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Welcome to today’s edition of the Spiceworks Snap!

It’s your daily dose of security and tech news, in brief, along with a mix of other odd or interesting things that might come up. We’re glad you came.
Now, let’s jump right in…

house vacuum space aurora
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Image by Suzanne from Spiceworks (AI-generated)

Flashback: June 12, 1967: Launch of Venera 4 (Read more HERE.)

Security News:

• Windows 11 24H2 emergency update fixes Easy Anti-Cheat BSOD issue (Read more HERE.)

• NIST Publishes New Zero Trust Implementation Guidance (Read more HERE.)

• Password-spraying attacks target 80,000 Microsoft Entra ID accounts (Read more HERE.)

• The ZTNA Blind Spot: Why Unmanaged Devices Threaten Your Hybrid Workforce (Read more HERE.)

• Microsoft Edge now offers secure password deployment for businesses (Read more HERE.)

Something Spacy

NASA astronaut aboard ISS captures colorful aurora in time-lapse footage of Earth from space

According to Space.com:

"NASA astronaut Jonny Kim has posted his first time-lapse video of Earth from the International Space Station (ISS), showcasing stunning auroras, lightning storms and city lights illuminating the night-side of our planet’s surface.

The former U.S. Marine launched to the ISS on April 8 earlier this year aboard a Russian-built Soyuz spacecraft, beginning an eight month tour of duty as flight engineer for Expedition 73. Prior to capturing his first time-lapse footage of Earth, Kim sought advice from fellow crewmember Nichole [“Vapor”] Ayers, who regularly posts stunning astrophotography on her social accounts that showcases the natural splendor of our ‘Blue Marble.’

“Thanks to some instruction and tips from @Astro_Ayers, I caught my first aurora,” wrote Kim in a Twitter/X post accompanying the time-lapse video. “After seeing the result, I told her this felt like fishing. Prepping the camera, the angle, the settings, the mount, then setting your timer and coming back to hope you got a catch. And after catching my first fish, I think I’m hooked. Thanks, Vapor!” . . .

Vivid green auroras are captured rippling across the night sky towards the end of the video, as the station passed over southeastern Asia and Australia. These colorful displays arise when energetic particles carried by the solar wind collide with our planet, exciting oxygen and nitrogen particles in the upper atmosphere, causing them to shine, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory."

Learn more HERE.

Something Odd

Barbie meets the Matrix: Mattel taps OpenAI for AI-powered toys

According to Interesting Engineering:

"First, it was the box office success of Barbie, which slingshot Mattel into Hollywood glory, and now it is getting techy with OpenAI. The toymaker has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to develop a new line of AI-powered products and experiences, marking its latest expansion move beyond traditional toys.

The deal, revealed Thursday, brings together Mattel’s legacy in play and OpenAI’s advanced technology to build smarter, interactive, and safe experiences for kids and families around the world." . . . Maybe what comes next is an AI-powered Barbie that talks, listens, and understands.

However, the morality of exposing children to toys capable of real conversation remains uncertain. With adults already turning to ChatGPT as therapists and confidants, is it now the kids’ turn to plug into the matrix?

Learn more HERE.

Something Interesting

This Norwegian city came up with a brilliant way to deal with trash

According to BGR (Boy Genius Report):

"Bergen, Norway is a beautiful place, but there’s something more lying beneath the surface. The almost thousand-year-old city has become home to one of the most high-tech trash systems in the world. Instead of relying on gas-guzzling garbage trucks to pick up waste, residents dump their garbage in vacuum tubes that suck the trash out of the city.

A report from The Washington Post on the development claims that the system sucks garbage out of the city with the “force of a half a million household vacuum cleaners.” That’s quite a bit of force, and if the reports are anything to go by, it could indeed be an efficient way to tackle the city’s waste.

The design of the system has allowed for Bergen to rely less on waste disposal trucks, which often clogged up the narrow streets of the city. This has cut down on traffic and cut diesel emissions by up to 90%, the reports claim. . . . Bergen isn’t the only city making the most of these vacuum-like trash removal systems. Around 200 cities have adopted the idea, including Seoul, Stockholm, and Qatar.

What makes Bergen special, though, is that the city has been expanding the system into centuries-old neighborhoods, giving everyone a chance to take advantage of the futuristic garbage disposal system. . . . Installing something like this isn’t cheap, and Bergen has spent more than $100 million to set up its futuristic garbage disposal system."

Learn more HERE.

Did You Know?

They now have smart tires that can gather information about the road.

(Read more HERE.)

What was the most interesting story today? Vote in our poll below.

  • Flashback 1967: Launch of Venera 4
  • Windows 11 24H2 emergency update fixes Easy Anti-Cheat BSOD issue
  • NIST Publishes New Zero Trust Implementation Guidance
  • Password-spraying attacks target 80,000 Microsoft Entra ID accounts
  • ZTNA Blind Spot: Unmanaged Devices Threaten Your Hybrid Workforce
  • Microsoft Edge now offers secure password deployment for businesses
  • NASA astronaut captures colorful aurora in time-lapse footage
  • Barbie meets the Matrix: Mattel taps OpenAI for AI-powered toys
  • This Norwegian city came up with a brilliant way to deal with trash
  • Did You Know? (Smart Tires)
  • None: leave suggestions below
0 voters

Missed a day? If so, check out previous editions of Snap! HERE.

31 Spice ups
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I’ve seen enough Movies that makes this a bad idea.
Chucky? Small Soldiers? Megan? Just to name a few.

17 Spice ups
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Former Marine?? Uh…tell that to any Marine, active duty or on their deathbed…once a Marine, always a Marine!

I wonder if they can do a Halloween-themed Chucky doll??

This is a great idea, until the bag splits and the chute is covered in rotting garbage…now your house smells like the inside of your garbage can in summer, after it rains, and the lid has blown open! Do you shove little Timmy up the pipe, and hope it doesn’t kick on right as he’s scrubbing? What if it clogs, is maintenance covered by the city or homeowner connected to it? And what about all the now unemployed truck drivers??

8 Spice ups
4

Let’s not.

10 Spice ups
5

This just might solve an issue I’ve been pulling some hair out over since building a new gaming PC fairly recently.

Sounds like I may have wasted a few nights running Memtest86+ trying to find out why my RAM was no longer stable after running fine for weeks.

9 Spice ups
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I got curious about this and looked it up. They have chutes on the street (taking up a parking space or 2) for garbage, paper, and cans & bottles. So nothing is in anyone’s house. I also wonder about the out-of-work truck drivers, but Norway takes care of their citizens differently.

12 Spice ups
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…you mean they take care of their citizens, period.

But that’s neither here nor there…or rather, just not here.

Still doesn’t get around the problem of clogs or really nasty spills!

4 Spice ups
8

Hard pass. That is the Scary Barbie from the other day.

6 Spice ups
9

That’s cool but A what about larger items and B what if it gets clogged?

3 Spice ups
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Gemini came up with this:
If an Envac system, which is a pneumatic waste collection system that transports waste through underground pipes using vacuum technology, gets clogged, here’s what typically happens:

  • Initial Response: Most blockages are resolved remotely by increasing the air pressure within the system. This added pressure helps push through the obstruction.
  • Intelligent Clog Detection: Envac systems are equipped with sensors to detect potential obstructions before they become major issues.
  • System Isolation: In the rare event of a blockage, the system automatically shuts down only the affected load stations. This targeted isolation prevents operational disruptions in other parts of the system.
  • Manual Intervention (if needed): If the blockage cannot be cleared remotely, trained technicians can address the issue promptly.

Potential consequences of a clogged Envac system:

  • Operational disruptions: While the system is designed to minimize these, persistent or severe blockages can lead to temporary interruptions in waste collection for the affected area.
  • Manual intervention and maintenance: Clearing blockages might require manual intervention by trained technicians, which could incur maintenance costs.
  • Increased risks in sensitive environments (like hospitals): In healthcare settings, accumulation or blockages of contaminated materials within waste disposal chutes pose a significant risk of propagating harmful pathogens. Envac systems are designed to address this by moving waste in sealed pathways and reducing staff contact. However, a blockage could potentially compromise this safety feature if not quickly resolved.

How Envac systems are designed to prevent clogs:

  • Waste Inlet Design: Inlets are designed for easy access and efficient waste deposit, minimizing handling.
  • Self-cleaning: The system is designed to be self-cleaning under normal operations.
  • Intelligent Monitoring: Sensors track movement and detect potential obstructions.
  • Optional Features: For industrial applications, options like cutters and anti-adhesion technology can be used to prevent clogs caused by specific materials.

In essence, Envac systems are engineered with features to prevent and mitigate clogs, but if they occur, the system has mechanisms to address them, including remote pressure adjustment and manual intervention by trained personnel.

6 Spice ups
11

So many scared of Barbie - all I can think is that I will finally be able to afford one of the ‘company ladies’!
We’re very happy together thank you…

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4 Spice ups
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Is it just me, or was there no video on that story about the aurora time-lapse video?

3 Spice ups
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i have no choice, but to use a windows based laptop at work. this update certainly solved all issues or vulnerabilities.

it quietly installed itself, rebooted… and then refused to get past the lenovo splash screen.

in its obvious wisdom, it was telling me that i really shouldn’t be using windows

3 Spice ups
14

Not just you, Llama. A couple of readers commented on the missing link.

3 Spice ups
15

Best case scenario we have Barbie from Toy Story…

I agree.

I suppose it depends upon how they were employed to begin with. Maybe they still drive other routes in other cities? Maybe they are the people who “manually intervene” when the automatic de-clogging and mitigation tactics fail?

4 Spice ups
16

Maybe they handle the rare “too large to fit” jobs and are only on-demand?

3 Spice ups
17

Oh, even in the original article? I saw the picture, but didn’t look further. Sorry.

4 Spice ups
18

Doesn’t seem like it would fit even the standard 13 gallon kitchen bags. I would be throwing out about 50 of those tiny bags per week!

3 Spice ups
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It’s definitely not an American system!

1 Spice up