Today’s Tech Sightings:
Microsoft Shuts Down Nokia Phone Unit in Finnish Town of Salo
Salo, a town of 54,000 in southern Finland that hosted one of Nokia’s first factories in the 1970s, has been hit hard by the decline of the country’s electronics industry. Now, Microsoft’s decision to shut down Nokia’s former product development unit in the town will put 1,100 jobs at risk.
Social Media News Consumption Is Growing
A new report from the Pew Research Center and the Knight Foundation finds that Facebook and Twitter news consumption has ticked up significantly in the past two years. The report showed that up to 63 percent of Twitter and Facebook members got their news from social media, an 11 percent increase over last year.
OPM Breach Exposed More Than a Million Fingerprints
The recent hacking of the U.S. federal government’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has compromised millions of social security numbers, security clearances and critical personal information. But more importantly, it also exposed more than 1 million fingerprints – identifiers that, unlike a license or ID number, cannot be replaced.
Authorities Shutter Darkode, a Marketplace for Stolen Personal Data
And if you are wondering where your personal information goes once it is hacked, one of its destinations is Darkode, a hacking forum recently raided by U.S. authorities. The forum was a marketplace for stolen data, and a training and launching pad for more cyber attacks. Authorities who dismantled the site searched, arrested or charged at least 70 members of the password-protected forum.
Reddit’s New CEO Poised to Limit Free Speech
Reddit’s months-long upheaval, which led to the ouster of its former CEO Ellen Pao, is coming to a close with the appointment of new CEO Steve Huffman. The new chief is holding an online town meeting to reconnect with users unhappy with the way the popular community website is managed. But a recent post from Hoffman, in which he said that Reddit was never intended to be a “bastion of free speech,” could complicate reconciliation.
Three Dangers Society Faces From 3D Printing
Three D printing has a lot of promise, particularly for medical applications and developing economies. But writer Brian Krassenstein lists three concerns that could sound the alarm on some 3-D printing applications.
How to Get Rid of ‘iOS Crash Warnings’ Scam Popups
If you found yourself looking at a popup on your iPhone or iPad screen claiming that the operating system has crashed and that you should call help – don’t. It’s a scam. Writer Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has a few tips to help you address the issue.
