Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Trump Admin's JFK Files Release Doxes Hundreds, Sparking Lawsuits

2025-03-22

In its rush to release unredacted JFK assassination files, the Trump administration inadvertently published the Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal information of potentially hundreds of former congressional staffers and others. At least one, former Justice Department official Joseph diGenova, plans to sue the National Archives for violating the Privacy Act. The released information stemmed from his involvement in the 1970s Church Committee investigation into CIA and other intelligence agency misconduct. The National Archives posted thousands of pages without a searchable format, making it difficult to assess the full extent of the breach. National security lawyer Mark Zaid confirmed the release impacted hundreds, many still alive, calling the action unnecessary and unhelpful to understanding the assassination. While DiGenova blames the Archives' sloppy review process, he doesn't fault Trump for the release itself.

(www.usatoday.com)

Tech Privacy Violation

Hubble Captures Jupiter's Gigantic Auroras

2025-03-22

The Hubble Space Telescope is observing Jupiter's auroras, which are immense, hundreds of times more energetic than Earth's, and continuous. These auroras are created by high-energy particles colliding with atmospheric gas atoms. Combined with data from the Juno spacecraft, this observation will help scientists better understand how the solar wind and other sources influence Jupiter's auroras.

(science.nasa.gov)

Tech Jupiter Auroras

First High-Def Moon Sunset Photos Captured by Private Lander

2025-03-22

Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lunar lander has captured the first high-definition images of a sunset on the moon, including a shot with Venus in the distance. The first private spacecraft to land upright and complete its entire mission, Blue Ghost collected science data for five hours into the lunar night before succumbing to lack of solar power. One image shows a unique horizon glow, possibly related to a theory about levitating dust proposed decades ago. While the lander's drill didn't reach its planned depth, NASA considers the mission a success. Attempts to reactivate the lander are planned for early April, though success is unlikely.

(phys.org)

Tech Moon Sunset Private Spacecraft

Meta Loses Landmark Case: UK Users to Get Targeted Ad Opt-Out

2025-03-22

British consumers will be able to opt out of targeted online advertising following a landmark legal victory for campaigner Tanya O’Carroll against Meta. O’Carroll sued Meta (Facebook's parent company) for its inability to disable the user profiling used for ad targeting. After becoming a mother in 2017, she was bombarded with baby-related ads. Attempts to disable these ads through Facebook's settings failed. Further investigation revealed Meta had tagged her with over 700 characteristics based on her activity, inferring her movie preferences, holiday destinations, shopping habits, clothing style, political views, and personal details. This victory sets a precedent for user privacy rights.

(www.thetimes.com)

Tech

Sound Only You Can Hear: Breakthrough in Directional Sound Fields

2025-03-22

Researchers have developed a technology to create 'audible enclaves,' localized sound pockets isolated from their surroundings. This technology uses nonlinear acoustics, generating audible sound by intersecting two ultrasound beams of different frequencies. Ultrasound itself is silent; audible sound is only produced at the intersection. This promises to revolutionize entertainment, communication, and spatial audio experiences, enabling personalized audio in public spaces or creating private conversation zones. While challenges remain, such as nonlinear distortion and power efficiency, this technology represents a fundamental shift in sound control.

(theconversation.com)

Tech directional sound field

MacBooks Dominate Apple's Computer Sales: 86% Market Share

2025-03-22

New data reveals MacBooks' dominance in Apple's computer market, capturing a stunning 86% of total sales. The MacBook Pro leads with 53% market share, followed closely by the MacBook Air at 33%. In contrast, iMac and other desktop Macs account for only 14%, highlighting a strong consumer preference for portable computers. This trend suggests Apple is prioritizing resources towards MacBook development and updates, leading to comparatively slower refresh cycles for desktop models.

(macdailynews.com)

Tech Apple computers

AMD's Gaia: Open-Source LLM for Local Inference on Windows PCs

2025-03-22

AMD unveils Gaia, an open-source project enabling local LLM execution on Windows machines. Leveraging the Lemonade SDK for inference and optimized for Ryzen AI processors, Gaia utilizes Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for improved accuracy and context-aware responses. Featuring agents for chatting, YouTube searching, and even joke generation, Gaia offers offline functionality, enhancing security and reducing latency. A strong contender in the burgeoning local LLM space, Gaia provides a compelling alternative to cloud-based solutions.

(www.tomshardware.com)

Tech

Sharks' Sixth Sense: The Amazing World of Electroreception

2025-03-22

How do sharks hunt precisely in the dark depths of the ocean? The answer is electroreception! This amazing organ allows sharks to sense the weak bioelectric fields of their prey, even if the prey is hidden beneath the sand. The article delves into the evolutionary history, working mechanism, and applications of electroreception in different species, revealing the amazing biodiversity and evolutionary strategies of nature. From shark predation to electric eel discharge, the story of electroreception is full of wonder and scientific charm.

(nautil.us)

Tech electroreception sharks bioelectricity

Cloudflare's AI Labyrinth: Outsmarting AI Data Scrapers

2025-03-22

Cloudflare, a web infrastructure provider, unveiled "AI Labyrinth," a new feature designed to combat unauthorized AI data scraping. Instead of blocking bots outright, this innovative system lures them down a rabbit hole of realistic yet irrelevant AI-generated content, wasting their computational resources. This approach cleverly sidesteps the limitations of simple blocking, which can inadvertently alert scrapers to their detection. The generated content, based on real scientific facts, avoids misinformation, and is kept invisible to human users. This represents a significant advancement in bot mitigation strategies, showcasing a smarter, next-generation honeypot approach.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech data scraping

Ultrasonic Cutting: The Future of Cake Slicing (and More)

2025-03-22

From a single slice of cake at home to thousands for a commercial bakery, the way we cut cake needs an upgrade. Regular knives struggle with sticky foods, leading to messy cuts and inefficiency. Enter ultrasonic cutting, a technology that uses high-frequency vibrations to prevent sticking, resulting in perfectly clean cuts. This isn't just for food; it's used in rubber, textiles, and more, even melting and sealing edges. While maybe overkill for home use, it's a game-changer for anyone who needs perfectly sliced cake – or other materials.

(hackaday.com)

Tech ultrasonic cutting food processing

Monster Cable's Cease and Desist Backfires Spectacularly

2025-03-22

High-end audio cable manufacturer Monster Cable sent a cease and desist letter to Blue Jeans Cable, alleging infringement. However, Blue Jeans Cable's president, Kurt Denke, a former litigator, responded with a forceful rebuttal. Denke's response highlighted the lack of evidence supporting Monster Cable's claims and declared his extensive litigation experience. He stated he would only comply with a court order finding infringement, otherwise he would defend himself vigorously. He further accused Monster Cable of employing a pattern of 'shakedown' tactics. This event has drawn industry attention and emphasizes the importance of evidence in intellectual property litigation.

(www.oncontracts.com)

Tech litigation business dispute

OkCupid's Email Validation Fiasco: A Security Nightmare

2025-03-22

Fastmail experienced a significant email validation vulnerability exploited by OkCupid, resulting in a deluge of spam emails to their official addresses, including a never-used junk address. Attackers used the vulnerability to register multiple accounts, sending fake 'someone likes you' messages and even impersonating users to modify profiles. OkCupid's customer support response was merely to block the email addresses, failing to address the root issue, exposing their disregard for user data security. This incident highlights the importance of robust email verification mechanisms and the lack of responsibility from companies regarding user data security. Fastmail recommends users employ different email addresses for different services to mitigate risks.

(www.fastmail.com)

Tech email validation

1000-Year-Old Tech Powers Wearable Electronics

2025-03-22

A 1000-year-old Song Dynasty screen printing technique is revolutionizing smart textiles. This ancient method, leveraging silk's thinness, strength, and uniformity, allows for efficient pattern transfer. Today, combined with conductive inks, it enables rapid prototyping and mass production of wearable electronics. Companies like idoona utilize this technique to create flexible, thin TPU electric heaters for comfortable, wearable clothing, showcasing the enduring power of this age-old technology in a modern context.

(ygoliya.medium.com)

Tech screen printing wearable electronics smart textiles

Meta's AI-Powered Comment Generator: A Step Too Far?

2025-03-21

Meta is testing a new feature that uses AI to suggest comments on Instagram posts. The AI analyzes photos and generates three comment options. While Meta claims this enhances user experience, many users express concern, fearing inauthenticity and a decline in genuine interaction. The feature is currently in testing, with no confirmed release date. This follows previous, less successful AI experiments by Meta, highlighting the ongoing challenges of integrating AI into social media.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech

Rocky Linux Hardened: Enterprise-Grade Linux Bolstered for Mission-Critical Systems

2025-03-21

Rocky Linux Hardened, from CIQ, is optimized for mission-critical environments demanding robust security. Delivered via a secure supply chain, it features memory corruption detection, kernel integrity checking, enhanced password policies, and SSH restrictions. This minimizes zero-day and CVE risks by reducing attack surfaces and common exploit vectors. Advanced threat detection utilizes Linux Kernel Runtime Guard (LKRG) to identify sophisticated intrusions. Security threats are addressed proactively, minimizing exposure time. Strong access controls are implemented via advanced password hashing, strict authentication, and hardened access. Pre-hardened systems streamline deployment, saving time and resources. Compatibility simplifies migration from other Enterprise Linux distributions, reducing vendor lock-in.

(ciq.com)

Tech Enterprise Linux

Ancient DNA Rewrites the Story of the First Americans

2025-03-21

Genetic studies are revolutionizing our understanding of how the Americas were first populated. Analysis of ancient DNA from remains across the continent, including a remarkably well-preserved 24,000-year-old Siberian boy, reveals a more complex picture than previously thought. Rather than a single migration from East Asia, multiple waves of migration from diverse Asian populations, including groups related to both Ancient North Siberians and East Asians, contributed to the genetic makeup of Native Americans. Some groups may have experienced a prolonged period of isolation in Beringia before migrating south. The findings also highlight genetic links between early Americans and ancient Japanese populations, painting a richer and more nuanced picture of the peopling of the Americas.

(factsanddetails.com)

Tech

France Rejects Backdoor Attempt on End-to-End Encryption

2025-03-21

The French National Assembly wisely rejected a dangerous proposal that would have undermined end-to-end encryption. This ill-conceived bill, ostensibly aimed at fighting drug trafficking, would have forced messaging apps to allow covert access to private conversations. Security experts warned of the systemic vulnerabilities this 'ghost' participant model would create, eroding trust and creating opportunities for abuse. The vote is a victory for digital rights and privacy, demonstrating that prioritizing security doesn't require sacrificing fundamental freedoms. This decision serves as a crucial warning to other governments considering similar anti-encryption measures.

(www.eff.org)

Tech digital rights

National Lab Unveils New Device to Probe Nuclear Fuel Safety Limits

2025-03-21

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) released footage of experiments conducted at its Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT). Using a novel device, they simulated the overheating of a nuclear fuel pin, focusing on critical heat flux—the point where a fuel rod can no longer transfer heat to the water. This research provides unique insights into fuel behavior under extreme conditions, helping determine safety limits and improve the efficiency of light-water reactors. The device will be used in future safety tests of advanced fuel designs, including accident-tolerant fuel tests in 2022, aiming to enhance heat transfer and maximize electricity production.

(www.energy.gov)

Tech safety testing critical heat flux

AI Cracks Ancient Babylonian Texts: Uncovering New Chapters of the Epic of Gilgamesh

2025-03-21

Professor Enrique Jiménez and his team at LMU Munich are using AI to digitize surviving cuneiform tablets. Their project, Fragmentarium, has processed 22,000 fragments, using algorithms to match pieces and identify hundreds of new manuscripts and textual connections. Remarkably, it unearthed a fragment of the Gilgamesh epic dating to 130 BC. Soon to be publicly released, the project will offer a digital version of all known cuneiform fragments, including a new edition of the Epic of Gilgamesh incorporating all known transcriptions. This groundbreaking resource promises to unlock a deeper understanding of ancient Babylonian literature and culture.

(phys.org)

Tech

Global Population Count May Be Severely Underestimated: Shocking Rural Data Gaps

2025-03-21

A new study suggests the global population may be significantly underestimated, particularly in rural areas. Researchers from Aalto University in Finland, by analyzing data from 300 rural dam projects across 35 countries, found discrepancies between these independent population counts and other population data gathered between 1975 and 2010, indicating a potential underestimation of rural populations by 53% to 84%. This finding could have major implications for resource allocation, but other experts remain skeptical, arguing that decades of population data collection are unlikely to be off by such a wide margin.

(www.popularmechanics.com)

Tech population statistics rural areas data discrepancies

USPTO Restricts Patent Challenges, Empowering Patent Trolls

2025-03-21

The USPTO recently issued a memo further restricting access to inter partes review (IPR), making it harder for the public to challenge invalid patents. This decision protects bad patents, emboldens patent trolls, and makes it easier for large corporations to weaponize weak patents against smaller businesses and developers. IPR was created to correct errors in patent examination, offering a faster, cheaper way to challenge patent validity. The USPTO's move uses 'discretionary denials' to limit IPR, making patent challenges more difficult and allowing patent trolls to leverage lawsuits for quick settlements. This undermines Congress's intent and harms the public interest.

(www.eff.org)

Tech patent patent trolls

Ancient Mediterranean Voyages: Genetic Evidence of Trans-Mediterranean Migration 8,500 Years Ago

2025-03-21

A new genomic study reveals that Stone Age hunter-gatherers living in present-day Tunisia and Algeria 8,500 years ago had partial ancestry from Europe. This is the first direct evidence of trans-Mediterranean seafaring during that era, suggesting these hunter-gatherers may have island-hopped across the sea in wooden canoes, guided by sight. This research fills a significant gap in our understanding of prehistory in North Africa and challenges previous assumptions about early human seafaring capabilities.

(www.nature.com)

Tech Prehistoric seafaring Genomics Human migration

Tornado Cash De-listed: Sanctions Rollercoaster Ends (For Now)

2025-03-21

The US Treasury Department removed Tornado Cash, a crypto mixing service accused of aiding North Korea's Lazarus Group in laundering stolen funds, from its sanctions blacklist. A federal appeals court ruled that OFAC couldn't sanction Tornado Cash's smart contracts, as they weren't considered 'property' of any foreign national. While the Treasury expressed continued concern over North Korean cybercrime, the de-listing sent the TORN token soaring. However, the Treasury hinted at potential future actions, suggesting the complete removal of sanctions might have 'disruptive consequences'. Co-founder Roman Storm still faces criminal trial.

(www.coindesk.com)

Tech

Validating Global Gridded Population Datasets Using Dam Resettlement Data

2025-03-21

Researchers assessed the accuracy of five global gridded population datasets (GWP, GRUMP, GHS-POP, LandScan, and WorldPop) in predicting rural populations using data from the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) database. They spatially overlaid resettlement data from 307 reservoirs with the population datasets, revealing systematic biases. The study improved prediction accuracy by adjusting for area biases in GeoDAR reservoir polygons. Results showed that while biases exist, these datasets offer reasonable accuracy in predicting rural populations, providing valuable insights for future research.

(www.nature.com)

Tech population data dams dam resettlement

Microsoft Pushes Windows 10 Users to Upgrade, But There Are Better Options

2025-03-21

Microsoft is urging Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11, as support for Windows 10 ends in October 2025. Emails are being sent out, suggesting a trade-in for a new PC. However, this isn't the most economical option. Many users remain on Windows 10, presenting a challenge for Microsoft. Instead of trading in their old machines, users can repurpose them for various tasks like media centers, gaming machines, or home servers.

(www.xda-developers.com)

Tech Upgrade

NYC Congestion Pricing: A Stunning Success

2025-03-21

Since its implementation on January 5th, 2025, New York City's congestion pricing has been a resounding success. Despite a lower-than-expected price point, over one million fewer vehicles entered the toll zone in the first month alone, dramatically reducing traffic and commute times. Public transit ridership surged, subway crime plummeted, and businesses reported increased activity. While Trump attempted to shut down the program, its legal challenges are weak and it's expected to continue. This success showcases a model for other cities to reduce congestion and improve transportation.

(bettercities.substack.com)

Tech New York City

Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherers Were Less Violent Than We Thought

2025-03-21

New research challenges long-held assumptions about the violence of prehistoric hunter-gatherers. By analyzing archaeological and ethnographic data, researchers found that the violent death rate among prehistoric hunter-gatherers was significantly lower than previously estimated, contradicting the common belief that humans are inherently bellicose. While they were more violent than modern societies, this violence stemmed primarily from the lethality of human conflict, not the frequency. The study also highlights the significant role of antisocial individuals in violence and how hunter-gatherer societies controlled violence through cooperation and social norms. This research has significant implications for our understanding of human violence and the potential for peace.

(worksinprogress.co)

Tech human violence prehistoric society hunter-gatherers

Siri Fails at "What Month Is It?", But Aced "ChatGPT, What Month Is It?"

2025-03-21

A Reddit thread highlights Siri's inability to answer the simple question, "What month is it?", responding with "I'm sorry, I don't understand." However, rephrasing the question to "What month is it currently?" yielded the incorrect answer "It is 2025." Surprisingly, asking Siri "ChatGPT, what month is it?" provides the correct answer, suggesting Siri may require AI assistance for such seemingly basic queries. This raises questions about Siri's capabilities and the complexity it can handle independently.

(daringfireball.net)

Tech

Xinjiang Fossils Reveal a Post-Permian Extinction Refuge

2025-03-21

A new study reveals a fossil site in Xinjiang, China, documenting a life refuge following the end-Permian mass extinction. While about 21% of plant species went extinct, drought-resistant conifers and fern-like plants survived, allowing terrestrial ecosystems to recover within 75,000 years. The site yielded diverse plant spores and animal fossils, indicating a humid or sub-humid regional climate with abundant vegetation providing water and food for land animals. This challenges conventional understanding of post-extinction recovery speed, showcasing life's remarkable resilience.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech End-Permian Extinction Paleontology Life Resilience

Boston Dynamics' Atlas Robot Shows Off Insane Parkour Skills

2025-03-21

Boston Dynamics has released new footage of its Atlas robot showcasing incredible agility and dexterity. Atlas effortlessly runs, flips, cartwheels, and even breakdances, surpassing the capabilities of other humanoids focused on practical tasks. While companies like Tesla prioritize functional robots, Atlas demonstrates advancements in AI and motor control, hinting at a future where robots seamlessly navigate complex environments. This impressive display highlights the rapid progress in humanoid robotics, suggesting a future where human-robot interaction will become increasingly common.

(newatlas.com)

Tech

Category: Tech