California bans default passwords on any internet-connected device

In less than two years, anything that can connect to the internet will come with a unique password — that is, if it’s produced or sold in California. The “Information Privacy: Connected Devices” bill that comes into effect on January 1, 2020, effectively bans pre-installed and hard-coded default passwords. It only took the authorities about […]

A bondholder finds a sneaky way to trigger insurance against default

IN 2013 Codere, a Spanish gaming firm, owed money it could not repay. Its bonds were trading at just over half face value. Blackstone, a private-equity firm, offered it a cheap $ 100m loan. But there was a catch. Blackstone had bought credit derivatives on Codere’s debt that would pay out about €14m ($ 19m) […]

Chrome 66 arrives with autoplaying content blocked by default

Google today launched Chrome 66 for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. Additions in this release include autoplaying content muted by default, security improvements, and new developer features. You can update to the latest version now using the browser’s built-in updater or download it directly from google.com/chrome. With over 1 billion users…Read More

Vivaldi browser now uses DuckDuckGo as default search engine in private windows

Vivaldi, the desktop browser app that was launched in 2016 by Opera cofounder Jon von Tetzchner, has introduced a small but interesting new feature today. As most other browsers do, Vivaldi offers a private browsing mode that offers a degree of privacy insofar as it doesn’t record the sites you visit or store cookies and […]

A full-scale Venezuelan default could push up oil prices

Who believes in Nicolás? ON NOVEMBER 30th, as oil tsars from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia met in Vienna, Venezuela’s former oil minister, Eulogio del Pino, once one of their number, was seized by armed guards at dawn in Caracas, and taken to jail. His arrest was not publicly acknowledged […]

People are beginning to wonder if a Venezuelan default is inevitable

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins President Nicolas Maduro announced Venezuela will look to restructure its US$ 89 billion worth of debt to be able to continue servicing it. Forecasts about what will happen next are all pessimistic. By the end of next year, the government and state-owned PDVSA must repay debt obligations to the tune of $ […]

VIC’s win by default

Video VIC’s win by default0:56 Cricket: NSW and Victoria’s JLT one-day test was called off because the pitch was unsafe. Victoria were declared the winners. October 15th 2017 4 hours ago /display/newscorpaustralia.com/Web/NewsNetwork/Sport news and galleries/Cricket news and galleries/ Cricket VIC’s win by default0:56 October 15th 2017 4 hours ago /display/newscorpaustralia.com/Web/NewsNetwork/Sport news and galleries/Cricket news and […]

Microsoft’s new version of Windows 10 doesn’t let you make Google your default search engine

Microsoft Microsoft’s lightweight version of Windows 10 is a bit more locked down than first anticipated. In an FAQ page for Windows 10 S, as the just-announced variant is called, Microsoft notes that its Edge web browser will be the default in the new operating system. That much was known already, as the main thing […]