Geekly Update - 07 July 2021

The AskBobRankin Geekly Update

Intuit, maker of QuickBooks, informed over a million of its small business customers who use their Online Payroll service, that their payroll information will be shared with the credit bureau Equifax, unless they opt out of this "exciting and free" new service. Yes, the same Equifax that suffered one the worst data breaches in history a few years back.

Microsoft has released an emergency patch for the PrintNightmare security flaw currently being exploited. PrintNightmare, a bug in the Windows printing subsystem, could allow attackers full remote access to install programs, view or change files, or delete data. It affects all versions of Windows, so make sure your Windows Update is running on auto-pilot.

A California Highway Patrol officer pulled over a vehicle last Friday, noting that there was a "visual obstruction" on the driver's hood. It turned out to be a SpaceX Starlink satellite dish bolted to the car. The motorist said it was needed to provide internet access while conducting business in the car, and it obstructed his view “Only when I make right turns.”

Microsoft’s Blue Screen of Death is changing to black in Windows 11. The BSOD, which appears when an unrecoverable software error occurs, is otherwise unchanged from Windows 10.

FINRA, the U.S. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, has assessed Robinhood Financial LLC $70 million in fines and ordered them to make restituion to millions of customers who received false or misleading information from the firm which operates a digital trading platform. I guess they stole from the poor and gave to the rich.

Audacity, the popular open source audio editor software was acquired by a Cyprus-based firm in April. The most recent version was flagged as possible spyware because the updated privacy policy says data can be shared with its Russia-based infrastructure company. One analyst noted that "One would not expect an offline desktop application to be collecting such data, phoning home and then handing that data to governments around the world whenever they see fit." Audacity denies the accusation.

This article on TechBrew says robots won't be taking your job anytime soon. "Robots still can’t do the generalized tasks that we (humans) can," says Ryan Duffy. The major stumbling block is inability to "intelligently and autonomously move around unstructured, real-world environments."

Thunderball, the 1965 James Bond flick, featured Agent 007 flying with the aid of a jetpack. We haven't seen jetpacks go mainstream yet, but two startups are offering mere mortals a chance to try out a jetpack, while tethered to a large metal frame. And one analyst says that "in the next five years, deep-pocketed thrill-seekers will be able to rent jet packs in some place where insurance companies won't spoil the fun." Hint: it rhymes with Schmubai.

A TechNewsWorld headlines says "Smart Devices Ripe for Hacker Attacks". A team of security researchers analyzed internet-connected TVs, printers, wireless security cameras, and thermostats for vulnerabilities. They found that a "smart" device with factory-supplied login credentials might provide hackers a gateway to the home network and then access to personal computers and digital files.

And finally, a study published in Nature Astronomy says one of Saturn's moons is emitting methane, a potential indicator of alien life on the ringed planet. My guess: Space Cows.

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