Heme" Ingredient; Still Wants to Regulate "Cultured Meat"
Missouri Regulates Use of the Word "Meat" by Food Producers
Following IPO of Beyond Meat, Tyson Foods Plans Launch of its Own Meatless Products
Mississippi Bans Calling Plant and Cultured-Meat Patties 'Burgers'

Related: Cargill, Bill Gates, Richard Branson Backed Memphis Meats Expects Meat From Cells in Stores by 2021
FDA May Force Rebranding of Soy, Almond, et al. "Milks"
Meatless "Beyond Burgers" Come to Fast Food Restaurants
Beef Trimmings Dubbed 'Pink SLIME' Can Now be Labelled 'Ground Beef'
No Need to Cut Down Red and Processed Meat, Study Says

Original Submission

upstart writes in with a submission, via IRC, for AzumaHazuki.

Mozilla removes Avast and AVG extensions from add-on portal over snooping claims

Mozilla removed today four Firefox extensions made by Avast and its subsidiary AVG after receiving credible reports that the extensions were harvesting user data and browsing histories.

The four extensions are Avast Online Security, AVG Online Security, Avast SafePrice, and AVG SafePrice.

The first two are extensions that show warnings when navigating to known malicious or suspicious sites, while the last two are extensions for online shoppers, showing price comparisons, deals, and available coupons.

Mozilla removed the four extensions from its add-ons portal after receiving a report from Wladimir Palant, the creator of the AdBlock Plus ad-blocking extension.

Palant analyzed the Avast Online Security and AVG Online Security extensions in late October and found that the two were collecting much more data than they needed to work -- including detailed user browsing history, a practice prohibited by both Mozilla and Google.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for chromas

Affiliate Links Are Ruining Gadget Reviews - OneZero

Have you ever seen an article about a gadget that offered to "find you the best price on this product" just by clicking on a link?

This is usually an affiliate link, and it's supposed to be accompanied by text saying that the poster may get a commission, both according to Federal Trade Commission rules (in the United States), and specific program terms. In the case of Amazon, a specific single-line of boilerplate is the only public disclosure members are allowed (See Section Five). Affiliate links aren't simply links to the product's website. Instead, they take you right to a retail outlet, like Amazon.

[...] If you buy a product through one of these links, the shopping site sends a small fee back to the site you came from. Affiliate programs were designed to spread the general reach of online retail. It's an automated machine that places ads all over the internet for Amazon and other stores without their sales departments lifting a finger.

[...] When a critic posts an affiliate link for a product they're reviewing, they're now earning money directly from the sales of the thing you're supposed to trust them to evaluate.

That's a big, obvious ethical issue. And it's created a snowball effect that has fed the rage, elitism, and skepticism already rampant in dedicated online fan communities.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for chromas

Click farms and buying traffic trickle into podcasts - Digiday

In digital, where there is money, there is often fraud.

Last week, Maximum Media, the parent company of Joe.ie, came under fire in Ireland for allegedly using click farms in 2017 to juice the number of listens on an episode of the publisher's since-discontinued business podcast, The Capital B, sponsored by Allied Irish Banks. The bank's agency, Core, part of Starcom, halted running campaigns with Maximum Media in Ireland.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau is discussing the case and releasing a statement this week. Maximum Media said an internal investigation found this was an isolated incident unauthorized by the company. Last year, click farms in audio were used to game the ranking of podcasts in Apple's iTunes charts through accounts leaving reviews. In the case of Maximum Media, it's been alleged that listens to the podcast episode on SoundCloud leapt from 3,000 to 21,000 overnight.

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upstart writes:

Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956

That time a monkey flew to the edge of space and then smashed into a destroyer

Sam the rhesus monkey had already experienced one hell of a ride to the edge of space when he splashed down into the Atlantic Ocean—but his adventure didn't end there. Although the dry, original accounts of Sam's 1959 flight offer scant detail about the journey, mainly confirming that NASA's new Mercury capsule kept him alive, Bob Thompson tells a more colorful story.

Now in his early 90s, Thompson can still dominate a room with his commanding voice. And on a recent January morning, standing in his kitchen, Thompson did just that as he recounted the landing of Sam nearly six decades ago. In doing so, he offered a parable for NASA as it considers rescue operations for its Orion spacecraft at sea.

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takyon writes:

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin relinquish control of Alphabet to CEO Sundar Pichai

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who have mostly stayed out of the spotlight since restructuring their company four years ago, are relinquishing control of parent company Alphabet to current Google CEO Sundar Pichai, the duo announced today in a joint press release. The two men will remain employees of Alphabet and retain their seats on the board, but they will no longer oversee the company's sprawling, almost trillion-dollar empire they created while at Stanford University more than 20 years ago.

"With Alphabet now well-established, and Google and the Other Bets operating effectively as independent companies, it's the natural time to simplify our management structure. We've never been ones to hold on to management roles when we think there's a better way to run the company. And Alphabet and Google no longer need two CEOs and a President. Going forward, Sundar will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet," Page and Brin wrote.

Also at TechCrunch.

Previously: Google Becomes Alphabet, Spins Off Google

Original Submission

upstart writes in with a submission, via IRC, for chromas.

Major Security Bug Called StrandHogg Discovered in All Android Versions

Security company Promon has discovered a critical vulnerability affecting all Android versions, including Android 10, which can allow an attacker to obtain full access to a compromised device.

Baptized StrandHogg, the security flaw allows infected apps to pose as legitimate apps, and researchers explain that all top 500 most popular apps available on Android are currently at risk.

The vulnerability enables malicious apps to be disguised as legitimate ones by exploiting a bug in the Android multitasking engine. An infected app can ask for permissions on behalf of a legitimate app when users launch the multitasking interface, basically tricking targets into believing they are interacting with the legitimate one.

“This exploit is based on an Android control setting called ‘taskAffinity’ which allows any app – including malicious ones – to freely assume any identity in the multitasking system they desire,” Promon notes.

[...] Vulnerability already being exploited in the wild

[...] Very important to know is that StrandHogg does not spread through applications published in the Google Play Store. However, it can use other infected apps that are already listed in the Play store to download the necessary payload that eventually exploits StrandHogg on a vulnerable device.

[...] Promon has already reported the vulnerability to Google, but patches aren’t yet available. Google, however, removed the affected apps that could help drop StrandHogg on an Android device.

Also at Dark Reading, TechXplore and ZDNet.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Developer faces prison time for giving blockchain talk in North Korea

The prominent hacker and Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith was arrested by the US government Friday after he spoke at an April conference on blockchain technologies in North Korea. The US government considers his presentation to be a transfer of technology—and therefore a violation of US sanctions.

But Griffith's defenders, including Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, describe the arrest as a massive overreaction. Griffith worked for the Ethereum Foundation, and Buterin called him a friend.

"I don't think what Virgil did gave the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] any kind of real help in doing anything bad," Buterin tweeted on Sunday. "He delivered a presentation based on publicly available info about open source software."

But federal prosecutors argue that Griffith, a US citizen residing in Singapore, knew full well that his trip violated US sanction laws. They say he sought approval for the trip from the US State Department, and his request was denied. Griffith made the trip anyway, traveling through China to evade US travel restrictions.

Original Submission

Freeman writes:

Google workers fired amid organization efforts file retaliation complaint:

Four former employees who say Google fired them in retaliation for their efforts to organize co-workers are planning legal action against the company. The workers allege the tech giant violated US labor law.

[...] The employees continued:

It's clear that [Google's] draconian, pernicious, and unlawful conduct isn't about us. It's about trying to stop all workplace organizing. Google wants to send a message to everyone: if you dare to engage in protected labor organizing, you will be punished. They count on the fear, the sadness, and the anger that we are all feeling to stop us all from exercising our rights, and to chill all attempts to hold one of the most powerful organizations in history accountable for its actions.

[...] Google denies that the employees were fired in retaliation for any organizing activity. "We dismissed four individuals who were engaged in intentional and often repeated violations of our longstanding data security policies, including systematically accessing and disseminating other employees' materials and work," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "No one has been dismissed for raising concerns or debating the company's activities."

Previously:
Google Fires Four Staffers After Protest, Accusing Them of Data Security Breaches

Original Submission

mhajicek writes:

https://techxplore.com/news/2019-12-world-artificial-neurons-chronic-diseases.html:

Artificial neurons on silicon chips that behave just like the real thing have been invented by scientists—a first-of-its-kind achievement with enormous scope for medical devices to cure chronic diseases, such as heart failure, Alzheimer's, and other diseases of neuronal degeneration.

[...] The researchers successfully modelled and derived equations to explain how neurons respond to electrical stimuli from other nerves. This is incredibly complicated as responses are 'non-linear' - in other words if a signal becomes twice as strong it shouldn't necessarily elicit twice as big a reaction—it might be thrice bigger or something else.

They then designed silicon chips that accurately modelled biological ion channels, before proving that their silicon neurons precisely mimicked real, living neurons responding to a range of stimulations.

The researchers accurately replicated the complete dynamics of hippocampal neurons and respiratory neurons from rats, under a wide range of stimuli.

[...] More information:Optimal solid state neurons, Nature Communications (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13177-3 , https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13177-3

Original Submission