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upstart writes:

The dust-covered spacecraft detected landmark geophysical events on Mars, despite significant obstacles:

NASA officials announced in a press conference today that the InSight lander on Mars will likely stop operating at the end of 2022, following three years of scientific work on the surface of the Red Planet.

InSight arrived on Mars in November 2018, and during its time on the Martian surface it has collected remarkable data on the planet's structure and the seismic events that emanate from its interior. [...]

But now, the lander is beset with dust that has settled on its solar panels, hindering its ability to take in light and generate power. The InSight team came up with a McGuyver-esque way of shaking some of that dust off: by scooping up Martian soil and dropping it on the dust, they were able to marginally clean up the panels. That maneuver was done successfully six times, according to Kathya Zamora Garcia, the Deputy Project Manager for InSight.

In its tenure, the lander has detected 1,313 marsquakes to date. When it began its science, InSight was capable of running for about 5,000 watt-hours per sol (Martian day); now, overwhelmed by the Martian dust, the lander can only manage 500 watt-hours per sol. [...]

Barring any Martian miracles, the fastidious InSight lander is on its last legs. For every one of its struggles and failures, the lander produced a bevy of data on the buried secrets of rocky worlds beyond our own. So thanks, InSight, for all your unheralded perseverance.

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upstart writes:

Angry IT admin wipes employer's databases, gets 7 years in prison:

Han Bing, a former database administrator for Lianjia, a Chinese real-estate brokerage giant, has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for logging into corporate systems and deleting the company's data.

Bing allegedly performed the act in June 2018, when he used his administrative privileges and "root" account to access the company's financial system and delete all stored data from two database servers and two application servers.

[...] Surprisingly, Bing had repeatedly informed his employer and supervisors about security gaps in the financial system, even sending emails to other administrators to raise his concerns.

However, he was largely ignored, as the leaders of his department never approved the security project he proposed to run.

This was confirmed by the testimony of the director of ethics at Lianjia, who told the court that Han Bing felt that his organizational proposals weren't valued and often entered arguments with his supervisors.

In a similar case from September 2021, a former New York-based credit union employee avenged her supervisors for firing her by deleting over 21.3GB of documents in a 40-minute attack.

Anyone have stories of any interesting employee departures that they have exprienced?

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Hebrew University Discovers New Magnetic Phenomenon:

Nanotechnology is a wonderland for physicists. At this small scale, where materials as thin as 100 atoms are studied, totally new and unexpected phenomena are discovered. Here, nature ceases to behave in a way that is predictable by the macroscopic law of physics, unlike what goes on in the world around us or out in the cosmos.

[...] The images showed that the magnetic material the HU researchers were studying only retained magnetism on its edge—in fact only within 10 nanometers of the edge (for reference, a human hair is around 100,000 nanometers). Their results were published in the prestigious journal Nano Letters.

This nano-effect, although very small, could actually have wide applications in our daily lives. "In today's technological race to make every component smaller and more energy-efficient, effort is focused towards small magnets with different shapes," Anahory shared. The new edge magnetism offers the possibility of making long wire magnets only 10 nanometers thick, which could curve into any shape. "It could revolutionize the way we make spintronics devices," added Anahory, referring to the next-generation nano-electronic devices with reduced power consumption and increased memory and processing capabilities.

Journal Reference: Interior and Edge Magnetization in Thin Exfoliated CrGeTe3 Films. Avia Noah, Hen Alpern, Sourabh Singh, Alon Gutfreund, Gilad Zisman, Tomer D. Feld, Atzmon Vakahi, Sergei Remennik, Yossi Paltiel, Martin Emile Huber, Victor Barrena, Hermann Suderow, Hadar Steinberg, Oded Millo, and Yonathan Anahory, Nano Letters
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04665

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Europeans' data shared 376 times daily in advertising sales, report says:

The study, by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), found that the average European user's data is shared 376 times per day.

The figure rises to 747 times daily for US-based users, the report claims.

The revenue from digital adverts is what keeps most internet services free to use.

The ICCL is currently engaged in legal action with the digital ad industry and the Data Protection Commission against what it describes as an epic data breach, arguing that nobody has ever specifically consented to this practice.

It includes information about the device the page is loading on, some details about where that device is, and other information such as previous websites visited and their subject matter.

[...] The report claims that:

• data about US web users' habits are shared in advert sales processes 107 trillion times per year. European users' data is shared 71 billion times
• Germany's individual internet users' data is shared once every minute that they are online, using a calculation based on averages

Tech reporter Parmy Olson, writing for Bloomberg, said: "If the exhaust of our personal data could be seen in the same way pollution can, we'd be surrounded by an almost impenetrable haze that gets thicker the more we interact with our phones."

Original Submission

upstart writes:

A Spanish teen's genome may hold the secret to lupus:

Researchers may have finally discovered a genetic cause of lupus, the autoimmune disorder (and elusive enemy of Dr. Gregory House).

Their study, published in Nature, points to a mutation in a gene that senses viral RNA.

Previous studies have implicated the gene, called TLR7, in lupus before, El Pais reports, but this new study identified a previously unknown variant of the gene in a Spanish teenager who was diagnosed with lupus as a child.

"We have shown for the first time how rare gene variants that occur in less than one per cent of the population cause lupus and how these variants drive the disease in the body," Simon Jiang, a researcher at Australian National University's Centre for Personalised Immunology and study author, said in a statement.

The discovery may help researchers develop a targeted treatment for lupus, Jiang said — and not just for patients with this exact rare mutation.

[...] The mutation increases the immune system's sensitivity to guanosine, one of the building blocks of DNA and RNA, Hudson expert Michael Gantier explained. This causes the infection sensor to become switched on even if there is no viral RNA present, which is what it is designed to look out for.

Confused about their target, the misdirected immune cells then begin to attack the healthy tissues.

If the researchers are correct, it may solve another vexing lupus question as well: The disease is 10x more frequent in women than men, and TLR7 sits on the X chromosome — making a possible mutation twice as likely.

Journal Reference:
Brown, Grant J., Cañete, Pablo F., Wang, Hao, et al. TLR7 gain-of-function genetic variation causes human lupus [open], Nature (DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04642-z)

Original Submission

hubie writes:

A single neutron moves along two paths simultaneously, in clearly quantifiable proportions:

The double-slit experiment is the most famous and probably the most important experiment in quantum physics: individual particles are shot at a wall with two openings, behind which a detector measures where the particles arrive. [...]

"In the classical double-slit experiment, an interference pattern is created behind the double slit," explains Stephan Sponar from the Atomic Institute at TU Wien. "The particles move as a wave through both openings at the same time, and the two partial waves then interfere with each other. In some places they reinforce each other, in other places they cancel each other out."

[...] Of course, this wave distribution cannot be seen by looking at a single particle. Only when the experiment is repeated many times does the wave pattern become increasingly recognisable point by point and particle by particle.

They set up a double-slit experiment using neutrons as a source, but they also manipulated the spin of the neutron. If you flip the spin on only one of the two paths, you can tell which path the neutron took; however, when you do this, the double-slit interference pattern disappears due to quantum complementarity. Instead of flipping the neutron spin, they only change the spin a little bit, which preserves the interference pattern, but they only gain a little bit of information about which path the neutron took, so they still have to use many neutrons to build up the interference pattern.

The submissions queue is running very low. Please support the site and make submissions on the usual topics because, without them, we will have to reduce the number of stories that we can publish each day.

Thank you.

upstart writes:

These novel superconductor diodes, however, operate at much lower temperatures than their semiconductor counterparts and are therefore useful in quantum technologies:

Most of our everyday electronic appliances, such as radios, logic components or solar panels, rely on diodes where current can flow primarily in one direction. Such diodes rely on the electronic properties of semiconductor systems which cease to work at the ultralow sub-Kelvin temperatures required in tomorrow's quantum technology. Superconductors are metals whose electrical resistivity is usually zero but, when contacted with other metals, can exhibit high contact resistance.

This can be understood from the energy gap, which indicates a forbidden region for electronic excitations that form in superconductors. It resembles the energy gap in semiconductors but is typically much smaller. While the presence of such a gap has been known for decades, the diode-like feature has not been previously observed, because it requires breaking the usually robust symmetry of the contact's current-voltage characteristics.

The new work demonstrates how this symmetry can be broken with the help of a ferromagnetic insulator suitably placed in the junction. Since a big part of today's research on quantum technologies is based on superconducting materials operating at ultralow temperatures, this innovation is readily available for them.

Original source from the University of Jyväskylä

Journal Reference:
Strambini, E., Spies, M., Ligato, N., et al. Superconducting spintronic tunnel diode [open], Nature Communications
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29990-2

Original Submission

AnonTechie writes:

Crafty hackers can make a tool to eavesdrop on some 6G wireless signals in as little as five minutes using office paper, an inkjet printer, a metallic foil transfer and a laminator

The wireless security hack was discovered by engineering researchers from Rice University and Brown University, who will present their findings and demonstrate the attack this week in San Antonio at ACM WiSec 2022, the Association for Computing Machinery's annual conference on security and privacy in wireless and mobile networks.

[...] In the study, Knightly, Brown University engineering Professor Daniel Mittleman and colleagues showed an attacker could easily make a sheet of office paper covered with 2D foil symbols -- a metasurface -- and use it to redirect part of a 150 gigahertz "pencil beam" transmission between two users.

They dubbed the attack "Metasurface-in-the-Middle" as a nod to both the hacker's tool and the way it is wielded. Metasurfaces are thin sheets of material with patterned designs that manipulate light or electromagnetic waves. "Man-in-the-middle" is a computer security industry classification for attacks in which an adversary secretly inserts themself between two parties.

The 150 gigahertz frequency is higher than is used in today's 5G cellular or Wi-Fi networks. But Knightly said wireless carriers are looking to roll out 150 gigahertz and similar frequencies known as terahertz waves or millimeter waves over the next decade.

[...] Knightly said now that wireless researchers and equipment manufacturers know about the attack, they can further study it, develop detection systems and build those into terahertz networks up front.

[Original Source]: Rice University

Journal Reference:
Zhambyl Shaikhanov, Fahid Hassan, Hichem Guerboukha, et al., Metasurface-in-the-Middle Attack. Proceedings of the 15th ACM Conference on Security and Privacy in Wireless and Mobile Networks, 2022
DOI: 10.1145/3507657.3528549

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

https://www.ghacks.net/2022/05/17/nvidia-releases-security-update-for-out-of-support-gpus/

Nvidia published a security bulletin on May 16, 2022 in which it informs customers about a new software security update for the Nvidia GPU display driver. The update patches security issues in earlier driver versions that can lead to "denial of service, information disclosure, or data tampering".

[...] In this particular case, Nvidia released security updates for Kepler-series graphics adapters that it no longer supports officially with Game Ready Drivers.

The company retired most products belonging to the GTX 600 and GTX 700 Kepler series in 2021. The first Kepler-based video cards were released in 2012 by Nvidia.

"Windows and Linux versions of the drivers are affected according to the security bulletin."

[...] The security bulletin lists a total of ten vulnerabilities in Nvidia GPU display drivers. Most are vulnerabilities in the kernel mode layer on Windows and Linux devices, while some address security issues in the DirectX11 user mode driver on Windows, or a vulnerability in the ECC layer.

Open source drivers and now legacy support? What's going on here?

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Proposed improvements to SiC MOSFET power converter technology overcome existing challenges:

Transistors, which are devices that control or amplify electrical signals and power, are one of the most ubiquitous components of modern electronics. The most widely used transistor is known as the MOSFET, which stands for metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor. MOSFETs have been in use since the 1960s and have typically relied on silicon to act as a semiconductor. The latest iteration of the MOSFET uses silicon carbide as a semiconductor, known as SiC MOSFET. This has many advantages, but it has not been widely adopted for medium-voltage power conversion. This is because of several challenges associated with SiC MOSFETs that researchers hope to solve by combining novel technologies.

SiC MOSFETs offer many advantages over traditional transistors. Compared to the current technology, SiC MOSFETs can meet the demands of modern electronics by improving efficiency and power density. However, if you were to just switch out the current technology for SiC MOSFETs as is, there would not be enough of a benefit to justify the transition. In order to get the most out of SiC MOSFETs and expand their use across a wide range of applications, researchers employed novel control technologies and strategies to improve how the SiC MOSFETs work in medium-voltage applications.

[...] "For medium-voltage power conversion, 10 kV SiC MOSFETS have inherent superiorities, such as high breakdown voltage, fast switching, high temperature operation, and low specific on-state resistance," said paper author Slavko Mocevic, a researcher at the ABB Corporate Research Center in Raleigh, NC in the United States.

[...] By overcoming challenges like electromagnetic interference, high switching frequency, fast voltage transitions, and the need for high-voltage insulation, the SiC MOSFET technology can be more broadly applied to medium-voltage converters. Looking ahead, Mocevic said, "The immediate next step is to improve performance and fully understand the behavior of this converter to ensure stable operations in all situations for all targeted applications. The ultimate goal is to develop a family of medium-voltage circuit networks that utilize SCC and ICBT control that can fully utilize the power processing capacity of SiC devices. This will effectively tackle the lack of circuit solutions currently barring their adoption."

Journal Reference:
Design of a 10 kV SiC MOSFET-based high-density, high-efficiency, modular medium-voltage power converter, (DOI: 10.23919/IEN.2022.0001)

Original Submission

upstart writes:

GPDPR data scrape a 'mistake', says leading scientist:

Significant elements of the initially proposed General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) programme to collect patient data from general practitioners in England to help improve frontline care in the NHS has been branded "wrong" and a "mistake" by one of the UK's most noted scientists.

The GPDPR programme was heavily criticised last year by privacy experts and others who said it presented an unacceptable level of security risk, and that the public had not been adequately informed of the plans.

Had it gone ahead in its initial form, the resulting database would have contained substantial amounts of personally identifiable information (PII) on millions of people, including diagnoses, symptoms, observations, test results, medications, allergies, immunisations, referrals, recalls and appointments.

It would also have included information on physical, mental and sexual health, data on gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation, and data on staff who have treated patients.

upstart writes:

Russian tanks are using chips from household appliances due to sanctions:

[...] In a Senate hearing on Wednesday, the US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo cited Ukrainians who found semiconductors from dishwashers and refrigerators in Russian tanks. Ukrainian officials say these are substitutes for components Russian manufacturers can't get due to international sanctions.

Raimondo said US technology exports to Russia have sunk by almost 70 percent since Russia started its invasion in late February. Moreover, spokesperson from the US Commerce department Robyn Patterson said US component shipments to Russia have fallen by 85 percent in the last year. Raimondo said the Ukrainian findings prove the sanctions are successfully diminishing Russia's war effort.

Complying with sanctions, computer companies like Intel, AMD, IBM, TSMC, and GlobalFoundries also stopped chip sales to Russia.

[...] Russia isn't the only entity cannibalizing appliances to fill chip deficiencies. Last month, ASML CEO Peter Wennik admitted that some companies are repurposing chips from washing machines to compensate for the ongoing global chip shortage.

https://www.techspot.com/news/94301-asml-ceo-companies-ripping-out-chips-washing-machines.html

Last year, TSMC chairman Mark Liu said various distributors and go-betweens had been stockpiling chips throughout the pandemic. Liu also didn't mention names, but both TSMC and ASML are close with an extensive network of partners and customers. They have long warned that geopolitical instability and sanctions imposed on countries like China and Russia would push companies to create even more chaos in the tech supply chain.

Lam Research CEO Timothy Archer echoed Wennink's remark that supply-related delays will affect how much factory equipment can be manufactured in the coming months. Even if companies like TSMC, Samsung, and Intel could somehow secure enough tooling for their new factories, major wafer suppliers won't be able to keep up with demand until 2024.

Original Submission

hubie writes:

Pharmacists at Higher Risk of Suicide than General Population, Study Finds:

[...] In the first study to report pharmacist suicide rates in the United States, researchers from Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California and UC San Diego School of Medicine found that suicide rates are higher among pharmacists compared to the general population, at an approximate rate of 20 per 100,000 pharmacists compared to 12 per 100,000 in the general population. [...]

The figures are based on data from 2003 through 2018, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Violent Death Reporting System. Study authors expect numbers to be even higher in subsequent years due to the additional stressors of the pandemic, and are currently evaluating more recent data.

[...] For pharmacists, Lee said job problems reflect significant changes in the industry in recent years, with more pharmacists employed by hospitals and chain retailers than small, private pharmacies more common in the past. The responsibilities of a pharmacist have also grown considerably, with larger volumes of pharmaceuticals to dispense and increasing demands to administer vaccines and other health care services.

"Pharmacists have many more responsibilities now, but are expected to do them with the same resources and compensation they had 20 years ago," said Lee. "And with strict monitoring from state and federal regulatory boards, pharmacists are expected to perform in a fast-paced environment with perfect accuracy. It's difficult for any human to keep up with that pressure."

Journal Reference:
Kelly C. Lee, Gordon Y. Ye, Amanda Choflet, et al., Longitudinal analysis of suicides among pharmacists during 2003-2018, J Am Pharm Assoc, 2022
DOI: 10.1016/j.japh.2022.04.013

Original Submission

upstart writes:

Micron's new 3D NAND flash could usher in a rapid new generation of SSDs:

Micron has revealed it has developed 3D NAND flash with a whopping 232 layers, which will enter full-scale production later this year.

[...] The company has not yet provided performance specs for its 232-layer device, but implied that speeds will exceed those of its current 3D NAND products, paving the way for rapid and capacious new SSDs.

NAND flash is a type of non-volatile memory that features in all kinds of storage devices, from memory cards, USB sticks and portable drives to SSDs for devices and servers.

The general idea behind NAND flash development is to reduce cost per capacity and increase storage density, effectively eliminating the use cases for traditional hard disk drives.

[...] SSDs powered by the new 3D NAND flash are expected to come to market at some point in 2023.

Original Submission