Director Kevin Smith has confirmed that hes currently working on a sequel to his 1999 film Dogma, and he expects Ben Affleck and Matt Damon would return for the project. Smith made the announcement at Vulture Festival, which was subsequently reported by Vulture. Some people will be like, Dont f--king touch it. Youll ruin it. And Im here to tell you: I will, said Smith, revealing that hes f--king tickled and that he had found a way in for the film, which will apparently be more of a companion piece than a conventional sequel.Fans should be able to bank on seeing the stars of the 1999 original, Affleck and Damon, in this upcoming new installment, with Smith joking the pair still owes him for his help behind the scenes on Good Will Hunting. I have been able to hold that over both their heads for 25 f--king years, which is why they keep showing up in all the movies. Expect a cameo from them more than a f--king cameo. The only way we get a Dogma sequel made is if theyre there. So count on those guys being there.Dogma, which also starred Alan Rickman, George Carlin, Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, Linda Fiorentino, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, and Alanis Morrisette, is a dark comedy about two banished angels seeking to exploit a church loophole that will get them back into Heaven. It was the subject of moderate controversy at the time from some religious groups, but the good-natured satire was otherwise a critical and commercial success.However, up until recently, Dogma has been the subject of a complicated rights issue, which is why its never been available on any streaming service and is out-of-print on physical media. The rights to Dogma were previously personally owned by convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein and his now-estranged brother, Bob. Theatrical and home video distribution had then been licensed to Lionsgate and Columbia TriStar/Sony respectively, but those deals predated streaming and had long since expired. However, Dogmas rights were finally sold off this year to an unnamed company, freeing up Smith to work on the movie again without sharing any subsequent profits with Harvey Weinstein. Smiths plans for the original include another long-awaited home release, a 25th anniversary-adjacent return to cinemas, and a tour.For what it's worth, Matt Damon has actually reprised his role as the angel Loki once already in a small cameo within 2019's Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (which was a sequel to 2001's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back). Smith's latest film, The 4:30 Movie, was released in September this year.PlayLuke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can chat to him on Twitter @MrLukeReilly.

The following review contains spoilers for the first episode of Dune Prophecy, The Hidden Hand.The tasks assigned to The Hidden Hand seem insurmountable. The premiere of Dune: Prophecy is asked to set up an enormous cast of characters and the relationships between and the conflicts amongst those characters, all the while introducing audiences to an era of the Dune universe never before depicted on screen one that is, in many specific ways, very different from the interplanetary Imperium of Denis Villeneuves Dune and Dune: Part II . And speaking of Villeneuve, The Hidden Hand also has to recreate the vibes of his Dune movies on a much smaller budget. So, honestly, its pretty remarkable how much the episode is able to accomplish in its hour-and-change runtime, while also disappointing that it isnt a complete success.The Hidden Hand is much better at adding to the lore of the Dune universe than it is at telling a story. Im not a big fan of voiceover, but hearing the tale of the Butlerian Jihad and the role the Atreides and Harkonnens played in it is just the right kind of lore dump that will get fans of the Dune universe looking to dive deeper sitting up in their seats (though Im still salty they called it the wars against the thinking machines). Its interesting to see the universe so recently unshackled from the binds of the thinking machines, with people so easily slipping back into trusting them. But when the premiere delves into the nitty gritty of the Emperors political woes with House Richese, it never piques any interest. Its a storyline that feels more in line with the Star Wars prequels and their Trade Federations than the sprawling sci-fi epic weve come to love, and stalls the momentum of the episode.Thats not to say that every element of its present-day thread drags, though. Theres a lot to chew on with the Sisterhood and the war within itself over how to proceed into the future, and the omen of Tiran-Arafael and the reckoning that Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) represents. Getting Emily Watson and Olivia Williams for the roles of Valya and Tula Harkonnen doesnt hurt things either, as they consistently elevate the sometimes dry writing. Jessica Barden and Emma Canning arent often able to do the same, coming off as stiff and awkward as the younger Valya and Tula, but it seems more a symptom of the clunky dialogue. There are enough carrots on the stick between Tiran-Arafael, the backstories of the Harkonnen sisters, and the lineage of Sister Lila to keep The Hidden Hand from being bogged down in the mundane. But it certainly feels uneven.There is an imbalance in the premieres presentation as well. With the budget of a premium-cable series and not a major-studio blockbuster, Dune: Prophecy tries its best to fit the molds set by Dune and Dune: Part II, but more often that not it feels like imitation. The Hidden Hand has its ups and downs, with its CGI often cracking under the pressure of comparison to its big-screen counterparts, while costumes and sets feel like, well, costumes and sets, rather than helping to build a cohesive, convincing, and immersive fictional worlds. Every once in a while theres a moment of greatness Kashas nightmare sequence and the horrifying burning of the young Master Richese come to mind but the premiere never fully succeeds at blending itself into the universe of Dune.Dune: Prophecy Series Premiere Gallery

This review contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy episode 1.For years, fans considered Dune an unfilmable novel. Dense with lore, full of epigrams and aphorisms, and featuring an inversion of a classical messiah figure, Frank Herberts epic seemed to only work on the page, where the omniscient narrator can explain the true meaning behind a characters obscure dialogue.Denis Villeneuves Dune and its follow-up Dune: Part Two seemed to prove that conventional wisdom wrong. Not without its flaws and certainly streamlined, Villeneuves adaptations proved that the story of Arrakis could come to the screen.Now comes Dune: Prophecy to suggest that maybe Villeneuve got lucky.Dune: Prophecy is easily the worst live-action adaptation of any Dune property worse than David Lynchs oddball wonder, worse than the Sci-Fi miniseries of the 2000s. It misunderstands not just the central appeal of Herberts work, but also the appeal of Game of Thrones and other TV epics that HBO clearly wants to replicate.Showrunners Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker, the former wrote the premiere The Hidden Hand and Anna Foerster directs, do not make things easy on themselves, choosing to build off a little-loved trio of books (written by Frank Herberts son Brian Herbert and co-author Kevin J. Anderson) set more than 10,000 years in the future but more than 10,000 years before the events of Villenueves Dune movies.The Hidden Hand mostly concerns sisters Valya and Tula Harkonnen (Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, respectively), biological sisters and leaders of a religious order called the Sisterhood, forerunners of the Bene Gesserit seen in Dune. The more enterprising of the duo, Valya wants to continue her mentors desire to put a puppet ruler on the Emperors throne, giving the Sisterhood someone they can control.Valya sees her opportunity during the reign of Emperor Javicco Corrino (Mark Strong), a relatively weak ruler who struggles to keep up with the various power plays in his court. These plays include not only the machinations of Valya, but also his wife Natalya (Jodhi May), his daughter Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), and Harrow Harkonnen (Edward Davis), the last of whom arranges a marriage to Ynez to his very young son, in hopes of securing spice flow from Arrakis. And then theres soldier Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), who seems to be playing his own game, and Javiccos son Constantine (Josh Heuston), who seems mostly concerned with being handsome, but might also have other motivations.Complicating matters for Valya are the fissures within the Sisterhood, which we only begin to glimpse in the pilot. Were introduced to a number of Sisters who more or less declare their character descriptions and then move on, including Aoife Hinds as the devout Emeline, Chloe Lea as youthful Lila, Jade Anouka as the mercurial Theodosia, and Jihae as the politically-minded Kasha Jinjo.To its credit, Prophecy seems to anticipate audience confusion. To its great demerit, Prophecy addresses the problem by reducing almost all dialogue to exposition, complete with voice over narration from Valya for the first ten minutes or so of the episode, referencing a war against thinking machines and elements that viewers might know from the movies. Even after the voice-over stops, most of The Hidden Hand consists of actors reading the Dune fandom wiki to one another in darkened hallways.Yet, for all its attempts to explain the timeline and characters and basic motivations, Prophecy never creates a legible story, let alone an engaging one. Villeneuves adaptation worked not just because it simplified the machinations upon machinations in the book. It worked because he leads with the emotional truth of the characters, giving the actors something to work with.Because theyre playing wiki entries, even outstanding actors such as Watson, Williams, and Strong get lost. Theres a clear affection between Watson and Williams that gives their interactions some reality, even if theyre just shouting nonsense to one another. Strong isnt asked to do much but look annoyed and beffudled by everything. The younger actors dont fare as well, especially Jessica Barden as teenage Valya. Like everyone else, Barden must try to make exposition sound compelling, but shes also asked to portray a visionary upstart who changes the course of history, a quality thats just not on the page or in the performance. When Valya uses the Voice for the first time, the Bene Gesserit power to control people through speech, it sounds like a whiny screech, unable to compel anyone to do anything but turn off the TV.The most compelling performance in The Hidden Hand comes from Fimmel, strangely. Fimmel plays Desmond Hart like hes Iago in a middle-school production of Othello, broadcasting to the cheap seats his dubious nature. Yet, its the most enjoyable bit of the show, possibly because like Dakota Johnson in Madame Web, another bad actor in a bad production, his disdain for the terrible material captures the audiences frustration.Whatever the reason, the fact that Travis Fimmel is the standout in a prestige show starring Emily Watson and Olivia Williams proves that Dune: Prophecy is doomed. The Hidden Hand ends with a compelling cliffhanger, in which Harts attack leaves several visitors to Javiccos badly burned, including Ynezs young betrothed. But after the fifty minutes of exposition that preceded it, it seems likely that episode two will just be people explaining the attack to one another instead of responding like real people.Anyone interested in what happens would be better off reading the Dune wiki and then rewatching any other adaptation. Even flawed but functional takes on Herberts world are better than what Dune: Prophecy has to offer.New episodes of Dune: Prophecy premiere Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO and Max, culminating with the finale on December 22.Learn more about Den of Geeks review process and why you can trust our recommendationshere.

Lets say you, like most people, havent read any of Frank Herberts novels, but youve watched and rewatched both of Denis Villeneuves Dune movies again and again. You should be set to jump right in to the new prequel series Dune: Prophecy, right?As much as HBO and showrunners Diane Ademu-John and Alison Schapker want the answer to be Yes, the fact of the matter is that Herbert created a dense world, familiar and foreign all at once. We may be able to see similarities between the Bene Gesserit sisterhood and real-world nuns or the spice production on Arakkis and todays oil mining operations, but Herbert covers those metaphors with unique language and backstory.Dune: Prophecy makes things more complex by building not on any of Herberts works, but on the additional material written by his son Brian and co-writer Kevin J. Anderson. Prophecy builds off of the Great Schools of Dune trilogy, and takes place 60 years after those events. Furthermore, the moral complexity of Herberts world means that we cant even break characters into simple good guy and bad guy categories, as demonstrated by the fact that the show chooses as protagonists Valya and Tula Harkonnen, ancestors of the movies big bads Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgrd) and his nephew Fayd-Ratha Harkonnen (Austin Butler).In short, Dune is complicated and confusing property. But Dune: Prophecy will make a lot more sense if you know a little about the characters, and thats where Den of Geek has you covered.Emily Watson as Valya HarkonnenThe first episode of Prophecy begins with Valya explaining her familys place in the world. While most viewers associate the name Harkonnen with the scheming Baron, Valya insists that her family was unfairly shamed by duplicitous Atreides during the war against Thinking Machines (read: AI) a century earlier. Valya sees a way forward for her family through the Sisterhood, a religious order that eventually becomes the Bene Gesserit.Prophecy overcomes any prejudices viewers might have by casting Emily Watson as Valya. A veteran of stage and screen, Watson has an inherent sweetness and vulnerability, qualities that led to standout performances in Breaking the Waves and Punch-Drunk Love. Watson began in the Royal Shakespeare Company, training that serves her well while delivering Valya long and often deliberately obscure monologues. But will that be enough to make people see Valya as a hero?Olivia Williams as Tula HarkonnenWhere Valya sees the Sisterhood as a means to restore the honor of her family, her sibling Tula sees it as a good unto its self. As a Reverend Mother within the Sisterhood, Tula devotes her time less to scheming power plays and more towards teaching her charges the fundamentals of their beliefs. Despite her differences in approach, Tula still deeply loves Valya and shows a great deal of patience for the latters plans.Like Watson, Olivia Williams has a long and impressive career in film, television, and theaters. Moviegoers may know her best for supporting roles in The Sixth Sense and Rushmore, where she played women who provided stability in complex situations. That experience will serve Williams well while portraying Tula, as will her historical research. As Williams told Den of Geek earlier this year, she and Watson prepared for their roles by studying the portraits of Tudor sisters Mary and Elizabeth in the National Portrait Gallery.Mark Strong as Emperor Javicco CorrinoAlthough he only had a few minutes of screen time, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV (Christopher Walken) made his presence known throughout both Dune films. His distant ancestor Javicco Corrino will be much more noticeable in Dune: Prophecy, but will he be more effective? The scion of the house who established itself in the fallout of the war against Thinking Machines, Javicco rules an empire in transition, still trying to figure out how to live without computers. As future institutions such as the Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild rise, Javiccos weaknesses will be theirs to exploit.Weakness isnt often a word associated with Mark Strong, and not just because of his surname. Strong loves to play scheming villains, most recently stepping in for John Turturro as Carmine Falcone in The Penguin, but also as Doctor Sivana in Shazam!, Sinestro in Green Lantern, and Frank DAmico in Kick-Ass. Strong will get to show off another set of skills as Javicco, a man who cannot keep up with the schemers around him.Sarah-Sofie Boussnina as Princess YnezOne of the prime schemers with whom Javicco must contend is his own daughter, Princess Ynez. Ynez recognizes that, even 10,000 years in our future, patriarchy still limits the abilities of women, a limitation she rejects. She can play the dutiful daughter in a royal line, even agreeing to a political marriage to the pre-pubescent son of a spice baron from Arrakis. But make no mistake, she is playing, working her own angles until she can find a role that befits her desires.A newcomer to most American and British viewers, Sarah-Sofie Boussnina has done most of her work in her native Denmark. There, she appeared on the 2011 crime series The Bridge and in the historical series 1864.Jodhi May as Empress NatalyaGiven Javiccos weak will, one might wonder where Ynez got such resolve. Those questions fall away the first time viewers meet her mother Empress Natalya, played by Jodhi May. Natalya has not true love for Javicco, but rather married him as part of a political alliance. She finds herself frustrated, then, by Javiccos unwillingness to strengthen that alliance, and especially his failure to recognize the threats around him on every side.May knows how to play characters with great expectations, as shes still the youngest person to ever receive a Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, having been bestowed the honor at age 12 for A World Apart. Lately, May has played royal figures in the series The Warrior Queen of Jhansi and The Witcher.Travis Fimmel as Desmond HartEveryone in Dune: Prophecy has a secret a long term goal. But Desmond Hart seems to want only chaos. A veteran of wars in service of the Empire, Desmond returns to the palace with a powerful combination of the crowns respect and deep anger. Although the showrunners have described Desmond as an enemy of the Sisterhood, he seems to have no love for the Emperor either, leading to some shocking acts of violence.Travis Fimmel is no stranger to genre television, having gotten his start playing Tarzan and eventually breaks out in the historical series Vikings. The Australian actor also appeared in the Warcraft movie as human hero Anduin Lothar.Chris Mason as Keiran AtreidesOf course, no Dune story would be complete without an Atreides. But because the story comes from the perspective of Valya, the Atreides arent the noble people represented by Paul and Leto. They are just as dangerous as everyone else, as represented by Keiran Atreides. A sword master, Keiran comes into Javiccos service ready to train soldiers for more traditional fights. But hes forced to understand a different type of power as Valya and the Sisterhood make their moves.Den of Geek readers most recently saw Chris Mason playing John Lennon in an episode of Doctor Who. Before that, Mason had parts in Riverdale and Broadchurch.Tabu as Sister FrancescaValyas plans for the Sisterhood dont go unchallenged from within, as many doubt her plans. One of the more notable objections comes from Sister Francesca, who advises a more slow and subtle course. Francescas approach may stem from her comfortable place within the Empire, as she lives in the palace with the Emperor and has Javiccos ear. Before that, she had Javiccos heart, and her emotional attachment creates tension in the Sisterhood and the Palace alike.Hindi acting great Tabu plays Francesca, adding a bit of international prestige to Dune: Prophecy. With a career that stretches across three decades, Tabu has won numerous accolades, including two National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards.Jessica Barden and Emma Canning as young Valya and Tula HarkonnenTo add depth to the conflict between Valya and Tula, Dune: Prophecy regularly flashes back to the girls adolescence. Driven by a vision from her mentor Mother Superior Raquella Berto-Anirul (Cathy Tyson), Valya strives to change the Sisterhood and put a leader they can control on the Emperors throne. That certainty gives her a confidence and clarity that often puts her into conflict with her fellow Sisters, as well as her more even tempered younger sister Tula.Before playing the younger Valya, Barden played Alyssa Foley in the original comedy The End of the F***ing World. She also went on to appear in the movies Scarborough and The Lobster. Irish actor Emma Canning has an impressive stage career, which includes performances in Trouble in Mind and The Night of the Iguana, as well as parts in the TV series The Irregulars and Masters of the Air.Dune: Prophecy airs every Sunday at 9 pm EST on HBO and streams on Max.

Originally introduced in 2016, it now seems like Apples Lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter may soon be discontinued (via MacRumors).Apple started selling this product alongside the iPhone 7, which was the first iPhone to no longer include a 3.5mm headphone jack. If you wanted to use wired headphones (aside from the Lightning EarPods that came in the box), you would need this adapter.Apple included it in the box with the iPhone 7, 8, and X, but starting with the iPhone XS and XR, they stopped including it, requiring customers to buy it separately for $9.Obviously, iPhones use USB-C now, and Apple does still make a USB-C to headphone jack adapter for use with iPhone 15 and later. However, if you use an iPhone 14 or prior, time may be running out.Its currently sold out on Apples online store, which doesnt necessarily mean its gone but its a strong sign. As mentioned in MacRumors reporting, this same situation played out with Apples USB SuperDrive, where it sold out a few months prior, and then silently got discontinued.While it is out of stock online in the US and in most countries, it is still available in France, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.Therell likely continue to be MFi options on the market, but if you specifically want the Apple one time is running out. Amazon seems to be out of stock, but you can still buy it from Best Buy, for slightly under the original $9 price tag.Follow Michael:X/Twitter,Threads,InstagramAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bless them.Vroom VroomThe scientists who taught rats to drive itty bitty cars are back at it again and this time, they have even more insights about how much these rodents enjoy their unusual pastime.In an essay forThe Conversation, University of Richmond neuroscientist Kelly Lambert said that over the course of her experiments teaching rats how to drive, she and her colleagues learned a lot about rewards and anticipation.Lambert and her team have for years now been teaching lab rats how to drive as a way of studying the relationship between animal environments, stress, and the development of cognition and new skills. The adorable experiments went so viral, they ended up in a 2022 Netflix documentary but according to Lambert, that's not the whole story.During the bleak and lonely period marked by COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, the neuroscientist said that even her driving lab rats seemed to be experiencing emotional isolation. That summer, she recalled, she walked into her lab and "noticed something unusual.""The three driving-trained rats eagerly ran to the side of the cage," Lambert explained, "jumping up like my dog does when asked if he wants to take a walk.""Had the rats always done this and I just hadnt noticed? Were they just eager for a Froot Loop, or anticipating the drive itself?" she queried. "Whatever the case, they appeared to be feeling something positive perhaps excitement and anticipation."White MercedesWhile rats would never encounter such "rodent-operated vehicles" in the wild, the ones in Lambert's lab didn't just take to the training itself they actually seemed to be really into it."Unexpectedly, we found that the rats had an intense motivation for their driving training, often jumping into the car and revving the 'lever engine' before their vehicle hit the road," she wrote. "Why was that?"Beyond simply enjoying their fruity cereal rewards, Lambert and her team hypothesized that anticipation could be as positive an experience as the prize itself.The rats trained to wait for positive experiences seemed to have better cognition than their instantly-gratified counterparts in the control group, and when offered the choice between a shorter path to a Fruit Loop via walking or a longer path involving driving the vehicles, two of three of the lab rodents chose to drive suggesting, Lambert wrote, that they "enjoy both the journey and the rewarding destination."There's a lesson in these experiments for humans, the neuroscientist concluded: that waiting for positive and pleasurable experiences may end up being as gratifying as the experience itself."Rather than pushing buttons for instant rewards," she described, "they remind us that planning, anticipating and enjoying the ride may be key to a healthy brain. "More on rats: Rodents May Have a "Jedi" Trick to Supercharge Their Sense of SmellShare This Article

Nov 18, 2024Ravie LakshmananMobile Security / SpywareLegal documents released as part of an ongoing legal tussle between Meta's WhatsApp and NSO Group have revealed that the Israeli spyware vendor used multiple exploits targeting the messaging app to deliver Pegasus, including one even after it was sued by Meta for doing so.They also show that NSO Group repeatedly found ways to install the invasive surveillance tool on the target's devices as WhatsApp erected new defenses to counter the threat.In May 2019, WhatsApp said it blocked a sophisticated cyber attack that exploited its video calling system to deliver Pegasus malware surreptitiously. The attack leveraged a then zero-day flaw tracked as CVE-2019-3568 (CVSS score: 9.8), a critical buffer overflow bug in the voice call functionality.The documents now show that NSO Group "developed yet another installation vector (known as Erised) that also used WhatsApp servers to install Pegasus." The attack vector a zero-click exploit that could compromise a victim's phone without any interaction from the victim was neutralized sometime after May 2020, indicating that it was employed even after WhatsApp filed a lawsuit against it in October 2019.Erised is believed to be one of the many such malware vectors collectively dubbed Hummingbird that the NSO Group had devised to install Pegasus by using WhatsApp as a conduit, including those tracked as Heaven and Eden, the latter of which is a codename for CVE-2019-3568 and had been used to target about 1,400 devices."[NSO Group has] admitted that they developed those exploits by extracting and decompiling WhatsApp's code, reverse-engineering WhatsApp, and designing and using their own 'WhatsApp Installation Server' (or 'WIS') to send malformed messages (which a legitimate WhatsApp client could not send) through WhatsApp servers and thereby cause target devices to install the Pegasus spyware agentall in violation of federal and state law and the plain language of WhatsApp's Terms of Service," according to the unsealed court documents.Specifically, Heaven used manipulated messages to force WhatsApp's signaling servers which are used to authenticate the client (i.e. the installed app) to direct target devices to a third-party relay server controlled by NSO Group.Server-side security updates made by WhatsApp by the end of 2018 are said to have prompted the company to develop a new exploit named Eden by February 2019 that dropped the need for NSO Group's own relay server in favor of relays operated by WhatsApp."NSO refused to state whether it developed further WhatsApp-based Malware Vectors after May 10, 2020," per one of the documents. "NSO also admits the malware vectors were used to successfully install Pegasus on 'between hundreds and tens of thousands' of devices."Furthermore, the filings offer a behind-the-scenes look at how Pegasus is installed on a target's device using WhatsApp, and how it is NSO Group, and not the customer, that operates the spyware, contradicting prior claims from the Israeli company."NSO's customers' role is minimal," the documents state. "The customer only needed to enter the target device's number and 'press Install, and Pegasus will install the agent on the device remotely without any engagement.' In other words, the customer simply places an order for a target device's data, and NSO controls every aspect of the data retrieval and delivery process through its design of Pegasus."NSO Group has repeatedly maintained that its product is meant to be used to combat serious crime and terrorism. It has also insisted that its clients are responsible for managing the system and have access to the intelligence gathered by it.Back in September 2024, Apple filed a motion to "voluntarily" dismiss its lawsuit against NSO Group, citing a shifting risk landscape that could lead to exposure of critical "threat intelligence" information and that it "has the potential to put vital security information at risk."In the interim years, the iPhone maker has steadily added new security features to make it difficult to conduct mercenary spyware attacks. Two years ago, it introduced Lockdown Mode as a way to harden device defenses by reducing the functionality across various apps like FaceTime and Messages, as well as block configuration profiles.Then earlier this week, reports emerged of a novel security mechanism in beta versions of iOS 18.2 that automatically reboots the phone if it's not unlocked for 72 hours, requiring users, including law enforcement agencies that may have access to suspects' phones, to re-enter the password in order to access the device.Magnet Forensics, which offers a data extraction tool called GrayKey, confirmed the "inactivity reboot" feature, stating the trigger is "tied to the lock state of the device" and that "once a device has entered a locked state and has not been unlocked within 72 hours, it will reboot.""Because of the new inactivity reboot timer, it is now more imperative than ever that devices get imaged as soon as possible to ensure the acquisition of the most available data," it added.Found this article interesting? 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Nov 18, 2024Ravie LakshmananVulnerability / Website SecurityA critical authentication bypass vulnerability has been disclosed in the Really Simple Security (formerly Really Simple SSL) plugin for WordPress that, if successfully exploited, could grant an attacker to remotely gain full administrative access to a susceptible site.The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-10924 (CVSS score: 9.8), impacts both free and premium versions of the plugin. The software is installed on over 4 million WordPress sites. "The vulnerability is scriptable, meaning that it can be turned into a large-scale automated attack, targeting WordPress websites," Wordfence security researcher Istvn Mrton said.Following responsible disclosure on November 6, 2024, the shortcoming has been patched in version 9.1.2 released a week later. This risk of possible abuse has prompted the plugin maintainers to work with WordPress to force-update all sites running this plugin prior to public disclosure.According to Wordfence, the authentication bypass vulnerability, found in versions 9.0.0 to 9.1.1.1, arises from improper user check error handling in a function called "check_login_and_get_user," thereby allowing unauthenticated attackers to login as arbitrary users, including administrators, when two-factor authentication is enabled."Unfortunately, one of the features adding two-factor authentication was insecurely implemented making it possible for unauthenticated attackers to gain access to any user account, including an administrator account, with a simple request when two-factor authentication is enabled," Mrton said.Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could have serious consequences, as it could permit malicious actors to hijack WordPress sites and further use them for criminal purposes.The disclosure comes days after Wordfence revealed another critical shortcoming in the WPLMS Learning Management System for WordPress, WordPress LMS (CVE-2024-10470, CVSS score: 9.8) that could enable unauthenticated threat actors to read and delete arbitrary files, potentially resulting in code execution.Specifically, the theme, prior to version 4.963, is "vulnerable to arbitrary file read and deletion due to insufficient file path validation and permissions checks," allowing unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary files on the server."This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read and delete any arbitrary file on the server, including the site's wp-config.php file," it said. "Deleting wp-config.php forces the site into a setup state, allowing an attacker to initiate a site takeover by connecting it to a database under their control."Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post.SHARE

Source: Morgan SindallExteriorSource: Fischer StudiosFacadeSource: Fischer StudiosExteriorSource: Fischer StudiosFacadeSource: Fischer StudiosWindow viewSource: Fischer StudiosStudent bedroomSource: Fischer StudiosKitchenSource: Fischer StudiosStudent kitchenSource: Fischer StudiosSource: Morgan SindallStaircaseSource: Fischer StudiosSource: Fischer Studios1/12show captionOxford Brookes University has opened 342 en-suite student rooms as part of the first phase of the redevelopment of Clive Booth Student Village, designed by MICA. The multi-phase project aims to provide 1,350 rooms within a woodland setting in East Oxford, adjacent to the universitys Headington Campus.The project seeks to address student housing demand in Oxford, reducing pressure on the private rental market while enabling students to benefit from improved access to pastoral support. The scheme has been designed to integrate with the surrounding landscape, and includes several outdoor communal spaces.Jessie Turnbull, associate director at MICA, highlighted the focus on student wellbeing in the design:The university was keen to construct high quality, low impact accommodation that would be a calm and secure place to live, offering students a living space where they can relax and bring their best selves to their studies.MICAs design seeks to prioritise sustainability, with recycled materials used in furnishings fabricated locally, including communal kitchen tables and benches made from 100% recycled plastic.>> Also read:MICA completes redevelopment of Pembroke College site in OxfordMark Tugwell, deputy director of estates at Oxford Brookes University, described the development as a way to meet the needs of students and reduce pressure on the local housing market: The transformation of the Clive Booth Student Village site is providing high-quality rooms and social spaces for our students within a picturesque setting near to our Headington Campus.It will also benefit the local community by reducing pressure on the Oxford housing supply by allowing more students to live in excellent student accommodation on our estate.The development also incorporates sustainable design features such as large operable windows to provide natural ventilation and maximise daylight. Further phases of the project are planned.Project Team:Client: Oxford Brookes UniversityArchitect: MICAMain Contractor: Morgan SindallProject Manager: Turner & TownsendCost Management: Turner & TownsendStructural Engineer: IntegralM&E Engineer: ArupLandscape Architects: LDAPlanning Consultant: SavillsAccess Consultant: Jane Simpson AccessBuilding Control: Bureau Veritas/ SOCOTecFire Consultant: ArupAcoustic Consultant: ArupPrincipal Designer (CDM): MICA

Regal and 4C Group bring forward second scheme working togetherMorris + Company's Source: Regal / 4C GroupSource: Regal / 4C Group1/2show captionPlans for a student-led scheme with more than 200 residential units have been submitted to Camden Council.Developers Regal and 4C Group have brought forward the project at 33-35 Jamestown Road and 211 Arlington Road, after the completion of their first joint project in Aldgate earlier this year.The proposals, which were designed by Morris + Company, include 187 student bedrooms, 27 affordable homes, as well as flexible commercial space.According to the developers, Camden is Londons fourth-highest borough for student residents, and the plans include study areas to accommodate residents.All of the affordable homes are dual- or triple-aspect and comprise a mix of social rent and intermediate tenures.The building, which wraps around a historic 19th-century pub, 31 Jamestown Road, includes nearly 3500 sqft of flexible commercial space with a publicly accessible frontage, as well as a woodland-inspired courtyard.Steve Harrington, planning director at Regal, said: Our partnership with 4C Group is rooted in a shared commitment to delivering great urban developments.Building on the success of The Haydon, this latest project in Camden demonstrates our aligned expertise and ambition to reshape underutilised sites into thriving, future-forward spaces.4C Groups ambition, coupled with Regals strong development and construction capabilities is the ideal match. Together, were bringing a richly layered development to Camden Town that meets community needs, supports biodiversity, and elevates urban regeneration.