Latest news with #Strava
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Swedish bodyguards reveal PM's location on fitness app
(NewsNation) — Sweden's national security service said it would be investigating reports that data shared by the prime minister's bodyguards on a fitness app inadvertently exposed his location. According to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, there were at least 35 different occasions where the bodyguards uploaded their workouts to the fitness app Strava. This revealed locations that included Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's home and where he goes running and details of overnight trips abroad. What the 'black box' can tell us about plane crashes Other uploaded information was also linked to the Swedish royal family, former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, and Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the government-supporting Sweden Democrats party. 'The Swedish Security Police take the information very seriously,' a spokesperson for Säkerhetspolisen (SÄPO) said. 'This is a matter of data that could be used to gather information about the activities of our Service.' SÄPO added that it was also taking the necessary steps to make sure that security procedures were followed closely so that a similar incident doesn't happen again. Google's new AI tool can turn photos into short videos with sound The incident is not the first time data on Strava has breached security protocols. According to NBC News, in 2017, a global heat map published by the app revealed the location of U.S. military bases in Syria, Afghanistan and the United Kingdom. Other incidents with Strava included a feature that enabled the identification and tracking of security personnel working at military bases in Israel. French newspaper Le Monde also found that the app revealed the movements of other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and former President Joe Biden. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Android Authority
17 hours ago
- Android Authority
I've been using Garmin watches for 5 years and just discovered this clever trick
Ryan Haines / Android Authority At this point, I've probably reviewed more than a dozen Garmin watches since taking my place as Android Authority's resident runner. You might say it's become a big part of my personality, but I'd argue it always was one. I've spent countless hours logging countless miles (alright, Strava probably has an accurate number) across everything from the Instinct to the Forerunner to the Fenix, and I thought I knew everything there was to know about Garmin's lineup. At least I did, until I came across a watch band I wanted to swap out. How often do you replace your watch bands? 400 votes Every week 6 % A few times per month 10 % Once or twice per year 37 % Never 48 % Sorry, Quick Release, but it's all about QuickFit now Ryan Haines / Android Authority To make a long story short, I sweat when I run — like a lot. It's not cute or convenient, but it is what it is. Thankfully, most Garmin watches come with silicone watch bands attached, which might pick up just a little bit of the salt I leave behind, but can usually swipe the sweat without too much issue. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about any of Garmin's fabric bands. As soon as I start sweating in them, they may as well be three feet into a swimming pool, and there's nothing I can do about it. So, I decided to ditch them — all of them. I flipped over my Venu X1, popped out its Quick Release pins, and set up to attach the bands from the Epix Pro 2 that I reviewed several months ago. Then, I realized that my plan wouldn't work. While the Venu X1 uses a relatively standard set of quick-release bands like on countless other smartwatches or traditional watches, the Epix Pro 2 and Fenix 8 use something much smarter: Garmin's own QuickFit system. Garmin doesn't always use QuickFit, but when it does, it's absolutely brilliant. For a second, I was annoyed by the mismatch of band styles. A small part of me still might be, but only because I quickly realized how much better life would be if every watch used Garmin's QuickFit setup. See, QuickFit still relies on a basic pin and release structure, but you just have to release the band instead of releasing the pin itself. It takes almost no effort — pull back on a tiny lever and you're free. I'd compare it to the effort of opening a sliding door, which beats having to line up tiny pins and holes any day. And usually, this type of hiccup would elicit a much worse response from me. I'd use it to bash Garmin's inconsistency, urging it to adopt its much better QuickFit bands for all of its watches instead. This time, though, I'll praise a clever feature I never would have noticed otherwise. I've never considered swapping my Fenix 8 or Epix Pro 2 bands, so I needed this sweaty fabric setup to realize how thoughtful Garmin can be. If Garmin can do it, everyone else should, too Ryan Haines / Android Authority Don't get me wrong — I realize that QuickFit is Garmin's thing and there's a good chance it'll stay that way. After all, Apple already has its slotted setup for the Apple Watch, Samsung has its button-based release mechanism for the Galaxy Watches, and Google seems pretty well set on its slide-out bands for the Pixel Watch. But hear me out — there's no reason it can't become the standard for everyone else. Quick Release became almost universal because of its ease of replacement, and QuickFit seems like the natural next step. Not only would it (hopefully) make some of the existing QuickFit bands cheaper, but it would also probably open up the materials and designs that Garmin fans could tap into. As much as I love my reliable rotation of silicone options, I'll readily admit that they're not always the most appropriate for occasions like weddings, so I would love to be able to swap a leather or metal band in to match my watch of the week. And yes, Garmin already has a couple of QuickFit options that embrace those premium materials, but they're designed for the top-end Marq models and can cost in the neighborhood of $300… which is more than I'd spend on most things, let alone a watchband. Opening up the QuickFit system would make it much, much easier to spice up my favorite Garmin watches. Granted, the main thing preventing other brands from adopting QuickFit probably has nothing to do with price. Instead, I'd imagine it comes down to the fact that swapping in a new pin is a pain in the neck. There's no release on the tiny metal bar itself, so if you damage it, you'll have to cut it in half with pliers before inserting a spring-loaded replacement. If you mess that one up, you'll have to chop it off and repeat the process. I think I have steady hands, but it's still enough to make me nervous. But, as I've learned with every QuickFit band I try out, it's only worth being nervous for a second or two. It's easy to get used to the simple releasing mechanism, and I don't think I'll have to replace my QuickFit pins very often — if ever. And, if I don't, I have to believe that every other aspect of Garmin's QuickFit setup is a winner.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bodyguards' fitness app reveals locations of Swedish leaders
LONDON: Trying to keep fit with runs through Central Park, a jog around a tropical island and bicycle ride around Stockholm, bodyguards in Sweden inadvertently revealed secret locations of Swedish leaders they were assigned to protect. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now An investigation by a Swedish newspaper revealed bodyguards for Sweden's royal family and PM Ulf Kristersson uploaded their workout routes to Strava, a fitness app that allows users to map and share their movements. The popular app has built a global social media community, but users' enthusiastic uploads have also raised questions about data privacy, especially among security personnel. In Sweden, the data reveal added to security concerns of a country that was recently rattled by what it called an "act of sabotage" against an undersea cable. This week, Swedish daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported it tracked over 1,400 workouts by seven bodyguards over last year. The data showed the bodyguards trained in the Alps, along Ukraine's border with Poland and at a military base in Mali. Sweden's security police confirmed the data was linked to some employees of secret service. Their routes gave away the address of the PM's private residence. The Strava data also revealed a high-level meeting in Norway in June 2024, unannounced at the time, between Kristersson and leaders of Norway and Finland. Sweden's security police said it was investigating the effect of the publicised data. "To be clear, there has not been a leak or breach of user data," a Strava spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Bodyguards Using Fitness App Revealed Locations of Swedish Leaders
Trying to keep fit with runs through Central Park, a jog around a tropical island and a bicycle ride around Stockholm, bodyguards in Sweden inadvertently revealed the secret locations of the Swedish leaders they were assigned to protect. An investigation by a Swedish newspaper revealed that bodyguards for Sweden's royal family and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson uploaded their workout routes to Strava, a fitness app that allows users to map and share their movements. The popular app has built a global social media community, but its users' enthusiastic uploads have also raised questions about data privacy, especially among security and military personnel. In Sweden, the data reveal added to the security concerns of a country that was recently rattled by what it called an 'act of sabotage' against an undersea cable. This week, the Swedish daily newspaper,Dagens Nyheter reported that it tracked more than 1,400 workouts by seven bodyguards over the last year. The data showed that the bodyguards trained in the Alps, along Ukraine's border with Poland and at a military base in Mali. Sweden's security police confirmed that the data was linked to some employees of the secret service. Their routes gave away the address of the prime minister's private residence, as well as the location of a personal trip he took with his wife in October of last year. Mr. Kristersson is also an avid runner, and while he had avoided sharing his routes, his bodyguards' data made it easy to track his preferred path. The Strava data also revealed a high-level meeting in Norway last June, unannounced at the time, between Mr. Kristersson and the leaders of Norway and Finland, and the locations and routines of other senior Swedish politicians, including two former prime ministers. The Prime Minister's office said it would not comment on security matters. The locations of Sweden's royal family and the leader of Sweden's opposition were also compromised. A bodyguard's run along a beachfront in Tel Aviv was matched to an unannounced visit to Israel by Jimmie Akesson, the leader of Sweden's far-right party, the Sweden Democrats. (The party did not respond to a request for comment). Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Politico
3 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Palantir founder's plans for the FDA
FOLLOW THE MONEY Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of the large government contractor Palantir, wants to embed a team of 15 to 20 'elite engineers' inside the Food and Drug Administration who would 'accelerate the FDA's latest AI initiatives,' according to a post he wrote on Substack. The FDA recently announced that it has deployed an AI chatbot that will help staff speed up medical device and drug reviews. Lonsdale is working with two organizations, the Abundance Institute, a year-old Utah-based nonprofit that hopes to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence, and Stand Together, a philanthropic organization founded by billionaire Charles Koch, to raise $4 million and train fellows who would be deployed at federal agencies. 'I'm sponsoring one of these AI-native engineers to help push this forward,' Lonsdale said on social media platform But, but, but … How can billionaires just drop a team of engineers and product managers into a government agency? Through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act, a 1970 law that allows the government to forgo typical hiring practices to bring on experts from academia and nonprofits; those fellows 'can sit desk‑to‑desk with reviewers,' according to Lonsdale. There's just one problem: 'This is not true,' said Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency has no plans to take on fellows from Abundance Institute and Stand Together, he said. Christopher Koopman, CEO of the Abundance Institute, told Future Pulse his organization has had discussions about bringing on its fellows with the FDA. And he said that in speaking with former FDA officials, he's under the impression that slow review times are a technical problem. 'They're problems of capability, not authority. That's what sparked the idea: What if we could forward-deploy high-impact, AI-native engineers into the agency, not as outside critics but as inside contributors, to help build modern systems and workflows that empower the FDA to do what it's already allowed to do, only better and faster?' he said. Even so: The FDA has been hiring AI talent and rolled out an AI chatbot agencywide that Commissioner Marty Makary says will speed up review times. But agency staff have previously told POLITICO that the FDA's chatbot likely doesn't have the ability to do that. The challenges at the agency, they said, are more complicated than simply hiring more tech talent. WELCOME TO FUTURE PULSE This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Swedish security service members who shared details of their running and cycling routes on fitness app Strava revealed details of the prime minister's location, including his private address. Whoops! Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Danny Nguyen at dnguyen@ Carmen Paun at cpaun@ Ruth Reader at rreader@ or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@ Want to share a tip securely? Message us on Signal: Dannyn516.70, CarmenP.82, RuthReader.02 or ErinSchumaker.01. EXAM ROOM The National Institutes of Health will cap the amount that publishers of scientific journals can charge government-backed researchers to make their work publicly available starting in fiscal 2026, the agency said Tuesday. 'I am gravely concerned about the overall financial burden placed on the public — who may fund the original research, then pay again to access the resulting data, publications, or commercial products,' NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya said in a statement. 'In effect, taxpayers may bear multiple costs for innovations their contributions helped enable.' By the numbers: According to the NIH, some major publishers charge upward of $13,000 per article for immediate open access. The charges are in addition to subscription fees that the government pays. High publishing costs are a double hit to taxpayers who already fund underlying NIH research, the statement said. The NIH said one publisher receives $2 million in subscription fees from the agency and tens of millions in processing charges. The move is the latest in a series of changes related to the distribution of NIH research under Bhattacharya, who's criticized the scientific publishing ecosystem for a lack of transparency and for favoring risk-averse studies. In April, the agency moved up the timeline for making peer-reviewed NIH-funded research publicly available immediately without an embargo. The policy went into effect on July 1. Big picture: Bhattacharya's boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is not a fan of major scientific journals. During a conversation on the 'Ultimate Human' podcast in May, Kennedy accused The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA and The Lancet of being 'corrupt' and publishing studies funded and approved by pharmaceutical companies. 'Unless those journals change dramatically, we are going to stop NIH scientists from publishing in them, and we're going to create our own journals in-house,' Kennedy said. At the time, a JAMA spokesperson said the journal had nothing to add when asked about Kennedy's remarks, while NEJM and The Lancet did not respond to requests for comment. HHS also did not respond to requests for comment. Earlier this year, Bhattacharya and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary helped launch a publication, the Journal of the Academy of Public Health, to help promote open conversation among scientists. Both officials are on leave from the journal's editorial board.
