Jack O'Sullivan
April 19 2021
Canadian politicians get an accidental eyeful via Zoom
It was bound to happen eventually. With millions of employees working from home in order to protect themselves and others from the pandemic, video conferencing software like Zoom has become commonplace. One thing I'm sure we all fear, though, is turning your camera on accidentally when you're looking less than your best. Attendees to a Canadian political Zoom call most definitely got more than they bargained for, William Amos - the representative of Pontiac, Quebec - was seen naked after accidentally turning his video on.
The politician has apologised via Twitter and expressed his embarrassment at the mistake. Apparently he was changing into his work clothes following a jog, but once he realised his video had accidentally turned on, he used his phone to hide his nether regions and hid behind a chair. Read more here.
Google Earth has released a global time-lapse feature
Google has released it's biggest update to Google Earth in over 4 years - a high-tech time-lapse feature that uses millions of satellite images to show how the Earth has changed over the past 37 years. The tool is being marketed to showcase the effects of climate change on our planet; the tech giant is hoping that if users can see huge glaciers melting away, or the Amazon losing miles and miles of forest over such a short space of time, that this may inspire them to make more sustainable choices.
In a statement about the new feature, Google said: "We have a clearer picture of our changing planet right at our fingertips - one that shows not just problems but also solutions, as well as mesmerisingly beautiful natural phenomena that unfold over decades." Read more here.
The US government is turning the tables on Russian cyber-criminals
Washington is hitting back at Russia in a big way; not only has the US started imposing tough sanctions on the country, but they're now exposing Russian secrets en masse. All this is said to be retaliation for alleged Russian hacking attacks on American businesses, the US government, and for meddling in US elections.
Washington released a whole heap of statements, publishing info on Russian intelligence activities - naming possible front organisations as well as people who've been in cahoots with the Kremlin in recent years. An organisation that claimed to be a news agency was exposed by the US government for actually being run by the Russian military, an "IT company" was revealed to actually be playing a role in Russia's malicious cyber operations abroad, and Washington also released a wanted poster for an individual who's suspected of interfering with the 2016 and 2020 elections.
These tactics send a clear message to Putin: the US is no longer lying down and taking alleged Russian hacking efforts, and is willing to fight fire with fire. Read more here.
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