IN THIS connected age we are constantly being urged to ensure we protect ourselves against computer viruses - but it's a little difficult when it's a computer inside your body.
The US Food and Drug Administration yesterday issued an advisory note confirming almost 800,000 pacemakers could be prone to hacking.
The St Jude-branded devices have a theoretical cyber-security vulnerability which could be exploited to cause the devices to run too fast or deplete their batteries quickly.
Abbott said it wasn't aware of any cases of their pacemakers being hacked, saying it would require a "highly complex set of circumstances" - while the US Department of Homeland Security said any cyber attacker would need "high skill".
Fortunately all that's needed for patients to protect themselves is an upgrade - which can be easily done in-situ via a three minute wi-fi upload the next time they visit the cardiologist.
US RETAILING giant Amazon is in hot water over last week's solar eclipse, after a couple launched a class action lawsuit claiming a three-pack of special "eclipse glasses" were not safe to view the phenomenon.
Amazon had previously issued a recall of the glasses after it was unable to verify they were made by reputable manufacturers.
The couple claimed they didn't receive notice of the recall, and after viewing the eclipse developed blurriness and distorted vision in the following days.
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