Dropping WhatsApp? Despite Privacy Concerns, Nostalgia Drives Users to ICQ

Here’s an interesting tidbit from The Wall Street Journal:
ICQ was a pioneering, mid-1990s internet messaging service then used on bulky PCs on dial-up. It was a precursor to AOL Instant Messenger, and was last in vogue when the TV show “Friends” was in its prime and PalmPilots were cutting edge. It’s been modernized over the years, and now is an app…

Update on the 7 Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby TRAPPIST-1

A new study of the seven Earth-sized exoplanets around TRAPPIST-1 indicate that all 7 planets are extremely similar to each other in makeup, but potentially quite different from Earth. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/7-trappist-1-planets-similar-composition-unlike-earth…

Ransomware Attackers Try Publishing 4,000 Scottish Government Agency Files

Threatpost reports:
On the heels of a ransomware attack against the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), attackers have now reportedly published more than 4,000 files stolen from the agency — including contracts and strategy documents. After hitting SEPA on Christmas Eve with the attack, cybercriminals encrypted 1.2GB of information. The attack has affected SEPA’s email systems, which remain offline as of Thursday,…

GitHub Reverses Takedown of Code for Anime Torrent Site Despite Film Group’s DMCA

Inside.com’s developer newsletter spotted this code repository story:
GitHub posted a DMCA notice it received from the Motion Picture Association (MPA) last week asking the platform to take down a repository associated with NYAA.si, a popular torrent site specializing in anime content. The DMCA captured attention as the code doesn’t belong to the MPA. Rather, the MPA argues the code is used…

Chrome 88 Released, Removing Adobe Flash — and FTP

Google released Chrome 88 this week — and besides improving its dark mode support, they removed support for both Adobe Flash and FTP. PC World calls it “the end of two eras.” The most noteworthy change in this update is what’s not included. Chrome 88 lays Adobe Flash and the FTP protocol to rest. RIP circa-2000 Internet. Neither comes as a…

China’s Chang’e 5 moon craft on a new mission: the sun

China’s Chang’e 5 moon mission – which successfully returned moon rocks to Earth in December, 2020 for the first time in 44 years – is now headed toward the Earth-sun Lagrange point, for the goal of making sun observations. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/china-change-5-moon-mission-extended-to-l1-sun…

Pebble Founder Says His New App Brings iMessage To Android With a Little ‘Trickery’

Beeper is a forthcoming app from the founder of Pebble that claims to be a hub for all your messaging services, including support for iMessage on Android. Gizmodo reports: Instead of managing half a dozen apps for keeping in touch with friends, family, and co-workers, Beeper allows you to funnel everything to one interface. According to its website, the app supports…

Twitter’s Decentralized Social Network Project Takes a Baby Step Forward

Bluesky, Twitter’s decentralized social networking effort, has announced its first major update since 2019. The Verge reports: The Bluesky team released a review of the decentralized web ecosystem and said it’s hoping to find a team lead in the coming months. The review follows Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey discussing Bluesky earlier this month, when he called it a “standard for the…

There’s Still No Sign of Privacy Labels On Most Google iOS Apps

As of December 8, Apple has been requiring developers to provide privacy label information to their apps, outlining the data that each app collects from users when it is installed. Many app developers have included the labels, but there’s one notable outlier — Google. schwit1 shares a report from MacRumors: Google has not updated its major apps like Gmail, Google Maps,…

How to Get Interviews (Coursera Networking for Job Search Guide)

Download this guide in PDF format This guide is designed to help job seekers get more interviews. If you’re eager to increase the number of interviews you’re currently getting, we have some tips and strategies for you that can make a big difference in your results and help you overcome some of the challenges associated […]
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