Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Tech giants respond to CIA hacking leaks
Technology titans including Apple, Samsung and Microsoft have been quick to respond to the Wikileaks files detailing CIA hacking tools by publishing security reviews of their products. The whistleblower website, founded by Julian Assange in 2006, published on Tuesday the first part of what it code-named ‘Vault 7’. ‘Vault 7’ is the largest ever collection of…
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ATO targeting the cash in hand economy
The Australian Tax Office (ATO) is cracking down on the cash in hand economy that generates up to $15 million in turnover each year. Currently, 1.6 million businesses that operate with cash only, including hairdressers, cafes and trade persons. Assistant Commissioner Tom Wheeler has said that the measure is not targeting any particular business. “We know that the majority…
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Wikileaks drop ‘Vault 7’ documents
Wikileaks have dropped thousands of documents that reveal sensitive information about the CIA and their entire hacking capabilities. The documents allege that the CIA exploited flaws within Apple and Samsung phones to monitor the actions of citizens and corporations. The CIA reports show the USG developing vulnerabilities in US products, then intentionally keeping the holes open. Reckless beyond…
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Reserve bank leaves interest rates at 1.5%
In an unprecedented move, the Reserve Bank has left interest rates at 1.5% for the seventh month in a row. This was the first meeting of 2017 and it has surprised economists that the rates have stayed the same despite concerns about the housing market and the growing economy. The bank’s governor Philip Lowe has…
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Victorian government announces stamp duty cuts
Stamp duty cuts are the plan that the Victorian government is putting into place to make buying a home easier for first time buyers. When first time buyers are going to buy a house, they will not have to pay stamp duty if the price costs less than $600,000. However, Treasurer Scott Morrison says that…
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New ‘Frugal Movement’ taking over Australia
The ‘Frugal Movement‘ is a movement that is gaining traction all around the world. It involves users being more conscious about where they’re spending their money and breaking the cycle of consumer culture. Many people who are a part of this movement save thousands each year, so it’s confusing to see why we’re all not…
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Bitcoin value overtakes gold for first time
The digital cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin has exceeded the value of gold for the first time since the introduction of the payment method in 2009. Demand for the digital currency has skyrocketed in recent times,particularly in China. Its stock price closed today at a base value of US$1268, with an ounce of gold trailing it at…
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Australian trade surplus falls by two-thirds
Australia’s trade surplus has fallen to $1.3bn for January 2017, a drop of almost two-thirds from December 2016’s significant $3.3bn surplus. This surprising decline defied the expectations of many market experts, who had predicted further growth in the surplus following the record-breaking surplus recorded for December 2016. However, economists have been quick to address the situation, stating…
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Yahoo CEO reprimanded in fallout from data breach
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has agreed to forgo her annual bonus due to the multiple data breaches the technology company suffered during her tenure. Marissa Mayer, who became CEO of Yahoo in 2012, released a statement on Tumblr that announced that she was giving up her annual bonus and equity grant because of the data breaches. “I…
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Amazon cloud crash disrupts Internet users
A major server controlled by Internet giant Amazon crashed briefly yesterday, causing widespread disarray amongst Amazon Cloud users and varying problems for major websites including Netflix, Adobe, AirBnB and the Harvard Business Review. The Amazon S3 server is used by around 1% of the top 1 million websites, according to SimilarTech. Amazon itself described the problems…
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