Life | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 02 Aug 2016 10:48:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Life | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 HTML5 battery status check is being used to track web users https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/html5-battery-status-check-is-being-used-to-track-web-users/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/html5-battery-status-check-is-being-used-to-track-web-users/#respond Tue, 02 Aug 2016 10:48:39 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=301251 The battery status and longevity check built into HTML5 to allow web providers to display low-power versions of their sites to those without much battery left, has been hijacked by tracking APIs to keep an eye on web users. Using battery status and estimated time left as unique identifiers, they can track users through private …

The post HTML5 battery status check is being used to track web users first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The battery status and longevity check built into HTML5 to allow web providers to display low-power versions of their sites to those without much battery left, has been hijacked by tracking APIs to keep an eye on web users. Using battery status and estimated time left as unique identifiers, they can track users through private browsing and even VPNs.

Consider that you were browsing content as normal on your phone. As you traverse different websites, adverts and other tracking APIs can access your battery life and expected lifespan before a charge is required. Should you then use a VPN or proxy to obfuscate you, that should protect your identity, but visiting those sites or others could still see you tracked based on your specific battery levels.

Although the identifiers aren't unique, they are specific. The Guardian suggests that with around 14 million combinations for battery life and expected time remaining, it is close enough to identify most users, especially if other data like location is also known.

batterylife

Source: GadgetCage

Initially pointed out by security researcher, Lukasz Olejnik, the issue has since been picked up by Steve Engelhard and Arvind Narayanan at Princeton University, who actually found two APIs running in the wild that utilise the battery indicator to identify users across different websites.

There are a few concerns that arise from this sort of tracking. For starters, it could be used to identify people who are hoping to hide who they are for some reason, allowing someone to potentially blackmail an individual based on their battery level indicators. It could also be used to sell services to people based on battery level, should research suggest that they make certain decisions as the per centage points tick down.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: It's a shame that a feature designed to help people save battery life is being coopted for privacy invasion. I wonder if spoofing battery life will be the next step in the privacy arms race?

The post HTML5 battery status check is being used to track web users first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/jon-martindale/html5-battery-status-check-is-being-used-to-track-web-users/feed/ 0
Mars had liquid water as recent as 500,000 years ago https://www.kitguru.net/channel/science/jon-martindale/mars-had-liquid-water-as-recent-as-500000-years-ago/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/science/jon-martindale/mars-had-liquid-water-as-recent-as-500000-years-ago/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2015 10:54:14 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=255954 Although there is a lot of research and effort going into figuring out Mars' future and how we might fit into that, many people (and a few rovers) are trying to figure out its past as well. Something that's become apparent about it recently, is that it has large deposits of ice still hidden under …

The post Mars had liquid water as recent as 500,000 years ago first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Although there is a lot of research and effort going into figuring out Mars' future and how we might fit into that, many people (and a few rovers) are trying to figure out its past as well. Something that's become apparent about it recently, is that it has large deposits of ice still hidden under the surface and may have had liquid water not too long ago. In-fact, according to a new study it might have been present during the time when humans were beginning to light their first fires.

The study was put together by Tjalling de Haas from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and published by Nature. In it, researchers were investigating a million year old crater on the red planet, only to discover that it had micro-gullies and sediment deposits, which are characteristic of liquid water flowing across its surface. Considering the age of the impact crater, it's possible to date the liquid water flows to around half a million years past.

“I was actually really quite surprised to discover the volume and activity of water required to explain the [gullies] and debris in the crater,” de Hass said (via PM). “The takeaway is that on a relatively recent timescale, there was quite some fluvial activity at certain locations [like the Istok crater] on Mars, at least for short periods.”

water
An artist's interpretation of how Mars' liquid water changed over the years

However, this water wasn't running across the planet in rivers and lakes, as most of Mars' protective atmosphere was stripped away billions of years ago, which would make the formation of oceans and lakes impossible. Instead, it's believed that the rivulets of water were formed by melting snow and ice, caused by the ending of a Martian ice age.

As usual though, the finding of answers only creates more questions. While we now know more about water flow on the planet, it's still not understood why the water would collect where it did and why the snow and ice would migrate so far from the poles. One suggestion is wind carrying the frozen water, but nobody is certain.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: More evidence of potential life giving water in various states. That's encouraging for anyone that's hoping we find something alive on Mars in the future. 

The post Mars had liquid water as recent as 500,000 years ago first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/science/jon-martindale/mars-had-liquid-water-as-recent-as-500000-years-ago/feed/ 7