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Ron DeSantis signs bill requiring parental consent for kids to join social media platforms in Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida just signed into law a bill that requires parental consent for kids under 16 to hold social media accounts. It also completely prevents children under 14 from joining these platforms.
Security flaw in Florida tax website exposed filers' sensitive data
Florida's tax website had a bug that exposed filing data for residents, including their Social Security numbers.
Artemis 1 won’t launch on September 27th due to Tropical Storm Ian
NASA can’t seem to catch a break.
Florida asks Supreme Court to decide fight over social media regulation
Florida has petitioned the Supreme Court to rule on whether states can make social media platforms host speech.
Donald Trump sues to get his Twitter account back
The former president has filed suit under a controversial Florida law.
Hitting the Books: Digital youth activism can help save America from itself
Don't just think of the children, listen to them for once.
Federal judge blocks Florida's social media 'deplatforming' law
Florida's social media law that would've taken effect on Thursday has been temporarily blocked by a federal court.
Hacked Florida water plant used shared passwords and Windows 7 PCs
The Oldsmar, Florida water plant hacked earlier this week used outdated Windows 7 PCs and shared passwords.
Florida city attacked by a hacker trying to poison its drinking water
The FBI is investigating an attempt by an individual or group of hackers to poison a city’s water supply.
Some Florida counties are using Eventbrite to schedule COVID-19 vaccines
Scammers are reportedly trying to charge for fake appointments.
SpaceX makes first polar orbit launch from Florida in 'decades'
While SpaceX didn’t pull off a doubleheader Sunday launch like it planned, the company still managed a rare feat. Instead of launching eastward like every other Cape Canaveral rocket, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 headed south toward Cuba, close to populated areas on Florida’s coast (via The Verge).
Outlier adds Astronomy and Statistics classes to its online university
Fancy learning astronomy or statistics from star academics with real college credit?
Self-driving shuttles are ferrying COVID-19 tests at a Florida clinic
Drive-thru COVID-19 tests are only as safe and quick as the systems used to put those tests in the hands of clinics, and a new initiative in Jacksonville, Florida might just improve that weak link.
Congresswoman calls on YouTube to stop promoting climate misinformation
Congresswoman Kathy Castor (D-Florida) is calling on YouTube to stop including climate change misinformation in its recommendation algorithm and to demonetize videos that deny climate change. In a letter addressed to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Castor references a report by Avaaz, which claims that YouTube is sending millions of users to climate change misinformation videos every day.
Florida police obtain Alexa recordings in murder investigation
Police have once again obtained Alexa voice recordings as part of an investigation, although they're not necessarily expecting a treasure trove of information this time around. Law enforcement in Hallandale Beach, Florida has used a search warrant to collect Alexa recordings from two Echo Dots as part of a murder case. Investigators want to know if the smart speakers inadvertently picked up audio of a July altercation between Adam Crespo and his wife Silvia Crespo. She died of a spear wound to the chest; Adam maintained that it was the result of an accident that snapped the spear, but detectives want to know if Alexa preserved any evidence of possible foul play.
Watch ESPN's first native 4K game Saturday -- if you have DirecTV or Comcast
By now we've seen Ultra HD TV broadcasts of sports and other content, but for the first time ESPN is getting into the game. The network just confirmed that Saturday night's college football matchup between Florida and LSU at 8PM ET will be the first one it ever broadcasts live in native 4K resolution. The only problem now is that the only way to watch this broadcast is via DirecTV with the right equipment. ESPN's 4K productions in the future may be available via more distributors, but so far only the one satellite broadcaster has signed on. The broadcast is the first of six planned college football 4K events this year under the "Samsung QLED 4K Game of the Week" banner, which will include a 4K feed of the National Championship BCS game on January 13th, 2020. Unlike Fox's recent (upscaled from 1080p) NFL broadcasts, there won't be any use of HDR, but it is high resolution. Also unlike Fox, ESPN isn't using its apps -- or even Samsung's apps -- to stream the game in 4K, which seems like an unfortunate missed opportunity when the network has been preparing to handle 4K for many years now. Hopefully all goes well, and this doesn't end up like its 3D push that shut down after a couple of years due to a lack of adoption. Update (10/11, 7:14 PM ET): Comcast has also signed on to distribute the first live ESPN 4K broadcast, so if you have one of the cable company's Ultra HD boxes then you should be able to watch too. Additionally, ESPN informed Sports Video Group that along with the 4K game feed, it's also providing an Atmos audio stream.
Decades-old missing person case solved with Google Earth photos
The body of a man who had been missing for nearly 22 years was found this week thanks to Google Maps, according to the Sun Sentinel. Remains of 40-year-old William Moldt turned up in a pond located behind a housing development in Wellington, Florida after one of the residents of the neighborhood spotted what appeared to be a vehicle in the water behind his house while looking at Google's satellite images. Police retrieved the remains of the body and positively identified it as Moldt.
Local governments are still woefully unprepared to fight ransomware
Our state and local governments found themselves under siege in 2019 from William Plunketts for the internet age. But rather than pistols and roadblocks, this new generation of bandits come armed with encryption algorithms and demands for bitcoin. Can today's American cities and counties, long hamstrung by both a lack of interest and funding for cybersecurity efforts ever hope to withstand these digital muggings? Just ask Lake City, Florida.
Florida city gives in to $600,000 bitcoin ransomware demand
Riviera Beach, a city in Florida, is set to pay hackers $600,000 in bitcoin with the hope of having its systems restored. Hackers took over the systems several weeks ago, when a police department employee opened a malicious email that allowed them to inject the city's network with malware. Now the council has voted to pay the ransom in the hopes of getting Riviera Beach's encrypted records back -- even though there's no actual guarantee the hackers will restore them.
Florida allows self-driving car tests without backup drivers
Companies that want to test their self-driving cars will have an easier time of it in the Sunshine State. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill allowing companies to test autonomous vehicles without backup drivers. It also lets occupants text, watch video or otherwise enjoy themselves without running afoul of distracted driving rules. They'll need to meet insurance requirements, but that's about as far as it goes.