Microsoft-owned GitHub experienced a more than two-hour long outage today, affecting thousands or potentially millions of developers that rely on its many services. GitHub started experiencing issues at around 3:45PM ET, with Git operations, API requests, GitHub actions, packages, pages, and pull requests all affected.
GitHub is now home to more than 73 million developers that rely on the service for version control via Git and hosting for software development. GitHub is a large code repository that has become very popular with developers and companies hosting entire projects and code on the service. Apple, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and many other big tech companies use GitHub.
Mattel introduced its interactive Hello Barbie doll in 2015 but withdrew it after privacy concerns were raised about the recordings it made of the children who spoke to it.(Mark Lennihan / Associated Press)
Interactive toys and gadgets often collect a boatload of data about their users and their surroundings. Device manufacturers may convert the information into dollars by selling it to advertisers or data brokers. And even manufacturers that pledge never to share what they collect can’t guarantee that hackers won’t grab the data anyway.
Jen Caltrider, lead author of the Mozilla Foundation’s Privacy Not Included guide, said the privacy issues raised by smart devices range from the annoyance of targeted ads shadowing you around the web to the physical threat of someone stalking you with the help of a poorly designed Bluetooth tagger. There’s also the chance that weak data security by the manufacturer could allow criminals to steal your personal information or hack into the stream of information sent to and from the device.
Internet-connected devices that can see and hear come with the risk that they could snoop on their owners. That threat was one of the reasons Mattel discontinued its interactive “Hello Barbie” doll not long after it was released in 2015, in the wake of an outcry from security researchers and consumer advocates.
In what may be one of the better pieces of performance art this year, Australian Geoffrey Huntley has created a website that promises to let you torrent an entire blockchain’s worth of NFTs. It’s called, appropriately, The NFT Bay, and it’s an almost exact replica of the famous pirating site (with an added cheeky DMCA takedown link). As a site, it seems to do what it says on the tin, but as a statement it could spark an interesting discussion around what it means if you claim ownership over something on the internet.
Coding is both an in-demand and very valuable skill for Canadians, and frankly, people all over the world right now. This piece from SimpliLearn delves into it, noting that, “Employers may increase salaries up to 10 per cent for professionals who possess certain in-demand skills and abilities. The below skills are recognized as the most valuable in 2021 Canada. Coding skills stand out as leaders of this particular pack. So, if you have a strong technical background coupled with a passion for coding and the relevant certifications to back you up, you’re in a strong position in the technology job market.”
Last year, Epic’s popular game “Fortnite” became the subject of heated litigation with Apple and Google over the rate of commission on in-app purchases. After Epic broke App Store rules by implementing a direct payment option, the game was removed from the App Store and Epic’s developer account was terminated.
A lengthy legal battle ensued, resulting in the verdict while that Apple’s anti-steering conduct is anti-competitive, Apple was correct on on all other counts. Epic Games paid Apple $6,000,000 in lost royalties but has appealed the verdict.
Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. Credit: Ediso-Montréal.
Many recently released PC games were unplayable over the weekend, and it looks as though it was because DRM company Denuvo had problems with its servers.
As reported by VGC, many recently released high-profile titles were unplayable on PC over the weekend, and those that use the digital rights management (DRM) software from Denuvo were being met with errors that rendered them unplayable, even if they were solely single-player titles.
That’s the biggest complaint from employees facing pay cuts: How is this fair? Remote work can mean living in a lower-cost area, without a commute, but it can also mean higher household bills—especially if you need high-speed internet in a rural area. A Google spokesperson says the company has always paid employees based on their location, at rates that match the top of the local market. But precedent doesn’t do much to soothe the burn its employees feel as they watch their wages drop. “They’re basically saying we are going to get the same value from you, but we think we can talk you into taking less money,” de Vesine says. And this, many feel, is not fair.
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