Lies, damned lies, and Facebook

“I saw on Facebook that …” No. Stop. You didn’t see anything on Facebook. You saw something that Facebook wanted you to click on.

I think at this point it’s pretty clear that the “Brexit” aftermath — to say nothing of the political landscape in the United States — points to a sad reality.

We don’t know what the hell we’re talking about anymore. And I’m prepared to squarely lay the blame on one thing.

Facebook.

OK, that’s not entirely true. I blame ourselves. We have all the power here, and none of the will. We scroll through our feeds in the morning — some 1 billion people every single day — and see all sorts of shocking clickbait. (You think one thing was going to happen. But when you click it, your jaw dropped!) It’s generally pretty easy to identify, but we all click anyway.

More dangerous is the stuff that sounds plausible. Britons search for “What is the EU?” after the Brexit vote? Sure. But it’s bullshit data, as former Googler Dan Morril rightfully pointed out.

“True enough” may be good enough to share, but that doesn’t mean it’s actually true.

Or the one that got me going early Saturday morning? “Google Play: Malicious Apps That Could Affect 90 Percent of Android Devices Discovered in App Store.” That one was also true, but also bullshit. All you had to do was actually read the source material (and Jerry did a great job getting even more information from the source material behind that) to find out that, the “90 percent of Android devices” stuff was flat-out wrong. And that the exploit was fixed a year ago. And that this was yet another example of a security company trying to get you to buy its shit.

Those are but two examples from the past two days. And I’m not exactly telling anyone anything they shouldn’t have already known here.

The question is why don’t we care? We do we refuse to put in even minimal effort to read more than one source. To read stories that maybe we disagree with, in hopes of becoming better informed about, well, all the things. To go just a little further than reading a summary on Facebook, then sharing it haphazardly.

Facebook indeed is all about bringing the world together. But that’s to serve its greater purpose — to keep you clicking on things in Facebook. That’s why we have clickbait headlines. That’s why algorithms show you what you think you want to see.

Whether it’s true or not? That’s for you to figure out. Or not.

A few other thoughts on things …

• I don’t disagree with this. The DMCA was a good idea done badly and paved the way for the ridiculous “All copyright to the creator” lines you see alongside content that never should have been put online by someone else in the first place.
• If you don’t own it, you shouldn’t upload it. It’s pretty simple.
• But how do you put the toothpaste back in the tube?
• YouTube pun intended.
• Um, great idea. But if you really want to know if Clean Master works, maybe ask someone other than the company that makes Clean Master. It’s snake oil. Pure and simple.
• I … just … wow.
• And an update!!!
• And what are the odds of there being two sorts of TWRP?
• Excellent contest going on at TeslaCentral!
• And VRHeads has a killer contest going on, too.
• Glad to see LG launch a security site. (The “Security Bulletins” section is the part that addresses monthly updates.) But like I’ve said before, it’s worthless if devices aren’t actually being updated.
• A great launch from MrMobile last week. I know what he does isn’t easy, but damned if I’m not jealous about how easy he makes it look. Video is hard.

That’s it for this week. See y’all Monday.

Inhabitat’s Week in Green: Solar Impulse’s record flight and more!

This week the Solar Impulse made history by becoming the first sun-powered airplane to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, a team of Swiss students built an all-electric race car that smashed an acceleration record by going from 0-60 mph in 1.5 seconds flat. Sweden rolled out one of the world’s first electric highways, while two ex-Google employees are developing self-driving big rigs that slash emissions. And we showcased the Super 73 — a bike/motorcycle hybrid that’ll add some serious kick to your morning commute.
The Golden State is quickly transitioning to clean, renewable energy, and this week it announced plans to shutter its last nuclear power plant by the year 2025. Meanwhile, Tesla made a massive $2.8 billion bid for SolarCity, and researchers developed 1-micrometer-thin solar panels that are flexible enough to wrap around a pencil. In other solar news, a new breed of solar-thermal roof tiles can cut your home’s energy use by 85 percent, and a community of sun-powered prefab homes popped up in Los Angeles in a matter of hours.

Everyone knows that the Moon circles the Earth, but it turns out it’s not alone. NASA just announced that a tiny “mini moon” has been circling the planet for the past century. In other science news, an alarming new study warns that the world will run out of breathable air unless carbon emission are cut. Impossible Foods launched a meatless burger that cooks, smells and bleeds like beef, while a Dutch inventor unveiled a solar-powered cube that harvests water from thin air. Researchers developed a new type of vegan leather that’s made entirely from mushrooms, and the Cropbox is a pop-up shipping container farm that puts an entire acre of lettuce in your backyard.

Best TV catch-up on Freeview Play: Glastonbury 2016, Celebrity Masterchef and more

We know the feeling. You’re bored with live TV and want something to watch immediately that isn’t a soap or the news.

These days though, you are spoiled for choice, especially if you have Freeview Play on your TV or set-top-box.

Televisions, set-top-boxes and other kit that support Freeview Play offer the option to scroll back through the electronic programme guide and catch-up on shows you might have missed, ensuring that interesting, engaging shows are just a click or two away.

At present, BBC, ITV and Channel 4 programming is available to scroll back to on Freeview Play, while Channel 5’s can also be played through the Demand 5 app on supported devices. UKTV Play shows are also coming to the platform.

Here are a few ideas of programmes from the last seven days to start with.

READ: What is Freeview Play, when is it coming to my TV and how can I get it?

BBC

Celebrity Masterchef

BBC One (BBC iPlayer) – broadcast on Friday 24 June

No sooner has the full, public version of Masterchef finished than celebrities take up the pinnies for our entertainment.

Two groups of celebs entered the kitchen this week, including Russell Grant, ex-Eastender Todd Carty and, in the previous episode, Sinita and Donna Air.

BBC

Glastonbury 2016

BBC Two & BBC Four (BBC iPlayer) – broadcast from Friday 24 June

Some might gasp at how much the BBC spends on its Glastonbury Festival coverage each year, but its presentation is flawless and, let’s face it, this is the biggest and best music event in the world.

Underworld, Muse, Madness and Coldplay are just few of the acts playing over the weekend, and the Beeb had highlights and performances on BBC Two and BBC Four throughout.

BBC

Danger Mouse

CBBC (BBC iPlayer) – broadcast on Friday 24 June

CBBC is currently reshowing the triumphant return of Danger Mouse and his sidekick Penfold, with episodes available almost every day.

Alexander Armstrong and Kevin Eldon play the couple of rodent detectives respectively. It’s almost like it never went away in the first place.

ITV

UEFA Euro 2016 – Petit Highlights

ITV (ITV Hub) – broadcast on Wednesday 22 June

A collective sign of relief was heard around England when we qualified for the next round, even though we finished second and must face Iceland.

You can catch-up with what happened to all the other teams too, including the Icelanders, through catching up with ITV’s nightly highlights package.

ITV

The Chase

ITV 4 (ITV Hub) – broadcast on Friday 24 June

One of the best quiz shows on TV, The Chase is ridiculously tough for contestants, which makes it all the more exciting when they very occasionally win.

Facing the “Chasers” – quiz boffins and experts – in order to win cash is a great format. And you can catch up with plenty of repeated episodes on ITV 4.

Channel 4

The IT Crowd

E4 (All 4) – broadcast on Thursday 23 June

We miss the IT Crowd, after its final episode aired three years ago. Thankfully, Channel 4 continues the flame burning through regular repeats on E3.

If anything, the adventures of Roy, Maurice, Jen and the Reynholms (first Denholm then Douglas) get better on a second viewing or more.

Channel 4

Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA

4seven (All 4) – broadcast Wednesday 22 June

Sweary and crinkly, there’s something about Gordon Ramsay that makes for compelling TV. And while he might have canned the series in 2014, old shows repeat regularly and are just as fresh today as they were back then.

Unlike many of the restaurants, which closed regardless of the help given by Ramsay and his crew.

Get catch-up and on demand TV for £0 per month with Freeview Play. Click here to find out more.

328 foot-long floating barrier will collect ocean trash

There are numerous efforts underway to clean the world’s oceans, but The Ocean Cleanup is testing what may be both the simplest and the most ambitious. It just launched a 328 foot-long prototype floating barrier that will collect trash floating in the North Sea. If it can survive the rough conditions of those waters, the plan is to deploy a 62 mile-long (!) barrier in the Pacific Ocean and reduce the size of the notorious Great Pacific Garbage Patch — the hope is to halve the size of the trash field in 10 years.

Whether or not it’s an ideal solution is up for debate. The 6.6 foot-deep design shouldn’t interfere with wildlife (unlike existing nets) and is intended to last through vicious storms. However, the University of Hawaii’s Jeffrey Drazen warns Scientific American that a massive barrier like this could mess with the distribution of animals in the region. Also, the surface pollution is just one part of a larger problem. We’ll only truly get rid of ocean debris when we avoid putting it there in the first place. Biodegradable materials and better recycling may ultimately be the key.

Via: Scientific American

Source: The Ocean Cleanup

Curiosity rover may sample Mars water

Scientists have already found hints of liquid water on Mars… now, they want to take a close look at it. NASA has revealed that the Curiosity rover will investigate recurring slope lineae (those streaks you see above) around Mars’ Gale Crater in hopes of finding water. It’ll first take a photo with its mast camera to verify that there’s water in the first place. If there is, the machine will head over to collect samples. The agency would like to take those photos within a year, so you wouldn’t have to wait too long to get answers.

This doesn’t mean that Curiosity will find life. Mars’ harsh conditions (including fierce radiation) might preclude it, and that’s before you account for the rover’s sample sterilization process. Instead, think of the water mission more as a stepping stone. The findings it collects should help plan a mission intended to find signs of life, so even a mildly successful trip might lead to bigger and better things.

Via: Popular Mechanics

Source: Aviation Week (sign-in required)

Philippines man charged with raiding US celebrities’ accounts

Online attacks against celebrities aren’t limited to perpetrators in the US. American officials have unsealed charges against Peter Locsin, a Filipino who allegedly participated in a plot to compromise the financial accounts of at least five high-profile targets. Officials aren’t naming the victims, but they do mention the CEO of an international corporation and a “well-known socialite and entertainer.” Last year, when Locsin was arrested, the Philippine Star claimed that former FBI director Robert Mueller (shown above) was one of the targets.

The perpetrators reportedly swiped the personal details of their victims (such as Social Security numbers) in order to get access to their bank accounts and credit cards. After that, they went to town with attempts to transfer money, go on virtual shopping sprees or take further control by changing account details.

Prosecutors haven’t yet asked for Locsin to be extradited to the US. However, the penalties could be severe — he faces up to 30 years in prison if he’s convicted. Even if there’s a lighter sentence, it’ll be clear that stealing sensitive info (at least, from the wrong people) can carry a steep price.

Via: Reuters

Source: NJ.com

IRS kills e-filing PINs prematurely due to cyberattacks

The IRS was gearing up to kill e-file PINs later this year, but it has decided to speed up its plans after discovering suspicious activity. These electronic filing personal identification numbers, which people could use to authenticate tax returns filed online, are no longer available on IRS.gov or via the agency’s toll-free phone number. If you’ll recall, identity thieves used malware to steal taxpayers’ info from other websites, which was then used to generate 100,000 PINs, back in February. The thieves were actually gunning for 464,000 PINs, but the agency was able to stop them before they got near that number.

This time, the IRS detected “automated attacks taking place at an increasing frequency” thanks to the additional defenses it added after that initial hack. It said only “a small number” of taxpayers were affected, but it didn’t give an exact number. The IRS chose not to kill the tool back in February, since most commercial tax software products use it. After these recent cyberattacks, though, the agency determined that it would be safer to give up on a verification method that’s scheduled for the chopping block anyway.

The service also took the chance to remind people that a PIN isn’t even necessary to file tax returns. “[Y]ou will need to use your prior-year adjusted gross income (AGI) to validate your signature,” the old request page reads. “If you do not have your prior-year tax return, you may use Get Transcript Online or Get Transcript by Mail to obtain your prior-year AGI. You may use your AGI to validate your signature and continue with electronic filing of your tax return.”

Source: IRS