Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Millions of Windows 10 PCs Face Security Disaster as Microsoft Ends Support

2025-01-06

Millions of Windows 10 users face a looming security crisis as Microsoft plans to end support for the OS on October 14, 2025. With millions of devices still running Windows 10, especially in Germany, the lack of security updates leaves them vulnerable to cyberattacks. Security experts urge immediate action: upgrade to Windows 11, switch to an alternative OS, or face significant risks like ransomware and data breaches. Businesses face additional compliance and productivity concerns. The situation is more critical than the Windows 7 end-of-life, highlighting the urgent need for users and businesses to act now.

(betanews.com)

Tech Security Risk OS Upgrade

Air Force Tests Subscale Blended-Wing Body Jet, Poised for 2027 Debut

2025-01-06

The US Air Force is flight-testing a subscale model of its Blended-Wing Body (BWB) demonstrator, using the data to refine the full-scale aircraft's control software and configuration. The subscale model, nicknamed "Pathfinder," boasts a 23-foot wingspan—one-eighth the size of the planned full-scale aircraft. The BWB design promises a 30 percent reduction in fuel burn and potential applications in future Air Force and commercial airlifters and cargo aircraft. The full-scale aircraft is slated for a September 2027 first flight, informing analysis for the Next-Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) and other future mobility concepts.

(www.airandspaceforces.com)

Tech Blended Wing Body Flight Test Fuel Efficiency

US Government's Massive Nuclear Power Procurement: A Historic Deal

2025-01-06

The US General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded Constellation, operator of the largest fleet of commercial nuclear plants in the US, over $1 billion in contracts to supply power to 13 government agencies for 10 years. The largest contract, worth $840 million, will provide over 1 million megawatt-hours annually, partly fueled by Constellation's investments to increase output at its existing plants. This 'historic procurement' secures a reliable, cost-competitive energy supply, advancing a carbon-free future and protecting taxpayers from price hikes. It's the GSA's largest energy purchase ever and a significant climate-focused agreement incorporating existing nuclear reactors.

(www.nucnet.org)

Tech Nuclear Power Government Procurement Carbon Neutrality

Atari ST and DOS PCs: A Forgotten Disk Compatibility Story

2025-01-06

In 1984, Atari faced a challenge in getting an operating system for the Atari ST. Due to time constraints, they partnered with Digital Research, opting for their nearly-complete GEM OS instead of the then-unfinished Windows. GEM would later be ported to PCs, but it didn't gain traction. However, Atari ST's use of GEMDOS, similar to PC-DOS, and the identical disk format, allowed for surprisingly easy file transfers between the Atari ST and PCs. Despite minor compatibility issues, this was revolutionary at the time and remains relevant today. The article also recounts an attempt to run DOS programs on an Atari ST using pc-ditto, a third-party emulator. While slow, the ability to run some DOS applications showcases the Atari ST's unique charm in the retro computing world.

(www.goto10retro.com)

Tech

Magic Links and Passkeys: A Passwordless Future?

2025-01-06

This article explores the evolution of website login methods. While magic links offer convenience, their user experience is often frustrating. The author argues that Passkeys, the next-generation authentication standard, can seamlessly integrate with magic links to provide a more secure and faster login experience. Passkeys eliminate the need for app switching, are significantly faster than passwords and magic links, and integrate flawlessly with autofill. The article suggests websites adopt Passkeys as a complement, gradually improving user experience and ultimately eliminating the reliance on passwords.

(rmondello.com)

Tech Magic Links

2024 Good Tech Awards: AI's Ascent and the Unsung Heroes of Open Source

2025-01-06

2024 saw breakneck AI advancements, but also regulatory battles and political turmoil in the tech world. This year's Good Tech Awards celebrate achievements in AI: Epoch AI for providing reliable AI data; open-source maintainers for safeguarding our digital infrastructure; and organizations like the Arc Institute, Lichtman Lab, and SyntheMol for leveraging AI in healthcare and scientific research. The awards also recognize NASA's Voyager 1 support, Bluesky's innovative social network, and useful AI applications like NotebookLM and Coloring Book Hero, highlighting technology's positive impact.

(www.thestar.com.my)

Tech Tech Awards

TDK Ventures Invests in Silicon Box: Betting on Advanced Chiplet Packaging

2025-01-06

This article details why TDK Ventures invested in Silicon Box. Silicon Box is developing advanced chiplet packaging technology, combining multiple small chips (chiplets) into a complete system-on-chip (SoC). This approach overcomes limitations of traditional monolithic chip architectures, improving design flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and performance. Silicon Box's innovation lies in its industry-leading interconnect technology and novel panel packaging, achieving up to 8x higher production efficiency than existing technologies. TDK Ventures' investment is based on Silicon Box's innovation in chiplet interconnect, robust production capabilities, technical expertise, and strong investor partnerships.

(medium.com)

Tech chiplet semiconductor

Life Beyond Stars? Icy Moons May Hold the Key

2025-01-06

A 2023 paper suggests a paradigm shift in our understanding of life's origins. The discovery of numerous Jupiter-sized planets, free-floating and even forming binary systems, points to a surprising possibility: most life in the universe might reside in the deep oceans of icy moons orbiting these starless planets. These sub-surface oceans, heated by the moon's core and tidal friction, possess the necessary nutrients for life, offering a more stable and protected environment than Earth. This challenges traditional planetary formation theories and redirects the search for extraterrestrial life to a new, exciting frontier.

(theeggandtherock.com)

Tech extraterrestrial life icy moons planetary formation

California Bans AI-Only Health Insurance Claim Denials

2025-01-06

California has enacted a new law prohibiting health insurance companies from denying claims based solely on artificial intelligence algorithms. The law prioritizes human judgment in coverage decisions, aiming to prevent AI miscalculations from denying patients necessary care. While acknowledging AI's potential benefits in healthcare, the legislation emphasizes the irreplaceable role of human empathy and understanding of individual patient needs. The law's impact extends beyond California, with other states and even Congress considering similar legislation, highlighting growing national concerns about AI's use in insurance.

(www.mercurynews.com)

Tech

California's Net Neutrality Law Survives Federal Ruling

2025-01-06

Despite the overturning of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) attempt to regulate broadband internet service, state laws in California, New York, and elsewhere remain intact. This week's ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down the FCC's open internet rules has little bearing on state laws enacted during the years-long tug-of-war over the government's power to regulate internet service providers. Experts suggest this ruling, along with other decisions and the Supreme Court's stance on a separate New York case, has effectively solidified state regulators' efforts to fill the void. California boasts one of the nation's strongest net neutrality laws, signed into law in 2018, preventing anti-competitive practices deemed harmful to consumers. The law has survived legal challenges and prompted changes in how internet service providers offer plans and services.

(www.yahoo.com)

Tech Net Neutrality State Laws

Apple Intelligence: Squandering the Holy Grail of Trusted Compute

2025-01-06

This article analyzes Apple's recently released Apple Intelligence, a suite of features designed to bring intelligence to iPhones. While Apple achieved a remarkable feat in building a secure 'Private Cloud Compute' system, prioritizing user data privacy and security, the actual implementation of these features is underwhelming. The author dissects each feature, from Writing Tools and notification summaries to Image Playground, revealing shortcomings and a lack of maturity that fall short of Apple's usual high standards. The article argues Apple missed an opportunity to create a 'bicycle for the mind' (Steve Jobs' analogy for computers), squandering a powerful technological foundation on lackluster applications. The exception is Math Notes, which the author praises highly. The piece concludes by exploring the nature and proper applications of generative AI, suggesting its strength lies in backend tasks like data analysis rather than direct-to-consumer products. The author laments the unfulfilled potential of Apple Intelligence, comparing it unfavorably to alternative, more effective open-source tools.

(xeiaso.net)

Tech

Archiving Computer History: A Personal Mirror Site

2025-01-06

An author, researching for a book on computer history, has created a personal mirror site archiving numerous historical web pages. Facing the frustrating reality of broken links, especially from the late 90s, the author painstakingly mirrors original sources, ensuring access to valuable information on Unix, Linux, BSD, Microsoft, Atari, and more. The site provides a reliable archive of pivotal moments and technologies in computing history, offering a rich resource for researchers and enthusiasts alike.

(landley.net)

Tech

Deep Dive: Humans to Test Underwater Habitat in 2025

2025-01-06

British startup Deep is pioneering underwater living with its Sentinel project, a modular habitat slated for completion in 2027. Utilizing advanced 3D printing and welding, Sentinel will enable scientists to live and work at depths up to 200 meters for extended periods. A smaller, transportable habitat called Vanguard, launching in 2025, will serve as a testbed. Vanguard can house three divers for up to a week, demonstrating the potential to dramatically increase the efficiency of ocean research and enhance our understanding of marine ecosystems in the face of climate change.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech Underwater Habitat Ocean Exploration 3D Printing

Global 6GHz Wi-Fi Spectrum Adoption Update

2025-01-06

The Wi-Fi Alliance has released an update on the global adoption of 6GHz Wi-Fi spectrum. The report shows many countries have approved or are considering approving the use of 6GHz Wi-Fi in the 5925-7125MHz band, promising significant improvements in Wi-Fi speed and capacity. The US has completed a three-stage spectrum allocation, while Europe is primarily focusing on the 5945-6425MHz band. This report provides valuable information for vendors and users looking to deploy 6GHz Wi-Fi technology.

(www.wi-fi.org)

Tech spectrum allocation Wi-Fi Alliance

OS/2's Demise: How IBM's Commitment Shaped Modern Software

2025-01-06

A retrospective on a 1995 Usenet post by Gordon Letwin, Microsoft's lead architect on the OS/2 project, reveals the true reason for OS/2's failure. It wasn't the lack of native applications, but IBM's commitment to designing OS/2 for 286 machines already sold, missing the opportunity to embrace the 386 processor and its potential. This allowed Windows 3.0 to rise and dominate the market. The article argues that IBM's adherence to customer promises, while seemingly responsible, ultimately led to OS/2's downfall and profoundly impacted the direction of modern software, such as the ever-increasing size of programs.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Microsoft's Windows 365 Link: A Cloud-Based Cage?

2025-01-06

Microsoft is about to release a new device called Windows 365 Link, essentially a locked-down cloud terminal with no local admin rights, data storage, or apps. The author expresses concern that this gives Microsoft complete control over users' computers, accompanied by hefty monthly fees. This exacerbates existing worries about loss of PC control and predicts mountains of e-waste after a few years of corporate use.

(cheapskatesguide.org)

Tech

ESET Recommends Linux as Windows 10 Support Ends

2025-01-05

With the end of Windows 10 support looming, ESET warns of significant security risks for millions still using the OS. They recommend upgrading to Windows 11, but suggest a Linux distribution as an alternative for older hardware that can't be upgraded. The article also discusses the high cost of Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 and the potential for cybercriminals to exploit this situation.

(www.neowin.net)

Tech Security Risks

Remote Code Execution on a Synth via MIDI Shellcode: Bad Apple on an LCD

2025-01-05

A hacker achieved remote code execution on a Yamaha PSR-E433 synthesizer using its MIDI interface. Through reverse engineering, they created a shell accessible via MIDI SysEx messages. This shell allowed them to manipulate the synth's memory, ultimately resulting in a Bad Apple video playing on its LCD screen. The project involved intricate JTAG debugging, firmware analysis, ARM assembly programming, and clever memory manipulation techniques. This impressive feat showcases a deep understanding of embedded systems reverse engineering.

(psi3.ru)

Tech

AI Spear Phishing: A 50%+ Success Rate Shocker

2025-01-05

A chilling study reveals that AI-powered spear phishing campaigns using LLMs like GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet achieve click-through rates exceeding 50%, drastically outperforming human-crafted emails and generic phishing attempts. Researchers automated the entire process, from target profiling using AI-driven web searches to crafting highly personalized phishing emails, resulting in a 50x cost reduction. This research highlights the significant cybersecurity threat posed by AI, exposing vulnerabilities in current defenses and demanding innovative countermeasures.

(www.lesswrong.com)

Tech

Akamai Decommissions China CDN Services, Partners with Tencent Cloud and Wangsu

2025-01-05

Akamai announced that it will decommission its China CDN services on June 30, 2026. To ensure a smooth transition, Akamai has partnered with Tencent Cloud and Wangsu Science & Technology to provide alternative solutions. Akamai will act as a reseller, offering migration services and support to help customers transition seamlessly to the new solutions and ensure compliance with evolving Chinese regulations. All existing China CDN customers must complete the transition by June 30, 2026.

(content.akamai.com)

Tech

Musk: Straight to Mars, the Moon is a Distraction

2025-01-05

Elon Musk has publicly criticized NASA's Artemis program, calling it inefficient and prioritizing jobs over results. He declared SpaceX is going straight to Mars, deeming the Moon a distraction. Given Musk's advisory role in the Trump administration and influence on NASA's new administrator, his statement carries significant weight. While Artemis likely won't be scrapped, NASA may adopt a dual-track approach, pursuing both lunar and Martian exploration. SpaceX and Blue Origin are expected to play key roles in this revised strategy.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Ads Devouring Half Your Mobile Data?

2025-01-05

A study reveals that online ads consume nearly half of the mobile data used to load a webpage on average. Researchers tested eight popular news sites, finding that ads accounted for 18% to 79% of data transfer. This sheds light on why many users run out of mobile data before the end of the month. While ads are crucial revenue for websites, their high data consumption raises concerns about efficiency, leading users to explore solutions like ad blockers.

(www.nextpit.com)

Tech mobile data ads data consumption

AMD CPUs Now 40% of Steam Users: A Record Year for Team Red

2025-01-05

The latest Steam survey reveals AMD CPUs have reached a record-high 40% market share among users, driven by the success of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel's struggles with 13th and 14th-gen instability. While AMD GPUs are making gains, Nvidia's RTX 40 and 30 series remain dominant. Windows 11 leads in Steam users, but Windows 10 maintains a stronger global market share.

(www.techspot.com)

Tech Steam Survey

60 Years of Space Mission Patches: A Visual History

2025-01-05

This article explores the evolution of space mission patches over six decades, showcasing iconic designs from the Soviet Union, NASA, and SpaceX. It highlights the Gemini 5 mission patch as an example of how astronauts infused personal meaning into their designs. The article contrasts the styles of different agencies: NASA patches often include crew names, while NRO patches are enigmatic and humorous, and ESA patches blend European culture and scientific spirit. These patches are not just memorabilia; they encapsulate the history, technology, and human element of space exploration.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech space mission patches space history

Drone Footage Reveals the Perilous Climb of an 1115ft Radio Tower

2025-01-05

Engineer Aaron Cox recently captured stunning drone footage of a daring antenna inspection on an 1115ft radio tower. The video showcases the meticulous work of professional tower climbers, highlighting their expertise and commitment to safety. This inspection was crucial for maintaining a multi-million dollar antenna system, preventing potential failures that could cause widespread broadcast outages. The tower houses equipment for ten radio stations, demonstrating the complexity of modern broadcast infrastructure. The video provides a rare glimpse into the dangerous world of high-altitude work and the sophisticated technology behind radio and TV broadcasts.

(www.jeffgeerling.com)

Tech Broadcast Engineering High-Altitude Work Technical Maintenance

Waymo Robotaxis: Significantly Safer Than Human Drivers

2025-01-05

Swiss Re, a global reinsurer, analyzed data from Waymo's autonomous driving program and found that Waymo robotaxis are substantially safer than human-driven vehicles, even those equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Across 25.3 million fully autonomous miles, Waymo's system showed an 88% reduction in property damage claims and a 92% reduction in bodily injury claims compared to the expected rates for human drivers. This significant safety improvement surpasses even the benefits offered by modern ADAS features. The research highlights the potential of autonomous vehicles to create safer roads.

(cleantechnica.com)

Tech autonomous vehicles road safety

US Net Neutrality Rules Struck Down Again

2025-01-05

A US appeals court has dealt another blow to net neutrality, overturning the FCC's latest attempt to reinstate the rules. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals cited the Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision, arguing the FCC lacked the authority to reclassify internet service providers as common carriers. This decision, based on a Supreme Court ruling limiting agencies' power to interpret laws, effectively kills the FCC's April order. The long-running battle over net neutrality continues, with FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel calling for Congressional action to codify open internet principles into federal law.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech court ruling

Extracting an AI Model from Microsoft's Seeing AI App

2025-01-05

Security researcher Altay Akkus successfully extracted the currency recognition AI model from Microsoft's Seeing AI app. The app uses the TensorFlow Lite framework, and the model is stored encrypted within the APK file. Using the Frida framework, Altay dynamically injected code to hook the TensorFlow Lite model loading function, successfully dumping the decrypted model file. This demonstrates the vulnerability of even seemingly secure apps to AI model extraction, highlighting the importance of mobile AI model security.

(altayakkus.substack.com)

Tech mobile security

The Ocean Cleanup's Record-Breaking 2024: Over 11 Million Kilos of Plastic Removed

2025-01-05

In 2024, The Ocean Cleanup achieved unprecedented success in its fight against ocean plastic. They removed over 11 million kilograms of plastic from oceans and rivers—surpassing all previous years combined. This success stemmed from scaling up operations in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with System 03, and expanding their river cleanup efforts globally with new Interceptors deployed in Thailand, Guatemala, and Jamaica. Beyond cleanup, The Ocean Cleanup is exploring innovative ways to repurpose recovered plastic and continues crucial scientific research to inform policy decisions. 2024's results demonstrate the feasibility of a plastic-free ocean, while highlighting the ongoing need for continued effort.

(theoceancleanup.com)

Tech Ocean Cleanup Plastic Pollution Environmental Conservation

World's Largest Hydroelectric Dam Approved in Tibet

2025-01-05

China has approved the construction of the Yarlung Tsangpo Hydroelectric Project, set to become the world's largest hydropower dam complex. Located in Tibet near the India border, it's projected to generate nearly three times the electricity of the Three Gorges Dam, amounting to 300 TWh annually. While promising a significant boost to renewable energy, the project raises concerns about environmental impact, seismic risks in the region, and potential downstream effects on India.

(newatlas.com)

Tech Hydroelectric Dam Tibet Renewable Energy

Category: Tech