3-D Printed Drug; Mac Thunderstrike 2; Windows 10 Privacy

Posted August 4th, 2015 at 3:17 pm (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

FDA Approves First 3-D Printed Drug

Increasingly, 3-D printing has been leaving its mark in the fields of prosthetics, industrial parts and other areas. Now, Aprecia Pharmaceuticals has announced that the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its new 3-D-printed drug, SPRITAM, for the treatment of epilepsy. The company said it is the first 3-D-printed drug to be approved by the FDA.

Internet Experts Submit Plan for US to Cede Control of ICANN

A group of international Internet experts has released a proposal on how the United States can cede control over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The non-profit group maintains the Internet’s database of top-level domain names.

What You Should Know About Thunderstrike 2 – Mac’s Latest Deadly Firmware

A new proof-of-concept worm called Thunderstrike 2 exploits a security issue in the Thunderbolt ports of Apple MacBooks to write custom code in their boot ROM. This affects peripherals attached to the Macs, such as SSDs and Ethernet adapters. The malware spreads when an infected device is connected to the computer, but the initial attack comes through malicious websites or emails.

Hackers Are Installing Malware on Macbooks

Another problem plaguing Macs allows hackers to exploit a critical vulnerability in Apple’s OS X version 10.10 operating system. The vulnerability, which relates to the way the operating system logs software errors, can let hackers force-install software on the affected Mac.

Windows 10 Silently Uses Your Bandwidth to Send Updates to Others

If you upgraded to Windows 10, you need to know that unless you have tweaked your data-sharing settings, the operating system will share just about everything you do on your computer with Microsoft. On top of that, Windows 10 could be using your Internet connection to send updates to other PCs. But you can turn that feature off too.

The Privacy Settings You Should Check in Windows 10

Windows 10 data-sharing settings are turned on by default in Microsoft’s new operating system. Unless you turn them off, much of your personal data, habits, etc., will be transmitted to Microsoft.

Yahoo Tackles Large Malicious Ad Campaign

Yahoo removed malware from its advertising network after security firm Malwarebytes discovered malicious ads that had been attacking the network since last week. The malware was discovered at ads.yahoo.com, which runs ads on various Yahoo sites and portals.

Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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