Some Bloglines and Google newsreader users have written to us in recent days to complain that any BoingBoing posts which linked to Flash content (not embedded, but linked) would auto-play that Flash content (sometimes with seriously obnoxious sound). For the "web zen: barnyard zen" post, this meant that innocent BB readers were terrorized by the shrieking cries of kung fu bunnies, causing much pants-soilage over fears that PCs had been taken over by weird virii. Other readers pointed out that this was happening with some JPEG ads in our RSS feed which also linked to flash files. We did some digging, and found that our RSS feed was configured in such a way that linked-to Flash content would sometimes auto-play even when there was *no Flash embedded* in the post (example: in the bunny incident, a jpeg linked to the Flash file). We've fixed that, and we're very sorry for the annoyance!
BB housekeeping: auto-loading Flash in our RSS feed
Americans now lose a quarter of a trillion dollars a year gambling
Americans will lose about $250 billion gambling this year, reports Joey Politano, a number that's up 60% in half a decade. And that doesn't include "prediction markets" and cryptocurrencies, both… READ THE REST
A million passports leaked online by marijuana club portal
An Irish software firm managing membership of cannabis social clubs left more than a million member records and roughly 985,000 identity-document photos sitting on a server that required no password,… READ THE REST
IP Crawl exposes that insecure web camera you never locked down
IP Crawl is a browseable library of camera systems exposed to the internet. Currently on the favorites list are a swimming pool in Austin, Texas, a boxing ring in New… READ THE REST
This app makes learning piano feel less like practice and more like progress — on sale for $104.99 for life
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: Learn piano through interactive lessons, AI feedback, and guided songs at your own pace with lifetime… READ THE REST
AdGuard VPN is now just $35 for 5 years of access
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: Browse, stream, and download safely with the 5-year AdGuard VPN subscription for $34.99 (reg. $359.40) with code… READ THE REST
Manage projects like a pro with Microsoft Project 2024 for just $49
Disclosure: Boing Boing earns a commission on purchases made through links in this post. TL;DR: Get a lifetime subscription to Microsoft Project Professional 2024 for $48.99 (reg. $1,129.99). If you're looking for… READ THE REST
