Citrix urges “immediate” patching as exploit POC

Citrix has urged admins to “immediately” apply a fix for CVE-2023-4966, a critical information disclosure bug that affects NetScaler ADC and NetScaler Gateway, admitting it has been exploited. Plus, there’s a proof-of-concept exploit, dubbed Citrix Bleed, now on GitHub. So if you are using an affected build, at this point assume you’ve been compromised, apply Read more about Citrix urges “immediate” patching as exploit POC[…]

Clearview Gets $10 Million UK Fine Reversed, Now Owes Slightly Less To Governments Around The World

Here’s how things went for the world’s most infamous purveyor of facial recognition tech when it came to its dealings with the United Kingdom. In a word: not great. In addition to supplying its scraped data to known human rights abusers, Clearview was found to have supplied access to a multitude of UK and US Read more about Clearview Gets $10 Million UK Fine Reversed, Now Owes Slightly Less To Governments Around The World[…]

Google Decides To Pull Up The Ladder On The Open Internet, Pushes For Unconstitutional Regulatory Proposals

It’s pretty much the way of the world: beyond the basic enshittification story that has been so well told over the past year or so about how companies get worse and worse as they get more and more powerful, there’s also the well known concept of successful innovative companies “pulling up the ladder” behind them, Read more about Google Decides To Pull Up The Ladder On The Open Internet, Pushes For Unconstitutional Regulatory Proposals[…]

Microsoft admits ‘power issue’ downed Azure in West Europe

Microsoft techies are trying to recover storage nodes for a “small” number of customers following a “power issue” on October 20 that triggered Azure service disruptions and ruined breakfast for those wanting to use hosted virtual machines or SQL DB. The degradation began at 0731 UTC on Friday when Microsoft spotted the unspecified power problem, Read more about Microsoft admits ‘power issue’ downed Azure in West Europe[…]

Scientists create world’s most water-resistant surface

[…] A research team in Finland, led by Robin Ras, from Aalto University, and aided by researchers from the University of Jyväskylä, has developed a mechanism to make water droplets slip off surfaces with unprecedented efficacy. Cooking, transportation, optics and hundreds of other technologies are affected by how water sticks to surfaces or slides off Read more about Scientists create world’s most water-resistant surface[…]

AI and smart mouthguards: the new frontline in fight against brain injuries

There was a hidden spectator of the NFL match between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans in London on Sunday: artificial intelligence. As crazy as it may sound, computers have now been taught to identify on-field head impacts in the NFL automatically, using multiple video angles and machine learning. So a process that would take Read more about AI and smart mouthguards: the new frontline in fight against brain injuries[…]

Spacecraft re-entry filling the atmosphere with metal vapor – and there will be more of it coming in

A group of scientists studying the effects of rocket and satellite reentry vaporization in Earth’s atmosphere have found some startling evidence that could point to disastrous environmental effects on the horizon. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that around 10 percent of large (>120 nm) sulfuric acid particles Read more about Spacecraft re-entry filling the atmosphere with metal vapor – and there will be more of it coming in[…]

Uncle Sam paid to develop a cancer drug and now one guy will get to charge whatever he wants for it

The argument for pharma patents: making new medicines is expensive, and medicines are how we save ourselves from cancer and other diseases. Therefore, we will award government-backed monopolies – patents – to pharma companies so they will have an incentive to invest their shareholders’ capital in research. There’s plenty wrong with this argument. For one Read more about Uncle Sam paid to develop a cancer drug and now one guy will get to charge whatever he wants for it[…]

Universal Music sues AI start-up Anthropic for scraping song lyrics – will they come after you for having read the lyrics or memorised the song next?

Universal Music has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, as the world’s largest music group battles against chatbots that churn out its artists’ lyrics. Universal and two other music companies allege that Anthropic scrapes their songs without permission and uses them to generate “identical or nearly identical copies of those lyrics” Read more about Universal Music sues AI start-up Anthropic for scraping song lyrics – will they come after you for having read the lyrics or memorised the song next?[…]

Faster-Than-Light ‘Quasiparticles’ Touted as Futuristic Light Source

[…]But these light sources [needed to experiment in the quantum realm] are not common. They’re expensive to build, require large amounts of land, and can be booked up by scientists months in advance. Now, a team of physicists posit that quasiparticles—groups of electrons that behave as if they were one particle—can be used as light Read more about Faster-Than-Light ‘Quasiparticles’ Touted as Futuristic Light Source[…]

Code.org Presses Washington To Make Computer Science a High School Graduation Requirement – this should be everywhere globally

In July, Seattle-based and tech-backed nonprofit Code.org announced its 10th policy recommendation for all states “to require all students to take computer science (CS) to earn a high school diploma.” In August, Washington State Senator Lisa Wellman phoned-in her plans to introduce a bill to make computer science a Washington high school graduation requirement to Read more about Code.org Presses Washington To Make Computer Science a High School Graduation Requirement – this should be everywhere globally[…]

IBM chip speeds up AI by combining processing and memory in the core

  Their massive NorthPole processor chip eliminates the need to frequently access external memory, and so performs tasks such as image recognition faster than existing architectures do — while consuming vastly less power. “Its energy efficiency is just mind-blowing,” says Damien Querlioz, a nanoelectronics researcher at the University of Paris-Saclay in Palaiseau. The work, published Read more about IBM chip speeds up AI by combining processing and memory in the core[…]

Equifax poked with paltry $13.4 million following 147m customer data breach in 2017

Credit bureau company, Equifax, has been fined US$13.4 million by The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a UK financial watchdog, following its involvement in “one of the largest” data breaches ever. This cyber security incident took place in 2017 and saw Equifax’s US-based parent company, Equifax Inc., suffer a data breach that saw the personal data Read more about Equifax poked with paltry $13.4 million following 147m customer data breach in 2017[…]

Cisco Can’t Stop Using Hard-Coded Passwords

There’s a new Cisco vulnerability in its Emergency Responder product: This vulnerability is due to the presence of static user credentials for the root account that are typically reserved for use during development. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by using the account to log in to an affected system. A successful exploit could allow Read more about Cisco Can’t Stop Using Hard-Coded Passwords[…]

Google’s AI stoplight program leads to less stops, less emissions

It’s been two years since Google first debuted Project Green Light, a novel means of addressing the street-level pollution caused by vehicles idling at stop lights. […] Green Light uses machine learning systems to comb through Maps data to calculate the amount of traffic congestion present at a given light, as well as the average Read more about Google’s AI stoplight program leads to less stops, less emissions[…]

Adobe previews AI upscaling to make blurry videos and GIFs look fresh

Adobe has developed an experimental AI-powered upscaling tool that greatly improves the quality of low-resolution GIFs and video footage. This isn’t a fully-fledged app or feature yet, and it’s not yet available for beta testing, but if the demonstrations seen by The Verge are anything to go by then it has some serious potential. Adobe’s Read more about Adobe previews AI upscaling to make blurry videos and GIFs look fresh[…]

Climate crisis will make Europe’s beer cost more and taste worse

Climate breakdown is already changing the taste and quality of beer, scientists have warned. The quantity and quality of hops, a key ingredient in most beers, is being affected by global heating, according to a study. As a result, beer may become more expensive and manufacturers will have to adapt their brewing methods. Researchers forecast Read more about Climate crisis will make Europe’s beer cost more and taste worse[…]

Microplastics detected in clouds hanging atop two Japanese mountains

[…] The clouds around Japan’s Mount Fuji and Mount Oyama contain concerning levels of the tiny plastic bits, and highlight how the pollution can be spread long distances, contaminating the planet’s crops and water via “plastic rainfall”. The plastic was so concentrated in the samples researchers collected that it is thought to be causing clouds Read more about Microplastics detected in clouds hanging atop two Japanese mountains[…]

New Fairy Circles Identified at Hundreds of Sites Worldwide

Round discs of dirt known as “fairy circles” mysteriously appear like polka dots on the ground that can spread out for miles. The origins of this phenomenon has intrigued scientists for decades, with recent research indicating that they may be more widespread than previously thought. Fairy circles in NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia; Photo: N. Read more about New Fairy Circles Identified at Hundreds of Sites Worldwide[…]

Priming and Placebo effects shape how humans interact with AI

The preconceived notions people have about AI — and what they’re told before they use it — mold their experiences with these tools in ways researchers are beginning to unpack. Why it matters: As AI seeps into medicine, news, politics, business and a host of other industries and services, human psychology gives the technology’s creators Read more about Priming and Placebo effects shape how humans interact with AI[…]

News organizations blocking OpenAI

Ben Welsh has a running list of the news organizations blocking OpenAI crawlers: In total, 532 of 1,147 news publishers surveyed by the homepages.news archive have instructed OpenAI, Google AI or the non-profit Common Crawl to stop scanning their sites, which amounts to 46.4% of the sample. The three organizations systematically crawl web sites to Read more about News organizations blocking OpenAI[…]

Museum Collection Of Historical TV Culture At Risk Due To Copyright Takedowns

[…] the informal nature of their collections means that they are exposed to serious threats from copyright, as the recent experience of The Museum of Classic Chicago Television makes clear. The Museum explains why it exists: The Museum of Classic Chicago Television (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is constantly searching out vintage material on old videotapes saved in basements or Read more about Museum Collection Of Historical TV Culture At Risk Due To Copyright Takedowns[…]

MGM Resorts cyberattack to cost $100 million

MGM Resorts has admitted that the cyberattack it suffered in September will likely cost the company at least $100 million. The effects of the attack are expected to make a substantial dent in the entertainment giant’s third-quarter earnings and still have a noticeable impact in its Q4 too, although this is predicted to be “minimal.” Read more about MGM Resorts cyberattack to cost $100 million[…]

23andMe DNA site scraping incident leaked data on 1.3 million users

Genetic testing giant 23andMe confirmed that a data scraping incident resulted in hackers gaining access to sensitive user information and selling it on the dark web. The information of nearly 7 million 23andMe users was offered for sale on a cybercriminal forum this week. The information included origin estimation, phenotype, health information, photos, identification data Read more about 23andMe DNA site scraping incident leaked data on 1.3 million users[…]