Across Europe last week, hundreds of supermarket fridges were hacked. They heated to around 50ºc, ruining countless tons of food and causing alarm across the continent. The events reveal a deep weakness in the “internet of things”: hacking is no longer confined to computer systems. Anyone, anywhere can now remotely access and control unprotected fridges, doorbells, cameras, and other basic infrastructure, opening up a frightening new frontier for cyber-attacks.
Yesterday, Spain staged its first general strike in 14 years. We take a look at the history of industrial action in post-dictatorship Spain, and learn why this week’s “housing strike” – the first to be called by tenants’ unions – was historic before it even began.
Spain’s strike is part of the wider wave of protests and strikes across Europe, and the point of any protest is to grab the spotlight and get people talking. So why are French protesters refusing to speak to one of the country’s largest TV networks? Find out here.
And if you’ve no plans for the weekend, I can highly, highly recommend you go to see the Oscar-tipped Spanish queer epic La Bola Negra, which is now getting an international release. I had the privilege of seeing it last month in Spain, and while I’m no film critic, suffice to say it’s very, very good.
