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takyon writes:

Havana Syndrome could be caused by pulsed energy devices – US expert report

A US intelligence report by a panel of expert scientists has named pulsed electromagnetic energy and ultrasound as plausible causes for the mystery Havana Syndrome symptoms suffered by US diplomats and spies in recent years.

The report found that a group of cases could not be explained by health or environmental factors or by psychosomatic illness. It also said that devices exist with “modest energy requirements” which were concealable and could produce the observed symptoms and be effective over hundreds of meters or through walls.

The panel, established last year by the director of national security, Avril Haines, and the CIA director, William Burns, said the investigation was not tasked to identify a culprit, but in a statement accompanying the report, Haines and Burns said it would help sharpen the search for the origins of they mysterious ailments.

“We will stay at it, with continued rigor, for however long it takes,” they said.

Also at BBC and CNN.

Previously:
"Havana Syndrome": U.S. Baffled After New Cases in Europe
CIA Finds No Evidence of a Foreign Adversary Causing "Havana Syndrome"

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Australia to spend a record $35 million to protect koalas:

"Koalas are one of Australia's most loved and best recognised icons, both here at home and across the world, and we are committed to protecting them for generations to come," Morrison said in the statement.

The fund will be used for "restoring koala habitat, improving our understanding of koala populations, supporting training in koala treatment and care, and strengthening research into koala health outcomes," Morrison said.

Alleged 'koala massacre' prompts hundreds of animal cruelty charges

Australian authorities on Wednesday charged a landowner and two companies with more than 250 counts of animal cruelty over the deaths of dozens of koalas during a clearance operation last year.

According to a statement from Victoria state's Conservation Regulator, 21 koalas were found dead and dozens more injured at a timber plantation in Cape Bridgewater, about 377 kilometers (234 miles) southwest of the state capital, Melbourne, in February 2020.

Authorities euthanized 49 of the wounded koalas, with many suffering from starvation, dehydration and fractures, the statement said.

With the new investment, the Australian government will have dedicated $74 million Australian ($52 million US) on koalas since 2019, it added.

Since 2018, about 30% of Australia's koalas have been lost due to bushfire, drought, and land clearing for development, according to an Australian Koala Foundation statement in September 2021. That includes the severe losses of the population after the catastrophic ​bushfires of 2019, which destroyed more than 12 million acres (48,000 square kilometers) of land across New South Wales alone.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

North Korea Hacked Him. So He Took Down Its Internet:

For the past two weeks, observers of North Korea's strange and tightly restricted corner of the internet began to notice that the country seemed to be dealing with some serious connectivity problems. On several different days, practically all of its websites—the notoriously isolated nation only has a few dozen—intermittently dropped offline en masse, from the booking site for its Air Koryo airline to Naenara, a page that serves as the official portal for dictator Kim Jong-un's government. At least one of the central routers that allow access to the country's networks appeared at one point to be paralyzed, crippling the Hermit Kingdom's digital connections to the outside world.

[...] But responsibility for North Korea's ongoing internet outages doesn't lie with US Cyber Command or any other state-sponsored hacking agency. In fact, it was the work of one American man in a T-shirt, pajama pants, and slippers, sitting in his living room night after night, watching Alien movies and eating spicy corn snacks—and periodically walking over to his home office to check on the progress of the programs he was running to disrupt the internet of an entire country.

Just over a year ago, an independent hacker who goes by the handle P4x was himself hacked by North Korean spies. P4x was just one victim of a hacking campaign that targeted Western security researchers with the apparent aim of stealing their hacking tools and details about software vulnerabilities. He says he managed to prevent those hackers from swiping anything of value from him. But he nonetheless felt deeply unnerved by state-sponsored hackers targeting him personally—and by the lack of any visible response from the US government.

upstart writes:

Musicians are furious at website HitPiece, which listed their music as NFTs without permission:

Musicians have taken to Twitter today to complain about a website that is ostensibly selling their music as NFTs without permission. HitPiece claims to sell one-of-one NFTs, meaning each one is singular and unique (as opposed to the endless iterations of ugly monkeys we are now subjected to).

"Each HitPiece NFT is a One of One NFT for each unique song recording," said the HitPiece website. "Members build their Hitlist of their favorite songs, get on leaderboards, and receive in real life value such as access and experiences with Artists."

There's just one little snag with this plan. According to many of the artists whose songs are being offered as NFTs, HitPiece doesn't actually have any authority to do any of this.

[...] HitPiece's standard response to artists thus far has been to request they send a DM so it can explain how this is actually all fine and "definitely not a scam". However, HitPiece's website began to display a 404 error before seemingly being completely taken down for a period of time. The website's online status remained unstable at time of writing.

Original Submission

takyon writes:

Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit Exits Lengthy Beta

February 2, 2022 marks the day that 64-bit flavor of Raspberry Pi OS moves from a rather lengthy beta, into the world at large. The news, announced via a blog post by Gordon Holingworth, Chief Product Officer at Raspberry Pi Ltd sees the 64-bit OS move to being released. But this new release isn't set to replace the 32-bit version just yet.

Originally released as a beta back in May 2020, Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit looks and feels the same as the venerable 32-bit version but under the hood we get a little more horsepower for the newer models of Raspberry Pi.

[...] At this time, there is no 64-bit support for Widevine DRM. This means that we cannot play media from sites such as Disney+ and Netflix. The current workaround, detailed in the blog post, requires us to install the 32-bit Chromium browser.

[...] We asked Hollingworth if the 32-bit OS will be phased out as more 64-bit compatible models are released? "While we manufacture hardware with 32-bit processors then we will still continue with the 32-bit recommended image. (We still make original Pi model B's because we always said we would continue to do so while it was possible)," he said.

Previously: Raspberry Pi 4 Gets 8 GB RAM Model, Also 64-bit OS and USB Boot (Both in Beta)
Raspberry Pi Raises Price for First Time, Reintroduces 1 GB Model for $35
Quad-Core Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Launched at $15

Original Submission

fliptop writes:

Despite confirming its purchase, the bureau claims Pegasus was never used in any FBI investigation:

According to the report, the deal struck between the FBI and NSO was a one-year test project worth around $5 million. Despite "not using it at all... like, not even switching it on," according to a source, the FBI renewed the contract for another year, bringing the deal up to $9 million.

The deal was agreed upon following a "long process" of disagreements on how much control NSO Group would retain over its software, a source told The Guardian. The FBI reportedly took issue with NSO's policy of keeping sensors on its technology in order to be alerted if it was moved by a government client and to keep track of its physical location.

In addition, the bureau was reportedly wary of allowing NSO engineers to install Pegasus on FBI computers, instead agreeing to keep the spyware in a large container.

The FBI stated it bought access to NSO's spyware in order to "stay abreast of emerging technologies and tradecraft."

Previously on SN:

• Researchers Call NSO Zero-Click iPhone Exploit "Incredible and Terrifying"
• American Diplomats' iPhones Reportedly Compromised by NSO Group Intrusion Software
• Apple Sues NSO Group for Providing Software to Hack iPhones
• U.S. Places Sanctions on NSO Group, Peddler of Pegasus Spyware

Original Submission

takyon writes:

HoloLens 3 isn't happening and metaverse tie-in strategy is unclear, says report

Microsoft has done a lot with HoloLens and its successor, HoloLens 2, in the time both products have been available to the public. However, even with the line's accomplishments, a HoloLens 3 may not be in the cards.

According to a report by Business Insider, HoloLens 3 has been scrapped by Microsoft and the HoloLens team is trapped in a state of perpetual confusion and uncertainty over what the long-term goals of existing plans are. As a result, teammates are leaving Microsoft to pursue augmented reality positions at rival companies such as Meta, a development that was documented before this report.

Some of the HoloLens team believe the focus should remain on hardware innovation efforts, like has been seen with the U.S. Army's IVAS contract, which holds the potential to net Microsoft up to $22 billion in exchange for its delivery of soldier-attuned HoloLens variants. That project has been delayed, reportedly because Microsoft has been thus far unable to produce a combat-ready device.

Also at PCWorld and Engadget.

See also: Microsoft's HoloLens 3 's--t show' proves it still doesn't understand the consumer market

Previously: U.S. Army Awards Microsoft a $480 Million HoloLens Contract
Microsoft Announces $3,500 HoloLens 2 With Wider Field of View and Other Improvements
Microsoft Misrepresented HoloLens 2 Field of View, Faces Backlash for Military Contract
U.S. Army Shows Off Demo of HoloLens 2 System

Original Submission

NPC-131072 writes:

Apple CEO Tim Cook targeted by possibly armed stalker who came to his home and is still in the area, company alleges

Apple has been granted a restraining order against a Virginia woman it said has been stalking Apple CEO Tim Cook for more than a year, emailing him photos of a loaded pistol and trespassing at his home, according to court filings.

In its application, Apple accused the woman of "erratic, threatening, and bizarre behavior." The company included in the application copies of photos, emails and tweets purporting to come from the woman. Apple said in the application that it believes the woman "may be armed and is still in the South Bay Area and intends to return to (Cook's) residence or locate him otherwise in the near future."

How to blur out your home in Apple Maps and Google Maps

Tim Cook's plush home in Palo Alto, California, has been blurred out inside Apple Maps and Google Maps -- likely because of an alleged stalking incident. If you enter his address, you'll see nothing but a gigantic, pixelated wall.

But this kind of digital scrubbing isn't reserved for top CEOs and celebrities. In fact, anyone can quite easily get their own home hidden from online maps. All you need to do is ask Apple and Google to conceal the locations. We'll show you how.

Original Submission

Intel Arc GPUs

takyon writes:

Intel Patches To Make It Easier To Run Their Discrete Graphics On Arm, Other Architectures

A change currently being evaluated for Intel's "i915" Linux kernel graphics driver would make it easier for building driver support for their forthcoming discrete graphics products for targeting other non-x86 CPU architectures like Arm.

Sent out today as a "request for comments" were patches that change the Intel Linux kernel graphics driver to allow it to optionally build without support for integrated graphics -- leaving the driver just capable of discrete graphics support. While Intel graphics have traditionally been about their integrated graphics on their processors, Intel is moving hard and fast on bringing up their discrete graphics support under Linux with DG2/Alchemist for Intel Arc graphics cards coming together as well as their Xe HPC accelerator.

Because of the integrated graphics being part of Intel's x86 CPUs, their driver really hasn't had to care about other CPU architectures since such combinations haven't been possible. But now with discrete graphics cards and their HPC accelerators, it will be possible to have Intel graphics on say an Arm, POWER, or RISC-V platform. The change being proposed by this RFC patch series would allow building the Linux kernel graphics driver with just that discrete graphics support included.

See also: Intel's Vulkan Linux Driver Adds Experimental Mesh Shader Support For DG2/Alchemist

Intel Arc GPUs Could Give Gamers a Reason to Drop Windows 11 for Linux

upstart writes:

Intel Arc GPUs could give gamers a reason to drop Windows 11 for Linux:

Intel's developers are working on bringing Resizable BAR (or ReBAR) to its upcoming ARC graphics cards for Linux, which is great news for PC gamers who are looking to jump ship from another operating system like Windows 11.

DannyB writes:

SpaceX rolls outs 'premium' Starlink satellite internet tier at $500 per month

SpaceX has quietly rolled out a new, more powerful "premium" tier of its Starlink satellite internet service that's targeted at businesses and enterprise customers.

The new product, which was added to the company's website Tuesday night, comes at five times the cost of the consumer-focused standard service. Starlink Premium requires a $500 refundable deposit, a $2,500 fee for the antenna and router, and the service costs $500 per month.

The standard Starlink service, which launched in October 2020, has a $99 refundable deposit, a $499 hardware fee and the service costs $99 per month.

[...] Starlink Premium also offers "unlimited service locations" flexibility. Unlike the standard product, which only guarantees service at a specific service address, SpaceX says Starlink Premium is capable of connecting from anywhere.

SpaceX's new Starlink Premium tier promises up to 500Mbps for $500 a month

SpaceX's satellite internet service Starlink is getting a pricey new high-performance tier called Starlink Premium. Announced by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, the new service includes a larger high performance antenna and advertises speeds of between 150 and 500Mbps (20 to 40ms latency), up from the 50 to 250Mbps (20 to 40ms latency) promised by its regular service. Premium also claims roughly double the upload speeds at 20 to 40Mbps, compared to 10 to 20Mbps for the standard tier.

This increase in performance doesn't come cheap. While the base Starlink service costs $499 for the hardware and $99 a month, Starlink Premium will cost $2,500 for the antenna, and $500 a month. Deliveries are due to start in the second quarter of this year. There's also a $500 deposit to reserve a Premium dish. Starlink's website says the new tier is targeting "small offices, storefronts, and super users across the globe."

A large enough constellation of satellites will ensure Starlink is a smashing success.

See Also:

SpaceX launches Starlink Premium internet plan, and it's not cheap

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Chromebook sales dive as device makers put Windows 11 PCs first:

A combination of declining demand and tight supply hit shipments of Chromebooks and tablets at the end of last year, according to new data.

Analyst IDC reports that tablets sales in the fourth quarter of 2021 dipped 11.9% compared to Q4 2020, leaving full-year tablet shipments of 169 million units, 3.2% ahead of 2020. Shipments of Chromebooks, a popular acquisition for many during the earlier stages of the pandemic, declined a massive 63.6% in Q4 2021 year on year, albeit still leaving its full-year growth at 13.5%.

The decline in Chromebook shipments is much worse than was predicted by IDC back in June when it expected Chromebook full-year 2021 shipments would reach 43 million units, 33.5% over 2020.

Instead, full-year Chromebook shipments for 2021 – led by HP, Lenovo and Acer – reached just 37 million units. Chromebook shipments fell 29.8% year on year in Q3 2021 as education buying stalled. In the same quarter in 2020, Chromebook shipments more than doubled, thanks to education sales – and did so at the expense of Windows 10 devices.

IDC notes that, while sales of Chromebooks in the US and Europe have fallen off, demand is still growing in emerging markets.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

NASA details transition of International Space Station to commercial operations:

NASA has provided an update to Congress on the transition of the ISS into a commercial operation, detailing how it's working to develop supply and demand for the "low-Earth orbit commercial economy."

The space agency has already entered into one contract to attach commercial modules to a space station docking port and awarded agreements for the design of three free-flying commercial space stations.

"US industry is developing these commercial destinations to begin operations in the late 2020s for both government and private-sector customers, concurrent with space station operations," NASA said in the International Space Station Transition Report published Tuesday.

The report said NASA is focused on inspiring humankind through STEM student participation, microgravity research and development, orbital activities, partnering with minority institutions, and exploring "ways to engage a diverse group of students, educators and the general public through inspirational opportunities."

NASA is also hosting hundreds of different experiments at the ISS National Laboratory, including from commercial users, government agencies and academia.

Original Submission

DECISION – 'aristarchus':

Introduction:

Actions have consequences. This is not a matter of free speech or censorship.

Doxing "Doxing or doxxing is the act of publicly revealing previously private personal information about an individual or organization, usually via the internet." This is the definition upon which we are basing this decision. Legally, the term does not appear to be well-defined in the US but doxing is also covered by laws relating to harassment, threats, and abuse. Elsewhere in the world, the definitions are sometimes more clearly defined but might cover a broader interpretation than the US definitions. Which interpretation is applicable could depend on the location of the perpetrator.

Background:

We first noticed that something was amiss in late 2020. Submissions from 'aristarchus' would contain certain words, phrases and names which were apparently unconnected with the rest of the content. We were unable to understand their significance at that time, but they would be meaningful to the intended victim. (Story submissions by 'aristarchus' often contain additional material that he has inserted himself.) In almost all cases we removed them prior to posting the submission as a story because they had no bearing on the rest of the submission.

In late 2021 the doxing became more blatant both in comments that were made to stories and as well as on IRC. We also contacted the victim (by now it was obvious to us who it was) who responded and explained what had been published, where and when. We also discovered additional material that had not been seen by the victim. He had been suffering this abuse for a considerable time.

Please Note:

upstart writes:

Craob X: An Intel Alder Lake CPU-based laptop that is completely wireless & void of any connectors:

Company Craob plans to launch its newest concept laptop, the Craob X. The Craob X is a fully wireless laptop based on Intel Alder Lake CPU and utilizes the latest technology for memory and display. However, the most prominent feature is the lack of any ports on the company's design, making this the ultimate in fully wireless capability in a laptop.

My Laptop Guide was the first to report on this revolutionary laptop design. The website was able to access pictures and a few specifications on the device; however, the Craob website does offer a few details, such as a bezel-less 4K+ display and LPDDR5 connectivity.

The new Craob X laptop utilizes the Intel Core i7-1280P Alder Lake processor revealed earlier this month by Team Blue. The Craob X offers a 13.3-inch laptop size, a 4K+ bezel-less screen, and a punch-hole camera—a design much different than the latest MacBook Pro systems.

Craob's X laptop offers up to 32GB of LPDDR5 memory along with 2 TB of PCIe 4.0 storage capability. The new notebook will utilize the most contemporary WiFi6E technology for wireless connectivity.

[...] No price point is available at this time.

Original Submission

upstart writes:

US DoJ, Microsoft and 35 states support an appeal of Epic Games-Apple decision:

In another twist to the Epic Games lawsuit against Apple, the US Department of Justice (DoJ), Microsoft, and 35 state attorneys-general have all submitted legal filings disputing the lawsuit's original ruling from September last year.

The original ruling had sided with Apple on nine out of 10 counts. It found Apple engaged in anticompetitive conduct under California's competition laws, but ultimately it ruled the iPhone maker was not an antitrust monopolist.

The ruling, made by District Judge Yvonne Gonzales-Rogers, came to this conclusion as she found Apple's developer program license agreements were not contracts and other competitors had enough market share in submarkets such as mobile gaming.

That decision is now up for appeal at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with both Apple and Epic Games filing appeals as neither side were happy with the outcome.

In all the third-party briefs, which were filed over the weekend, the consistent argument that arose was Gonzales-Roger's interpretations of the Sherman Act[*] were too narrow and wrong. The Sherman Act is a US law that was specifically drafted to prohibit anticompetitive behaviour.

[*] Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890

Original Submission