Cloudflare Is Taking a Shot at Email Security | WIRED

September 28, 2021September 27, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

CLOUDFLARE, THE INTERNET infrastructure company, already has its fingers in a lot of customer security pots, from DDoS protection to browser isolation to a mobile VPN. Now the company is taking on a classic web foe: email.

On Monday, Cloudflare is announcing a pair of email safety and security offerings that it views as a first step toward catching more targeted phishing attacks, reducing the effectiveness of address spoofing, and mitigating the fallout if a user does click a malicious link. The features, which the company will offer for free, are mainly geared toward small business and corporate customers. And they’re made for use on top of any email hosting a customer already has, whether it’s provided by Google’s Gmail, Microsoft 365, Yahoo, or even relics like AOL.

At Least 3 Are Dead and ‘Well Over’ 50 Injured After an Amtrak Train Derailed in Montana | Entrepreneur

September 27, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

At least three people were killed and 50 injured after an Amtrak train derailed in Montana, CNN and The New York Times reported Saturday evening.

An Amtrak spokesperson told Insider seven cars on the Empire Builder train derailed near Joplin around 4 p.m. MT. There were 146 passengers and 16 crew members aboard the train at the time, the spokesperson said.

“Amtrak is working with the local authorities to transport injured passengers, and safely evacuate all other passengers. Additional details will be provided as available,” the spokesperson said, adding that anyone with loved ones aboard the train should call 800-523-9101.

New York City passes landmark bills to protect delivery workers | Mashable

September 23, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays delivery workers from getting hungry New Yorkers their food, and now, the city is finally stepping up on their behalf.

The New York City Council passed six bills Thursday intended to improve pay and working conditions for delivery workers employed by companies like GrubHub and DoorDash. New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio reportedly supports the bills, according to the New York Times.

British Airways blames pilots as it ditches plans for new low-cost airline | CNN

September 23, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

British Airways has abandoned plans to launch a low-cost carrier at London’s second biggest airport, Gatwick, blaming pilots for its decision to scrap the new initiative.

The reversal comes less than a month after British Airways unveiled plans for a short-haul subsidiary to compete with Ryanair (RYAAY) and EasyJet (ESYJY) in an area of aviation that is recovering more quickly from the pandemic than the transatlantic and other long-haul routes that used to generate most of its profit. It had hoped to start operating by next summer.

La Palma volcano spews lava hundreds of feet in the air, but don’t expect a ‘mega-tsunami’ | Live Science

September 22, 2021September 20, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A volcano on the Spanish Canary Island of La Palma sent lava fountains shooting hundreds of feet into the air on Sunday (Sept. 19), forcing thousands of people to evacuate the area.

The volcano, called La Cumbre Vieja or “The Old Summit,” last erupted in October 1971, when lava continually poured from the volcano for more than three weeks, according to NPR. This time around, the volcano is expected to remain active only “for the next few days,” the president of the Canary Islands Ángel Víctor Torres said, Reuters reported.

If You Qualify For Biden’s $10 Billion In Student Loan Forgiveness, You’ll Probably Know.

September 17, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Over the last nine months, the Biden administration has enacted nearly $10 billion in student loan forgiveness, using executive authority to modify or expand existing federal student loan relief programs.

Student loan borrowers have been clamoring for information about who qualifies, and how to obtain relief. But for the vast majority of borrowers who do qualify, no action is required. That’s because most of the covered student loan forgiveness initiatives will be implemented automatically, and borrowers will be notified by the Department of Education. In short, if you qualify, you’ll probably know.

Cryptocurrency Options in Employee 401(k) Plans | business.com

September 15, 2021September 14, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

87 percent of full-time employees expressed interest in diversifying their retirement investments with cryptocurrency

While major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are now household names, most Americans haven’t bought into this fast-growing asset class. One reason for this discrepancy is because the average American’s exposure to the broader investment market takes place through their employer-sponsored 401(k) plans.

And with so much volatility and so little regulation in cryptocurrency markets, traditionally risk-averse retirement managers have generally shied away from cryptocurrency investments. But fresh data suggest the handful of companies already offering cryptocurrency retirement options are ahead of the curve.

New research on full-time employees preferences suggests that workers are interested in this new retirement savings option. These data suggest there is an untapped well of enthusiasm for cryptocurrency investments through a 401(k) plan; however, there remain variations in attitudes towards cryptocurrency investments depending on one’s age and current investments.

What Apple Forgot to Reveal at its iPhone 13 Event | Digital Trends

September 15, 2021September 14, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Apple’s California Streaming event was full of product reveals, including the new iPhone 13 range, the Apple Watch Series 7, and more. But there were several other announcements I had hoped to see but didn’t — in fact, Apple might have missed a golden opportunity with some of them.

Sure, Apple was always going to save its Mac update for another event later this year. But that’s not what I’m talking about. No, there are some things that felt perfectly timed to make an appearance at the company’s September show, but for whatever reason, Apple decided to keep them under wraps. Here’s what we all missed out on.

What bosses really think about remote work | BBC Worklife

September 14, 2021September 13, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Many managers are itching to get staff back to the office, despite employees championing alternative set-ups. Why – and how will this change workers’ futures?

Leaning across their desk to ask a colleague a quick question, spontaneously heading out for a walk-and-talk brainstorm and knowing that everyone’s logged on to a stable Wifi connection. These are just a few of the reasons James Rogers, 26, loves managing their team from the office, instead of the kitchen table.

Fake Walmart news release claimed it would accept cryptocurrency | BBC News

September 13, 2021 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Cryptocurrency Litecoin saw a sudden surge in price on Monday over a press release about Walmart accepting it for payment – which turned out to be fake.

The release, published through a legitimate press channel, claimed that Walmart would accept the currency through all its digital stores.

Walmart later told US media outlets the announcement was “inauthentic”.

By that time, several major news websites and press agencies had spread the supposed news.