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HDMI cable

If you’re under the impression that the PC Gamer hardware team practices perfect cable management, I have some disappointing news for you. Beneath our desks and behind our rigs lies a tangled web of cable calamity, and somewhere in the mix there’s likely to be an HDMI cable or two knocking around.

Digital signals sent through anHDMI connectionare remarkably complex, and while it’s possible to capture leaks (or the rather beautifully phrased “unintended electromagnetic emanations”) from a cable or connector with an SDR (Software Defined Radio), what you’re left with is a lot of very complicated data that’s difficult to rebuild into a useable result.

That’s where AI comes in. The researchers trained an AI model on samples of matched original and intercepted signals, before letting it loose on leaked signal data in an attempt to decipher the results.

They then took the resulting visual data and ran it through text recognition software, comparing the results to the original output. While some data is inevitably left unreadable, the researchers claim that reconstructed text from the signals maintained around a 70% accuracy rate.

That’d be a whole lot of effort go to in order to spy on a private individual, so unless you’re on theInterpol Red Notice listI wouldn’t worry too much. Still, as lead researcher Federico Larroca says:

“Governments are worried about this, [but] I wouldn’t say that the normal user should be too concerned. But if you really care about your security, whatever your reasons are, this could be a problem”

Indeed. No reason to wrap tin foil around your cables just yet though, I reckon—or to turn it intoprotective headgeareither, for that matter.

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

Best gaming monitorBest high refresh rate monitorBest 4K monitor for gamingBest 4K TV for gaming

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

Best gaming monitor: Pixel-perfect panels.Best high refresh rate monitor: Screaming quick.Best 4K monitor for gaming: High-res only.Best 4K TV for gaming: Big-screen 4K PC gaming.

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Telecoms hack on US government officials is ‘worst in nations history’ and ‘the barn door is still wide open’ says senatorForcing users to periodically change their passwords should go the way of the dodo according to the US government

A still from a YouTube video of Senator Mark Warner speaking

Telecoms hack on US government officials is ‘worst in nations history’ and ‘the barn door is still wide open’ says senator

Telecoms hack on US government officials is ‘worst in nations history’ and ‘the barn door is still wide open’ says senator

Computer code and text displayed on computer screens. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Forcing users to periodically change their passwords should go the way of the dodo according to the US government

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LatestEpic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’See more latest►

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Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’

Tim Sweeney

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’

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