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Researchers hacked a Canon DSLR with Bitcoin demanding ransomware

Aug12
by on August 12, 2019 at 1:59 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Hard Fork


Bitcoin demanding ransomware knows no bounds, and the latest potential victim? DSLR cameras. A group of security researchers have managed to exploit vulnerabilities in a Canon EOS 80D digital camera to hold its owner’s photos to a Bitcoin ransom, The Inquirer reports. The researchers from cybersecurity firm Check Point Research exploited the camera‘s picture transfer protocol (PTP), a piece of software typically used to transfer images from the device to a computer. Many modern cameras can transfer images over a WiFi connection, this is  formerly known as PTP/IP (picture transfer protocol over internet protocol). While this is a useful feature if…

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How plants’ ability to ‘think’ might force us to redefine intelligence

Aug12
by on August 12, 2019 at 1:44 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, syndication, world


Some might balk at the idea that plants made of roots, stems and leaves could have intelligence or consciousness. But scientists have actually been hotly debating this idea for decades. A recent paper sought to finally draw a line under this question by dismissing it completely. It argued that the key physical features found in conscious animals are missing in plants. All such species have an information processing network made up of nerve cells arranged into complex hierarchies that converge in a brain. Plants, on the other hand, do not have nerve cells at all, let alone a brain. But…

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CHEAP: Run to catch $30 off the Garmin vívosmart HR fitness tracker!

Aug12
by on August 12, 2019 at 1:13 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Plugged


Welcome to CHEAP, our series about things that are good, but most of all, cheap. CHEAP! I work from home almost all the time. It means I’ve partially turned into a couch potato. To kick my butt off the chair, and shed some calories, I often rely on fitness bands to give me some motivation to complete daily goals such as step count. It’s totally understandable if you don’t want to spend a lot of money when you’re just starting your fitness journey. That’s why the Garmin vívosmart HR activity tracker will be perfect for you. And it’s selling for just…

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F**k me: iOS’ Notes app censors handwritten swears

Aug12
by on August 12, 2019 at 11:21 am
Posted In: Around the Web


Apple works very hard to maintain a ‘clean’ and family-friendly image. So much so that it censors handwritten words when suggesting a title for notes. Today, a user in r/iOSBeta subreddit noted the company’s algorithm muted the word ‘fuck’ when recommending a title for the handwritten note. Apple seems to have introduced this feature in the new iOS 13 beta. I also tried this out on my phone, running the same software, and Apple did indeed censored the word ‘fuck.’ However, Apple doesn’t seem to be muting every cuss word. For instance, it didn’t mute ‘ass.’ We’ve asked Apple for more…

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New Zealand greenlights Bitcoin salary regulation – but it’s still a bad idea

Aug12
by on August 12, 2019 at 11:02 am
Posted In: Around the Web, blockchain, cryptocurrency, Hard Fork


New Zealand‘s tax authorities have deemed it legal for companies to pay its employees in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Companies will also be able to deduct income taxes using current PAYE (pay as you earn) frameworks under the Income Tax Act 2007. The country’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) published a bulletin (dated August 7, 2019) stating that the ruling was made under the Tax Administration Act 1994. (If you’re not up to speed on your New Zealand tax acts, the 1994 act typically governs the responsibilities of different government departments in relation to taxation.) There are a few caveats, though.…

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