Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

NASA's First-Ever Twitch Stream from the ISS!

2025-02-07

NASA is hosting its first-ever live Twitch stream from the International Space Station (ISS) on February 12th at 11:45 AM ET! Astronauts Don Pettit and Matt Dominick will discuss daily life aboard the ISS and microgravity research, taking live questions from viewers. This marks NASA's first Twitch-exclusive stream from space, following previous streams of spacewalks, launches, and landings, and promises more to come.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Twitch Stream

UCLA Scientists Wake Up Dormant Hair Follicles, Promising a Cure for Baldness

2025-02-07

UCLA scientists have developed PP405, a small molecule that reactivates dormant hair follicles, offering a potential cure for baldness. Nearly a decade of lab work culminated in promising 2023 human trials, showing topical application of PP405 stimulates growth of healthy, full-length hair, unlike other treatments. Led by three researchers, the breakthrough has spurred the creation of a company backed by Google Ventures to pursue further trials and FDA approval, offering hope for millions suffering from hair loss.

(newsroom.ucla.edu)

Tech hair loss hair follicle regeneration

Escaping Meta's Surveillance State: Practical Steps to Limit Data Tracking

2025-02-07

Meta's business model relies on extensive data collection across millions of websites and apps, even if you delete your Facebook and Instagram accounts. This article reveals Meta's data harvesting methods and provides practical steps to limit its tracking, including updating Meta account settings, installing the Privacy Badger browser extension, and disabling your phone's advertising ID and location access. Ultimately, the author calls for strong federal privacy legislation to truly protect user data from exploitation.

(www.eff.org)

Tech tracking

Musk's Political Gamble: Tesla's Sales Plummet

2025-02-07

Elon Musk's political maneuvers have alienated potential EV buyers, particularly Democrats, resulting in Tesla having the worst favorability rating among prospective EV purchasers. A new study reveals that Musk's past year of political posturing has damaged Tesla's brand image, especially among its core customer base: affluent, educated, left-leaning EV drivers. While Musk's popularity has risen among right-wing voters, this group shows less concern for climate change and EVs. Declining sales, underwhelming Cybertruck performance, and tepid response to the Model Y refresh are directly linked to this brand image damage. Musk's political strategy, while potentially offering short-term gains, severely impacts Tesla's sales and long-term prospects.

(insideevs.com)

Tech

Ransomware Payments Plummet 35%, Signaling Ecosystem Collapse?

2025-02-07

A new report by Chainalysis reveals a 35% drop in ransomware payments in 2023, from $1.25 billion to $812.55 million. This significant decline, largely concentrated in the second half of the year, is attributed to law enforcement crackdowns on major ransomware groups like LockBit and the exit scam by AlphV/BlackCat, eroding victim trust in paying ransoms. Despite this, ransomware attacks remain prevalent, with critical infrastructure still under significant threat.

(therecord.media)

Tech

Musk's Shadow Government: How DOGE Is Reshaping Federal Agencies

2025-02-07

Under President Trump's authority, Elon Musk has deployed a clandestine team, dubbed the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE), to infiltrate federal agencies. This team, comprised of employees from Musk's companies and allies, along with newly recruited young staffers, is seizing control from career civil servants and commandeering computer systems. Their actions have already disrupted numerous federal programs affecting millions. ProPublica's investigation reveals the identities and activities of several DOGE members, many attempting to conceal their roles. While the White House claims their actions are legal, concerns remain about transparency, accountability, and the growing influence of Musk within the government.

(projects.propublica.org)

Tech

Arm Drops Qualcomm Lawsuit, Paving Way for Oryon's Continued Success

2025-02-07

Arm has abandoned its attempt to terminate a key license with Qualcomm, allowing Qualcomm to continue producing its own Arm-compatible chips for PCs, phones, and servers. The lawsuit stemmed from Qualcomm's 2021 acquisition of Nuvia, which held an advanced Architecture License Agreement (ALA) and whose Oryon CPU cores power Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips. Arm argued Nuvia transferred designs without permission, but the jury largely sided with Qualcomm. This benefits Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Series and Snapdragon 8 Elite chips (for PCs and high-end phones respectively), bolstering their position in the AI market. While Arm notes other lawsuits are ongoing, its financial forecasts already account for this outcome, expecting continued royalty payments from Qualcomm. Both companies expressed confidence that the rise of smaller, powerful LLMs won't significantly impact their businesses and are committed to supporting on-device LLM execution.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech chip licensing

Musk's DOGE Agency Faces Racism Scandal and Data Security Concerns

2025-02-07

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is embroiled in controversy over allegations of racism and unauthorized access to sensitive government data. A key employee with access to the Treasury Department's payment system resigned following the surfacing of racist social media posts. While DOGE claims its mission is to improve government efficiency, its actions have sparked outrage from Democrats and unions who argue its access to Treasury and Office of Personnel Management data poses significant security risks and conflicts of interest. Court intervention has limited DOGE's access, but the controversy continues, raising serious questions about the legality and transparency of its operations.

(www.forbes.com)

Tech

California Bill Mandates Disclosure for All Online Bots

2025-02-07

Assembly Member Wilson's legislation reshapes California's approach to online bots, requiring all bots to identify themselves when interacting with state residents, regardless of purpose. This expands current law, which only mandates disclosure for bots influencing commerce or voting. The bill updates the definition of 'bot' to include AI-powered systems generating synthetic content. Anyone using a bot must disclose its automated nature and provide this information upon request. This applies across websites, apps, and platforms. Large platforms (over 10 million monthly US visitors) must ensure compliance. The changes reflect the evolving AI landscape and prioritize transparency in online communication.

(www.veeto.app)

Tech bot disclosure

200+ Researchers Call for a Pause on Giant AI Model Development

2025-02-07

Over 200 researchers from leading universities and research institutions worldwide have signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause on the development of AI models more powerful than GPT-4. They warn of potential societal and civilizational risks posed by these giant AI models, arguing that a pause is needed to allow for adequate safety assessments and regulatory frameworks. The letter highlights the potential dangers of rapid AI advancement, sparking a broad conversation on AI safety and ethics within the Tech sector.

(agi.safe.ai)

Tech

Red Hat's Minimum Viable Open Source AI

2025-02-06

Red Hat defines the minimum criteria for open-source AI as open-source-licensed model weights combined with open-source software components. This article details Red Hat's vision for open-source AI, emphasizing the importance of open licensing for model weights to facilitate community contributions and improvements. They highlight their contributions through projects like InstructLab and the Granite model family, and their commitment to building open-source AI platforms on technologies like Kubernetes and KubeFlow. Their ultimate goal is to democratize and broadly deploy open-source AI across hybrid cloud environments.

(www.redhat.com)

Tech Open Source AI Model Weights

The Random Oracle Model's Achilles' Heel: New Challenges to Blockchain Security

2025-02-06

This post delves into a long-standing issue in cryptography: the Random Oracle Model (ROM). Widely used to prove the security of cryptographic schemes, ROM's assumptions are unrealizable in the real world. The author analyzes a paper by Khovratovich, Rothblum, and Soukhanov, revealing potential practical attacks on Fiat-Shamir based zero-knowledge proof systems. These attacks exploit vulnerabilities that can arise when replacing the ROM with real-world hash functions. As zero-knowledge proofs and their recursive applications in blockchain become more prevalent, the author highlights the significant security risks, potentially leading to system-wide failures. The post emphasizes the crucial need for rigorous security audits of programs used in proof systems and explores various attack scenarios, ranging from relatively mild to catastrophic, prompting a deeper examination of blockchain security.

(blog.cryptographyengineering.com)

Tech random oracle model blockchain security

Arctic Microalgae Defy Photosynthesis Limits

2025-02-06

New research reveals Arctic microalgae can photosynthesize under extremely low light conditions, nearing the theoretical minimum. Researchers observed algae growth shortly after the polar night, indicating they maintain low-power operation during darkness and rapidly activate photosynthesis when light returns. This finding could reshape our understanding of Arctic ecosystems and deep-sea life, suggesting the productive ocean zone might extend deeper than previously thought.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

Tech Arctic Microalgae Polar Night

The Surprising Physics of Microwave Ovens

2025-02-06

Microwave ovens are ubiquitous in American kitchens, but their inner workings are far more complex than simply heating food. This article delves into the science behind microwave cooking, explaining the formation of hot and cold spots, and offering strategies for optimal reheating. From its origins in WWII radar technology to its modern applications, the article traces the history of the microwave oven and explores the varying responses of different foods to microwave radiation. Practical tips are provided to avoid uneven heating, and safety concerns are addressed.

(www.genuineideas.com)

Tech microwave oven cooking

Bioengineered Teeth: A Breakthrough in Tooth Repair?

2025-02-06

Scientists have grown bioengineered teeth in the lab using cells from pig teeth, offering a revolutionary approach to tooth repair. Traditional fillings and implants have limitations such as limited lifespan and infection risks. This bioengineered tooth aims to overcome these drawbacks, providing a more durable and natural tooth replacement. Researchers cultured tens of millions of cells from pig jawbones and seeded them onto biodegradable tooth-shaped scaffolds, which were then implanted into rats. This research opens up new avenues for repairing damaged teeth and has the potential to revolutionize the field of dentistry.

(www.technologyreview.com)

Tech bioengineering tooth repair

Relativity and the Origin of Magnetic Fields

2025-02-06

This article provides an intuitive explanation of the origin of magnetic fields, avoiding the typical textbook approach of simply introducing 'B-fields' or 'H-fields'. Using a thought experiment involving a spaceship and flashing lights, the author elegantly explains how relativistic length contraction accounts for the appearance of magnetic fields when electrons move in a wire. The key insight is that while a stationary observer sees a constant electron density, an observer moving with the electrons perceives a lower electron density and a higher positive ion density, resulting in a net electric field pulling it towards the conductor – the essence of a magnetic field.

(lcamtuf.substack.com)

Tech Relativity Magnetic Fields Electromagnetism

Thailand Cuts Power to Border Towns to Combat Cross-Border Scams

2025-02-06

In a major crackdown on cross-border telecom scams, the Thai government has cut off electricity, internet, and gas supplies to several towns along its border with Myanmar. These areas are known to house numerous scam factories where victims are coerced into running investment and romance scams, generating billions of dollars annually. The move is driven by national security concerns and the significant economic damage caused by these scams. Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister personally oversaw the power cuts, citing a clause in the energy supply contract. The recent discovery of a missing Chinese actor in the area highlights the severity of the problem. While Myanmar has also repatriated thousands of forced workers, Thailand's actions demonstrate a strong stance against cybercrime and human trafficking, though the impact on innocent civilians remains unclear.

(www.bitdefender.com)

Tech human trafficking

Aluminum-Ion Batteries: A Revolutionary Breakthrough for Safer, Cheaper, and Longer-Lasting Energy Storage

2025-02-06

A team of scientists in Beijing has developed a novel aluminum-ion battery poised to revolutionize energy storage. The battery utilizes a stable solid-state electrolyte, overcoming the corrosion, safety, and short cycle-life issues plaguing previous aluminum-ion battery attempts. This solid-state electrolyte, composed of aluminum fluoride salt and a liquid electrolyte, features a porous 3D structure that absorbs and stabilizes the liquid while allowing ion mobility, increasing conductivity and preventing leakage. Tests show the battery retains 99% of its original capacity after 10,000 charge/discharge cycles, significantly outperforming lithium-ion batteries. Furthermore, it offers enhanced safety, recyclability, and lower cost, promising to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech aluminum-ion battery solid-state electrolyte

US Govt Discloses 39 Zero-Day Vulnerabilities, But the Full Story Remains Hidden

2025-02-06

For the first time, the US government revealed it disclosed 39 zero-day software vulnerabilities in 2023. This transparency, however, is limited. The report doesn't state the total number of vulnerabilities reviewed or how many were kept secret. Ten of the disclosed vulnerabilities had been previously deemed too risky to release. This lack of comprehensive data raises questions about the government's zero-day stockpile and whether its equities process truly prioritizes disclosure over exploitation. With the government planning to increase offensive cyber operations, this lack of transparency could become a significant issue.

(www.zetter-zeroday.com)

Tech

Disney+ Loses Subscribers After Price Hike

2025-02-06

Disney's Q1 2025 earnings report revealed a loss of 700,000 Disney+ subscribers globally in recent months, attributed to price increases implemented in the fall. The ad-supported version rose from $7.99 to $9.99, while the ad-free tier jumped from $13.99 to $15.99. Simultaneously, Disney's crackdown on password sharing, introducing a paid sharing plan in select regions, likely contributed to the decline. Despite the loss, CEO Bob Iger stated the churn was less severe than anticipated. Conversely, Hulu gained 1.6 million subscribers, reaching 53.6 million. Disney's overall revenue saw a 4.8% increase, largely driven by the box office success of Moana 2, exceeding $1 billion in revenue.

(www.macrumors.com)

Tech subscriber loss

Medieval Trebuchet Range Calculation: A Physics Problem Based on Energy Conservation

2025-02-06

This article estimates the range of a medieval trebuchet by calculating energy conservation. The author first analyzes the process of converting the potential energy of the counterweight into the kinetic energy of the projectile, taking into account energy losses. Then, using a simplified integration method (avoiding complex calculus), the author calculates the flight time of the projectile in the air and ultimately estimates the range of the trebuchet, comparing it with data from historical documents, with surprisingly consistent results. The article points out that the range of the trebuchet is independent of gravitational acceleration, which is counterintuitive, but the author explains this phenomenon through analysis.

(michaeldominik.substack.com)

Tech medieval technology

EU-US Data Deal: Built on Shifting Sands?

2025-02-06

The EU-US Data Privacy Framework (TADPF) faces criticism for relying on potentially revocable US executive orders. The European Court of Justice previously ruled US law incompatible with EU data protection standards. Despite this, the EU Commission approved TADPF, allowing EU businesses to freely transfer data to US providers. However, a new US administration could overturn the executive orders underpinning TADPF, leaving many EU businesses in legal limbo. Experts warn EU companies should develop contingency plans to address the potential legal risks.

(noyb.eu)

Tech cross-border data transfer US-EU relations

1930s Cameras: Innovation Amidst Depression

2025-02-06

The 1930s saw fundamental changes in camera design, despite the Great Depression. Wood construction largely disappeared except in cheaper models. Thousands of designs emerged as photography gained mass appeal. Folding bellows cameras remained popular, but chrome plating surpassed nickel. Many cameras were modular, with interchangeable lenses and shutters. Mid-decade, 35mm cameras (miniature cameras) using daylight-loading 135 cartridges rose to prominence, utilizing Bakelite and aluminum. Die-cast metal bodies became increasingly common. The twin-lens reflex camera matured, and the Exakta VP, a precursor to the modern SLR, appeared. Leica adopted the 135 cartridge, establishing a design trend of satin chrome and black finishes that persists today. Germany became a major producer of high-quality cameras, while mass-market cameras were produced globally.

(licm.org.uk)

Tech camera history 35mm camera SLR camera

2000-Year-Old Mummies Found with Gold Tongues in Egypt

2025-02-06

Archaeologists unearthed 13 mummies in Egypt dating back over 2,000 years, each with a gold amulet replacing their tongue. Ancient Egyptians believed this ensured the deceased could speak in the afterlife. This discovery is exceptionally rare due to widespread tomb raiding. Beyond the golden tongues, the tombs yielded ritual texts, colorful inscriptions and artwork, scarabs, amulets, canopic jars, and more gold—including golden fingernails, another symbol of afterlife protection. The find offers invaluable insight into the religious practices and burial traditions of the Ptolemaic era (305-30 BC).

(www.popularmechanics.com)

Tech Ancient Egypt Mummies

Asia-Pacific Server Status: Partial Maintenance

2025-02-06

A status check across various cities in the Asia-Pacific region reveals that some servers are currently under maintenance, including Jakarta, Dhaka, and Karachi. Other locations are operating normally. This maintenance may affect user experience; users are advised to check official announcements for updates.

(www.cloudflarestatus.com)

Tech server status Asia-Pacific

Giant Lunar Canyons Deeper Than the Grand Canyon Formed in Minutes

2025-02-06

A new study reveals two gigantic canyons on the moon, both exceeding the Grand Canyon in depth, were carved in under 10 minutes by rock floods traveling at bullet speeds. Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck measure 270 km and 280 km long, and 2.7 km and 3.5 km deep respectively, dwarfing the Grand Canyon's 446 km length and 1.9 km depth. Analysis of NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images shows these canyons resulted from a massive impact 3.81 billion years ago, with debris hurtling at 3,420-4,600 km/h – over 130 times the energy of the world's nuclear arsenal. This discovery offers crucial insights for future lunar missions, particularly in understanding the Moon's early geological history.

(www.space.com)

Tech lunar canyons

CERN's Open Source Treasure Hunt: Quantifying the Impact of a Scientific Giant

2025-02-06

CERN, a powerhouse of scientific discovery, has a long history of open-source contributions. But how to measure its impact? CERN's Open Source Program Office (OSPO) has partnered with Software Heritage (SWH) to embark on a 12-month project. Using SWH's vast archive, they aim to track CERN-related software projects, analyze their evolution, and quantify their influence on the global open-source community. This research will not only illuminate CERN's open-source legacy but also provide a methodology for other organizations to measure their own contributions, offering valuable insights into the role of open source in scientific and technological advancement.

(opensource.web.cern.ch)

Tech Software Heritage

Let's Encrypt Drops Automated Certificate Expiration Emails

2025-02-06

Let's Encrypt, the non-profit providing free wildcard SSL certificates, will cease sending automated expiration emails starting June 4, 2025. This change, however, is likely beneficial. Reasons cited include widespread automation of certificate renewal by users, the significant cost (tens of thousands of dollars annually) and infrastructure complexity of sending these emails, and importantly, enhanced user privacy by eliminating the need to store millions of email addresses. Let's Encrypt suggests using alternatives like Red Sift Certificates Lite for free certificate expiration monitoring.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

NYC Subway Crime Plummets Despite Ridership Surge

2025-02-06

Subway crime in New York City dropped by 36% in January 2025, with only 147 reported crimes compared to 231 the previous year. This significant decrease comes despite a substantial increase in ridership due to the implementation of congestion pricing. Mayor Eric Adams attributes this success to the deployment of 1,200 additional NYPD officers throughout the subway system and 300 more patrolling overnight trains, creating a more visible police presence. Governor Kathy Hochul's $77 million initiative to place a uniformed officer on every overnight train further supports this effort. The results suggest that increased police presence is effectively contributing to improved subway safety.

(www.amny.com)

Tech Subway Safety Crime Reduction Increased Policing

NOAA Halts International Collaboration: Political Interference or Something More?

2025-02-06

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has ordered its employees to temporarily cease all communication with foreign nationals, including those working directly with the US government. The move has sparked concern, with the motives unclear but potentially linked to the Trump administration's stance on renewable energy and political pressure on NOAA. The ban impacts international collaborations, data sharing, and personnel exchange, potentially severely impacting climate research, ocean conservation, and disaster warning systems. Sources suggest this is connected to internal personnel changes and political vetting within NOAA.

(www.wired.com)

Tech international collaboration

Category: Tech