ReHacked #110: Stealth bomber in flight on Google maps, European alternatives for digital products, How are Rome's monuments still standing and more
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Stealth bomber in flight on Google maps #interesting
Intercept, debug & mock HTTP with HTTP Toolkit #software
European alternatives for digital products #software #internet
New EU data blockage as German court would ban many cookie management providers #internet #privacy
On Dec. 1, the Wiesbaden Administrative Court issued a first-of-its-kind decision holding that companies cannot use a cookie management provider that relies on a U.S.-based service to collect data, irrespective of whether the data actually ever leaves the EU. Because cookie management requirements apply for EU websites generally, EU-wide adoption of this case’s theories would affect a broad range of companies that do business both within and outside the EU. Although the decision was made at the interim injunction stage and could thus be modified if the case proceeds to trial, its implications are significant and warrant attention now. The plaintiff’s attorney in the case has described to media his view that “website plugins that are hosted and loaded by a cloud service with any U.S. connection” now create “impermissible data transfers.” Although the “any connection” statement is overbroad as a matter of U.S. law, that quotation suggests the range of cross-border transfers prohibited under the court’s approach.
Bugs across globe are evolving to eat plastic, study finds | Plastics | The Guardian #nature
Microbes in oceans and soils across the globe are evolving to eat plastic, according to a study.
The research scanned more than 200m genes found in DNA samples taken from the environment and found 30,000 different enzymes that could degrade 10 different types of plastic.
The study is the first large-scale global assessment of the plastic-degrading potential of bacteria and found that one in four of the organisms analysed carried a suitable enzyme. The researchers found that the number and type of enzymes they discovered matched the amount and type of plastic pollution in different locations.
How are Rome's monuments still standing? - BBC Travel #history
Inside the Colosseum's stone and mortar bowl, visitors have ample space to picture the roaring crowds of more than 50,000 that once thronged to the arena for events ranging from bloody gladiatorial battles to opulent processions and chariot races. Also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, the venue's grand opening in 80 AD featured 100 straight days of games and gore that are said to have included the slaughter of some 9,000 animals. At four storeys tall and 188m across at its widest point, the oval structure remains the largest amphitheatre in the world.
Constructed around 40 years later, the Pantheon houses a mind-bending dome that spans 43m of air and culminates in a pupil-like circular window at its apex known as the oculus that floods the interior with natural light. The name Pantheon, which combines the Greek words for "all" and "gods", suggests a religious function, but some historians think the monument was mainly constructed to pay tribute to Roman emperors. Despite the ravages of time, the iconic half-sphere remains intact and is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.
How we fought an anti encryption law in Belgium - and won! #privacy
In June 2021, the Belgian government proposed a draft law called "Law on the collection and storage of identification, traffic and location data in the electronic communications sector and their access by the authorities", or short, "the Data Retention Legislation". This draft included a passage that would have forced companies such as WhatsApp and Signal to decrypt their encrypted chats upon request by the authorities for criminal investigation.
This law would have been the worst in Europe, worse than the Snoopers' Charter in the UK or the EARN IT bill in the USA.
How to Develop BW Film at Home Without Chemicals | Field Mag #diy
Starting with the basics, Caffenol is a term used for the chemical combination of instant coffee crystals, washing soda, water, and optionally, vitamin C powder (referred to as Caffenol-C). Composed of products that are exponentially less harmful for the environment, it is an effective alternative to powder or liquid developer.
Amazon agreed to allow only five-star reviews for Xi’s book in China #politics #censorship
Amazon quietly removed criticism of President Xi’s books by scrubbing bad reviews, ratings and comments from its Chinese site, it has emerged.
The US retail giant agreed to Beijing’s demand to have anything below a five-star review of Xi Jinping’s book The Governance of China removed from Amazon.cn about two years ago, Reuters reported, citing two unidentified sources.
MS Teams: 1 feature, 4 vulnerabilities | Positive Security #security #software
Linux Has Grown Into A Viable PC Gaming Platform And The Steam Stats Prove It #software
Going over ProtonDB, a surprising 74 of the top 100 most-played games on Steam are in "Gold" or "Platinum" status. The former indicates that the game works flawlessly with minor tweaks, and the latter means the game should work "out of the box" with no modifications. A further 10 games are in "Silver" status, which implies that the game is playable with minor issues. Just four games are in "Bronze" status indicating more major issues, while twelve of the top 100 games are in "Borked" status, meaning they don't work at all.
Scientists have announced the discovery of an exquisitely preserved dinosaur embryo from at least 66m years ago that was preparing to hatch from its egg just like a chicken.
The fossil was discovered in Ganzhou, southern China and belonged to a toothless theropod dinosaur, or oviraptorosaur, which the researchers dubbed “Baby Yingliang”.
Germany Is Closing Half of Its Reactors at Worst Possible Time - BNN Bloomberg #economy
Germany is set to close almost half of its nuclear power capacity before the end of the year, putting further strain on European grids already coping with one of the worst energy crunches in the region’s history.
The shutdowns of Grohnde, Gundremmingen C and Brokdorf -- part of the country’s nuclear phaseout -- will leave just three atomic plants, which will be taken offline by the end of 2022. Beyond the squeeze on supply, the closures remove a key source of low-carbon power in a nation where emissions are on the rise.
After the 2011 Fukushima disaster, Germany vowed to ditch all of its reactors. At the time, the country was a leader in renewables, but the phaseout has left it more reliant on coal and lignite for electricity generation. The nation fell behind in the net-zero race after making major concessions to the coal lobby, to protesters against wind farms and to manufacturers, particularly carmakers.
EXCLUSIVE-IMF, 10 countries simulate cyber attack on global financial system | Nasdaq #security #economy
Israel on Thursday led a 10-country simulation of a major cyber attack on the global financial system in an attempt to increase cooperation that could help to minimise any potential damage to financial markets and banks.
The simulated cyber attack evolved over 10 days, with sensitive data emerging on the Dark Web along with fake news reports that ultimately caused chaos in global markets and a run on banks.
The simulation featured several types of attacks that impacted global foreign exchange and bond markets, liquidity, integrity of data and transactions between importers and exporters.
"These events are creating havoc in the financial markets," said a narrator of a film shown to the participants as part of the simulation and seen by Reuters.
Israeli government officials said that such threats are possible in the wake of the many high profile cyber attacks on large companies, and that the only way to contain any damage is through global cooperation since current cyber security is not always strong enough.
DNA seen through the eyes of a coder (or, If you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail) - Bert Hubert's writings #software #science #bilology #longread
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