LET’S TALK

Hidden camera in hotel room films family

A family had a shock when they stayed at a hotel. There was a

hidden camera in their room. The camera was live-streaming
them over the Internet. The father in the family was an IT
security worker. He was an expert on wifi networks. He scanned
the wifi network at the hotel. He saw one device called "IP
camera". This did not belong to him or his wife, so he became
suspicious. He found the live-stream from the camera on the
hotel's network. He said: "I could see the live-stream video of
myself. I had this horrible feeling that we were being watched."

The man found the camera hidden in a smoke detector in the

ceiling. He contacted the company Airbnb to complain. The
company did not give him any advice. He said Airbnb did not
think the hidden camera was a problem. Airbnb later said they
made a mistake and apologized to the man. It said: "The safety
and privacy of our community is our priority. We strictly prohibit
hidden cameras in hotels." Hidden cameras in hotels are
becoming a problem worldwide. Last year, two men were
arrested for secretly filming 1,600 guests in "love hotels" in
South Korea.
Passwords to be replaced by Web Authentication

Login usernames and passwords may be ending. We won't have

to worry about security when logging in. A more secure login
system known as Web Authentication could replace passwords.
This has become an official login process at the main Internet
standards body, the World Wide Web Consortium (WWWC). It
will be universally used by web browsers and platforms for
simpler and stronger authentication. It will let website users log
in securely to their online accounts using a digital device,
biometrics (like fingerprints and facial recognition) or USB
security keys.

The WWWC spoke about the end of passwords. It said: "It's

common knowledge that passwords have outlived their efficacy.
Not only are stolen, weak or default passwords behind 81 per
cent of data breaches, they are a drain of time and resources." It
said businesses should adopt Web Authentication to avoid
vulnerable passwords and to help people improve their online
security. Web Authentication means users are at less risk of
having their passwords stolen. This is because login
authentication is done with physical devices or biometrics from
our body.
Anger over Christchurch video on social media

People worldwide are angry because a video of the killings at a

mosque in Christchurch is still on social media sites. On Friday, a
terrorist shot and killed 50 worshippers at two mosques. The
gunman live-streamed the shootings on Facebook. The video
spread across social media. Many people think social media
companies have not done enough to remove the video. Social
media users posted messages asking people to stop sharing it.
One user said: "That is what the terrorist wanted." Another said
social media sites quickly take down music videos but not terror
videos.

Facebook said it acted quickly to remove the video. It said: "New

Zealand Police alerted us to a video on Facebook shortly after the
live-stream commenced. We quickly removed both the shooter's
Facebook and Instagram accounts and the video." YouTube said it
removes videos as soon as people highlight them. The UK's Home
Secretary said social media sites must do more to stop the spread
of "sick material" online. He said: "It is wrong and it is illegal." He
said social media sites must not "do the terrorists' work for them".
He said this terrorist wanted to spread his ideas.
Homes for sale in Italy for one euro

It is a dream come true if you want to get on the property ladder -

a home for one euro. Sambuca in Sicily, Italy is a picturesque town
that is selling houses for just €1 to attract people. This is because
of a decline in its population. Like many towns in Italy, the number
of residents is falling because young people are moving to cities.
Sambuca's mayor believes the houses will be easy to sell because
his town is so attractive. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea and is
close to gorgeous beaches. It has retained its heritage with its
cobbled streets and Arabesque architecture.

There is a small catch to this one-euro bargain - the buyer must

spend $17,000 on renovating the property within three years of
buying it. The deputy mayor said the town owns the houses, so
there would be little red tape when buying a property. He said the
town does not liaise between old and new owners, and that, "you'll
get [a house] in no time". He promised potential buyers would love
the town. He said: "We're located inside a natural reserve, packed
with history. Gorgeous beaches, woods and mountains surround
us. It's silent and peaceful - an idyllic retreat for a detox stay."
Woman to catch up with men's pay in 200 years

There is a long way to go before women achieve equality.

According to the recently released annual Global Gender Gap
Report from the World Economic Forum, it will be more than 200
years before women and men have economic parity. The report
found women lag far behind men in many areas. Women currently
earn about 20-30 per cent less on average than their male
counterparts. One reason for this is the lack of women in
management positions. The report said: "In the workplace, women
still encounter significant obstacles in taking on managerial or
senior official roles."

The World Economic Forum found that inequality closed by only a

small amount in the past year. The largest gap between the sexes
was in politics. It said: "Only 23 per cent of the political gap..has
been closed, and no country has yet fully closed political
empowerment gaps." Wide gaps still exist in healthcare and
education opportunities. The report said: "The equal contribution of
women and men in this process of deep economic and societal
transformation is critical. More than ever, societies cannot afford to
lose out on the skills, ideas and perspectives of half of humanity."
Chinese couples asked to take divorce exam

China is looking at a new way of stopping the country's increasing

divorce rate. Couples who file for divorce are being asked to take an exam
to find out how much they love each other and whether the marriage can
be saved. Up to half of Chinese marriages between those born in the
1980s have ended in divorce. People say the rising divorce rate is
because of there being more working women. They are more financially
independent and less in need of a partner. The rise of social media and
dating apps has added to the problem. Now there are more extramarital
affairs.

The divorce test has had a mixed reaction. A marriage-registration office

said the test was aimed at reducing the divorce rate and preventing
"impulsive divorces". It said: "Only the harmony of millions of family units
can achieve the harmony of an entire society." Other Chinese people were
less enthusiastic about the 15-question test. One post on social media
asked: "So if you remember your wedding anniversary you can't divorce?
Divorce isn't a case of amnesia." Another wrote: "They are adults and
they have the right to divorce. This is interference in domestic affairs."
Canada Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

Crowds lined the streets of Canada's major cities on the night of

October 16, waiting for the clock to strike midnight so they could
become the first in their country to buy marijuana legally.Although
medicinal pot has been legal since 2001, Canada has joined
Uruguay as the only nation where people can buy it in retail shops.
The move is expected to change Canada's social, political, and
economic landscape.Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began
the push to legalize marijuana across the country more than two
years ago, in part, to shut down the illegal market and prevent
underage use.

Adults will now be able to buy and carry 30 grams of dried

cannabis, and are allowed to grow four marijuana plants at
home.Each of Canada's 13 provinces will set its own rules for
selling pot. The federal minimum age for using marijuana is 18, but
most provinces have set it at 19. Some will allow private sellers
while others will only sell it through government-run stores.
Only licensed growers can sell marijuana on the retail
market.Canadian companies that previously grew legal weed for
medicinal purposes are now looking to cash in on the law change.

Most Canadians support the legalization of marijuana; 42.5 percent

have tried it at some point in their lives, according to Statistics
Canada. But some health officials, like British Columbia’s minister
of public safety, Mike Farnworth, are concerned. "I don’t think that
when the federal government decided to legalize marijuana it
thought through all of the implications," he said.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal called on the

government to promise to change the law if it leads to increased
marijuana use. However, Geraint Osborne, a sociology professor
and cannabis use expert does not believe there will be a dramatic
increase in marijuana consumption.
Researchers Test for Cancer in a Person's Breath

If police think that you have been driving drunk, they will usually ask you
to breathe into a breathalyzer. This device will test how much alcohol is
in your breath, and will give police a good idea of the amount of alcohol
in your blood.Now, researchers are using the same technology to test for
cancer. The new device, created by Owlstone Medical, can identify
specific chemicals in a person's breath.

British researchers have asked 1,500 people to take part in tests of the
device. Each person will wear a special mask and breathe normally for
10 minutes. The mask will collect chemicals in the person's breath,
which are then sent to Owlstone's laboratory. Researchers say that
diseases such as cancer cause the body to produce certain chemicals. By
testing for these chemicals in a person's breath, doctors may be able to
find out if a person has a disease earlier than they otherwise would
have.
One of Owlstone's founders, Billy Boyle, says cancer is often
discovered after it has spread through the body.

"So the key thing that you can do is detect the disease early. And
that's what we think the breathalyzer technology allows for," Boyle
said.

Currently, the Owlstone breathalyzer is only being tested on people

who are thought to have two types of cancer. But over the next two
years, researchers plan to test the breathalyzer on more types of
cancer.