The Category5.TV Newsroom

Here are the stories we're following for the week of Tuesday February 3, 2015

BMW's ConnectedDrive software, which allows remote operation of vehicle systems, didn't use encryption.

BMW has patched a security flaw that left 2.2 million cars, including Rolls Royce and Mini models, open to hackers.

BMW has patched a security flaw that left 2.2 million cars, including Rolls Royce and Mini models, open to hackers.

The flaw affected models fitted with BMW's ConnectedDrive software, which uses an on-board Sim card.

The software operated door locks, air conditioning and traffic updates but no driving firmware such as brakes or steering, BMW said.

According to BMW, no cars have actually been hacked, but the flaw was identified by German motorist association ADAC.

ADAC's researchers found the cars would try to communicate via a spoofed phone network, leaving potential hackers able to control anything activated by the Sim.

The patch, which was applied automatically, included making data from the car encrypted.

Source: www.bbc.com

Sent to us by: Roy W. Nash

Rapberry Pi's new model has been unveiled, and it's about 6 times as powerful as the B+!

A new budget-priced Raspberry Pi computer has been unveiled, offering a faster processor and more memory than before, but at about the same price.

A new budget-priced Raspberry Pi computer has been unveiled, offering a faster processor and more memory than before, but at about the same price.

The Raspberry Pi 2 Model B is roughly six times more powerful than the prior version, the Model B+, according to the British charity behind it.

Previous versions of the kit have been widely adopted by schools and enthusiasts across the world.

But the Pi faces increased competition.

Another UK-based firm, Imagination, recently released a bare-bones computer of its own, and the Arduino, Intel Galileo, Gizmo 2, BeagleBone Black and Hummingboard also form part of a growing list of rivals.

Imagination Creator CI20
Imagination's Creator CI20 features built-in flash storage, which the Raspberry Pi lacks, but is about double the price
Smoother video
The Raspberry Pi 2 makes two major changes to the previous version, while leaving other components unchanged: The CPU is now quad-core rather than single-core, and the board now features one gigabyte of RAM.

The Raspberry Pi 2 can run a variety of Linux-based systems out-of-the-box, but its makers have also promised it will be able to support Microsoft's next operating system at a later date.

The new kit - most of which is manufactured at Sony's factory in South Wales - costs about $35.

Source: www.bbc.com

Sent to us by: Roy W. Nash

Much to the relief of citizens in the UK, the "Snoopers' Charger" has been rejected, again.

A cross-party group of peers has dropped a second attempt to add the so-called "snoopers' charter" to the government's counter-terrorism bill.

A cross-party group of peers has dropped a second attempt to add the so-called "snoopers' charter" to the government's counter-terrorism bill.

The Snoopers' Charter would require details of every email, website visit and social media log to be recorded.

Lords King, Blair, Carlile and West wanted measures on communications data, rejected in 2012, to be included in the bill, saying they were vital tools for combating terrorism.

But they withdrew their amendment and it did not go to a vote.

The counter-terrorism bill will give new powers to UK security services.

It will also allow the home secretary to impose temporary exclusion orders on British terror suspects.

The legislation had already cleared its first hurdle in the House of Lords, and undergone detailed scrutiny in committee.

Lord King, a Conservative former defence secretary, said "We will lose an opportunity to put in place a temporary stop-gap measure that could have reduced the threat to our nation from terrorism at the present time.

"We just have to pray that we don't pay too high a price for that."

Source: www.bbc.com

Sent to us by: Roy W. Nash

The mugshots of hundreds of thousands of innocent people are suspected to have been uploaded to a facial recognition system used by Police forces in England and Wales.

Police forces in England and Wales have uploaded up to 18 million "mugshots" to a facial recognition database - despite a court ruling it could be unlawful.

Police forces in England and Wales have uploaded up to 18 million "mugshots" to a facial recognition database - despite a court ruling it could be unlawful.

They include photos of people never charged, or others cleared of an offence, and were uploaded without Home Office approval.

An independent commissioner said photos of "hundreds of thousands" of innocent people may be on the database, but police insist that the database complies with the Data Protection Act.

A number of police forces have begun to use facial recognition technology - including the Metropolitan Police and Leicestershire Police.

It is already used by Britain's spy agencies and by Border Force at UK airports and ports.

Leicestershire Police said the facial recognition system it had begun using last year had proved invaluable.

Source: www.bbc.com

Sent to us by: Roy W. Nash

A new hi-tech office block in Sweden are implanting RFID chips under the skin of staff.

Want to gain entry to your office, get on a bus, or perhaps buy a sandwich? We're all getting used to swiping a card to do all these things. But at Epicenter, a new hi-tech office block in Sweden, they are trying a different approach - a chip under the skin.

Want to gain entry to your office, get on a bus, or perhaps buy a sandwich? We're all getting used to swiping a card to do all these things. But at Epicenter, a new hi-tech office block in Sweden, they are trying a different approach - a chip under the skin.

Felicio de Costa, whose company is one of the tenants, arrives at the front door and holds his hand against it to gain entry. Inside he does the same thing to get into the office space he rents, and he can also wave his hand to operate the photocopier.

That's all because he has a tiny RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip, about the size of a grain of rice, implanted in his hand. Soon, others among the 700 people expected to occupy the complex will also be offered the chance to be chipped. Along with access to doors and photocopiers, they're promised further services in the longer run, including the ability to pay in the cafe with a touch of a hand.

Source: www.bbc.com

Sent to us by: Roy W. Nash