Google Earth’s New Timelapse Feature Allows You To Watch As Malaysian Cities Grow, Change

Google Earth has a nifty new feature called “Timelapse” that can give you a bird’s eye view (or really, a satellite’s eye view) of cities and other places as they change across time.

The tech giant calls it the biggest update to Google Earth since 2017, incorporating 20 million satellite photos from the last 37 years. So you just type in a place you want to see (say “Kuala Lumpur” or “Johor Bahru”) and you can watch it change across nearly four decades.

It’s pretty cool, we have to admit – especially when applied to a city or town that you’ve grown up in. To begin, you can simply click here and use the search bar to find the place you want to see.

For example, here’s a view of Kuala Lumpur from 1984 to 2020.

If you prefer a more guided tour, you can open Google Earth and click on the ship’s wheel to find Timelapse in Google Earth’s storytelling platform, Voyager. While there, you can click on “Warming Planet”, for example, and watch the melting of an Alaskan glacier as the years pass – a worrying reminder of climate change.

Google has also helpfully uploaded a whole bunch of timelapse videos on this webpage and on YouTube. You’ll find videos of Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, and Segamat along with predictable inclusions like New York and London.

REvil Ransomware Now Able To Change Windows Passwords And Automate File Encryption In Safe Mode

The REvil Ransomware recently received an update that effectively allows malicious hackers to change Windows passwords, as well as automate a system’s file encryption via Safe Mode directly after that.

According to Bleeping Computer, the update was reportedly added in an effort to help these actors evade detection and to shut off backup software and database servers when encrypting the target’s files. Breaking down the update further, the new REvil ransomware reportedly changes the user’s password to “DTrump4ever” when the -smode argument is used.

As dastardly as this ransomware is, the silver lining in all this is that the affected person would still need to manually log in to Windows Safe Mode before the encryption can occur, and that alone could tip off the victim to the ransomware’s actions.

Of course, it should surprise no one that this isn’t the first time REvil has been cast into the spotlight. Last month, the hacker collective claimed responsibility for attacking the Taiwanese tech brand, Acer, and holding their servers hostage to the tune of US$50 million (~RM206 million).

In addition to the attack, the group also warned victims that it would not think twice about launching DDoS attacks on them or email their business partners about their activities. Should they choose not to pay the ransom.

Study Claims Bitcoin Mining May Trash China’s Climate Change Goals

The immense scale of bitcoin mining in China may cause the country to miss its carbon emissions reduction goals, warned a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications. The study pointed out that, as of April last year, over 75% of the world’s bitcoin mining took place in China, which happens to boast cheaper electricity rates and convenient access to manufacturers of the necessary hardware.

Absent government intervention, the study estimated that the annual energy consumption of the bitcoin blockchain in China would peak in 2024 at 296.59 Twh (terawatt hour) – more than the total energy consumption of Italy or Saudi Arabia.

That staggering demand for electricity would accordingly generate 130.50 million metric tons of carbon emission per year. That emission output would then account for approximately 5.41% of the emissions from all electricity generation in China.

According to CNBC, Beijing is aiming to reach peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. Needless to say, the chances of that happening is bleak if this study is to believed.

This is far from the first time that bitcoin mining’s adverse impact on the environment has been highlighted. Cambridge University and the International Energy Agency, reports that cryptomining is expected to generate nearly 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year.

This puts the spotlight on bitcoin enthusiasts like Elon Musk who’s also a champion of environmental causes.