Weekend takeaway: Secure your private universe

4 May 2018

Image: AstroStar/Shutterstock

Essential sci-tech reading for the weekend, including building a more private world, Cambridge Analytica fallout and GDPR.

Twitter urges all 336m users to change their passwords right now

Twitter urges all 336m users to change their passwords right now

Image: Shutow Alexey Leonidovich/Shutterstock

Twitter has found a bug that stored unmasked user passwords in an internal log. There has been no indication of a breach or misuse of the data.

Goodbye Cambridge Analytica, we hardly knew ye! But you knew us

Good-bye Cambridge Analytica, we hardly knew ye! But you knew us

Former Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix on stage at the Web Summit in Lisbon last year. Image: Web Summit/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Cambridge Analytica has imploded under the weight of the data scandal that may have influenced Donald Trump’s election and the UK Brexit vote.

Key elements of GDPR for employers: Are you ready for the changes?

ticking alarm clock GDPR

Image: Bohbeh/Shutterstock

The clock is ticking as the GDPR deadline looms. The team at Matheson offers some advice for employers in the lead-up.

Windows 10 update: Key features you need to know about

Microsoft releases details about the major new changes in store for Windows 10.

Cork audience witness live creation of a cyborg with smart implant

Holding smart implant in hand

From left: Dr Patrick Kramer, chief cyborg officer of Vivokey Technologies, and Denis Canty, co-chair of the event and senior director of automation at the AI Software Labs in McKesson. Image: Gerard McCarthy

At this year’s it@Cork event, attendees got to see a person be transformed from a human into a cyborg with help from a smart implant.

Deadline extended for PhD researchers to enter Researchfest 2018

Researchfest finalist Bhagya Rekha Jonnala stands on a purple Inspirefest-branded stage presenting her research to a captive audience

Bhagya Rekha Jonnala presents her research from the Teagasc Food and Agriculture Research Centre to the audience at Researchfest 2017. Image: Conor McCabe Photography

Still working on that Researchfest entry? You’re in luck as Team Inspirefest has extended the deadline to 11 May 2018.

Pharmapod raises €1.95m to bring Canadian pharmacies into digital age

PharmaPod raises €1.95m to bring Canadian pharmacies into digital age

Image: Fabio Berti/Shutterstock

Irish-made technology is pivotal in reducing medication errors for patients.

Scientists find hint of ‘time crystal’ in the unlikeliest of places

Purple crystals

Image: ZlataMarka/Shutterstock

Believe it or not, a time crystal might actually exist, and its likeliest hiding place is within a child’s toy.

Xiaomi the money: The making of China’s $100bn tech giant

Xiaomi the money: The making of China’s $100bn tech giant

Xiaomi building in Hangzhou, China. Image: Think A/Shutterstock

With a potential valuation of $100bn, Xiaomi’s addition to the Hong Kong stock exchange could be the biggest IPO since Alibaba’s $25bn debut four years ago.

Everything you need to know about Limerick’s sci-tech scene

Limerick City Castle in Ireland

Image: Piotr Machowczyk/Shutterstock

Having received the lion’s share of funding last year, Limerick is a vibrant and fast-growing sci-tech hub in Ireland.

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com