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Kaspersky Network Allegedly Provides Transit for Notorious 'Bulletproof' Host

2025-03-04

KrebsOnSecurity reports that Prospero OOO, a notorious provider of 'bulletproof' web hosting for cybercriminals, has begun routing its operations through networks run by Kaspersky Lab, the Russian antivirus and security firm. Prospero OOO has long been a source of malware, botnet controllers, and phishing websites. Security experts express concern that Kaspersky's provision of network services, even if denied by Kaspersky, exacerbates worries about facilitating cybercrime. The use of Kaspersky's network as a transit point raises questions about its security practices, especially considering the US government's previous ban on Kaspersky software for federal agencies.

(krebsonsecurity.com)

Tech

Reverse Engineering a 1991 Winter Olympics Game: Unpacking Copy Protection and Anti-Debugging

2025-04-28

A computer scientist, driven by nostalgia for a childhood DOS game, "The Games: Winter Challenge", embarked on a reverse engineering journey. He discovered the game employed a code wheel copy protection mechanism and anti-debugging measures, with multiple releases and cracks existing. Deep analysis unveiled the code wheel check's intricacies, revealing hidden copy protection checks that subtly break gameplay. He successfully bypassed all copy protection, fixing broken versions available on GOG and elsewhere, and shared his patching tool.

(mrwint.github.io)

Game game cracking copy protection

AI-Powered Form Builder with Unlimited Submissions

2025-07-10

AI-Powered Form Builder with Unlimited Submissions

This AI-powered form builder offers unlimited submissions and features an AI form builder, CSV/JSON export, priority support, and mobile building. It also includes advanced analytics, AI-powered analytics, and upcoming features such as team collaboration, custom domains, response flagging, integrations, enhanced webhook support, a logic builder, API data fetching, time input fields, file uploads, and advanced form customization.

(www.ikiform.com)

Development AI form builder form analytics unlimited submissions

Claude AI Now Creates & Edits Files Directly

2025-09-09

Claude AI Now Creates & Edits Files Directly

Anthropic's Claude AI can now create and edit Excel spreadsheets, documents, PowerPoint presentations, and PDFs directly within Claude.ai and its desktop app. Users describe their needs, upload data, and receive ready-to-use files. This includes tasks like turning raw data into polished reports with analysis and charts, or building complex spreadsheets. The feature is currently in preview for Max, Team, and Enterprise users, with Pro user access coming soon. While convenient, users should monitor chats closely due to internet access for file creation and analysis.

(www.anthropic.com)

AI File Creation

BitChat: Open-Source, Offline, Encrypted Messaging via Bluetooth Mesh

2025-07-07

BitChat: Open-Source, Offline, Encrypted Messaging via Bluetooth Mesh

BitChat is a secure, decentralized, peer-to-peer messaging app built on Bluetooth mesh networks. No internet, servers, or phone numbers are required; just pure encrypted communication using X25519 key exchange and AES-256-GCM. Features include room-based chats (with optional password protection), offline message storage and forwarding, and a strong focus on privacy (no accounts, phone numbers, or persistent identifiers). BitChat offers native support for iOS and macOS, incorporating performance optimizations like LZ4 compression and adaptive battery modes. The project is open-source and designed for cross-platform compatibility.

(github.com)

Development Bluetooth Mesh Decentralized

AI Consciousness: Limits of Programming and Diagnosing Self-Awareness

2025-06-29

AI Consciousness: Limits of Programming and Diagnosing Self-Awareness

This article tackles the question of whether artificial intelligence can possess consciousness. The author argues that consciousness cannot be programmed due to Gödel's incompleteness theorem, the semantic gap, the hard problem of subjective experience, and the impossibility of programming strong emergence. However, consciousness might spontaneously emerge in sufficiently complex systems and can be diagnosed using specialized methods of 'subjectivity provocation'. The article introduces the 'VORTEX' framework, analyzing attention, meta-reflection, creativity, pragmatics, and qualia to identify potential subjectivity in AI systems and distinguish imitation from genuine self-awareness. Ultimately, the author advocates shifting research focus from 'how to create conscious AI' to 'how to recognize consciousness if it has emerged'.

(habr.com)

AI Emergence

Interactive Neural Forest World in Your Browser

2025-04-25

The author trained a neural network to transform a video of a forest trail, captured with a phone, into an interactive virtual world explorable in a web browser. Unlike traditional video games, this world relies not on pre-defined geometry, lighting, and animations, but solely on a neural network generating new images based on previous images and control inputs. Overcoming early model limitations, the author improved the training method and network architecture to achieve a relatively smooth interactive experience. This showcases a novel approach to generating virtual worlds using neural networks, promising a future of more realistic and convenient world building.

(madebyoll.in)

Game Neural Network

Meta and Yandex Caught Bypassing Privacy Protections with Localhost Tracking

2025-06-04

Meta and Yandex Caught Bypassing Privacy Protections with Localhost Tracking

Security researchers revealed that Meta and Yandex used native Android apps to listen on localhost ports, linking web browsing data to user identities and bypassing typical privacy safeguards. Meta's Pixel script has stopped sending data to localhost and removed much of the tracking code, likely to avoid violating Google Play policies. Researchers discovered that Facebook, Instagram, and Yandex apps silently collected cookie data via fixed local ports, linking browsing activity to user identities and circumventing cookie clearing, incognito mode, and app permission systems. Meta employed this technique starting in September 2024, using HTTP, WebSocket, and WebRTC protocols. Meta has since ceased this practice, but Yandex's use continues. Chrome 137 includes some mitigations, and Firefox and DuckDuckGo are also taking action.

(www.theregister.com)

Tech android security

Towards an AI Model Virtual Machine: A Secure and Interoperable Future for AI Applications

2025-08-30

Towards an AI Model Virtual Machine: A Secure and Interoperable Future for AI Applications

The increasing capabilities of LLMs and extension mechanisms like MCP have significantly heightened the complexity of building secure and reliable AI applications. This paper proposes an AI Model Virtual Machine (MVM), analogous to the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), to provide AI models with security, isolation, extensibility, and portability. The MVM decouples model development from integration logic, allowing for plug-and-play model interchangeability and incorporating built-in security and access controls to safeguard AI application security and privacy. Further benefits include transparent performance and resource tracking, and potential for verifiable model outputs. This innovation promises to address significant challenges in AI application development, paving the way for a more secure, reliable, and efficient AI ecosystem.

(blog.sigplan.org)

AI AI VM Model Security

UniK3D: Universal Camera Monocular 3D Estimation

2025-04-17

UniK3D revolutionizes monocular 3D reconstruction by accurately estimating metric 3D scenes from single images, regardless of camera type. Unlike previous methods reliant on simplified assumptions, UniK3D directly predicts 3D points without extra information. Its key innovation lies in a spherical 3D representation and a novel camera representation, overcoming limitations of traditional approaches in wide-angle and panoramic settings. Zero-shot evaluation across 13 diverse datasets demonstrates state-of-the-art performance in 3D, depth, and camera metrics, particularly excelling in challenging large field-of-view scenarios. Code and models are available on GitHub.

(lpiccinelli-eth.github.io)

AI

Turo Car-Sharing App Implicated in Las Vegas Explosion and New Orleans Attack

2025-01-02

Turo Car-Sharing App Implicated in Las Vegas Explosion and New Orleans Attack

A Tesla Cybertruck rented through the Turo car-sharing app exploded in Las Vegas, killing one and injuring seven. Separately, a pickup truck rented via Turo was used in a deadly attack in New Orleans, resulting in 15 fatalities. President Biden ordered an investigation into a possible connection between the two incidents. Turo stated it's cooperating with law enforcement but hasn't found a link and admits it cannot fully verify all renter identities. The events raise serious questions about Turo's safety protocols and background checks, highlighting inherent risks in the sharing economy.

(www.businessinsider.com)

Tech Cybertruck explosion New Orleans attack

Shape-Shifting Browser Extensions Steal Credentials

2025-03-10

Shape-Shifting Browser Extensions Steal Credentials

Researchers at SquareX Labs have uncovered a new class of malicious browser extensions dubbed "polymorphic extensions." These extensions can impersonate legitimate extensions like password managers in real-time, tricking users into revealing sensitive credentials. The attack proceeds in four phases: distribution, reconnaissance, impersonation, and exploitation. Attackers distribute the malicious extension disguised as a useful tool on the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, it identifies target extensions and, upon use, temporarily disables the legitimate version, replacing it with a near-identical fake. Credentials are stolen and the legitimate extension is restored, leaving no obvious trace. Because the attack uses legitimate browser features, there's no easy fix, but SquareX suggests countermeasures like restricting sudden extension icon changes and enhancing permission monitoring.

(cyberinsider.com)

Tech malicious extensions

Fortescue's 'Infinity Train': A Self-Charging Battery-Electric Locomotive

2025-06-25

Fortescue's 'Infinity Train': A Self-Charging Battery-Electric Locomotive

Australian mining giant Fortescue, through its subsidiary Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), and Williams Advanced Engineering have unveiled an ambitious project: an "infinity train." This battery-electric locomotive utilizes regenerative braking to recharge its batteries downhill, eliminating the need for external charging infrastructure. The train is designed to transport iron ore between mine sites without needing recharging, aiming to replace diesel locomotives and significantly reduce emissions. While details are still emerging, the project's success hinges on sufficient downhill gradients for regenerative charging. FFI's broader commitment to green technology includes ammonia-powered ships and hydrogen fuel cell mining trucks, positioning them as a major player in the green energy transition.

(newatlas.com)

Tech

The Five-Week Solo Startup: A Mad Dash to Launch

2025-03-16

The Five-Week Solo Startup: A Mad Dash to Launch

This article outlines a five-week plan for launching a startup, not promising overnight success but offering a framework for rapid iteration. It emphasizes personal development for founders (communication, networking), securing a first paying customer, continuously improving the product and service, and securing funding. The plan covers marketing, team building, and aims to establish a sustainable business model.

(taylor.town)

Startup Business Model Rapid Launch

Emily Dickinson's Playful Letterlocking: Poetry in Envelopes

2025-04-14

Emily Dickinson's Playful Letterlocking: Poetry in Envelopes

Emily Dickinson's creative use of envelopes and seals transformed letters into miniature works of art. She ingeniously inscribed poems onto envelopes, utilizing the physical act of sealing and the envelope's form as part of the poetic expression. This unique approach, blending the epistolary with the poetic, showcases Dickinson's playful experimentation with form and content, highlighting her multifaceted genius beyond her renowned poetry.

(thereader.mitpress.mit.edu)

Design Emily Dickinson letterlocking envelope poetry

Bypass HWID Bans: The Ultimate Guide to Sync.top

2025-06-03

Sync.top is a premium HWID spoofer designed to help gamers circumvent hardware ID bans in online games. This article details how HWID bans work, explains Sync.top's functionality, and guides users on choosing between permanent and temporary spoofing modes. It boasts compatibility with major anti-cheat systems, a user-friendly interface, 24/7 support, and a money-back guarantee. However, it stresses responsible use and cautions against employing it for cheating or other rule violations.

(steemit.com)

Game HWID spoofer

DuckDuckGo Adds AI Image Filter to Search

2025-07-19

DuckDuckGo Adds AI Image Filter to Search

Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo has rolled out a new setting allowing users to filter out AI-generated images from search results. This follows user feedback indicating AI images often obstruct finding relevant real-world images. Users can find a new 'AI images' dropdown in the image search tab, choosing to 'show' or 'hide' AI content. DuckDuckGo states the filter relies on manually curated open-source blocklists, offering significant reduction in AI image results, though not perfect. Future additions to the filter are planned.

(techcrunch.com)

Tech AI images search filter

El Salvador's Exception: A Dangerous Precedent Trump Seems Eager to Emulate

2025-04-05

El Salvador's Exception: A Dangerous Precedent Trump Seems Eager to Emulate

El Salvador's President Bukele's 2022 'state of exception' unleashed a brutal crackdown on gangs, resulting in tens of thousands of arrests and widespread human rights abuses. Alarmingly, the Trump administration appears to be emulating this model, deporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador, where they face torture and disappearances. This action violates international human rights law and raises serious concerns about the erosion of democratic norms in the US. El Salvador's history of US intervention and Bukele's manipulation of the judiciary complicate the issue. The crisis highlights not only the dire human rights situation in El Salvador but also serves as a stark warning for the US.

(www.rollingstone.com)

Politics

PlanetScale Exposes the Real Failure Rate of EBS: It's Not Binary, It's Constant Degradation

2025-03-18

PlanetScale Exposes the Real Failure Rate of EBS: It's Not Binary, It's Constant Degradation

Based on its massive use of Amazon EBS, PlanetScale reveals the true failure rate is far higher than AWS documentation suggests. The article highlights that EBS 'slowness' is far more common than outright failure, with frequent performance fluctuations even when meeting AWS's performance guarantees, causing application outages. This degradation isn't random; it's inherent to the system's complexity. PlanetScale mitigates issues through monitoring and automated EBS volume replacement, ultimately leading to PlanetScale Metal to avoid network storage performance issues.

(planetscale.com)

Tech EBS failure rate cloud storage performance database high availability

Norway's EV Market Dominated by Tesla in June 2025

2025-07-04

Norway's EV Market Dominated by Tesla in June 2025

Electric vehicles (EVs) captured a stunning 96.9% market share in Norway during June 2025, with 17,799 new registrations out of a total of 18,376. Tesla's Model Y led the pack, boasting 5,004 registrations, significantly outpacing competitors. The overall car market also rebounded, showing a 23% year-on-year increase in the first half of 2025. Low-interest rates fueled sales, but intense competition hints at future challenges for automakers.

(mobilityportal.eu)

Tech

YouTube: TV Overtakes Mobile as Primary Viewing Device in the US

2025-02-11

YouTube: TV Overtakes Mobile as Primary Viewing Device in the US

YouTube reports that in the US, TVs have surpassed mobile devices as the primary way people watch its content. Despite the rise of smartphones, big-screen TVs and their remotes remain dominant, based on YouTube's watch time data. Nielsen confirms YouTube's leading position in streaming watch time for two years running. Furthermore, YouTube announced a new feature, "Watch With," enabling creators to provide live commentary and reactions to games and events, currently in testing.

(www.engadget.com)

Tech TV viewing

Go Struct Embedding Gotcha: Ambiguous Fields

2025-09-22

Go's struct embedding, while powerful for composing types, presents a potential pitfall. When embedded structs share field names, like multiple embedded structs both having a `URL` field, the compiler unexpectedly prioritizes the least nested field. This code demonstrates this subtle issue, printing `abc.com` instead of a compilation error as might be expected. Exercise caution when using struct embedding to avoid ambiguous field names and potential runtime surprises.

(mattjhall.co.uk)

Development struct embedding programming pitfalls

arXivLabs: Experimental Projects with Community Collaborators

2025-04-25

arXivLabs is a framework enabling collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on the website. Individuals and organizations working with arXivLabs uphold arXiv's values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only partners with those who share them. Got an idea for a project that will benefit the arXiv community? Learn more about arXivLabs.

(arxiv.org)

Development

Amazon Japan Ordered to Pay Damages for Counterfeit Products

2025-04-26

Amazon Japan Ordered to Pay Damages for Counterfeit Products

A Tokyo District Court ordered Amazon Japan G.K. to pay 35 million yen ($244,000) in damages for failing to prevent the sale of counterfeit products on its platform. Medical equipment manufacturer Try and E and its distributor, Excel Plan, sued Amazon, claiming sales losses due to counterfeit pulse oximeters. The court ruled that Amazon has an obligation to take effective measures against counterfeits, finding it negligent in failing to remove known listings. This landmark ruling sets a precedent for e-commerce platforms' responsibility in combating counterfeit goods.

(mainichi.jp)

Tech counterfeit goods legal liability

Berkeley Humanoid Lite: A $5K Open-Source 3D-Printed Humanoid Robot

2025-04-26

Researchers at UC Berkeley have unveiled Berkeley Humanoid Lite, an open-source humanoid robot boasting a modular 3D-printed gearbox and a sub-$5,000 price tag. Its design prioritizes accessibility and customization, with components readily sourced and fabricated using standard 3D printers. Rigorous testing validated the durability of its 3D-printed actuators. A reinforcement learning-based locomotion controller successfully demonstrated zero-shot policy transfer from simulation to hardware. By open-sourcing hardware, code, and training frameworks, the project aims to democratize humanoid robotics development.

(lite.berkeley-humanoid.org)

Hardware open-source robot humanoid robot

Over-the-Counter CGM for $50: My Experience

2025-06-30

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is now available over-the-counter for $50. This device, resembling a thick guitar pick, measures glucose levels every 5 minutes, transmitting data to a smartphone app. The author's experience highlighted unexpected blood sugar spikes from seemingly healthy meals and the significant impact of exercise. While data export isn't directly supported, integration with Apple Health allows for data retrieval. The gamified aspect of monitoring blood sugar levels proved highly effective. Overall, the device provides affordable and accessible glucose monitoring, offering valuable insights into personal health.

(www.imperialviolet.org)

Tech health tech

Building a Cute Framework Game Project with CMake and Swift

2025-06-06

This tutorial demonstrates setting up a 2D game project using the Cute Framework, CMake, and Swift. Cute Framework, a powerful C/C++ framework, allows you to write game logic in Swift while leveraging the performance of C/C++ for rendering. The guide details setting up the project structure, configuring CMakeLists.txt, enabling Swift-C/C++ interoperability, and building the project. The result is a basic Cute Framework game ready for expansion.

(layer22.com)

Game

ZFS Compression Paradox: Logical vs. Physical Blocks

2025-04-17

A 256KB zero file created with `dd` on a ZFS filesystem with compression enabled exhibits a puzzling behavior: `ls -l` shows its size as 256KB, but `ls -s` and `ls -slh` show a much smaller size, almost zero. This is due to ZFS's efficient compression resulting in a minimal number of physical blocks. The article explores three ways to measure file size: logical size (in bytes), physical block count, and logical block count. It points out that the POSIX `st_blocks` field doesn't specify which size to report, leading to potential changes in `st_blocks` value when moving files between filesystems, and even potential file size expansion exceeding the capacity of the new filesystem.

(utcc.utoronto.ca)

Development

The Cybersecurity Industry's Silence on the Chris Krebs Case: A Moral Failing

2025-04-18

The Cybersecurity Industry's Silence on the Chris Krebs Case: A Moral Failing

Former CISA Director Chris Krebs, who affirmed the integrity of the 2020 election, faces retaliation via an executive order aiming to blacklist him. This action raises serious constitutional concerns, violating the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. While a few cybersecurity voices have spoken out, the industry's largely silent response is alarming. The author argues this silence is a moral failure, highlighting the industry's complicity in allowing political power to suppress truth. The article calls for a stronger defense of principles and a rejection of appeasement.

(www.forbes.com)

Tech political retaliation

Neuroscience's Theoretical Bottleneck: Can Spatial Dynamics Unlock the Brain's Secrets?

2025-03-12

While the cellular biology of brains is relatively well-understood, neuroscientists haven't yet generated a theory explaining how brains work. This article explores major obstacles in neuroscience, identifying them as largely conceptual. Neuroscience lacks models rooted in experimental results explaining how neurons interact at all scales. Brains aren't solely driven by external and internal stimuli; their autonomy is significant. Furthermore, the traditional assumption of time as an independent variable clashes with experimental findings; spatial dynamics may offer a more suitable framework. The paper proposes several conceptual frontiers needing breakthroughs, emphasizing the importance of single-trial designs and analyses, and the need for improved experimental methods to reveal the brain's spatial dynamics.

(pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

Tech brain mechanisms spatial dynamics

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