While the rest of the world is discussing a global pandemic, we here at Husky Ninja are still keeping an eye on tech news, and this one is a big one... Microsoft has done something nice and purchased corp.com.
For those who aren't keeping score: A "gentleman" and domain investor Mike O'Connor, who had bought corp.com back in the 90s, has finally decided to make himself a payday and sell the domain. As it so happened, Microsoft had set all the default Windows Active Directory values to corp.com back in the 90s, creating a potential name collision that could allow anyone who owned corp.com to intercept the communications from hundreds of thousands of poorly configured corporate laptops trying to call home to tens of thousands of poorly configured corporate networks.
But Mike is not all bad, and so he offered first buyer rights to Microsoft for the low low low price of $1.7 million. I guess that's cheaper than trying to issue a patch for every 32 bit operating system they've ever made, because Microsoft just doesn't spend $1.7 million for a four letter .com domain. (According to one of the articles linked above, Microsoft had offered a whopping $20K "a few years back".)
In other tech related news:
• The N.S. Sherlock Institute for the Overtly Conspicuous reports that attackers can bypass fingerprint authentication with an 80% success rate. Technology corespondent Captain Obvious is on assignment in No-Duh and cannot be reached for comment.
• BlackBerry has uncovered a Chinese hacking campaign to steal corporate intellectual properties. Also, BlackBerry still exists.
• Maingear, a boutique PC system builder and 2019's runner up for "Most Ridiculous Product Name, PC Division", has started producing emergency ventilators and flashy web sites for emergency ventilators. The FDA has not yet cleared the ventilator, named the LIV, for medical use, but reports from Washington say that they're a shoe-in for 2020's "Most Ridiculous Product Name, Medical Device Division".
• Also from the fine people at The N.S. Sherlock Institute for the Overtly Conspicuous, downloading files from unofficial Android stores will get you hacked with Russian made "unkillable malware". Security corespondent Comrade Obvious is on assignment in Siberia and cannot be reached for comment.
• Uber continues its battle against reality by seeking a path to reclassify workers as "partial". A spokesman for the company claims this will help them in their goal to beat The Sirius Cybernetics Corporation as the first up against the wall when the revolution comes.
• DC Comics (a fine example in redundant company names) is now offering backgrounds for zoom so you can look like a geek while being hacked by a doofus.
• In other zoom related news, Zoom Video Communications Inc is being sued by one if its investors, who was shocked to find out that an internet startup offering a free teleconferencing app might not be all that truthful. Business corespondent Captain Obvious is on assignment in Fantasy Land and cannot be reached for comment.
• Amazon has finally woken up and suspended its awful, awful delivery service finally thank God. In related news, I still don't have my headphones.
• The business of Digital Marketing is about to get a whole lot harder now that Chrome will be starting to end support for 3rd party cookies within the next 2 years. Time for everyone to fire up those microscopic violins.
Cool stuff from 'round da web:
• Working from home, but miss being bothered by people you hate? Try this Ambient Noise Generator and relive that soul crushing cubical feeling.
• Stephen King apologizes for you feeling like you're stuck in a Stephen King novel. I blame Dean Koontz.
• Mechani-Kong and Dr. Who's secret pyramid base. That is all.
• And the coolest thing on the internet: Orson Welles talking about running into Hitler and Churchill:
As of this writing Dick Cavett is still alive, and telling his nurse all about how he knew Groucho.