This is today’s edition of Download, Our weekday newsletter provides daily coverage of what’s happening in the tech world.
Chinese hackers exploit age-old software bugs to break into telecom giants
News: Hackers hired by the Chinese government broke into many of the world’s major telecommunications companies in a cyber espionage campaign that lasted at least two years, according to a new advisory from US security agencies.
How does it happen: The hackers allegedly compromised their targets by exploiting old and well-known critical vulnerabilities in popular networking hardware. Once a foothold in their targets, the hackers used compromised devices to gain full access to the network traffic of many private companies and government agencies, US officials said. . They did not name those affected by the campaign, nor explain its impact.
What does it mean: This campaign is a warning of the need for better fundamental cybersecurity for some of the world’s most important networks and an impressive illustration of the dangerous software vulnerabilities that plague even years. after they are discovered and made public. Read full story.
—Patrick Howell O’Neill
Aviation can hit emissions targets, but new fuels need to take off first
Cutting carbon emissions from airplanes will be difficult – but not impossible, according to a new report by the International Council on Clean Transport.
The report outlines possible avenues for aviation to reduce emissions enough to do its part in keeping global warming 2°C below pre-industrial levels, a target that proposed Paris agreement. It says that about 60% of emissions reductions are expected to come from low-carbon fuels, with the remainder coming from lower efficiency and demand. Read full story.
—Casey Crownhart
Things to read
I’ve scoured the internet to find you today’s most interesting/important/scary/fascinating stories about tech.
1 Twitter has agreed to give Elon Musk access to millions of tweets
This could make it much harder for him to back out of the company acquisition. (NYT $)
+ One of Musk’s financiers is connected to a Russian tycoon. (Bloomberg $)
+ Texas’ decision to investigate fake Twitter accounts is a purely political one. (NYT $)
2 How Big Tech’s data hoarding harms us all
And why sharing it doesn’t hurt them either. (Time $)
+ Collective data rights could prevent big tech from wiping out privacy. (MIT . Technology Review)
3 A Startup Has Been Accused Of Distributing ADHD Drugs Too Freely
Especially during the pandemic, when regulations on teleprescribing are relaxed. (WSJ $)
4 Bulky batteries perform better in freezing temperatures
Flat lithium-ion batteries struggle in the cold — changing the shape of its components could be one solution. (New Scientist $)
+ This startup wants to pack more power into electric vehicle batteries. (MIT . Technology Review)
5 South Korea is investigating the company behind the stablecoin crash
The above claims that a worker embezzled their crypto holdings. (FT $)
+ Workers who are thinking of pivoting to web3 are having second thoughts. (Vox)
6 Smart windows are an obvious way to save energy 
The point is to make them affordable enough to become mainstream. (Magazine worth knowing)
7 Caribbean storm activity is at historic lows
And it has been a surprisingly long time. (Hakai Magazine)
+ We may have to start naming heat waves the way we do hurricanes. (Axios)
+ How to maintain power during storms and heat waves. (MIT . Technology Review)
+ Tracking tremors can help experts anticipate flash floods. (Economist $)
8 Not all NFT art is terrible 
It just so happens that most of the works are really famous. (The Verge)
+ Bored Apes was dethroned for being the most popular NFT project. (Motherboard)
9 A saxophonist smuggled secrets into the Soviet Union using encrypted music 
Show information that can’t be deciphered for everyone but musicians have practiced. (Wired $)
10 It’s Time to Get Over the Present
Our collective ability to forget what we are offending helps. (FT $)
Quote of the day
“There are really no computers in that clinic unless I bring a laptop in from home.”
—Mia Raven, policy director of an abortion clinic in Alabama, says NBC News she strengthens security measures as part of measures to better protect customers, as the risk of Roe being repealed is high.
Big story
Ghost ships, crop circles and soft gold: The mystery of GPS in Shanghai
November 2019
On a sweltering summer night in July 2019, MV Manukai docked in Shanghai, near the mouth of the Huangpu River. This city will be the last stop of the US container ship in China before making the long journey home to Long Beach, California.
As the crew carefully maneuvered the 700-foot-long vessel through the busiest port in the world, its captain scrutinized his navigation screens. According to Manukai’s display, another ship was sailing down the same canal at about seven knots (eight miles per hour). Suddenly, the other ship disappeared from the AIS screen. A few minutes later, the screen showed that the other ship had returned to the dock. Then it stays in the channel and moves again, then back to the dock, then disappears again.
Finally, confused, the captain picked up his binoculars and scanned the deck. The other ship was stationary at the dock the whole time. Now, new research and never-before-seen data shows that the Manukai and thousands of other ships are falling victim to a mysterious new weapon that can spoof GPS systems in a way never before seen. . Read full story.
–Mark Harris
We can still have good things
A place for comfort, fun and distraction during these strange times. (Any comments? Drop me a line or tweet ’em with me.)
+ This one Highway to Hell’s cover oompah band will get your Thursday off to the perfect start (Thanks Allegra!)
+ Who knows? bamboo salt very interesting?
+ Riley is a LGBTQ logo + behind our own hearts. 
+ What does it look like grow a mango tree from seed for a year (just don’t expect it to come to fruition any time soon.)
+ It’s asparagus season – this is how to cook it perfectly.
