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18 Best Camera Bags, Slings, Straps, and Backpacks (2024), Tested

Wired Top Stories - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 8:30am
Tote your photo and video gear around in style. We tested more than 80 packs and rounded up our favorites.

NASA Aircraft Uncovers Cold War Nuclear Missile Tunnels Under Greenland Ice

Slashdot - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 8:00am
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Space.com: NASA scientists conducting surveys of arctic ice sheets in Greenland got an unprecedented view of an abandoned "city under the ice" built by the U.S. military during the Cold War. During a scientific flight in April 2024, a NASA Gulfstream III aircraft flew over the Greenland Ice Sheet carrying radar instruments to map the depth of the ice sheet and the layers of bedrock below it. The images revealed a new view of Camp Century, a Cold War-era U.S. military base consisting of a series of tunnels carved directly into the ice sheet. As it turns out, this abandoned "secret city" was the site of a secret Cold War project known as Project Iceworm which called for the construction of 2,500 miles (4,023 km) of tunnels that could be used to nuclear intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) at the Soviet Union. "We were looking for the bed of the ice and out pops Camp Century. We didn't know what it was at first," said NASA's Chad Greene, a cryospheric scientist at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in an agency statement. "In the new data, individual structures in the secret city are visible in a way that they've never been seen before." "Weapons, sewage, fuel and other contaminants were buried at Camp Century when it was abandoned, but the thawing Greenland Ice Sheet threatens to unbury these dangerous relics," reports Space.com. In 2017, the U.S. government issued a statement saying it "acknowledges the reality of climate change and the risk it poses" and will "work with the Danish government and the Greenland authorities to settle questions of mutual security" over Camp Century. Scientists are using Camp Century to serve as a warning and a signpost to measure how climate change is affecting the area. You can learn more about Camp Century in a restored declassified U.S. Army film on YouTube.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Mark Zuckerberg dines with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago

BBC Tech News - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 5:28am
Relations appear to have improved markedly from Trump's threat earlier this year to throw the Meta boss in jail.

Mark Zuckerberg dines with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago

BBC Tech News - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 5:28am
Relations appear to have improved markedly from Trump's threat earlier this year to throw the Meta boss in jail.

Ryugu Asteroid Sample Rapidly Colonized By Terrestrial Life

Slashdot - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 5:00am
Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from Phys.org: Researchers from Imperial College London have discovered that a space-returned sample from asteroid Ryugu was rapidly colonized by terrestrial microorganisms, even under stringent contamination control measures. In the study, [...] researchers analyzed sample A0180, a tiny (1 x 0.8 mm) particle collected by the JAXA Hayabusa 2 mission from asteroid Ryugu. Transported to Earth in a hermetically sealed chamber, the sample was opened in nitrogen in a class 10,000 clean room to prevent contamination. Individual particles were picked with sterilized tools and stored under nitrogen in airtight containers. Before analysis, the sample underwent Nano-X-ray computed tomography and was embedded in an epoxy resin block for scanning electron microscopy. Rods and filaments of organic matter, interpreted as filamentous microorganisms, were observed on the sample's surface. Variations in size and morphology of these structures resembled known terrestrial microbes. Observations showed that the abundance of these filaments changed over time, suggesting the growth and decline of a prokaryote population with a generation time of 5.2 days. Population statistics indicate that the microorganisms originated from terrestrial contamination during the sample preparation stage rather than being indigenous to the asteroid. Results of the study determined that terrestrial biota had rapidly colonized the extraterrestrial material, even under strict contamination control. Researchers recommend enhanced contamination control procedures for future sample-return missions to prevent microbial colonization and ensure the integrity of extraterrestrial samples. Another factor in gathering contamination-free sampling is that everything used to collect extraterrestrial material originates on a planet awash in microbial life.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

PFAS and Microplastics Become More Toxic When Combined, Research Shows

Slashdot - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 2:00am
A University of Birmingham study reveals that PFAS and microplastics have a synergistic effect that significantly increases their toxicity. "The study's authors exposed water fleas to mixtures of the toxic substances and found they suffered more severe health effects, including lower birth rates, and developmental problems, such as delayed sexual maturity and stunted growth," reports The Guardian. From the report: The enhanced toxic effects raise alarm because PFAS and microplastics are researched and regulated in isolation from one one another, but humans are virtually always exposed to both. The research also showed those fleas previously exposed to chemical pollution were less able to withstand the new exposures. The findings "underscore the critical need to understand the impacts of chemical mixtures on wildlife and human health," wrote the study's authors, who are with the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Researchers compared a group of water fleas that had never been exposed to pollution with another group that had been exposed to pollution in the past. Water fleas have high sensitivity to chemicals so they are frequently used to study ecological toxicity. Both groups were exposed to bits of PET, a common microplastic, as well as PFOA and PFOS, two of the most common and dangerous PFAS compounds. The mixture reflected conditions common in lakes around the world. The study's authors found the mixture to be more toxic than PFAS and microplastics in isolation. They attributed about 40% of the increased toxicity to a synergy among the substances that makes them even more dangerous. The authors theorized the synergy has to do with the interplay in the charges of microplastics and PFAS compounds. The remainder of the increased toxicity was attributed to simple addition of their toxic effects. Fleas exposed to the mixture showed a "markedly reduced number of offspring," the authors said. They were also smaller at maturation and showed delayed sexual growth.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Uber probed by US regulator over subscription plan

BBC Tech News - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 1:36am
The ride-hailing giant says it received inquiries from the FTC about Uber One cancellation procedures.

Uber probed by US regulator over subscription plan

BBC Tech News - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 1:36am
The ride-hailing giant says it received inquiries from the FTC about Uber One cancellation procedures.

Uber probed by US regulator over subscription plan

BBC Tech News - Thu, 11/28/2024 - 1:36am
The ride-hailing giant says it received inquiries from the FTC about Uber One cancellation procedures.

Denmark Will Plant 1 Billion Trees, Convert 10% Farmland Into Forest

Slashdot - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 10:30pm
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Danish lawmakers on Monday agreed on a deal to plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest and natural habitats over the next two decades in an effort to reduce fertilizer usage. The government called the agreement "the biggest change to the Danish landscape in over 100 years." Under the agreement, 43 billion kroner ($6.1 billion) have been earmarked to acquire land from farmers over the next two decades, the government said. Danish forests would grow on an additional 250,000 hectares (618,000 acres), and another 140,000 hectares (346,000 acres), which are currently cultivated on climate-damaging low-lying soils, must be converted to nature. Currently, 14.6% of land is covered by forests. [...] In June, the government said livestock farmers will be taxed for the greenhouse gases emitted by their cows, sheep and pigs from 2030, the first country to do so as it targets a major source of methane emissions, one of the most potent gases contributing to global warming.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Senators Say TSA's Facial Recognition Program Is Out of Control

Slashdot - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 9:02pm
A bipartisan group of 12 senators has urged the TSA inspector general to investigate the agency's use of facial recognition technology, citing concerns over privacy, civil liberties, and its expansion to over 430 airports without sufficient safeguards or proven effectiveness. Gizmodo reports: "This technology will soon be in use at hundreds of major and mid-size airports without an independent evaluation of the technology's precision or an audit of whether there are sufficient safeguards in place to protect passenger privacy," the senators wrote. The letter was signed by Jeffrey Merkley (D-OR), John Kennedy (R-LA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Steve Daines (R-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Peter Welch (D-VT). While the TSA's facial recognition program is currently optional and only in a few dozen airports, the agency announced in June that it plans to expand the technology to more than 430 airports. And the senators' letter quotes a talk given by TSA Administrator David Pekoske in 2023 in which he said "we will get to the point where we require biometrics across the board." [...] The latest letter urges the TSA's inspector general to evaluate the agency's facial recognition program to determine whether it's resulted in a meaningful reduction in passenger delays, assess whether it's prevented anyone on no-fly lists from boarding a plane, and identify how frequently it results in identity verification errors.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Data Broker Leaves 600K+ Sensitive Files Exposed Online

Slashdot - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 8:25pm
A security researcher discovered an unprotected database belonging to SL Data Services containing over 600,000 sensitive files, including criminal histories and background checks with names, addresses, and social media accounts. The Register reports: We don't know how long the personal information was openly accessible. Infosec specialist Jeremiah Fowler says he found the Amazon S3 bucket in October and reported it to the data collection company by phone and email every few days for more than two weeks. [The info service provider eventually closed up the S3 bucket, says Fowler, although he never received any response.] In addition to not being password protected, none of the information was encrypted, he told The Register. In total, the open bucket contained 644,869 PDF files in a 713.1 GB archive. Some 95 percent of the documents Fowler saw were labeled "background checks," he said. These contained full names, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, employment, family members, social media accounts, and criminal record history belonging to thousands of people. In at least one of these documents, the criminal record indicated that the person had been convicted of sexual misconduct. It included case details, fines, dates, and additional charges. While court records and sex offender status are usually public records in the US, this exposed cache could be combined with other data points to make complete profiles of people -- along with their family members and co-workers -- providing everything criminals would need for targeted phishing and/or social engineering attacks.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Google Opens AI Campus In London

Slashdot - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 7:45pm
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer inaugurated London's first Google-funded AI Campus in Camden, aiming to equip young people with AI and machine learning skills. Reuters reports: The center, based in Camden, an area which Starmer represents in parliament and which is also home to Google's future offices in Kings Cross, has already started a two-year pilot project for local students. An first cohort of 32 people aged 16-18 will have access to resources in AI and machine learning and receive mentoring and expertise from Google's AI company DeepMind, the tech giant said. The students will tackle real-world projects connecting AI to fields such as health, social sciences and the arts at the campus, which has been established in partnership with the local authority, Google said. Google's UK and Ireland managing director Debbie Weinstein announced 865,000 pounds ($1.10 million) of funding for an AI literacy program across the UK. The money will be used by charities Raspberry Pi Foundation and Parent Zone to help train teachers with an aim of reaching over 250,000 students by the end of 2026, she said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

'It's so easy to lie': A fifth of children use fake age on social media

BBC Tech News - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 7:05pm
The regulator finds a fifth of children are pretending to be adults, potentially exposing them to harm.

'It's so easy to lie': A fifth of children use fake age on social media

BBC Tech News - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 7:05pm
The regulator finds a fifth of children are pretending to be adults, potentially exposing them to harm.

Do 'much, much more' on age verification, social media firms told

BBC Tech News - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 7:05pm
The regulator finds a fifth of children are pretending to be adults, potentially exposing them to harm.

Tornado Cash Sanctions Overturned By US Appeals Court

Slashdot - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 7:02pm
A U.S. federal appeals court ruled that sanctions against Tornado Cash, a crypto transaction anonymization service, must be abandoned, stating that its immutable smart contracts do not constitute "property" under U.S. law and that the Treasury overstepped its authority. The ruling is available here (PDF). CoinDesk reports: The decision answers a controversial privacy debate on whether the government -- via a sanctions list maintained by the U.S. Treasury Department -- has a right to target the technology because it's associated with criminals. The ruling reversed a district court's August ruling that had sided with the government's pursuit of what it had characterized as a "notorious" crypto-mixing service. OFAC had sanctioned Tornado Cash last year, contending that it was a vital tool used by bad actors including North Korea's Lazarus Group to launder crypto tokens pilfered from platforms and games such as Axie Infinity. Coinbase (COIN) and others had sued the government, claiming it had overreached. Paul Grewal, chief legal officer of crypto exchange Coinbase, cheered the ruling in a Tuesday post on X, calling it a "historic win for crypto." "These smart contracts must now be removed from the sanctions list and U.S. persons will once again be allowed to use this privacy-protecting protocol," Grewal wrote. "Put another way, the government's overreach will not stand." "We readily recognize the real-world downsides of certain uncontrollable technology falling outside of OFAC's sanctioning authority," the judges said, referencing the ineffectiveness of a law that was established well before the world moved online. "But we must uphold the statutory bargain struck (or mis-struck) by Congress, not tinker with it." Tornado Cash's TORN token has since rallied 500%, passing the $20 mark.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Unemployment rises slightly in Maine urban zones

Portland Press Herald Business - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 6:30pm
That tracks with a slight increase in unemployment statewide, which rose from 2.6% in September to 2.9% in October.

The World's First Unkillable UEFI Bootkit For Linux

Slashdot - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 6:20pm
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Over the past decade, a new class of infections has threatened Windows users. By infecting the firmware that runs immediately before the operating system loads, these UEFI bootkits continue to run even when the hard drive is replaced or reformatted. Now the same type of chip-dwelling malware has been found in the wild for backdooring Linux machines. Researchers at security firm ESET said Wednesday that Bootkitty -- the name unknown threat actors gave to their Linux bootkit -- was uploaded to VirusTotal earlier this month. Compared to its Windows cousins, Bootkitty is still relatively rudimentary, containing imperfections in key under-the-hood functionality and lacking the means to infect all Linux distributions other than Ubuntu. That has led the company researchers to suspect the new bootkit is likely a proof-of-concept release. To date, ESET has found no evidence of actual infections in the wild. Still, Bootkitty suggests threat actors may be actively developing a Linux version of the same sort of unkillable bootkit that previously was found only targeting Windows machines. "Whether a proof of concept or not, Bootkitty marks an interesting move forward in the UEFI threat landscape, breaking the belief about modern UEFI bootkits being Windows-exclusive threats," ESET researchers wrote. "Even though the current version from VirusTotal does not, at the moment, represent a real threat to the majority of Linux systems, it emphasizes the necessity of being prepared for potential future threats." [...] As ESET notes, the discovery is nonetheless significant because it demonstrates someone -- most likely a malicious threat actor -- is pouring resources and considerable know-how into creating working UEFI bootkits for Linux. Currently, there are few simple ways for people to check the integrity of the UEFI running on either Windows or Linux devices. The demand for these sorts of defenses will likely grow in the coming years.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

FTC Launches Broad Microsoft Antitrust Investigation

Slashdot - Wed, 11/27/2024 - 5:40pm
The FTC has opened a broad antitrust investigation into Microsoft, including of its software licensing and cloud computing business. Bloomberg first reported the news. Reuters reports: The probe was approved by FTC Chair Lina Khan ahead of her likely departure in January. The election of Donald Trump as U.S. president and the expectation he will appoint a fellow Republican with a softer approach toward business, leaves the outcome of the investigation up in the air. The FTC is examining allegations that the software giant is potentially abusing its market power in productivity software by imposing punitive licensing terms to prevent customers from moving their data from its Azure cloud service to other competitive platforms, sources confirmed earlier this month. The FTC is also looking at practices related to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence products, the source said on Wednesday.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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