Weekly News: OneWeb Satellite Network Tests, Ilona Mask Neural Interfaces and Non-Spy Electronic Devices



    In this issue, read:

    • US authorities consider Facebook cryptocurrency a threat to stability;
    • the new bill threatens the work of Visa and MasterCard in Russia;
    • Great Britain will continue to cooperate with Huawei;
    • household electronic devices will not be considered spyware;
    • Elon Musk showed thread implants for the brain;
    • OneWeb satellite network showed a connection speed of 400 Mbps;

    Facebook cryptocurrency as a threat to national security




    Jerome Powell, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System, said that it is not necessary to issue cryptocurrency until the social network has solved all the problems associated with the project.

    “Libra raises many serious concerns about privacy, money laundering, consumer protection and financial stability,” Powell said in a statement to the Senate Banking Committee. “I don’t think that a project can move forward without solving these problems.”

    OneWeb Provides Data Transfer at 400 Mbps




    The Internet from space is becoming a reality - the other day, OneWeb, which is deploying a group of Internet satellites in Earth orbit, has conducted a test connection. As it turned out, this communication method allows for channel widths up to 400 Mbit / s.

    After the network starts working in normal mode, it will be the standard speed for connecting users to almost anywhere in the world .

    “We are pleased to announce the successful testing of six satellites in low Earth orbit. All satellites allow you to connect to a global network with a speed of at least 400 Mbps, which makes it possible to provide the fastest streaming video in real-time in Full-HD format from space. Tests conducted in Seoul demonstrated the capabilities of the OneWeb satellite constellation today, proving its ability to provide broadband connectivity anywhere in the world, ”the company said in a statement.

    Startup Ilona Mask Neuralink showed thread implants for implantation in the brain




    As it turned out, Ilon Mask has an ace up his sleeve - the “secret” startup Neuralink, which is developing a technology for connecting the human brain to a computer system.

    Previously, the company did not advertise its activities, its work became known only after the presentation , which, incidentally, was held by Elon Musk.

    The signals that are transmitted by the “threads” are then sent to the PC using the “adapter” attached to the skull. This device is attached to the ear. The exact size of the “adapter” is still unknown, but judging by the sketch shown by the company, it is smaller than the auricle and flattened from the sides. In the end, according to Mask, it is planned to get the opportunity to create a "symbiont" - the human brain, enhanced by artificial intelligence.

    Household electronic devices excluded from the Penal Code




    The State Duma adopted the draft amendments to the Criminal Code on espionage technology prepared by the FSB in the third reading . Household devices were excluded from the list of such systems. Now, they will no longer bring criminal charges to buyers of gadgets who purchased them in free sale.

    The FSB project, which introduces the definition of espionage technique, appeared in early July 2018. At first, it aroused sharp criticism from electronics manufacturers, since the definition of “spyware” could include a wide range of devices, including completely ordinary household appliances. Software vendors, not without reason, feared that the future law would extend to monitoring systems for cracking programs that developers use. But the FSB rejected all the offers of market participants, insisting on its option.

    Huawei protect in the UK


    Representatives of the UK Science and Technology Committee (The science and technology select committee) sent the head of the Department of Digital Technology, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) of the same country an open letter. It says that there are no technical reasons for banning the use of Huawei equipment to deploy fifth-generation networks in the UK.

    The letter says that there are no obvious reasons for Huawei to refuse to cooperate in terms of expanding the infrastructure of fifth-generation networks. There may be political reasons, but nothing is known to the authors of the letter .

    Visa and MasterCard Endangered in Russia




    The State Duma has included in the new plan for consideration a bill that introduces rather significant amendments to the law “On the National Payment System”. According to the authors of this bill, the amendments are aimed at maintaining the continuity of card payments in the Russian Federation.

    But in fact, this means a ban on Russian subsidiaries of international payment systems from blocking settlements on the cards of banks that have fallen under sanctions. In turn, this means that such systems must make changes in their work, which is unlikely to be agreed by the management of companies.

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