Firefox ‘Site Isolation’ Feature Enters User Testing, Expected Next Year

An anonymous reader shares a report: Site Isolation is a modern browser security feature that works by separating each web page and web iframes in their own operating system process in order to prevent sites from tampering or stealing with each other’s data. The feature was first deployed with Google Chrome in mid-2018, with the release of Chrome 67. Although initially,…

Microsoft Wants AI To Be More Helpful For People Who Are Blind or Use Wheelchairs

People who are blind or who use a wheelchair or who have autism often are early adopters of technology to complete everyday tasks like communicating, reading, and traveling. Artificial intelligence powers many of these services such as voice and object recognition. In many cases, these products are trained on data from able-bodied or neurotypical people. This means that the algorithms may…

Ransom Gangs Increasingly Outsource Their Work

Brian Krebs writes via KrebsOnSecurity.com: There’s an old adage in information security: “Every company gets penetration tested, whether or not they pay someone for the pleasure.” Many organizations that do hire professionals to test their network security posture unfortunately tend to focus on fixing vulnerabilities hackers could use to break in. But judging from the proliferation of help-wanted ads for offensive…

US Spy Plane Impersonates A Malaysian Aircraft

Popular Mechanics reports:
A U.S. Air Force aircraft electronically impersonated a Malaysian plane while flying over the South China Sea this week. The RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft flew off China’s Hainan island on Tuesday, coming within 55 miles of the Chinese mainland. The caper was outed on Twitter by a think tank operated by the Chinese government, which provided enough details…

MIT Sleep Monitor Can Track People’s Sleeping Positions Using Radio Signals

A team of MIT researchers has developed a device that can monitor people’s sleep postures without having to use cameras or to stick sensors on their body. Engadget reports: It’s a wall-mounted monitor the team dubbed BodyCompass, and it works by analyzing radio signals as they bounce off objects in a room. As the researchers explained, a device that can monitor…

As Russia Stalks US Satellites, a Space Arms Race May Be Heating Up

Russia “is now challenging the United States’ long-standing supremacy in space and working to exploit the U.S. military’s dependence on space systems for communications, navigation, intelligence, and targeting.” That’s the argument made in The Bulletin by a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer who writes about technology and military strategy, Cold War history, and European security affairs (in an article shared…

Google Cloud Earns Defense Contract Win For Anthos Multi-Cloud Management Tool

Google today announced a new seven-figure contract with DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). “While the company would not get specific about the number, the new contract involves using Anthos, the tool the company announced last year to secure DIU’s multi-cloud environment,” reports TechCrunch. From the report: In spite of the JEDI contract involving a single vendor, the DoD has always used…

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day

Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, which catalyzed action to protect the environment, not just in the US but internationally. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/first-earth-day-50th-anniversary-april22-2020…

New York State Wants To Ban Government Agencies From Paying Ransomware Demands

Two New York state senators proposed two bills last week to ban local municipalities and other government entities from using taxpayer money for paying ransomware demands. From a report: The first bill (S7246) was proposed by Republican NY Senator Phil Boyle on January 14. The second bill (S7289) was introduced by Democrat NY Senator David Carlucci, two days later, on January…

A Wearable Robotic Tail Could Improve Your Balance

Long-time Slashdot reader Ken McE shared a video of a new working prototype for a wearable tail. Engadget reports: There are lots of companies who make wearable tails for humans, but they’re usually for cosplay or other entertainment pursuits. Researchers at Keio University in Japan have created a wearable animated tail that promises to genuinely augment the wearer’s capabilities — not…