Reader's Corner No. 99: The World's Most Murderous Malware, Designing a Motion-Reduced Variant of your Site, and The Last Blockbuster on Earth

DesignHammer is happy to present you with more intriguing Thursday reads; this edition featuring recent advances in malware, new accessibility solutions for motion-sickness prone web users, and a very neat update from the owner of the very last Blockbuster on earth.


Triton is the World's Most Murderous Malware, and it's Spreading

Michael Nicholson

Source: MIT Technology Review

Takeaway: Malware detected in a petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia in August 2017 targeted the safety features of the plant itself. Had it not been detected before it was used, the hackers could have triggered events to cause dangerous conditions in the plant and disabled the safety systems tasked with controlling them. While this was detected and prevented, new studies show that similar types of malware are targeting companies and institutions around the world, including in the United States.

As the IoT and IIoT increases, the need for sophisticated security software and adherence to security policies will also increase to harden critical infrastructure. Something to think about next time you're grumpy about doing software updates, or when having password complexity requirements makes your day a little more frustrating."

Tags: #InfoSec, #Technology


Move Ya! Or maybe, don't, if the user prefers-reduced-motion!

David Gouch

Source: Google Developers Updates

Takeaway: A future version of Chrome will join Firefox and Safari in accommodating users who prefer a calmer web experience. Many operating systems have a “reduced motion” setting that tones down effects and transitions — needed by some people who suffer motion sickness. With browsers making that setting visible to web authors, it means webpages can be updated to offer that same, simpler version for users who need it.

Tags: #Accessibility


Manager Of The Last Blockbuster Video On Earth Reveals How It Outlasted The Others

David Minton

Source: Guacemoley

Takeaway: Many people of a certain age have fond memories of evening visits to the local Blockbuster, perusing the racks for the latest films for at-home cinematic enjoyment, sometimes soon accompanied by rage inducing recollection of late fee notices. Originally in search of VHS tapes, and later DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray discs, people flocked to the chain’s locations, that at its peak in 2004 boasted over 9,000 stores around the world. As of April 2019, with the closing of the Morley, Western Australia, those locations are now one: Bend Oregon. While Blockbuster’s business model is virtual roadkill on the side of the information superhighway, the last Blockbuster on the planet is doing business in nostalgia as much as in videos, hosting as many tourists taking photos and buying t-shirts as devoted locals renting movies. In the end, it isn’t always about technological superiority, sometimes creative marketing and brand identity can make the difference.

Tags: #Business


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