There’s a new device in the works over at DARPA, the agency known for pushing the technological envelope with mind-controlled prosthetics and drone-launching submarines . This latest innovation? The vacuum tube. You might remember it from the first time humans invented it, way back in 1904. Read more…
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A Century-Old Device May Be the Future of Electronics
Last month security researcher Samy Kamar announced a vulnerability that allowed him to remotely unlock OnStar-enabled GM cars . While that issue has been fixed, it looks like the same vulnerability found in OnStar is also present in BMW Remote, Mercedes’ mbrace and Chrysler’s Uconnect. Kumar told Engadget via email, “the issue itself is the same exact SSL certificate issue that affected OnStar/GM (which they’ve resolved two weeks ago). It was barely any tweaking of the original system — a few lines of code to add support per vehicle.” Uh oh. I’ve updated OwnStar to also unlock cars from and attack BMW Remote, Mercedes-Benz mbrace, and Chrysler Uconnect. https://t.co/qRsjtLnRlM — Samy Kamkar (@samykamkar) August 13, 2015 The OwnStar device intercepts communication between a vehicle and its companion app and sends that information — including login information — to Kamar who then has control of the vehicle via the app and can unlock it. If you’re feeling smug about your vehicle because Kamar hasn’t called it out, you might want to curb that. The SSL certificate issue that allows a person to log in to a vehicle is pretty widespread. “Unfortunately it’s prevalent among half the other mobile unlocking apps I’ve tested, ” Kamar said. A Chrysler spokesperson told Engadget, “Consumer safety and security is our highest priority.” And that it “supports the responsible disclosure and remediation of cyber security vulnerabilities. Consistent with our focus on consumer safety and security FCA US opposes irresponsible disclosure of explicit ‘how to’ information that can help criminals gain unauthorized access to vehicles and vehicle systems.” Kamar won’t be releasing the updated code for OwnStar for at least 30 days so the automakers have a chance to update their systems. But if you’re an automaker that hasn’t been called out by hackers or security researchers, you might want to check your systems anyways. We have contacted BMW and Mercedes Benz for this article and will update when they reply to our queries. Filed under: Misc , Transportation Comments Source: Samy Kamar Tags: BMW, Chrysler, MercedesBenz, OwnStar, SamyKamar, Security
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OwnStar car hacker can remotely unlock BMWs, Benz and Chrysler
Mike Melgaard 9 more images in gallery While Facebook facilitates plenty of interaction between big companies and their customers, its interface doesn’t scale incredibly well once company-page comments creep into the hundreds (or more) per day. In particular, “comments by users” on a company page are relegated to a sidebar that is pretty hard to parse. On Sunday, one intrepid Facebook user took advantage of that to sneak onto a company page and mess with commenters before the company could get wise to it—and lucky for us, he screencapped the whole thing. This week’s case came from American retailer Target, whose Facebook feed began to blow up with unhappy comments over the weekend after the company announced plans to remove gender-specific signs in departments such as Toys and Entertainment. The retailer didn’t get around to individually responding to commenters, but that didn’t stop a user from creating a new account on Sunday, giving it a Target-styled bullseye icon and pretending to be an official company spokesperson. That user, Scottsdale, Arizona, resident Mike Melgaard , went on to respond to at least 52 negative comments left on Target’s official Facebook page with an account named “Ask ForHelp,” but rarely were his responses helpful . Melgaard heaped on sarcastic smiley faces, grammatical criticisms, and jokes about doing away with all gender-specific labels at the store (including bathrooms and changing rooms). It’s hard to pick a favorite among the jokes—we’ve posted a few of its safe-for-work screencaps above—but our favorite might be when he got into a multiple-comment conversation with one complainer, which he ended with a phony exclamation that it was his “first day, and this is just really frustrating dealing with all of this!” Read 2 remaining paragraphs | Comments
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Facebook user gets away with nearly a full day of trolling Target commenters
You can own a D20 die carved from a 10, 000-year-old wooly mammoth tusk for just $249. Read the rest
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D20 dice made from wooly mammoth ivory
Add / Remove The majority of inhabitants on the Philippines’ 7000 islands do not have access to electricity. Instead, they rely primarily on kerosene powered lamps to provide light sources at night, which are not only hazards and pollutants, but also very expensive and inconvenient to refill. Hoping to provide a solution, SALt is an efficient, safe light source powered by salt and water, which can last for up to six months when used for eight hours a day. The SALt lamp — which stands for Sustainable Alternative Lighting — is an LED light that makes use of the science behind the Galvanic cell (the basis for batteries) and changes electrolytes to a non-toxic, saline solution. Users simply add one glass of water and one tablespoon of salt — saltwater from the ocean can also be used to power the device. SALt is the latest of a number of devices which could help lessen the reliance on kerosene power in disconnected regions. We have also seen solar school backpacks that charge up on the walk home, an energy harnessing musical instrument , and a flatpack biofuel stove . What other sustainable resources could be tapped into for similar purposes? Website: www.salt.ph Contact: infosaltph@salt.ph
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Saltwater lamp could replace dangerous kerosene lights
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Princeton University Press just published a special edition of Lewis Carroll’s classic , illustrated with Salvador Dalí’s incredible 1969 artwork for the story. Read the rest
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New edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with Dali artwork!
Android: Most brokerages charge you every time you buy or sell a stock or ETF. Robinhood, however, lets you trade for free and is at last available now for Android users, as well as those on iOS. Read more…
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Commission-Free Stock Trading App Robinhood Is Now Available on Android
The FDA sent Kim Kardashian a warning letter last week, demanding that she remove an Instagram post in which she endorsed a bottle of Diclegis morning sickness pills but failed to mention any of the potential side effects associated with the product. Kardashian is a paid promoter of the product, which is made by Duchesnay USA. Her post “misleadingly fails to provide material information about the consequences that may result from the use of the drug and suggests that it is safer than has been demonstrated, ” according to the FDA. While most of the effects that she failed to mention are relatively benign — such as drowsiness and interactions with alcohol or “excitement, irritability and sedation” in infants who breast feed from women taking the drug — one neglected fact is actually quite important: it’s never been tested for use with hyperemesis gravidarum, the most severe form of morning sickness. Faced with “FDA regulatory action, including seizure or injunction, without further notice, ” Kardashian has since deleted the post, though not before it gained 434, 000 likes. [Image Credit: GC Images] Filed under: Internet Comments Via: Salon Source: FDA Tags: Diclegis, drugs, FDA, instagram, Internet, kimkardashian, morningsickness, pregnancy, regulation
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FDA demands Kim Kardashian remove Instagram pill ad
ckwu writes: The designs of pacemakers, watches, and other wearable gadgets have to be tailored around existing battery shapes, such as cylinders, coin cells, and rectangles. But a team of researchers hopes their fully printable, flexible lithium-ion batteries will one day free designers from these constraints. Battery shapes are now limited because of the need to contain liquid electrolytes. Two years ago, the researchers designed a printable, solid-state electrolyte composed of alumina nanoparticles and lithium combined with polymer that can be cured by ultraviolet light. In this latest work, they used a stencil printing technique to print full battery cells with the electrolyte and other printable materials for the electrodes. They printed batteries on paper and the curved surface of a glass mug. These printed Li-ion batteries can power small LEDs but still need a lot of improvements because they don’t last long before needing recharging. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
How do you make the best iPhone ever even better? That’s the perennial question, one that’s inevitably easier to answer as Apple releases innovative new products. This year, the fan boy universe finds a plethora of clues in the company’s wearable computer. The iPhone 6s, these clues suggest, will be a giant Apple Watch. Read more…
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iPhone 6s Rumor Roundup: Everything We Think We Know