Software

Most Read

1. You want a reboot? I'll give you a reboot! Happy now?

2. Linus Torvalds reluctantly issues one more release candidate for Linux kernel 5.12

3. Debian devs decide best response to Richard Stallman controversy is … nothing

4. Brit authorities could legally do an FBI and scrub malware from compromised boxen without your knowledge

5. On a dusty red planet almost 290 million km away... NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter flies

• Foxconn and Wisconsin reach new deal to do something different at Donald Trump's favourite (flop of a) factory

  Speculation of shift to EVs swirls as Governor who once said $3bn subsidy plan was a con now thinks it 'works for taxpayers'
  Laura Dobberstein Tue 20 Apr 2021 // 05:45 UTC

  Wisconsin governor Tony Evers and Foxconn board member Dr. Jay Lee have announced a new agreement to revive and remodel the notorious high-tech plant that attracted billions in incentives but appears not to have delivered promised economic benefits.

  The plant was announced in 2017, amidst much fanfare that Foxconn would spend US$10B facility to make LCD displays in Wisconsin. The State government tipped in over US$3B of incentives and then-President Donald Trump hailed the deal as a prime example of his policy to bring manufacturing jobs back to the USA. Trump even dug in with a shovel at the factory's launch and proclaimed it would become the eighth wonder of the world.

  The plant was originally promised to employ 3,000 locals and climb to 13,000 once opened. But the number of jobs promised fell to 5,200.

  Continue reading

• If your internet wobbled last weekend, you have Vodafone India to thank for it

  It’s always BGP (when it’s not DNS). Absent route filtering didn't help, either
  Simon Sharwood, APAC Editor Tue 20 Apr 2021 // 04:32 UTC

  Vodafone Idea, the Indian limb of the mega-carrier, has been fingered as the source of what’s been described as a “major GBP hijack” by Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS), an organisation that “provides crucial fixes to reduce the most common routing threats.”

  Early on Saturday, net-watchers noticed that an autonomous system number (ASN) held by Vodafone Idea published over 30,000 bogus border gateway protocol (BGP) prefixes.

  Continue reading

• Microsoft pledges Malaysian Azure region after winning government cloud gig

  Complete with availability zones, coming real soon now after it turns local kids onto the cloud
  Simon Sharwood, APAC Editor Tue 20 Apr 2021 // 01:24 UTC

  Microsoft has announced a new Azure region in Malaysia.

  As is often the case, Microsoft hasn’t said when its new data centres will fire up or if they’ll offer a complete range of Azure services. The company has said that Azure, Microsoft 365 and the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform will be offered.

  Microsoft has also pledged to build Availability Zones, suggesting at least three data centres will be constructed.

  Continue reading

• Far-right internet haven Parler to be allowed back onto Apple's App Store with added content moderation

  Social network for web outcasts can be downloaded again from next week for iThings, we're told
  Katyanna Quach Tue 20 Apr 2021 // 00:24 UTC

  Parler is set to return to Apple's App Store next week after the social network agreed to moderate hate speech on its platform.

  In a letter [PDF] to Congress on Monday, Apple’s senior director of government affairs in the Americas, Tim Powderly, confirmed a duly updated version of Parler will be allowed into the iGiant's software souk.

  The decision comes months after the self-described “free speech social network” was deplatformed by Big Tech over concerns it was used by far-right netizens to spread hate speech and whip up violence, particularly around the January 6 insurrection attempt at the US Capitol.

  Continue reading

• Lock up your Peloton smart treadmills, watchdog warns families, following one death, numerous injuries

  Trendy exercise gear 'poses serious risks to children', says CPSC
  Iain Thomson in San Francisco Mon 19 Apr 2021 // 23:36 UTC

  America's Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has urged owners of the hi-tech Peloton Tread+ treadmill to use caution after a child was killed by one of the machines last month.

  "CPSC is aware of 39 incidents including one death," the US government agency said in a statement on Saturday.

  "CPSC staff believes the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death.

  Continue reading

• Who knew Uncle Sam had strike teams for SolarWinds, Exchange flaws? Well, anyway, they are disbanded

  Lessons learned and mission accomplished, apparently
  Thomas Claburn in San Francisco Mon 19 Apr 2021 // 22:28 UTC

  The US government's response groups for dealing with recent SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities have reached the end of the road.

  In a statement on Monday, US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger said the two Unified Coordination Groups (UCGs) formed in January and March respectively will be disbanded.

  "Due to the vastly increased patching and reduction in victims, we are standing down the current UCG surge efforts and will be handling further responses through standard incident management procedures," said Neuberger.

  Continue reading

• 'There was no one driving that vehicle': Texas cops suspect Autopilot involved after two men killed in Tesla crash

  Model S took corner at high speed, left road, and smashed into a tree
  Matthew Hughes Mon 19 Apr 2021 // 21:30 UTC

  Updated Authorities are investigating a Tesla crash in Texas in which two men were killed this weekend. The authorities are probing whether the vehicle was operating in its Autopilot mode with neither occupant in control.

  According to reports, the collision happened at 23:25 local time on 17 April in the Houston suburb of The Woodlands.

  Neither of the two unnamed victims – born in 1962 and 1951 – were in the driver's seat at the time of the accident, according to Sgt Cynthia Umanzor of the Harris County Constable Precinct 4, who spoke to local TV station Khou-TV (geo-restricted).

  Continue reading

• WordPress core contributor proposes treating Google FLoC as a security vulnerability

  Let's opt every WordPress site out of FLoC. Nice idea, but security update? Really?
  Tim Anderson Mon 19 Apr 2021 // 20:27 UTC

  A proposal by a WordPress core contributor to treat Google's FLoC ad tech as a security vulnerability, and therefore backport an automatic opt-out to previous WordPress versions, shows the depth of community opposition to the technology.

  FLoC (Federated Learning of Cohorts) is Google’s scheme to replace third-party cookies with an ad personalisation system based on groups of users. It has run into wide opposition from privacy advocates and browser makers, but Google has nonetheless pressed ahead with trials in the current version of Chrome.

  Now a WordPress Core contributor has proposed treating “FLoC as a security concern.”

  Continue reading

• Brit Salesforce exec Gavin Patterson becomes transfer target for controversial European Super League

  Ex-BT boss is familiar with the football lifestyle – being paid millions for doing very little
  Lindsay Clark Mon 19 Apr 2021 // 19:30 UTC

  Gavin Patterson, former boss of BT, is in the frame to lead a proposed European football league at the centre of a storm of criticism.

  According to Sky News, Patterson was approached informally several weeks ago about the role.

  Proposals for the European Super League – which UK football clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have agreed to join – include a "new midweek competition" with teams continuing to "compete in their respective national leagues". AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid have also agreed to join the controversial league, which plans say will have 20 teams: the 12 founding members plus the three unnamed clubs they expect to join soon, and five teams who qualify annually according to their domestic achievements.

  Continue reading

• Won't somebody please think of the children!!! UK to mount fresh assault on end-to-end encryption in Facebook

  Change the record, nobody's fooled by this now
  Gareth Corfield Mon 19 Apr 2021 // 18:45 UTC

  UK Home Secretary Priti Patel will badmouth Facebook's use of end-to-end encryption on Monday evening as she links the security technology with paedophilia, terrorism, organised crime, and so on.

  The ever-popular politician will say at the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) event: "Sadly, at a time when we need to be taking more action, Facebook are pursuing end-to-end encryption plans that place the good work and progress achieved so far [on fighting the issue of child abuse] in jeopardy."

  Patel's speech is intended to kickstart a fresh round of government campaigning against end-to-end encryption, as previewed by Wired a few weeks ago.

  Continue reading

• UK digital secretary Oliver Dowden starts national security probe into proposed Arm-Nvidia merger

  Share price immediately dips for GPU-maker
  Matthew Hughes Mon 19 Apr 2021 // 17:30 UTC

  The proposed sale of Arm to Nvidia looks a bit more tenuous today after UK digital secretary Oliver Dowden issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice (PIIN) indicating he may intervene in the sale on national security grounds.

  The disptach of the PIIN has kicked-off a further degree of scrutiny, with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) instructed to include any potential national security concerns in its upcoming report on the merger. These would be obtained via consultation with relevant third parties, and come as an addition to its existing focus on jurisdictional and competition issues.

  Depending on the outcome of the review, Dowden can choose to clear the transaction, impose certain conditions, or refer the it to a more intensive “phase two” investigation.

  Continue reading