The Obtain: Chinese language hackers goal telecoms, and aviation emissions

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That is at present’s version of The Download, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what’s occurring on the planet of expertise.

Chinese language hackers exploited years-old software program flaws to interrupt into telecom giants

The information: Hackers employed by the Chinese language authorities have damaged into quite a few main telecommunications corporations world wide in a cyber-espionage marketing campaign that has lasted at the very least two years, in accordance with a brand new advisory from American safety businesses. 

The way it occurred: The hackers allegedly breached their targets by exploiting previous and well-known vital vulnerabilities in widespread networking {hardware}. As soon as that they had a foothold inside their targets, the hackers used the compromised units to achieve full entry to the community site visitors of quite a few personal firms and authorities businesses, US officers stated. They didn’t title these affected by the marketing campaign, nor clarify the influence it had. 

What it means: The marketing campaign is a warning concerning the want for higher primary cybersecurity for a number of the most necessary networks on the planet, and a dramatic illustration of the hazard software program flaws pose even years after they’re found and made public. Read the full story.

—Patrick Howell O’Neill

The aviation business can hit emissions targets, however new fuels have to take flight first

Slicing carbon emissions from planes goes to be tough—however not unattainable, in accordance with a brand new report by the Worldwide Council on Clear Transportation.

The report outlines attainable paths for aviation to scale back emissions sufficient to do its half in preserving world warming at lower than 2 °C above pre-industrial ranges, the goal set by the Paris settlement. It says that about 60% of emissions reductions are projected to come back from low-carbon fuels, with the remaining coming from efficiencies, and decrease demand. Read the full story.

—Casey Crownhart

The must-reads

I’ve combed the web to search out you at present’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about expertise.

1 Twitter has agreed to present Elon Musk entry to hundreds of thousands of tweets
Which may make it a lot more durable for him to again out of shopping for the corporate. (NYT $)
+ Considered one of Musk’s financiers is linked to a Russian tycoon. (Bloomberg $)
+ Texas’ resolution to probe into Twitter’s faux accounts is a purely political one. (NYT $)

2 How Massive Tech’s information hoarding harms us all
And why sharing it wouldn’t harm them, both. (Time $)
+ Collective information rights can cease large tech from obliterating privateness. (MIT Technology Review)

three A start-up has been accused of allotting ADHD medication too liberally
Significantly in the course of the pandemic, when rules round distant prescriptions had been relaxed. (WSJ $)

four Bumpy batteries work higher in freezing temperatures
Flat lithium-ion batteries wrestle within the chilly—altering the form of its elements may very well be an answer. (New Scientist $)
+ This startup desires to pack extra vitality into electrical automobile batteries. (MIT Technology Review)

5 South Korea is investigating the corporate behind the stablecoin crash
Over claims a employee embezzled its crypto holdings. (FT $)
+ Staff pondering of pivoting to web3 are having second ideas. (Vox)

6 Good home windows are an apparent strategy to save vitality
The issue, as ever, is making them inexpensive sufficient to go mainstream. (Knowable Magazine)

7 The Caribbean’s hurricane exercise is at a historic low
And has been for a surprisingly very long time. (Hakai Magazine)
+ We would have to begin naming warmth waves the way in which we do hurricanes. (Axios)
+ How you can preserve the ability on throughout hurricanes and warmth waves. (MIT Technology Review)
+ Monitoring vibrations may assist consultants to get forward of flash floods. (Economist $)

eight Not all NFT artwork is horrible
It simply occurs that a lot of the actually well-known items are. (The Verge)
+ Bored Apes has been dethroned as the preferred NFT mission. (Motherboard)

9 A saxophonist smuggled secrets and techniques into the us utilizing encrypted musical code
Rendering the data indecipherable to everybody however practiced musicians. (Wired $)

10 It’s time to recover from The Present Factor
Our collective means to overlook what we’re outraged by ought to assist. (FT $)

Quote of the day

“There’s actually not a pc in that clinic until I carry my laptop computer from residence in.”

—Mia Raven, director of coverage at an abortion clinic in Alabama, tells NBC News she’s stepping up safety measures as a part of measures to raised defend shoppers, as the danger of Roe being repealed looms. 

The large story

Ghost ships, crop circles, and mushy gold: A GPS thriller in Shanghai

November 2019

On a sultry summer season evening in July 2019, the MV Manukai was arriving on the port of Shanghai, close to the mouth of the Huangpu River. Town can be the American container ship’s final cease in China earlier than making its lengthy homeward journey to Lengthy Seaside, California.

Because the crew rigorously maneuvered the 700-foot ship by the world’s busiest port, its captain watched his navigation screens intently. In accordance with the Manukai’s screens, one other ship was steaming up the identical channel at about seven knots (eight miles per hour). Abruptly, the opposite ship disappeared from the AIS show. A couple of minutes later, the display confirmed the opposite ship again on the dock. Then it was within the channel and shifting once more, then again on the dock, then gone as soon as extra.

Finally, mystified, the captain picked up his binoculars and scanned the dockside. The opposite ship had been stationary on the dock the complete time. Now, new analysis and beforehand unseen information present that the Manukai, and hundreds of different vessels, are falling sufferer to a mysterious new weapon that is ready to spoof GPS methods in a means by no means seen earlier than. Read the full story.

—Mark Harris

We will nonetheless have good issues

A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre occasions. (Acquired any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)

+ This oompah band cover of Highway to Hell will get your Thursday off to the proper begin (Thanks Allegra!)
+ Who knew bamboo salt was so attention-grabbing?
+ Riley is an LGBTQ+ icon after our personal hearts.
+ What it appears to be like wish to grow a mango tree from a seed over the course of a yr (simply don’t count on it to bear fruit any time quickly.)
+ It’s asparagus season—right here’s how to cook it to perfection.

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