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Day: 4 May 2023

Passwords and 2FA are so old school. What are Passkeys?

Google » The beginning of the end of the password

Passkeys are a new way to sign in to apps and websites. They’re both easier to use and more secure than passwords, so users no longer need to rely on the names of pets, birthdays or the infamous “password123.” Instead, passkeys let users sign in to apps and sites the same way they unlock their devices: with a fingerprint, a face scan or a screen lock PIN. And, unlike passwords, passkeys are resistant to online attacks like phishing, making them more secure than things like SMS one-time codes.

The Verge » You no longer need a password to sign in to your Google account

Your Google account now supports passkeys to replace your password and 2FA.

Elsewhere » The Register / XDA / Security Affairs / Security Week / Thurrott / The Hacker News / Bleeping Computer / The Conversation /

Scientists identified a strain of bacteria that may drive Rheumatoid Arthritis

The Scientist »

“The reason I think this line of research is particularly exciting is that it could very well get at an actual beginning of the disease, so that we could design therapeutics to perturb the colonization of bacteria… to see whether you can prevent a percentage of disease prevalence by getting rid of colonization. And that would totally change the types of therapies that a rheumatologist could use.”

A new study found California’s electric-vehicle rebate program is resulting in cleaner air

Bloomberg »

Residents in better-off areas are also breathing easier: PM2.5 emissions fell a median of nearly 0.7 kilograms per year in those census tracts, four times the median reduction in disadvantaged communities. Researchers found that PM2.5 pollution actually rose in 17% of disadvantaged areas, which are home to 39% of California’s fossil fuel power plants. Those communities also experienced smaller reductions in other air pollutants in contrast to wealthier areas, according to the analysis of 8,057 census tracts in California.

“These communities receive far fewer rebates and therefore see substantially less air quality improvement as a result of decreased tailpipe emissions,” said Jaye Mejía-Duwan, the study’s lead author and a PhD student in UC Berkeley’s environmental science, policy and management program. Mejía-Duwan said low-income neighborhoods often bear the brunt of increased power plant pollution that results from charging EVs located in distant wealthier areas.

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