Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

DRAM Prices Surge as China Pushes for Self-Reliance in High-End Chips

2025-08-06

Standard DRAM prices have doubled in a month and remain high, fueled by speculation that Chinese manufacturers are scaling back production to focus on AI chips and bolster domestic semiconductor capabilities. This shift could lead to a DDR4 memory shortage, as SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron control 90% of the global DRAM market. The move highlights China's ambitious strategy in high-end chips and its impact on the global semiconductor industry.

(asia.nikkei.com)

Tech memory chips China semiconductor

OpenAI Battles NYT Over 120 Million ChatGPT Logs in Copyright Dispute

2025-08-06

OpenAI is embroiled in a legal battle with the New York Times and other news organizations over copyright infringement. The news organizations demand access to 120 million ChatGPT user conversation logs to prove unauthorized use of their content. OpenAI argues this request is excessive, violating user privacy and delaying the case. Microsoft, a co-defendant, is also involved, with its internal ChatGPT equivalent potentially adding fuel to the fire. The core issue revolves around balancing copyright protection with user privacy and defining fair use in the context of AI models.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Cloudflare Accuses Perplexity of Stealthily Scraping Websites

2025-08-06

Cloudflare, a leading CDN provider, accuses AI startup Perplexity of bypassing websites' 'no crawl' directives using disguised web crawlers. Perplexity denies the accusations, claiming Cloudflare's analysis is flawed. Cloudflare has launched services to block aggressive AI crawlers and a pay-per-crawl program. This conflict highlights the tension between AI data acquisition and website rights, reflecting the challenges posed by AI technology.

(www.zdnet.com)

Tech

AI Avatar of Parkland Shooting Victim Speaks Out on Gun Control

2025-08-06

The parents of Joaquin Oliver, a victim of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, created an AI avatar of their son. Former CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta conducted the first interview with the AI, where Oliver advocated for stronger gun control, mental health support, and community engagement. Oliver's father, Manuel, explained that the AI is intended to amplify his son's voice in the ongoing gun control debate and allow the family to hear his voice again. This initiative follows a previous AI-driven campaign using the voices of Parkland victims to contact lawmakers.

(variety.com)

Tech Gun Control Parkland Shooting

Trump Admin Seeks to Destroy Vital NASA Climate Satellites

2025-08-06

The Trump administration reportedly asked NASA to develop plans to end at least two major satellite missions, one of which involves intentionally deorbiting a satellite to burn up in the atmosphere. These missions, the Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO), collect data widely used by scientists, energy companies, and farmers to monitor atmospheric carbon dioxide and plant growth. They are uniquely designed to monitor planet-warming greenhouse gases. Despite internal NASA assessments highlighting the high quality of the data and recommending continued operation, termination plans are reportedly advancing. This move has sparked strong opposition from the scientific community and Congress, who argue it would cause significant scientific loss and threaten national security and food security.

(www.npr.org)

Tech

macOS Tahoe Beta Bids Farewell to the Old Hard Drive Icon

2025-08-06

Apple's latest macOS 26 Tahoe developer beta brings a complete overhaul of system disk icons, marking the end of the era for the iconic old hard drive icon. The new design reflects modern SSDs and extends to applications like Disk Utility and installers. While functionally minor, the change symbolizes Apple's complete departure from the traditional HDD era, prompting a touch of nostalgia.

(arstechnica.com)

Tech

Trump's Steep Price for Taiwan: TSMC's Potential Intel Bailout

2025-08-06

To alleviate the US trade deficit, the Trump administration reportedly demanded two stringent conditions from TSMC for tariff relief on Taiwanese exports: acquiring a 49% stake in Intel and investing an additional $400 billion in the US. This move aims to rescue the struggling Intel and secure the US government's domestic chip supply chain plans. However, considering TSMC's existing $165 billion US investment and Intel's financial woes, this demand appears highly improbable.

(www.notebookcheck.net)

Tech US Tariffs

AI Bubble? Microsoft's $4 Trillion Valuation and the Academic Pushback

2025-08-06

Microsoft's valuation surged past $4 trillion, fueled by its AI cloud computing business, sparking debate about an AI bubble. Concurrently, US professors are organizing against the unchecked expansion of AI in higher education, citing concerns about working conditions, academic freedom, and the quality of student learning. The article highlights record-high AI investment, potentially acting as a private-sector stimulus, but questions the sustainability of this situation.

(www.bloodinthemachine.com)

Tech

Ozempic Shows Remarkable Anti-Aging Effects in Clinical Trial

2025-08-06

A clinical trial has revealed that the diabetes drug Ozempic (semaglutide) demonstrates significant anti-aging effects. In a 32-week study involving patients with HIV-associated lipohypertrophy, participants receiving Ozempic became an average of 3.1 years biologically younger. Researchers used epigenetic clocks to measure biological age, finding that Ozempic slowed and even reversed biological aging, particularly in the inflammatory system and brain. The anti-aging properties are believed to stem from Ozempic's impact on fat distribution and metabolic health. While the study focused on a specific population, the findings suggest potential benefits for a broader population. Further research is needed to confirm these effects in larger, more diverse groups.

(trial.medpath.com)

Tech semaglutide

US Marines Release Drone Warfare Handbook: A New Era of Drone Combat

2025-08-06

The U.S. Marine Corps has released a 90-page handbook on employing small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) against the enemy and integrating them into formations. This manual, born from lessons learned within the 1st Marine Division, standardizes drone operations, including deployment, camouflage, evasion, and teamwork. It utilizes a unique nomenclature for drone operating areas, reflecting a significant shift in military strategy towards proactive drone warfare, incorporating lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The handbook emphasizes the urgency of mastering sUAS technology and the importance of preparedness for future drone conflicts. Missing sections highlight future needs, emphasizing the ongoing arms race in this domain.

(www.marinecorpstimes.com)

Tech

Mind-blowing: ALS Patient Controls iPad with Thought Alone

2025-08-05

Synchron has unveiled a groundbreaking brain-computer interface (BCI) allowing an ALS patient to control an iPad solely with their thoughts. No hands, voice, or eye tracking are needed. The Stentrode implant, positioned within brain blood vessels, detects motor intentions, transmitting them wirelessly to a decoder that interacts with the iPad via Apple's new BCI protocol and Switch Control. This technology offers unprecedented independence, enabling the patient to message loved ones, read news, and stay connected. This minimally invasive approach, bypassing open brain surgery, represents a significant leap forward in BCI accessibility and potential.

(nerds.xyz)

Tech

Lunar Trailblazer Mission Ends Prematurely After Communication Loss

2025-08-05

NASA's Lunar Trailblazer mission, aimed at mapping lunar water resources, has ended prematurely after losing contact with the satellite. Launched in February, the satellite successfully separated from its rocket but failed to correctly orient its solar arrays, leading to battery depletion and communication loss. While unsuccessful, NASA views the mission as a valuable learning experience for future low-cost, small satellite missions, contributing to a sustained human presence on the Moon. The mission sought to create high-resolution maps of water on the moon's surface, assessing its abundance, form, and temporal changes.

(www.engadget.com)

Tech Satellite Communication Failure

Google Mocks Apple's Year-Long Siri AI Upgrade Delay

2025-08-05

Apple promised a major AI-powered Siri upgrade for iPhone 16 users via Apple Intelligence last year, but a year later, the upgrade is still missing, prompting Apple to pull related ads. Seizing the opportunity, Google's latest Pixel 10 ad subtly mocks Apple's delayed “soon-to-arrive” AI features, suggesting users switch phones. The ad, released on YouTube and X, teases the Pixel 10 launch on August 20th. Reports indicate Apple's delay stems from issues with Siri's hybrid architecture. Apple's software chief, Craig Federighi, confirmed they're working on a significantly improved Siri.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech Apple vs Google

AI-Powered Disaster Assessment: CLARKE System Evaluates Damage in Minutes

2025-08-05

Developed at Texas A&M University, CLARKE (Computer vision and Learning for Analysis of Roads and Key Edifices) uses AI and drone imagery to rapidly assess damage to buildings, roads, and infrastructure after disasters. Tested during the 2024 hurricane season, CLARKE evaluates a neighborhood of 2,000 homes in just seven minutes, saving lives and resources. Trained on over 21,000 homes across 10 major disasters, CLARKE provides comprehensive damage reports, including Google Maps-style route planning to avoid impassable roads, particularly beneficial in rural areas. Emergency responders have praised its efficiency and effectiveness, highlighting its potential as a game-changer in disaster response.

(stories.tamu.edu)

Tech Disaster Response Drone Technology

Delta Air Lines Clarifies AI-Powered Pricing: No Personalized Pricing, They Say

2025-08-05

Delta Air Lines is clarifying its AI-assisted dynamic pricing model following scrutiny over recent comments. While a previous statement suggested AI would personalize pricing, Delta now insists it uses aggregated data to inform analysts, responding to competitor pricing and market trends to maximize overall revenue, not individual customer targeting. This clarification comes in response to concerns raised by lawmakers about potential price discrimination. The airline emphasizes it doesn't share personal data with its AI provider, Fetcherr, but the issue highlights growing ethical and regulatory questions around AI's role in pricing.

(www.theverge.com)

Tech AI pricing Delta Air Lines price discrimination

OneDrive vs. Dropbox: What Happens When You Exceed Your Storage Limit?

2025-08-05

Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox handle exceeding storage limits differently. OneDrive free users face restrictions on syncing new files and potential deletion after six months; Dropbox keeps exceeding files but limits adding and syncing. This article compares OneDrive and Dropbox's over-limit policies, urging users to back up important files.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

Vermont Engineer Brings Free Payphones Back to Life

2025-08-05

Patrick Schlott, a 31-year-old electrical engineer in Vermont's Orange County, is tackling poor cell service head-on. Frustrated by dead zones, he's repurposed old payphones into free internet-connected calling stations in three towns. Using secondhand phones and his home workshop, Schlott provides free calls across the US and Canada, covering all costs himself. The phones have become a lifeline, particularly helpful for stranded drivers and students. With Vermont banning cell phones in schools in 2026, the need for alternative communication is growing, and Schlott's project is gaining traction, even though he's currently self-funding its operation and exploring sustainable funding models while maintaining the free service.

(www.npr.org)

Tech community service internet telephony

Texas Mega-Data Center to Run on Nuclear Power?

2025-08-05

Facing AI's insatiable energy demands, Fermi America is planning a massive advanced energy campus in Texas, featuring up to six gigawatts of nuclear power deployed by Hyundai. The project aims to power data centers by 2032, with the first reactor slated to begin construction next year. While ambitious, the project faces significant cost and risk, as similar ventures have experienced massive overruns and supplier bankruptcies (Westinghouse). Besides nuclear, the campus will include gas, solar, and battery storage. Fermi America is already building initial gas generation capacity, targeting one gigawatt by late 2026. This isn't the first nuclear-powered data center proposal; other companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle are also exploring similar initiatives.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

North Korean Hackers Use AI to Infiltrate Global Companies

2025-08-05

CrowdStrike's latest report reveals that the North Korean hacking group, Famous Chollima, is using AI to create fake identities and infiltrate companies worldwide, taking technical jobs to steal intelligence. Over the past year, the group launched an attack almost daily, with activity increasing by 220%. They leverage AI for resume generation, fake identities, and even to complete technical tasks during interviews and on the job. This highlights the double-edged sword of AI in cybersecurity and underscores the need for stronger corporate security measures.

(cyberscoop.com)

Tech AI security threat

Google Pauses Non-Essential AI Workloads to Protect Power Grids

2025-08-05

Facing an impending heatwave and potential power grid strain, Google announced it will pause non-essential AI workloads in its data centers to avoid exacerbating electricity shortages. This move is a result of a collaboration with Indiana Michigan Power and the Tennessee Valley Authority, who can request Google to reduce power consumption during surges in demand. While the technology is still nascent and inapplicable to high-demand services like Search and Maps, it signifies a proactive step by the tech giant to address its data center's energy consumption and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability. Google also continues investing heavily in renewable energy sources, including geothermal, solar, wind, and nuclear, to reduce its carbon footprint.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech

Rivian Sues Ohio Over Direct-to-Consumer EV Sales Ban

2025-08-05

EV maker Rivian is suing Ohio, challenging the state's ban on direct-to-consumer vehicle sales. Rivian argues the law stifles competition, harms consumers, and points to Tesla's exemption. This is the latest chapter in the ongoing battle between emerging automakers and powerful dealership lobbies. Rivian seeks a license to sell EVs directly in Ohio.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech Direct Sales

Cells Remember Too: Challenging the Definition of Memory

2025-08-05

Neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin at NYU has found that both nerve and kidney cells can differentiate patterns of neurotransmitter bursts and form memories lasting up to a day. This suggests that even non-neural cells can perform pattern recognition and memory, challenging the traditional neuroscientific definition of memory. The research indicates that the formation of cellular memory is related to the spacing of stimuli; spaced stimuli more easily form lasting memories, similar to the mechanisms of memory formation in animals. The study also reveals long-standing biases in the scientific community, limiting memory to observable behavioral changes and ignoring cellular-level memory mechanisms.

(www.quantamagazine.org)

Tech cellular memory

Starlink Goes Beyond Phones: New Zealand Launches First Satellite IoT Network for Beehives

2025-08-05

SpaceX's cellular Starlink network is expanding beyond phone coverage in cellular dead zones. New Zealand's One NZ has launched the world's first Starlink Direct-to-Cell (DTC) IoT network, partnering with APIS Solutions to monitor beehives in remote areas via satellite. This utilizes Starlink's satellite connectivity to provide real-time data without reliance on traditional cell towers. T-Mobile has also confirmed plans to incorporate IoT device support into its Starlink service, highlighting the growing potential of satellite technology for connecting remote IoT devices.

(me.pcmag.com)

Tech

Kyoto U. Develops Morphine-Equivalent Painkiller Without Severe Side Effects

2025-08-05

A Kyoto University team has developed a painkiller, 'Adriana,' comparable to morphine but lacking its serious side effects like breathing problems and addiction. This groundbreaking drug works via a different mechanism than existing opioids, potentially revolutionizing pain management. Clinical trials showed efficacy in various patients, including lung cancer surgery patients. A larger US trial is planned for 2026, with practical application aimed for 2028, offering hope for addressing the opioid crisis and improving cancer patient care.

(www.japantimes.co.jp)

Tech painkiller opioid alternative Kyoto University

Tesla's Autopilot Deception: Withheld Data and Misleading Authorities

2025-08-04

Tesla lost a wrongful death lawsuit involving Autopilot this week, and trial transcripts reveal the company withheld critical evidence and misled authorities. Minutes after the crash, Tesla's servers received a collision snapshot, yet they claimed the data didn't exist, directing police to retrieve irrelevant information. Plaintiffs eventually obtained the complete data from Tesla's servers, proving Autopilot was engaged and failed to issue warnings. The court found Tesla 33% liable, highlighting serious issues with Autopilot's safety and transparency.

(electrek.co)

Tech

Shining Light Through the Head: A Breakthrough in Brain Imaging

2025-08-04

Researchers at the University of Glasgow have achieved a breakthrough in brain imaging, successfully transmitting near-infrared light through an entire adult human head. This opens the door to cheaper, more portable brain imaging technology that overcomes the limitations of current methods like EEG and fMRI. The technology could enable deeper brain imaging, potentially revolutionizing diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. While still in its early stages, the potential impact on brain health diagnostics and treatment is immense.

(spectrum.ieee.org)

Tech brain imaging optical imaging

Palantir Teams Up with Accenture and Deloitte to Accelerate AI in US Government

2025-08-04

Palantir is partnering with Accenture Federal Services and Deloitte to accelerate the adoption of AI across US government agencies, tackling their top operational challenges. This combines Palantir's expertise in government software with Accenture and Deloitte's extensive experience in the federal government sector. The aim is to modernize and reinvent government operations with stronger data flows, transparency, and resilience. While concerns exist regarding competition and fairness due to Palantir's expanding reach, this is a shrewd business move, leveraging the established relationships of larger contractors to rapidly scale Palantir's operations.

(www.wired.com)

Tech

Tech Layoffs: AI Scapegoat or Efficiency Play?

2025-08-04

The 2023 tech layoff wave has seen many companies blame AI. However, the reality is more nuanced. An Indeed report reveals a decline in tech job postings, but this isn't solely due to AI; the end of pandemic-era hiring binges also played a significant role. Some companies frame layoffs as strategic shifts towards AI and efficiency, aiming to appease Wall Street. Yet, AI's impact isn't entirely negative; it may displace some jobs but also create new ones. Currently, entry-level positions are most affected, while experienced AI specialists remain in high demand. The long-term effects of AI on the job market require further observation.

(apnews.com)

Tech

Cosmic Rays Trigger Lightning: An Electron Avalanche from Space

2025-08-04

A new study claims that the energy needed for thunderstorms could come from an avalanche of electrons seeded by extraterrestrial cosmic rays. For centuries, it's been a mystery how storm clouds build up the powerful electric fields needed for lightning. Researchers used computer models to reveal that lightning is the result of a powerful chain reaction starting in outer space. Cosmic rays striking the atmosphere create runaway electrons, ultimately leading to an electron avalanche that produces the high-energy photons initiating lightning. The model also explains the flashes of gamma-rays and X-rays that precede lightning strikes.

(www.livescience.com)

Tech electron avalanche

Apollo 15: First Moon Buggy Ride

2025-08-04

In 1971, astronauts David Scott and James Irwin of the Apollo 15 mission became the first to drive on the moon's surface in the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), or 'moon buggy'. This battery-powered vehicle, capable of 12 mph, enabled longer excursions than previously possible on foot. Weighing just 77 pounds on the moon, it carried two astronauts, equipment, and hundreds of pounds of samples. Rigorously tested to withstand extreme temperatures and impacts, the LRV collected 170 pounds of lunar samples during Apollo 15. Today, it remains on the moon's near side.

(nautil.us)

Tech Apollo 15 Lunar Roving Vehicle

Category: Tech