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Latest by Bruce Brown

A depiction of a hacker behind a screen of code.

Bug bounty hunter scores on Facebook and turns in another hacker

While earning a $10,000 reward in Facebook's bug bounty program, a bug hunter called Orange Tsai discovered evidence another hacker had already been there.
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Diesel cars in the U.K. almost all fail in real world road testing

In real world road testing of 263 diesel models in England, only 8 did not exceed emissions standards limits. They're legal in lab testing, bad on the road.
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Forget fossil fuel, an aquarium in Alaska is using salt water to heat its whole building

A carbon dioxide system heated with seawater replaces oil burners in a massive museum and research facility in Alaska, saving as much as $15,000 a month.
solarcitys rooftop solar panels are the worlds most efficient man installing on roof

Go green or no home in San Francisco — solar panels become mandatory

From January 2017 on, all new buildings in San Francisco 10 stories or less must have solar panels as part of the 2020 goal of 100 percent renewable energy.
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“Oh! THAT memo.” PayPal plans gender equality program with all-male panel

In a communications mixup, the flyer for a PayPal panel on gender equality featuring five male speakers left out a subtitle that indicated men as allies.
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‘Roll-away’ feature not on option list, Fiat Chrysler recalls 1.1 million vehicles

Confusing gear shift patterns left many drivers confused, resulting in rollaways. Fiat Chrysler is recalling 1.1 million Chargers, Chrysler 300s, and Jeeps.
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You are what other people pee; reclaimed wastewater irrigation passes on drugs

Droughts have resulted in increased use of reclaimed wastewater to irrigate crops. Drugs in the initial reclaimed pee stay in the water and the food we eat.
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Down to Lunch app gets friends together as developers shun money

Hot app Down to Lunch connects high school and college friends for meals, studying, or just chilling. Simple graphics make it fast and easy.
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Ingenious Brazilian billboards use fake sweat to attract and kill Zika-carrying mosquitos

Two Brazilian advertising agencies have designed Mosquito Killer Billboards that attract and kill the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that carries the Zika virus.
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Fossil fuels are not over, Shell shows 107 mpg concept car

Collaborating with body and engine design experts, Shell introduces The Shell Concept Car, emphasizing lifespan energy reduction.
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Volvo plans to go all-electric, sets a goal to make 1 million electric cars by 2025

Volvo put dates and numbers to its electric car program. The Swedish car company plans two hybrid versions of each model and an all-electric car by 2019.
how to delete your uber account

Uber drivers are still contractors and the company will pay up to $100M in settlements

Ride-hailing service Uber and drivers in California and Massachusetts settled class action lawsuits. Drivers are still contractors but will get a payout.
uber settles driver background check case man driving in car the city ride share lyft getaround zipcar

Is Lyft too nice for its own good?

In contrast to Uber's approach, Lyft makes every attempt to follow rules and regulations and it doesn't make a difference. Uber still leads in market share.
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Switzerland protected your money — now it’ll protect your data

Known for decades as a place to secure money, Switzerland is now growing a new industry and identity as a safe haven for data.
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Researchers hit 30Mbps wireless transmission through meat

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign tested ultrasound wireless transmission through beef liver and pork loin up to 30Mbps.
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Supreme Court green-lights Google despite claim of “infringement on a massive scale”

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal of a lower court ruling in favor of Google's scanning all books. Google Books will enable people to search all books.
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Ford paid $55K more than list price for Tesla Model X suv #64

Ford bought the 64th Tesla X built for $200K+ immediately after it was purchased by the original owner for competitive research.
linkedIn

College students have a new career starter app with LinkedIn Student

Focusing on college students who are just starting to build their resume and career search, LinkedIn Student launches as a mobile app for U.S. students.
a data broker’s world

Get everything you need except your drugs at the CVS curb

Anything you want that CVS sells, except prescriptions, can be picked up curbside if you order an hour ahead with the mobile app.
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Even if you’re bothered by that drone over your house, you can’t shoot it down

Since the FAA has defined drones as regulated aircraft, they are covered by the same aircraft sabotage law as commercial planes. Shooting drones is illegal.
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Verizon secretly planning next-generation TV service?

Verizon is getting ready to test and launch its next generation TV service later this year. The new service will come into homes via an all-IP set-top box.
Apple iPhone 6S

iPhone not expected to last longer than 3 years

Apple rates the environmental impact of its devices on five factors. One factor is expected lifespan. iPhones and Apple watches are rated at three years.
uc davis pepper spray reputation managment protestors

UC Davis spends over $175K to manage online reputation after infamous pepper spray incident

More than four years after the incident, UC Davis is paying consultants to help manage its online reputation after protestors were pepper sprayed in 2011.
Wi-Fi routers (shutterstock)

Dubai issues fatwa against WiFi squatting

A recent fatwa issued in Dubai makes it clear that unauthorized WiFi access is considered stealing. The ruling is in effect for all of the UAE.
operation bugdrop used pc microphones to steal data in ukraine hackers

Hackers hacking hackers for profit and market dominance

Criminal black hat hackers often either attack each other or turn in their competitors to benevolent white hat groups to rid themselves of competition.
operation bugdrop used pc microphones to steal data in ukraine hackers

Driverless cars could be used for assassination, says Attorney General

Government concern about driverless car security threats raises the specter of vehicles used in assassination and large scale attacks.
nc change lgbt hb2 bathroom bill

North Carolina governor to change bathroom bill, but not the bathroom part

North Carolina Governor McCrory responded to public and private outcry by issuing an executive order clarifying anti-LGBT HB2, but not the bathroom limits.
Hacker

Cellebrite didn’t do it: Gray-hat hackers unlocked cell phone for FBI

Hackers for pay were responsible for unlocking the iPhone 5C used by the San Bernardino terrorist, not security firm Cellebrite as widely assumed.
NotPetya ransomware

Has Petya ransomware locked you out of your PC? A new tool can let you back in

Ransomware Petya has been cracked. Retrieving your captured data requires a few steps but it's possible without paying a ransom.
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Facebook is killing email forwarding: Here’s how to disable it on your account

As of May 1, 2016 Facebook email forwarding will stop. This service is the last remnant of Facebook's otherwise discontinued email system. How to fix it.
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Using your phone while driving may be stupider than ever

Technology developed by Cellebrite, the company many assume cracked the San Bernadino terrorist's iPhone, can detect mobile phone use and contents.
beam living pod

Thanks to SpaceX, the ISS now has all six of its docking ports filled – a new record

Paving the way for future crew quarters and working areas, SpaceX successfully delivered the first inflatable room to the International Space Station.
3d print wedding dress ring a recent at the beautiful san francisco city hall

Thanks to these designers, you can now 3D print just about everything you need for a wedding

Now 3D printing enables very special wedding rings based on the voice waves or faces. 3D printing also may end the agonizing search for the perfect dress.
kepler nasa emergency

The Kepler spacecraft is back online, but NASA still has no clue why it went into emergency mode

NASA's exploratory spacecraft Kepler is back out of emergency mode, when burning fuel fast. Until the problem is solved Kepler's missions are on hold.