Futuristic digital background. AgettyTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Allstate and its subsidiary, Arity, accusing them of unlawfully collecting and selling sensitive data from more than 45 million Americans without their consent.The lawsuit alleges that Arity paid mobile app developers millions of dollars to embed tracking software within their applications, including apps such as Routely, Fuel Rewards, GasBuddy, Life360. This software covertly harvested trillions of miles of driving data from users' cellphones, including location and movement information. The collected data was then allegedly sold to various insurance companies, including Allstate.Attorney General Paxton contends that these actions violate the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, which mandates that companies obtain clear consent from consumers before collecting or sharing their personal data. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation, along with a court order requiring Allstate and Arity to delete the improperly obtained data, Reuters reports.This lawsuit is part of a broader initiative by the Texas Attorney General's office to enforce data privacy laws and protect consumers from unauthorized data exploitation. It follows previous actions against other companies for similar violations.MORE FOR YOUWhy Location Data Matters for Privacy and CybersecurityLocation data is one of the most sensitive types of personal information because it reveals where you are, where youve been, and, by extension, aspects of who you are. For both privacy and cybersecurity, the misuse or leakage of location data can have profound implications.Day in the Life : Tracked by Your Location DataIt starts like any other day. You wake up at home, your phone on your nightstand. Without a second thought, you check your messages, revealing your location to a nearby cell tower. As you leave for work, your phones GPS logs your route, tracking every stoplight and turn. Your daily commute creates a digital footprinta pattern that, over time, tells exactly where you live, play, and work.At lunch, you stop by a pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Later, you visit a counseling center or attend a meeting at your place of worship. These moments, while private and personal, are silently logged by apps and devices, painting a detailed picture of your habits and routines.After work, you head to a local political rally or a community event. Whether youre there to listen or participate, your presence is logged by location services, adding another layer to your digital profile. By the end of the day, your phone has created a near-perfect map of your movementsrevealing not just where you were, but potentially why you were there.This story isnt hypotheticalits the reality of how location data works. From your home address to the places you visit, the information collected can reveal intimate details about your life, including aspects you may want to keep private:Health conditions, based on visits to specific medical facilities.Religious affiliations, through attendance at places of worship.Political views, inferred from attendance at rallies or protests.When this data is tracked over time, it becomes a powerful tool for profiling individualssometimes with far-reaching consequences. Whether used for targeted ads, surveillance, or other purposes, the story your location data tells may be more revealing than you realize.In digital forensics, location data plays a prominent role in what is known as lifestyle analysis, where patterns of movement and behavior are used to profile individuals. Imagine a normal day: your phone logs your location as you commute, shop, and attend personal appointments. By the end of the day, apps have silently built a map of your movements. When location data is misused or leaked, it poses privacy and cybersecurity risks, such as stalking, identity theft or unwarranted surveillance.Lifestyle Analysis: Digital Forensics Case ExampleIn a medical malpractice case I worked on, the plaintiff suffered severe complications during a routine surgery, which led to a lifetime of additional care needs. The case hinged not only on the surgical error but on the personal lifestyle of the operating surgeon, whose behavior in the months leading up to the procedure came under intense scrutiny.Through the use of lifestyle analysis, I pieced together cell phone location data and social media posts, which alongside witness testimony and receipts painted a picture of the surgeons life in the months preceding the incident. The analysis revealed that the surgeon behavior had changed dramatically after finalizing a contentious divorce.Cell phone data showed frequent late-night visits to bars and clubs, sometimes as late as 4 AM, only hours before scheduled surgeries. The location data allowed the attorneys and investigators to find witnesses, who reported seeing the surgeon at social events appearing intoxicated on multiple occasions during the work week.Medical experts testified that lack of sleep and potential impairment from substance use could significantly impact decision-making, reaction times, and motor skills. The plaintiffs attorneys argued that these factors likely contributed to the surgeons error, turning a routine procedure into a life-altering tragedy.Forensic experts use location data to reconstruct behavior and establish patterns, but when these insights are obtained without consent, they become a breach of privacy and a gateway to potential exploitation. When misused or leaked, location data doesnt just show where a person has been; it reveals their routines, habits, and even deeply personal aspects of their lives, such as health conditions, religious affiliations and political views.Arity has been contacted for comment. This article will be updated accordingly when they respond.

Facepalm: Automattic and WP Engine are competing for control of the WordPress.org project, and users will bear the consequences. After its initial legal setback, Matt Mullenweg's company has now confirmed that it will "align" its development efforts with the minimal code contributions provided by other third-party companies. A California judge recently granted WP Engine a temporary injunction against Automattic, the organization managing many crucial aspects of the WordPress project. The judge ruled that WordPress.com can no longer prevent hosting company WP Engine from accessing its online resources. However, Automattic is now escalating matters further.A recent post by Mary Hubbard confirmed that the company is being forced to "rebalance" the resources it allocates to WordPress.org, the open-source project at the core of the entire WP platform. Automattic will reduce its "sponsored" contributions to the WordPress.org project, instead prioritizing for-profit ventures such as WordPress.com, Pressable, WPVIP, Jetpack, and WooCommerce.Volunteer contributions will be slashed to about 45 hours per week, a sharp drop from the 3,988 hours previously committed. Automattic will match the support provided by WP Engine and other WP players, focusing primarily on security patches and critical updates. The company was apparently forced to reallocate its resources after WP Engine's lawsuit, as considerable time and energy must now be diverted to addressing legal issues.Hubbard stated that Automattic is forced to spend significant time and money defending itself against WP Engine, a WordPress hosting company backed by private equity firm Silver Lake. The organization is also lamenting the criticism and even personal attacks coming from the WP "community" aimed at Automattic and Matt Mullenweg's leadership role.Members of the community have argued that working on WordPress.com and similar initiatives should count as a contribution to WordPress, Hubbard said. As a result, Automattic will now comply with the community's request. Mullenweg had previously referred to WP Engine as a "bastardized simulacrum" of WordPress, urging the third-party company to use its own resources to serve its WP users. // Related StoriesRuby on Rails creator David Hansson has stated that both Automattic and WP Engine are misguided about WordPress and open-source principles. Hubbard added that Automattic remains committed to the WordPress platform and hopes to resume active contributions to WordPress core, including the controversial Gutenberg editor, and other WP elements once WP Engine's legal challenges subside.

Its a new year, but bad actors are still at it with an old trick repackaged for iPhone users. Bleeping Computer reports a rise in phishing attacks targeting iPhone users that involves tricking them into disabling built-in protections and clicking on malicious links.In an increasing number of cases, text messages appear to come from fake delivery agents posing as service messages from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Two Digital Trends contributors have received such sham messages recently in North America.Reddit / Digital TrendsWe have also come across reports of a similar tactic being deployed in other regions, including India, where online frauds are posing as DHL or FedEx employees.Recommended VideosAnyone fancy finding out who kathlyn afaf could be?They are trying to Royal Mail scam people but gone via iMessage so their email address has popped up pic.twitter.com/jr5yPGaA3O Sanny Rudravajhala (@Sanny_Rudra) January 11, 2024Please enable Javascript to view this contentFrom the user posts that we have seen on social forums so far, the tactic has been in use for at least the past couple of years. If you look closely at the samples attached below, you will notice a pattern in the scammy text messages:Please reply Y, then exit the SMS and open it again to activate the link, or copy the link to your Safari browser and open it.Reddit / Digital TrendsThis is a recurring theme, with slight modifications in the language. Reply with a Y looks harmless on the surface, but its a clever way of disabling the built-in phishing protection protocol on iPhones.Apple has created a system for iMessage that automatically blocks links in messages from unknown senders. You can only open those links if you add the sender to your contact list (identifying them as a known contact) or reply to it.Reddit / Digital TrendsWhen you reply to a message, as the fraudulent message asks, iMessage switches the bad actor to a known status. Now, the link is active. Once you tap on it, the URL opens in a browser of your choice.In some cases, the spammy message asks users to copy-paste the URL into the Safari browser. Now, where the link leads remains uncertain. As per a few reports, users are led to a page where they are required to enter their credit card information.Reddit / Digital TrendsIf you receive a text from a supposed mail service, do not reply or click on the link in the message. Start with the senders name or number. If theres a spelling error, or if its a personal number (or iCloud address), its certainly a sham.Also, pay attention to the country code. If its coming from another country, avoid interacting with it at all costs. If you have any active mail assignments, always check the progress or reach out to customer care via the details mentioned on the companys official website.Every time you receive a message from an unknown sender, the iMessage app shows a Report Junk option at the bottom, followed by the delete prompt in the next step. Do keep in mind that you cant report a message after replying to it.@IndiaPostOffice I received this today, I know its some kind of scam as it is asking for 25 rs directly and its sent using iMessage using thus mail id but still I want to confirm this with officials. @Cyberdost pic.twitter.com/4FXX7UZMjT Vikash Gathala (@vikashgathala) May 30, 2024If you havent opened the message yet, simply swipe left on it, select the Bin-shaped red delete icon, and then select Delete and Report Junk. As an added layer of assurance, you can also go ahead and block the sender.A few weeks ago, the governments Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a detailed advisory on keeping your phone safe from all kinds of cyberattacks. We compiled the core findings for an average smartphone user, and you should check that out to cultivate safe digital habits this year.Editors Recommendations

An optimistic outlook can nudge us to take steps to make the world and its futureour own future includeda little less terrible.

Neverwinter Nights came out in 2002 and received an enhanced edition in 2018. In 2024, that should really be it, but there's something special about Bioware's second dip into theDungeons & Dragons universe. The energy from the game's community is strong enough that, based largely on the work of "unpaid software engineers," the game received a new patch last week.Neverwinter Nights (NN) Enhanced Edition (on Steam and GOG)now has anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering built in, major improvements to its networking code and performance, and more than 100 other improvements. As noted by PC Gamer,NN was originally built for single-core CPUs, so while it may seem odd to seek "major" improvements to performance for a 23-year-old RPG, it is far from optimized for modern systems.NNreceived a similar fan-led patch, described as "a year-long love effort" by community developers, in 2023.Perhaps it's not so surprising thatNN achieved this kind of fan-driven immortality. Opinions vary on the virtues of its single-player campaigns, but its "persistent worlds," essentially tiny MMOs run by people with DM-like powers, kept it from giving off the abandoned feel of other "massive" online games. Fantasy author Luke Scull credits the game with launching his writing career and continues to work on an unofficial sequel to the game, The Blades of Netheril, with a roadmap of seven chapters through at least 2027.

SpaceSuzie Imber is a co-investigator for the BepiColombo mission, currently on its way to Mercury. She explains how it will cast new light on the planet's many oddities, from its massive core to its epic solar storms 13 January 2025 Paul RydingAs planets go, Mercury is a world of extremes and one that doesnt always make a great deal of sense. Its iron core is absurdly and inexplicably huge. Despite its searing temperature, it has ice trapped at its poles. It is also pummelled every day by wild solar storms the likes of which Earth only experiences once a century.Suzie Imber hopes she can help us get to know the planet a little better through her work as a co-investigator with Europe and Japans BepiColombo mission, which last week made its final and closest flyby of Mercury, helping it to slow down before it enters orbit in 2026. Imber, based at the University of Leicester, UK, is an expert on space weather and says her studies of Mercury could help us prepare for the worst solar storms here on Earth. She was also, in 2017, the winner of the BBCs Astronauts: Do you have what it takes?, a gauntlet that pitted contestants against the rigours of space travel.Imber told New Scientist why she is so excited about sending a mission to Mercury, what we hope to learn about this intriguing planet and whether she might one day venture out to the final frontier herself.Jonathan OCallaghan: Why are we returning to Mercury now?Suzie Imber: There are loads of reasons. From a high-level perspective, its a pretty unexplored planet. Weve had three flybys and one orbital mission NASAs MESSENGER, which orbited between 2011 and 2015 but the more we learn,

Nike plans to launch new running shoes this year.In 2024, Nike trailed competitors like Asics and Adidas in running shoe launches.BMO analysts remain optimistic about Nike's 2025 lineup despite past performance challenges.Nike's shoe competitors were on a tear in 2024, so expectations are high for the sportswear giant this year.Most footwear brands launched six or more shoes in 2024, according to data from BMO. Asics, Adidas, Brooks Running, and Hoka led the way in running shoe launches in 2024, but Nike had fewer than six.As part of its moves to improve sales, Nike is getting back to basics. That includes redefining itself as a "running brand." To keep up with the competition, it will have to prove that in 2025.Asics launched new models or updated existing performance running models 11 times last year, while Adidas and Brooks launched or updated 10 and nine models, respectively, according to BMO. Nike only updated its current running shoe lineup and released no new models.Nike said it will launch the Pegasus Premium in late January and the Vomero 18 on February 25. The Vomero Plus, Premium, and the new Structure model will come "later in 2025."With this running lineup, retail analysts at BMO say its launch schedule in 2025 "looks more promising." Its new product line received a positive response from consumers and industry watchers when it was announced at The Running Event, a trade show held in November,"We believe NKE's inflection is a question of 'When' compelling product begins to roll in rather than 'If,'" BMO analysts wrote.Brands like On Running and Hoka have been growing in popularity over the past few years. Brooks' Q2 2024 North American sales grew 19%, a quarterly record for the brand, according to data it collected from research firm Circana.Nike brought veteran employee Elliott Hill out of retirement to take over as CEO in October, and he has his work cut out for him. Revenue for the Nike brand only grew 1% last year, with the key North America region providing a drag.However, the company has acknowledged that it will take time to see its desired results."A comeback at this scale takes time, but we see early wins from momentum in key sports to accelerating our pace of newness and innovation," Matthew Friend, executive vice president and CFO, said during the Q1 earnings call.

Nintendo will reportedly reveal the Switch 2 this week following a spate of 'leaks' of the new hardware, with the company apparently focused on the console and not gamesTech16:55, 13 Jan 2025Updated 16:55, 13 Jan 2025Nintendo Switch 2 is coming, but when?After a series of leaks, it appears the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal is just days away, as one insider suggests the console will be revealed on Thursday, January 16.Nintendo recently broke its silence around the console, claiming that a CES leak from accessory manufacturer Genki is "not official", and reportedly sent lawyers to make contact.We've already heard it'll potentially use AI upscaling for 4K visuals and have magnetic controllers, and maybe come with an OLED display at launch.Now, we may have our first idea of when to expect a more official look at the console, even if games may fall by the wayside this time.As spotted by VGC, podcaster Nate the Hate has claimed the Switch 2 reveal plans are coming very soon indeed.I can share with you that Nintendo Switch 2 will be revealed in the coming week I have been told Switch 2 will be revealed on Thursday, January 16 just a few days from now, they explain, but if you're looking for the first glimpse of next-gen Mario, you may be disappointed.Ive heard that the reveal itself is going to focus almost exclusively on the console itself. There is not going to be any presence of games."There could be a game shown running on the screen, depending on how the trailer is put together, but software is not going to be a focus.So that's the reveal date, but what about the release? According to Nate the Hate, there's a chance the company will launch the Switch 2 in May or June, and that it'll be packed with third-party ports.We've already covered one AAA game making the jump, but it could include Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and Metal Gear Solid Delta the latter of which still doesn't have a release date on any platform.Article continues belowAt this point, we're on the edge of our seats, so here's hoping Nate the Hate is on the money.For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.RECOMMENDED

Ready for Nintendo to announce things everyone already knows about it? (Reddit)A reliable insider claims to know when the Nintendo Switch 2 will be revealed and if theyre right it will be very soon.Ever since Nintendo said it would unveil the Nintendo Switch 2 before April 2025, fans have been trying to narrow down a precise date for its reveal.Towards the end of 2024, a few sources alleged it could happen in the first half of January. Thats a theory thats been emboldened by the constant spate of leaks, which have included a logo and Switch 2 related listings at retailers.The latest rumour now points to an exact date for a formal Switch 2 announcement and, if accurate, its happening this very week.When is the Nintendo Switch 2 being announced?In his most recent podcast, noted insider Nate the Hate claimed a Switch 2 reveal will take place this Thursday, January 16.Nate the Hate is certainly one of the more reliable insiders out there. In the past, he accurately predicted a date for one of the 2023 Nintendo Directs and was among the first to suggest Microsoft would begin porting Xbox games to other platforms.As for what to expect from the reveal itself, Nate says hes heard it will focus almost exclusively on the console itself, meaning there may not be any new game announcements. You can hear his full comments from the 17:56 mark in the video below.Nate does say he considers the details hes heard incomplete, arguing it wouldnt make sense for Nintendo to show no games running on the Switch 2 whatsoever.He posits that we could see a few seconds of a Switch 2 game playing on either the console screen or a TV (be it an unannounced title or an enhanced Switch game), but if games are otherwise absent, maybe dont be too surprised about it.It would make some sense for Nintendo to take this approach. After all, the announcement for the original Switch in 2016 similarly focused more on demonstrating the hardware itself.However, as Nate and his co-host YouTuber Modern Vintage Gamer have pointed out, that reveal still teased several games running on the hardware, such as The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and the at-the-time unannounced Super Mario Odyssey. Remember this from 2016? (Nintendo)Even if the Switch 2 reveal shows very few, if any games, Nate added, based on what hes heard, a software showcase should follow in late February or early March.Again, this would be almost identical to how Nintendo handled the original Switchs announcement. A more thorough showcase of the consoles line-up of games arrived a few months after the hardware reveal, with the Switch itself releasing a couple of months after that in March 2017.When will the Nintendo Switch 2 be released?As it stands, Nintendo has not provided any sort of launch window for the Switch 2, although its safe to assume itll be out this year.Most recently, accessory company Genki said it would be releasing Switch 2 accessories at the same time as the console, in April 2025. For what its worth, Nate the Hate has also said April is possible, but everything hes heard points to a May or June launch.More TrendingYou may have noticed another reveal date rumour for the Switch 2 doing the rounds recently, from purported insider Average Lucia Fanatic.They suggested a January 17 reveal for the console (only a day off from Nate The Hates prediction) followed by a March 3 release, with Mario Kart 9 and a Red Dead Redemption 2 port among the launch titles.Average Lucia Fanatics claims were met with the doubt though, when they said the Switch 2 would cost $400 in Canada, which is far too cheap. That price is tantamount to 228, which is less than the original Switch.The rumour was dismissed as fake for that and other reasons and Average Lucia Fanatic later admitted in a Discord message that they made all their claims up. A new Mario Kart has been commonly theorised as a possible launch title for the Switch 2 (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

By Passant Rabie Published January 13, 2025 | Comments (0) | The Kenyan space agency is still investigating the origin of the metallic ring that fell onto a village. Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images Its been two weeks since a chunky metal ring crashed onto a village in Kenya, but authorities are still unable to pinpoint where it came from. The fallen object raises concern over how hard it is to trace space debrisand hold those responsible accountable. The Kenya Space Agency (KSA) is still investigating the origin of a mysterious object that fell from the sky onto Mukuku Village in Makueni County during the early hours of Monday, December 30, 2024. As of today, however, the origin of the oval-shaped fragment remains a mystery. Although it was initially assumed that the ring was discarded space debris, theres little evidence that ties it to a specific rocket or satellite. The metallic ring is approximately 8 feet (2.5 meters) wide, and weighs about 1,100 pounds (500 kilograms). Early assessment suggested that the object is a separation ringa component used to connect payloads to rockets during launch, ensuring they are placed in orbit before the ring falls back to Earth. Separation rings are generally designed to burn up upon reentry through Earths atmosphere, or break up into smaller fragments that fall in uninhabited regions of the ocean. In a statement posted on X, the Kenyan space agency denied rumors that the Indian Space Research Organization was responsible for the object, dismissing claims that there will be compensation to the residents of the village. The Kenya Space Agency and relevant authorities are handling the matter to ensure a thorough and accurate assessment. We advise the public to remain cautious about such reports and await official findings, KSA wrote on X.Another culprit was later named, object 33155 (2008-034C), an Ariane SYLDA adapter from flight V184. The SYLDA is a hollow shell placed over one payload so that another payload can be placed on top, and this particular one launched on July 7, 2008. Following its launch, the SYLDA was left in a geostationary transfer orbit and reportedly reentered on December 30 (the same day as the ring incident), according to the Space Forces orbital tracking unit.Again, this is mere speculation. Space Force ability to track objects at such very low inclinations is poor once the objects reach a low altitude orbit, which explains the lack of tracking in the final week, Harvard-Smithsonian astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, an expert in space tracking, wrote in a blog post. This means we cant really be confident about when and where it reentered, especially if Space Forces estimate is really just an extrapolation of data from a week previously. The lack of evidence has prompted McDowell to question whether this object even fell from space. It was suggested that the ring is space debris, but the evidence is marginal, he added. I am not fully convinced that the ring is space debris at all.Marco Langbroek, an astrodynamics lecturer at Delft Technical University in the Netherlands, agrees that the metal ring likely did not come from an Ariane rockets SYLDA adaptor. That said, he does point to other evidence suggesting it is space debris. Apart from the metal ring in the pictures, other fragments looking consistent with space debris, for example what looks like carbon wrap and isolation foil, were found several kilometers away from it, Langbroek wrote in a blog.The ongoing mystery over where the metallic ring came from highlights the growing risk of falling space debris, the origin of which can sometimes be hard to track.In March 2023, a two-pound cylinder-shaped object crashed through the roof of a home in Florida. The object was later identified as a fallen piece of a massive pallet of old batteries that NASA had tossed from the International Space Station in March 2021, sending it flying through Earths atmosphere. The family whose home was affected sued NASA for property damage. If the space debris goes unclaimed, however, then there will likely be no repercussions for whatever damage was caused. On average, 200 to 400 human-built objects reenter through Earths atmosphere every year, so the chances of space junk ending up in inhabited areas is slim, but still not zero. The regulations that govern these sort of incidents are not entirely solid. The 1972 Liability Convention states that the launching country is liable to pay compensation for any damage caused by its space object, whether in orbit or on Earth. However, the convention stipulates that a company or institution is only liable for its space debris if it was negligent in some way, but it fails to define what would constitute as negligence in that case.Things become even less clear when it comes to unclaimed pieces of debris, as evident by the mysterious ring that fell in Kenya. Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published January 10, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 8, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 7, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 6, 2025 Isaac Schultz and Passant Rabie Published January 4, 2025 By Passant Rabie Published January 2, 2025