Month: August 2017

Google puts another bid for Snapchat

You may remember that in 2011 Google offered to buy Snapchat for 3 Billion USD and was rejected. According to Techcruch Goggle are again proposing to acquire Snapchat, this time for 30 Billion USD, to pre-empt the pending Snapchat IPO. Thats 60% of the current market value of General Motors for a company that has yet to produce a profit. I get flashbacks to the AOL – Time Warner merger, and hope this one turns out better!

Future life in South Asia and Global Warming

A somewhat sobering research report has been published by Science Magazine on the potential impacts of Global Warming on South Asia. The conclusion is stated as “Previous work has shown that a wet-bulb temperature of 35°C can be considered an upper limit on human survivability. On the basis of an ensemble of high-resolution climate change simulations, we project that extremes of wet-bulb temperature in South Asia are likely to approach and, in a few locations, exceed this critical threshold by the late 21st century under the business-as-usual scenario”. Yet we fight the concept of Global Warming and pass the cost over to our children and their children.

The cost of unlimited data plans on customers in the US

Opensignal has just released their “State of Mobile Networks: USA” for August of this year. The volumes created by the unlimited data plans are eating up the networks capacity, with less than ideal impacts in the users with ever depreciating speeds as an outcome.
This will at some stage have to be addressed, an yet another shot across the bow of Net Neutrality – We need a way to shape the traffic to enable a more satisfactory end user experience, and to let people pay for prioritized use. Can this lead to a final universal adaptation of IP6?

Star Trek: Discovery is not far away….

I am an unashamed Treckie, and have (like most) been looking forward to a new TV series to add to the films. Discovery has been in the making for quite a while, including a 9 month delayed launch for “quality reasons”. According to a Fox News report the launch date has been confirmed as Sept. 24 on CBS. A Sunday schedule will follow for a total of 15 announced episodes. Be still my beating heart!

The end of Symantec as a Root CA

Symantec’s CA services have been in a lot of trouble in the last couple of years, caught multiple times issues certificates to others that the owners of the domains. They have been or are being removed as trusted root CA’s among the browser manufacturers. Google (and thus Chrome) last ones to publish their plans. Bleepingcomputers has a nice breakdown of the steps agreed between Google and Symantec – in essence demoting Symantec to be a child of a more trusted root CA. There is an opening for Symantec to start a new CA root attempt, but one must expect that they’ve burnt their fingers enough in this business area.

Skimming devices now call home

A new generation of mag-stripe skimmers with a fully built in GSM device has been found in US Petrol pumps, as shown in a recent article by Brian Krebs. The captured devices contained a common T-Mobile GSM SIM, allowing for the captured data to be immediately transferred via SMS to the skimmers for real time use and abuse. All of course down the the US slowness in implementing the Chip / PIN security aspects ot EMV.

Discovery Communications merges with Scripps

Discovery Communications is merging with Scripps to create the worlds largest TV show network. An overview of the deal is conducted by Mac Insider, with details of the 14.6 Bil USD deal. This adds a number of interesting channels to the Discovery stable, highlights are :  HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, Great American Country, Poland’s TVN, BBC joint venture UKTV, Asian Food Channel, and lifestyle channel Fine Living Network. Discovery Channel contributions include TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, OWN, Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport.
This opens up for more concerted mini or “skinny bundles” offerings, also directly to cable-cutters. The future looks even bleaker for the agregators out there.

Microsoft iPad Touch Cover discovered

The German IT website Winfuture has found a filing with ICAO (In German, use google translate) to rate the device as flight safe and ready. This is the only known reference to the “Model 1719”, also a correct numbering in the Microsoft ecosystems (Holo Lens is 1688, Surface Book 1796). The document also identifies an on-board battery, so maybe finally there will be a iPad keyboard with back light capabilities?