An anonymous reader quotes a report from ZDNet: For the past week, a new ransomware strain has been wreaking havoc across Germany. Named GermanWiper, this ransomware doesn’t encrypt files but instead it rewrites their content with zeroes, permanently destroying users’ data. As a result, any users who get infected by this ransomware should be aware that paying the ransom demand will…
Tag: Random
Is the Random Transiter weirder than Tabby’s Star?
Move over, Tabby’s Star. The Random Transiter may now be the weirdest star in the galaxy. Kepler data revealed 28 transits in front of this star in 87 days. What caused them? Multiple planets? A disintegrating planet? Alien megastructures? Source: https://earthsky.org/space/random-transiter-hd-139139-kepler-tabbys-star…
Asking questions, solving puzzles: Meet Farhanah
Welcome to the latest installment of edX Insider, where we take you behind the scenes at edX HQ. Today we chat with Farhanah, Engineering Manager, Sustaining & Escalations, about the things that make edX unique, what inspired her to pursue an engineering career, the best course she’s ever taken, and more. Quick stats Name: Farhanah Sheets Department/role: Engineering Manager, Sustaining &…
Firefox To Get a Random Password Generator, Like Chrome and Safari
Mozilla is adding a random password generator to Firefox. From a report: The Firefox random password generator is expected to become publicly available for all Firefox users with the release of Firefox 69, scheduled for release in early September, roughly a year after Chrome 69. Currently, the random password generator is only available in Firefox Nightly, a Firefox version for testing…
America’s Air Quality Is Slipping After Years of Improvement
The Grim Reefer shared this report from the Associated Press:
Over the last two years America had more polluted air days than just a few years earlier, federal data shows. While it remains unclear whether this is the beginning of a trend, health experts say it’s troubling to see air quality progress stagnate. There were 15% more days with unhealthy air in…
NASA’s Webb Telescope will survey Saturn and Titan
If you stop a random person on the sidewalk and ask them what their favorite planet is, chances are their answer will be Saturn. Saturn’s stunning rings are a memorable sight in any backyard telescope. But there is still a lot to learn about Saturn, especially about the planet’s unique weather and chemistry, as well as the origin of its opulent…
The League of Entropy Forms To Offer Acts of Public Randomness
Cloudflare, along with a group of individual and academic partners, is forming a new coalition that will provide truly random, unpredictable numbers for a variety of applications, including election systems and lotteries. From a report: The problem of producing truly random numbers on a consistent basis has been a thorny one for cryptographers for many years. There have been plenty of…
No, asteroid 2006 QV89 won’t strike Earth in September
There’ve been scare stories online this month about asteroid 2006 QV89, a space rock that’ll pass closest to Earth on September 9, 2019. Should you be scared? Heck no. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/asteroid-2006-qv89-strike-earth-september-2019…
What causes flashes on the moon?
People have reported seeing Transient Lunar Phenomena – unusual flashes and other lights on the moon – for at least 1,000 years. Yet they’re still mysterious. Now a scientist in Germany is using a new telescope to try to solve the mystery. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/moon-flashes-transient-lunar-phenomena…
What Are Rock Cairns?
What are those random piles of rocks on the trail? Source: https://www.livescience.com/65687-rock-cairns.html