My quick thoughts on a grab bag of news from the last 24 hours.
In Tech News Today, I muse over news stories from the past 24 hours that catch my attention.
It’s a bad day to be an iiNet customer
TPG, the parent company that owns the iiNet brand has announced that it was subject to a security breach through its order management system.
As per TPG the breach involved “around 280,000 active iiNet email addresses and around 20,000 active iiNet landline phone numbers, plus inactive email addresses and numbers. In addition, around 10,000 iiNet user names, street addresses and phone numbers and around 1,700 modem set-up passwords, appear to have been accessed”, though it stresses that identity documents and credit card details are not part of that system and were not accessed.
Alex’s Quick Thoughts:
Ouch.
This is a depressingly common story these days, and while it’s undoubtedly good for iiNet customers that their core personal identity information wasn’t breached here, it’s still not good.
My standard advice applies here; be wary of any communications that appear to come from iiNet, especially if they’re looking for password resets or the like.
A good idea to refresh those details manually, of course, and enable multi-factor authentication if that’s part of the toolbox over at iiNet.
Fun fact: I was an iiNet customer, back in the ADSL days. That seems like so long ago… because it was.
About that social media ban for the children…
Not the newest story (this one got published on Monday), but over at Crikey Cam Wilson has an excellent look somewhat-behind-the-scenes at the turmoil surrounding the incoming social media ban for Australians under 16.
Alex’s Quick Thoughts:
This does not sound efficient, though my inner cynic does feel like saying that this often feels like par for the course for any government department with so many cooks in the stew and all that.
I noted the other week the whole issue around video game characters being a bypass mechanism (one amongst many, it seems), but if the regulatory body in charge of deciding on mechanisms is sticking its head in the sand around criticism, well…
Tesla’s now selling… indicator stalks?
Tesla’s deal with its cars has long been about minimalism, up to the point where with the most recent large-scale change to its Model 3 line it removed indicator stalks in favour of on-wheel and screen buttons for those features.
It appears that Tesla’s looking at reversing that choice, possibly for upcoming models and maybe also as a retrofit kit for those who already own a stalk-free “Highland” Model 3.
Alex’s Quick Thoughts:
I’ve only had a very, very brief hands-on time with the Highland Model 3 and to say that I wasn’t a fan of the lack of indicator stalk would be a gross understatement.
Given Tesla’s fortunes of late in terms of sales (gee, I wonder if the CEO might have something to do with that?), it’s not entirely surprising to see the company reversing gear here.
Gamescom kicks off, so here come the trailers
It’s Gamescom season, which means that there’s a host of new game trailers. I’m going to finish up with just three of them.
Alex’s Quick Thoughts:
Here’s my challenge for you.
I’m quite keen on two of those games… and not at all looking forward to the other one. But which is which? Answers below, please.
Yes, I’m experimenting with a format. Let me know your thoughts below!
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