When you think of NASA, thoughts of space rockets and out-of-earth missions often come to mind. However, this time the news is not about the next rocket launch.
As reported by Engadget, exciting space news is coming our way, with NASA announcing the launch of its own streaming platform called NASA+. Not only that, but the space agency is also upgrading its mobile app. Both will be available sometime in the next few months. Until then, you can help NASA by providing feedback on the current beta version of the agency’s new website.
The NASA+ streaming platform will be completely free and, on top of that, without any ads. You will have the opportunity to watch NASA’s Emmy Award-winning live coverage and get a peek into space missions through various original video series, including new ones that will be launched on the streaming service.
You will be able to access NASA+ through the NASA App, which works on iOS and Android mobile and tablet devices. Additionally, it will be available on streaming media players like Roku, Apple TV, and Fire TV, as well as on the web for both desktop and mobile devices.Apart from launching its own streaming service, NASA is revamping its entire digital presence. The space agency is working on a new web and app experience that will make it easier to find information about its missions, research projects, climate data, and updates on the Artemis program, among other things. The aim is to create a more cohesive and user-friendly platform for accessing NASA’s content and updates.
With this new digital mission, NASA will share science, research, exploration, and innovation worldwide through cohesive platforms. According to Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, the new websites and NASA+ videos will showcase various discovery programs, covering a wide range of topics, including exoplanet research, understanding Earth’s climate, the Sun’s impact on our planet, and exploration of the solar system.
It was a database misconfiguration-related data leak.
The sensitive information spanned from 2012 to 2023.
The data leak contained 512 GB of data, with 682,438 records.
The database was open to public access without any password.
Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler has revealed a significant data breach that has raised serious concerns about the security of sensitive information in the education sector. Fowler stumbled upon an unprotected database containing a staggering 682,438 records related to educational institutions.
The exposed data belonged to the Southern Association of Independent Schools, Inc (SAIS), a prominent non-profit organization providing support to schools and educators across the United States and several other countries.
The Scope of the Breach:
The data leak contained a vast array of sensitive information, spanning from 2012 to 2023, making it a treasure trove for potential cyber criminals. The compromised documents encompassed multiple categories, including student and teacher records, health information, social security numbers (SSN), active shooter and lockdown notifications, school maps, financial budgets, and more.
Of particular concern were confidential third-party security reports, assessing weaknesses in school security, camera locations, access points, and other vital information that could pose a real-world security risk to students and faculty.
Documents in the leaked data (Image: Jeremiah Fowler – Website Planet)
Sensitive Records Exposed:
The sheer volume of data in the breached database totalled an astounding 572.8 GB, comprising various file formats, such as PDF, Excel, PPTX, doc, docx, png, jpg, and pages.
According to Fowler’s blog post, among the exposed records, were personally identifiable information (PII) and private medical information of students, teacher background checks, salary details, and interview information. Moreover, the breach revealed budgets, financial reports, vehicle registrations, insurance policies, tax records, training documents, and numerous other miscellaneous files.
Potential Risks and Implications:
The exposed data presented a host of potential risks, ranging from straightforward extortion to more sophisticated identity theft and financial crimes. Criminals with access to such sensitive records could exploit the information for fraudulent activities, including obtaining loans or credit in the name of educational institutions.
Additionally, the leaked emergency response plans and school security details could be used by malicious actors to plan attacks on schools, endangering the safety of students and staff.
Recommended Measures for Enhanced Security:
To mitigate future risks, schools, educational organizations, and accreditation bodies must prioritize implementing basic security protocols, such as firewalls, encryption, and multi-factor authentication.
Furthermore, conducting regular staff training on cybersecurity best practices and establishing comprehensive incident response plans can better address and manage data breaches, should they occur.
SAIS’s Response and Data Protection Compliance:
Upon receiving the responsible disclosure notification from Jeremiah Fowler, SAIS acted swiftly to secure the exposed database and expressed gratitude for the researcher’s timely warning. However, it remains unclear whether the potentially affected individuals or relevant authorities were promptly notified of the data exposure.
It is essential for educational institutions to adhere to data protection laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), to safeguard sensitive information and uphold the privacy of students, teachers, and parents.
Beta testers are noticing that the Google Message pin feature is getting some improvements. This can be seen in the recent beta update that is rolling out to the app. With this update, beta testers can now pin up to five conversations, an improvement from the current limit the app gives users.
This pin feature will be available for usage on both RCS and regular text messages that users get. Google has kept the number of conversations users could pin down to three for a long time. The limit on three pinned conversations has been in place ever since Google launched RCS messaging.
Seeing this feature get an upgrade to allow users to pin a few more conversations is quite impressive. But how exactly will users benefit from this new upgrade, available to only beta testers? It’s time to have a closer look at this improvement to the Google Message pin feature.
Here is how you can put this improvement to the Google Message pin feature to use, once available
Pinning a conversation on Google Messages or any other messaging platform helps improve accessibility. This feature is great for those that receive tons of messages from various sources. To make finding a few conversations easy, such people can easily pin them.
By doing this, the conversation appears at the top of the chat list and newer messages appear under it. So, regardless of how many messages users of this feature get in a day, they can always easily find their pinned conversations. But at times, for some users, it’s quite a struggle to decide which messages to pin and which to leave out.
With the previous limitation to only three pinned conversations, some users had to leave out other important conversations. With this beta upgrade, users having a hard time picking which conversations to pin and which to leave out can have room for two more entries. Once this improvement rolls out globally, users will have the opportunity to pin up to five conversations for quick access.
Users can choose between family, friends, work, and even school-related conversations to pin. These can be either private messages or group chats, and all pinned conversations will pop up at the top of the app’s interface with a pin icon. There is no information as to when this feature will roll out globally, but once available it will reach end users via an app update.
We’ve heard, several times by now, that Apple’s upcoming iPhone Pro models will be more expensive than their predecessors. Well, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max price hikes just got detailed in a new report.
New report just detailed the iPhone 15 Pro series price hikes
According to Barclays analyst, Tim Long (via Apple Hub), the iPhone 15 Pro could see a price increase of $100. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, will be either $100 or $200 more expensive than its predecessor.
He also mentioned that the vanilla models, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, will cost the same. Now, this is different info than what we’ve seen earlier. A report from mid-June suggested a $200 price hike for both ‘Pro’ models. A report from the other day said that all iPhone 15 models will get a price bump.
So, obviously, one of these three reports is wrong. In any case, a price hike is expected. Apple obviously expects that the iPhone 15 series will have the same demand as the current-gen models. In other words, it expects ‘Pro’ models to outsell regular variants.
These are the probable price tags for all iPhone 15 units
If we count in the info from the latest report, the iPhone 15 could cost $799, while the ‘Plus’ model will set you back $899. The iPhone 15 Pro will start at $1,099, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max could cost either $1,199 or $1,299.
Do note that these are only US prices. All iPhones will cost more in Europe and India, as per usual. The price hike could also be more considerable in both of those regions.
It is worth noting that the iPhone 14 Pro is €300 more expensive in Europe, while the ‘Pro Max’ model costs €350 more. So get ready to pay premium if you live in either of those regions.
Samsung has released a plethora of short promo videos showcasing its newly announced foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. The videos highlight the key features of the devices, both of which are available to pre-order now. General sales begin on August 11.
Samsung releases Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 promo videos
The series of promo videos includes official unboxing videos of both foldables. These clips begin with the unboxing experience and go into design. Samsung sees an opportunity here to remind potential buyers that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 are slimmer and lighter than the previous-gen models.
The company is presenting the Fold as a multi-tasker on the go, thanks to the S Pen support (sold separately). The Flip model, on the other hand, is more of a style statement, with its larger cover display now making it a lot more usable than before. The unboxing videos also show all the color variants of the two foldables, including those exclusive to Samsung.com.
Samsung has also made short “official film” videos about the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. Once again, the Fold is all about multi-tasking while the Flip is about style and convenience. The Korean firm is pitching the two foldables to two different groups of users and focusing its promo videos on their strengths in those areas.
Additionally, Samsung has released a four-minute official introduction film for the new foldables. It’s the longest in a series of promo videos released over the past 24 hours or so. The rest of them are shorter than two minutes. This clip goes into detail about how the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 help enhance your everyday chores and give you a more convenient smartphone experience.
Other videos in this promo series released on YouTube include a couple about the Galaxy ecosystem. Samsung shows how you can use the Galaxy Z Flip 5/Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Tab S9, and Galaxy Watch 6 in a connected environment to unlock a whole new experience, be it in a professional or personal space.
Last but not least, Samsung has made a dedicated video about the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s bigger cover display. The company calls the 3.4-inch panel Flex Window. The video highlights support for a full keyboard, improved media controls, Samsung Wallet, Samsung Health, app widgets, and a full-fledged camera app, letting you take selfies with the rear cameras, without even unfolding the device.
Do you want to shop online with Bitcoin but need guidance? Here’s a step-by-step guide for using Bitcoin for online purchases.
Determining whether Bitcoin’s value will rise or fall or whether it has a future can be challenging. This cryptocurrency faces many challenges, including uncertain regulation, high volatility, and scalability issues. However, one thing that is certain about Bitcoin is that you can purchase and use it online.
Platforms like BitQS enable individuals and enterprises to buy Bitcoin quickly with fiat money. Here, you sign up and load your crypto exchange account with the funds you want to spend on Bitcoin. After that, you can place a buy order and complete the transaction. Finally, transfer the digital coins to your crypto wallet and spend them on online purchases. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide for using Bitcoin for online purchases.
1. Set Up Your Digital Wallet
Satoshi Nakamoto wanted Bitcoin to be entirely anonymous. The intention was to have a peer-to-peer system that operates like cash but without a central controlling authority or intermediaries. Therefore, people should purchase and sell Bitcoin without providing financial or personal details. However, that’s not how Bitcoin wallets work. Most digital wallet providers require details like your name and email address. Also, they need users to link their crypto wallets to bank accounts. Nevertheless, you can shop with Bitcoin without providing personal or financial details.
2. Buy Bitcoins
Once you have a crypto wallet, you can purchase Bitcoin via a crypto exchange. The value of Bitcoin varies due to its volatility. However, Bitcoin’s value increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, hitting $68,000 per BTC. But you can purchase only a portion of this cryptocurrency and use it to shop, the same way you can spend a penny, dime, or nickel when using the U.S. dollar. Satoshi is the tiniest Bitcoin fraction you can buy and use to pay for online shopping.
Besides crypto exchanges, you can purchase Bitcoin locally. Several websites allow people that want to buy or sell Bitcoin to meet in public places. While this might sound strange, it’s similar to Craigslist transactions. Nevertheless, be cautious because criminals have scammed many people through this process.
3. Use Bitcoin to Shop Online
Once you’ve acquired Bitcoin, it’s time to spend it online. Several online retailers allow customers to pay with Bitcoin. Also, Shopify store owners take Bitcoin. Newegg and Overstock.com are also places where you can shop with Bitcoin. Once you’ve identified a vendor that takes Bitcoin payment, proceed to order your items or request the service you want.
On reaching the checkout point, get the retailer’s Bitcoin code and enter it in your wallet’s specific field. Indicate the number of Bitcoins to send and then confirm the transaction by entering the payment key. The vendor will receive your crypto payment almost immediately. Some vendors have QR codes that customers scan to complete the transaction. Using Bitcoin for online shopping is straightforward, provided you have digital coins in your crypto wallet.
Benefits of Shopping Online with Bitcoin
Many people shop online with Bitcoin for various reasons. The following are the primary advantages of shopping online with this cryptocurrency.
Control: No bank or government controls Bitcoin. Vendors won’t ask for your personal or financial information when you pay with Bitcoin. Thus, this cryptocurrency lets you control your funds and how you spend them.
Privacy: Bitcoin transactions are anonymous and private. Although somebody can trace your Bitcoin transaction, it will require time and effort. Thus, hackers can have difficulty accessing the user’s personal information since your real-world identity remains private.
Lower fees: Bitcoin transactions have lower charges than banks and other online payment methods. Therefore, you save money when you use Bitcoin for online shopping.
Parting Shot
Using Bitcoin for online shopping is pretty straightforward. Also, it has numerous benefits that compel many individuals to use it. Nevertheless, you must identify an online vendor or retailer that accepts Bitcoin since its acceptance is still low.
Just recently, Twitter lost its iconic blue bird and became X. It is still a bit confusing how to refer to the social media platform since both the name Twitter and the new X logo are all over the place, but for the purpose of this article, let’s stick with X/Twitter.
Changes are happening at a fast pace, and while some are here to stay, such as the name change and the rebranding, some are going back and forth. Elon Musk shared in a tweet that X/Twitter is going to have only dark mode. But then later, he said that light mode will also stay as an option since many people want it.
This platform will soon only have “dark mode”. It is better in every way.
So apparently, now X/Twitter will be in dark mode by default, but if you want to change it to light mode, you can still do that. However, according to Musk, the dim mode option is going away (at least for now). The dim mode is kind of a dark mode, but instead of the background being completely black, it is dark blue.
A lot of people have asked to keep light mode, so we will, but the default will be dark and dim will be deleted
Elon Musk frequently shares updates related to X/Twitter, often just mentioned in replies. So, if and when some will happen, we will see. But one thing is sure though, Musk wants to change the platform and turn it into a super app. The idea is for X not only to serve as a social media platform but to become a platform for communication and banking, or, in other words, a global marketplace.
The old days are gone, and it’s harder to get our hands on the old games that we played as kids. They live on in online services like Nintendo Switch Online. According to Engadget, Nintendo just released two classic Zelda titles to the Switch Online service.
The Nintendo Switch online service seems to be pretty popular. While not as robust as what you’d find with Playstation or Xbox, the subscription offers a wide selection of games from past consoles. Fans are able to relive titles from systems such as the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and the SEGA Genesis.
If you’re interested in getting a plan, the standard plan costs $3.99/month ($19.99/year). However, the Online+ plan offers more features. The N64 and Genesis games are only available on this plan. It costs $49.99/year.
Two more classic Zelda titles just hit the Nintendo Online service
Imagine this: it’s 2001. You’re on a long road trip; “Who Let The Dogs Out” is blasting on the radio, and you’re tapping away on your Game Boy Color. If you were a Zelda fan, then you would have been playing these games on your hardware.
The first game on the list is The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons. In this game, Link is on a journey to rescue the Oracle of Seasons from the clutches of General Onox.
The other game is called The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages. In this game, the evil sorceress Veran possesses the Oracle of Ages and uses her powers to go back in time and enact her evil plans.
These are great games to play, especially if you’re not familiar with the Zelda games for the portable consoles. Also, if you need a break from games centering around rescuing Princess Zelda. They’re available to play today, so you won’t have to wait. Just make sure your app is up to date and start playing.
UPDATE: Elon Musk has quickly changed his mind on this one, prompted by a ton of users in the comments. He said the following: “A lot of people have asked to keep light mode, so we will, but the default will be dark and dim will be deleted”. The original story is available below.
ORIGINAL STORY: Believe it or not, Twitter aka X will soon be available in dark mode only. This information comes straight from the company’s owner, Elon Musk. He said as much in his tweet, claiming that dark mode is “better in every way”.
Twitter will no longer be available in light mode, only dark mode will remain
At the moment, both light and dark modes are available on the platform. In fact, you can choose between two dark modes, a dim setting (dark gray), or lights out (pitch black, OLED).
That will no longer be the case, it seems. Elon Musk firmly believes the dark mode is the way to go, and while some would agree, that’s not the general consensus, of course. Many users still prefer light mode, and some prefer to have it in light mode during the day, and in dark mode during the night, which is understandable, and logical.
Many users are asking Musk to think again
Needless to say, this caused an uproar in the comments section. Many people asked Musk to retain light mode, while others questioned Musk’s logic here, claiming that the light mode is better in many ways.
We’re seeing many changes on Twitter these days, so quite frankly this is not all that surprising. Musk is no stranger to controversial decisions after all, so… there you go.
Twitter is in the middle of rebranding
In case you’re out of the loop, Twitter is in the middle of rebranding. It recently claimed the @x handle, and change its name and logo. Yes, the platform is now known as simply ‘X’, as that’s what Musk wanted.
We’ll see many more changes in the near future, however, as the remains of Twitter branding are still visible across the site. The platform is, however, for better or worse, now known as ‘X’. That will take some getting used to, that’s for sure, and many people will still refer to it as Twitter, at least for a period of time.
Meta is not happy about the exodus from Threads. Its Twitter-like (sorry, sorry – X-like) rival platform initially surged in popularity but struggled to maintain interest in the following weeks. More than half of the original users came, saw and… left. That’s why Zuckerberg’s Meta is now planning on developing retention ‘hooks’.A high-level Meta gathering brought together Zuckerberg and Meta executives. The audio from the meeting was heard by Reuters: “Obviously, if you have more than 100 million people sign up, ideally it would be awesome if all of them or even half of them stuck around. We’re not there yet”, Zuckerberg allegedly said at that forum.
As far as his own assessments on the Threads exodus, he considered the drop-off “normal”. He expected the drop-off rates to curb with the introduction of more features to the app, like a Threads desktop version and search functionality.
Chief Product Officer Chris Cox said Meta is looking at adding more “retention-driving hooks” to entice users to return to the app, like “making sure people who are on the Instagram app can see important Threads”.
Reels catch up with TikTok
Meanwhile, another Reuters report says that Reels videos are performing more than well, closing in on the ByteDance rival TikTok. Reels, available on both Facebook and Instagram, gather respectable numbers in terms of views – 200 billion per day, up from 140 billion last year.
“We can show Reels that we think you’re interested in based on our discovery engines”, Justin Osofsky, Meta’s head of online sales, operations and partnerships, said in an interview on Thursday and adds that the Reels’ boosted performance “creates a base that you have the opportunity to further monetize”.
