Microsoft’s Dream of Decentralized IDs Enters the Real World

For years, tech companies have touted blockchain technology as a means to develop identity systems that are secure and decentralized. The goal is to build a platform that could store information about official data without holding the actual documents or details themselves. Instead of just storing a scan of your birth certificate, for example, a decentralized ID platform might store a…

Customized Apple-Themed Game Boy Color Doubles As An Apple TV Remote

Italian YouTuber Otto Climan modded an original Game Boy Color handheld to act as an Apple TV remote. Gizmodo reports: Otto Climan started with an original Game Boy Color handheld that they upgraded with a backlit LCD display because the GBC arrived well before Nintendo stopped using dim screens that strained your eyes. For the custom white case adorned with Apple’s…

‘Unforced Error’ in Suspected Russian Data Breach May Have Led to Its Discovery

CNN reports:
US officials and private sector experts investigating the massive data breach that has rocked Washington increasingly believe the attackers were ultimately discovered because they took a more aggressive “calculated risk” that led to a possible “unforced error” as they tried to expand their access within the network they had penetrated months earlier without detection, according to a US official and…

DHS Is Looking Into Backdoors In Smart TVs By China’s TCL

chicksdaddy shares a report from The Security Ledger: The acting head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the agency was assessing the cyber risk of smart TVs sold by the Chinese electronics giant TCL, following reports last month in The Security Ledger and elsewhere that the devices may give the company “back door” access to deployed sets, The Security…

Security Holes Opened Back Door To TCL Android Smart TVs

chicksdaddy shares a report from The Security Ledger: Millions of Android smart television sets from the Chinese vendor TCL Technology Group Corporation contained gaping software security holes that researchers say could have allowed remote attackers to take control of the devices, steal data or even control cameras and microphones to surveil the set’s owners. The security holes appear to have been…

FCC Defends Helping Trump, Claims Authority Over Social Media Law

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Federal Communications Commission’s top lawyer today explained the FCC’s theory of why it can grant President Donald Trump’s request for a new interpretation of a law that provides legal protection to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Critics of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan from both the left and right…

‘Amnesia: The Dark Descent’ and ‘A Machine For Pigs’ Are Now Open Source

Legendary horror game Amnesia: The Dark Descent and A Machine for Pigs is now open source, meaning that modders can dig in and see what lies underneath the hood of both games. Polygon reports: The full source code for The Dark Descent and A Machine for Pigs has been released on Github for folks who want to take a crack at…

Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs: the Books They Recommended

Slashdot has featured “the 61 books Elon Musk has recommended on Twitter” as well as the 41 books Mark Zuckerberg recommended on Facebook. Both lists were compiled by a slick web site (with Amazon referrer codes) called “Most Recommended Books.” But they’ve also created pages showing books recommended by over 400 other public figures — incuding Bill Gates and the late…

The 41 Books Mark Zuckerberg Has Recommended on Facebook

Last week Slashdot featured “the 61 books Elon Musk has recommended on Twitter,” as compiled by a slick web site (with Amazon referrer codes) called “Most Recommended Books.” But the same site has also created a page of books recommended by Mark Zuckerbeg. Zuckerberg’s list includes books by Peter Thiel (Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the…

Joe Biden’s Team Brings Digital Campaign Signs To ‘Animal Crossing’

Beginning today, Animal Crossing: New Horizons players can add official Biden-Harris campaign signs to their island yards. Engadget reports: At the moment, there are four sign designs — the official Biden-Harris logo, the Team Joe logo, a “Joe” Pride logo and an image of red, white and blue aviators. To add the signs to their yards, players will scan QR codes…