DIGITAL LIFE

Have you heard about the current infoxication epidemic? Check it out here...

A state of distraction, stress and anxiety can be consequences of a problem that combines intoxication and information, better known as infoxication.

The term created in 1996 by Spanish physicist Alfons Cornellá has never been so present in people's lives as it is now. This is mainly due to the democratization of the internet and the strengthening of the digital age. But what does infoxication involve? What are its causes and symptoms? Find out below and see how to avoid this problem.

What is infoxication?...Due to the significant advances in technology in the last three years and the exponential growth of the internet, exposure to a greater amount of information is increasing.

Generally, most people are already connected to some digital device before even brushing their teeth. And throughout the day, it is very common for us to be bombarded by news, social networks, emails, messages in apps, advertisements, among other information that arrives all the time.

This excess of information is what Spanish physicist Alfons Cornellá defined in 1996 as infoxication, which is nothing more than the combination of the words intoxication and information. What Cornellá did not imagine at the time was that the intensity and meaning of the term would become such a present reality in the lives of a large portion of the world's population.

Infoxication: causes...According to a survey by Gartner, which considered interviews with around a thousand employees and managers, 38% of employees say they receive an “excessive” volume of communications in their organization.

If we consider that many of these same people also spend certain hours in their free time on social networks and messaging apps, it is possible to understand why this excess of information is so common today.

However, what many do not realize is that this habit can be the reason for greater episodes of distraction, stress and anxiety within the routine. The main causes of infoxication include: excessive corporate emails, use of digital media, spending too much time on social media, multitasking (watching a video conference while working and browsing other apps, for example) and too much information.

Infoxication: symptoms...To begin with, one of the first symptoms that can appear with infoxication is difficulty in performing tasks. According to studies, frequent interruptions can increase the time needed to complete an activity and reduce the quality of work.

Above all, being constantly connected can make it difficult to make decisions, generating not only difficulties in dedicating oneself to an activity, but also difficulties in filtering information when making decisions.

In addition, excess information can have consequences that impact mental and physical health. Thus, this list includes symptoms such as insomnia, irritability, fatigue and more serious problems, such as cardiovascular diseases.

How to avoid infoxication?...The biggest tip of all is: self-discipline! After all, setting limits is the first step to avoid being swallowed up by infoxication. Especially in your personal life, outside of work, this control can be better managed.

This way, you can make use of daily time alerts from social networks in the apps themselves. Above all, as these limits are respected, it will be increasingly easier to disconnect from the digital world.

So, another good suggestion is to choose outdoor activities, prepare a meal, walk the dog, among others. In addition, you can also choose to filter the information that reaches you.

So, if possible, avoid responding to messages outside of work hours, give preference to reliable sources of information and opt for quality. In this way, you will be able to reduce the dissemination of incorrect and irrelevant information.

mundophone

 

TECH

Intel faces scrutiny in China over alleged security risks and vulnerabilities in its chips

As tensions between the US and China continue to rise, the Cybersecurity Association of China (CSAC) has called for a review of Team Blue's products sold in the Asian nation, alleging that the firm has "constantly harmed" the country's national security and interests. Intel's China unit has responded with assurances that it has always prioritized product safety and quality.

On its official WeChat account, CSAC claimed that Intel's chips are a threat due to their "frequent vulnerabilities and high failure rates." It added that the company's CPUs, including Xeon processors, have major defects when it comes to product quality and security management, indicating an extremely irresponsible attitude towards customers.

The CSAC added that operating systems embedded in all Intel processors are vulnerable to backdoors created by the US National Security Agency.

"This poses a great security threat to the critical information infrastructures of countries all over the world, including China [...] the use of Intel products poses a serious risk to national security," the CSAC said.

The association also referenced the Raptor Lake instability issues, noting that certain Intel chips can cause video games to crash. The CSAC went on to criticize Intel for slow responses to prior security breach complaints.

"It is recommended that a network security review is initiated on the products Intel sells in China, so as to effectively safeguard China's national security and the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese consumers," the CSAC said.

While the CSAC is an industry group and not a government body, it has close ties to Beijing that could result in a security review of Intel's projects by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC). The regulator banned Micron chips in China last year over what it claimed was a security review of its products that showed they have relatively serious potential network security issues. These pose major security risks to China's critical infrastructure supply chain, which includes state-owned banks, transportation, and telecoms.

The day after the CSAC post, China's top spy agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS), warned that state security threats were becoming more pronounced.

Intel's China unit responded to the post on its official WeChat account. "We will maintain communication with the relevant authorities, clarify any concerns, and reaffirm our commitment to product safety and quality," it wrote.

China accounted for 27% of Intel's total revenue of $54.2 billion in 2023. According to Reuters, the company has orders for its Xeon processors from several Chinese state-linked agencies for use in AI work.

A review and a ban on its products in China couldn't come at a worse time for Intel. It is struggling on multiple fronts as its share price falls, revenues disappoint, and more cost-cutting layoffs are implemented. Reports claim that Qualcomm is expected to decide whether to make a formal offer to acquire the firm after the US Presidential election.

Banning Intel products would have a significant impact on China, too. The US prohibits the export of Nvidia's top AI chips to the country. Losing Intel's alternatives would no doubt further harm China's ambitions in AI development.

In March, China introduced new guidelines that will phase out US processors and software from its government computers and servers. The rules mean that CPUs from Intel and AMD, along with Microsoft Windows and foreign-made database software, will be replaced with homegrown alternatives.

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Hackers Avoid Google Chrome Security Features In New Attack, Researchers Warn

Hackers are becoming more crafty and sophisticated to avoid getting caught by the security protections Google puts in place across its products and services. One example is the latest social engineering tactic reported by the Sekoia threat detection and research team: bypassing web browser protections such as Google Safe Browsing by tricking victims into opening fake Google Meet conference pages that install infostealer malware. The scam, named as ClickFix, is currently targeting cryptocurrency assets and decentralized finance users. However, the Sekoia threat intelligence analysts have warned that “similar social engineering techniques could be employed in other malware distribution campaigns.” Here’s what we know so far.

The Phantom Meet...In a newly published report, The Phantom Meet, detailing the technology and tactics used by hackers using fake Google Meet video conference pages to distribute infostealer malware, a cluster of attacks known as ClickFix, analysts have taken a chronological overview of the campaign to warn Mac and Windows users of the ongoing threat.

Rather than deploy the malware distribution execution by way of visiting a web page from your browser, the ClickFix campaign, the researchers said, relies upon getting the victim to download and run malware directly. No browser download, no manual file execution, just good old-fashioned trickery to bypass those pesky browser security protections.

The ClickFix campaign, not to be confused with legitimate companies and applications of the same name, which is unfortunately confusing, has been running since September 2024. It has already, the analysts said, been adopted to “widely distribute malware.” It operates with a decoy that, it is warned, “could be particularly devastating in campaigns targeting organizations that use Google Workspace, especially Google Meet.” Whereas earlier ClickFox campaigns this year primarily used HTML files disguised as Microsoft Word documents in emails, the latest is deploying fake Google Meet video conference pages to distribute infostealers, and targeting both Windows and macOS systems.

Drive-By Downloads Power ClickFix Stealer Campaign...A drive-by download attack relies upon being able to tamper with an application, without it being visually obvious to the user, so as to download malware. The use of ClickFix in multiple malware distribution campaigns across recent weeks is, the Sekoia report said, “in line with the growing, ongoing trend of distributing malware through the drive-by download technique.” This is, above all else, employed so as to evade security scanning protections and browser security features, the researchers suggested. The Sekoia analysts have associated this ClickFix cluster impersonating Google Meet with two cybercrime groups: Slavic Nation Empire and Scamquerteo. Both are known to be sub-groups of cybercriminals in the world of cryptocurrency scams.

Using phrases such as “press the key combination” or “CTRL+V” pop-up error messages, yes, such tactics are still used, and apparently, they are still thriving. The attackers were often found to be suggesting issues concerning the microphone. This type of scam can be fallen for because the errors that pop up are on faked Google Meet pages with plausible domain names leveraging a meet.google structure. Clicking on the “Try Fix” button would then result in the malware download being initiated.

McAfee Labs mitigations for ClickFix attacks. McAfee

Mitigating The ClickFix Infostealer Threat...I have reached out to Google for advice to users in mitigating the risk of getting caught out by the ClickFix campaign, but in the meantime McAfee Labs offered the following mitigations(https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/other-blogs/mcafee-labs/clickfix-deception-a-social-engineering-tactic-to-deploy-malware/ when an earlier ClickFix campaign was doing the rounds.

Davey Winder

 

DIGITAL LIFE

Myanmar and China have the worst internet freedom in the world

Myanmar and China have the world's worst internet freedom, with declines reported in a number of other countries led by Kyrgyzstan, a study said Wednesday.

The further deterioration in Myanmar, a Beijing ally where the military seized power in 2021, marks the first time in a decade that any country has matched China for the lowest score in the Freedom on the Net report.

The report by Freedom House, a pro-democracy research group funded by the US Congress but run independently, found that internet freedom fell for the 14th straight year globally, with more countries seeing declines than rises.

In Myanmar, the junta has harshly cracked down on dissent since ending a decade-long experiment in democracy, with systematic censorship and surveillance of online speech.

Freedom House pointed to new measures imposed by the junta in May to block access to virtual private networks (VPNs), which residents use to bypass internet controls.

China has developed a sweeping "great firewall" meant to root out content that poses a threat to the ruling Communist Party.

Asked about the report on Wednesday, Beijing insisted its people "enjoy various rights and freedoms in accordance with the law".

"As for the so-called report, I think it is entirely baseless and made with ulterior motives," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

The country that showed the biggest drop in the survey was Kyrgyzstan, where authorities shuttered website Kloop, which is largely funded by US-based NGOs and had reported on allegations by an opposition leader of torture in custody.

Other countries downgraded included Azerbaijan—host of next month's COP29 climate summit—for detaining people over social media posts, and Iraq, where a prominent activist was slain after Facebook posts encouraging protests.

The biggest gains were seen in Zambia, with the report saying the country saw growing space for online activism.

Iceland was ranked the most free online, followed by Estonia and then Canada, Chile and Costa Rica.

The United States meanwhile held steady at 76 on a 100-point scale, with Freedom House renewing concern about the lack of safeguards against government surveillance.

It also pointed to actions by at least 19 US states against the misuse of artificial intelligence in election campaigns.

“Cult Crime”: Christians Prosecuted in China for Sharing Their Faith on Social Media...Two Christians have been prosecuted and arrested in China after sharing their faith on the messaging app WeChat.

According to the ChinaAid portal, they were detained by police in the Xinjiang region in August last year and now face charges of “using superstitious sects, secret societies or cults to undermine law enforcement.”

The local procuratorate of the city where the “cult crime” took place is responsible for the cases against the two religious leaders. The Aksu People’s Court originally planned to hear the Christians’ defense on August 29 this year, but due to objections raised by the prosecution, the hearing was rescheduled to the day of the trial, which has not yet been determined.

The defense of the accused legally requested a copy of the judge’s electronic data, a request that was refused, on the grounds that the lawyers would be able to view and listen to the information in court. The lawyers are working from Chengdu, a region thousands of kilometers away from Aksu. One of the lawyers, identified as Yuan, claims that the electronic data that was illegally denied is crucial evidence to determine whether the defendants were guilty. In response to the court's violations, the lawyer filed a complaint and publicized the matter on Weibo. He wrote: "If the lawyers' right to access case files cannot be guaranteed, how can the case be tried fairly? Xinjiang is truly beautiful! Not only is the scenery beautiful, but the people are also warm and hospitable. 

Earlier this year, I reported the problems to the Xinjiang Autonomous Region People's Procuratorate and received a very warm, considerate and professional reception. It is unforgettable to this day. I believe that what we encountered in Aksu is just an isolated case! Please, Aksu City Court, protect the lawyers' practice rights in accordance with the law. This is also to protect the beauty of Xinjiang." According to Article 53 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People’s Republic of China, defense lawyers are allowed to consult, extract and copy case file materials involving court cases. 

Article 14 of the “Provisions on the Legal Safeguard of Lawyers’ Practice Rights” also stipulates that “defense lawyers may consult, extract and copy case file materials on the day the procuratorate reviews and processes the case” and “defense lawyers may copy case file materials by means of photo, scanning, electronic data copying, etc.” ChinaAid, which investigates cases of religious persecution by the Chinese regime, reported that there were a number of problems during the trial of the Christians.

 Among them, it cited that the court did not notify the defendants of the trial three days in advance, as required by law, and it also reported that the defendants were brought to the court with legcuffs after leaving the detention center where they were being held, and the court police did not have keys to remove the handcuffs. A prosecutor in the case admitted during the trial that some signatures used in additional evidence in the investigation had their dates altered and were added later, which lawyers believe suggests possible “fabrication of evidence.”

The Aksu court notified the Christians’ defense that it wants to hold the trial on Thursday (17). However, lawyer Yuan said that the conditions for a fair trial were not met, as lawyers have not yet been allowed to copy important electronic data from the case.

mundophone

 

STREAMING

Cybercriminals are hacking audio streaming accounts to sell illegal access and fraudulently promote artists

Audio streaming platforms, such as Spotify and others, have become frequent targets for cybercriminals looking for ways to profit illicitly from access to these accounts. Hackers have been hacking user profiles, not only to sell access illegally, but also to fraudulently promote artists, simulating continuous playback of songs.

Techniques used by cybercriminals to hack streaming services...The hacking of streaming accounts can occur in several ways. One of the most common is phishing, where criminals send messages with malicious links, inducing the user to click and reveal private data. These emails or messages can request personal information, such as passwords and bank details, under the pretext of deactivating the account or promising benefits.

Another method includes the use of leaked data, in which attackers test combinations of emails and passwords until they gain access to an account. Checking whether an email has been compromised on sites like “HaveIBeenPwnd” is one way to protect yourself.

Unofficial apps that promise free premium features are also used to steal login credentials. In addition, malware infections, especially keyloggers that monitor keystrokes, are another resource used to capture victims’ login information.

How to protect yourself?

-To protect streaming accounts, experts recommend using strong and unique passwords, with a combination of capital letters, numbers and special characters.

-The use of password managers is also suggested to generate and store these credentials securely.

-In addition, downloading apps only from official sources and avoiding very advantageous promotions are important security practices.

-Keeping systems updated and using security software on all devices are also effective preventive measures.

Warnings from streaming platforms...Streaming services, such as Spotify, warn that they never ask for banking information or passwords via email, and advise users to recognize fraudulent messages. Sharing your account with third parties can also be risky, even if they are trustworthy, as not everyone has enough knowledge to keep your account secure. Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya, Head of Research at ESET Latin America, reinforces: “It is always better to opt for family or shared subscriptions, but avoid directly sharing account credentials.”

mundophone

 

DIGITAL LIFE

AI is creeping into the visual effects industry—and it could take the human touch out of film and TV

From the mind-bending reality warps of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) to the breathtaking alien vistas of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), visual effects have transported us to worlds beyond imagination. Yet the future of visual effects (VFX) could hang in the balance as artificial intelligence is subsumed into screen production processes.

Lionsgate's recent partnership with AI startup Runway has sparked controversy in the visual effects industry.

By allowing Runway to train AI on Lionsgate's vast film and TV catalogue, the collaboration promises increased efficiency and financial savings—but at what cost?

Growing apprehension among workers...According to a research report published in January, 75% of 300 entertainment industry leaders surveyed said generative AI tools, software and models had contributed to the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs within their business divisions.

The report highlighted the visual effects sector as being particularly vulnerable, as AI techniques are often applied in post-production processes. This vulnerability was typified in our own research published today.

Our work reveals visual effects artists have serious concerns about generative AI's integration into screen production. These include worries over job insecurity, creative devaluation, and the potential for AI to produce derivative content that fails to meet audience expectations.

Challenges of AI in the VFX industry...Our findings reflect growing concerns that AI's use in filmmaking could magnify existing industry problems. It could, for instance, exacerbate unfair working conditions. Or it could undermine creativity if artists are expected to "clean up" AI-generated work rather than create their own.

Visual effects artists, who have typically been early adopters of new technologies, acknowledge AI could bring both opportunities and challenges. While it could help streamline certain tasks, it could equally impact on the overall quality of their work.

The artists we spoke to were worried a reliance on AI might stifle creativity and skill development, by making the work "more mechanical and less creative". In a recent example, the AI-generated title sequence for Marvel's Secret Invasion series was widely criticized for lacking artistic merit.

There were also questions about how artists would be compensated if their work is used to train AI models.

Some senior supervisors were particularly concerned about the ethical and legal considerations of using AI on commercial projects. They were uncertain around intellectual property rights for AI-generated content, as well as the potential for copyright infringement.

On the creative and technical front, artists recognized AI's value in generating ideas and automating repetitive tasks. However, nearly all of them said AI tools weren't yet production-ready, and highlighted difficulties with integrating said tools into existing pipelines.

The next steps...The VFX industry was already struggling with profits and sustainability before the AI boom. Visual effects companies often face bankruptcy—even Oscar-winning ones. In many cases, artists will get laid off once a project is complete.

The partnership between Lionsgate and Runway represents the industry's collective failure to address concerns over AI. But there's still time to fix things.

The first step is developing clear industry guidelines for AI's use in visual effects. Above all else, AI should help augment human creativity, rather than replace it. And artists should be fairly compensated if their work is used to train AI models.

Investment in training programs could also help artists adapt to new AI tools without compromising their creativity. As one interviewee told us, human expertise and creativity remain important in visual effects.

"Understanding the why behind certain choices, the creative decision making, that's something I haven't really seen AI effectively do," they said.

As the industry stands at a technological crossroads, it must balance the pursuit of efficiency with genuine creativity. Otherwise, we risk losing the human touch that brings our favorite films to life.

Provided by The Conversation

 

TECH

Flight Simulator 2024 trades huge install size for high bandwidth usage – up to 81GB per hour

Offloading most game assets to the cloud is one of Asobo Studio's most interesting decisions regarding the upcoming Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. However, early testing has revealed the dramatic effect that cloud streaming has on internet bandwidth usage. Some users might debate whether the method is preferable to downloading everything at once.

Videos from the technical alpha for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 have revealed occasionally extreme internet bandwidth usage. Developer Asobo Studio previously confirmed that the game's cloud-based system would require more bandwidth than its 2020 predecessor, but test results far exceeded the upcoming game's official system requirements.

One video shows bandwidth usage bouncing between roughly 20Mbps and 180Mbps, while the spec sheet recommends that players have internet connections capable of at least 100Mbps. The game could theoretically stream up to 81GB per hour unless additional optimization occurs before launch on November 19.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 streams assets according to each player's location in the game's 1:1 scale procedurally generated recreation of Earth to avoid the last game's extreme storage requirements. The 2020 edition sometimes requires up to 200GB of storage space, and purchasing all available DLC could add up to 2TB.

Making matters worse, the game only downloads updates after booting. Without the automatic backgrounds that most modern games use, users must often download patches totaling dozens of gigabytes as they begin playing. In stark contrast, the upcoming game's initial download is only 30GB and the storage requirement is just 50GB.

Although cloud streaming will shorten startup times, bandwidth usage approaching 200Mbps could negatively affect gameplay for those living in areas with slow internet options or data caps. Furthermore, playing the game over Xbox Cloud Gaming requires only 20Mbps, and Microsoft might unlock the ability to stream every game from a user's library before Flight Simulator 2024's launch. While Flight Simulator doesn't support Nvidia's GeForce NOW, that streaming service's highest subscription tier requires only 40Mbps.

Changing the graphics settings will likely affect bandwidth usage, but it remains unclear by how much, judging from the technical alpha video. The demo showcases two drastically different locations with all graphics set to ultra except for Level of Detail (LOD), which determines the distance at which objects are loaded.

Flying over the densely populated New York City with LOD set to 400 would presumably consume far more bandwidth than the comparatively barren Grand Canyon with LOD at 200. However, both areas at both LOD levels exhibit roughly the same variance.

Perhaps other graphics settings, like texture resolution, might have a bigger effect. The final game might also include an optional bandwidth cap, and Asobo still has time for further optimization.

mundophone