FROM THE INDUSTRY
From espresso to extortionist
Security gaps in modern WLAN devices
It sounds like a joke at first , but it ’ s anything but : Security researcher Martin Hron from Avast started out working on his own WLANenabled espresso machine . He “ took ” control not manually , but digitally , and hacked into the smart , fully automatic machine in such a way that the machine just beeped and hot water flowed out . A ransom demand appeared on the display , making it clear that coffee here would be a little more expensive than expected .
Hron used an app , an API , and the home appliance firmware to create a way to get into the machine via his PC . The attack was so well programmed that the espresso machine constantly heated and released boiled water . The device also turned into a continuous beeper . Only unplugging the machine prevented damage to the appliance and his nerves .
If fully automatic coffee machines , refrigerators , and other smart appliances are hooked into a company network , then there is a potential security flaw here – through the back door .
A very private place
The ISS gets a new bathroom
At € 23 million , the new waste extraction system system is almost certainly the most expensive toilet of all time . However , in an age when space travel is being commercialized and longdistance flights are already being tested , such topics are also gaining in importance . At the end of September , the “ Cygnus ” spacecraft was scheduled to deliver a new toilet to the International Space Station .
The “ Universal Waste Management System ” ( UWMS ) is designed to recycle urine immediately . The word “ universal ” is a nod toward the plan to be able to integrate the
The Hannover Messe goes hybrid
The world ’ s leading trade fair goes analog , digital , and hybrid from April 12 to April 16 , 2021
The economy needs trade fairs ! Dr . Jochen Köckler , Chairman of Deutsche Messe AG , underscores the importance of international industry meetings and trade fairs with this statement .
For the year 2021 , the organizer of the world ’ s largest industrial trade fair wants to offer a physical trade fair coupled with a digital shift to the Internet for exhibitors and visitors who do not wish to or cannot be present due to the uncertain pandemic situation .
71-centimeter-high apparatus into other space systems .
In addition to a urinal , this private place also has a more comfortable seat for impending business , according to NASA project manager Melissa McKinley . And it is significantly smaller and lighter than previous fixtures . Energy efficiency until the end …
Working from home – now mainstream
New types of work due to COVID-19
Initially met with skepticism – now a reality . In times of COVID-19 , working from home has become mainstream in record time thanks to networking , video conferencing , and digital teamwork . However , there are also downsides to this new way of working : Lack of contact and the nebulous separation of work and home life are frequent responses in a survey conducted by the Stuttgart Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IOA in July 2020 . But the new reality isn ’ t going anywhere – almost 90 percent of all companies surveyed report positive results . And 56 percent of all employees said they were more productive working from home .
messe . de iao . fraunhofer . de / lang-en /
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UPDATE 6 / 20 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine