Google announced on Monday (Oct 8) it is shutting down the consumer version of its online social network after fixing a bug exposing private data in as many as 500,000 accounts. Google says social network bug exposed private data, source: shutterstock The US internet giant said it will "sunset" the Google+ social network for consumers that failed to gain meaningful traction after being launched in 2011 as a challenge to Facebook. A Google spokesperson cited "significant challenges in creating and maintaining a successful Google+ that meets consumers' expectations" along with "very low usage" as the reasons for the move. In March, a security audit revealed a software bug that gave third-party apps access to Google+ private profile data people meant to share only with friends. Google said it was unable to confirm which accounts were affected by the bug, but an analysis indicated it could have been as many as 500,000 Google+ accounts. "We found no evidence that any developer was … [Read more...] about Google says social network bug exposed private data
Boxelder bug vs kissing bug
Bugs vs drugs: A solution is now a problem
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - There are times when there's bad news and even worse news. One such time is dealing with the problem of drug-resistant diseases in Việt Nam and elsewhere . A couple of case studies: Trung (not real name) was hospitalised a month ago after showing symptoms of pneumonia. After four days of treatment, however, his condition did not improve and he lost consciousness. Doctors at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hà Nội had to resort to endotracheal intubation (an emergency procedure) to keep him alive. Susceptibility testing showed that he was resistant to all types of antibiotics except for colistin - a toxic antibiotic used to treat only the worst drug-resistant infections. After a month on endotracheal intubation, he regained consciousness and his condition has stabilised. Thanh, 64, another patient who was taken to Vạn Hạnh Hospital in HCM City early last month, was not so lucky. Thanh resisted the strongest of antibiotics and was only … [Read more...] about Bugs vs drugs: A solution is now a problem
Facebook fixes photo privacy bug
Facebook has fixed a bug that allowed the viewing of some private photographs of other members and which was reportedly used to access personal pictures of founder Mark Zuckerberg. By reporting a member's profile picture as inappropriate a user was asked whether they had other photographs to report, providing access to other private pictures. The glitch was first revealed in a bodybuilding forum at bodybuilding.com. "We discovered a bug in one of our reporting flows that allows people to report multiple instances of inappropriate content simultaneously," Facebook said in a statement. "The bug allowed anyone to view a limited number of another user's most recently uploaded photos irrespective of the privacy settings for these photos," it said. "This was the result of one of our recent code pushes and was live for a limited period of time," Facebook said. "Upon discovering the bug, we immediately disabled the system, and will only return functionality once we can confirm … [Read more...] about Facebook fixes photo privacy bug
Kissing bugs yet to cause serious harm in Vietnam: institute
Blood-sucking bugs that transmit a Latin American disease recently found in Vietnam are yet to show any serious harm here, the National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology said Thursday. In a report to the Ministry of Health the same day, the institute said victims of the kissing bugs have been reported in Hanoi since 2005. … [Read more...] about Kissing bugs yet to cause serious harm in Vietnam: institute
Blood-sucking bugs return to Vietnam capital
At least seven nests of the blood-sucking bugs that caused a stir in Vietnam last year have been found across Hanoi this month, Lao Dong newspaper quoted a scientist as saying Friday. The nests of between 30-50 bugs each were found across several districts, including Ha Dong and Thanh Xuan, after locals informed authorities of attacks, according to Truong Xuan Lam, chief entomologist at the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources. Tests showed that the the insects were the same variety of "blood-suckers" found last year, Lam said in Lao Dong. But the newly found bugs seemed to be "bolder," according to Lam, who said that 60 percent of those attacked had to be hospitalized for unbearable irritation and itching, sometimes accompanied by a fever. In June last year, Lam roused public interest by announcing that he had found kissing bugs (Triatoma infestans), which are specific to Latin America and transmit Chagas disease (sometimes fatal in humans), in the center of … [Read more...] about Blood-sucking bugs return to Vietnam capital