Sony admits users鈥� data theft
It just goes from bad to worse for PlayStation 3 owners. Not only were they locked out of the online PlayStation Network service for a week, but Sony has confirmed that 鈥渁n illegal and unauthorised intrusion鈥� into the network resulted in a leak of 77 million customers鈥� personal details. The company admitted that attackers have obtained details such as users鈥� name, address, date of birth and password. More worryingly, credit card details may have also been stolen. This is one of the biggest identity thefts in history.
Bendy caterpillar robot
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When some caterpillars feel threatened they instantly form a wheel and roll out of harm鈥檚 way. It鈥檚 a nifty trick known as 鈥渂allistic rolling鈥� and has inspired a new robot (Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, ) developed by Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. The GoQBot, so named because of the 鈥淨鈥� shape its body makes as it pushes off, is about 10 centimetres long and made of silicone rubber. Two shape-memory alloy coils run through its soft body and twist explosively when power is applied, curling the body in less than 100 milliseconds. The robot could help in search and rescue as it is much faster and more manoeuvrable than other soft-bodied robots.
Free Wi-Fi for everyone?
Should we leave our home Wi-Fi connections open for anyone to use? Yes, says Peter Eckersley of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who calls it the 鈥渟ocially responsible鈥� thing to do. He suggests we can share access while keeping our connections secure by opening only a portion of our networks. It鈥檚 a technologically feasible solution, but one that could have unfortunate legal consequences: although US law protects Wi-Fi sharers, courts in Germany have ruled that people are responsible for what others do with their connection. And if your neighbour provides free Wi-Fi, why pay for your own?
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