Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Cursing Your Way to Google Search Results Without AI Summaries

2025-01-31

Tired of Google's AI-powered search results leading you astray? It turns out adding expletives to your search query disables the AI-generated summaries. Including curse words prevents Google from displaying its AI Overview at the top of the results, instead providing a standard list of links. While not the first method discovered to bypass Google's AI summaries, this approach is remarkably simple and cathartic. This raises questions about the desirability of these AI summaries; if users consistently seek ways to disable them, does this indicate a lack of demand? While convenient, AI summaries are prone to inaccuracies and may exacerbate the spread of misinformation, mirroring the issues seen with ChatGPT's integration into Siri. Google argues that AI Overviews don't reduce website traffic, a claim disputed by media companies.

(gizmodo.com)

Tech Information Accuracy

Australia Enacts World's Strictest Social Media Ban for Under-16s

2025-01-31

Australia has implemented one of the world's strictest internet crackdowns, prohibiting children under 16 from using social media or creating new accounts. The law, effective in a year, holds social media companies accountable for verifying users' ages, with penalties reaching nearly $50 million for non-compliance. Facing opposition from tech companies citing free speech concerns and the potential for driving kids to unregulated online spaces, Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, is tasked with enforcement. The approach, drawing global attention, aims to shift responsibility for online child safety from parents to platforms, similar to past automotive safety regulations.

(www.npr.org)

Tech child safety internet regulation

Passive Investing's Rise: Is the Myth of Market Efficiency Broken?

2025-01-31

Recent market volatility has sparked questions about market efficiency. A new study suggests the rise of passive investing has led to slower reactions by active managers to price discrepancies, amplifying the impact of individual trades. The growing dominance of index funds has decreased market sensitivity to price changes, potentially leading to increased volatility, reduced capital allocation efficiency, and even market failure. While the study's conclusions remain debated, it raises concerns about the potential risks of passive investing, particularly its impact on large-cap stocks.

(finance.yahoo.com)

Tech passive investing market volatility

FBI, Dutch Police Bust Massive Pakistan-Based Cybercrime Service

2025-01-31

The FBI and Dutch authorities this week dismantled a massive spam and malware distribution service operating out of Pakistan, known as “The Manipulators.” This group, previously profiled multiple times, provided cybercrime tools to transnational organized crime groups. The operation seized dozens of servers and domains, uncovering millions of victim records, including at least 100,000 from Dutch citizens. The service sold phishing kits, scam pages, and email extractors, facilitating Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes that caused significant financial losses to victims. Ironically, despite their brazen public profile and past media attention, The Manipulators showed little regard for protecting their own or their customers' identities, leading to their downfall. This represents a major blow to cybercrime, but investigations are ongoing to track down buyers of their services.

(krebsonsecurity.com)

Tech

8000+ Top Cited Scientists Have Had Papers Retracted: What's Going On?

2025-01-31

A new study reveals that over 8,000 of the world's most-cited scientists have at least one retracted paper. Analyzing data from over 55,000 retractions, researchers found that retracted papers had higher self-citation rates and papers with more co-authors were more likely to be retracted. Retraction rates varied by country, with the highest rates in India and mainland China/Taiwan, and the lowest in Finland, Belgium, and Israel. The study highlights a correlation between the number of publications and retractions, but emphasizes that not all retractions indicate misconduct; understanding the underlying causes and patterns is crucial.

(www.nature.com)

Tech academic misconduct research integrity

A Surprisingly Rich History of Calculators

2025-01-31

This article traces the surprisingly rich history of calculators, from ancient abacuses and counting rods to modern electronic devices. Using a personal collection of antique calculators, the author details the evolution from mechanical marvels like Pascal's adder and Leibniz's multiplier, through slide rules, hand-cranked calculators, and finally, the electronic calculator. The story highlights key technological advancements and limitations at each stage, culminating in the miniaturization and widespread adoption of handheld calculators, even integrated into wristwatches. However, the rise of smartphones ultimately relegated the standalone calculator to a niche product.

(lcamtuf.substack.com)

Tech calculator history mechanical calculators electronic calculators

Quantel's Paintbox: The Revolutionary Digital Painting System That Changed Television

2025-01-31

In the early 1980s, Quantel, a small company from Newbury, England, revolutionized television graphics with its Paintbox, a groundbreaking digital painting system. It solved the then-unsurmountable challenge of creating realistically rendered digital lines with the speed and subtlety of traditional painting, using a pressure-sensitive stylus for precise control. Despite hardware limitations (a massive 330MB hard drive and processing spread across 25 custom circuit boards), Paintbox delivered real-time performance and broadcast quality. Its user-friendly interface and powerful capabilities quickly made it an industry standard, adopted by major networks and production houses worldwide. Paintbox's impact on television commercials and music videos was undeniable, maintaining its dominance for nearly a decade before cheaper software alternatives emerged.

(www.quantelpaintbox.com)

Tech digital image processing television production

Critical Security Flaw Found in Contec CMS8000 Patient Monitor Firmware

2025-01-31

CISA issued a security advisory revealing critical vulnerabilities in the firmware of the Contec CMS8000 patient monitor. Analysis shows all three firmware versions analyzed contain a backdoor with a hardcoded IP address (CVE-2025-0626) and functionality that could lead to patient data spillage (CVE-2025-0683). These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution and device modification, jeopardizing patient safety. CISA urges users to update firmware and take additional security measures.

(www.cisa.gov)

Tech medical security cybersecurity vulnerability

Xanadu's 12-Qubit Photonic Quantum Computer: A Promising First Step

2025-01-31

Xanadu's latest research, published in Nature, details their 12-qubit photonic quantum computer, Aurora, built using 35 chips. While significantly fewer qubits than Google or IBM's offerings, this represents a key advancement in photonic quantum computing. Researchers highlight advantages like noise resilience and ease of networking, crucial for a future quantum internet. However, practical quantum computing applications require thousands, if not millions, of qubits. The achievement is compared to building a hotel—one room has been constructed, but the feasibility of building the entire hotel remains to be seen.

(www.technologyreview.com)

Tech photonic quantum computer

Vestigial Ear Muscles Activate During Effortful Listening

2025-01-31

A new study reveals that human auricular muscles, once used to move our ears, reactivate during challenging listening tasks. Scientists used electromyography to measure muscle activity while participants listened to audiobooks with competing sounds. The results showed increased activity in the superior auricular muscles when hearing was difficult, suggesting these vestigial muscles may play a role in attentional mechanisms. While the muscle movements are minuscule and likely don't improve hearing, their activation could serve as an objective measure of listening effort.

(www.frontiersin.org)

Tech hearing auricular muscles

Budget Watch Survives Deep Sea Test, Reveals History of Underwater Espionage

2025-01-31

A $15 Casio F91W watch, after a simple oil-filling modification, was successfully taken to nearly 5,000 meters underwater by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and returned intact. This incredible feat highlights the surprising pressure resistance of inexpensive equipment and underscores the long and secretive history of deep-sea espionage. From Cold War submarine recovery operations to modern-day sabotage of undersea cables, the deep ocean has served as a critical—and often unseen—battleground for intelligence gathering and covert actions. The article explores both historical incidents like Operation Ivy Bells and recent events, emphasizing the growing sophistication of underwater warfare and the challenges of attribution.

(www.watchesofespionage.com)

Tech Deep Sea Exploration Espionage

Intel Cancels Falcon Shores GPU, Pivots to System-Level AI Solutions

2025-01-31

Intel has announced the cancellation of its next-generation high-performance computing and AI GPU, Falcon Shores, shifting focus to Jaguar Shores. This strategic adjustment comes after a series of disappointing product launches and substantial losses, as Intel attempts to regain its footing. Intel acknowledges that a standalone chip isn't enough; customers demand a complete system-level solution. This move also reflects Intel's challenges in the AI data center market, facing stiff competition from AMD and Nvidia, and acknowledges the underperformance of its Gaudi 3 chip.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech

US NSF Funding Freeze: Science on the Brink

2025-01-31

A freeze on funding from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has thrown the scientific community into turmoil. Despite Trump's purported rescission of the freeze, chaos continues, leaving program directors paralyzed and uncertain. A prolonged freeze could leave tens of thousands of graduate students and postdocs without stipends, halting basic science research and potentially leading to a brain drain to countries like China. An indefinite hiring freeze further weakens the NSF and similar agencies. The author urges insiders to share information and expresses deep concern for the future of American science.

(scottaaronson.blog)

Tech NSF funding funding freeze US science

Cryptocurrency Doesn't Solve the Hard Problems of Financial Inclusion

2025-01-31

Wave, a financial services company, argues that cryptocurrency isn't a silver bullet for financial inclusion. While it excels at tracking account balances, it falls short in building trust, ensuring regulatory compliance, and, most importantly, facilitating easy cash-in and cash-out. For less tech-savvy, low-income users, navigating cryptocurrency transactions is complex and costly. The article advocates for a first-principles approach to financial inclusion, prioritizing simple and effective solutions over trendy technologies. Although not a panacea, cryptocurrency shows potential in specific niches, such as acting as a store of value or enhancing cross-border payment efficiency.

(www.wave.com)

Tech financial inclusion

AM Radio's Fight for Survival in Modern Cars

2025-01-31

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2025, reintroduced with bipartisan support, aims to mandate AM radio in all new cars. Proponents argue AM radio's superior reach, particularly crucial in rural areas, makes it vital for emergency broadcasts. However, the automotive industry counters that AM radio isn't a safety feature and that alternative emergency alert systems exist. The debate highlights the tension between public interest, commercial considerations, and the evolving landscape of media and technology.

(www.agweek.com)

Tech AM Radio Automotive Legislation Emergency Alerts

CHM Releases Xerox Alto Source Code: A Glimpse into Computing History

2025-01-31

The Computer History Museum (CHM) has released the source code for the Xerox Alto, a groundbreaking personal computer that pioneered many features we take for granted today, including bitmapped displays, the mouse, and WYSIWYG word processing. The article recounts the evolution of personal computing, from mainframes to early homebrew computers and finally the Xerox Alto, showcasing the rapid advancements in technology and Alto's lasting influence. The released source code includes the Alto's operating system, applications, and Ethernet networking software, offering invaluable resources for researchers and enthusiasts.

(computerhistory.org)

Tech

North American Ski Resorts Face Existential Threat: Climate Change and Environmental Regulations

2025-01-31

The North American ski industry is facing a crisis. Since the boom of the 1960s and 70s, over half of all ski resorts have closed, driven by climate change, environmental regulations, and shifting consumer demands. The study highlights the unsustainable water and energy consumption of artificial snowmaking, along with negative impacts on vegetation and wildlife. To survive, resorts must adopt sustainable practices, including investing in eco-friendly technologies, diversifying their offerings, implementing multi-resort passes, and exploring innovative ownership models to adapt to the changing climate and environmental pressures while maintaining profitability.

(www.mdpi.com)

Tech ski resorts

US Copyright Office: No New Laws Needed for AI-Assisted Works

2025-01-31

The US Copyright Office declared this week that existing laws suffice to address copyright issues surrounding AI-assisted works, negating the need for new legislation. Over 10,000 comments urged stronger protections for artists in the age of AI. The office responded by referencing a 1965 precedent when similar authorship questions arose with the advent of advanced computer technology. Then, Register of Copyrights Abraham Kaminstein stated there's no one-size-fits-all solution. This remains the office's stance; only fully AI-generated content is ineligible for copyright protection. Works with human-authored expressive elements, even with AI assistance, retain copyrightability.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech AI Authorship

RCA: The Rise and Fall of a Roaring Twenties Tech Giant

2025-01-31

RCA was a household name in the 1920s, its stock price soaring 200-fold thanks to breakthroughs in radio broadcasting. However, after the 1929 crash and subsequent antitrust actions, RCA, despite a period of recovery, failed to find new avenues for growth. Ultimately, it was acquired by General Electric in 1986, ending its dramatic and ultimately short-lived reign. This article uses RCA's story as a case study to explore the rise and fall of technology companies, prompting reflection on the future of today's tech giants.

(globalfinancialdata.com)

Tech Stock Market

Apple Q1 Earnings: Record Revenue, AI-Powered Future

2025-01-31

Apple announced its financial results for fiscal Q1 2025 (calendar Q4 2024), reporting record revenue of $124.3 billion, a 4% year-over-year increase. Earnings per share rose 10% to $2.40. Services, Mac, and iPad revenues saw significant growth, while iPhone and Wearables experienced slight declines. CEO Tim Cook highlighted this as Apple's best quarter ever, emphasizing the role of Apple Intelligence in enhancing user experience and driving future growth. Apple Intelligence will support more languages in April. The earnings call also provided guidance for the next quarter, projecting low-to-mid single-digit revenue growth.

(www.macrumors.com)

Tech Apple Earnings Revenue Growth

India Welcomes Chinese AI: DeepSeek Deploys Amidst Massive Compute Center Launch

2025-01-30

India's IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, will host its large language models on Indian servers, marking a rare opening for Chinese technology in India. This comes as India invests heavily in its own AI sector, unveiling a new AI compute facility boasting 18,693 GPUs and offering significant discounts to Indian firms. DeepSeek's R1 model, recently released to much fanfare for its performance relative to its development cost, has shaken the tech industry, impacting Nvidia's market cap. India aims to attract $30 billion in hyperscaler and data center investments over the next few years, fostering the development of homegrown AI models and establishing a regulatory body to ensure AI safety.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech China Tech

Google Offers Voluntary Exit Program for Platforms & Devices Team

2025-01-30

Google announced a voluntary exit program for US-based employees in its Platforms & Devices group, encompassing Android, Pixel, Fitbit, and more. This follows last year's merger of Pixel hardware and Android software teams. The program offers severance packages and aims to ensure remaining employees are fully committed to the company's mission and focused on efficient product development. It's not a company-wide layoff but rather a response to integration challenges and role adjustments following the merger.

(9to5google.com)

Tech restructuring

OpenAI Partners with US National Labs to Supercharge Scientific Research with AI

2025-01-30

OpenAI announced a partnership with US National Labs, leveraging AI to advance scientific research and serve national security and public good. Over 15,000 scientists will gain access to OpenAI's latest reasoning models, potentially leading to breakthroughs in materials science, renewable energy, astrophysics, and more. Key areas of focus include bolstering US global tech leadership, disease treatment and prevention, cybersecurity, power grid protection, threat detection, and furthering our understanding of the universe. The partnership aims to unlock the potential of natural resources and revolutionize the nation's energy infrastructure, while also significantly enhancing national security research.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech National Labs

Uzbekistan's Vanishing Sea and Eternal Flames: A Journey Through Life and Death

2025-01-30

This article recounts the author's journey through Uzbekistan, exploring the remnants of the Aral Sea, desiccated by Soviet cotton farming, alongside historical sites like the Mizdakhan necropolis and Chilpik Kala. The journey interweaves ancient ruins with modern ecological disaster, showcasing the resilience of life in extreme environments and the destructive impact of human actions on the environment. From the vanishing Aral Sea to eternally burning gas craters, from ancient Zoroastrian sites to modern cemeteries, the author blends history, culture, ecological catastrophe, and human tenacity into a poignant and hopeful narrative.

(www.noemamag.com)

Tech ecological disaster Uzbekistan

Massive California Law Enforcement Database Abuse Revealed

2025-01-30

A report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) exposes widespread abuse of sensitive criminal justice databases by California law enforcement agencies. In 2023 alone, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LACSD) accounted for a majority of the state's 7,275 reported violations of the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS), with 6,789 abuses primarily involving unauthorized background checks for concealed carry permits. Other abuses included using data for personal vendettas and password sharing. From 2019-2023, 761 investigations revealed at least 7,635 violations across the state, leading to suspensions, resignations, and firings of officers. The report highlights the need for stronger oversight of law enforcement databases.

(www.eff.org)

Tech database abuse

Optical Frequency Combs: A Ruler for Light

2025-01-30

Optical frequency combs, Nobel Prize-winning technology, act like a ruler for light, precisely measuring the frequencies of light waves across the electromagnetic spectrum. This revolutionary technology bridges the gap between radio/microwave and optical frequencies, enabling advancements in atomic clocks, astronomy, atmospheric science, and even medical diagnostics. NIST scientists are at the forefront of this field, continuously improving the accuracy and miniaturization of these devices. Future applications include integration into microchips for broader commercial use.

(www.nist.gov)

Tech optical frequency combs atomic clocks precision measurement

Superbloom: How Connection Technologies Tear Us Apart

2025-01-30

Nicholas Carr's new book, *Superbloom*, examines how modern connection technologies—cell phones, the internet, social media, etc.—impact individuals and society. Carr argues these technologies aren't inherently evil but cause negative consequences due to our misconceptions about communication and ourselves. He uses the 2019 Los Angeles poppy bloom event to illustrate how information overload and social media's amplification effect lead to chaos and negativity. The book traces the history of communication technologies, highlighting how they've always been accompanied by supernatural imaginings, and raises concerns about anonymity, power, and information veracity. Carr critiques technological optimism, arguing that information overload hasn't led to a more democratic or rational society but has instead exacerbated social divisions. He contends that social media's design leverages cognitive biases, exacerbating information fragmentation and fast-paced thinking, ultimately resulting in a 'hyperreality' where truth is indistinguishable from falsehood. Carr calls for a return to reality, resisting information overload, and proposes potential solutions, such as increasing the friction cost of information dissemination.

(lareviewofbooks.org)

Tech information overload technology's impact

The Demise of OCSP: Let's Encrypt Pulls the Plug

2025-01-30

Let's Encrypt's decision to discontinue OCSP support signals the end of an era for this 25-year-old certificate revocation checking technology. Plagued by poor browser implementation and high costs, OCSP failed to deliver significant security improvements. The future involves shorter-lived certificates (e.g., 6-day validity) and a revised CRL approach handled by browser vendors. While niche uses of OCSP might persist, its widespread adoption is over.

(www.feistyduck.com)

Tech certificate revocation

Tesla's German EV Registrations Plummet 41%, Ranking Falls

2025-01-30

Tesla's new EV registrations in Germany plummeted 41% in 2024 to under 38,000, dropping to third place in market share. This decline is attributed to CEO Elon Musk's controversial statements and a lack of recent innovation, despite the Berlin Gigafactory's initial promise. Competitors like BMW and VW outperformed Tesla, highlighting challenges faced by the US automaker in the German market, including legal issues, environmental protests, and lower-than-expected sales at its Berlin plant.

(www.cleanenergywire.org)

Tech

20-Year-Old Builds Nuclear Fusor with AI: The Dawn of AI Natives?

2025-01-30

A 20-year-old math student, Hudhayfa Nazoordeen, built a nuclear fusor in his home using Anthropic's Claude AI and online resources. Despite lacking a physics background, he achieved this feat with the AI's assistance, sparking reflection on the rapid advancement of AI and its implications. The author's visit revealed a stark contrast between 'AI natives' like Hudhayfa and traditional tech users, highlighting the transformative power of AI. The experience led the author to believe new computing devices will integrate AI at their core, predicting those failing to adapt will be left behind.

(www.corememory.com)

Tech

Category: Tech