Cars

Using Huawei for 5G is an unnecessary risk, says former spy chief

Published

4 years ago

May 17, 2019

Using equipment from Chinese telecoms company Huawei in the UK’s 5G networks could create risks that the country does not need to take, the former chief of MI6 has warned.

Richard Dearlove said, in the forward to a report by the Henry Jackson Society thinktank, the fact that the UK government “now appears to have decided to place the development of some its most sensitive critical infrastructure in the hands of a company from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is deeply worrying”.

Mobile operators are at the early stages of building out the 5G networks that will provide the bandwidth for not just faster smartphone downloads but also, in future, a range of new services from smart cities and the Internet of Things to self-driving cars.

SEE: IT pro’s guide to the evolution and impact of 5G technology (free PDF)

It’s because of these new services that security has suddenly become a critical factor. The concern is not simply that hostile powers could snoop on data running over these networks but that they could even stop the services built on top from functioning smoothly.

The US in particular has grown increasingly concerned that a Chinese company would be providing much of the technology for these networks. It banned Huawei from government contracts back in 2014 and has been putting pressure on allies to do the same. But last month a leak from the UK government suggested that the country was going to allow the Chinese networking company to provide at least some 5G infrastructure, on the basis that the risk of using Huawei kit can be managed.

But Dearlove said since China conducts aggressive intelligence gathering operations on a global scale, and since no part of the Chinese state is ultimately able to operate outside of the control of its Communist Party, “Therefore, we must conclude the engagement of Huawei presents a potential security risk to the UK.”

Dealove said that the introduction of 5G networks is a major technology change, which will have far-reaching implications for the UK’s national security and almost every aspect of the country’s civic life.

“The ability to control communications and the data that flows through its channels will be the route to exercise power over societies and other nations,” he said.

He said that to place China in a potentially advantageous exploitative position in the UK’s future telecommunications systems “is a risk, however remote it may seem at the moment, we simply do not need to take.”

He added the UK should also not be influenced by the economic cost of either delaying 5G or having to settle for a less capable and more expensive provider. “If Australia can black ball Huawei as its 5G provider, the UK can certainly do so the same without undue concern about the consequences,” he said.

SEE: A winning strategy for cybersecurity (ZDNet special report) Download the report as a PDF (TechRepublic)

The former spy chief was not alone in his criticism. “If we make the wrong decision about allowing hostile agencies access to our critical national infrastructure, history will judge us harshly,” warned MP Julian Lewis, chair of the Defence Select Committee.

A Huawei spokesperson hit back: “We are an independent, employee-owned company which does not take instructions from the Chinese government. In 32 years, there have been no significant cybersecurity issues with our equipment. We hope and expect that any decision on Huawei’s participation in Britain’s build-out of 5G networks will be based on solid evidence, rather than on unfounded speculation and groundless accusations.”

Source link

Cars

How To Use PS5’s Screen Reader Accessibility Feature (And Why You Might Want To)

Published

31 mins ago

June 4, 2023

Francisco Peguero

The Screen Reader is one of the many features available in the PlayStation 5’s accessibility suite. In a nutshell, it’s a digital narrator that can automatically parse and read out any text that appears on screen while using a PS5. This means that Screen Reader can also provide audible instructions for the general operation of your PS5 console, which is another useful reason to turn it on.

Activating your PS5’s Screen Reader is as simple as flipping a switch in the console’s settings.

From the PS5 Home screen, open the Settings menu.
Open the Accessibility options.
Open the Screen Reader tab.
Activate the Enable Screen Reader toggle.

From the Screen Reader options menu, you can also control the rate at which the narrator speaks, whether it uses a masculine or feminine voice, and the volume of the narration. Additionally, while the default language of the Screen Reader is set to whatever your console’s language is, the Screen Reader has full support for 12 different languages. The supported languages include Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Finally, you can use your controller to start and stop the narration midway. Press the PS and Triangle buttons together to pause and play the narration or press the PS and R1 buttons to start the narration over from the beginning. If you ever get tired of hearing the narrator or you have enabled it accidentally, you can always toggle it back off from the Screen Reader options menu.

Cars

5 Emergency Tools You Should Always Keep In Your Car

Published

3 hours ago

June 3, 2023

Francisco Peguero

You probably remember at least one time in your childhood when your parents’ car needed a jump from a neighbor using jumper cables. In recent years, however, jump starter batteries that you can keep inside your car have become cheaper and more prevalent, and they’re now a must-have for your vehicle. The upside to having a portable battery you can jump your car with is obvious — you don’t need to rely on another vehicle or willing driver to bring your car back to life. This is especially crucial if you’re in an isolated area or it’s the middle of the night.

Jump starter batteries have a few caveats, as they are more expensive than cables, take up slightly more space, and, most importantly, you need to remember to keep them charged. However, their benefits outweigh these slight inconveniences, and it’s worth buying a good one even if they can get a little pricey.

This jump starter battery from DeWalt retails at $182, but it comes with everything you need. That includes LED lights to see your engine in the dark, an alarm if you’re not connecting to your battery correctly, a power bank to charge your phone, and even an air compressor. Plus, it’s also built to work in cold weather.

Cars

5 Workflow Generative AI Tools That Could Soon Help Make Your Job Easier

Published

6 hours ago

June 3, 2023

Francisco Peguero

While Bing Chat may have gotten a lot of attention, it isn’t the only Microsoft product that has had its functionality enhanced by the addition of AI. Microsoft 365 Copilot integrates AI across the Microsoft 365 suite, allowing it to pull information from multiple sources and significantly improve your productivity.

Copilot can now be used for creative purposes in Word, Powerpoint, Outlook, Teams, and even Viva Engage. It can be used to write, edit and otherwise generate documents, reports, presentations, emails, questions, messages, and more. Furthermore, with its integration into Excel, Copilot can also be used as a powerful data analysis tool, giving you deep insights into your data in response to simply-worded questions, even generating models and visualizations as needed.

These implementations significantly increase the capabilities of each of the Microsoft 365 programs they have been added to. However, what really sets Copilot apart from many other implementations of generative AI is its ability to draw information from across Microsoft 365 and combine it for whatever you may require. This feature is called Business Chat and allows you to pull information from multiple sources, such as your email, calendar, and chats, all at once. You can have it generate updates, overviews, reports, and more so you can stay up to speed while keeping your team similarly informed.